James Oberstar: “Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chair, 2 days ago my daughter did have a best friend who was crossing the Mississippi River. She…”

“Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chair, 2 days ago my daughter did have a best friend who was crossing the Mississippi River. She crossed long before the bridge collapsed. Only 2 days ago the world witnessed the collapse of a massive bridge that crosses the Mississippi River, America's heartland. The world is now witnessing America's heroism, our first responders, our community leaders, and all of our citizens coming together to rescue victims, to heal the injured, and to mourn those lost. As of today, we know more than 130 people have been treated for injuries, 5 individuals have lost their lives, including 2 of my constituents. I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to the families of the known victims: Sherry Lou Engebretsen of Shoreview, Patrick Holmes of Mounds View, Julia Blackhawk of Savage, and Artemeeo Trinidad-Meena of Minneapolis. Minneapolis and my home of St. Paul, we are the Twin Cities. Together our cities are united, along with all of our surrounding communities, in responding to this disaster and addressing the massive redistribution of traffic to meet the needs of commuters and businesses as a result of the bridge collapse.”