September 12, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5903 

which the Navy League of Central 

Pennsylvania Council strives to promote. 

Lance Shaner, chairman of the 

Shaner Group, is known throughout 

central Pennsylvania for his various 

community efforts, which include the 

Chamber of Business and Industry of 

Centre County, United Way, Centre 

Volunteers in Medicine, the Boy Scouts 

of America, the YMCA, Mount Nittany 

Medical Center, and many other programs that benefit our community. 

I want to thank Lance Shaner for his 

service to our community, and I congratulate him on this distinguished 

award. 

f 

CORVALLIS WILL NOT BE BULLIED 

BY CHINA 

(Mr. DEFAZIO asked and was given 

permission to address the House for 1 

minute.) 

Mr. DEFAZIO. Recently, the Chinese 

consul general sent a letter to the 

mayor of Corvallis, a small city in my 

district. The letter was followed up by 

personal visits by the vice consul and 

the deputy consul general. Now, we always welcome visitors, but under these 

circumstances, we have some concerns. 

They are trying to pressure the 

mayor of the City of Corvallis to compel a local businessman to remove a 

mural dedicated to free Tibet and Taiwan independence from his downtown 

building. It was characterized by the 

local newspaper as a shakedown because the original letter broadly hinted 

that it might be in Corvallis’ best interest economically to cooperate with 

the request. 

I am shocked and appalled that apparently Chinese professional diplomats have failed to read the Constitution of the United States of America before traveling here to represent 

their country. 

This represents the basis of our representative democracy, our freedom of 

speech, and our rights, and it will not 

be bullied by China or any other overseas interest. 

f 

HONORING CONGRESSMAN JERRY 

COSTELLO 

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. 

MCKINLEY). Under the Speaker’s announced policy of January 5, 2011, the 

gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LIPINSKI) 

is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. 

GENERAL LEAVE

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I ask 

unanimous consent that all Members 

have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to 

include extraneous material on the 

subject of my Special Order honoring 

Congressman JERRY COSTELLO’s distinguished service in Congress. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there 

objection to the request of the gentleman from Illinois? 

There was no objection. 

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

today to honor a great legislator and a 

close personal friend, Congressman 

JERRY COSTELLO, who will retire from 

the House of Representatives at the 

end of this 112th Congress. 

JERRY has long been known as one of 

the most effective and well-liked Members of Congress since he took office in 

1988. It is my honor to lead this Special 

Order in his honor. 

I knew JERRY before I was elected to 

Congress in 2004. I had the privilege of 

working in his congressional office in 

the mid-1990s. Today, we serve together 

on two House committees: the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the Science, Space, and 

Technology Committee. 

JERRY has been an important mentor 

to me throughout my time here. I have 

always been impressed with his work 

on behalf of his constituents and his 

work to improve America’s transportation network. He is someone who is 

here to get things done, and he knows 

how to do it. 

His retirement from this body is a 

loss to us all. Congress will not be the 

same without JERRY, and I know we 

would all benefit if we had more colleagues like him. 

There are a number of Members on 

both sides of the aisle who want to 

speak, so I will continue with the rest 

of my speech later if we have time. But 

right now, I want to recognize the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DEFAZIO). 

b 1740 

Mr. DEFAZIO. I thank the gentleman 

for yielding. 

We could devote much more than an 

hour to JERRY COSTELLO’s career in 

Congress. 

I sat next to JERRY on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee 

for more than two decades, and there is 

no more knowledgeable, dedicated advocate in the United States Congress— 

most recently on aviation issues, but 

across the board on infrastructure 

issues which underlie our economy and 

our productivity and our growth—than 

JERRY COSTELLO. His work has been 

phenomenal. He has done more than I 

could have imagined in his period of 

time. And we will miss him. 

I congratulate him upon a well and 

hard-earned retirement. 

Mr. LIPINSKI. I yield to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. YOUNG). 

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. I thank the 

gentleman for yielding. 

I apologize to my good friends, but 

this has to be a two-way street—bipartisan—because I do believe that JERRY

was an example of the Congress that I 

knew and loved where we worked together to solve problems. JERRY was 

very good at that. I, as chairman of the 

Transportation Committee, we worked 

through with Jim Oberstar, and we 

never had an adversarial vote in that 

whole period of time because he did believe in bipartisanship for the bills in 

transportation, not only in his district, 

but for the Nation as a whole. 

JERRY was a gentleman at all times. 

Sometimes I get a little excited, and he 

would remind me as the chairman that 

maybe I could be a little more kinder. 

I told him that doesn’t always work. 

That worked for JERRY. And I do respect his capability to not only serve 

in his district, but making sure that 

this Nation had a transportation system in place that would serve this 

whole Nation. 

I look forward to JERRY’s retirement—in a sense. I’m sure he’ll do good 

and great things after this, but we will 

miss his time in Congress. And as a Republican, I definitely will miss him. I 

do thank JERRY. 

Mr. LIPINSKI. I thank you, Mr. 

YOUNG. 

I want to recognize now the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. DAVIS). 

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I want to 

thank my friend from Illinois (Mr. 

LIPINSKI) for yielding to me. 

When I think of JERRY COSTELLO, I 

think of the fact that those of us in Illinois sort of had two go-to members of 

the Transportation Committee for 

many years, Bill Lipinski, who is the 

Congressman’s father, and JERRY COSTELLO. We used to call them the ‘‘Gold 

Dust Twins.’’ One of the reasons is because they had such a great relationship and worked cooperatively to make 

sure that our State, the State of Illinois, the home of Abraham Lincoln, 

was well taken care of in terms of infrastructure, but they also worked for 

the entire country. 

I had an opportunity to travel with 

JERRY and his wonderful wife a number 

of times. Of course she is a delightful 

lady who is a higher education administrator, the president of a community 

college. And other members of their 

family are engaged in public service as 

well as what they do privately. I’ve 

never known a more congenial Member 

of this body or any other legislative 

body that I’ve served in than JERRY

COSTELLO. 

I think he’s actually too young to retire, and so I’ve got a feeling that he’s 

got some other things on his mind, 

some other things that he’s going to 

do. I think he’ll still be fishing down in 

the East St. Louis area, making sure 

that the catfish and the other creatures out there give up their habitat 

and become members of the land gentry. 

So JERRY, take care of yourself. Have 

all the fun that you can, but I’m certain that there is something else that 

you’re going to be doing. 

Mr. LIPINSKI. Next, I want to recognize the gentleman from Connecticut 

(Mr. LARSON). 

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. I thank 

the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LIPINSKI) for organizing this hour and concur with my colleagues that an hour is 

not nearly enough to highlight the virtues and certainly the public service of 

our distinguished colleague, JERRY

COSTELLO. 

JERRY, as has already been said, and 

his lovely wife, Georgia, their beautiful 


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family, we’re all very happy and proud 

that he will be joined with them. In 

whatever endeavor he does, we know he 

will bring the kind of energy, the kind 

of commitment, and the kind of integrity that he’s brought to the floor of 

the House. 

