Pat Danner: “it is and has been my privilege to serve on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure with our late friend Bill…”

“it is and has been my privilege to serve on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure with our late friend Bill Emerson. Many of us will remember the song that was so popular some years ago called ``Bridge Over Troubled Waters,'' and figuratively speaking a lot of times troubled waters seem to trickle down this center aisle separating the two sides of this chamber. Bill served as such an effective bridge when that would happen. By definition bridges are structures that stretch over divided areas that are best linked together. I believe that is an apt metaphor for Bill Emerson's service to our Nation. He brought Democrats and Republicans together on so many issues where we really never should have been apart. It was a real pleasure to have the opportunity to work with him in committee on funding and working on these authorization bills for the three bridges, one which serves his district, one which serves my district, and one which serves the district of the gentleman from Missouri, Congressman Volkmer. What really more fitting structure to name after Bill Emerson than a bridge; he, who, as I said earlier, served as a bridge, and a bridge named in his honor over his beloved Mississippi River serving his deeply loved Cape Girardeau.”