The Public Record
Jim Oberstar is a former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, serving Minnesota's 8th congressional district from 1975 to 2011. He was known for his work on transportation and infrastructure issues, playing a key role in the development of the nation's transportation policies. Oberstar served as the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where he advocated for improvements in highways, public transit, and aviation. His tenure was marked by a focus on enhancing safety and efficiency in transportation systems across the country.
I rise in support of H.R. 2672, a bill to honor the former Senator from Oregon, Wayne L. Morse by designating the new courthouse in Eugene Oregon in his honor. From 1931 until 1944, Senator Morse served as the dean and professor of law at…
Mr. Speaker, the John F. Kennedy Center has long been envisioned and has been created and established as a living memorial to the late President Kennedy. It is also the Nation's premier cultural institution for the performing arts. Every…
I have always thought of America as a can-do Nation, not a can't-do Nation. In World War II, we put a million men under arms in 1 year. In World War II, we produced an average of 60,000 war planes a year, starting from zero. Why can we not…
I just want to reaffirm for the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), majority leader, that Argenbright's debarment expires in October of this year. Why would you not extend a prohibition on coverage?
If this is war, as the President has repeatedly said, then I am astonished by the repetition of the cannot-do attitude that I have been hearing so far. At the outset of World War II, we took on a million men in one year. Fourteen years…
Mr. Chairman, all of the amendments we debated last night and so far today have had important consequences for the future of the country, for the operation of the Department of Homeland Security, for various aspects of our domestic life…
Mr. Chairman, here we are crafting the first new department of government in many years and I am a little surprised. It is Alice in Wonderland. It is verdict first, evidence later. A provision in this legislation would extend a deadline…
Mr. Chairman, over the past decade, the Federal Emergency Management Administration has come to be recognized as one of our most effective and widely respected Federal Government agencies. It has helped tens of thousands of our fellow…
The amendment offered by the chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is well-intentioned. In true sea captain fashion, he is trying to repair the ship that has got a leak in the hull, and the leak in the hull is this…
I yield myself 30 seconds. And I do so again in support of the unanimous position of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, a wisely reported measure that would keep FEMA as an independent agency. The plan of the Select…
I appreciate the gentleman's bill, but it is not part of the Homeland Security Department. It is not part of the manager's amendment. It is not part of the legislation pending before us, and it is sort of kind of a pig in a poke, is a…
I just want to return to a letter of the International Association of Firefighters that was referenced in a previous debate on the floor to point out that the association says the Fire Act, meaning the small community grant program and the…
I love the enthusiasm of the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Chairman. He can get fired up and enthusiastic, but let me make it clear to this body that the gentleman from Pennsylvania does not speak alone for firefighters across America…
it is cities, more than States, that have advanced the cause of aviation in the United States. Until 1958, there were only 7 States that provided any support financially for airport construction and development. In the 1940s, Chicago's…
I wish to express my great appreciation for the cooperation of all the members on the Democratic side on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. We had many, many meetings and discussions to iron out differences, to reach…
Today, we are finally going to be able to vote on pipeline safety legislation worthy of the name. It is regrettable it has taken us 3 years to get here, but the bill before the House is a good bill. It is the result of long, intense…
Mr. Speaker, in the early years of aviation, with cities that first built airports, only later did States come. As late as 1958, only seven States provided financial assistance and support for airport construction. It was in the 1940s…
Mr. Chairman, I stand strongly supporting H.R. 4635, and I say this because the events of September 11 have caused us to pause and reassess our security in the Nation's air travel. It has drastically altered the way we do business, and…
Unfortunately, it is yet a work in progress. There are many incomplete measures, some of which are moving along with acceptable speed, others which are not. I am particularly concerned about whether or not we can meet the deadlines for…
We knew that a year ago. We knew very well it was going to be difficult to comply with, but this House, with an overwhelming vote, supported that legislation, supported those deadlines, because the public insisted on security in our…
the point of the bill, of doing a 2-year test and then evaluating, was to work out some of the very concerns the gentleman expressed. The gentleman is quite right, that not all pilots that we know are qualified to handle a gun. That is why …
I find it a contradiction in terms. Furthermore, the language that the gentleman seeks to strike is a preference. It is not a prohibition, as I discussed in exchange with the gentleman from California. It is not an exclusion of anyone…
Mr. Chairman, on the overall measure before us, since this is apparently the last amendment, and hopefully we will vote in the next 10 or 15 minutes, it is a good time to reflect back on where we are and where we have come with this…
The intention of the language in the bill is to give a preference to pilots who have previous military experience or law enforcement experience, but it is a preference only.
Mr. Chairman, I rise without reluctance with great concern about this amendment in opposition to it. I have no hesitation at all in opposing this amendment, with great respect for the sincerity with which its authors come forward. But the…
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