[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 165 (Tuesday, December 14, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H8342-H8351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING CONGRESSMAN JIM OBERSTAR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 2009, the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.


                             General Leave

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
on the topic of this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Minnesota?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, tonight I rise with the sad honor of 
recognizing the retirement of my friend, colleague, Congressman Jim 
Oberstar. He has served the residents of Minnesota's Eighth 
Congressional District with distinction for more than 36 years.
  Jim is the dean of the Minnesota congressional delegation, and all of 
us, House and Senate, are deeply grateful for his commitment to our 
State.
  To many people in Washington, DC, he is Chairman James L. Oberstar of 
the powerful Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, but to 
most Minnesotans, he is Jim Oberstar from Chisholm, the heart of 
Minnesota's Iron Range.
  For those of you who don't know about the Iron Range, it can be a 
tough place to grow up--lots of cold weather and a lot of hard work. 
But it has lots of great people.
  The hard lessons of his early years served Jim well in Washington. He 
knew how to fight for people and causes that he served, and he always 
worked for progress in a way that honored his principles.
  During his time in Congress, Jim made a career out of creating good 
jobs and building America.

                              {time}  2030

  His priority was investing in the future prosperity of his country, 
literally

[[Page H8343]]

laying the foundation of a 21st-century American economy, and I am 
proud to say he has been my partner in building a modern transportation 
system in the Twin Cities.
  Next month, major renovations on the Union Depot in St. Paul, a 
modern multi-modal transportation hub, will create 3,000 construction 
jobs. Only months later, construction begins on the Central Corridor, 
the light rail between St. Paul and Minneapolis, creating thousands of 
more jobs. Neither of these major investments would have been happening 
without Jim Oberstar. He had the vision to plan for the future.
  He has also demonstrated his leadership in times of great crisis, and 
he has been effective. On August 1, 2007, the Interstate 35W bridge 
collapsed in Minneapolis and 13 people lost their lives. The Chairman 
raced to action and helped to secure emergency legislation that rebuilt 
the bridge, reconnected our communities.
  But he didn't stop there. Chairman Oberstar worked in Congress to 
call attention to the epidemic of weak bridges all across this country, 
and he made bridge repair and replacement a focus of the Recovery Act. 
Because of Jim Oberstar's commitment, thousands of bridges across this 
country were replaced or rebuilt through the Recovery Act. Millions of 
Americans are safer today because Chairman Oberstar recognized 
Minnesota's tragedy was an American crisis.
  Jim Oberstar not only served; he served well. He not only worked 
hard; he achieved results. He was a true ranger. His roots of loyalty 
to the needs of working families in Minnesota and across this country 
could not be beat. This institution is about to lose a great leader, 
but it is inheriting a legacy of commitment and fairness and 
professionalism that should serve as a model for all of us.
  On behalf of myself and the Minnesotans I represent, I extend my 
thanks and my best wishes to Chairman Jim Oberstar.
  Madam Speaker, at this point I will insert in the Record various 
letters in support of Chairman Oberstar; from Congressman Erik Paulsen, 
Congresswoman Betsy Markey, State Representative Tommy Rukavina, State 
Senator Tom Saxhaug, State Senator Tom Bakk, State Senator David 
Tomassoni, the Honorable Don Ness, Mayor of the City of Duluth, the 
Honorable Christopher Coleman, the Mayor of the City of Saint Paul, and 
the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners and their Rail Authority.

                                                     Tom Rukavina,


                               Minnesota State Representative,

                                                 December 8, 2010.
       To the Honorable Members of the United States House of 
     Representatives: I am honored to have the opportunity to 
     recognize and praise my friend, Congressman Jim Oberstar, 
     whom I don't have to address as honorable because everyone 
     who has been around Washington DC for the last 36 years knows 
     that goes without saying!
       Congressman Oberstar in my mind epitomizes what's good 
     about ``politicians.'' He has not only cared about the well-
     being of his constituents, but has also cared about every one 
     of your constituents here in this great United States of 
     America. His knowledge of transportation issues is legendary, 
     and his stewardship of our natural resources and his concern 
     for our children and grandchildren on issues such as clean 
     water exemplifies his commitment to our future generations.
       I am personally sad that Congressman Oberstar will not be 
     representing me and his beloved Iron Range in the United 
     States Congress. But I am honored that Congressman Oberstar's 
     legacy and contributions to this country will be recognized 
     by those future generations that he has dedicated his entire 
     life to.
       Congressman, as many of those Iron Range old-timers that 
     you love to talk about would have said to you, ``dobro srecu, 
     buona fortuna''--in other words, good luck to you as you move 
     forward in life!
           Warm regards,
     Tom Rukavina.
                                  ____

                                                Thomas W. Saxhaug,


                                      Minnesota State Senator,

                                   St. Paul, MN, December 8, 2010.
     Representative James Oberstar,
     Rayburn House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Jim: Thanks for your tireless work on behalf of the 
     people of Itasca County and the Grand Rapids Area. Your work 
     will long be remembered by our generation and will benefit 
     generations to come. My opportunity to work with you on the 
     Edge of the Wilderness National Scenic Byway and riding 
     bicycles on the Mesabi Range Trail will never be forgotten.
       Thanks for your public service to my district, the State of 
     Minnesota and the United States of America.
           Sincerely,
     Tom Saxhaug.
                                  ____

                                                   Thomas M. Bakk,


                                      Minnesota State Senator,

                                   St. Paul, MN, December 8, 2010.
     Rep. James Oberstar,
     Rayburn House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Oberstar: The Eighth District of 
     Minnesota is forever indebted to you for your 36 years of 
     service and dedication to the betterment of Northeastern 
     Minnesota.
       In fact, all of Minnesota would not be the same without 
     your tireless hard work on our behalf. Most recently, much of 
     the state can now enjoy the hiking and biking trails that 
     have been connected thanks to your funding. Also, many 
     regional centers are more competitive, due to your work on 
     keeping our airports in top condition. Our state is in better 
     shape financially, thanks to your funding of projects for the 
     Recovery Act and many people have jobs because of you.
       Thank you for dedicating your life to public service. You 
     will be missed.
           Sincerely,
     Thomas M. Bakk.
                                  ____

                                               David J. Tomassoni,


                                      Minnesota State Senator,

                                                 December 8, 2010.
     Hon. James Oberstar,
     Chisholm, MN.
       Dear Congressman Oberstar: It is with bitter sweet pleasure 
     that I congratulate you on your incredible career as a United 
     States Congressman representing Minnesota's 8th district for 
     the last 36 years. I have gotten to know you very well over 
     the years and I consider it an honor and a privilege to call 
     you my great friend and ``paesano.''
       There was never a time during your tenure that you didn't 
     make your district your priority. The people of the 8th have 
     benefited greatly as a result of your dedicated work and 
     undying devotion. Whether it be saving Northwest Airlines, 
     resulting in over 500 jobs in Chisholm at the Reservation 
     Center; the reconstruction of Highway 53 and 169 interchange; 
     renovation of Highway 8; the countless miles of bike trails; 
     the re-opening of Eveleth Taconite; the dredging of the 
     Duluth-Superior Harbor; the authorization to expand the Sault 
     Ste. Marie Locks; or the rebuilding of the Interstate 35 
     bridge, you have unapologetically delivered.
       Not only has your vision produced results, but your heart 
     has helped numerous individuals with personal problems. One 
     by one you helped hundreds of people with Social Security 
     disability and Veterans' benefits. Individuals like the light 
     house operator, or Marvin Ford, a survivor of the Atomic Bomb 
     testing, both were personally afforded benefits as a result 
     of your work. Even today you are still working to fulfill 
     PBGC benefit integrity for National Steel employees.
       Nationally, planes, trains and automobiles have all been 
     the beneficiary of your vision to make America's 
     transportation and infrastructure system the premier in the 
     world. Your work and your legacy will benefit generations to 
     come. The impact you have had on an entire nation will go 
     unmatched.
       Thank you for the difference you have made. You will be 
     missed.
            Arriverderci amico,
     David Tomassoni.
                                  ____



