Expressing profound sorrow on the occasion of the death of the Honorable Robert T. Matsui, a Representative from the State of California.
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Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
January 4, 2005 • 8:46 PM
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Introduced in House
January 4, 2005
Considered as privileged matter. (consideration: CR H47-63)
January 4, 2005 • 6:52 PM
DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 11.
January 4, 2005 • 6:52 PM
The previous question was ordered without objection.
January 4, 2005 • 8:46 PM
Passed/agreed to in House: On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to without objection.(text: CR H47)
January 4, 2005 • 8:46 PM
On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to without objection. (text: CR H47)
January 4, 2005 • 8:46 PM
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
January 4, 2005 • 8:46 PM
Floor Debate
24 membersWhat members said about H.Res. 11 on the floor
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Floor Debate
24 membersWhat members said about H.Res. 11 on the floor
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair of our California Democratic Delegation for her wonderful words about Bob Matsui. Anyone who did not know Bob Matsui and just turned on the television tonight would…
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair of our California Democratic Delegation for her wonderful words about Bob Matsui.
Anyone who did not know Bob Matsui and just turned on the television tonight would have to be impressed by the array of comments from so many different Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle about this exceptional person. There is no way to exaggerate how wonderful he was. He was a person of great intellect and great passion. He was a person of great gentility and of great strength when it came to debating his points.
Ever since Members and colleagues and staff on the Hill and reporters and the media learned of his death, they have come and said, Bob Matsui would go out of his way to come by and say hello. He always smiled, he always asked about people's well-being and how they were doing and could he be helpful. He was a gentle man. But again, he had a strength about him that if he thought on a matter of public policy someone was abandoning the children of America or the seniors of America or America's working families, he made it quite clear to them that in his eyes he was losing respect for them because he thought that is what we came here to do.
So many Members have talked about his talent, his personality, his love of family which was preeminent because at the end of the day that is, of course, what matters most. I visited Doris Matsui on Sunday evening to extend the condolences of Bob's colleagues to her, and to say how magnificently received Bob was after the election; that even though we did not win, every time his name was mentioned or he was introduced, he would receive a standing ovation from the members of the Democratic Caucus because he dealt with them honestly. He worked so hard and so smartly for our success, it just was not to be; but they appreciated the leadership he provided.
Just to talk about a few things, we had the occasion the last night that we were here, December 8, to have a dinner in appreciation of those who helped us in our efforts. We surprised Bob because it was turned on him, and we expressed our appreciation to him. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), the ranking member, was so eloquent and spoke from the heart about Bob Matsui. It really was stunning to Bob. It was a gift that God gave us that we would have that opportunity to express appreciation to him. This is a very, very modest man and all of that attention was stunning to him.
So when I said to Doris, remember the dinner and it was so wonderful, she said he talked about it so much and he talked about the toast of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) and how the Members expressed their appreciation and how surprised he was and how much it meant to him.
So to my Democratic colleagues, thank you for the generosity that you extended to Bob Matsui. I hope it is a comfort to those of us who loved him and all of us in our caucus that we did have an opportunity to say thank you to him in a very special way. It was quite remarkable. I think all of my colleagues will agree that my colleagues were clamoring for Bob to be reappointed to the DCCC. Indeed, he had that opportunity, and he was willing to serve, except God had other plans.
It is important to note that in the summer of this year one of Bob's very closest friends, Steve Thompson, exactly Bob's age, was diagnosed just a few weeks before he died, and it was a complete and total surprise. He, like Bob, was a very respected member in the Sacramento, California, community. They were very dear friends since seventh grade. When Bob came to his new school, not a very athletic appearance anyway, Steve was a big man on campus and he said he just wrapped his arm around Bob Matsui and that made it okay for everybody, and they were friends for life.
Nobody would have ever expected 6 months ago that death would mean this summer for Steve and now for Bob. In any case, Steve's death took a lot out of Bob. He seemed so saddened by it, as we are saddened by his passing. In any event, Doris told us that Bob left us peacefully, just the way he lived, surrounded by people who loved him. Again, Anna saying Da-da. He took her to his office on December 23, had their pictures taken in front of the Capitol. Well, when you have been here 26 years, a picture in front of the Capitol is a picture at your desk because he had a special office. It was his plan, and he was bragging about it that he was going to take Anna to be here today with him because she was born since the last swearing-in. Again that was not to be.
In any event, when Anna is old enough to read about her grandfather, she will know he was one of the most dedicated public servants in our country. He was a true patriot, he was a decent man, he loved his family, and he was a best friend to almost everybody in the Congress of the United States.
There is so much to say, but everybody knows that our thoughts and prayers are with Doris, Brian, Amy and Anna who shared Bobby with us and inspired his commitment for a brighter future for America.
Imagine that his family and he as a small child were in a Japanese internment camp. Again, as the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Zoe Lofgren) said, it only heightened his love for America because he knew that we could do better and he would be a part of that. I will close by saying that one of the pleasures we had at this dinner on December 8, as the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) reminds me, I always said during the campaign that Bob Matsui was a maestro, that he was orchestrating all of this activity all over the country. This man who unbeknownst to us had this diagnosis, and it was not supposed to be fatal, but the pneumonia was.
In any event, he would be working so hard for senior citizens all day on a Social Security issue and orchestrating hundreds, thousands of young people throughout the country to be involved in campaigns to make the future better. He had a way of channeling the enthusiasm that he had for issues into the activism that was necessary to make a difference.
At this party we gave him a baton recognizing the maestro that he was and is. We will just miss him terribly.
The poet Longfellow wrote:
``Were a star quenched on high,
For ages would its light,
Still traveling downward from the sky,
Shine on our mortal sight.
So when a great man dies,
For years beyond our ken,
The life he leaves behind him lies
Upon the paths of men.''
Bob Matsui's light will always shine, one that will guide us to a better America, and that was his dream.
Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 11) and ask for its immediate consideration. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), pending which I yield…
Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 11) and ask for its immediate consideration.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume.
General Leave
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, as the dean of the California delegation, I offer this privileged resolution expressing the profound sorrow of all of us within the House of Representatives at Bob Matsui's passing. I am honored to sponsor this resolution in an attempt to memorialize Bob's contributions to Congress and to our Nation.
Like all of us, I was shocked to hear the news that someone as vibrant as Bob Matsui is no longer with us. He has been a forceful leader in Congress, and he will be missed. I will miss his counsel and his friendship, having been honored to serve with him during his time in Congress as a fellow Californian and on the Committee on Ways and Means.
But first of all, my thoughts and condolences go to his family, Bob's wife Doris, his son Brian, daughter-in-law Amy, and granddaughter Anna.
I just got around I guess to opening his Christmas card a day or so before the sad news came and was reminded of a night early on when Brian, who is now an adult with an adult life, and he could not have been more than 5 or 6 at the time, and he was at a reception with Bob and Doris and myself and choked on a chicken bone, and the consternation we all had, patting Brian on the back and getting him through the chicken bone incident. So as I say to Brian and to Doris, Bob's memory will live with them and give them great support as they move ahead in their lives.
In his time here, Bob demonstrated and embodied the utmost integrity. He knew and understood the purpose, the greater purpose, really, which we in the House are entrusted with. He lived by and set high standards in public service. In a word, he was a statesman. He went through the experience of being interned during World War II, and it never made him bitter. He never lost his spirit. Rather, it gave him resolve for his own convictions and his sense of public service.
He started in Sacramento after a brief career in law, and then he came to Congress in 1979, starting out with the Committee on the Judiciary and then with the Committee on Government Operations, and then later joining the Committee on Ways and Means where he really became our resident expert on Social Security and was active in trade and tax policy issues as well. He tackled those issues, as I am sure any of my colleagues who have discussed Social Security with him know, with sharp intellect, deep convictions, and compassion for what was right. But he was fair. He had a sense of humility and one of respect I think of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
I do know one thing, that Bob Matsui would have wanted to be here to lead the Democrats in the fight to protect Social Security in this coming session of Congress. He was prepared for it. He was geared up for it. He had been spending his time over the last several weeks before his sad passing to lead us in the effort to protect Social Security. His convictions of compassion mark his work on behalf of disadvantaged children and families in our country as well.
Bob championed expanded health care coverage for children and was a tireless advocate for child welfare. Indeed, he joined many of us in opposing our own administration during the welfare reform issues in 1996, and he introduced key legislation to expand job training and education programs to help people in poverty. We lost that battle in 1996, but he remained steadfast in his commitment to ensure that people got lifted out of poverty, not just kicked off the welfare rolls.
