A Tribute To John T. Caulfield, ESQ. Upon His Retirement

Floor Speech

A TRIBUTE TO JOHN T. CAULFIELD, ESQ. UPON HIS RETIREMENT -- (Extensions of Remarks - February 01, 2007)

* Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, I rise to commend Mr. John Thomas Caulfield for over 25 years of outstanding service to the Congress and over 30 years of public service.

* Mr. Caulfield has been known as a ``lawyer's lawyer'' on Capitol Hill and has provided all manner of counseling to the Congress including as a legal strategist and accomplished expert on the legislative process as the General Counsel to the Capitol Police Board, the Chief of Police and the U.S. Capitol Police for the past 20 years.

* His contributions on behalf of the men and women of the Capitol Police and the entire Congress are truly immeasurable. His unique insights on Congressional operations and the institutional functions render him one of the few who, by direct experience, understand the complex and sometimes arcane interplay between and among the Houses of Congress and congressional entities.

* His dedication to the protection of the legal institutional interests of the federal legislative branch has led to him being recognized nationally and even internationally as a First Amendment expert. He has been called upon to provide legal advice to the Parliaments of both Australia and Canada as well as the City of New York relative to the development and implementation of free expression demonstration, regulatory system balancing, and fundamental First Amendment rights of free speech, with appropriate governmental limitations. His profound grasp of these sometimes nuanced and competing constitutional and legal interests is demonstrated almost daily as he provides advice and counsel to the Capitol Police Board and the Capitol Police.

* A native of Buffalo, New York, John has always maintained his ``down-to-earth'' roots as a person of integrity, humility, trustworthiness and truthfulness with a ``what you see is what you get'' approach to all endeavors. However, it is his keen legal intellect and overwhelming ethic for hard work combined with a Runyonesque, street-wise toughness that allowed him to remain calm during the many emergencies and critical situations that he was asked to handle on behalf of the Congress.

* An accomplished student-athlete in high school and college, he has been recognized for academic and athletic honors including being inducted into the Canisius High School Hall of Fame as well as academic and athletic honors at John Carroll University. When asked, John has credited his Jesuit education and athletic participation as the cornerstone of his intellectual curiosity, thirst for knowledge and his drive to compete. This combination of attributes has allowed him, as an advocate, to temper the spirit of litigation ``combat'' with an eye toward resolution when it would be in the best interest of his client. It has been said by at least one opposing counsel that ``even though we were on opposite sides, I knew he was always a straight shooter and I could take him at his word.''

* Another Capitol Hill attorney said, ``If he had to knock heads with me, he would tell me upfront and then he'd help me up afterward.''

* While the breadth of his legal skills are well-known in Washington, DC, his unique expertise in constitutional law, litigation, including legal negotiations and settlements, legislative drafting and advocacy is unquestionably superior. Yet John, out of a deep sense of humility and commitment to public service, shrugs off any praise and dismisses his accomplishments, saying ``that is what I expect of myself as a public servant.'' John also is often credited with an uncanny knack for instantaneous legal analysis and an ability to synthesize complex legal issues into simple and understandable terms.

* To a large degree, John has credited the development of his expertise in the legislative process to his work as a subcommittee counsel for Chairman and former Congressman Henry J. Nowak of Buffalo. While he has dedicated much of his own time to mentoring and helping other young lawyers with the career development, one of his favorite mentoring tips, he learned from his experience under Mr. Nowak individuals especially those who work for the Congress should become so familiar with an issue that they become ``masters of the 30 second briefing.''

* However, by all accounts, John remains most proud of his accomplishments as an advocate for the men and women of the Capitol Police. Even though it is rare, indeed, that a public servant can be provided with an opportunity to directly impact and improve the lives of individuals, John's successful advocacy for a ``private relief'' bill for the widow and children of deceased Capitol Police Sergeant Christopher Eney and his oversight responsibilities for the U.S. Capitol Police Memorial Fund originally established to assist the widow and children of deceased Capitol Police Private First Class Jacob Joseph Chestnut and Detective John Michael Gibson, the only Capitol Police officers ever killed in the line of duty have always been treasured accomplishments for him.

* Another example of John's unique and historical contribution to the professional development, respect and prestige attributable to the Capitol Police is his tireless legal analysis, statutory drafting and advocacy spanning several years and culminating in the passage of the Capitol Police Retirement Act of 1990. This long sought law enforcement retirement initiative for the Capitol Police was viewed by many as one of the most significant formal, and historical statutory measures enacted by the Congress that recognized and treated Capitol Police similar to the FBI and the Secret Service as well all other executive branch federal law enforcement officers.

* However, one of the most difficult challenges that John successfully faced relates to his collateral appointment as the Chief Legal Advisor of the United State Capitol Incident Management Team, the congressionally appointed anthrax terrorists acts response entity charged by Congress with the responsibility to address the anthrax terrorist acts of October 2001 widely reported as the deadliest attacks in the history of the United States. Neither the overwhelming long hours, the unique and varied legal complexities, nor the personal and professional responsibilities placed on John relative to the decision-making process as to the appropriate remediation of the buildings and the protection of individuals, nor the requirements of his regular duties as General Counsel could diminish his commitment to the continuity of the Congress and his service to the Capitol Police Board, the Capitol Police and the Congress.

* Moreover, in virtually all serious and difficult challenges confronted by the Capitol Police Board and the Capitol Police during his tenure, Caulfield has been heavily relied upon for his unique problem-solving skills. Indeed, after receiving notice of a matter that was seemingly beyond repair John was consistently called upon to find a solution. Under these type of pressure circumstances and with a singular focus, even when faced with the inevitable ``finger pointing'' of those involved, Caulfield, is almost legendary for his sometimes impatient retort ``I'm not interested in fault, you came to me to find a fix.'' In the development of resolutions in crisis management John exhibits an uncanny ability to quickly assess a given situation and synthesize a proposed solution providing a legal and litigation, as well as political and public relations risks in a concise and understandable manner. As former Doorkeeper of the House of Representatives, Jim Molloy once confided to a mutual friend, ``John has one of the sharpest and best analytical minds I have ever seen.''

* John has also demonstrated his dedication to service to the Congressional community by serving as a volunteer member of the Board of Directors of the Wright Patman Congressional Federal Credit Union for approximately 20 years. During his service on the Board of Directors, the credit union has achieved much growth and success including relocating its headquarters to a new, larger facility. Additionally, John currently serves as the Chairman of the Member Information Security Committee leading the credit union's effort to ensure the protection of member personal information security and related privacy Issues.

* Madam Speaker, the retirement of John Thomas Caulfield from service to the Congress will bring a sense of loss not only for his substantive legal scholarship and acumen in such diverse areas of expertise as constitutional law, employment and labor law, appropriations law, criminal law and procedure, as well as in all aspects of legislative process and advocacy, but also I trust these revered halls of Congress will miss John's engaging personality, his spontaneous and humorous wit and ready smile.

* Madam Speaker, it has often been said that ``everyone is replaceable.'' Well maybe at long last we have found in John Thomas Caulfield the exception to that maxim.

* Please join me in extending a heartfelt expression of appreciation for John's many years of dedicated and conscientious public service on behalf of the Congress and the Capitol Police and hearty congratulations on retirement to John, his wife Susan, his children, Jace and Molly, and his entire family.

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