[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6910]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS 150TH ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize a group of 
American workers celebrating an impressive anniversary this month.
  On July 1, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific 
Railroad Act into law and set the Nation on a course to complete the 
transcontinental railroad.
  Less than a year later, in 1863, the Brotherhood of Locomotive 
Engineers and Trainmen was founded to represent the thousands of 
individuals working to build one of the largest infrastructure projects 
in the history of this country.
  In the century and a half since, the rail industry has served as the 
lifeblood of rural America, a critical player in our Nation's 
transportation network, and as one of the largest private employers in 
the United States.
  My home State of Illinois, both then and now, has relied heavily on 
strong rail infrastructure to propel us forward. From my hometown of 
East St. Louis and across our State, railroads have written our 
history.
  As one of the first States in the union to embrace freight rail and 
rail travel, we saw Chicago grow, spoke by spoke and mile after 
magnificent mile, into the metropolis it is today. And with more lines 
of track radiating in more directions than anywhere else in the Nation, 
it's hard to imagine our great city without its railroads.
  Even today, we are continuing our long tradition with the 
construction of a high-speed rail network that is both innovative and 
important to Illinois' economy and future competitiveness. But without 
the workers who construct, operate and maintain it, that high-speed 
network likely would not be possible.
  One hundred-fifty years after its birth, the Brotherhood's 55,000 
active and retired members continue to devote their lives to the rail 
industry and improving the American transportation system.
  That's an impressive achievement, and I hope my colleagues will join 
me in recognizing their hard work as the Brotherhood of Locomotive 
Engineers and Trainmen celebrates its 150th anniversary. Thank you and 
congratulations.

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