So as the new year began, I had looked forward to his counsel and working with him side-by-side as it were on our committee on important issues.
His spirit will continue to inspire us in the days ahead and with gratitude for all he has done, we will carry on his work and do all we can to honor his life and his contributions to the American people. I know that the House tonight will adjourn in his honor, and on New Year's he adjourned sine die. We say so long, old friend.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson).
Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman).
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).
Mr. Speaker, I yield for the purpose of making a unanimous consent request to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman).
(Ms. HARMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel).
Mr. Speaker, I am happy at this point to yield 3 minutes on behalf of the Congressional Asian and Pacific Islanders Caucus to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu).
(Mr. WU asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez), the chairman of the Democratic Caucus.
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), who does not realize that among the other things that he has to thank Bob for is the fact that he will learn now he will have to sit next to me on the committee and he has been spared that all these years.
(Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding me this time, and I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr).
Mr. Speaker, in order to accommodate a number of speakers on both sides of the aisle, I ask unanimous
consent to extend my time for 1 hour and that the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Zoe Lofgren) control my time.
Pending that, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo).
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt). (Mr. SPRATT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the…
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt).
(Mr. SPRATT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis).
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to our fellow Californian and Bob's colleague on the Committee on Ways and Means (Mr. Becerra).
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore).
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price).
(Mr. PRICE of North Carolina asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey).
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), our colleague.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), our wonderful colleague.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes.
We have heard tonight so many of our colleagues speak of Bob and describe Bob in so many different ways. He was a great American. We are in mourning in this House. His constituents are in mourning. California is in mourning, and the Nation has lost a giant.
Bob was a giant through and through. He grew up in Sacramento out in the valley, went to Cal Berkeley, went to law school at Hastings College of Law. He was the first Asian American to hold a leadership position in the House of Representatives. When I became the chairperson of the California Democratic Delegation in the 108th Congress, and he had always been a mentor to me, he upped his mentorship of me at that time. It is something I have always been immensely grateful for.
We have talked about his leadership on a variety of issues: Social Security, the reparations bills, and health care for children. The list goes on and on. But we are mourning him today as someone we knew also as a friend.
Some in the papers have said he was mild-mannered, and my thought was that the Bob I knew was tough as nails and focused. Yes, he was mild- mannered. He was polite is what he was, but he never lost focus on what he was for. He loved his parents because they gave him a framework to understand the world. And it is important to understand that a great injustice was done to his family and to him, but he was never bitter about that because it allowed him to appreciate also the gift he was given, as so many of us were, of opportunity here in America.
I believe that is really what fueled his passion here for the issues he fought for, the opportunity that others should have that was given to him. It was not just limited to his constituents, whom he loved dearly, but was for all Americans.
I can recall several years ago a situation in Silicon Valley. He was very interested in technology. Entrepreneurs had been hit with a weird tax and had lost everything in the AMT-ISO disaster. These were Silicon Valley people, but Bob came from Sacramento and sat all day in San Jose to listen to their stories because he cared about them, whether they were his constituents or not.
Bob was one of our most compassionate Members, one of our most focused Members, but I also want to talk about Bob the family person. I do not think there was ever a son as brilliant as Brian, if you listened to Bob. Nor was there a daughter-in-law as wonderful as Amy; and never a grandchild as creative and adorable as Anna; not to mention his wonderful spouse, Doris. Many of us have spouses. We love our spouses, but Doris had almost a unique relationship among spouses in the House because not only was she Bob's life partner, she was Bob's partner in political life and in policy life. She stood up for the people of the Fifth District of California every bit as much as Bob Matsui stood up for those people.
We thank Doris for her many, many years of service with Bob for those constituents and for Americans.
Just a final word. Bob had said he was having a few health problems. I had no idea how serious they were; but certainly Bob Matsui knew how serious they were. Even though Bob knew he was ill, he kept working for us. He was chair of the DCCC, not because he was on an ego trip. In fact, he did not want the job; we made him do it. He fought those fights because he believed that the ideals of the Democratic Party for Social Security, for a safety net, for education, for opportunity for hard-working people who play by the rules to get ahead, those were values that were core to him. And even though he put his own health at risk, he fought on for us.
I want to thank Doris for allowing him to do that. It is a sacrifice that is immense. We all feel the loss today. I thank Doris; his wonderful son, Brian; Amy; his granddaughter, Anna. I think back on the many times we spent in California enjoying ourselves. He was a Cal graduate, but it did not stop him from being a Stanford fan as well, which I always appreciated.
I loved Bob Matsui, as did the entire delegation. We miss him a great deal. Other people will follow his steps, but no one will be able to fill them completely in our hearts.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
I would like to conclude by thanking all of those who have participated this evening as well as some of our colleagues who were unable to actually physically be here but who have prepared their statements for our colleague, a giant of the legislature, a man who warmed our hearts, who
broke our hearts when he died, someone who was never petty, always modest but always a leader, always someone who could make America proud.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I say to Doris, she married a nice man. The Congressman that we mourn tonight can be described in many, many ways. It is not often that we use the word ``nice'' and people understand the…
Mr. Speaker, I say to Doris, she married a nice man.
The Congressman that we mourn tonight can be described in many, many ways. It is not often that we use the word ``nice'' and people understand the fullness of what it means. Bob Matsui was a nice person and a nice man. He was a committed man and a dedicated public servant.
I enjoyed talking to him because we had a commonality. He started on the Sacramento City Council, and he made me feel that, coming from the city council in my town.
He loved Sacramento. He rose to be the vice mayor of that town, but it made him sensitive to the local needs of people. So, even though I would view him to be the crafter, the definer of the modern day Social Security in these days, I know that he also understood when a pothole got your last tire, that made him a man who cared about the little things but understood the big things.
I note his love and affection for the Committee on Ways and Means. Yes, if one can love a committee, Bob loved his committee. He loved his fellow committee persons. He loved his ranking member, who he called chairman. They had a special bond and a special unity, cared about each other, and of course Bob was not a narrow thinker. One may have come from Texas, may have come from New York, Missouri or somewhere else, but he embraced you.
I will never forget his steady hand in this last very challenging election cycle. If you did not toe the line, Bob had a way of giving you a call and making sure that what you needed to do to get good folk elected were elected. He stayed steadfast in the last days of the Louisiana election, but most of all his special story is worth noting, and to his wife Doris, his son Brian, daughter-in-law Amy and granddaughter Anna, he will go down as an icon of American history.
I cannot imagine an internment. I have a history that relates to that, but I never was a slave, but yes, this humble Congressperson started his early life interned in the United States of America. His story is unfortunately part of America's story, but even with that experience this giant of a man rose to be a leader in this Congress and to be able to turn us away from those ways that were wrong.
Thank you, Bob, Congressman Matsui, for living amongst us. Thank you for being a man of honor. Thank you, Doris, Brian, Amy and Anna, for giving him to us. God bless you and may your soul rest in peace.
I rise today to honor a fallen colleague, one who embodied everything a true public official is supposed to be. But Robert T. Matsui was more than a Member of Congress, he was a husband, a father and a grandfather, but more than that he was a man of great character. His presence in this hallowed chamber for the last 26 years will not soon be forgotten, but his presence in our hearts will live on even longer.
Robert Matsui was a dedicated public servant who had a long and illustrious career in California and here in Washington. He rose to great national prominence, but Robert Matsui always had his heart and his values in his district in Sacramento. His dedication to local issues was shown by his years of service in the Sacramento City Council where he rose to the position of Vice Mayor of Sacramento. Throughout his tenure in Congress, Robert Matsui never forgot the constituents who voted fourteen times to send him back to Washington. He championed the fight for adequate flood control in the region and was integral in Sacramento's transformation. He had big ideas for our Nation, but he never forgot the value of individuals and the importance of taking care of your district. All those who had the honor of knowing him could see he was a genuine person with real values.
The thing I will always remember Robert Matsui for was that his voice was gentle, but you knew that his spirit was strong In Congress he was a tireless advocate and national spokesman for the preservation of Social Security. When he first campaigned in 1978 for the congressional seat serving Sacramento, California, he persuaded voters to elect him by promising that he would bring to the office ``a new form of statesmanship,'' anyone who knew him know that he brought statesmanship to a new level. His excellence and grace was known on both sides of the aisle. His presence will sorely be missed,but his heart and determination will stay with us all.
