Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding, and I certainly support the legislation, but I wanted to take a moment to express my thankfulness to the gentleman from Minnesota, Chairman Oberstar. You know, so often we look at our lives and we question how they will intersect with other people's lives. And we hope that when those intersections come about that we are made a better person because of them. And I can say that when my life eclipsed with that of Jim Oberstar's, my life became a better life. As the chairman of the Coast Guard subcommittee, the gentleman from Minnesota was consistently there guiding, showing me the ropes and giving me an opportunity to be all that I could be. It's not every chairman that does that, that says, I'm going to allow you to be all that you can be and then give you the guidance to get there, and then support you throughout. I've learned a lot in all my years, and it's been about 15 years on that committee, from our chairman. But there is also the thing that a number of other people have already said. I've been just amazed with his leadership and his passion with regard to the issues of aviation, the Coast Guard, water, rail, and all of our other subjects. Not only is he a walking encyclopedia, but he is also one who brings a strong history to those issues and has been truly a professor, a guide and a true leader.…”