[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10942-10943]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1930
                              JASON'S LAW

  (Mr. TONKO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, tragically on March 5 of 2009, one of 
Schoharie County's citizens from my congressional district, Jason 
Rivenburg, pulled his truck into an abandoned gas station frequently 
used by truckers in South Carolina as a rest stop, and was then and 
there violently and senselessly shot and murdered, robbed for a

[[Page 10943]]

meager $7. At the time of his death, Jason was a mere 12 miles from his 
destination but was unable to make his delivery because he was too 
early.
  Jason Rivenburg was 35 years old, leaving behind his wife, Hope, and 
son, Josh. They had just moved into a new home. As if that stress was 
not enough, shortly after his death, Jason's widow delivered two 
healthy twins, a boy named Hezekiah, after his grandfather, and a girl 
named Logan.
  Rivenburg's death sparked outrage and an outpouring of support for 
the family across our country. Truckers and family members are 
demanding that the government do more to protect truckers who risk 
their lives following rules that require that they pull over and rest 
after a certain amount of driving time.
  There are few resources telling truck drivers, who are often 
unfamiliar with a local area, where a safe place to rest might be. 
Moreover, there are few safe places to rest in the first place.
  Mr. Speaker, we must do more to support these incredibly important 
men and women. Moving our freight and goods is essential to keeping 
this country and our economy progressing. We must ensure that as we 
demand mandatory stops and on-time delivery that we provide adequate 
support systems for our Nation's truck drivers.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues support the life and memory of 
a truly hardworking American man and support Jason's Law, which I am 
sponsoring.

                          ____________________