                                              Don Ness, Mayor,

                                     Duluth, MN, December 8, 2010.
       As an American, I am grateful for Chairman Oberstar's life-
     long service to our country. Chairman Oberstar has been a 
     champion for transportation improvements with an eye to 
     efficiency, safety, and our nation's economic 
     competitiveness. The Chairman is tough, creative, strategic, 
     and visionary in his efforts to modernize American 
     transportation.
       As a Mayor in Minnesota, I am thankful for Congressman 
     Oberstar's commitment to the health and vitality of our 
     region. The Congressman has been a strong partner in economic 
     development, in addressing our most pressing issues, and in 
     providing outstanding constituent service. Every day on the 
     job, he saw opportunities to do well by the people of 
     Minnesota and he delivered.
       History will be rightfully kind to Jim Oberstar. As 
     impressive as Jim's legacy appears to us today, as time 
     passes, history will confirm, endorse, and strengthen that 
     legacy. Today's politics is immediate and reactive, yet for 
     36 years, Jim Oberstar built his legacy through comprehensive 
     understanding and an eye to the future. He didn't go into 
     public service to play political games; he wanted to help 
     shape the future of our nation.
       No matter the consequences, Jim was going to do the right 
     thing. I remember in the wake of 9/11, I saw Jim travel to 
     the most conservative part of his district and speak forcibly 
     against the invasion of Iraq. He was right and his integrity 
     compelled him to speak against the rush to war, no matter the 
     politics of the moment. Jim's integrity never wavered and his 
     integrity has defined his time in Congress.
       As a former Ober-staff, I feel privileged to have worked 
     for Jim Oberstar because he is a great leader, a brilliant 
     mind, and a forceful voice for our country. But more 
     importantly, he is a good person--loyal, protective, loving, 
     and generous.
       Working for Jim Oberstar, you were acutely aware of the 
     fact that he was someone who was shaping our nation's future 
     and you

[[Page H8344]]

     were equally aware of how much he cared for you as a person. 
     That's a special combination. His staff is loyal because he 
     is a caring boss; his staff loves him because he is their 
     friend.
       Dr. Thomas Fuller once said, ``Great and good are seldom 
     the same man.'' And with the truth of that statement ringing 
     in our ears, recognizing how rarely we see it, we say:
       ``Thank you, Jim. Thank you for being both great and 
     good.''
     Don Ness.
                                  ____



                                 Mayor Christopher B. Coleman,

                                   St. Paul, MN, December 8, 2010.
       Congresswoman McCollum: Thank you for taking this time to 
     recognize one of our country's great leaders. Congressman Jim 
     Oberstar has poured vision, thoughtfulness, and commitment 
     into his work for nearly 50 years on behalf of not just 
     Minnesotans, but all Americans. The United States would not 
     look or feel the same without Congressman Oberstar's 
     leadership on infrastructure and transportation issues.
       Jim graduated from the College of Saint Thomas in Saint 
     Paul and his summa cum laude dual degree in French and 
     Political Science should come as a surprise to no one. Jim 
     has talked about how this experience not only created a 
     direction for his incredible career, but also fostered a 
     life-long love for learning and for our capital city. I'm 
     proud to be the Mayor of a City Jim once called home.
       Soon the City of Saint Paul will start running light rail 
     trains from the historic Union Depot to its sister city of 
     Minneapolis. The 30-year effort to build the Central Corridor 
     light rail line is a reality because of Jim Oberstar. This 
     line, along with the bus routes, bicycle lanes, and high 
     speed rail lines that will travel to and from of the Union 
     Depot every day will be a great legacy for us to remember 
     Congressman Oberstar. I look forward to sharing it with him.
       The City of Saint Paul is better place to live today 
     because of the decades of service Congressman Oberstar has 
     given us. He has been a once in a generation leader for our 
     State and Country. As he steps toward the next chapter of an 
     already distinguished career, he carries with him the sincere 
     gratitude of all Minnesotans in recognition of his leadership 
     and service.
           Sincerely,
     Christopher B. Coleman.
                                  ____

                                                 December 8, 2010.
       Dear Congressman Oberstar: On behalf of the Ramsey County 
     Board of Commissioners and Regional Railroad Authority, we 
     would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your 36 
     years of dedicated and far-sighted service to the people of 
     Minnesota and the nation. We have appreciated your 
     leadership, your vision, your ability to get things done, 
     and, most of all your warm friendship and wise counsel, both 
     given freely and in great abundance.
       We are extraordinarily grateful for your transportation and 
     transit leadership for our state, nation and region, in 
     particular for your steadfast support for the Union Depot 
     project. Your strong early support of the Depot, and the $85 
     million in federal funding you have helped to secure for this 
     project of regional and national significance, were 
     responsible for getting the project going and keeping it on 
     track.
       Too, your support of the Central Corridor and the Hiawatha 
     Light Rail lines, the Rush Line Corridor and the Midwest High 
     Speed Rail initiative have helped to move those important 
     projects from dream to reality.
       You have left your mark on the 8th District, on Minnesota 
     and on this great nation. Everywhere we look, we see the 
     fruits of your hard work in our transportation 
     infrastructure. Your untiring service is appreciated. We 
     strain to find words adequate to express our gratitude for 
     all that you have done for the people you have served so 
     faithfully for four decades.
       In closing, let us just say how much we have enjoyed 
     working with you on projects that affect Ramsey County and 
     the entire state of Minnesota. We wish you and Jean a bright 
     and fulfilling future.
           Sincerely,
     Victoria Reinhardt,
       Chair, Ramsey County Board of Commissioners.
     Jim McDonough,
       Chair, Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority.
     Commissioner Tony Bennett.
     Commissioner Toni Carter.
     Commissioner Rafael Ortega.
     Commissioner Jan Parker.
     Commissioner Janice Rettman.

