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.
“THOMAS S. WILLIAMSON, JR.” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E330 on March 15, 2017.
The Department provides billions in unemployment insurance, which peaked around 2011 though spending had declined before the pandemic. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, claimed the Department funds "ineffective and duplicative services" and overregulates the workplace.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THOMAS S. WILLIAMSON, JR.
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HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON
of the district of columbia
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the extraordinary life of Thomas S. Williamson, Jr., who passed away this month at the age of 70. Mr. Williamson was a former president of the D.C. Bar and a member of our Federal Law Enforcement Nominating Commission, which advises me on the selection of important federal officials for the District of Columbia, including federal district court judges and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Tom will be especially remembered as a champion for equal legal access to justice for all. His service will be held at the National Cathedral tomorrow.
Tom Williamson began his career at the law firm Covington & Burling LLP in 1974, where he became a partner, focusing on employment law, complex litigation, and health and welfare law matters for state governments. As a student, Tom played varsity football at Harvard College and excelled academically. He went on to Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and then to the University of California at Berkeley School of Law. From the beginning of his career and for more than 40 years, Tom had a deep commitment to pro bono service and civil rights. His passion for equal justice was influenced by his experience as a child when his family integrated a white neighborhood in Piedmont, California and experiencing the racism that resulted.
District residents are particularly grateful to Tom, who was an influential member of a team of attorneys representing the District in Adams v. Clinton, a case that sought voting rights for the District in the House and Senate. Throughout his years in successful private practice, Tom continuously provided legal service to those most in need of good lawyers--whether providing pro bono service to residents or leading the defense of the District's marriage equality law. Tom's career in law also included public service, where he served as the deputy inspector general at the U.S. Department of Energy and the solicitor of the U.S. Department of Labor.
Mr. Speaker, as my thoughts are with Tom's wife, Shelly Brazier, and his family, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the extraordinary life of Thomas. S. Williamson, Jr.
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