David Obey: “I remember when Martin Sabo first walked into this institution in 1978. He and his wife, Sylvia, epitomize more than any…”

“I remember when Martin Sabo first walked into this institution in 1978. He and his wife, Sylvia, epitomize more than any people I know what are regarded as midwestern values, most especially the value of modesty. You will never find Martin Sabo bragging much on himself. In that sense, he is a true Norwegian. I also think that he exemplifies the thoughtfulness and the caring for one's neighbor that people in the Midwest have come to take as being the natural course of things. He is probably the closest friend I have in this body. I very much regret to see him leave. I question his judgment profoundly on that. As the gentleman from Kentucky has said, while today the gentleman from Minnesota deals with homeland security issues and is certainly an expert on those, in the past he has dealt with transportation issues most ably. As a matter of fact, there is no one in this body who has made a greater contribution to the cause of responsible budgeting and deficit reduction over the years than has the gentleman from Minnesota.”