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, now I would like to yield to Congressman 
Jim Oberstar.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I offer my very sincere and genuine 
personal gratitude to the gentlewoman from Minnesota, Ms. McCollum, and 
to the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Peterson, for cosponsoring this 
Special Order. Never have I been the subject of a Special Order. It is 
a true and unique honor, and I am grateful for all those who have taken 
time to come this evening to express thoughts about my service in the 
Congress, especially those of our Minnesota delegation and the 
gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Walz, who is here, and our two Senators, 
Senator Amy Klobuchar and Senator Al Franken. I am grateful to them for 
making the trip across the divide between the two bodies.
  The most memorable moment for me was the day that Senator Hubert 
Humphrey came at the invitation of Speaker O'Neill to address the House 
of Representatives. Never in the history of the House had a Senator 
been given that privilege, to address the House. And as Hubert Humphrey 
stepped at the Clerk's desk just below the Speaker's table, he looked 
across the expanse of this body and he said, ``Oh, you don't know how 
long I have wanted to be here.'' Of course, that is where the President 
stands to give his address to the Nation.
  It is, in my mind, the greatest privilege in life to be chosen by the 
people to serve in this greatest legislative body in the world. I have 
had the great honor to step into the hall of the mother of parliaments 
in London, the House of Commons in Canada, the Assemblee Nationale in 
France, the Bundestag in Germany, the Great Hall of the People in 
Beijing, the Parliament of Australia for their first sitting in their 
new parliament in the 100th anniversary of Australia. But in all of 
those venues, they look to this dome and to this House as the voice of 
the people.
  I look back on years of service. They have been wonderful and 
inspiring years. My life has been touched by the people of the 8th 
District whom I have had this great privilege to represent.
  In the last 4 years, and I keep my report card with me of the 110th 
and 111th Congresses, we held 316 hearings, heard from 2,201 witnesses, 
and had 1,028 hours of hearings. We had 41 markups and 180 bills 
reported to the House, 276 passed by the House, and 179 public laws and 
resolutions.
  In our portion of the stimulus, I can account for 1,300,000 
construction jobs, $4.5 billion in payroll, $919 million in taxes paid 
by those working on construction jobs across America, and 35,311 miles 
of pavement built during this period of the stimulus.
  Those are lasting benefits that will prove beneficial to future 
generations, and they are much like the rest of my body of work, that I 
can look back on my service and say I have given it my best, I have 
served the people to the best of my ability and to the gifts that the 
good Lord has given me and that my parents stimulated in me. But at 
this juncture in these closing hours of this Congress, I am reminded of 
Adlai Stevenson addressing a college graduation. He said to the 
graduates, ``As you leave, remember why you came.''
  Why I came was to serve the people, the needs of their respective 
families, and to leave this district, to leave this House, to leave 
this Nation a better place than I found it. I hope I have achieved that 
goal.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Thank you and, yes, you have.
  I would now like to recognize the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Carnahan).
  Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I am sure that many of my colleagues 
rising tonight will want to pay tribute to Chairman Jim Oberstar of 
Minnesota, and every one of us will have a story or two about how the 
chairman moved what seemed like heaven and Earth in order to get things 
done for the people of this country. With smart investments in all 
modes of transportation, his accomplishments in public service have 
truly earned him the name ``Mr. Transportation.''
  Well, here is one of my favorite Jim Oberstar stories. A few years 
ago, a group of people in Lemay in south St. Louis County had a 
tremendous economic redevelopment opportunity to turn a patch of 
dormant brownfields along the northern Mississippi River into great 
economic development.

                              {time}  2040

  They had done everything right. They had researched all the 
background, they identified the most effective way to bring jobs, they 
had brought their community together to build consensus. But they had 
one big problem. They needed a road. They needed a road to somewhere 
that created thousands of jobs.

[[Page H8345]]

  Well, right now you're probably thinking that this story sounds 
pretty familiar. There are plenty of communities that would love the 
government's help to fund and build a road. Well, this road was being 
blocked because of red tape. And they needed help. Well, there's a 
phrase about things that are difficult in this country. They say, It's 
like trying to get an act of Congress. Well, getting permission to 
build this road actually took two acts of Congress; it never would have 
happened without Chairman Jim Oberstar. When I found out what was 
necessary to get the job done, I knew I had to talk to him to get his 
advice and his help, and with that we were able to break through the 
red tape to get that job done.
  A few weeks ago, I had the great pleasure to go back to visit just a 
few of the 3,000 people who now have good quality jobs because of Jim 
Oberstar's help. On behalf of those workers and myself, I cannot thank 
you enough for all you have done for this Congress, for colleagues, for 
people across this country; for helping America build a road to a 
better future. Thank you for your service, Jim Oberstar.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I would now like to recognize the 
majority leader, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
  Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentlelady for yielding. I thank the two 
distinguished United States Senators from Minnesota for joining us this 
evening on the floor.
  This is a sad day for America--not this particular day--but it is a 
sad event that an individual of the extraordinary quality and depth and 
courage and empathy and understanding will not be serving in the 112th 
Congress. This election saw the defeat of many, many very qualified 
people--not on their merits, but on the angst of the American public, 
concerned about jobs and the economy, concerned about the deficit, 
concerned about many things, and making a statement that they wanted to 
change. But, unfortunately, some babies got thrown out with the bath 
water.
  Jim Oberstar is a giant in this body. There is no person who chairs 
any committee in the time that I have been a Member of the House of 
Representatives, which covers a period of 30 years, no chairman with 
whom I have served during that period of time has known his subject, 
has worked harder, studied harder, and focused us on investing in 
building America any more than Jim Oberstar of Minnesota.
  Jim Oberstar graduated from college summa cum laude. Jim Oberstar has 
been in many places in this world. He taught in Haiti. His family comes 
from Slovenia. Jim Oberstar is not only a giant when it comes to how we 
make America a stronger country, how we build our country, how we make 
sure that we can get goods and services to and from and we can get our 
citizens to and from places where they need to be, but Jim Oberstar 
also is a giant when it comes to understanding the world in which we 
live.
  Jim Oberstar has been a continually unwavering voice on behalf of 
working people in America. Jim Oberstar, in my view, is the definition 
of a Democrat--someone who puts as his highest priority the interest of 
men and women in this country, who, as Bill Clinton so famously said, 
go to work every day and play by the rules and want us to be on their 
side.
  I have served with no individual in the Congress of the United States 
who has been more on the side of average working men and women who make 
this country a great country and who in fact are not average at all but 
extraordinary citizens who care for their country, care for their 
communities, care for their family, and care for their faith. Jim 
Oberstar has represented all of those values for every single day he 
has served in the Congress of the United States and for every single 
day he served as the chief of staff of his predecessor, John Blatnik.
  This is a sad day because we recognize the loss of an extraordinary 
asset to America, to this House, to this Congress; and I count it as a 
personal loss to lose someone who has been such a close friend, an 
extraordinary adviser, a person who has set an example for what every 
American wants a Member of Congress to be--honest, committed, and on 
their side.
  Jim Oberstar, you have blessed this House and blessed this country. 
Jim Oberstar, you have much to give in the years to come. Jim Oberstar, 
I want you to know that I, for one, will continue to rely on your 
advice and counsel as a partner on the side of every American that 
makes this country the land we love.
  Thank you.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Thank you.
  Madam Speaker, I would now like to recognize Tim Walz from 
Minnesota's First Congressional District, another member of the 
Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.
  Mr. WALZ. Thank you to my colleague from St. Paul and to all my 
colleagues from Minnesota.
  Coming here today, the honor to speak of Jim Oberstar as a 
Minnesotan, no one quite personifies what it means to be Minnesotan as 
Jim Oberstar--a man of quiet passion; a work ethic that knows no 
limits; a sense of humor in the face of tragedy that can lift others; a 
man of compassion; someone who exemplifies the very fiber of how we see 
ourselves as people of the prairie, people of the Iron Range, that can 
withstand the cold winters and the hot summers.
  But something that Jim Oberstar I think taught me more than anything 
else, and today, coming to talk about him, it's never about looking 
backward; it's always about looking forward. Someone who spent their 
life to create a better tomorrow, a champion of the future and a 
champion of progress.
  No one in this Congress has had a more profound impact on me as a 
high school social studies and history teacher than Jim Oberstar, 
someone who understands the importance of history for what it means. 
It's not just a theoretical exercise to see the past. It's about 
understanding how to take those lessons, how to take the words that 
work and didn't work, and to move forward to make a better tomorrow.
  There's nothing we did in this Congress that dealt with Jim Oberstar 
that didn't have an understanding of that; that didn't connect what 
happened in the past to what could be in the future. And I think of 
just the things across Minnesota, the so many things that he touched, 
but one that was just so profound of an impact on me is decades ago, 
when the growing city of Rochester and the Mayo Clinic, the heart of 
one of our biggest industries in Minnesota was growing, someone that 
had the foresight to invest in flood mitigation that would have surely 
drowned out the Mayo Clinic probably three times in the last 13 years 
alone, with the rains that we have seen; someone who understood that 
those infrastructure projects allowed the growth of that community and 
the growth of that industry and the growth of that knowledge and the 
human spirit to prosper in that community on the prairie because we had 
the foresight to invest where we needed to.
  So to see someone around here who, as the majority leader so 
eloquently put, is a legend amongst all of us here--a chairman; a 
mentor; to me, a friend--the dignity and passion with which Chairman 
Oberstar conducts himself, has shaped how I would like to conduct 
myself. Anyone who serves the people of Minnesota and serves this 
Nation, if they want to see a role model for how this job should be 
done, they need to look no further than Jim Oberstar.
  He gets remembered a lot, I notice, for transportation issues; but I 
would have to say the transportation issues were a means to an end. The 
end was always working for working families; making life better for 
those people; a man who understood hard work, who came from a family 
that worked in the mines, that understood what needed to be done to get 
a day's work but understands how those jobs could sap life out of 
people, who could take life, they could be unsafe; someone who spent a 
lifetime making sure that a worker could go with dignity, earn a day's 
wage, but not be subject to toxic chemicals, not be subject to unsafe 
working conditions, and have the opportunity to earn a living wage and 
to have some health insurance and maybe a retirement for them when they 
got done with those years of hard work.

