On the recordDecember 14, 2010
I come to the floor this evening because a colleague of iconic reputation is about to leave this House. Now, Jim Oberstar will do very well. I wish I could say the same for those of us he leaves behind. Jim carries with him much more than the institutional memory of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Sure, Jim has a legendary encyclopedic memory that he lends to the committee members every so often, but you cannot describe Jim's work with particular pieces of infrastructure that you may see here and there. You just can't do it. Jim's work is so long, so deep, and so influential that it will be almost impossible for it to ever be repeated in this House, for Jim has spent his entire career--and by that, we mean not only his career as a Member but as a staff member most influential with Members--with the T&I Committee or with Public Works or whatever you want to call it. We call it 'Jim's committee.'