Robert Remini, also from Illinois and 

a historian, has written a significant 

history about the House. In his book, 

he talks about the character of the 

people that serve here. I’m proud to 

say that I’ve had the opportunity to 

serve with someone who is so genuine, 

who cares so deeply about this institution, his home State of Illinois, and the 

people he has served with. He does it 

the old fashioned way, the Bill Lipinski 

way, with a handshake and a commitment and always looking you directly 

in the eye. As DON YOUNG from Alaska 

indicated, he also has the great capacity to reach across the aisle, understanding implicitly that things don’t 

get done unless we’re capable of working together. An incredible wise sense 

of humor, always sage advice, and an 

incredible understanding of politics, 

not only the local flavor of his great 

State of Illinois, but also the ebb and 

flow of business here on the floor of the 

House of Representatives. 

He is honored by his colleagues and 

respected not only for his political acumen and his professionalism, but most 

of all because of the integrity that he 

brings to this floor each and every day. 

He will be sorely missed. It’s an honor 

to have served with him. I look forward 

to a continued relationship with this 

great man from Illinois, JERRY COSTELLO. 

Mr. LIPINSKI. Next, I want to recognize the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 

CLAY). 

Mr. CLAY. Let me thank my friend 

from Illinois (Mr. LIPINSKI) for yielding. 

Let me say, Mr. Speaker, that I rise 

today to honor my great friend and colleague, the distinguished senior Member from Illinois (Mr. COSTELLO). Let 

me also mention that Mr. COSTELLO

served in previous Congresses with my 

father, so he was here when I got here. 

And our districts are just across the 

river from each other. He represents 

southern Illinois, and I represent the 

city of St. Louis, the Gateway to the 

West. 

As he prepares to retire at the conclusion of the 112th Congress, Congressman COSTELLO has been a trusted 

friend and mentor to me for the last 12 

years. When I first arrived as a freshman Member of Congress in 2001, Congressman COSTELLO was here to greet 

me and guide me along the right path, 

and over the years I have continued to 

rely on his good advice and wise counsel. His departure is a great loss for the 

State of Illinois, the citizens of the 

12th District, and the St. Louis regional delegation. 

For the last 24 years, Mr. COSTELLO

has been a tireless advocate for southern Illinois and Metro East. He has 

been a champion for rebuilding and enhancing our transportation infrastructure. The magnificent new Mississippi 

River bridge that is currently under 

construction will be a powerful symbol 

of his legacy of leadership. 

Congressman COSTELLO has also been 

the patron saint of Scott Air Force 

Base, the largest employer in southern 

Illinois. Our region, and indeed our Nation, are stronger because of his continuous efforts to preserve and expand 

this vital national defense asset. 

b 1750 

Mr. Speaker, I consider it a great 

blessing to have had the opportunity to 

serve with Congressman COSTELLO and 

to call him my good friend. I honor him 

for his service to his State, the St. 

Louis region, and our Nation, and I salute him on a remarkable congressional career. 

Mr. LIPINSKI. Thank you, Mr. CLAY. 

Next I want to recognize the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. SCHAKOWSKY). 

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. First, let me 

thank the gentleman, Mr. LIPINSKI, for 

organizing this opportunity to come to 

the floor today and recognize the remarkable achievements of our dear 

friend, my dear friend, Representative 

JERRY COSTELLO. 

I want to thank JERRY, my friend and 

colleague, for his 24 years of remarkable, outstanding service to his district, to Illinois, and to the country. 

And although he’s retiring at the end 

of this Congress, I know that his impact will be long-lasting. 

Since arriving in Congress in 1999, I 

have been very fortunate to have 

JERRY COSTELLO to rely on for advice 

and guidance and support. And as you 

hear from one Member after another 

who gets up and says the same thing, 

you can see how JERRY COSTELLO has 

been a friend to so many on both sides 

of the aisle. 

When I came, he and then-Representative Ray LaHood, now Secretary of 

Transportation, convened routine 

meetings of the Illinois House delegation to discuss how we could work together to meet the needs of our State. 

A fierce advocate for southwestern and 

southern Illinois, JERRY was eager to 

help all parts of the State to obtain 

Federal assistance and meet the needs 

of our constituents. 

Our delegation may have had some 

disagreements on policy, but we were 

firmly united, under JERRY’s leadership, in our desire to bring funding to 

Illinois to create jobs, improve access 

to health care, help farmers and promote Illinois businesses. 

It wasn’t until I was in Congress for 

a while longer that I realized that not 

every State delegation met in this 

manner. It was because of JERRY’s 

leadership, his dedication to getting 

things done, and his ability to work in 

a bipartisan manner that the Illinois 

delegation could get together, not just 

to talk, but to achieve concrete results. 

Throughout his career, JERRY has 

been a real workhorse. As senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and ranking 

Democrat on the Aviation Subcommittee, he has shaped transportation policy and is responsible for unprecedented improvements in aviation 

safety. He is a recognized expert on 

transportation issues, and he is known 

for his commitment to protecting the 

interests of travelers, riders and passengers and the rights of transportation workers. 

He has brought his policy interests to 

other areas as well, from his role on 

the Science, Space and Technology 

Committee, to his interests in agriculture, education and children. 

JERRY COSTELLO is the go-to leader of 

the Illinois House delegation, and it is 

easy to see why. It is not just that he 

loves the State of Illinois and the 

House of Representatives. It is not just 

that he can put together strategies to 

pass legislation or bring Federal assistance to his district. It is his entire 

being, a calm but determined demeanor, a commonsense approach to 

problem-solving, and a welcoming attitude for his beloved constituents and 

his colleagues. 

Throughout my time in Congress, 

JERRY has been generous in sharing 

with me his time and his talents, and 

for that I’m extremely grateful. 

I have also been so happy to get to 

know JERRY’s wonderful wife, Georgia. 

Georgia is the president of Southwestern Illinois College, an advocate 

for the Illinois Green Economy Network, and she also brings a spirit of 

public service to her work in improving 

the community. 

My dear friend, JERRY, your record of 

accomplishments over the past 24 years 

is enormous. And while you may be retiring from the House of Representatives, I know that you and Georgia will 

continue to work to inspire and improve the lives of Illinoisans. I thank 

you for your friendship that I hope will 

endure and for all that you have done 

for our great State. 

Mr. LIPINSKI. Thank you, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, for your comments. 

Next I want to recognize the gentlelady from Texas, who JERRY and I both 

serve on Transportation and Infrastructure and Science, Space and Technology with, and who’s also the ranking member of the Science, Space and 

Technology Committee, Ms. EDDIE

BERNICE JOHNSON. 

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of 

Texas. Thank you very much, Mr. 

LIPINSKI, for reserving this hour. 

And thank you, Mr. Speaker, for allowing me to speak in honor of a very 

cherished colleague and a dear friend 

in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Congressman JERRY COSTELLO, after 

24 years of dedicated service, is retiring, and that is a very tall order for me 

to accept because I have served with 

him on both of his major committees 

from the time I came to Congress 20 

years ago; and he appears to be, starting this term, a part of a vanishing 

breed of people who came here to work 

across the aisles. 


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When I think of JIMMY DUNCAN, when 

I think of Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, when I 

think of Ray LaHood, I think of the camaraderie that we have shared on the 

committees working together to get 

things done. And I look up and many of 

them are leaving. It’s so unfortunate 

that we’re losing such a stellar example of the commitment needed to be an 

effective public servant. 

He began his public service at an 

early age, working in law enforcement 

while attending college. He has built 

his career on bipartisanship and dependability and has always kept the 

needs of his constituents and the 

American people foremost in his mind 

and close to his heart. 

