James Oberstar: “with great sadness, a sense of personal loss and loss to this House, I take the well to announce that at 11:20 this…”

“with great sadness, a sense of personal loss and loss to this House, I take the well to announce that at 11:20 this morning, our colleague, Congressman Bruce Vento, succumbed to mesothelioma, asbestos-induced cancer of the lung and peritoneal cavity. Bruce, in his 12th term, served the people of his district nobly, with dignity, with passion, with purpose. He championed environmental causes. He championed the needs of the homeless, the voiceless, the voteless, those who could not do for themselves. He was an advocate for working people. He voted consistently and worked vigorously and strenuously, to champion the cause of organized labor in this body. He brought a balance to all that he undertook, and with a science teacher- like care for fact and detail, he pursued his causes with only the greatest of dignity and of skill. My prayers go out to his wife Sue, to his children, to his constituents. I thank the Reverend Chaplain for the prayer for Bruce and for his family. I ask all of our colleagues to join their prayers with those of the Vento family.”