[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 152 (Friday, November 22, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2128]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING CONGRESSMAN BOB BORSKI

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN P. MURTHA

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 22, 2002

  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
recognize a good friend and colleague, Bob Borski, upon the occasion of 
his retirement from twenty years of distinguished service in the House 
of Representatives.
  Congressman Bob Borski (D-PA) was first elected to the U.S. House of 
Representatives in November 1982. He is currently serving his tenth 
term as the Representative from Pennsylvania's Third Congressional 
District, which encompasses Northeast Philadelphia, the River Wards, 
Society Hill and portions of Queen Village. Of the three districts that 
include parts of Philadelphia, the 3rd is the only district completely 
within city limits.
  As a teenager in Northeast Philadelphia, Bob was a standout athlete 
for the Frankford High Pioneers, captaining the basketball and baseball 
teams. He is a low-profile leader in Congress, but he still gives his 
all for the community where he grew up, devoting most of his energies 
to the needs and concerns of the 3rd District.
  Since he was elected, Bob Borski has fought vigorously to preserve 
military facilities and defense jobs in his congressional district and 
throughout the Philadelphia region. In 1993 and 1995, he worked with 
the city of Philadelphia and community leaders to defeat attempts to 
close the Aviation Supply Office (ASO) and its tenant activities in 
Northeast Philadelphia.
  In the past couple of years, Bob has initiated an effort to reclaim 
and revitalize the neglected waterfront of the Delaware River. We 
worked together in a coordinated effort with various regional, federal, 
state and local stakeholders in order to develop Philadelphia's 
waterfront for the benefit of both the city and the people. He 
envisioned an exciting, prosperous, new waterfront for Philadelphia 
that will reconnect neighborhoods with land developed for many uses. 
Interconnected recreational pathways as well as plenty of open green 
space bordering the river are principal parts of his vision.
  Representative Borski retires as the third ranking Democrat on the 
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and as the lead Democrat on 
the Committee's Highways and Transit Subcommittee.
  In addition to his leadership position on the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee, Bob served as Regional White for Philadelphia 
and Ohio. As a senior member on the Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee and Subcommittee Ranking Member, Bob has been a vocal 
advocate of an improved national transportation system and a strong 
federal commitment to public infrastructure and mass transit programs. 
In Philadelphia, his legislative efforts have resulted in millions of 
dollars more for SEPTA, I-95, neighborhood roads, and transportation 
improvements which will greatly benefit the Port of Philadelphia, and 
as a result, the surrounding area.
  In the 105th Congress, Bob worked to pass TEA-21, authorizing 
spending for highway, mass transit and other transportation-related 
projects across the nation. This bill included $221 million in projects 
for the City of Philadelphia and led to the expansion of Philadelphia 
International Airport, I-95 improvements, investment in mass transit, 
and the construction of the Frankford Transportation Center, a state of 
the art multimodal terminal complex. With TEA-21, Congressman Borski 
led the effort to bring construction and manufacturing jobs to the City 
of Philadelphia with projects that also assisted in the reduction of 
traffic congestion and air pollution.
  He has worked consistently to defend public safety, authoring 
legislation which bans the expanded use of triple trailer trucks as 
well as legislation which prohibited the dangerous practice of 
backhauling--transporting foods one way and toxic chemicals on the 
return trip.
  In previous years, Borski served as the top Democrat on the Water 
Resources and Environment Subcommittee, a job that at times pulled him 
well beyond his customary focus on Philadelphia into issues such as 
government response to natural disasters and desalination efforts in 
communities short of fresh water. Bob was instrumental insuring the 
passage of the landmark Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act.
  Bob Borski has been a strong supporter of the environment. As the 
subcommittee began debate in the 105h Congress on legislation to 
overhaul the Superfund hazardous waste cleanup program, Borski refused 
to support legislation that would go easy on polluters or that failed 
to ensure the protection of human health and the environment. He has 
pushed for legislation to promote cleanup of ``brownfields''--urban 
industrial sites where pollution discourages redevelopment.
  Bob is also a member of the Subcommittee on Railroads, the 
Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, the Congressional 
Delegation to the NATO Assembly, and the ad-hoc committee on Irish 
Affairs.
  In addition to his committee assignments, he represented the concerns 
and needs of his large senor citizen constituency and serves on the 
Older Americans Caucus, the Diabetes Caucus, and the Prescription Drug 
Task Force.
  Prior to his 1982 election to the U.S. Congress Bob Borski served 
three terms in the Pennsylvania State House. Before that, he was a 
floor manager at the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. He was born in 
Philadelphia on October 20, 1948 and is a life-long resident of the 
city. In 1966, he graduated from Frankford High School where he 
captained the basketball and baseball teams. He attended the University 
of Baltimore on an athletic scholarship and, after graduating with a 
B.A. in 171, served one year as the assistant basketball coach. 
Congress Borski lives in Northeast Philadelphia with is wife Karen and 
is the father of four girls and one boy.
  I am grateful for the many years I've gotten to serve with Bob in the 
Pennsylvania delegation. His friendship, unfailing congeniality and 
hard work made it a joy to work with him, contributed immeasurably to 
the cohesiveness of the delegation and benefited Pennsylvania greatly. 
He will be remembered as a gentleman and statesman who left a positive 
mark on this body.

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