California Congressmember Robert Matsui, died on New Year’s day at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. He was 63 years old. He had pneumonia, a complication of a rare stem cell disorder with which he was diagnosed in recent months. At his death, Rep. Matsui was the third-ranking Democrat on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and among the highest-ranking Asian Americans in House history. He represented Sacramento in the Congress since 1979 and was a major force on trade and Social Security issues. As an infant, he was interned in a detention camp for Japanese Americans during World War II. Later, as a member of Congress, he shepherded legislation in 1988 that formally apologized for the internment of Japanese Americans and provided token financial compensation for the survivors. Matsui had just won reelection in November.