James Oberstar: “There is an old saying among seafarers: ``No helmsman is tested in fair water.'' The gentleman from Louisiana was tested…”

“There is an old saying among seafarers: ``No helmsman is tested in fair water.'' The gentleman from Louisiana was tested in the aftermath of Katrina, and I saw him at the helm in Baton Rouge when our committee made a tour of the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina. I was impressed then and continue to be by his composure, his grasp of facts, grasp of the magnitude of the problem, and his willingness to address the issues in a coordinated and bipartisan manner. I salute him for his continued leadership and service not only to the State, but to the Nation. Again, I express my appreciation to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) for similarly taking the helm in a time of turbulence when we had this work of 6 years thrust upon us, trying to sort it out, do the right thing and serve our Members, their districts, and our Nation at the same time and measure each project against the yardstick of balance that has historically guided the Corps of Engineers and guided the work of this committee, and I think we have come here with a good product. And I especially appreciate, once again, the splendid work of the gentlewoman from Texas, Ms. Johnson, who is the Chair of the subcommittee and who has put her heart and soul into seeing this bill move forward.”