David Price: “this is a House of diverse and talented Members, but among these Members, Bob Matsui stood out in many, many ways. He…”

“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.”