Orrin Hatch Tribute to Jim Lyon (12/6/16)

On December 5, 2016, from the Senate floor, Senator Orrin Hatch gave a tribute to Jim Lyons for his service to the Senate Finance Committee. The  CSPAN video of the tribute to Jim Lyons is here with the tribute starting around 23:45.  The following was a release with the prepared remaks:

Hatch Tribute to Jim Lyons:
'A Fixture in the Tax Policy World'

Utah Senator Says Lyons was "an essential and indispensable part of our efforts on the Senate Finance Committee for close to a decade."

WASHINGTON - In a speech today on the Senate floor, Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) paid tribute to former Finance Committee staffer Jim Lyons, who passed away on September 29th of this year.

"Jim Lyons led a life that touched many others for the better," Hatch said. "His positive influence has been felt by countless people. While tears have been shed and great sadness has been felt, the remembrances we've had of Jim's life and our interactions with him have given all us reason to smile and even laugh."

Hatch went on to note Lyon's invaluable contribution to the Finance Committee.

"Jim was smart as a whip.  He had both a remarkable understanding of tax policy and an uncanny ability to see all the traps and pitfalls that stood ahead for any particular proposal or piece of legislation," Hatch said. "In his eight years on the Finance Committee, he made a mark on every major tax bill that went through the Senate, including many tax extenders bills, some of which he seemed to be able to cobble together singlehandedly."

The complete speech as prepared for delivery is below:
 
Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Jim Lyons, a longtime staffer on Capitol Hill and a fixture in the tax policy world here in DC, who passed away on September 29th of this year.

James Tancill Lyons was born on March 7, 1973 to Stephen and Ann Lyons, both natives of the DC-Virginia area with long-standing ties to the local community.

Growing up in Springfield, Virginia, Jim was an accomplished athlete, excelling in both baseball and basketball.  Oddly for a sports fan in the DC area, his favorite football team was the Dallas Cowboys, a decision he made consciously because his older brother, Stephen, was a big Redskins fan.

Jim was also a great student, eventually graduating summa cum laude from James Madison University.  He went to law school at the University of Texas, where he made the Editing Committee of the Texas Journal of Business Law and won a scholarship for being the best tax law student in his class after pulling the top grade in his Business Associations, Income Tax, International Tax, Corporate Tax, and Estate and Gift Tax classes.

After law school, he earned a clerkship at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and then got a job working for Cleary, Gottlieb, one of the finest law firms in the country.

Of course, you'd never guess any of this if you knew Jim.

While he was always an incredibly valuable - and often brilliant - attorney and congressional staffer, he talked about his college and law school days as though he spent most of his time having fun and just barely skating by.

That, of course, was vintage Jim Lyons - incredibly outgoing, but unbelievably humble.  Jim could have a long conversation with anyone about pretty much anything, but he was never one to spend all that much time touting his own accomplishments.

And, make no mistake, Jim Lyons was very accomplished.

After his time in at the law firm in New York, Jim made his way to the House Ways and Means Committee, and, following a brief subsequent, and successful, stint at the Department of Justice, he was hired by Chairman Chuck Grassley to serve as tax counsel on the Senate Finance Committee.

In his eight years on the Finance Committee, he made a mark on every major tax bill - not to mention a number of debt and budget deals -- that went through the Senate, including many tax extenders bills, some of which he seemed to be able to cobble together singlehandedly.

Jim was smart as a whip.  He was a tremendously valuable congressional staffer because he had both a remarkable understanding of tax policy and an uncanny ability to see all the traps and pitfalls that stood ahead for any particular proposal or piece of legislation.

He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the technical aspects of the tax code as well a clear understanding of the real-world implications, immediately seeing where a particular tax policy or bill would fit in the larger policy - and, when necessary, political - landscape.

Jim was one of those people who could go into the weeds to discuss, debate, or negotiate tax policy with literally anyone on the planet, but also boil that same policy down to its essential elements and explain it to lesser mortals, including, I have to say, more than a few United States Senators.

Of course, like all of us, Jim had his own ideological views and opinions.  And, he made no secret about the way he saw the world and his beliefs about the best path forward for our country.

