[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 130 (Friday, August 1, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H7791]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          COMMEMORATING THE MINNEAPOLIS I-35W BRIDGE COLLAPSE

  (Mr. ELLISON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ELLISON. Madam Speaker, last year on August 1, 2007, at 6:05 
p.m., the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed into the 
Mississippi River. Thirteen people lost their lives, injuring nearly 
100 people. The 13 victims were mothers, fathers and children.
  Last year on August 1, this day, we as a Nation were united in our 
grief for the victims. Today, the new I-35W bridge stands almost 
complete over the Mississippi River. I have had a chance to tour it, 
and it is a good-looking bridge. But we can never forget about the 
victims and the lessons that we have learned from the collapse.
  We will be having a memorial today in Minneapolis for the victims, 
and we will be celebrating the fact that we have come back and been a 
resilient community after this collapse.
  But I believe the tragic bridge collapse serves as a national call to 
action for our political leaders to focus on improving our domestic 
infrastructure. The time is now, Madam Speaker.

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