Agriculture Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 --Continued--
Floor Speech
AGRICULTURE RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008--Continued -- (House of Representatives - August 02, 2007)
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Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Chairman, on behalf of all the Members of the Minnesota delegation, including our esteemed Chairman Jim Oberstar, Jim Ramstad, Collin Peterson, Betty McCollum, Congressman Kline, Congressman Bachmann and Congressman Walz, I would simply like to share with the body that we now know the identities of four of the members of our community in Minnesota who were lost at the collapsed bridge. Those individuals include Sheri Lou Engebrelson of Shoreview, Minnesota; Julia Black hawk of Savage, Minnesota; Patricia Holmes of Mounds View, Minnesota; and Artemo Trinidad Mena of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Eight of our fellow community members remain missing and are presumed to be lost and remain in submerged vehicles in the Mississippi River.
This morning, I was able to accompany Secretary of Transportation Peters, along with Senators Klobuchar and Coleman, where we met Mayor R.T. Rybak and Governor Pawlenty and many other responsive elected officials. And there, Members, I did see, no doubt, a collapsed bridge spanning about 2,000 feet, which fell 64 feet into the Mississippi River. I saw vehicles that had been crushed. I also saw, not just devastation, but true heroism, Mr. Chairman, people who ran without any thought of their own safety to try to rescue people who had fallen into the Mississippi, rescue workers, first responders who, without any regard to their safety, came to the aid of their fellow community members. I saw unity of purpose, Mr. Chairman, and I saw responsive government meeting the needs of its people.
I also saw members of the community who were looking in need of aid and assistance of their fellow members of the community.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask that the Committee observe a moment of silence for those who we have lost, those who are suffering from injury, and the entire community which is struggling to recover at this time.
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