On the recordJuly 13, 2015
Let me thank the ranking member and the manager of this legislation. I have had the privilege of being here during the mighty leadership of Jim Oberstar, and I would really call him America's Congressperson. He would be an eloquent spokesperson today for not isolating his advocacy for his own region or State, but he would rise up on the floor of the House to speak eloquently about the need for the refurbishing, the rebuilding, the restoration of America's infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, from highways and bridges and dams to airports and train stations and tracks. Mr. Speaker, I just came in today from Philadelphia on Amtrak, and as you know, on trains, we engage with our fellow travelers. I guess we are called passengers, but we are fellow travelers. It was interesting to engage with these constituents of America who were using this mode of transportation. They made a very valuable point. They said it is not the equipment of Amtrak or whether the Acela can move faster than any other train, it is the infrastructure upon which the train travels. It is the train tracks. It is the investment in that infrastructure to make Amtrak what it needs to be. Now, Congressman Oberstar certainly did not live in this part of the country, but he could see the general landscape of what America needed. I was very interested in hearing my colleague from Minnesota speak of that time when the bridge collapsed. What a tragic incident.…
