Statement on the Death of Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Laurence N. Woodworth

The death of Laurence Woodworth is a personal loss to me and a loss to our Nation of one of its most dedicated public servants.

For more than three decades, he served with the Joint Committee on Taxation of the Congress, where his understanding of our tax system was matched only by his determination to improve that system and by his patience in dealing with those who knew far less than he. For the last 11 months, as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy, he directed this administration's efforts to develop a better, fairer tax system.

Larry Woodworth was the first Assistant Secretary I appointed, and in the last year I worked with him personally more than with any other Assistant Secretary in the Government. In that time I developed a profound respect for his abilities and an admiration for his modest, self-effacing manner.

I extend my deepest sympathy to his wife, Margaret, and their children.