Chris Dodd: “I rise to speak in memory of Ira Paull, who passed away suddenly on September 28 at the age of 52. I was very fortunate…”

“I rise to speak in memory of Ira Paull, who passed away suddenly on September 28 at the age of 52. I was very fortunate to work with Ira during the 7 years he spent on Capitol Hill as a staff member on the Senate Banking Committee. He worked on the staff of Senators John Heinz, Jake Garn, and Alfonse D'Amato. Ira was an integral part of virtually every critical piece of legislation that came out of the Banking Committee. His knowledge was vast and his counsel well-respected by Senators on both sides of the aisle. I personally had the privilege of working with Ira in my capacity as chairman of the Securities Subcommittee. In particular, I have fond memories of Ira as he accompanied me, Senator Heinz, and my staff on a congressional delegation to Europe in 1990 looking into European Community Financial Services issues. Ira's reputation on the Hill was that of a bright and talented lawyer, and also of an individual with a quick wit and a tremendous sense of humor. He became well-known for writing opening statements for committee hearings that were not only well-informed and comprehensive, but would even, on occasion, incorporate rhyme or poetry that would bring a smile to everyone's face. Though his job on the committee was to provide counsel to Republican Senators, he earned a great deal of respect from Democrats as well.”