[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 79 (Thursday, June 6, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E819-E820]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING SORROW OF THE HOUSE AT THE DEATH OF THE HONORABLE FRANK R. 
           LAUTENBERG, A SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. CORRINE BROWN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 3, 2013

  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I was deeply saddened when I 
learned of the passing of Senator Frank Lautenberg. I am certain that 
anyone who had ever met Senator Lautenberg would agree, regardless of 
political party affiliation, that he was a remarkable statesman and 
hard working government servant. The longest-serving senator in New 
Jersey's history, he was gifted in interpersonal relations, and 
recognized for reaching across the aisle to benefit the people of his 
state, and the citizens of our nation as a whole. And as the last 
veteran to serve in World War II in the U.S. Senate, he represented a 
generation of leaders who left a legacy of service that continues to 
inspire all Americans.
  A proud son of hard-working immigrants, Senator Lautenberg rose from 
humble beginnings to attain success in business and public service. He 
was an incredibly efficient entrepreneur who turned a small business 
into one of the largest computing services companies in the world; a 
soldier who put his life on the line to protect our country; a Senator 
who helped ban smoking in airplanes and around children, who worked to 
ensure parents could take time off to care for sick family members, and 
the Senator who helped modernize the G.I. bill to ensure today's 
veterans could benefit from the same opportunities he did.
  Additionally, throughout his years in the U.S. Senate, he worked 
tirelessly to secure investments in infrastructure for the Northeast 
Corridor, and it was in the area of transportation that I personally 
worked with Senator Lautenberg as a close partner. Senator Lautenberg's 
staunch efforts to augment Amtrak and commuter rail parallel my own. 
And as the Chair of the House Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads 
under a House Democratic Majority, we worked closely to increase 
funding for Amtrak and passenger rail both in the Northeast Corridor 
and throughout the entire United States.
  Senator Lautenberg, who served on four Commerce, Science and 
Transportation subcommittees, including aviation operations and surface 
transportation, helped save Amtrak from budget hawks; supported tarmac 
delay protections for airline passengers; was instrumental in 
increasing transportation spending for mass transportation and other 
infrastructure improvements; succeeded in getting stricter limits on 
drinking and driving, and managed to get smoking banned from airplanes, 
among numerous other transportation-related accomplishments.
  In fact, Senator Lautenberg wrote the 2008 law to increase Amtrak 
funding and create the nation's high-speed rail grant program. And in

[[Page E820]]

2011, he got the Northeast Corridor designated as a federally-
recognized high-speed rail corridor, which allowed Amtrak to receive 
$450 million in federal funding for high-speed rail upgrades, and the 
Secaucus Junction train station in fact, is named after him.
  He fought New Jersey Governor Chris Christie over the ARC tunnel, a 
rail improvement Lautenberg saw as essential for allowing the continued 
flow of commuters between New Jersey and New York under the Hudson 
River. The Gateway tunnel project, a substitute for ARC, is under 
development and just received a promise of $185 million in federal 
funds. Lautenberg's dream of an intermodal freight policy is also on 
its way toward being realized, thanks to increased federal attention on 
creating a national freight strategic plan. Complete streets policies, 
which he consistently supported, are in place in nearly 500 communities 
around the country, and his zeal to create a National Infrastructure 
Bank as a way to invite more private investors to partner with the 
government on infrastructure is still struggling for wide acceptance.
  I join in expressing my prayers and condolences to his wife, Bonnie, 
and to his children, his grandchildren, his entire family, and to the 
people of New Jersey.

                          ____________________