When necessary, he was a fierce advocate for his own views.  But, more importantly for someone in his position, he was able, when necessary, to dispassionately apply his accrued knowledge and expertise to any tax proposal, whether it came from a conservative or liberal, a Republican or Democrat, and then break it down to its essence and give a clear and concise assessment of the policy and its chances for being enacted.

All of this made him an essential and indispensable part of our efforts on the Senate Finance Committee for close to a decade.  As I think all of my colleagues will attest, staffers with that kind of knowledge and ability to evaluate policy and lay out its chances for success can be hard to come by.

However, in the weeks since Jim's passing, it hasn't been his accomplishments or his knowledge of the tax code that people have most remembered.  Instead, most of the focus has been on his friendly demeanor, his mischievous sense of humor, and, most of all, his kind heart.

Dozens of Jim's friends and colleagues visited Jim and his family in the hospital during his final days.  And, during the October recess, hundreds attended a memorial service held here in the Capitol.  Each one of these people had at least one personal story to share about Jim.

Sure, some of the stories did touch on his successes as a staffer and his professional disposition.  But, far more often, the stories were about Jim's kindness, even to strangers, or his ability to make people feel at ease - and sometimes laugh uncontrollably - in even the tensest situations.

Jim was always quick to offer assistance and comfort to those in need and provide a much-needed laugh when things got really tough.  He is one of very few people I've come across on Capitol Hill - and keep in mind, I've been here a while - who will be remembered more or less equally for the bills he successfully drafted and negotiated AND for the way he cracked everyone up at the negotiating table.

I think my favorite story that I've heard about Jim came from his mother, Ann.  In 2003, Jim was living in New York City when much of that part of the country suffered a massive blackout.

It's difficult to be in a place like New York without power, and Jim noticed many people on his way home who were stranded and in need of assistance.  Rather than look down at the ground and head quickly for home as many would probably want to do in that situation, Jim offered help to a dozen or so people, bringing them all home to his apartment, giving them both food and a comfortable space to ride out the power outage.

Most of these people were strangers, yet Jim, ever the kind soul, offered his time and his home to help them through a difficult evening.

I ask unanimous consent that a copy of pages 14 and 15 from the August, 2003 edition of Cleargolaw News, a newsletter for the law firm where Jim worked at that time, be included in the record following my remarks.  The article tells the story of Jim's efforts during the power blackout.

These are the types of stories that have constantly been shared since Jim's passing.  And I know these memories and stories from people who knew and worked with Jim have been helpful to his family during this difficult time.

When I hear these accounts of people's interactions with Jim, I'm reminded of a popular hymn in my church, which reads:

Each life that touches ours for good
Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord;
Thou sendest blessings from above
Thru words and deeds of those who love.
What greater gift dost thou bestow,
What greater goodness can we know
Than Christ-like friends, whose gentle ways
Strengthen our faith, enrich our days.
When such a friend from us departs,
We hold forever in our hearts
A sweet and hallowed memory,
Bringing us nearer, Lord, to thee.

Jim Lyons led a life that touched many others for the better.  His positive influence has been felt by countless people, pretty much anyone who had the opportunity to interact with him.

I personally already miss Jim's stalwart presence on the Finance Committee.  I miss his wise and plain-spoken advice and his unequaled knowledge of tax policy.  More than that, I miss the kind and humorous manner that endeared Jim to so many of us working in and around the Senate.

There's a simple quote - an anonymous proverb of sorts - that has often been attributed to Dr. Seuss, though its origin is ultimately in dispute.  That quote is: "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."

Over the past couple months, I think that has been the prevailing sentiment among those of us who were lucky enough to know Jim Lyons.  While tears have been shed and great sadness has been felt, the remembrances we've had of Jim's life and our interactions with him have given all us reason to smile and even laugh.

I want to once again express my condolences to Jim's family, his parents, Stephen and Ann, his brother Steve, his two nephews Tyler and Blake, and, of course, his beloved dog, Buddy.  Recently, I've had the opportunity to spend time with and get to know Jim's wonderful family.  They are truly extraordinary people and my prayers continue to go out to them.  And I know I'm not alone in that regard.

[Thanks to Nicole Elliott for passing this item on for posting on the DOJ Tax Division Alumni Blog.]