Congressman COSTELLO is a devoted 

family man who treasures his wife, 

Georgia, and their three children and 

eight grandchildren. And I have shared 

with Georgia and Lynn, JIMMY DUNCAN’s wife, trips around the world 

where we became almost like family. 

His companion has given the Congressman a unique perspective, making 

him much more effective as a Member 

of Congress. 

I remember one time we went on a 

trip, and at the last minute, Georgia 

couldn’t go and we ended up being 

seatmates all the way. And he said at 

the end, I enjoyed you being my 

seatmate, but you’ll never be Georgia. 

And he was right. 

I’ve had the distinct pleasure of 

working closely with Congressman 

COSTELLO on both the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Science, Space and Technology. As a matter of fact, I would not 

be ranking member had he chosen to 

use his seniority to become the ranking member of Science, Space and 

Technology. 

He’s an effective legislator and has 

shown an unwavering commitment to 

furthering scientific research and 

building our Nation’s infrastructure. 

Having served both as chairman and 

ranking member on the Aviation Subcommittee with Congressman PETRI

from Wisconsin, just like two brothers, 

they have been guests in my district 

where we did work together on a very 

bipartisan basis to improve the safety 

and innovation of the aviation industry. 

Mr. Speaker, the bonds that we form 

with our fellow colleagues in Congress 

are unlike anything else. You become 

closer in friendship, and you begin to 

see people as individuals. This last 2 

years, however, has not been the example that I lived with 18 years before 

that. 

Congressman COSTELLO and I developed, over the years, a very special relationship. The House of Representatives is losing a distinguished colleague and one of those from the old 

guard that we call the bipartisan focus 

on business people. 

I have immense respect for Congressman COSTELLO, and I will miss him 

dearly. I wish him well, and I wish his 

family the best in future endeavors. 

And I do hope that this is not the last 

of a vanishing breed of the persons who 

came here to work to get things done 

and not be so partisan. 

b 1800 

I really will miss the camaraderie 

that we shared with JIMMY DUNCAN, 

DON YOUNG, Ray LaHood—all the people who can see beyond partisanship. 

Mr. LIPINSKI. Thank you, Ms. JOHNSON. 

Next, I want to recognize the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. ALTMIRE). 

Mr. ALTMIRE. I thank the gentleman from Illinois. 

I, too, rise to pay tribute to our great 

colleague, Congressman JERRY COSTELLO. We’ve spent a lot of time during 

this hour talking about what a great 

person JERRY COSTELLO is, which is 

certainly true. He is a kind and decent 

man. He operates in a bipartisan manner, and he is a friend to nearly everybody in this institution. We could continue to take the entire hour just talking about what a very fine person 

JERRY COSTELLO is. Yet, when you look 

at the legislative record over the decades of service that he has offered to 

his constituency and to the country, 

there are a few things that stand out. 

On the Transportation Committee, 

JERRY COSTELLO has a long and lasting 

record of many achievements, but he 

also has a lot of things he has done 

back home that those of us in Washington maybe don’t see every day. For 

example, when the Base Closing and 

Realignment Commission slated for 

closure a military base in JERRY’s district, JERRY COSTELLO did what is nearly impossible—he got the realignment 

commission to review the facts; he had 

that decision overturned; and he saved 

that military base and the thousands 

of jobs that go with it for his district. 

That’s a lasting achievement he can be 

proud of. 

When you look at things on the 

Transportation Committee that have 

lasting significance, a changing in the 

law to benefit all Americans. There 

was a tragic, terrible catastrophe—an 

air disaster in Buffalo several years 

ago. JERRY COSTELLO took the lead in 

this Congress and in this country in 

changing the laws dealing with pilot 

fatigue and the requirements for the 

pilots on the planes. That is going to 

save lives around this country, and 

that is going to allow for the averting 

of this type of disaster in the future. 

That happened because of JERRY COSTELLO’s leadership. 

So, Mr. Speaker, when we think 

about the lasting contributions that 

JERRY COSTELLO has made, yes, many 

of them are personal. Many of them 

have to do with the relationships he 

has built and the friendships he will 

carry forward into his new career, but 

let’s also remember the many significant legislative achievements for his 

district that are unparalleled to anyone else’s in this institution. 

So, JERRY, we wish you the best. We 

are going to miss you. 

Mr. LIPINSKI. Thank you, Mr. ALTMIRE. 

Next, I want to recognize the Democratic whip, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. HOYER). 

Mr. HOYER. I want to thank my 

friend, Congressman LIPINSKI, for taking on this Special Order. 

For someone who had been regaled, 

as I understand it, earlier, by his colleagues who know him best, before I 

came to the floor, this is a body in 

which you get to know people. You get 

to know their characters, their personalities, their civility, their effectiveness, their work ethic, their patriotism, their willingness to work with 

others. On all of those counts, all of his 

colleagues found JERRY COSTELLO to be 

one of the best among them. 

JERRY COSTELLO came to this Congress in the election of 1988. He has 

been my colleague for all of the years 

that he has served in this House. I was 

privileged to come just a few years before JERRY COSTELLO. He was elected 

by the people of Illinois after an extraordinary career early in life, as a 

young man. He was not only attending 

to the court system of Illinois but also 

as the county executive, as the leader 

of one of the largest counties in Illinois. He was chosen because of his 

judgment, chosen because of his good 

sense, his common sense, chosen because of his effectiveness as a representative of the people. There has 

not been a day that has gone by that I 

have served with JERRY COSTELLO that 

I did not have all of those affirmations 

affirmed here in this House. So I rise 

with my friend, Mr. LIPINSKI, to honor 

JERRY COSTELLO. 

Now, we’re going to have the opportunity to serve with JERRY COSTELLO

for another 3 months at least. JERRY

COSTELLO is very much alive. This is 

not a eulogy. JERRY COSTELLO is someone who is still a young man for whom 

I see a very bright future. In whatever 

endeavor he chooses to pursue, he will 

be successful; and with whomever he 

works, they will be advantaged. In 

whatever he does, I know that we’re all 

going to stay in close touch with 

JERRY COSTELLO. 

The preceding speaker and Mr. LIPINSKI—and whose dad before him—now 

serve on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. It is a critical 

committee of the Congress of the 

United States, one of the most important in terms of growing jobs and expanding our economy because it invests in the infrastructure, which is 

the underpinning of a growing economy. My friend Mr. LIPINSKI has fought 

so hard for legislation to expand manufacturing—a Make It In America agenda item—and has focused on making 

sure that we have had an infrastructure that has supported manufacturing, the distribution of goods and 

the transportation of goods to our 

shores to be sent abroad for purchase 

by our trading partners. 

JERRY COSTELLO was part of the leadership of two of the major transportation bills that have passed this House 


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in recent years, ensuring not only that 

Illinois received particular attention 

but that America received particular 

attention, every part of this America. 

The best traditions of a Congressman 

are, yes, in representing his district effectively, but also in understanding 

that his responsibility is to all of 

America. JERRY COSTELLO has fulfilled 

that expectation with flying colors and 

great effectiveness. We are going to 

miss JERRY COSTELLO. 

But I want to tell JERRY COSTELLO— 

and I hope he’s listening—that we have 

a few days left to go, and I’m going to 

look forward to working with him. I 

am hopeful that, in the lame duck session, we’ll address one of the most vexing problems confronting this country, 

and that is getting ourselves on a fiscally sustainable path. I expect JERRY

COSTELLO to be in the leadership of 

that effort as he has been in the leadership of so many efforts. 