                              {time}  2050

  That type of work ethic and that type of focus is something, as I 
said again, that has profoundly impacted me. I think all of us saw here 
what a

[[Page H8346]]

lifetime of experiences and a lifetime of work in this Congress came to 
on that day in August 2007, on the day of the tragedy of the I-35 
bridge falling down. I think, for many Minnesotans--myself included--to 
see that rock of someone who knew this issue better than anyone in this 
country stand firmly and say, We will not allow this to happen again. 
We will rebuild this bridge. It will be better than it was. Commerce 
and safety and infrastructure will move forward--that was a moment that 
will always stick with me.
  Going back to understanding the history, I saw some of the 
transcripts--I believe they were from 1987--that Jim Oberstar took in a 
hearing. He was talking about substandard bridges and predicting that 
some day we would see one of these bridges fall, causing a great loss 
of life. That's what a true leader does--predicts the future and sees 
what needs to be done to avert those things.
  So, as Steny Hoyer said, this House will sorely miss Jim Oberstar. 
This country has lost an incredible leader in this House, but it has 
not lost that leader completely. That voice will continue on. It shapes 
each and every one of us.
  That passion, that insight that you brought to the table, Jim 
Oberstar, will live on in anyone who serves here. For that, I thank 
you.
  I yield back.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. I thank the gentleman from Minnesota.
  I would now like to recognize the gentlewoman from Texas, Eddie 
Bernice Johnson.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Thank you very much, Madam 
Speaker, and let me thank the gentlewoman from Minnesota for organizing 
this.
  I rise this evening to honor a longtime Member and the current 
chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Mr. 
James Oberstar, the distinguished gentleman from Minnesota.
  It has been my pleasure to serve on the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee for 18 years with Mr. Oberstar. We have had 
some really good moments. As a matter of fact, as I was listening about 
the bridge, we were right here on this floor the night that the bridge 
collapsed. We were talking then about an aviation issue.
  The other thing is, being from Texas, I only speak one language--
that's Texas English--and sometimes people don't understand it here. 
Mr. Oberstar speaks many languages, and I was always very pleased when 
he was there to help me pronounce some of those names that came before 
our committee. To those of us who serve on the Transportation Committee 
and to many others in this Chamber, Chairman Oberstar has been an 
historian, our friend, our expert, our champion, and our admired 
leader. To think of the Transportation Committee--and certainly our 
House--without our beloved colleague leaves a vast hole among our ranks 
and in our hearts.
  During his tenure on the committee as a staffer, later as a member, 
and then as chairman, Mr. Oberstar has played a key role in every major 
piece of transportation legislation that is law today, and no one would 
even try to dispute that he is widely held as a foremost transportation 
expert among us. His dedication cannot be matched regardless of the 
issue, whether it's transit, highways, aviation, water, infrastructure, 
Coast Guard, railways, maritime, and so much more. He has steadfastly 
worked to achieve the best results for the American people.
  I will dearly miss my colleague, my friend, my chairman, but I also 
expect that none of us will shy away from seeking his advice in the 
months and years to come. During his tenure, we really have come to 
respect him as the expert, and we will regretfully miss him so much.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. I thank the gentlelady.
  I would now like to recognize the delegate from Washington, D.C., Ms. 
Eleanor Holmes Norton.
  Ms. NORTON. I thank the gentlelady from Minnesota for yielding.
  I come to the floor this evening because a colleague of iconic 
reputation is about to leave this House.
  Now, Jim Oberstar will do very well. I wish I could say the same for 
those of us he leaves behind. Jim carries with him much more than the 
institutional memory of the Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee. Sure, Jim has a legendary encyclopedic memory that he lends 
to the committee members every so often, but you cannot describe Jim's 
work with particular pieces of infrastructure that you may see here and 
there. You just can't do it. Jim's work is so long, so deep, and so 
influential that it will be almost impossible for it to ever be 
repeated in this House, for Jim has spent his entire career--and by 
that, we mean not only his career as a Member but as a staff member 
most influential with Members--with the T&I Committee or with Public 
Works or whatever you want to call it. We call it ``Jim's committee.''

  Members often expect staff to specialize in the facts and to know 
more than they know. Nobody expects a committee chair to know more than 
the staff and the subcommittees put together. No. We sat in committee 
in wonder that one man could know and remember and integrate so much 
into the ongoing discussion. The effect on members of the T&I Committee 
was to make us feel we just had to work harder, not to meet Jim's 
standard--we're not crazy--but to at least know what the highest 
standard looked like.
  You might wonder why this Francophone, who majored in French and 
political science, became the most influential expert on Transportation 
and Infrastructure in the United States of America. I believe it has 
little to do with Jim's brilliant intellect. After all, Jim would have 
been an intellectual leader on any committee on which he chose to 
serve. I believe it has to do with his own roots that may have guided 
him to this committee--Jim, whose immigrant grandfather was a 
steelworker and whose father was an ironworker in the open iron pits of 
Minnesota. That Jim--that Jim--got to know, as few of us do, the plight 
of the American worker, his relationship to hard work and to building 
America, itself. So, you see, it's quite simple. It's in Jim's DNA.
  Jim brought an unrelenting dedication to hard work, the same 
dedication to hard work that his father put in in the iron mines, to 
the Congress of the United States. He is the only chairman I know who 
regularly attended subcommittee meetings and then proceeded to join in 
the discussions at any point they were going on and with what only he 
could have possibly added to the discussion--and brilliantly so.
  Now, some of us are trying to name the new transportation 
headquarters here in my district, in the District of Columbia, for Jim 
Oberstar. I can't imagine that that wouldn't happen. Yet I know Jim 
Oberstar, and I have a feeling that that's not what he really wants his 
legacy to be. I think Jim wants his legacy to be the transformational 
Transportation bill he fought mightily to bring to this floor and that 
he brilliantly crafted for the 21st century.