At this time of grief it is hard to understand why a good man passed away in the prime of his life. But I hope his wife Doris, son Brian, daughter-in-law Amy, and granddaughter Anna will take solace in the fact that Robert Matsui lived a full life of honor. There may be those who will live longer, but there will be few who lay claim to that same statement. We are all at a loss for a great leader in this body, but we suffer a greater loss of a good human being.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by expressing my appreciation to my California colleague (Mr. Stark). We have worked jointly on this resolution, and…
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, let me begin by expressing my appreciation to my California
colleague (Mr. Stark). We have worked jointly on this resolution, and it is with a great deal of sadness obviously that we are here at this moment.
We just completed the debate on the resolution that had to do with the loss of now it appears about 150,000 lives from the tsunami that has taken place in South and Southeast Asia. And then we come to the next resolution, talking about one man, an individual who has made a great contribution. And when you juxtapose the resolution with the loss of 150,000 lives and now we are talking about Bob Matsui, we cannot help but think about the fragility of life.
Bob Matsui is an individual who offered so much to this institution, but he offered so much to me personally, just as I know he did to others of my colleagues who are going to be speaking tonight and many of those who are not going to be able to be here this evening.
The gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) in her statement when she was turning the gavel over to the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker Hastert) this morning I think said it very well when she talked about the combination of intellect and passion that Bob Matsui demonstrated in his life.
We all know that Bob was a tremendous intellect, very thoughtful, very deliberative on issues that he tackled, but he also at the same time had a deeply felt passion in the pursuit of his agenda, and I will tell my colleagues that I shared that agenda in some areas and I shared his passion. I do not know that I have quite the intellect that Bob had, but I shared his passion.
We worked together through the 1980s and the 1990s in pursuit of the global trade agenda, and I know there is a lot of controversy in this House on that issue, but Bob and I worked arm in arm to try and get Bill Clinton trade promotion authority. I remember the kind of energy and the thought that Bob put into this, and he had boundless energy when it came to this. He was a slight person, but boy, I will tell my colleagues, when he put his mind to an issue, he really was very, very diligent in pursuit of that.
We worked together on a wide range of individual trade agreements, going back to the North American Free Trade Agreement. Every single year, Bob Matsui and I worked together to try and grant what we used to call most-favored nation trading status for the People's Republic of China, and then ultimately we worked together on the granting of permanent normal trade relations.
I happen to believe that that vision that Bob had was a very positive one and has played a big role in improving the quality of life and the standard of living for people all over the world, and I think that when we look at this institution it is a tragic irony, I mean, that this has come. We are not only sad but we are very shocked.
The gentleman from California (Mr. Stark) and I, Mr. Speaker, were just talking about the news and what Bob went through at the end because it did come as a great surprise to him and to Doris and to Brian and Amy and little Anna that he was going in for a checkup, and then it ended up, of course, that because of this infection he was going to not survive. So when this news came out it was a shock to all of us.
I heard it just as I was getting on the airplane to fly back here on Sunday, and I was just taken and I could not help but think about immediately all of the great experiences that I had traveling, working on joint California issues, working, as I said, on the trade agenda and realizing how dedicated this guy was and what a horrible loss this will be for this institution and for us as individuals.
So I join, as the gentleman from California (Mr. Stark) has just said, in extending personally my thoughts and prayers to Doris and Brian and his family as well. We all got that picture of their family that was just sent to us, and we could not help but be moved seeing that photograph of them, knowing what a wonderful, wonderful family they are.
I just have to say that I am very, very saddened, and my thought and prayers go to those family members. We have learned how fragile life truly is.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle), my very good friend from Rocklin.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the very distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Herger).
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Mr. Speaker, this week our Nation has lost a great leader and statesman from my home State of California, Bob Matsui. And it is with a great deal of sadness that I join my colleagues to pay tribute…
Mr. Speaker, this week our Nation has lost a great leader and statesman from my home State of California, Bob Matsui. And it is with a great deal of sadness that I join my colleagues to pay tribute to Bob's life and his distinguished record of service and accomplishments during his 26 years as a Member of the House of Representatives. A model of integrity and commitment to his district, his State and our Nation, Bob exemplified the best of this great institution.
By having the privilege of representing an area of Los Angeles with a rich and diverse Asian-American population that includes Little Tokyo, Koreatown, Filipinotown, and Chinatown, I am very aware of the positive impact Bob had on the Asian-Pacific Islander community and the Japanese-American community in particular. Like so many Japanese- Americans, Bob's early years were spent with his family in an internment camp during World War II. Anyone viewing the large photo of a youthful Bob Matsui with his little league baseball teammates which adorns his office wall was reminded of the difficult challenge an Asian-American faced growing up in 1950's California. As a young man in that volatile ethnic environment, Bob Matsui was a stand-out student who gained admittance to the University of California at Berkeley and distinguished himself academically both there and at the Hastings College of Law.
His early experience became the foundation of his academic success as a young man, and ultimately led him to a career of distinguished public service, first for his local Sacramento City Council, then to this great House. His respect for this institution and his personal and professional integrity were well-known and helped Bob become a persuasive advocate on the issues he cared deeply about.
As a member of the Energy and Water Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, I was honored to work with him on one of the most important issues to California--water. Bob's knowledge of water issues affecting our State, including southern California, and his
long record of support for adequate flood control protection for the Sacramento area were brought to bear each year during our committee deliberations as we set priorities for funding the water projects so crucial to Sacramento and to California.
Bob was also a strong advocate of trade and of protecting the rights of our senior citizens. In fact, as the ranking Democrat on the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, Bob was our Democratic expert and a leading advocate for the protection of this critical program. Bob was to be our Democratic point person for the upcoming and pivotal debate on Social Security. Understanding the importance of Social Security to our Nation's seniors and the need for the Democratic Party to effectively and successfully confront attacks on the system, his wife Doris told me that Bob continued to plan a Democratic strategy to the very end at Bethesda Naval Hospital.
It was this kind of commitment coupled with his integrity and sincerity that helped to make Bob one of the most respected Members of Congress. This respect also made him one of the most successful chairmen of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. We all know that the DCCC set many records during the 2003-2004 election cycle. I believe this success stemmed from the leadership model that Bob conveyed at the DCCC's helm, and it was also a result of the great esteem in which Bob was held by all segments of our party. I was proud to serve with him as vice-chair of the DCCC, and Bob made sure it was indeed a working position. Few Members could have motivated me in quite the same way as Bob Matsui.
In short, I will miss Bob as a friend and colleague. This House, the Democratic Party, and our Nation have lost a great statesman and a quiet and effective leader. His legacy of accomplishments as a trail- blazing Asian-American Californian is unlikely to be surpassed. His dedication, dignity, and bipartisan approach to addressing the Nation's problems will be the hallmark of his legacy for both Republicans and Democrats.
In this time of extreme partisanship and frequent legislative gridlock, it is my hope that we can all learn from the example of our friend and colleague, Bob Matsui.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I remember Bob Matsui from younger days. We were all Sacramentons. I was newly married. Shary and I went to Sacramento to work in…
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.
I remember Bob Matsui from younger days. We were all Sacramentons. I was newly married. Shary and I went to Sacramento to work in California State politics. And there in Sacramento was this new enthusiastic political community rising because California had just amended its constitution to set the legislature to hire full-time staff, and so it was a can-do city.
And in the midst of this was this young graduate from the University of California who was a big champion of Berkeley and the Cal Bears, and he chose to run for city council. And a wonderful staff member named Steve Thompson introduced Bob to everybody, and Steve was a staff member and active in Democratic clubs and political social life. My wife, Shary, was working for John Moss, who was the predecessor to Bob Matsui. He was the Congressman at the time; and when John Moss retired, the city Democrats were split over who to support for that seat: the mayor, Phil Isenberg, a great popular person in Sacramento; or the young Bob Matsui. And it was a raucous grass roots primary battle. Bob won, and as they say, the rest is history.
It is a shock that Bob is gone. He was too young, too talented, too much going for him as a new grandfather to have been taken from us. As Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, he raised a record amount of money for the congressional Democrats. We counted on him to lead us into battle against the President's proposals to privatize Social Security.
When one is speaking about Bob, one has to talk about Doris, who conquered Washington politics in her own right and ended up in the Clinton White House. She and Bob were a classic political couple, really well known in D.C. as well as Sacramento. My heart goes out to Doris and the family, to Brian, Amy, and little Anna.
