Remembering the Victims of New York's Derailment

[Page H7428]
 MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR VICTIMS OF NEW YORK'S DERAILMENT ON METRO-NORTH

  (Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York asked and was given permission 
to address the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues, 
tonight on Forest Lane in Cold Spring, my friend Jim Lovell won't be 
coming home. His children, Brooke and Jack and Finn and Hudson, the 
youngest who goes to school with my little girls in Cold Spring and who 
has played in my house, will be missing the father they love and a 
beloved member of the community because he was one of the four victims 
on the Metro-North train that derailed on Sunday.

  We all are saddened and heartbroken by this tragic event. I stand 
here with my colleagues from New York to honor the four victims and the 
dozens of injured. New York lost a devoted father in Jim Lovell; but, 
of course, we also lost a loving sister in Donna Smith from Newburgh, a 
caring nurse from Queens named Kisook Ahn, and James Ferrari, a 
hardworking husband from Montrose.

  I know my colleagues, Nita Lowey who represents Montrose and Jim 
Crowley who represents Queens and Eliot Engel who represents the 
district where the accident occurred, and I who represent two of the 
victims join with all of you in standing to offer a moment of silence 
in honor of those killed and of those injured. I ask that we do so now.


[Pages H7428-H7429]
      REMEMBERING VICTIMS OF NEW YORK'S DERAILMENT ON METRO-NORTH

  (Mrs. LOWEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of my 
constituent, James Ferrari of Montrose, New York, one of the four 
individuals who lost their lives in Sunday morning's tragedy. Mr. 
Ferrari leaves behind a wife, a 20-year-old daughter, and extended 
family. My thoughts and prayers are with them during this time of pain 
and grief.

  For the last 10 years, Mr. Ferrari commuted 6 days a week into the 
city to his job as a building supervisor. He was a hardworking New 
Yorker, totally devoted to his family.

  His friend and neighbor told me that he did everything for his 
family. Now his wife, who is still in shock, and daughter are trying to 
put all the pieces of their lives together.

  Now Congress must do its part to honor all the crash victims by 
advancing solutions that prevent tragedies like this one from ever 
happening again.


[[Page H7429]]
[Page H7429]
      REMEMBERING VICTIMS OF NEW YORK'S DERAILMENT ON METRO-NORTH

  (Mr. ENGEL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, this horrific tragedy, unfortunately, 
happened in my district about half a mile from where I live.

  When a tragedy like this happens, senseless tragedy, we as Americans 
all pull together wherever tragedies occur. That is what we are doing 
here this afternoon. We are pulling together in the face of a terrible, 
terrible tragedy.

  I know that an investigation is going on from the National 
Transportation Safety Board. I hope that in a short time we will know 
what happened and, perhaps, we will be able to take steps to ensure 
that it doesn't happen again, whether it be by legislation or other 
types of ways we can ensure that this doesn't happen again.

  My heart goes out to all the victims and their families of this 
senseless, senseless tragedy. We as New Yorkers and as Americans in 
times of tragedy always pull together. New York pulled together after 
9/11, and we are pulling together after this horrific tragedy as well.


[Page H7429]
      REMEMBERING VICTIMS OF NEW YORK'S DERAILMENT ON METRO-NORTH

  (Mr. CROWLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I too rise to mourn the loss of these four 
individuals and all those who were injured in this tragic accident.

  In particular, I want to recognize the family of Kisook Ahn of 
Queens. The entire Korean American community in Queens and throughout 
the city and the tristate region mourn her loss. She was a resident of 
my hometown of Woodside, Queens. I particularly want to express our 
sorrow on her loss and all those who lost their lives or were injured, 
once again, in this tragic event of Sunday. Our thoughts and prayers 
are with her family and all the victims and their families.


[Page H7429]
      REMEMBERING VICTIMS OF NEW YORK'S DERAILMENT ON METRO-NORTH

  (Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, let me thank Congressman Engel for the 
compassion which he has demonstrated for the families of those that 
survived, those that are injured, and those that have been lost.

  While all of us are anxious to see the results of the investigation, 
we all have to ask ourselves, could this be avoided and did these 
people die in vain, and what are we going to do about it?

  It would appear to me that the first thing everyone thinks of is the 
infrastructure: Could this have happened in Japan, in China, or in some 
other industrialized country? It just stresses how important 
infrastructure is.

  It is not just the question of looking modern and developing 
commerce. It is human lives we are talking about. Let's not let the 
people who died die in vain. Let us all collectively look at our 
bridges, our roads, our tunnels, and our airports all over our great 
Nation so that we can avoid these types of tragedies.


[Page H7429]
                              {time}  1500
      REMEMBERING VICTIMS OF NEW YORK'S DERAILMENT ON METRO-NORTH

  (Mr. GIBSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBSON. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for coming 
forward with these moving tributes. I want to add to those my 
condolences, and those of my family.

  This is a very resilient Nation, and New Yorkers in tough times like 
these, we come together. Every day I have thousands of my constituents 
who ride these trains back and forth to provide for their families. I 
pledge my support and those of our district as we ensure that a tragedy 
like this is not repeated.