H. Res. 1275 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

June 17, 2008. 

Whereas Tim Russert was born in Buffalo, New York, on 

May 7, 1950; 

Whereas Tim Russert graduated from Canisius High School 

in Buffalo, John Carroll University in University 

Heights, Ohio, and the Cleveland-Marshall College of 

Law in Cleveland, Ohio, and received 48 honorary doctorate degrees; 

Whereas Tim Russert served as special counsel to Senator 

Daniel Patrick Moynihan from 1977 to 1982 and counselor to Governor Mario Cuomo from 1983 to 1984; 

Whereas Tim Russert began his celebrated career in journalism with the National Broadcasting Company in 1984, 

reporting from South America, Australia, China, and 

Rome, where he arranged for the first live appearance on 

American television by Pope John Paul II; 

Whereas in 1991, Tim Russert was named moderator of 

‘‘Meet the Press’’, the longest-running program in the 

history of television; 

Whereas Tim Russert served masterfully as anchor and political analyst, and earned a reputation as a tenacious yet 

fair interviewer of his guests, who included the leading 
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political candidates, holders of public office, and 

newsmakers of the day; 

Whereas Tim Russert moderated presidential debates with 

the same dogged yet respectful manner with which he 

conducted his interviews, and in so doing provided a valuable service to American voters; 

Whereas Tim Russert was a successful author, and his moving books ‘‘Big Russ and Me’’ and ‘‘Wisdom of our Fathers’’ became New York Times bestsellers; 

Whereas Tim Russert won an Emmy Award for his coverage 

of the funeral of President Ronald Reagan; he also won 

the Radio and Television Correspondents’ Joan S. 

Barone Award, the Annenberg Center’s Walter Cronkite 

Award, and the Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall 

Excellence in Television Journalism for his interviews of 

leading national political figures; 

Whereas Tim Russert sat in the front seat of world history, 

chronicling the domestic and international political events 

that have defined our time, deftly describing and analyzing these events for millions of Americans; 

Whereas Tim Russert was a man of devoted and humble 

faith who believed in the value of a Jesuit education and 

who called himself ‘‘a respectful servant in the laity of 

the church’’; 

Whereas Tim Russert powerfully advocated on behalf of 

abused children and voiced the need to protect our Nation’s young people, serving on the board of directors of 

the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and 

America’s Promise Alliance; 

Whereas Tim Russert was a prominent booster of Buffalo 

and a famous fan of his beloved Buffalo Bills; 
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Whereas Tim Russert was always proud of his South Buffalo 

roots and was a source of civic pride in the western New 

York community; and 

Whereas Tim Russert’s love for his family was evident to all 

who knew him and to readers of his books: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) recognizes and honors the contributions of Timothy John Russert, Jr., as an award-winning political 

analyst; and 

(2) expresses its deepest condolences upon the 

death of Timothy John Russert, Jr., to his wife, 

Maureen Orth, his son, Luke, and his surviving family 

members and friends. 

Attest: 

Clerk.