Bob's congressional district is one of the most significant in the United States because he represents the best staffed, most productive, best known political celebrities in the Nation's biggest State capital, Sacramento. He was the Congressman for the Federal tax issues relating to California's tax needs. I remember that Bob Matsui had to carry the tax exemption for State legislators' per diem. Can my colleagues imagine the likes of Jess Unruh, Willie Brown, Jerry Brown, and the entire 120 members of the senate and assembly counting on his ability to convince Chairman Rostenkowski that the California State legislators should have something that no Member of Congress had, a tax exempt per diem 7 days a week for the entire legislative session? Bob had every legislator in California breathing down his throat. Their power in Sacramento meant absolutely nothing here in Washington. They needed Bob to do it for them. No one thought he could pull it off, not against Rosty. But he did.
California Democrats had a lot of political sorrow this last year. They lost the governorship in a recall election, lost many seasoned politicians like John Burton and Willie Brown and John Vasconcellos and Bryon Sher, just to name a few notables, to term limits. They lost in the unexpected death of former State senator Henry Mello and even lost their long beloved staffer, Steve Thompson. And now Congressman Bob Matsui is lost to us all, the biggest loss of all.
Bob was a Member's Member. His death has sent the State capital into a frenzy trying to decide who will run in the special election to replace him. Congress is abuzz with who will take his seat on the Committee on Ways and Means. The political world is wondering who will succeed him as Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
But the fact of the matter is that no one can take his place. The son of Japanese immigrants, whom our own government interred, he rose to be one of our Nation's most respected Congressman. No one will take his place. They can only try to emulate what his service means to the American spirit of public service in a democracy. When the Nation is experiencing what most people will certainly remember as a horrible year in the annals of modern history, a year that encompasses war, pestilence, and disease, thank God we had the goodwill of Bob Matsui, a real American role model.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support this resolution to express profound sorrow upon the death of Congressman Matsui. I join my colleagues to honor and remember my good friend Congressman Bob Matsui,…
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support this resolution to express profound sorrow upon the death of Congressman Matsui. I join my colleagues to honor and remember my good friend Congressman Bob Matsui, a true leader in the House of Representatives whose passing leaves us all with a sense of great loss.
I would like to thank my colleagues, Congressman Stark and Congresswoman Lofgren, and the rest of the California Democratic Delegation for their swift leadership to pay tribute to our friend, Bob.
I would like to say ``thank you'' to Doris, his wife and life-long partner, to his son Brian, his daughter-in-law Amy, and to his granddaughter for sharing him with us in Congress. In addition to the adoration of his wonderful family, Bob had the love and respect of both his constituents and his colleagues. He was a courageous and passionate leader who served California's Fifth Congressional District for 26 years.
As a Member of Congress and as chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, CAPAC, I had the honor of working with Congressman Matsui. Bob was instrumental in making CAPAC a reality, and served as a CAPAC executive board member since its inception in 1994.
Throughout his career, Congressman Matsui championed causes affecting civil liberties and immigrants' rights. As a dedicated member of the Asian Pacific Islander American, APIA, community, Bob fought for a formal apology from our government for its wrongful internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Congressman Matsui and Secretary Norman Mineta led the way in passing the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. As an American of Japanese ancestry, Congressman Matsui helped obtain the land necessary for the National Japanese American Memorial, which recognizes Japanese American patriotism and honors members for never losing faith in the basic principles embodied in our Nation's Constitution.
Along with Congressman Matsui and Secretary Mineta, I experienced internment as a young Japanese American during World War II. Bob was only 6-months old when he and his family were interned at the Tule Lake camp just months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Bob understood the injustice of internment and sympathized with the other loyal Americans who suffered at the hands of the government in which they never lost faith.
Bob Matsui listened to people, and set about helping them with compassion and dignity. Whether he was fighting for flood control on behalf of his constituents in Sacramento or defending those without a voice, Bob dedicated his entire career to public service. From the time he worked as a member of the Sacramento City Council, to serving as the vice mayor of Sacramento, and finally as a U.S. Representative starting in 1978, Bob Matsui served as a constant reminder of what integrity and dedication can accomplish in public office.
Congressman Matsui truly believed in the U.S. Constitution and its promise of ``a more Perfect Union.'' He relied on those values embedded in the Constitution in fights to ensure adequate healthcare for children and provide a safety net for needy families and the elderly. Bob's leadership as the third ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee and the ranking member on the Social Security Subcommittee earned him the reputation as an expert on tax and trade policy, Social Security and welfare programs. In the 109th Congress, Bob's presence, heart, and soul will be missed during the great debate over Social Security.
Mr. Speaker, Bob Matsui should ultimately be remembered for his civility, his dignity, and his service to others. He was a selfless role model whose footprint will forever be imprinted on our Nation's history.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise and speak in honor of a wonderful colleague and a beloved friend, Bob Matsui. No one, but no one, was more able and more respected in this body than Bob Matsui. I…
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise and speak in honor of a wonderful colleague and a beloved friend, Bob Matsui. No one, but no one, was more able and more respected in this body than Bob Matsui. I came here a little over 18 years ago, and I met this man who was so thoughtful, kind, and gentle. Sometimes in this body we call each other ``the honorable, the gentleman, the gentlewoman.'' Bob Matsui was honorable, and he was a gentleman. He was honorable in the truest sense of that word.
I remember when I first came here in the fall of 1986. During freshman orientation, we had a dinner at Statuary Hall. My 10-year-old son, John Miles, came with me; and Bob Matsui took the time to engage my son in conversation. My young son, only 10 years old, really appreciated that. Bob Matsui took the time to talk to him and almost treated him like another member of the freshman class. He grew to admire and like Bob Matsui. When I informed him that Bob Matsui had passed, he said, ``Daddy, I really liked him. I am sorry. I am so sorry.''
We lost a colleague, and some of us have lost a friend. The American people have lost a champion and a warrior who fought to protect Social Security and looked out for the young and all of those who have been left out and left behind in America.
There are people in this business that we meet from time to time who love the world, but they do not necessarily like people. Bob Matsui not only liked people, but he loved. He loved all of us, and we loved him.
A few short years ago, I had the opportunity to spend a weekend in Bob's district. He took me to a university where we had a community meeting
with students and faculty. We listened, we spoke, and we listened. As a matter of fact, on the campus when we arrived, there were chickens running all around. I said, Bob, I feel really at home with all of these chickens. So when I got up to speak, I said to the president of the university, I said, Mr. President, I know there is some controversy about chickens on the campus, but do not move the chickens; let the chickens stay here. And Bob laughed and laughed, and we got an agreement out of the president that the chickens would remain on the campus.
We visited schools, we visited a synagogue, a church, and a service in memory of Dr. King. During that trip, I witnessed the love that Bob Matsui had for his people and the love that they demonstrated for him.
I tell my colleagues, it seems so unreal, so unbelievable; it is almost impossible to comprehend the loss of a friend, the loss of a brother, a colleague, a husband, a father, a grandfather. What more can be said about this man? His life was not in vain. He gave of himself. He was just a warm, decent, good human being who treated each and every one of us with respect.
When I was walking across the grounds of the Capitol today a few hours ago, a police officer came up to me and said, ``Congressman, when you speak to Mrs. Matsui, please tell her on behalf of all of the Capitol Police officers that her husband was a good man and he treated us well.''
As a Nation and as a people, this is a great loss. Bob Matsui represents something very special. I, for one, I do not believe that we will ever be so lucky or so blessed to witness his likeness again. May God bless his soul.
At this very difficult time, our prayers and our thoughts are with his beloved wife, Doris; his son, Brian; his daughter-in-law, Amy; his granddaughter, Anna; his staff; and the people of the Fifth Congressional District of California. May they find comfort and peace in the love and memory of this great and beloved man.
Mr. Speaker, I thank all Members for participating in this tribute to someone whom we all believe was our best friend. This is so very unusual in a Congress that does not allow us to meet often or…
Mr. Speaker, I thank all Members for participating in this tribute to someone whom we all believe was our best friend. This is so very unusual in a Congress that does not allow us to meet often or travel very much together that each one of us treasures so much those special personal relationships that we have.
At a time when hundreds of thousands of lives are being lost in Asia and in the Middle East, God has a way of reducing all of this and making it a lot more personal when it appears in the middle of the night. He just snatches away someone that you may have just taken for granted. Certainly the loss of Bob had everyone startled. How could a person with such fierce commitment to legislation and to the Congress who was so involved, and appeared to be looking so hard toward the next challenge, how could God have just snatched him away without any warning? But I have found over the years that it eases the pain, it does not remove it, but it eases the pain if during times like this you can think of how fortunate you were that in your lifetime you came across a person like Bob Matsui.