                              {time}  2100

  Well, Jim, it may not have been in your time, but it must happen in 
ours. So this evening, Jim, I pledge to you to do all that I can to see 
to it that your prodigious work on that final brilliant transportation 
authorization bill shall not have been in vain.
  Farewell, friend. Have pity on us. Please, don't go far.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. I thank the gentlewoman.
  I would now like to recognize the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Lipinski).
  Mr. LIPINSKI. I'd like to thank the gentlelady from Minnesota (Ms. 
McCollum) for organizing tonight's Special Order.
  I said 4 years ago, no one in the history of Congress became chairman 
of a committee who was better prepared than Jim Oberstar. From the time 
he started here working in 1963 for John Blatnik, through all these 
years, it was not just Jim's experience and expertise that made him 
such a great chairman and great Member, but also his work ethic, his 
willingness to reach out across the aisle, and ability to get the job 
done.
  Jim Oberstar always had a thoughtful and thorough approach to policy-
making. There is a simple reason why he was known as Mr. 
Transportation. It's because from aviation, to highways and transit, to 
maritime transportation, to water infrastructure and public buildings, 
and of course, to cycling, he has truly shaped the way we

[[Page H8347]]

think about transportation and infrastructure.
  During my four years of service on the House T&I Committee, I can 
honestly say not a day went by in that committee room where I did not 
learn something from Jim Oberstar, and I would have learned more if 
only I knew more than a dozen French words--although I do know Tour de 
France, and Jim taught me a few things about cycling, both on and off 
the bike, and those who know Jim know he truly is a Renaissance man.
  Now, at the same time we talk about everything that's happened here 
in Washington, Jim knew, he knows that you have to be hands on. You 
can't learn everything by sitting in a committee room. You have to go 
out, roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty, and that's exactly 
what he did.
  As Chicagoland's only member of the Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee, I had what I think was about my yearly visit from Jim 
Oberstar. I was very happy to welcome him to ride the rails and trails 
and, together, see firsthand the challenges facing the region in 
transportation. He always listened carefully, often time taking notes 
while providing valuable perspective and insights that come from his 
decades of experience.
  But Jim didn't only visit Democratic districts. To quote the 
chairman, I've never seen a Democratic road or a Republican bridge. 
Working together we can build all-American roads and all-American 
bridges. If Washington had only listened to and followed the leadership 
more of Jim Oberstar, our country would be much better off today.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Oberstar, Jim, for his 
service, for his teaching, and for his friendship. And I know that 
although he's leaving Congress, his days as Mr. Transportation are far 
from over.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. I thank the gentleman.
  I would now like to recognize the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. 
Richardson).
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, from wings to wheels, propellers to 
pedals, there is no mode of transportation that Chairman Oberstar has 
not passionately worked to improve. I am honored to have witnessed 
personally a Congressman whose efforts have employed millions of 
American people and enhanced the safety of millions more who every day 
utilize a transportation system which he tirelessly labored to make 
cleaner, stronger, and more secure.

  Chairman Oberstar, your efforts on behalf of our weakening 
infrastructure is legendary, but what is not was your role in helping 
to prevent an even worse recession. Why? Because it was you who fought 
even with the President to be able to invest more of our dollars into 
infrastructure, which proved to be exactly right and the best money 
that was spent with our Recovery Act.
  Mr. Chairman, you have a view that reflects a full spectrum of a 
vision, one that you've devoted your own personal and professional life 
to. One of your legacies, Mr. Chairman, is your knowledge, your vision, 
that you've held even Inspector General witnesses, Secretaries of 
Transportation all accountable, something that I've enjoyed watching 
firsthand.
  It saddens me deeply to know that coming in January our 
transportation guru and a mentor of mine will no longer be chairing the 
Transportation Committee. We have so much more to accomplish, and this 
will be very difficult without your presence, knowledge, and 
leadership. I vow to take all that you have taught me and to encourage 
others to build upon that vision of making America's transportation 
system the golden standard it used to be. However, I am hopeful that 
you, Chairman Oberstar, will continue your public service. Why? Because 
we need you. We all need you.
  As I close, I want to speak to the public, to the Speaker, and for 
the public record. I'd like to thank Jim Oberstar, my mentor. He taught 
me that even everyone can have a second chance at a date if you work 
hard enough at it, and that you can find the right person with that 
hard work. He also taught me that in my first days in Congress his kind 
heart was always open to help me. I admire the commitment and 
capability of his very loyal staff. We would all be blessed to have 
that kind of staff.
  I respect his love for this House, and even though through his 
surgery and pain he stood and walked to make others lives better, but 
most of all, he often would spend time recollecting about all of his 
years on the committee, and I enjoyed him talking about when he was a 
freshman and sat in that last seat in the front row like I had. I value 
how much he listened and respected our young ideas and was not enslaved 
to seniority.
  Mr. Oberstar, your approach to civility and bipartisanship has been 
remarkable, but my greatest sadness will be in missing your steadying 
and influential hand in all the work that you do.
  And as I close, I'm going to say something daring that most young 
Members of Congress don't do, and that's I'm going to actually say, Mr. 
Chairman, I think you misspoke earlier when you said that you had done 
your best. I disagree. You've been a great man and you have done great 
work. Thank you.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. I thank the gentlelady.
  I'd now like to recognize the Representative of Hawaii, Ms. Hirono.
  Ms. HIRONO. Thank you.
  Madam Speaker, I rise to add my voice to those who are here to give 
thanks to our chairman, Jim Oberstar, for his extraordinary service to 
our Nation as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. I 
certainly count myself fortunate because as a new Member of Congress 
and a fledgling member of the Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee, I have the example of Jim Oberstar as my chairman.
  I remember the first time I ever met Jim Oberstar. I was just taken 
with the breadth of his knowledge, his commitment, and he said to me 
that this committee, which is the largest in the House, is also one of 
the most bipartisan committees because everybody needs bridges, harbor, 
roads, airports. Very true.
  I don't expect that I will ever be as knowledgeable or articulate on 
any subject as he is on all aspects of transportation policy, but it's 
good to aim high. Of course, at this point, it would be pretty much 
impossible for me to match his 47 years on the committee first as a 
clerk, next as an administrator, then as a Member, and finally, as an 
outstanding chairman.
  Chairman Oberstar has been the clearest, strongest, and most vigorous 
advocate for restoring America's transportation and infrastructure 
system. He is recognized and admired in my State of Hawaii, one of the 
few chairmen--I hope that will change over time--who has come to the 
State of Hawaii to see for himself firsthand the challenges we face. 
But we admire him. We love him in Hawaii for his support of our first 
and only rail transit systems and for his understanding of the 
importance of keeping our vital infrastructure strong.

                              {time}  2110

  I recently met with the president and CEO of Hawaii's largest 
airline. And he reiterated what I hear from many business people in my 
State; that is, if there is one thing that government can do to help 
our economy, it is to help repair and improve and maintain our 
infrastructure. Mr. Chairman, you have been right on the money.
  What will I remember most about Jim? I will remember his heartfelt 
stories about his father, a union mineworker. I'll remember our white-
knuckled flight over the Honolulu rail route in a helicopter without 
doors. I'll remember how generous he's been with his time and guidance, 
from taking time out of his personal time in Hawaii to review 
infrastructure needs on Maui to joining me in a live video feed with 
infrastructure stakeholders in Hawaii. And I remember the flight we 
took over Maui. And we flew, Jim and his wife, Jean, his partner in 
life, over the open ocean from Lanai to Maui, and we looked down, and 
we saw the whales, and it was really something. And Jim, who knows 
everything about infrastructure, looked down on Maui Island and said, 
My gosh, you really are vulnerable to things like earthquakes because 
you are islands, and you just can't drive from one island to another. 
And that is why it is so important that Jim came to my State to see for 
himself, not just to intellectually realize, we are an island State and 
that I represent seven inhabited islands that I can only get to by air.

