[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 6, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H3435]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    MOMENT OF SILENCE IN TRIBUTE TO FORMER CONGRESSMAN JIM OBERSTAR

  (Mr. NOLAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker, Members of the House, today, I rise to pay 
tribute to a former colleague, son of a miner, who rose to become the 
esteemed and respected chairman of the U.S. House Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure--the longest-serving Member of 
Congress from the great State of Minnesota--my predecessor, our dear 
friend, Congressman Jim Oberstar.
  Jim passed away quite unexpectedly over the weekend. My wife and I 
and several other Members of the House here were just with him on 
Wednesday night, and Jim was as fit as a fiddle, as fit as he has ever 
been.
  I commented to another couple there that Jim does 1,000 pushups every 
day, in addition to riding his bike; and Jim laughed and said: No, I 
only do 100 pushups every day.
  He was a remarkable person.
  I am joined here today by my colleagues from Minnesota--Congressman 
Kline, Congresswoman McCollum, Congressmen Peterson, Walz, Paulsen, and 
Ellison--joining me in this brief tribute.

                              {time}  1915

  Mr. Speaker, Jim's respect in this House was really quite 
unparalleled. I recall one day last year when Jim came into the well of 
the House here and he was spotted by some of our colleagues. And 
someone started to applaud him, and the entire House burst into 
spontaneous applause--Democrats, Republicans, conservatives, liberals. 
The only time I had ever seen anything like that happen before was when 
Hubert Humphrey walked into the House of Representatives, when he was 
on his death bed.
  Jim had just a giant intellect, spoke numerous languages. He had a 
big heart. He was a passionate public servant and a man of enormous 
accomplishment. There is no question our Nation is a truly better, more 
decent, more compassionate place for every day that he served so 
selflessly, with such honor and dignity and good humor. We loved him 
dearly, and we will miss him terribly.
  Mr. Speaker, I now ask that the House of Representatives observe a 
moment of silence to honor the incredible life of Chairman Jim 
Oberstar, our friend, our colleague.

                          ____________________