It also helps if you can thank God that you do not have to say I wish I had spent more time with him or I wish I had gotten to know him better or I wish I had told him how fond I was of him, or how much I appreciated his dedication to the committee, to the Congress, to the causes that he so truly believed in. And then it makes you feel a little better that you had a chance to say Bob Matsui, we love you.
It is hard for me to think of anyone that felt so strongly about his beliefs, and at the same time we hear over and over tonight that he was indeed a gentle man, how we can hear Members from both sides of the aisle saying we are human beings, we are dedicated, we do have different beliefs, but here was a guy who was able to take all of this and still manage to have friends on both sides of the aisle.
Yes, the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means is so correct, because we always felt that we had two Members as being friends, because Doris was a partner, she was a friend, she was a supporter and, of course, Brian and Amy, they all had an opportunity to share their love and dedication to their father, to her husband, before he left. He did not just walk away from our lives but in his classy way he said good-bye to the family and left us here in the Congress and especially us in the Democratic Caucus with such a sense of pride and feeling how proud we were to be able to have a person of his caliber not only politically being our leader but on the Committee on Ways
and Means where so often we hear that he was an expert in Social Security legislation, but those of us who were privileged to serve on the committee knew that he was an expert in anything that came before the committee. He was an expert in trade, he was an expert in pensions, he was an expert in welfare issues. And not because he was just a good lawyer and a good lawmaker but because he was compassionate and understood where he came from and his commitment was trying to improve the quality of life of Americans and human beings all over. He never forgot the struggles that he and his family had gone through and he always led us to believe that we could achieve even things beyond our expectations in working with him.
And so with all of this loss and in searching for something to thank God for doing, I can say I thank Him for sharing Bob with us and I thank Him for giving me the opportunity of having told Bob Matsui how much I loved him.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I rise to join my colleagues in paying tribute to an extraordinary human being, Bob Matsui. Like so many others across this country, the…
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.
I rise to join my colleagues in paying tribute to an extraordinary human being, Bob Matsui. Like so many others across this country, the celebration of this new year was for me shaken by the incredibly sad news of Bob's demise. I awoke this Sunday expecting to be consumed with the challenges and work of the new year, only to be stunned to learn of the passing of an old friend.
Libby and I had only a couple of days before shared the beauty of Bob's family that he and Doris send out each year at this time, reflecting on the last time we shared a meal with them, only a couple weeks before at a dinner table here in Washington, knowing of the pride that Bob felt in Doris' professional accomplishments and how often he mentioned Doris and Brian and his family in conversations on subjects here in Washington.
There is a Greek proverb: ``The measure of man is what he does with power.'' By this measure, or really by any measure, Bob was indeed a great human being. Although he had significant power here in Washington as a senior Member of this House, he was viewed as a soft-spoken advocate for the things that he believed in and the people he represented. And yet on more than one occasion I have seen his temper flare at injustice.
Bob was a great and principled policymaker. He gave a great deal of thought to the issues and the decisions before he spoke, and often took positions that were not popular but that represented his principles. He also was willing to grow and adjust those principles, certainly being committed to more trade, and yet over time he recognized that trade was more than just counting how many widgets crossed country lines, but how that trade affects people.
He was committed to not only Social Security but to retirement security, and took a very forceful stance in this House about the concern that we do more to help those who have no retirement, not just to add to the retirement of those who already have much.
It was my good fortune to serve with him on the Committee on Ways and Means, to come on that committee as a new member and find Bob as someone that I could turn to when I had a problem for personal advice and always get a thoughtful hearing and sound advice.
While his passing is most premature, we can only seek to renew our strength inspired by his very strong example, to remember the causes that he championed and how he championed them, and to be strengthened in our efforts by his spirit and his fight for fairness, to stand up for what is right for the American people.
It is fitting for us to honor Bob with our words, but certainly we must honor him in this Congress with our actions, to continue to champion the causes that he would champion and had so often, from this very microphone. Certainly that is true with regard to Social Security, as he stood up to those who would destabilize, privatize and piratize it. Without our ally, our work will be harder, our burden will be greater, and our responsibility will also be greater.
As the Los Angeles Times editorialized about Bob recently, ``He epitomized an ideal of public service that has largely vanished in a partisan Congress.''
Mr. Speaker, we salute Bob by our deeds as well as our words tonight.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend for yielding me this time. To Doris Matsui, Brian, Amy and Anna, we grieve with you; but more, we celebrate the life of a wonderful human being, as I know…
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend for yielding me this time.
To Doris Matsui, Brian, Amy and Anna, we grieve with you; but more, we celebrate the life of a wonderful human being, as I know you will have an opportunity to do over the coming months and years as we all remember Bob Matsui.
I would like to talk to you, Anna, because right now it is perhaps difficult for you to grasp all that is being said about your grandfather, given that you are just a little over a year old. But in time, with the wonders of technology and the beauty of a democracy in the people's House where every word that we speak in the well of this body is recorded for time immortal, perhaps you will have an opportunity to take a glimpse at what so many people thought of your grandfather.
I will tell you he was a wonderful human being, a superb legislator and public servant and, perhaps most of all, a great American. I will tell you also that he graduated from a great high school 17 years before I did, at C.K. McClatchy High School in Sacramento, California.
He cared a great deal about the people he represented. He was a fighter and a champion. He knew when to fight, he knew how to fight, and he knew for whom he was fighting all the time.
If you ever had an opportunity to converse with Bob Matsui, you knew that his deepest conversations were spoken with his eyes. He had these eyes that somehow could convey what oftentimes words cannot, and you knew that when he spoke with his eyes he was speaking to you from conviction, with determination, focus, and experience. And if it were not his words, for sure his eyes would convince you of a direction to take, of what he was trying to say, of where to go, of how to do it right. A handshake from Bob Matsui was as sure a bet as the sun rising in the morning.
If you knew Bob Matsui, you knew that he cared deeply about family, about this country, and about what would happen to the next generation. We are going to miss him in this fight to create a better America, to preserve Social Security for our seniors and for the next generations to come. We are going to miss him when we talk about our relations with all of our friends around the world in trade. But we will carry on that fight, because he is a champion to us now as he was before he passed on.
Anna, I say to you as you grow and have an opportunity to speak to your grandmother and your parents more about your grandfather, and as you read more about his many accomplishments, I hope that you will look back at some of the words that were spoken by people who respected him so dearly and considered him friend, mentor, confidant, that this is a man who left so much for you to glean, to learn from, and this is a man from whom you will have an opportunity to say we can admire an American and certainly America can say that we can appreciate this American.
So, Doris, with all due respect to you and to Brian and to Amy, I think it is most appropriate for me to address myself to Anna because I believe the greatest gift that Bob Matsui left us was the fact that he thought about the future; and, Anna, I suspect that he was thinking about you as much as anyone else. So with you Anna, Godspeed as you learn from a great man, Bob Matsui.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished dean of the California Democratic delegation for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight with a broken heart. And the way I would like to formulate…
Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished dean of the California Democratic delegation for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight with a broken heart. And the way I would like to formulate my remarks tonight is having a conversation with Bob, because it is the best way I know how. I would say to him almost every time we were on the floor together, Bob, I want to tell you something. So, Bob, tonight I want to tell you some more things.
We are broken hearted that you are gone and we cannot believe it. We have a hole in our hearts, and we have a hole in our caucus; and everywhere we have turned, we have seen you on the floor today. Our joy in being sworn in as new Members of Congress has been diminished because you are not standing here physically next to us. Thank you for being the kind of friend that you were. Just the best. Loyal, fun, serious, aggressive on all the right things. Thank you for never being embittered by the experience that your family, American citizens, third-generation Americans, were subjected to by their own government. And you grew and you rose, and you were an example to our country of what one can become because of the opportunity of America.
You understood, Bob, thank you, that America is the best idea that was ever born. But you went beyond that because you reached deep inside of yourself and brought out the best in everyone, in the ideas that you brought here, in the ideas that you fought for.
Remember how grateful we are to you that you carried us in the last 2 years, that you believed and we were so proud that you were a Democrat, and you were the kind of Democrat that understood that if it was only good for the Democratic Party that that was not good enough, that we needed to be great for our country; and you believed that.
Thank you for believing in Social Security. Thank you for the countless times that you said we are going to win that battle. Thank you for what you said to me the last time we were together: you know, Anna, that corporations by the law of the Congress cannot dip into their pension funds and borrow from them. Now why would it stand to reason that the American government, the Congress, the administration continues to dip into Social Security? That is not the right way to go.