[[Page H8348]]

  I will remember his intense interest in everything witnesses had to 
say during our T&I hearings. I will remember Chairman Oberstar, and I 
will certainly miss him. I strongly suspect that all the people of 
Minnesota, not just those of the 8th Congressional District, will miss 
him as well.
  My very best to you, Jim, and to your wonderful wife Jean. Mahalo lui 
noa. Aloha.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. I thank the gentlewoman from Hawaii.
  I would now like to recognize the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Altmire).
  Mr. ALTMIRE. I thank the gentlewoman.
  Madam Speaker, I was listening to the debate earlier this evening, 
and I heard the chairman say that he hopes that he has left this 
institution, the U.S. House of Representatives, better than it was when 
he first got here 47 years ago, first as a staffer, then as a Member, 
then as chairman. And I thought to myself, My goodness, you, Mr. 
Chairman, have certainly left this place better. But, Madam Speaker, 
the chairman has left the country much better than had it not been for 
the work that he has put forward in transportation, which is unmatched 
by any 10 people that have ever served in this institution. I can't 
think of anyone in recent history who has made more of a difference in 
their area of expertise and in their subject matter than Chairman 
Oberstar.
  As a second-term Member of Congress, when you are first elected, 
Madam Speaker, as we all know, you think about what committee do you 
want to serve on, what Members do you want to associate yourself with. 
And I chose immediately Transportation because I wanted to learn from 
the best, and there was no one better than Chairman Oberstar to talk 
about all of the subjects that fall under transportation. Certainly our 
waterways, our infrastructure, roads and bridges, aviation, rail, 
nobody in this House, and nobody in the country, I would suggest, has a 
better grasp of any of those issues than Chairman Oberstar.
  And like many who have spoken before me this evening, I had the 
opportunity, thankfully, to bring Mr. Oberstar into the district in 
western Pennsylvania that I represent to meet with transportation 
leaders. And I remember vividly a group meeting that we had with some 
of the brightest minds in transportation in western Pennsylvania. And 
the chairman was throwing out facts and figures, names and dates, and 
places and people. And when I left and returned to my office after the 
meeting, I thought to myself, I'm going to look some of this stuff up. 
That can't possibly all be accurate. He couldn't have made that up off 
the top of his head. And lo and behold, I looked it up, and everything 
he said was true, down to the specific dates, down to the middle names 
of people that he was referring to, down to the long names of 
legislation that we come to know when you add sponsors and cosponsors. 
He knew them all. It was an unbelievable breadth of knowledge, and 
we've all experienced it in dealing with Mr. Oberstar.
  But I know not only where I started these remarks from, is the 
country a better place for Mr. Oberstar having served here? Certainly 
this House is better. But I know that I am better for having served 
with Mr. Oberstar. So I know you're not going away, Mr. Chairman. I 
know, Madam Speaker, that the chairman is going to continue to be 
actively engaged in transportation issues in the country. I, for one, 
look forward to continuing to work with him, soliciting his advice and 
expertise. And most importantly, Mr. Chairman, I wish you well.

  Ms. McCOLLUM. I thank the gentleman. I now would like to recognize 
the Representative from Maryland (Mr. Cummings).
  Mr. CUMMINGS. I thank the gentlelady for yielding.
  I too come here tonight to honor my good friend Chairman Oberstar, 
and I honor him for all that he is and all that he's not. Chairman 
Oberstar is definitely a pursuer of excellence. Everything he does, he 
does it to the highest level, and he realizes how important excellence 
is. I have talked to his staff. I've worked with him, and his staff 
tells me that if a comma is out of place, they've got a problem. And 
that's so very significant because one of the things that he talks 
often about is how we have moved in our country in so many ways to 
cultures of mediocrity, and we have to get away from that. And so he is 
a pursuer of excellence.
  But he also is a builder. He's not only a builder of bridges and 
roads, but he is a builder of people. And I am one who has benefited 
from his handiwork. I will never forget when he and I were working on 
several projects and I, as chairman of the Coast Guard Subcommittee, he 
constantly showed me the way to be a stronger and a better chairman. He 
always had high expectations of me. And because of my respect for him, 
I wanted to be better, and I became better. And I know that I will go 
to my grave being thankful for the way he has touched my life.
  Finally, he is a visionary. He doesn't worry so much about the next 
election. He worried more about the next generation. He understood that 
the bridges still had to stand when he is long gone. He understood that 
there would be roads that would be built for children who have not yet 
been born. And he acted every day to make sure that that happened, and 
that they were done in an excellent way.
  So I have come to honor my good friend. I thank God so very, very 
much for allowing my life to eclipse with his. Little did I know that a 
young man and the son of former sharecroppers would meet a man from 
Minnesota who bikes all the time and that our lives would come together 
and mesh together and mine would become better. So I thank God for his 
life, but more important, I thank God for his journey.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. I thank the gentleman.
  I would now like to recognize the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Cao).
  Mr. CAO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the gentleman and 
legislator from Minnesota's 8th Congressional District, Jim Oberstar. I 
have had the immense pleasure of getting to know Chairman Oberstar and 
have had the pleasure of working with him on important issues, ranging 
from high-speed rail to FEMA reform. I have enjoyed private 
conversations with him that have educated me, inspired me, and reminded 
me of the true meaning of public service. Chairman Oberstar will be 
remembered by all with whom he served in this Chamber as someone who 
loved this Nation and loved public service.

                              {time}  26 50

  His service will be remembered by its selflessness and true 
intentions.
  As the distinguished chairman of the House Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee, his goal was to keep America safe and moving 
forward. I recall fondly the hours he and I spent discussing proposals 
to reform the Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency. The legislation on which we collaborated always had 
the goal of bettering those two institutions and assisting my district 
of New Orleans, a love of which we shared.
  His transportation policies and initiatives embodied the very meaning 
of change. He had the creativity to see challenges this Nation will 
face and to put forward recommendations for how to address them. They 
will live on within this body as testament to his vision.
  I will miss our conversations in committee and on the floor. I could 
always count on the chairman as the voice of reason and friendship. As 
he and I leave this great Hall at the end of this session, it is my 
honor to commend him for his accomplishments and to wish him well.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Well, we've heard many, many wonderful things about Jim 
Oberstar, and we have many, many people present today who love and 
who've worked with him. And we are here as a delegation, strong and 
proud members of Minnesota's Farmer Democratic Labor Party; and that 
comes as no surprise that Jim fought hard for working people.
  As has been pointed out, he comes from the Iron Range. He worked in 
an iron mine in his youth, and his father was an iron miner and a union 
official. He fought to include Davis-Bacon prevailing wage provisions 
in Federal infrastructure.
  But he also had a unique side to him that many people were always 
taken by surprise. This iron ranger spoke

[[Page H8349]]

