[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 55 (Thursday, April 5, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E397-E398]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO WARD W. McCARRAGHER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PETER A. DeFAZIO

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 5, 2018

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ward W. 
McCarragher, who has served in many capacities with the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure for the last quarter century, 
including the last 20 years as the Chief Democratic Counsel to the 
Committee. As a Member of the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure, I have had the privilege of working with Ward for the 
last 25 years, and most closely since 2015 when I took over as Ranking 
Member of the Committee. As Ranking Member, I have come to rely on his 
expertise in both transportation policy and Congressional process in 
advancing important policy measures to improve the lives of American 
families.
  Hailing from Kenosha, Wisconsin, and a proud Wisconsin Badgers and 
Green Bay Packers fan, Ward started his Congressional service back in 
1989 as a foreign policy analyst for the Congressional Research 
Service. After subsequently attending law school and serving as a legal 
intern to the United States District Court for the Northern District of 
California, Ward returned to Washington, D.C. in 1993 as an intern for 
Chairman Norman Y. Mineta (D-CA) and the Committee on Public Works and 
Transportation. That same year, he was appointed by Chairman Mineta as 
Associate Counsel of the Committee's Economic Development Subcommittee 
and, in 1995, he

[[Page E398]]

was appointed Counsel to the Public Buildings and Economic Development 
Subcommittee and the Surface Transportation Subcommittee. In 1998, 
Ranking Member James L. Oberstar (D-MN) appointed Ward to be the Chief 
Democratic Counsel to the Committe, where he has served with 
distinction ever since, including under Chairman Oberstar and Ranking 
Member Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) prior to me.
  Ward has helped guide virtually every transportation law enacted over 
the last two decades through the legislative process and the last four 
major reauthorizations of surface transportation programs, including 
the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) in 1998, 
the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A 
Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) in 2005, and the Fixing America's Surface 
Transportation Act (FAST Act) in 2015. He also worked tirelessly over 
the last two decades to combat efforts to eliminate funding for, and 
privatize, Amtrak, our Nation's passenger railroad.
  Ward was also integral in negotiating Federal policy following the 9/
11 attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., including the enactment of 
the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001, which created the 
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and enhanced aviation 
security overall, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, and the Maritime 
Transportation Security Act of 2002.
  Ward is the consummate public servant who possesses the rare 
combination of vision and grit. He has spent his career working 
vigorously to ensure that government works for the greater benefit of 
hard-working American families, while still attending to the minor, but 
certainly necessary, details. He has been a tireless internal advocate 
for Congressional oversight of Federal agencies, under both Democratic 
and Republican administrations, ensuring that Federal resources are 
utilized consistent with Congressional intent and for the betterment of 
the Nation. He is also a rare master on the internal workings of the 
Committee structure and the Congress, meticulously ensuring that 
established processes are followed, and that the views of elected 
officials, whether in the majority or minority, are respected. And he 
does this all while ensuring that no Committee document is missing a 
comma.
  As the longest currently serving staffer on the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee, Ward's dedication to the Committee, his 
institutional memory and his constant professionalism will be greatly 
missed by Members on both sides of the aisle. While Ward is leaving the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, he will remain a strong 
advocate for smart, effective public transportation policy through his 
positon with the American Public Transportation Association. His 
expertise and counsel will be missed by all who follow transportation 
policy on Capitol Hill, but will greatly benefit all those who rely on 
public transportation.
  I want to thank Ward for his years of service and his dedication to 
public service. I wish him, his wife, Marie, and his children, Ryan, 
Colin, and Megan all the best in the years to come.

                          ____________________