So all of your dignity, Bob, that magnificent face of yours that took on age with wisdom, thank you for laughing when I said to you how proud I am, Bob, that your granddaughter bears the name Anna. He really laughed when I said that, said, I did not realize that you loved me so much.
Bob, we all loved you. You showed us what it is to be a Member of the Congress of the United States. In the House of the people of all of the people, you are always going to be standing next to us. What you did here is not lost.
Thank you, Doris, for being the partner that you are and always will be. Thank you, Brian, for being the son that you have been. Thank you, Amy, and thank you, Anna. We are going to treasure you always. But the most important thing is, Bob, we will never ever lose what you did here. We are going to carry it every day. It is the gold and the myrrh of all of us. Thank you, Bob. We love you.
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Mr. Speaker, when I opened my holiday cards this season, one in particular stood out. It was bigger than the others. It was more colorful. It had several pictures instead of just one. It was from the…
Mr. Speaker, when I opened my holiday cards this season, one in particular stood out. It was bigger than the others. It was more colorful. It had several pictures instead of just one. It was from the Matsui family, and just about every picture included young Anna Matsui, Bob's only grandchild.
The love that this man had for his family, and this little girl in particular, practically jumped off the page. It saddens me deeply that Anna won't grow up knowing more of her grandpa, but I am certain that her parents and her grandmother will not let her forget him. She will grow up strengthened by his leadership, his integrity, and his kindness.
I couldn't look at Anna's pictures without thinking that, when Bob was her age, he was living in an internment camp with other Japanese- Americans who had been rounded up and incarcerated after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was, of course, one of the great stains on our Nation's history, and Bob spent his public life trying to somehow correct that ugly injustice. I imagine that Bob's connection to Anna was stronger because his own early years were so unsettled, because he wanted his granddaughter to have a childhood full of innocence and happy memories.
Bob Matsui stood out in this Chamber--for his policy intellect; for his sense of compassion and justice; for the esteem he earned on both sides of the aisle; but most of all for his fundamental decency. That decency was apparent in his work, whether he was securing flood protection for Sacramento or fighting for Social Security. And there's no question that we'll miss Bob Matsui's expertise as we debate the future of Social Security this year.
There was no separation between Bob Matsui's private virtues and public virtues. They were one and the same. He treated everyone with respect; he didn't raise his voice a lot; he was a lot more steak than sizzle. To be honest, these are qualities that are not in abundance around here these days. I hope that our memories of Bob Matsui will lead us to conduct ourselves with greater civility in this new Congress.
Very few of us knew that Bob was sick, which is why the news of his death came as such a shock. But that modesty was consistent with the way Bob lived. Rather than go public with his illness, he preferred simply to be surrounded by the love of his family.
Of course, even the most unassuming among us have another side to them. As I was reading the obituary in the Sacramento Bee, I was taken aback by one friend's remembrance--of a shirtless Bob Matsui in the stands at a Cal football game rabidly rooting for his team and challenging the other team's fans.
Now, if you asked the Members of this body to rank their colleagues in order of most likely to remove their shirt off at a football game . . . Bob would've finished close to 435th of 435. And remember that includes more than 70 women.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Bob's wife, Doris Matsui, whom all of us know as an impressive advocate and public servant in her own right. And with Brian, Amy and Anna Matsui and everyone who loved this dear man. Bob Matsui--rest in peace.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for the time. Mr. Speaker, today we mourn a friend and able colleague. It is a tremendous loss to each of us and to our country. Bob Matsui was…
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for the time.
Mr. Speaker, today we mourn a friend and able colleague. It is a tremendous loss to each of us and to our country.
Bob Matsui was someone that virtually everyone in the Sacramento area knew and respected. Indeed, I was not elected to Congress until 1986, almost 10 years into Bob's service in the House, but my wife Pam and I already knew Bob and his wife Doris. One really could not be from the Sacramento area and not know and have tremendous respect and admiration for the Matsuis and for their work in the community.
As a representative of a congressional district to the north of Sacramento, I worked frequently with Bob on issues of regional importance to northern California. He was a passionate and effective advocate for his constituents on a myriad of issues, particularly on flood control, one of the most critically important issues for those of us who live in flood-prone northern California.
He will certainly be remembered by all of us as a leader on these and many other issues important to the region and as an able and dedicated voice for his constituents.
I also had the pleasure of serving with Bob for many years on the House Committee on Ways and Means. A long-time supporter of free trade, Bob was willing and determined to reach across the aisle and work together on the challenging issue of trade policy.
He worked hard for policies that expanded trade, but that also ensured that it was fair and that the playing field was level for American companies and agricultural producers. Those efforts went a long way to helping expand economic opportunities for our northern California region as well as the Nation.
In all his dealings, both public and private, Bob Matsui personified integrity. It was an honor to have called him a friend. On behalf of my wife, Pam, and me, I would like to extend our personal, heartfelt condolences to the Matsui family, his wife, Doris; his son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Amy; and his granddaughter, Anna, for their tremendous loss. They can be proud knowing that their husband, father, and grandfather worked incredibly hard to serve the people he represented, always with the noblest of intentions and always with the level of intellectual honesty, ability and skill that commanded enormous respect from everyone who knew and worked with him. He will be greatly missed by all.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, a committee that Bob Matsui served on for many years.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
It has really been a great honor and privilege for me to be able to at least control part of the time on our side on someone who is one of the most respected and most honorable and outstanding individuals that I have known in my lifetime, my friend Bob Matsui.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Stark).
Mr. Speaker, it is true that Bob and I were on the Committee on Ways and Means together; but, frankly, Bob and I go back a long way. This is especially difficult since just a very short time ago I…
Mr. Speaker, it is true that Bob and I were on the Committee on Ways and Means together; but, frankly, Bob and I go back a long way.
This is especially difficult since just a very short time ago I was going through the Members' Christmas cards. If you have been around a long time one tends to see the march of time in the cards. You get a very formal card from a new Member. Maybe he is not married. Or if married, it is just a very bright, young couple. Over the years, the family grows, not just in stature but in numbers. We just received one from the Matsui's with a grandbaby prominently displayed.
In 1978 in November in Sacramento, Members who had been elected to Congress in that election got together as Members-elect in Sacramento. I had known Bob by virtue of his being on the Sacramento City Council. I was an assemblyman at the time and of course spent some time in Sacramento. There were three other Democrats, colleagues in the assembly, Vic Fazio, Julian Dixon, and Tony Coelho who had been an aide to a Congressman and been elected in that same election. To show Members how much things do not change, one of the freshmen in that class was the gentleman from California (Mr. Lungren) who has joined us once again as a Member. Another member from the State Assembly who joined us that year, was the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis).
All of us got together as newly elected Members from California. We stayed together because when you are in the same class, even if you are of a different party, you have common ties, notwithstanding the differences of policy positions that you take or oftentimes the different committee directions that you take. It was my privilege and pleasure to serve not only at the same time as Bob, but for a significant number of years on the same committee.
He was, as we now know even more so than we thought, in many ways a very private person. It was, I think, personality as well as culture. But if one could get inside there, all of the comments that Members have made in a very public way were also true of the private person. You often wonder, as is the case with some Members, how Bob would get elected if he had to go out and be gregarious among people. But when one meets Doris, you figure out how he did it easily: he just kept her in front of him. As some people have said with my wife, Sharon, they understand better once they have met the spouse how you get elected. But the most important thing was the couple and the union they formed.
One of the things that some of the newer Members need to realize is that what occurs in committee and on the floor is business, and people go about their business in different ways. The reason we are going to hear a number of Members talk about Bob in the way that we will talk about Bob is because if you spend a little time getting to know the other businessmen, you cannot help but get to know them as a person. All of us are lamenting the passing of Congressman Bob Matsui, but those of us who knew the person of Bob Matsui are perhaps lamenting even more.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to that but I must say I loved sitting next to Bob Matsui. When I came here Monday morning, having heard the news a few hours before, here is what I said to myself: This…
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to that but I must say I loved sitting next to Bob Matsui.
When I came here Monday morning, having heard the news a few hours before, here is what I said to myself: This place is truly a different place without Bob Matsui. There is for us a large hole in our ranks and in our hearts. He added so much to this institution that he loved. He added his exceptional vitality to the notion we often say, this is the people's House. Bob underlined, this was the House of all the people. He identified with the underdog, with those trying to climb up the ladder of life more than those who were already at the top. Opportunity meant everything to Bob. Tax policy, his interest in EITC, to help those working lift themselves up, his interest in child care and health care for those who were leaving welfare for work. He fought also, we know, for the seniors of this Nation. And how hard he was fighting as illness overtook them, trying to make sure that there was opportunity for elder citizens and not deprivation.
