[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 95 (Friday, June 8, 2018)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E803] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] HONORING MICHAEL POTEMRA ______ HON. PAUL D. RYAN of wisconsin in the house of representatives Friday, June 8, 2018 Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my deepest condolences on the passing of Michael Potemra, longtime literary editor of National Review Magazine. Mike Potemra was a conservative thought leader who served President Reagan and three United States Senators--Kasten of Wisconsin, Durenberger of Minnesota, and DeWine of Ohio--before joining the Editorial Board of National Review in 1999. Mike was a valued and proud member of the Reagan Revolution. I knew Mike when we worked in Senator Kasten's office together nearly 30 years ago. Mike's desk was around the corner from the mailroom where I started as an intern. He was a speechwriter for Senator Kasten, and a masterful one at that. With brilliance and absolute integrity, Mike took everyone he worked with to a higher level . . . so much from him. Mike loved America and the mobility and economic liberty that America embraces. He was born in Youngstown, Ohio to Slovakian immigrants and grew up speaking both Slovak and English. His life embodies the American Dream: as a child of immigrants, he attended Catholic University, Harvard Law School, and served in the White House and the U.S. Senate. Mike was a profound and dedicated conservative, but he was never partisan. He was intellectually curious about everything and embraced political discourse as a true American does--always providing people with the opportunity to change his mind--which rarely happened. On a human level, Mike was a wonderful person with a keen sense of humor. More often than not, everyone who visited Mike's desk left with a smile and a hearty laugh at his jokes, observations, and uncanny impressions of William F. Buckley, Ronald Reagan, and Jack Kemp. Let us take this time to remember Mike's life and service to our country, and pray for the people who loved him dearly--his family, friends, and colleagues. He was a good man, and a great American. ____________________