Recognizing Amy Rutkin and Her Service to the U.S. House of Representatives

Floor Speech

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Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Amy Rutkin for nearly twenty-five years of outstanding service to the constituents of New York's 12th Congressional District and the House Judiciary Committee.

The decision to hire Amy as my Chief of Staff in 1999 was--as all my best decisions are--at the suggestion of my wife, Joyce, who had met her while working on the same New York City Comptroller race. While Amy hadn't previously worked on the Hill, upon meeting her, I knew she possessed the intellect, tenacity, and problem-solving skills necessary to step directly into the Chief of Staff role.

Previously, Amy had served as Director of Government Relations and Public Policy at Hadassah; as a Policy Analyst for New York Governor Mario Cuomo; and as Associate Director of Public Affairs at Planned Parenthood. This experience demonstrated our shared passion for advocacy and fighting for the principles we both believe in: women's and LGBTQ+ equality, civil rights, progressive Zionism, and much more.

While Amy grew up in Arizona and earned her undergraduate degree at Brandeis University in Boston, Massachusetts, she became steeped in the world of New York City politics when she studied at my alma mater, Columbia University, going on to graduate with a master's in public administration.

Despite a promise not to stay in the position ``a day over four years,'' Amy was quickly thrown into the center of some of our nation's most significant challenges, and her commitment to seeing those challenges through kept her fighting alongside me for nearly twenty- five years. Barely two years into her taking the Chief of Staff role, the 9/11 terrorist attacks devastated my district, which then stretched from the Upper West Side of Manhattan through the heart of the World Trade Center and to parts of Brooklyn. We knew immediately that the air in Lower Manhattan wasn't safe to breathe--despite assurances from the Bush Administration--and in the years following, Amy dedicated herself to leading efforts in Congress to care for the victims, work that culminated in the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. This landmark legislation upheld our promise to our nation's heroes who responded to the attacks as well as to all those who had been impacted by the toxic dust in the disaster area--a monumental feat that affected thousands of lives. Thanks to her persistence and dedication, Amy's impact on our 9/11 families can be felt far and wide.

Years later, in 2017, our work together would face its biggest test as I entered the race to become Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee. Thanks in great part to the strong record I had built over the years with Amy's advice, I earned the trust of my colleagues to become the Ranking Member, a goal we had discussed for many years finally coming to fruition. I was proud to appoint Amy as Chief of Staff to the Committee, a role she seamlessly assumed following our victory.

Becoming Ranking Member--and later, Chairman--of the Judiciary Committee brought with it great opportunities for legislative action that Amy and I had talked about for years. It came with a caveat, however; Donald Trump was the President, and there was mounting pressure to launch an impeachment inquiry as he was fundamentally threatening and degrading our democracy.

Amy navigated the complexities of leading an impeachment with a steady hand, facing a demanding schedule and non-stop media attention, managing a staff of some of our nation's finest minds, and working closely with the House Leadership team. This experience earned her the acclaim of former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who praised her ``wise counsel'' and ``razor-sharp instincts,'' an assessment I couldn't agree with more.

After the Impeachment concluded in early 2020, unbeknownst to anyone at the time, we would be back again the following year for yet another impeachment after President Trump led the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol. While under vastly different circumstances--this time, the Members were the direct victims of the President's crimes--Amy built on past experience to give President Trump the dishonor of being the only President to be impeached twice.

Impeachments aside, Amy's tenure leading the staff of the Judiciary Committee allowed us to realize several legislative goals we had worked on together for two decades.

For example, back in 2009, when same-sex marriages were under attack, Amy was critical in helping author the Respect for Marriage Act to protect marriage equality, a bill that was seen as fanciful at the time. Although the Supreme Court later recognized marriage equality in the Obergefell decision, this right came under renewed threat when Justice Thomas urged revisiting that precedent in the Dobbs case, which overturned decades of precedent protecting the right to reproductive freedom. Amy seized the moment and jumped into action to revive efforts to pass the Respect for Marriage Act. Within months, we were on the White House Lawn together with President Biden as he signed the bill into law. A dream that seemed impossible just a decade earlier had become a reality largely due to Amy's relentless tenacity for LGBTQ+ equality.

Fighting for civil rights has always been at the core of my political philosophy, but it was never more urgent than in the wake of George Floyd's murder in 2020, when our country was clamoring for change to our nation's approach to policing. Amy worked in tandem with then- Representative and now-Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to advance the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act through the House, not once but twice. On their work together, former Congresswoman Bass said, ``Let me say in no uncertain terms that the United States House of Representatives would not have been able to pass the most comprehensive police reform package in United States history--the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act--two different times, without Amy's steady guidance and leadership.''

Simply put, under Amy's leadership, the House Judiciary Committee was as productive and consequential as it has ever been in the years I served as Chairman. These accomplishments allowed me to run in a difficult primary last cycle on a record that was unmatched, and I am thankful to Amy not only for helping to develop this record, but also for amplifying to constituents the impact of my work in Washington.

Even now in the minority, Amy continues to influence the issues she is most passionate about. In the wake of the October 7th attack on Israel, she has doubled down on her work supporting my role as the most senior Jewish Member of Congress and she is a visible demonstration that you can be both progressive and Zionist. She is relentless in her work supporting our informal group of Jewish Members of Congress--and her success in bringing together voices from across the political spectrum speaks volumes to her understanding of the complexities of the Jewish community and her deep connection to the values that bind us together.

I would be remiss if I did not mention Amy's children, Phoebe and Zoey. Both of her children were born during her tenure in the office, and for me and the rest of our team, it has been a pleasure watching them grow up and hearing their stories and jokes about their dog, Rufus.

As Amy moves on to the next chapter in her life, I am forever grateful to have had her by my side for nearly twenty-five years as my most trusted advisor. With her brilliant political instincts, keen understanding of policy, and strong moral compass, she has been essential in bringing about so many of my accomplishments throughout my tenure in Congress.

I want to thank her for her many years of service and her friendship over the years. My district, the Judiciary Committee, and the lives of millions of people are better off for having had Amy fighting on their behalf.

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