In trade policy, as has been mentioned, my brother the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) is here, I think I would describe it this way about Bob. He saw opportunities in expansion of trade, but more and more he came to believe that as globalization expanded it was critical that expanded trade leveled up and not leveled down. Where all of his ardor came from, I am not sure. Some no doubt from his family's life experience and some of my colleagues knew more about that than I did. From him, he did not talk very much about it. I read in some of the reports that Bob was described as low-key and quiet and I see some of my colleagues shaking their heads. Those press reports did not quite capture Bob Matsui.
He was gentle, that is true. And he was very dignified and in a way quiet. But he was a gentle person, focused, dedicated, tenacious, and tough. He did not claim to know all of the answers; but when witnesses came before the committee, he was insistent that they give straight answers to his questions. And the mightier they were, the witness, the mightier was Bob Matsui's determination. I will not mention the members of administrations who learned that firsthand.
There has been reference to this Christmas card and I wish everybody who may be viewing this could see this picture, how it moved us. And let me close by reading just the last paragraph of this card: ``As we look at this special season through Anna's eyes,'' the granddaughter, ``we feel a renewal of our family's traditions. Let us cherish these special moments and be thankful for what is most important in our lives, our family, our friends, and the blessings of everyday life. Bob, Doris, Brian, Amy, and Anna Matsui.''
Our condolences to the family, to Doris, Brian, Amy, and Anna. Bob Matsui was always looking to the future. Now it is up to us to look to the future on behalf of Bob Matsui. Bob, we love you.
Mr. Speaker, I rise with heavy heart to pay tribute to a dear friend, an exemplary Member of this institution, and a great American. Bob Matsui did more than represent the Fifth District of…
Mr. Speaker, I rise with heavy heart to pay tribute to a dear friend, an exemplary Member of this institution, and a great American. Bob Matsui did more than represent the Fifth District of California. He represented the best in American politics. Indeed, if one asked me to describe an ideal Congressman, Bob Matsui would be Exhibit A. In an institution that is sometimes short on comity and civility, Bob was mellow and civil by nature. He had a first-class temperament as well as a first-class intelligence.
But make no mistake about it: he was a fighter for what he believed in. He was a politician of principle and passion and prodigious energy as proved by the way he stumped the country for Democratic candidates, even as he suffered from the blood condition that finally claimed his life. Whether the issue was taxes or trade or Social Security, the earned income credit, he always had an arsenal of facts at his disposal. On whatever the issue, your issue, you were always better off if you ran your arguments by Bob and sought his support here in the well of this House. He became a leader in this House and an influence, not so much because of seniority or position, but because everyone liked him, respected him, and knew his intelligence.
When Bob spoke, he knew his stuff. He spoke with authority. He spoke substance and sense. I was last with him on December 15 for the better part of the day. We had a teleconference with 36 reporters calling in. It lasted for more than an hour. We literally had to cut it off. Afterwards when I spoke with Bob, he was on the ceiling, just delighted with the response we had gotten, and ready to suit up, ready to do battle over Social Security. It was this sort of zest that made Bob Matsui a delight and a joy to work with.
On our side we have a deep bench and we will fill his committee position with a competent successor, but no one can surpass Bob's mastery of the subjects which were his domain on either side of the aisle. The Congress has lost a great leader and the country a true patriot, a citizen, a third generation American who was interned as a child with his family who suffered an awful, terrible, unforgivable injustice. But he loved his country nevertheless and committed his life to making it better.
We do not ask today for whom the bells toll. They toll for all of us, but especially for those of us who served with Bob Matsui, loved him as a friend, and wonder if we will ever see his like again. To Doris and to Brian and Amy and little Anna, our hearts go out. But just as Bob lives on in all of you, he lives on in all of us who worked with him for years and years. His legacy is one that will last in this institution. Indeed, this great old institution of the Republic is a better place because he served here sacrificially for 26 years.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman very much for the time. I very much apologize being as late as I am. I meant to be here earlier, but I am glad I walked in as my colleague the gentleman from…
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman very much for the time.
I very much apologize being as late as I am. I meant to be here earlier, but I am glad I walked in as my colleague the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) was making his remarks, for the emotion that we could feel in his very presence and voice is a reflection of how all of us feel, and I join in this celebration of our friend Bob Matsui.
All of us who care about public affairs and the Congress absolutely know that fundamental to our success in solving people's problems involves our understanding of just how important people are to our entire process.
The gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) and I got to know each other first in Sacramento, and at that very time, overlapping our service, our friend Bob Matsui was serving on the city council. I learned to get to know Bob in a different venue, however, for he and I were elected in 1978 and came here as freshman, not so long ago.
Bob Matsui, as you have heard from many a person, is a fabulous, fabulous reflection of the best of public affairs.
I would like my colleagues to know that while we all believe public policy is what we should really be about, looking for the solutions to problems that the people care about, looking for alternative avenues for making a difference, when it comes to it in the final analysis we are all in this together.
The American public has grown tired of that rhetoric that we hear all too often that reflects the fringe of our dialogue; and far from that fringe but rather right in the heart of the best of us was a personality we have been discussing today, Robert Matsui of Sacramento, of the Committee on Ways and Means, a wonderful, wonderful human being, who was willing to look you in the eye, tell you what he thought when he disagreed with you. All too often, and much more, he was putting his arm around you and telling you what you did well and what he thought of you on the positive side.
If we could take the extreme from our rhetoric and the dialogue around here and remember Bob Matsui suddenly because of that, this House, great as it is, would indeed be an even better place.
I am pleased to take just a moment to express to Doris, their family, all their friends in Sacramento, how much we will miss them and how much we pain for especially his personal family. Our own friends in Sacramento who remain have talked often about the greatness of this man. We only had a chance by getting to know that by having the privilege of serving with him here.
With that, let me bid Bob adieu and join with all of his dear friends here in expressing our love and prayers for not just his family, but the future, the future of those he served, and know that we will all miss his service.
Mr. Speaker, in my 30 years in the Congress you have the honor and the privilege of meeting so many people from so many different walks of life, not just my colleagues that I have served with in the…
Mr. Speaker, in my 30 years in the Congress you have the honor and the privilege of meeting so many people from so many different walks of life, not just my colleagues that I have served with in the House of Representatives but obviously the people that I represent and the people who come to the Nation's
capital to seek our help in so many endeavors that they are engaged in their families and their livelihoods, but there are a few who are very special. They stand out in our professional life. They stand out as our peers and our colleagues.
Bob Matsui was a very special person, for all of the reasons that my colleagues have said here tonight. We all know that at his core was the gold standard in conviction, in morality and integrity and in giving us the unvarnished truth from time to time when we did not agree with him.
I think that is one of the reasons we were so fond of him. When you had a disagreement with him, he sought you out and he wanted to discuss it with you, face-to-face, person-to-person, colleague-to-colleague, trying to work out the difficulties to make this a better country, but when you discussed it with him, you understood that he was clinging to principle, and he was clinging to integrity because it was the core of his existence.
Many have referred to the fact of this family's experience in the internment camp, and I do not think there is any question but that gave him a compass to set a course on the issues of social justice and opportunity in this society and civil rights. It is unparalleled, I think.
We all work in these fields, and we have some outstanding individuals in this Congress that I have served with over 30 years who have fought these fights. Bob was one of those.
I had the opportunity to work with him on the reparations bill and in the Manzanar Historic Monument bill of one of the internment camps so that this country could remember what happened in the Tule Lake and the other internment centers.
I do not know what else to say except that this is the loss of a really, really special person who was a wonderful friend, who was a great, great credit to this institution and who leaves behind a magnificent legacy along with a magnificent family, a family that no spouse or father could have been more proud of than he was of Doris and Brian and daughter-in-law Amy and this new granddaughter Anna.
To see him and Doris at public events, engaged in their community and the partnership that they had and their conferring back and forth on the issues and the battles that he was engaged in, was a wonderful experience. I am going to miss him greatly. I think this country is going to miss him even more.
Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday, our country lost two beloved public servants. Representative Robert T. Matsui and former Representative Shirley Chisholm leave us behind, but our national…
Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday, our country lost two beloved public servants. Representative Robert T. Matsui and former Representative Shirley Chisholm leave us behind, but our national consciousness will never forget their considerable contributions to pursuing equality and social justice for all Americans. Representatives Matsui and Chisholm dedicated so much of themselves to others, and the outpouring of support demonstrates the deep impact each had on the lives of others.
