The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF MR. GEOFF LAREDO” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1041 on July 23, 2018.
The Department is one of the oldest in the US, focused primarily on law enforcement and the federal prison system. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, detailed wasteful expenses such as $16 muffins at conferences and board meetings.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF MR. GEOFF LAREDO
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HON. HAROLD ROGERS
of kentucky
in the house of representatives
Monday, July 23, 2018
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Geoff Laredo in recognition of his retirement after many years of dedication to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
I have come to know and respect Mr. Laredo through our shared mission to combat the nation's opioid epidemic. Geoff is a true leader in the field and has been a trusted advisor to his boss and my dear friend, Dr. Nora Volkow, but also to me and my staff. He has a wealth of institutional knowledge and his departure will surely leave a void in the heralded halls of NIDA.
Mr. Laredo graduated with a degree in Political Science and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and received his master's degree in Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. He then began a storied career of dedicated public service with stops at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the National Institute of Justice, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services.
During his time at NIDA, Geoff served as a liaison to state and local governments, ensuring NIDA research is used to inform local policies. Additionally, he served as the liaison to the Friends of NIDA organization, advocating for a level of resources for NIDA that reflects the tremendous personal, social and economic burden of drug abuse and addiction. Mr. Laredo has provided assistance to Congressional staff on legislative issues related to drug addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery research in response to the opioid crisis. He has also planned and coordinated hundreds of Hill briefings on a variety of topics, and is incredibly well known and well liked among members and staff alike. Geoff is one of the few who understood the urgency of the opioid epidemic early on and was a founding member of the planning committee for the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit that was jointly established with Operation UNITE, an organization I founded to help combat the drug epidemic in rural southern and eastern Kentucky.
I am tremendously grateful for Mr. Laredo's many years of service to our great nation, and wish him the best in all his future endeavors. I hope that he and his wife, Donna, enjoy their many years of retirement together. Congratulations.
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