On the recordApril 19, 2016
Today I rise to celebrate the life and legacy of my good friend, Paul Barkla. I met Paul when I first ran for Congress. He was one of my earliest supporters. I still vividly recall meeting him at the end of a Democratic primary debate when he introduced himself as a former Bill Proxmire staffer, as I was, and then promised to do everything he could to help me get elected. It was the beginning of a 25-year friendship, during which time he became a member of our family. Paul is a native of the Pacific Northwest and was raised in Eugene, Oregon. Paul was a firm believer in good, old-fashioned, shoe-leather politics, and he pounded the pavement for Democratic candidates across the country, where he met many friends along the way. In 2004, he traveled to New Hampshire to volunteer for the Presidential campaign of General Wesley Clark. In 2008, he again loaded up his dog and traveled around the country, showing up in battleground States and volunteering for President Obama. He believed we all had an obligation to participate in our democracy. After college, Paul moved to Washington, where he received a master's degree from George Washington University and worked as a Capitol policeman. He also went to work for numerous Congressmen and then worked for Senator Proxmire of Wisconsin, where he became engaged with Wisconsin politics.…
