James J. Howard Post Office

Floor Speech

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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Virginia for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill to name the post office in Spring Lake, New Jersey, after my predecessor and mentor, Congressman Jim Howard. I thank Representative Smith and the rest of the New Jersey delegation for cosponsoring the bill.

As Representative of New Jersey's Third District for over 20 years, from 1965 to 1988, Jim Howard was a strong force in Congress. Through his work as the chairman of the Public Works and Transportation Committee, he wrote and passed legislation that genuinely saved thousands of lives: laws to tackle drunk driving, passenger safety, and the first-ever 55-mile-per-hour speed limit on Federal highways.

Jim also came up with his Howard Plan, which was the very first time mass transit and highway legislation were combined into one surface transportation bill, because he recognized that rebuilding our infrastructure wouldn't just improve people's lives, it would mean economic growth and jobs throughout the country.

For his home State, he helped secure crucial Federal funding for beach restoration, the rebuilding of the Barnegat Inlet, and the electrification of the North Jersey Coast Rail Line, all projects that New Jerseyans still benefit from to this day.

While Jim was a strong champion for revitalizing our Nation's infrastructure, he was an even stronger force for New Jersey's coastal communities and environmental protection. Through major legislation like the Superfund Act of 1986, the Groundwater Protection Act, and the Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act, he never forgot that New Jersey suffered greatly from toxic waste sites, ocean dumping, or plastic pollution.

He even successfully fought back against the Presidential veto by sponsoring and passing the 1987 Clean Water Act, which helped create the Clean Water State Revolving Fund that still provides millions of dollars in funding every year for a range of water quality infrastructure projects across the country.

Now, before his passing, Jim resided in Spring Lake, New Jersey, with his wife, who still lives there. Marlene and the rest of Jim's family were critical to his success as a Congressman. His very first political campaign in 1964 was run from his kitchen table, using his family's savings of about $5,000 to run for office.

With Marlene as his campaign manager, his slogan was: ``He cares about people. It is that simple.'' It really encapsulated Jim's work and demeanor. Being a Democrat from this part of New Jersey, which was very conservative at the time, he had to listen to anyone's opinion and always sought common ground. He never stopped fighting for working- class people.

It is only right that Jim's important and lasting legacy in New Jersey and the rest of the country be recognized at his local post office. This is not being renamed. It never had a name, so it will be now named for him.

I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill to honor a great man and Congressman.

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