Again, Congressman LIPINSKI, I want 

to thank you for your leadership, for 

your service, for your commitment to 

the same kinds of things that JERRY

COSTELLO has been committed to in 

building up this country and in making 

sure that average working men and 

women have had jobs and that we have 

expanded our economy by investing in 

our economy. So it is appropriate that 

you lead this Special Order on behalf of 

a kindred soul, JERRY COSTELLO. You 

and he represent a real leadership on 

behalf of growth, jobs, and economic 

success in America. 

We thank JERRY COSTELLO for his 

service, but we look forward to working with him in whatever capacity he 

chooses to follow in the years ahead. 

Mr. LIPINSKI. Thank you very 

much, Mr. HOYER. 

I just want to wrap up here and continue on in talking about JERRY. 

I know JERRY has been extremely 

popular among his constituents because he is a lifelong resident of his 

district and always has been focused on 

helping them. He was born in East St. 

Louis, Illinois. He attended Assumption High School there, and later graduated from Southwestern Illinois College and Maryville University, which is 

just across the Mississippi River in St. 

Louis. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, JERRY worked in various 

positions in southwestern Illinois, culminating with his election to the 

House of Representatives in August of 

1988 in a special election. 

He was known then and is still 

known today as a person with a special 

ethic and earnestness to roll up his 

sleeves and get the job done. Since that 

time, his accomplishments have been 

numerous and outstanding. We’ve 

heard from many of our colleagues before this about some of his accomplishments. I could spend hours standing up 

here listing them all, but some of his 

most important, recent accomplishments include helping to pass four national highway investment bills, seven 

Federal Aviation Administration bills, 

and helping to secure funds for a new 

Mississippi bridge for the residents of 

Illinois and Missouri. 

b 1810 

He has a great reputation for delivering for his district. A couple of examples include helping prevent the closure of Scott Air Force Base, the largest employer in Illinois south of 

Springfield, and helping extend St. 

Louis’ Metrolink to St. Clair County, 

providing public transportation to 

many thousands of people. He has received recognition as a leading advocate for farmers and for many other 

causes, including the arts and multiple 

sclerosis. 

His dedication to an effective transportation network in the U.S. has remained steadfast throughout his career. As Mr. ALTMIRE has mentioned, a 

perfect example of this is his drafting 

and passing of the Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009. In response to a 

tragic plane crash in 2009 in Buffalo, 

New York, that killed 51 due to lack of 

rest for the pilot, JERRY wrote a bill 

that made requirements for pilot rest 

and training much more stringent. 

This legislation has resulted in safer 

travel for millions of Americans. The 

legislation is a lasting reminder of the 

fine work JERRY has done while in Congress. 

During his time, JERRY has sat in positions of leadership as chairman of the 

House Aviation Subcommittee on the 

Transportation and Infrastructure 

Committee, now serving as ranking 

member, as well as the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Space and 

Aeronautics within the Science and 

Technology Committee. He has always 

worked in a bipartisan manner on 

those committees, doing everything he 

could to make those committees work. 

I, and this legislative body, will miss 

Mr. COSTELLO and the leadership he has 

provided, but we can all take comfort 

in knowing that he will be able to 

spend more time with his wife, Georgia, who serves her community as the 

president of Southwestern Illinois College; their three children, Jerry, Gina, 

and John Patrick; and their eight 

grandchildren, Jay, Austin, Rorey, Ireland, Jerry, Victoria, Georgia, and 

John Patrick. He will undoubtedly continue to serve his neighbors and all the 

residents of southwest Illinois in his 

day-to-day activities. 

Please join me in honoring JERRY

COSTELLO for his tireless hard work, 

dedication, and skill serving the people 

of America and Illinois. I congratulate 

JERRY and thank him for all he has 

done for his constituents and for his 

Nation. I thank you, JERRY, for your 

mentorship here in Congress, and I 

wish you the best as you retire from 

the House of Representatives. 

I know, as other speakers before me 

have said, JERRY is much too young to 

retire. I’m sure there are many great 

things that he will be doing, and he 

will always be remembered as a great 

man who served his country and served 

his constituents of Illinois. We will certainly miss him here, and we can certainly use more JERRY COSTELLOs in 

this body. 

With that, I yield back the balance of 

my time. 

Mr. SHULER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

recognize Congressman COSTELLO on his 

pending retirement and thank him for his service to his country and district. 

Serving in the House of Representatives 

since 1988, Congressman COSTELLO has become a key figure in this body, serving as the 

dean of the Illinois delegation and working 

across lines to find sensible solutions to the 

day’s most pressing challenges. JERRY has 

proven himself to be a gentleman whose dedication and service to his constituents and to 

the United States of America went above and 

beyond the Halls of Congress. 

I had the pleasure of serving alongside Congressman COSTELLO on the Transportation 

and Infrastructure Committee where I was 

proud to have called the Congressman not 

only my colleague, but my friend. I observed 

as he worked to build the transportation infrastructure in Southern Illinois and the country. 

Over the years, JERRY has built a reputation 

for not only his hard work, but also his ability 

to work with Members of the other party. It is 

these qualities—work ethic and bipartisan spirit—that will be missed most in Congress. 

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Congressman 

COSTELLO on his retirement. While his mark on 

the Nation and his district are permanent, his 

presence in this chamber will be missed. 

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

honor my friend Congressman JERRY COSTELLO, and to thank him for his 24 years of 

service in the House of Representatives working on behalf of the people of the 12th congressional district of Illinois. 

JERRY has worked tirelessly during his time 

in Congress to create jobs and improve the 

lives of the people of Southwestern and 

Southern Illinois, as well as in his role on the 

Aviation Subcommittee. His leadership in aviation is best illustrated by the passage of The 

Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement 

Act of 2009 in the House, the strongest aviation safety bill passed in 50 years. 

I wish JERRY the best of luck in his future 

endeavors, and know that I speak for many 

other Members when I say he will be dearly 

missed. 

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to honor a dedicated public servant—Congressman JERRY COSTELLO. JERRY has served 

the people of Illinois as a law enforcement officer, as St. Clair County Board Chairman, and 

as a member of this House. 

As you know, JERRY and I are from different 

political parties. But when I first came here to 

Washington, he was one of the first people to 

help me and to give me advice. He was always willing to answer my questions—some 

that probably seemed very basic to him. We 

found that despite our political differences, our 

callings were both based in faith—and that 

has allowed our relationship to grow. 

I consider JERRY COSTELLO a close friend 

and confidant. I cannot remember a single 

issue relevant to our part of the state that we 

have disagreed on. It has been a pleasure 

joining him in working on behalf of Scott Air 

Force Base, the levee and flood insurance 

issues we continue to face, and legislation related to industries important to southern Illinois 

like coal and renewable fuels. 


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Finally, I want to thank JERRY’s wife Georgia 

and his children Jerry II, Gina and John for 

sharing their husband and father with all of us. 

And to Jay, Austin, Rorey, Ireland Keen, Jerry 

III, Victoria, Georgia Danielle and John Patrick—I know your grandpa is looking forward 

to spending more time with each of you. 

Thank you, JERRY. May God continue to 

bless the Costello family. 

Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today 

to celebrate the service of my colleague and 

good friend, JERRY COSTELLO. I have had the 

privilege of serving with JERRY for almost 20 

years. Perhaps the greatest compliment that I 

can pay him, especially in this town, is that he 

remains the same guy today that he was 

when I first met him in 1993. JERRY is a serious legislator and a thoughtful statesman. He 

has served his constituents with devotion and 

distinction, but more than that, he has worked 

on a broader scale to advance good policy for 

the betterment of all the citizens of Illinois and 

those nationwide. 

As one of the foremost transportation experts in Congress, JERRY has worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to improve 

America’s transportation infrastructure and increase the safety of our skies. JERRY earned 

the reputation of being a hard worker and an 

approachable colleague. In his various leadership roles, you could count on JERRY to listen 

to the needs of your district and provide assistance when able. Even when you find yourself on the other side of a policy issue from 

JERRY, he treats you with fairness and respect. Differences of opinion with JERRY are 

never personal, and that is why so many colleagues consider JERRY to be a personal 

friend. 

Given that a Member’s staff is a reflection of 

the Member, it should be no surprise that 

JERRY assembled a team of considerate and 

effective public servants. Along with his talented chief of staff, David Gillies, JERRY consistently worked to promote a constructive and 

collegial environment within the Illinois delegation regardless of which side was in power. 

Given his rock-solid reputation, impeccable 

character, and impressive resume of accomplishment, other colleagues will likely describe 

JERRY as part of a dying breed of statesmen, 

a sentiment with which I concur. On behalf of 

the constituents of Northern Illinois, I thank 

JERRY for his service and for the infrastructure 

improvements he supported in our neck of the 

state. I wish JERRY and Georgia all the best as 

they begin this new chapter of their lives together. 

Mr. SCHOCK. Mr. Speaker, at the beginning 

of the 113th Congress, the Illinois delegation 

in the House of Representatives will be missing a familiar face. Representative JERRY COSTELLO, after over two decades of service to the 

people of southern Illinois, will retire at the end 

of this term. He leaves Congress with an exemplary record of accomplishments and a 

long list of friends on both sides of the aisle, 

and he will truly be missed. 

Among the many issues that JERRY worked 

on during his tenure, he and I share a passion 

for infrastructure improvements. During my 

first term, I served on the Transportation and 

Infrastructure Committee with JERRY, and his 

example and determination to work with both 

sides to get things done was invaluable to me. 

His spirit of putting the people he represented 

before partisanship is one that all of us, his 

colleagues, strive to embody as well. 

Over the course of his time in the House of 

Representatives, JERRY earned the respect of 

his colleagues and staff, but his successes 

and achievements in Washington never made 

him forget where he came from. He and his 

family maintain their deep roots in Illinois, and 

every weekend he could be found somewhere 

in the 12th District holding a town hall, speaking at a local gathering, or participating in a 

media event. 

JERRY’s retirement means that Illinois has 

lost a great Representative, but it retains a 

great citizen. Whatever he decides to pursue 

in the coming years, I hope he finds time to 

get some well-deserved rest and relaxation 

with his wife and family. I wish him all the 

best. 

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 

recognition of the life and career of my friend, 

the Honorable JERRY COSTELLO. 

Born and raised in the Midwest, Congressman COSTELLO has dedicated his life to serving the residents of the state of Illinois. Prior 

to being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, he had a career in law enforcement and worked as a county bailiff and deputy sheriff. His service to the State of Illinois 

and St. Clair County in the early days of his 

career led him to seek office in the House of 

Representatives in a special election in 1988. 

He has consistently put the needs of his constituents first for the past 24 years. 

Today, Congressman COSTELLO is the most 

senior member of the Illinois delegation and 

has been a guide to freshmen members 

throughout the past dozen Congresses. He 

has been a leader in areas such as infrastructure and science and technology. JERRY has 

also been dubbed ‘‘the patron saint of Scott 

Air Force Base,’’ one of the largest employers 

in the State of Illinois. Above all, the Congressman has been a fearless and dedicated 

representative of his constituents in southern 

Illinois. 

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me 

in congratulating our friend and colleague, 

Congressman JERRY COSTELLO, on 24 years 

of service to the residents of southern Illinois 

and the United States of America. His wisdom 

and leadership will be missed in the halls of 

Congress. 

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

speak about my friend Congressman JERRY

COSTELLO of Illinois. JERRY is retiring at the 

end of this session and we wish him well. 

By the time I arrived in Congress, JERRY

was already a senior Member. I did not know 

him and had never heard of him. We met 

through our mutual friend, Congressman RICHARD NEAL. We had a fair amount of mutual 

background—having been elected executive 

officials from our home states and having a 

deep respect for the art of politics and government. 

First and foremost, JERRY serves his constituents. We usually sit together during votes 

and we discuss most of them. I want to hear 

his opinion and I want to argue with him because we often see things differently. I know 

for certain that the most important factor he 

weighs for every vote is what is in the best interest of his constituents and what they would 

want him to do. 

JERRY embraces the concept of compromise. Many newer Members see compromise as defeat—but they are wrong and, 

hopefully, someday soon they will realize their 

folly. Compromise is essential to advance any 

society—our founders knew it, democracy demands it. Compromise does not mean declaring victory on every aspect of every issue—it 

means having a clear goal and knowing when 

you cannot achieve it, it means recognition 

that some progress is usually better than 

none, it means that you accept the fact that 

other people have valuable opinions that they 

hold as dearly as you hold yours. Unless your 

constituents want no changes to anything in 

life, compromise is essential. 

JERRY is also a true friend. To me, a friend 

is not the person who simply tells you how 

wonderful and correct you are all the time. A 

true friend knows how to tell you when you 

are wrong. A true friend stands by you when 

they can and doesn’t hurt you when they cannot. JERRY is a true friend. 

Finally, JERRY COSTELLO has his priorities 

straight—God, country, family, constituents. 

Religious beliefs are personal. I have told you 

what he has done for his country and his constituents. But a complete person also has a 

private life of friends and family. As a friend, 

I have often heard JERRY boast about his entire family—his parents, his wife, his children, 

and grandchildren. 

As you can see by now, I think JERRY COSTELLO is a wonderful person. I will miss him on 

the floor. I will miss him in Committee. I will 

miss sharing an evening meal together. But 

more importantly, Congress will miss him. 

America will survive and prosper after he 

leaves Congress; thankfully, none of us is that 

important to this House. But JERRY COSTELLO

will not be easily replaced in these halls and 

he will be remembered as a good Member of 

Congress and a good man. 

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, today I 

rise to recognize the tireless service and dedication of my friend and colleague, Congressman JERRY COSTELLO of Illinois. Congressman 

COSTELLO has announced his retirement from 

the House at the end of the 112th Congress 

after 24 years of faithful and effective service 

to the people of the 12th Congressional District of Illinois. 

Known to his friends and colleagues simply 

as ‘‘JERRY,’’ Congressman COSTELLO began 

his career shortly after graduating from high 

school, working as a law enforcement officer 

while attending Maryville University. In 1980, 

Congressman COSTELLO was elected Chairman of the St. Clair County Board, the chief 

executive of one of Illinois’ largest counties, 

where he gained valuable leadership experience. In 1988, JERRY was elected to Congress. 

I have had the privilege of working closely 

with JERRY throughout my tenure on the 

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, 

on which he has been an influential and a 

senior Democratic member. JERRY is perhaps 

the leading expert in the House on aviation 

issues and I feel fortunate to have been a 

member of the Aviation Subcommittee when 

he chaired the panel during the 110th and 

111th Congress. Congressman COSTELLO also 

served as the second ranking Democrat on 

the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, playing a leading role in writing and 

passing several major pieces of legislation to 

improve our Nation’s infrastructure and technological advancement. 

