Robert A. Brady

Mr. Speaker, I have the opportunity to inform colleagues that Mr. Matthew Pinkus, our Committee senior policy adviser and parliamentarian to House Administration Committee Democrats, retired recently, concluding a congressional staff career which began as an intern in 1971 and included 19 years on our committee, the longest of the more than twenty different congressional professional positions he had held during that period, including time as chief legislative assistant to Rep. Michael Barnes (D) of Maryland for the congressman's entire tenure in the House.

Whether working in House leadership, on five different congressional committees and in Members' offices, Matt excelled in a huge variety of tasks. A summer college job as a congressional intern in the House for Rep. Benjamin Rosenthal of New York while attending Brandeis University prompted Matt to leave graduate school at U.C. Berkeley after receiving an M.A. in political science and work in Washington full time, first at Congressional Quarterly, then for a month in the Senate, and then the remaining decades in the House. He said of that path, ``I decided very early on that, as much as possible, I would do things the way I wanted and try to have fun. Usually, that worked.''

Matt had an eclectic career path since his first full-time job here in 1976, when he left a political reporting job at Congressional Quarterly. He often chose to seek work in specific subject areas which interested him, rather than follow the common alternate staff career path of attaching himself to one or two members and remaining in place. He was first appointed to the Committee on House Administration Democratic staff in 1991 by Rep. Sam Gejdenson of Connecticut to work on campaign finance reform, and then moved on to the Brookings Institution as a guest scholar on their ``Renewing Congress'' project before returning to the House in 1995 to work on oversight of the executive branch at the Committee on Government Reform. Between Hill jobs in the 1990s, Matt had finished writing a book for Congressional Quarterly in 1998, How Congress Works, and was ready to once again return to the House. Then-House Administration Ranking Member Gejdenson asked him to work on election contests, and he remained here to work sequentially for Ranking Members Hoyer, Larson and Chairwoman Millender-McDonald.

Matt was probably best known on the Hill as one of the top experts on rules and process, serving on the Rules Committee staff and twice on the Subcommittee on Rules of the House, including as subcommittee staff director. His most distinctive job was as parliamentarian of the House Democratic Caucus for six years, which recognized and utilized his vast knowledge of the Caucus rules. It was a position created especially for him and lasted through the service of Chairmen Robert Menendez, Jim Clyburn, Rahm Emanuel and John Larson--all while he also worked simultaneously on the House Administration Committee. He was known for always being carefully prepared, totally candid, and was not intimidated by Members.

Matt was always our committee parliamentarian, managed floor operations, and worked on elections legislation, congressional continuity issues, and the Smithsonian Institution. He drafted and edited views on committee reports and other publications, and proofed specialized historical books published by the House. He would discuss parliamentary strategy in the morning and then make an oversight visit to the National Zoo to learn about artificial insemination of Giant Pandas in the afternoon, something made possible by CHA's very eclectic jurisdiction.

Matt sat behind me for years on the Committee on House Administration dais when I was a junior member and helped provide advice on hearings and markups for Members but when I suddenly became chairman in 2007 following the death of Chairwoman Millender-McDonald, he was there with an intricately drafted manager's parliamentary script for my very long first markup. This was a totally new role for me. When I went off script at some points and noticed Matt's look of concern, after avoiding disaster, I told him that

while I might sometimes deviate from his text, he should just keep right on doing what he does.

Matt says he plans to travel, look for opportunities to write, and again take up playing chess, which he learned at the age of four from his father, AI, who was one of America's leading players in the mid- 20th century.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of Charles C. Cook, Sr., formerly Superintendent of Congressional Publishing Division at the U.S. Government Publishing Office, on the occasion of his death on Friday, September 28.

Charlie, as he was known to his colleagues, graduated in 1960 from Catonsville High School in Catonsville, Maryland, and went to work at Key Press in Arbutus for a salary of $1.50 per hour. It was at Key Press that Charlie earned his Printing Apprentice Degree. He then moved to Modern Linotype, and from there to the U.S. Government Printing Office, as the GPO was formerly known, in 1969, where he spent the rest of his career.

At the GPO, Charlie rose to the position of Superintendent of the GPO's Congressional Publishing Division, which is responsible for ensuring the production and delivery of all of the printing and digital work ordered by Congress, including the Congressional Record, bills, reports, hearings, and all of the other documents required by Congress in carrying out its legislative duties.

During his tenure, Charlie helped lead the introduction of digital publishing of the congressional documents by the GPO, which has reduced the cost and greatly expanded public access to this critically important information. He was also involved with devising improved security measures for the delivery of congressional materials following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Charlie drew strong praise from Congress for his work, which included managing the production of materials for the 1997 and 2001 Presidential inaugurations as well as materials associated with the impeachment of President Clinton. Indeed, Charlie's professionalism stood out across the legislative branch, and as Superintendent of Congressional Publishing he was a key participant in the day to day operations that supported Congress.

Charlie was well-known to his colleagues at the GPO, and especially to the many for whom he acted as mentor and advisor, as a manager with a deep understanding of the GPO's work and a model of dedication to GPO's historic mission. He was generous with his time and knowledge, unfailingly kind, and perennially good humored. In the final stage of his career, Charlie was tapped to become Director of New Business Development at the GPO, a senior executive position from which he retired.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the work and career of Charlie Cook to my colleagues, and extend the sympathy of this House to his wife, Norene, and his children and grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today in remembrance of Margaret Bradford-Matthews.

Margaret was born in Philadelphia on September 26, 1949. She spent much of her youth in service to the A.M.E. Union Church. Shortly after graduating from William Penn High School in 1967, Margaret became one of the first African-American Pathology Technicians at the former Metropolitan Hospital in Philadelphia. She met her soon-to-be husband Herman J . Matthews, Jr., known to friends as Pete, that same year. Pete and Margaret married in the spring of 1970, at which point Margaret left her job at the hospital to raise their family.

Pete and Margaret were blessed with four children: Peter, Mark, Allan, and Heather. Of course, the challenges of raising four young children didn't keep Margaret from staying involved in the community. She was a Boy Scouts Den Mother, community organizer, volunteer school advisor, and more. She loved animals, most of all her dogs Bo and Squirt, and would often volunteer at the Camden County Animal Shelter. Margaret also had a renowned eye for fashion. Pete's reputation as one of the sharpest-dressed men in Philadelphia stems from Margaret's influence.

While Pete may hold the title of President, Margaret's input played a vital role in shaping the contracts AFSCME District Council 33 reached with the City of Philadelphia. Her importance was recognized when she was selected from PA AFL-CIO Women's Committee as a delegate to the 2000 Democratic National Convention.

Margaret leaves behind a legacy that will live on in the countless lives she touched. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in honoring the life and memory of Margaret Bradford-Matthews.