French, and that's because he taught French to U.S. Marines for 4 years 
in Haiti, and he taught English to Haitian military personnel, another 
way in which Jim Oberstar served our country.
  Jim, when I first came here as a Member of Congress, as people have 
been speaking personally, I came here under bittersweet circumstances. 
My mentor, my Member of Congress, had passed.
  When I came here the office had been closed for several weeks. There 
was no sharing of supplies. There was no one to turn to. I had two big 
brothers in the delegation who welcomed the first Member in over 50 
years to serve here; and so I not only thank you, as a Member of 
Congress for all the work that you've done, but I thank you for 
extending all the courtesies you did to me when I first arrived here to 
make sure that my constituents were well served. But also all the 
support you've been to me during my personal tragedies. Thank you, Jim.
  Jim's unique expertise should be shared with the next generation of 
public servants. So we're very happy that the Star Tribune reported 
last week that the University of Minnesota Hubert Humphrey Institute of 
Public Affairs is talking to Chairman Oberstar about become a guest 
lecturer or a seminar leader. I think that would be a terrific thing to 
have happen.
  And I hope to see a book written by Chairman Oberstar in the 
bookstore across the aisle from my congressional office in St. Paul, 
but I've got a feeling it'll probably be more than one volume.
  So Chairman Oberstar, unless you would like to have the last word, we 
want to thank you for the last time so much for your service.
  Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I join my colleagues who today 
recognize a faithful public servant and proud Minnesotan, Congressman 
Jim Oberstar.
  Jim has dedicated his career to the people of Minnesota's 8th 
Congressional district--serving as their Representative since 1974 and 
as a staff member to his predecessor, former Representative John 
Blatnik, for more than a decade.
  During his tenure in Congress, Jim was a passionate and unapologetic 
advocate for the causes he believed in. He rose to prominence as 
Chairman of the Transportation Committee, where he worked to ensure the 
safety and security of our nation's transportation infrastructure.
  While we found ourselves on opposite ends of most political 
arguments, I respect Congressman Oberstar's accomplishments and the 
legacy he leaves behind in this House and the great state of Minnesota. 
I wish him well in his future endeavors.
  Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, Appalachia and Minnesota are losing a 
favorite son in the United States Congress when Jim Oberstar, my 
Chairman and my longtime dear colleague and friend, leaves early next 
year.
  In southern West Virginia, we knew the importance of the agency he 
brought to life, the Economic Development Administration, and those 
that he fought to protect, side by side with me, like the Appalachian 
Regional Commission. Shepherding through the 2007 Water Resources 
Development Act, after a woeful seven-year delay, and overriding a 
presidential veto to get our water infrastructure projects back on 
track, was among his great recent accomplishments--again bringing 
essential assistance to West Virginia.
  In the nineteenth century, we are told, it took a number of decades 
for our knowledge base to double in size. Now some estimates suggest 
our digital information doubles every day. While Jim is still a young 
man, it really doesn't matter in which century you worked with him, he 
knows his stuff, and almost all of yours.
  That's the sheer force of intellect and determination that have led 
our Committee and our Nation to an unparalleled influence in the 
transportation world. His absence in crafting the next surface 
transportation bill will be missed, but his imprimatur will neither 
fade nor disappear. Quite the contrary, his lessons and sizable legend 
will guide us toward sound responsible investment for broader horizons.
  Just as his contributions to transportation policy over the years 
live on in every aspect he touched through both his Chairmanship of the 
Aviation Subcommittee from 1989 to 1995 and as a powerful ranking 
member of the full Committee after that.
  He also led one of the most successful parts of the Recovery package. 
His stewardship of the $64.1 billion for transportation and 
infrastructure investment in the Recovery Act got America moving again 
and got projects underway, with unprecedented accountability measures. 
Timely, transparent reporting, in plain black and white, clearly shows 
the tremendous impact of transportation spending and how it can be done 
in a short fashion. Hundreds of thousands of people are working today 
because of Jim Oberstar's leadership.
  Even though Jim's career as a Congressional staffer under the 
tutelage of his mentor, John Blotnick, followed by his brilliant 
Congressional service, could fill far more than one person's career, 
Jim Oberstar has many more chapters to write in his life and all of us 
who know him, know that he will. His zest for living fully is only 
outweighed by his spirit to serve others. There is no question that 
Jim, my friend, as the poet wrote, is still ``strong of will, to 
strive, to seek, to find and not to yield.'' Godspeed, Mr. Chairman.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the congressional 
career of our colleague, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee 
Chairman Jim Oberstar. It is hard to imagine the Congress and the 
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee without him.
  Jim began his legislative service as a clerk on the Subcommittee on 
Rivers and Harbors for his hometown congressman, John Blatnik. Ten 
years later, he succeeded his boss and won election to Congress, 
representing the Iron Range region of Minnesota, where he was born and 
raised. Over the ensuing 36 years, he has distinguished himself as an 
undaunted leader of our Caucus and the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee, working in a bipartisan way with great 
results even when partisanship gripped Congress as a whole. He is the 
foremost expert in the field, and his vision for how a reliable, 
efficient transportation network is critical for our national economy 
is reflected in every major piece of transportation law over the last 
40 years. Moreover, he is a personal friend and has been a teacher and 
mentor for countless members and staffers, including myself.
  Above all else, Jim Oberstar is a true public servant, representing 
his constituents and the Nation with great dedication, skill and 
selflessness. I know our appreciation of his efforts will only grow 
over time, and I also know that while it will be in a different 
capacity, he will continue to work to meet the transportation needs of 
our country. While I look forward to continuing our work together, it 
is with great respect and appreciation that we honor Jim's work in 
Congress. It is truly the end of an era.
  Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize the career 
of an icon of the House of Representatives: Jim Oberstar. Jim's decades 
of leadership and tireless service to this House and especially the 
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee deserve recognition and I 
am proud to be able to add my own words to tonight's tribute.
  I have known Jim Oberstar for a long time. In fact, I've known him 
longer than I've served in Congress. I first met Jim when my father, 
Bud Shuster, served on and later chaired the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee. My father still considers Jim one of his 
dearest friends and holds the highest regard for his work on the 
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
  Bud likes to say that he and Jim were ``joined at the hip'' on 
transportation and infrastructure initiatives and it's easy to see why. 
Like my father, Chairman Oberstar lives and breathes transportation 
policy. I can easily say that no one in the House of Representatives 
today knows more about those issues and their history than Jim 
Oberstar.
  It has been an honor to have served with Chairman Oberstar on the 
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Together, we tackled 
critical issues that run at the core of America's strength and 
prosperity. The roads, railways and jetways of our nation are the 
arteries through which the commerce of our nation flows. Under his 
leadership, Chairman Oberstar worked tirelessly to ensure that this 
fact isn't forgotten by policy makers in Washington.
  While much was accomplished over his years of service, much more 
needs to be done to realize America's transportation potential and the 
work of the committee will continue in the next Congress. It will do so 
with Jim's indelible mark to help guide us moving forward.
  In conclusion Madam Speaker, I congratulate Chairman Oberstar on his 
historic service in the House, both on staff as the administrator of 
the Committee on Public Works and as a member and later Chairman of the 
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. We are losing a 
giant in the world of transportation policy and his presence on the 
committee and this House will be missed.
  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, tonight, I rise to 
honor my good friend from Minnesota, Chairman Jim Oberstar. Over the 
years we have developed a strong friendship as we have worked together 
on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Chairman Oberstar 
leaves the House of Representatives as a legend in his own right. He 
has helped create decades of transportation policy which not only 
leaves behind a legacy here in the Capitol, but also around the Nation. 
Chairman Oberstar is a great

[[Page H8350]]