As Chair of Aviation Subcommittee, JERRY

played an indispensible role in passing the 

$68 billion Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act. JERRY has worked to pass 


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major bills for our Nation’s transportation infrastructure, including obtaining a significant 

grant for a new Mississippi River Bridge. He 

also secured the passage of the Airline Safety 

and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009. 

JERRY has been a champion of bipartisanship throughout his tenure in the House, and 

is deeply respected by members on both sides 

of the aisle. He refused to allow partisanship 

to keep him from finding the common ground 

necessary to advance the interests of his constituents and the American people. 

JERRY’s talent for finding common ground 

enabled him to assemble and lead the coalition that saved Scott Air Force Base from closure and led his constituents to dub him affectionately as the ‘‘Patron Saint of Scott AFB.’’ 

I am honored to count JERRY as one of my 

close friends and colleagues. Throughout his 

tenure, JERRY has proven to be a shining example of the type of dedication and devotion 

we should all strive to match. I have long been 

an admirer of Congressman COSTELLO’s work, 

and we will all surely feel the loss of his presence. 

Mr. Speaker, Congressman COSTELLO is a 

Member’s Member: honorable, hardworking, 

selfless, and dedicated to public service. It has 

been an honor to serve with him in the People’s House. I wish JERRY and his family success and happiness as he embarks upon the 

next phase of his remarkable career of service, all the best in his future endeavors. 

Mr. HULTGREN. Mr. Speaker, I am truly 

honored to have had a chance to serve in 

Congress with my colleague and friend, Representative JERRY COSTELLO. 

Beloved by his constituents, Congressman 

COSTELLO has been a staple in southern Illinois for many years. For me personally, he 

has been a model, a mentor and an example 

of how to succeed. 

In an age of hyper-partisanship, Congressman COSTELLO fearlessly crosses the aisle for 

his district. Last year, he even championed the 

No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. 

I’ve also had the pleasure of collaborating 

with the Congressman on two committees: 

Science, Space and Technology, and Transportation and Infrastructure. He has been such 

a mentor for me on these committees during 

my first term in Congress, and has been a 

great ally, especially on transportation issues 

and 2nd amendment rights. 

Congressman COSTELLO will be sorely 

missed, both on these two committees and in 

the Illinois delegation. On behalf of my staff 

and the people of the 14th, I thank him sincerely for his service. 

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, today, we take 

time to honor our friend and colleague Congressman JERRY COSTELLO, who retires this 

year after 24 proud years representing the 

12th District of Illinois. 

Throughout his career, JERRY earned the respect of his colleagues on both sides of the 

aisle, and is known as a man dedicated to his 

family, his community, and public service. 

Born and raised in East Saint Louis, JERRY

spent his career representing his friends and 

neighbors first as the Chairman of the St. Clair 

County Board, and then as a Member of Congress. 

Since coming to Washington, JERRY has 

worked tirelessly on behalf of his constituents, 

Illinois farmers, the transportation community 

and Scott Air Force Base. The State of Illinois 

will certainly miss having such a senior legislator and consummate professional in Congress. 

But this body’s loss is the gain of the entire 

Costello family, especially his wife Georgia, 

their three children and eight grandchildren. I 

wish them all the best as they embark on this 

new chapter of their lives, and congratulate 

Congressman JERRY COSTELLO on a career of 

service to Southwestern Illinois. 

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay 

tribute to my friend and colleague and the 

Dean of the Illinois Delegation, Congressman 

JERRY COSTELLO. 

Congressman COSTELLO has been a fixture 

of these halls since his arrival in 1988. Since 

my own arrival to Congress in 1993, I have 

known JERRY COSTELLO to be a kind, diligent, 

and caring public servant for the people of Illinois and the United States. 

Whether working towards FAA reauthorization, creating local jobs, or saving Scott Air 

Force Base from closure, JERRY COSTELLO

has shaped and improved Southwestern Illinois. 

I will miss JERRY COSTELLO’s collegiality and 

his leadership. Just because he is departing 

Congress does not mean there is not much 

work left for him to do. I look forward to seeing 

what the next chapter of his life brings and, on 

behalf of my wife, Carolyn, myself, and the 

people of the First Congressional District of Illinois, I wish him well on his journey. 

Congratulations, JERRY! 

Mr. SCHILLING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 

honor of JERRY COSTELLO, who will be retiring 

at the end of the 112th Congress. We need 

more Members of Congress like JERRY—Representatives who are willing to reach across 

the aisle and work to get the job done regardless of party. 

There is no limit to what you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit. 

JERRY is one of those guys, and his commitment to Illinois and our country will definitely 

be missed. 

JERRY has served on the Transportation and 

Infrastructure Committee and has helped 

enact national highway policy to improve our 

country’s roads and bridges. This is a bipartisan issue and after nine term extensions I 

am glad that this Congress came together to 

pass the first multiyear highway bill since 

2005. JERRY has been extremely strong on 

transportation and infrastructure issues and future representatives will have large shoes to 

fill. 

JERRY is a committed family man and early 

on in my first term, I quickly realized how hard 

it is to be away from your wife and children so 

frequently. I respect him for keeping his family 

home in Illinois, traveling to DC to serve, and 

returning home. Public service is about serving the people, not serving one’s own self. 

Over the past 24 years, the people of the 

12th district have been fortunate to call JERRY

COSTELLO their Congressman. His leadership, 

bipartisanship, hard work, and dedication to 

public service will not soon be forgotten. On 

behalf of the 17th district, I wish Congressman 

COSTELLO a happy and healthy retirement. 

Than you for your service. 

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

toddy to honor a great statesman, a great 

chairman, and a man who always put his district first. When Congressman COSTELLO retires after a long and distinguished career of 

service, he will be missed not only be his colleagues, but by the institution of Congress 

itself. 

I am proud to have worked with JERRY COSTELLO as we fought for critical transportation 

infrastructure funding to prepare our county for 

the future. His leadership as Chairman and 

Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittees made the world’s aviation system more 

efficient and safer, while facing some of the 

most challenging times for the industry. 

I enjoyed traveling with JERRY and his lovely 

wife Georgia, who offered great support both 

personally and professionally for her husband. 

Together, we went on various congressional 

delegation fact finding missions to further our 

understanding of comparative transportation 

systems around the world, and to augment 

U.S. relations abroad, particularly with respect 

to cooperation in the transportation and infrastructure sector. 

During his many years of serving in the 

House, Congressman COSTELLO has always 

been regarded as a Member who can get 

things done because of his results-oriented 

focus, and bipartisan approach to issues. As a 

senior Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the second ranking Democrat on the Science, Space and 

Technology Committee, he has played a major 

role in writing several major pieces of legislation while focusing on improving the nation’s 

transportation-infrastructure system. 

Examples of his effectiveness include helping to write two national highway bills, securing $150 million for a new Mississippi River 

Bridge in the last highway bill—one of the 

largest single earmarks in the legislation—and 

the passage of the Airline Safety and Pilot 

Training Improvement Act of 2009. This legislation, the strongest aviation safety bill in over 

50 years, enhances airline safety by significantly increasing the flight hours required for 

commercial first officers and strengthening 

pilot training. 

