Thanks to Melinda Walker for sharing Representative Ron Kind’s remarks made in the Congressional Record yesterday:
February 14, 2013 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—
Extensions of Remarks E143

RECOGNIZING NATIONAL COURT REPORTING AND CAPTIONING WEEK

HON. RON KIND
OF WISCONSIN
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to acknowledge the hard work of court reporters and broadcast captioners nationwide, as well as the recognition of the National Court Reporting and Captioning Week from February 17–23, 2013.

Court reporters and broadcast captioners have the unique skill of translating the spoken word into text to record history, preserve judicial
proceedings, assist individuals who are deaf and hard-of-hearing with access to audio communications, and even capture the work of Congress in committees and on the floor of the House and Senate. They are truly the
guardians of the record.

The profession of court reporting is thousands of years old; its roots can be traced back to 63 B.C., when Marcus Tullius Tiro created shorthand reporting to service the Roman philosopher, lawyer, and orator Cicero.

Since the dawn of civilization, the desire to capture the spoken word and record our history has been the responsibility of the scribe, known
today as the court reporter.

The scribe has been an essential part of history from times in Ancient Egypt, to the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, the Emancipation Proclamation and the recording of our entire American history.

Since the advent of shorthand machines, these scribes are now known as court reporters and have played a prominent and invaluable role in courtrooms, state legislatures, and in Congress preserving Members’ words and actions.

Court reporters and captioners are also responsible for the closed captioning seen scrolling across television screens, at sporting stadiums and in other community and educational settings, bringing information to almost
40 million deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans every day.

Congress has continuously worked with the National Court Reporters Association to make increasing this access a reality and to ensure
that every American has access to the spoken word.

Whether called the scribes of yesterday or the court reporters and captioners of today, the individuals who preserve our Nation’s history
are truly the guardians of our national record. They have a tough profession but continue to excel through their dedication and expertise.

With that, it is my honor to acknowledge February 17–23 as National Court Reporting and Captioning Week across the country.

 

Guardians of the (muthafuckin’) record!