Both leaders rose from humble beginnings to the heights of Congress. Representative Matsui, one of the thousands of Japanese Americans taken to an internment camp during World War II, became an influential member on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. His passion for social justice shaped the core of his being, reverberating through his promotion of adequate job training, equal access to health care coverage for children, and the preservation of Social Security for our nation's seniors and disabled citizens. In 1988, he helped win restitution from the U.S. Government for the internment program that negatively affected many surviving Japanese Americans.
Representative Chisholm too overcame great obstacles. As the product of the working neighborhoods of Brooklyn, Shirley Chisholm became the first African American woman elected to Congress in 1968. Her advocacy on civil rights issues, particularly women's rights, was unparalleled as she reached out beyond her local constituency to all Americans. Never willing to allow America to mire in the status quo, Representative Chisholm again broke new ground by offering herself as the first woman to be considered for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972.
Though I never had the honor of serving with Representative Chisholm, her legacy echoes throughout the halls of Congress. I witness her strength in my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, which she helped establish in 1969. I hear her voice in our continued pleas for justice in underserved communities. And I see her focus and passion
in the eyes of American children who won't accept discrimination or barriers to opportunity.
Connected by the common bond of their love for humanity, Representatives Matsui and Chisholm treaded down unmarked paths with determination, fortitude, and notable grace. As a generation of civil rights activists move into the twilight of their advocacy, we must honor their work by passing along their vision for what we our country can still become, a land of equality and opportunity for all Americans. Though we have lost these dear friends too soon, we continue to be led by their unmistakable footprints.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for the time. Mr. Speaker, while I, like our other colleagues, was really shocked to learn of this sad news, I think it was exactly a month ago today on…
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for the time.
Mr. Speaker, while I, like our other colleagues, was really shocked to learn of this sad news, I think it was exactly a month ago today on the final day of the 108th Congress that Bob and I exchanged a warm greeting in the elevator, wished each other happy holidays and fully expected to see him back here with all the rest of us starting out today in the 109th Congress.
I had the privilege of representing the adjoining region to Bob Matsui, who represented the City of Sacramento and certain surrounding areas. He and I got to know each other pretty well. We had some real contentious issues, one specific contentious issue that the Chamber is aware of dealing with water supply and flood control in our region, and we battled over that for a long time.
Bob was a fearless advocate for his constituency, and it always impressed me as we went through this process of advocating our points of view and coming to the realization that we would be best served by trying to find some common ground and putting that into law. We got to know each other on a personal basis, and it was really a delightful experience. I think our constituents assumed we were bitter enemies, but that was not the case. The disagreements were never personal, and we actually became friends, and I always enjoyed seeing him.
I knew he was a good family man. He cared a great deal about that, and from time to time we would sit back there in the back rows and visit with each other a little bit about that. He was very proud of his son Brian, first love Doris a great deal, and proud of his daughter-in- law and of his new granddaughter, relatively new, 16 months old I believe.
Like the gentleman from California (Mr. Stark), I was opening that Christmas card myself, well, just last week in Rocklin. That was one of the ones I saw, big beautiful card and filled with pictures of his family, and he was a very committed man, a very effective representative.
Sacramento has a lot today because of work that he did, a lot of fine accomplishments from improving the airport to light rail taking off, getting started with him, and developing and extending the lines and so forth, the
massive amount of flood control work on the levies and so forth that is going on, a lot. He has left quite a legacy.
I shall miss him and I am truly sorry that this has happened. It is a shocking event, and my prayers are with Doris and Brian and Amy, his daughter-in-law, and Anna, the granddaughter. I thank my colleagues for this opportunity to offer my thoughts.
Mr. Speaker, this is a House of diverse and talented Members, but among these Members, Bob Matsui stood out in many, many ways. He stood out as an effective legislator; a senior member of the…
Mr. Speaker, this is a House of diverse and talented Members, but among these Members, Bob Matsui stood out in many, many ways. He stood out as an effective legislator; a senior member of the Committee on Ways and Means, the third ranking Democrat. Bob was a leader on trade issues. He was a prominent spokesman among Democrats for those of us who favor an expansive trade policy for our country, with safeguards, to level the playing field in terms of environmental and labor standards. He was the foremost Democratic expert on Social Security, determined to fortify that program for future generations.
Bob Matsui stood out as a committed leader of the Democratic Caucus. He did an extraordinary job in what is our party's toughest assignment, that is, the chairmanship of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, recruiting our candidates, raising untold amounts of money, keeping us motivated and focused.
He had the toughest assignment in our caucus, and he did it with grace and with great effectiveness.
Bob Matsui stood out for his extraordinary and distinctive personal story. As a child he was one of 120,000 Japanese Americans interned in camps during World War II. I learned about Bob's
story early in my service in Congress as he helped many of us understand the need for the Japanese American Redress Act, belatedly passed by this Chamber in 1988.
Bob Matsui stood out as a warm friend and supportive colleague. He was a man who took time to get to know his colleagues. He was a wonderful listener, a great encourager, always willing to share credit and to seek a common basis for action.
Bob was one of our most reasonable Members. Surely he was one of our most reasonable colleagues. He was persuasive precisely because we knew he was a man of his word, and we knew he was a man of utter integrity.
Like many here, I considered Bob a close friend, generous with his counsel, with ready encouragement and will miss him greatly.
My wife and I have also treasured our friendship with Bob and Doris Matsui as a couple. Doris has made major contributions of her own to our country, particularly as a Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Public Liaison in the White House for the Clinton administration, and she has been a strong and loyal partner to Bob in his endeavors.
We extend our heartfelt sympathy to Doris and her family, hoping that she may draw comfort and strength from the outpouring of affection and respect from Bob's and her many friends and admirers this evening and in the days to come.
Mr. Speaker, today we stand together here in the people's House to honor and mourn the loss of one of its true servants, Bob Matsui. I am filled with sadness as we remember an outstanding Member of…
Mr. Speaker, today we stand together here in the people's House to honor and mourn the loss of one of its true servants, Bob Matsui. I am filled with sadness as we remember an outstanding Member of Congress, an inspiration to a generation of Asian Americans, a leader and a good friend. It is not only a loss for those of us who had the privilege to serve with him, not just a loss for Asian Americans but a loss for this Congress and all Americans. His wisdom and counsel will certainly be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this time, with Doris, with Brian and Amy.
Bob Matsui believed in the value of public service. As a Congressman for 26 years and as a city councilman and vice mayor of his beloved Sacramento before that, he understood that government had a positive role to play in people's lives. Inspired by the calling of President Kennedy's speech challenging Americans to ask what they could do for their country, Bob Matsui dedicated his life to that challenge.
Bob Matsui was a mentor, a statesman and a role model. As a founding member of the Asian Pacific American Caucus, he was able to provide his insight and experience about the importance of public service and how to get the job done to many of us junior Members. Several members of that caucus join me today in honoring Bob Matsui's life and selfless service.
As a senior member of the Committee on Ways and Means, Bob Matsui was intricately involved in that committee's complex portfolio and important public policy issues, including tax policy, international law and trade, Social Security, health care and welfare reform. Most notably in recent years, Bob fought to preserve Social Security because he believed that the elderly and the disabled are entitled to the stability of a guaranteed income that allows them to live in dignity. Many of us will miss his voice in the coming debates on the future of Social Security.
Those of us who had the privilege to know Bob Matsui and to serve with him will be forever in his debt. His intellect, his passion for justice, his dedication to the value of public service will continue to be guideposts for us all. Bob, wherever you are, it is a far, far better place now that you are there. Thank you for all the sound advice that I received from you over the years. My only regret is that I did not take a little bit more of it. Today we mourn the loss of a great man and a friend. He will be missed.
Bill Text
Latest available legislative text
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 11 Engrossed in House (EH)]
In the House of Representatives, U.S.,
January 4, 2005.
Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death of the
Honorable Robert T. Matsui, a Representative from the State of California.
Resolved, That a committee of such Members of the House as the Speaker may
designate, together with such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be
appointed to attend the funeral.
Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House be authorized and directed
to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying out the provisions of these
resolutions and that the necessary expenses in connection therewith be paid out
of applicable accounts of the House.
Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate and
transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased.
Resolved, That when the House adjourns today, it adjourn as a further mark
of respect to the memory of the deceased.
Attest:
Clerk.