Additionally, Congressman COSTELLO

served four years as Chairman of the House 

Aviation Subcommittee and now serves as the 

subcommittee’s senior Democrat. In 2007, he 

wrote and helped pass a $68 billion bill in the 

House to reauthorize the programs of the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure that our 

aviation system remains the best and safest in 

the world. Two years later, he reintroduced the 

legislation and it passed the House once 

again. 

In closing, Congressman COSTELLO will be 

missed in Washington not only for his legislative accomplishments but for his good natured 

way of interacting with his colleagues and 

staff. A beloved family man, and a Member 

who is very well liked on both sides of the political aisle, JERRY contributed a great deal 

both to the Committee on Transportation and 

to a general feeling of political collegiality on 

Capitol Hill. 

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

today to thank my colleague and my dear 

friend Representative JERRY COSTELLO for his 

24 years of outstanding service to his district, 

Illinois and the country. Although he is retiring 

from Congress at the end of this year, his impact will be long-lasting. 

Since arriving in Congress in 1999, I have 

been very fortunate to have JERRY COSTELLO

to rely on for advice and guidance. He and 

then-Representative Ray LaHood, now Secretary of Transportation, convened routine 

meetings of the Illinois House delegation to 

discuss how we could work together to meet 

the needs of our state. A fierce advocate for 


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Southwestern and Southern Illinois, JERRY

was eager to help all parts of the state obtain 

federal assistance and meet the needs of our 

constituents. Our delegation may have had 

disagreements on policy, but we were united 

in our desire to bring funding to Illinois to create jobs, improve access to health care, help 

farmers, and promote Illinois businesses. 

It wasn’t until I had been in Congress for a 

while that I realized not every state delegation 

met in this manner. It was because of the 

leadership of JERRY COSTELLO, his dedication 

to getting things done and his ability to work 

in a bipartisan manner that the Illinois delegation could get together not just to talk but to 

achieve concrete results. 

Throughout his career, JERRY COSTELLO has 

been a real workhorse. As a senior member of 

the Transportation and Infrastructure and ranking Democrat on the Aviation Subcommittee, 

he has shaped transportation policy and is responsible for unprecedented improvements in 

aviation safety. He is a recognized expert on 

transportation issues and he is known for his 

commitment to protecting the interests of travelers, riders and passengers and the rights of 

transportation workers. He has brought his 

policy interests to other areas as well—from 

his role on the Science, Space and Technology Committee to his interests in agriculture, education and children. 

JERRY COSTELLO is the go-to leader of the Illinois House delegation and it is easy to see 

why. It is not just that he loves the state of Illinois and the House of Representatives. It is 

not just that he can put together strategies to 

pass legislation or bring federal assistance to 

his district. It is his entire being—a calm but 

determined demeanor, a common-sense approach to problem-solving, and a welcoming 

attitude for his beloved constituents and his 

colleagues. Throughout my time in Congress, 

JERRY has been generous in sharing with me 

his time and his talents—and for that I am extremely grateful. 

I have also been happy to get to know 

JERRY’s wonderful wife, Georgia. Georgia, the 

president of Southwestern Illinois College and 

advocate for the Illinois Green Economy Network, also brings the spirit of public service to 

her work in improving our community. 

JERRY, your record of accomplishment over 

the past 24 years is enormous. While you are 

retiring from the House of Representatives, I 

know that you and Georgia will continue to 

work to improve the lives of Illinoisans. I thank 

you for your friendship that I hope will endure 

and for all you’ve done for our great state. 

Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in tribute to the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. COSTELLO. 

Next year, at the beginning of the 113th 

Congress, I will reluctantly assume the title of 

Dean of the Illinois delegation in the U.S. 

House of Representatives. I say reluctantly 

because two things are true. One, to paraphrase Groucho Marx, I would never want to 

be a Member of a Delegation that would have 

me as its Dean. Secondly, I have tremendous 

shoes to fill and a hard act to follow. 

The current Dean is my friend, colleague, 

and mentor Rep. JERRY COSTELLO, who will 

leave the House at the end of his current 

term. It saddens me that he is leaving the 

House and bequeathing the title of Dean to 

me. 

JERRY was re-elected twelve times to represent the people of the exotic and—at least 

to us in the City of Chicago—distant lands in 

southern Illinois, anchored by the City of 

Bellville, JERRY’s home town. He has served 

his district, the people of Illinois and the people of the United States with distinction for 24 

years. 

His diligent work as a senior member of the 

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, 

the Aviation Subcommittee, and the Science, 

Space and Technology Committee teaches an 

important lesson to young Congressmen and 

women: specialize. JERRY has made transportation a central theme in his career and the 

work he has done to ensure that infrastructure 

and transportation systems in Southern Illinois 

are world class is but one testament to his 

success. 

Together with his wife, Georgia, the distinguished President of Southwestern Illinois College, I know JERRY will continue serving the 

people of Illinois in some capacity. It is in his 

nature. 

When I came into the House in 1993, JERRY

had already been here for more than two 

terms and helped young people like me find 

our way. Over the years, we developed a 

friendship and a kinship. Even as Democrats 

from the same State, I could not always vote 

for what he supported and he could not always vote for what I supported, but we could 

always look beyond that. 

The people of Illinois may not even realize 

it yet, but they will miss JERRY in the House 

of Representatives. The Democratic Caucus 

probably doesn’t realize how much we will 

miss JERRY. But I know how much I will miss 

JERRY and I wish him tremendous success 

and good luck. 

Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join 

my colleagues in honoring Congressman 

JERRY COSTELLO on his 24 years of service to 

this body and the great State of Illinois. As 

dean of our delegation, Congressman COSTELLO set a great example, especially for me 

and other freshman Members from our State. 

He has been a helpful institutional resource 

and a strong champion for the needs of Illinois. 

Congressman COSTELLO has a long tradition 

of legislative leadership, particularly on transportation issues. During his time in the House, 

he worked diligently with Members on both 

sides of the aisle to improve transportation infrastructure across this country. I appreciate 

his strong work ethic, and commitment to 

achieving results through a bipartisan manner, 

and believe this chamber and this country is 

better for it. 

Most importantly, I want to applaud Congressman COSTELLO’s unwavering commitment to his constituents in the 12th District of 

Illinois. For the last quarter century, he has 

been their strongest advocate in Congress, 

and the communities in southern Illinois have 

benefited greatly from his leadership. 

I would also like to recognize Congressman 

COSTELLO’s family—his wife, Dr. Georgia COSTELLO, and his three children, Jerry, Gina, and 

John Patrick—for supporting him during his 

storied tenure. I wish Congressman COSTELLO

and his family all of the best as he leaves 

Congress, and hope that he finds happiness 

and fulfillment in all his future endeavors. 

Mr. KINZINGER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, 

throughout his career as a public servant, 

Congressman JERRY COSTELLO has displayed 

a commitment to his fellow citizens, starting 

with his career in law enforcement and 

transitioning to become a very successful 

court administrator. In 1980, he was elected 

chairman of the St. Clare County Board and 

acted as its chief executive for 8 years until 

being elected to Congress from Illinois’ 12th 

district. Congressman COSTELLO’s wife, Georgia, has also displayed a dedication to the 

people and communities of southern Illinois, 

working as a teacher, school principal, administrator, and most recently, the President of 

Southwestern Illinois College. 

