S.Res. 461 — Agreed to in Senate

III 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 461 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 22, 2014 Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Franken, Mr. Harkin, and Mr. Begich) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Honoring James L. Oberstar as a remarkable public servant who served in Congress with extraordinary dedication and purpose. Whereas James L. Oberstar was born on September 10, 1934, in Chisholm, Minnesota; Whereas James L. Oberstar was a distinguished legislator who served 36 years in Congress, from 1975 to 2011, as a member of the House of Representatives from northern Minnesota, making him the longest serving Congressman for the State of Minnesota; Whereas James L. Oberstar was an expert on public works and transportation issues and devoted his public career to improving transportation and infrastructure, including through his work as a staff member for John Blatnik, member of the House of Representatives from Minnesota, from 1963 to 1974; Whereas James L. Oberstar was a staunch supporter of the iron ore industry in Minnesota and fought tirelessly to keep the mines open, protect the rights of workers, and improve safety conditions; Whereas, throughout his career, James L. Oberstar secured Federal funding for local communities for the development of bike lanes, sidewalks, biking trails, and hiking trails across Minnesota and the United States; Whereas James L. Oberstar was the Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives during the 110th and 111th Congress; Whereas James L. Oberstar was a supporter of the Federal Safe Routes to School Program which improves safety on walking and bicycling routes to school and encourages children and families to travel between home and school by walking or biking; Whereas James L. Oberstar introduced H.R. 3311 during the 110th Congress to provide emergency funding to replace the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after its tragic collapse in 2007; Whereas James L. Oberstar was a strong advocate for improving aviation safety and served as Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives from 1989 to 1994; and Whereas James L. Oberstar was a tireless champion of maritime issues, particularly those on the Great Lakes, and on May 24, 2011, the shipping vessel the Honorable James L. Oberstar was christened in Duluth, Minnesota: Now, therefore, be it That the Senate— (1) honors James L. Oberstar as a remarkable public servant who served in Congress with extraordinary dedication and purpose; (2) remembers the work James L. Oberstar accomplished to improve transportation, infrastructure, and mine safety; and (3) recognizes the indelible legacy James L. Oberstar has left on the State of Minnesota and the United States.