[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8572]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                       TRIBUTE TO JACK LIVINGSTON

  Mr. BURR. Mr. President, today I wish to pay special tribute to Jack 
Livingston, a key member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence 
staff for more than 12 years. Jack's lifelong commitment to our 
national security began when he was just a young man and heeded the 
call to service when he joined the Civil Air Patrol. Some years later, 
he joined the Navy, followed by more than 7 years of distinguished 
service at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. His memory of being on 
the floor of the Strategic Information and Operations Center at the FBI 
in the hours after 9/11, when so many others in Washington, DC, had 
hurried to safety, remained with him every day and became his driver 
and, in turn, a motivator for younger staff.
  Jack subsequently joined the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence 
where he has served for the last 13 years. As general counsel for the 
majority and minority, Jack not only helped shape national policy on 
key intelligence matters, but he served as a personal and professional 
mentor to dozens of committee and congressional staff, on both sides of 
the aisle. From the all-nighters before mark-up, reviewing amendments 
and writing and proofing countless sets of talking points, to somehow 
always assigning himself a larger ``equal'' share of the work, Jack has 
led by example. His meticulous nature and sound reasoning were 
essential as the committee produced reports or majority or minority 
views on significant matters of national security, from Iraq WMD to 
interrogation and detention. It did not matter how busy Jack was 
because he would always find time to talk through an intelligence issue 
with a colleague, proofread a floor statement, or just listen. Many 
staff knocked on his open door and were greeted without hesitation by a 
kind word or invitation to sit down and discuss a question more in-
depth.
  Many of Jack's colleagues have had the privilege of working with him 
for years. Ask them what words describe Jack best, and you will likely 
hear ``integrity,'' ``honesty,'' ``impeccable character,'' ``devoted 
family man,'' and ``all-around good guy''--and unique: while an ardent 
Indiana University and Bobby Knight fan, his California roots easily 
showed themselves as he called his colleagues ``dude'' during debates. 
Jack was often kidded about catching a joke; the deadpan expression on 
his face was usually belied by a twinkle in his eye that said the joke 
was really on you.
  Jack is loyal to the core, and he understood well the importance of 
providing accurate information and sound advice to members of the 
committee, a point on which I am sure my predecessors, Senators 
Chambliss, Bond, and Roberts, would agree. Jack had the ability, all 
too rare in Congress, to put politics aside and focus on the mission 
and on what was best for the Nation. His colleagues knew they could 
engage in spirited but never personal debates. Jack always stuck to the 
facts and his arguments were based on logic, not emotion. As a result, 
members of the committee--Republican, Democrat, and Independent--sought 
his counsel on a wide range of issues.
  As the minority and majority general counsel, Jack enjoyed some major 
successes in national security legislation. From the Protect America 
Act to the FISA Amendments Act, Jack worked tirelessly to secure the 
best result for our terrorist surveillance capabilities. Jack was 
passionate about this issue and understood it better than pretty much 
anyone else. The committee's FISA audit was a hallmark of Jack's early 
tenure on the committee and provided the impetus for many improvements 
in the conduct of national security investigations and for later 
legislation in which Jack played significant roles. Jack led the 
committee's passage of the Cyber Information Sharing Act of 2015, the 
product of years of bipartisan work and compromise on an issue that has 
taken on new urgency with the increase in cyber threats, and of 
numerous intelligence authorization acts that secured critical 
authorities and capabilities for our intelligence professionals.
  It is often said that behind every great man, there is a greater 
woman, and in Jack's case, that is certainly true--and I have no doubt 
Jack would agree. Jack's tireless service was made possible, not just 
because of his own character, but because he was confident in the love 
and support of his wife, Julie, and their children, John, James, and 
Sarah. For their own sacrifices and for their willingness to share Jack 
with the committee, we are indebted to them.
  Jack has earned our respect and admiration, and we will miss his 
sound counsel and friendship, but his legacy will remain a part of the 
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence for years to come.

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