[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8564-8565]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING BRIAN C. COOPER ON HIS RETIREMENT

  Mr. WOMACK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Brian C. 
Cooper, who is retiring from the Office of the Parliamentarian after 35 
years on Capitol Hill.
  Brian is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and a graduate of Frederick 
Douglass High School and the Community College of Baltimore County, 
where he received his degree in commercial and graphic arts.
  Brian began his Capitol Hill career in September of 1992, when he was 
hired in the stockroom of the Longworth Building, working in 
publication and distribution services.
  Throughout the eighties and early nineties, Brian held a variety of 
positions on Capitol Hill, including roles on the Small Business 
Committee and the Government Operations Subcommittee. Through this 
experience, Brian learned the intricacies of the legislative process 
and the inner-workings of House operations, skills that would serve him 
well when, in 1995, he was hired as an Assistant Clerk to the 
Parliamentarian.
  Brian would spend the next 22 years in the House Parliamentarian's 
Office and became Chief Clerk to the Parliamentarian in 2009. For over 
two decades, Brian has been a fixture at the House rostrum, dutifully 
assisting the presiding officer in timekeeping, recognizing Members on 
the floor, and preparing and reviewing reams of legislative paperwork 
for the House.
  Brian has prepared the House Chambers for both visiting dignitaries 
and State of the Union addresses alike, and everything in between. If 
that wasn't enough, Brian also created the first computer network for 
the Parliamentarian.
  An accomplished artist, Brian remains active in artistic endeavors, 
which run the gamut from pencil drawings, watercolors, and oils, to 
photography and architectural design. His retirement will offer new 
opportunities to continue these pursuits. A devoted Orioles fan, it is 
my hope that Brian will spend some of his well-earned free time at 
Camden Yards.
  A consummate professional, Brian has spent his career on Capitol Hill 
committed to assisting with an orderly and accurate legislative 
process, observed in a fair and nonpartisan manner. He is a 
quintessential legislative resource for this entire body, and I am 
certain the House of Representatives has known few individuals more 
dedicated to its proper functioning and legacy than Brian Cooper.

[[Page 8565]]

  On behalf of everyone affiliated with this, the people's House, 
including my colleagues gathered in front of me here as I speak, Brian, 
we are happy to celebrate this important milestone in your life, and we 
thank you for your dedicated service to the House and to America.

                          ____________________