Frank Pallone: “10 years ago today, March 25, 1988, Congressman Jim Howard passed away. It was a very sad day for us, for his friends…”

“10 years ago today, March 25, 1988, Congressman Jim Howard passed away. It was a very sad day for us, for his friends and colleagues, his family, and for the country, because he had given so much and was at the height of his career as chairman of the House Public Works and Transportation Committee. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to say these words tonight because I wanted to make sure that Jim and his tremendous legislative accomplishments are not forgotten. As his successor, representing most of his old district, I can point to many reminders back home of Jimmy's 24 years in Congress. There is the massive Jersey Shore beach restoration project, the rebuilding of Barnegat Inlet, the electrification of North Jersey Coast Rail Line, and Ocean County Community College. There is the veterans outpatient clinic in Brick Township, the National Marine Fisheries Lab at Sandy Hook, the Computer Sciences Hall at Monmouth University, and Interstate 195 in Central Jersey, all of which carry his name as a reminder of his outstanding service to his district and to his State. His contributions nationally were broad and lasting. As Chairman of the Surface Transportation Subcommittee from 1975 to 1981, he developed the 'Howard Plan' which, for the first time, combined mass transit and highway legislation into one bill. It was an effort to give mass transit equal billing with highways and to better coordinate national transportation policy.”