[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14119]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           HONORING ART CHAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 26, 2008

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Arthur 
Chan, a dedicated staffer and an exceptional public servant, on his 
retirement from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
  Over the last 15 years, Art has undertaken a number of critical roles 
on the Committee, and has been integral to the passage of numerous 
landmark pieces of legislation designed to rebuild America. Throughout 
his service, protecting the public interest was paramount to Art as he 
worked to develop transportation policy.
  In 1993, Art joined what was then the Committee on Public Works and 
Transportation, serving as Chief Economist for the Full Committee under 
Chairman Norman Mineta. In the 104th Congress, Art made the transition 
to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment in order to 
focus on the passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 1996. 
Art quickly learned the intricacies of the Army Corps of Engineers 
programs and was instrumental in the enactment of the legislation. Art 
continued to play a key role on the subcommittee, and was vital to the 
passage of a number of water infrastructure bills. In 2003, Art took on 
the role of Highway Policy Director for the Subcommittee on Highways 
and Transit, where he quickly became an expert on the Federal-aid 
highway program and was a lead negotiator during the creation of the 
Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A 
Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), the 2005 surface transportation 
legislation.
  Prior to his public service, Art earned his Ph.D. in economics, 
master's degrees in both economics and political science, and his B.A., 
with distinction, all from the University of Nebraska. A true 
intellectual, Art stayed in academia, teaching students first at Boston 
University and then at New Mexico State University.
  When Art began his public service, first with GAO and then with the 
Committee, his teaching experience was quickly apparent to all who 
worked with him. Art always found the time to share his knowledge with 
anyone who asked, from Members of Congress to new Committee staffers. 
Throughout his career, he developed a command of a range of issues 
spanning the Committee's jurisdiction.
  Art's expertise is complemented by his dedication to defending the 
public interest. In his decade and a half of service, his first 
priority was always crafting sound public policy. The depth and breadth 
of his knowledge allowed Art to understand the benefits or shortfalls 
of the most complex legislative proposal, and to assess its potential 
impact on the users of our transportation system. The American public 
has been well-served by Art's insightful commitment to his work.
  Art is a true believer in the intents and ideals of our 
transportation programs, and has always sought to protect and improve 
upon them. As anyone who has sat across from him at the negotiating 
table knows, Art is relentless in his efforts to achieve the best 
possible policy solutions to address our transportation challenges. His 
devotion to this pursuit and his attention to detail led to many long 
days and late nights in the legislative counsel's office, and is 
reflected in the high quality of the work he produced. His commitment 
to maintaining the integrity of our transportation infrastructure 
programs has been a hallmark of Art's service.
  Madam Speaker, it is with wholehearted gratitude that I rise today to 
honor Art Chan's service to the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure, to the House of Representatives, and to the United 
States. Art's institutional knowledge, insightful counsel, and tenacity 
have earned him the well-deserved respect of Members and colleagues on 
both sides of the aisle, and he will be greatly missed. I wish Art 
continued happiness and success in his future endeavors.

                          ____________________