Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman from Illinois. I, too, rise to pay tribute to our great colleague, Congressman Jerry Costello. We've spent a lot of time during this hour talking about what a great person Jerry Costello is, which is certainly true. He is a kind and decent man. He operates in a bipartisan manner, and he is a friend to nearly everybody in this institution. We could continue to take the entire hour just talking about what a very fine person Jerry Costello is. Yet, when you look at the legislative record over the decades of service that he has offered to his constituency and to the country, there are a few things that stand out. On the Transportation Committee, Jerry Costello has a long and lasting record of many achievements, but he also has a lot of things he has done back home that those of us in Washington maybe don't see every day. For example, when the Base Closing and Realignment Commission slated for closure a military base in Jerry's district, Jerry Costello did what is nearly impossible--he got the realignment commission to review the facts; he had that decision overturned; and he saved that military base and the thousands of jobs that go with it for his district. That's a lasting achievement he can be proud of. When you look at things on the Transportation Committee that have lasting significance, a changing in the law to benefit all Americans. There was a tragic, terrible catastrophe--an air disaster in Buffalo several years ago.…”