man that will continue to influence transportation policy in the future 
through his knowledge of the past. His presence on the Committee will 
truly be missed, but his influence will continue on through the 
decades.
  Over the years, Chairman Oberstar has demonstrated his pragmatic 
approach to policy. He has always been willing to listen to both sides 
of an argument before carefully proceeding forward with a position. I, 
along with others, always knew where Chairman Oberstar stood on an 
issue and he was always willing to take the time to respectfully 
explain the reasoning behind his position. I have always admired his 
ability to find common ground and subsequently move forward in the name 
of sound policy.
  While I will miss my good friend from Minnesota, he will continue to 
be a leader in the world of transportation and water policy. My friend, 
I wish you the best as you embark on this next adventure in your life.
  Mr. SIRES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Chairman Jim 
Oberstar. A man who has devoted his entire life to public service and 
has been the longest-serving representative in Minnesota history, he 
will be sorely missed. Chairman Oberstar is known to all as a leading 
expert on aviation and transportation issues. In addition to having 
unparalleled knowledge on transportation issues, he is also known to be 
gracious, sincere, and jovial. Particularly to those who sit with me on 
the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Chairman 
Oberstar is also known as a friend.
  Shortly after I joined the House Transportation & Infrastructure 
Committee, I was honored to have the Chairman visit my district in New 
Jersey. Together, we went to the Bayonne Bridge and rode the Hudson 
Bergen Light Rail. I was honored that the Chairman took time out of his 
busy schedule to visit my district and my constituents. I quickly 
learned that Chairman Oberstar is always looking to solve the 
transportation problems that Americans face. He has graciously visited 
the districts of many of my colleagues, and I am sure that he has had 
many stimulating conversations with them about how we can make our 
transportation systems work better for our constituents.
  Chairman Oberstar's background tells much about the person he is 
today. His father was a coal miner, his mother worked in a shirt 
factory, and during high school and college he worked in the open pit 
mines to pay for his education. His family instilled in him a strong 
sense of public service and 47 years ago, the Chairman began working 
for his hometown Representative. In 1974, he was elected to Congress 
and took the place of his former boss. He is the first member of 
Congress to serve as clerk and chairman to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure.
  Serving terms in both the minority and majority, Chairman Oberstar 
has always worked in a bi-partisan fashion to successfully implement 
transportation policy. As Chairman, he pledged to enhance safety and 
security, invest in infrastructure, and address the twin challenges and 
global climate change. The Chairman accomplished these goals not only 
through passage of legislation, but also by exercising oversight with 
numerous hearings. His work in transportation policy has affected many 
Americans throughout the Nation. While the last transportation hearing 
on December 2nd may have been the last time for the Chairman to yield 
the gavel, I have no doubt that we will all continue to hear of his 
contributions to Minnesotans and all Americans.
  Madam Speaker, I stand here today to applaud Chairman Oberstar and 
wish him continued success.
  Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, at the end of this Congress, we will say 
farewell to Congressman Jim Oberstar, who has represented Minnesota's 
8th District since 1975. But his Congressional career started long 
before that in 1963 when he was appointed as a staff member on the 
then-Public Works Committee by Representative John Blatnick (who 
preceded Congressman Oberstar as the representative from Chisholm, MN, 
and later was Chairman of the Public Works Committee). Forty-four years 
later, Jim Oberstar would rise to become Chairman of that same 
committee, now known as the Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee.
  Having served with Chairman Oberstar during my entire tenure on the 
Transportation Committee, I want to acknowledge his expertise, his 
valuable service and the many contributions he has made over many 
decades. No one knows more about the history of our nation's 
infrastructure and the critical role it has played in our development 
as a nation. He is an expert on the history of the Committee and has 
had a front row seat to the many dramas that have played out over the 
years as the Committee has worked to pass good, bipartisan bills to 
move our country forward in building needed highways and transit, 
airports, developing our ports, protecting our environment--including 
our shared interest in the Great Lakes--and improving safety amongst 
all the transportation modes.
  To appreciate the character of Jim Oberstar, one needs to look at his 
background growing up on the Iron Range in the small town of Chisholm. 
His father was an iron miner and Chairman Oberstar himself worked in 
the open pit mines to pay for his education. Many a time at Committee 
meetings we would hear stories of the lessons he learned from that 
experience and how it was a driving force behind his devotion to 
improving worker safety. As I stated on the Floor a few weeks ago, the 
people of the Iron Range are going to lose a great and dedicated 
champion with deep roots in the history of that mining region of the 
country.
  Another essential part of Jim Oberstar is his ear for languages. He 
majored in French at the College of St. Thomas in Minnesota and 
furthered his proficiency in the language during time spent in Belgium 
and Haiti. While at a function at the Residence of the French 
Ambassador, where Mr. Oberstar was able to communicate with our hosts 
in their native language, a Frenchman in attendance informed me that 
his accent was very good. Something that would make Mr. Oberstar very 
proud, I am sure.
  Let me close by recognizing the other essential element in Mr. 
Oberstar's life--his family. He married his wife Jo and raised four 
children before her death in 1991. For the last 17 years, he has had 
Jean by his side. My wife and I have been honored to consider them 
friends. He also has strong Wisconsin connections, with his daughters 
graduating from Marquette University in Milwaukee and his oldest 
daughter now raising her family in Kenosha. We expect to be welcoming 
Jim and Jean to Wisconsin often as they come to visit the family.
  So, it is the end of an era on the Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee. I want to express my admiration and thanks for Jim 
Oberstar's service to the Committee and to the House. Most importantly, 
I appreciate his friendship and the many experiences we have shared 
over the years. I wish him and Jean all the best as they begin this new 
phase of their lives.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a man who has 
served the House of Representatives and the nation for nearly fifty 
years, and who has been a tenacious protector of our transportation 
infrastructure, Chairman James L. Oberstar.
  Jim Oberstar has skillfully served the residents of Minnesota's 8th 
Congressional District for thirty-six years, and served the U.S. House 
of Representatives for twelve years before that as staff to former 
Congressman John Blatnik and the House Committee on Public Works. He 
has served with thirteen Secretaries of Transportation, seven 
presidents, and thousands of Members of Congress. For nearly fifty 
years this institution has been fortunate to have a public servant like 
Jim Oberstar as a staffer and Member, and while he has left his mark in 
countless ways, the United States Congress is losing a titan.
  No one knows the meaning of public service more than Jim Oberstar and 
I can think of no one who has more knowledge of and passion for 
transportation policy. Jim is steeped not only in the history of this 
legislative body, but in the intricacies and inner workings of every 
transportation program created in the past sixty years. He is a member 
of the old guard who is able to put aside political differences to work 
out a compromise for the greater good. He leaves behind an impressive 
legacy of important legislation, from laws to ensure the better 
maintenance and safety of aircraft to bipartisan legislation to ensure 
gas tax revenues are used only to fix roads and bridges, not to make 
the budget deficit look smaller.
  When I came to Congress twenty-four years ago, I was very pleased to 
be assigned to what is now called the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure. I knew the ability to impact our nation's 
transportation policy could pay dividends by helping American 
businesses compete in a global economy. It was there I first met Jim, 
by then a twelve year veteran of the Committee, who helped me learn the 
ropes of the Committee and imparted on me his passion for 
transportation policy. He has always been a champion for infrastructure 
investment and for the little guy. Jim has been a tremendous mentor to 
me and I only regret we weren't able to complete our surface 
transportation authorization bill this year.
  Jim's legacy in Congress will live on as we continue to work to 
strengthen our economy by ensuring the U.S. has a safe and world-class 
transportation system. No other Committee in Congress has had such a 
significant impact on keeping Americans safe and our economy moving, 
and there has been no better champion for transportation than Jim 
Oberstar. I will miss my good friend.
  Mr. MICHAUD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Chairman James 
Oberstar for his significant contributions and strong leadership during 
his time in Congress.
  Representing Minnesota's 8th Congressional District since 1975, James 
Oberstar

[[Page H8351]]

has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to improving the lives of 
American citizens and a steadfast dedication to advancing the 
infrastructure of this country. An expert in aviation and aviation 
safety, Chairman Oberstar has been at the forefront of every major 
piece of federal transportation legislation that has come before this 
body in recent years.
  As the Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, 
he has facilitated an open discourse on even the most contentious 
issues, producing genuine compromise and bipartisan legislation that 
ensures individuals throughout the country have access to the services 
they depend on to pursue their livelihoods and move forward. He has 
been an unwavering proponent of robust investment in our nation's 
transportation infrastructure.
  As I worked to pass legislation creating the Northern Border Regional 
Commission, a regional economic development commission in the 
northeast, Chairman Oberstar's guidance and support was instrumental. 
The investments made by the Commission have honored Chairman Oberstar's 
belief that an economy cannot grow without investments in our roads, 
bridges, railroads and ports, and they will continue to support this 
view long after he has left the United States Congress.
  In his more than 36 years as a member of Congress, Chairman Oberstar 
has displayed an unrivaled understanding of transportation issues. He 
has been a great colleague, chairman and friend. I am certain that he 
will be sorely missed.
  Madam Speaker, please join me in thanking Chairman James Oberstar for 
his outstanding commitment to this country and Minnesota's 8th 
Congressional District.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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