Throughout his 24 years in Congress, Congressman COSTELLO has been a tireless advocate for the 12th district, working to improve 

the region’s economy and enhance its transportation infrastructure. As a senior member of 

the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Congressman COSTELLO helped write 

two highway bills that included funds for many 

local projects, including the construction of the 

New Mississippi River Bridge. He led the push 

to construct the MetroLink Light Rail, a rail 

system connecting St. Clare County to the St. 

Louis region. In addition, Congressman COSTELLO was instrumental in developing southern 

Illinois’ clean-coal industry, working to secure 

research and funding grants for various local 

universities. 

Congressman COSTELLO served four years 

as the Chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee, helping to shepherd numerous airline safety and Federal Aviation Administration 

reform bills into law. One of his most significant legislative accomplishments is helping to 

write the Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009, a bill that increased 

the required number of commercial pilot training hours and set new rules to limit pilot fatigue. 

For his work protecting and enhancing the 

Scott Air Force Base, Congressman COSTELLO

has been recognized as the base’s ‘‘Patron 

Saint.’’ He championed the base through numerous rounds of the Base Realignment and 

Closure process from 1995–2005, establishing 

Scott as one of America’s leading Air Force 

bases. His efforts not only preserved the base, 

but brought the Army’s Surface Deployment 

and Distribution Command and added 800 

jobs the region. 

In my two years working with Congressman 

COSTELLO, I have had the privilege to get to 

know and learn from him. The Illinois delegation will surely miss his expertise and leadership. He leaves behind a legacy of being able 

to work with any Member, regardless of party, 

to get the job done and do what’s best for the 

Nation. I am grateful for the time during which 

I was able to call Congressman COSTELLO my 

colleague and friend, and wish him all the best 

in his future endeavors. 

Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

today to pay tribute to my good friend and fellow Illinois Representative, Congressman 

JERRY COSTELLO. 

I can say with sincerity that JERRY COSTELLO, after 24 years of dedication, has gone 

above and beyond in every way possible to 

serve the 12th District of Illinois and this nation. Throughout his tenure, Congressman 

COSTELLO has worked tirelessly to improve the 

economic standing of Southern Illinois, as well 

as foster positive change for this nation. 

JERRY COSTELLO has been one of the most 

ardent workers for improving national transportation and has received many honors and recognition over the years for his work on agricultural issues of great importance to Illinois 


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farmers. With his bipartisan approach to 

issues, Congressman COSTELLO has garnered 

results time and again for the State of Illinois. 

Not only do Congressman COSTELLO and I 

share this strong, cross-party attitude, but we 

also sit together on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Through our work 

together, I have witnessed first-hand the 

amount of effort and hard work that he has put 

into the improvement of transportation infrastructure in the 12th District of Illinois as well 

as nationwide. Most importantly Congressman 

COSTELLO never left his district and always 

came back to Illinois after the session was 

over. This enabled him to truly stay grounded 

and in touch with his constituents. 

I would take this moment to honor Congressman COSTELLO and all his years of service. Thank you, Congressman JERRY COSTELLO and congratulations on your numerous 

achievements. I wish you the best of luck in all 

future endeavors. 

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, as we are approaching the final days of the 112th Congress, I want to join with so many other House 

Members in paying tribute to my friend and 

colleague, Representative JERRY COSTELLO. 

While JERRY and I have served together on 

the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for over 20 years, I really have come to 

know and admire him during the last six years 

as we have served together in leadership positions on the Aviation Subcommittee. JERRY

was Chairman for four years while I served as 

the ranking minority member, and this Congress that was reversed with the Republican 

majority. 

But no matter which of us was Chairman, 

we forged a working relationship based on respect and a desire to work together on a bipartisan basis to get things done. And we 

have had a productive six years together. We 

passed the Airline Safety and Pilot Training 

Improvement Act of 2009, one of the strongest 

safety bills to pass Congress in a long time. 

We spent a number of years working on a 

comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill, which 

culminated in the signing of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 on February 14, 2012. 

We have been committed to providing oversight and support for the effort to modernize 

our air traffic control system, known as 

NextGen. As we were first starting out together with JERRY as Chairman back in 2007, 

we discovered the FAA could not even succinctly tell us just what NextGen actually was. 

We determined then that a major priority for 

us was to do all that we could to make sure 

this program was on track, that the FAA was 

held accountable for management of the program, and that other stakeholders be involved 

and consulted in this effort. Just this morning, 

we held our final NextGen oversight hearing, 

and I believe that we have been an effective 

team over the years on this program which is 

so critical to the future of our aviation system. 

There has been much well-deserved concern expressed about the lack of civility and 

bipartisanship these days in the House. JERRY

and I have shown that, even though you may 

not always agree, when you work through 

issues to actually accomplish something rather 

than just trying to score political points, we 

can do things that improve our nation. 

JERRY is one of the workhorses of the 

House who has been an effective Representative for the 12th District of Illinois. He is a decent and honorable man, and I consider it an 

honor to have served and worked together 

with him. My best wishes go to JERRY, his wife 

Georgia, and the entire family as they begin 

this new phase in their lives. 

Mr. LUJA ́ N. Mr. Speaker, for more than two 

decades, Congressman JERRY COSTELLO of Illinois has served the people of his district and 

his state with distinction. Congressman COSTELLO represents the type of individual we 

need here in this body to advance the important business of our country. As a thoughtful, 

fair, and dedicated representative, he is held 

in high esteem by colleagues on both sides of 

the aisle. 

I am pleased to have had the opportunity to 

serve with him on the Science, Space, and 

Technology Committee and see firsthand the 

knowledge and passion that he brings to his 

role as a leader on the Committee. His Committee colleagues and I have the greatest respect for him, always valuing his opinion on 

the important issues before us. 

While JERRY will be truly missed in the halls 

of Congress, I thank him for his service and 

wish him well on his next endeavor. I know 

that his wife Georgia, his children, and grandchildren will be glad to have more time to 

spend with him. 

Mr. MCNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today 

to recognize my colleague, Representative 

JERRY COSTELLO, who has announced his retirement at the end of this Congress. I am 

honored to have served with JERRY on two 

committees, and I respect and admire his bipartisan approach to our work here in Congress. 

During my first term here in Congress, 

JERRY addressed an issue in the Science 

Committee with the force and backing to make 

a real impression on me. He has provided us 

all with a model of how a leader can engage 

in robust debate with respect and an open 

mind. Whenever a colleague approached 

JERRY, he has always been willing to listen 

and give valuable input. 

Congressman COSTELLO has been a wonderful leader and colleague, providing us with 

a great example of how we can accomplish 

things in Congress to benefit the areas we 

represent. The entire country and I thank 

JERRY for his 24 years of service to his constituents in Illinois and to all Americans, and 

while I am sorry to see him go, I wish him the 

best in his next endeavors. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, even 

though the Science Committee prides itself on 

bipartisanship, at times, the discussions got a 

little heated. Luckily, we’ve had JERRY COSTELLO there to help cool things off. JERRY’s 

business-like approaches and pleasant smile 

have always been a positive factor in getting 

things done. Unlike so many of us, JERRY likes 

to listen as much as he likes to talk. This 

unique characteristic actually enabled him to 

disagree in a very agreeable way. 

In short, even those of us who do not agree 

on particular issues, respect and like JERRY

COSTELLO. He will be missed on both a personal and professional level. I wish him the 

best because he has been one of the best. 

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to 

honor my dear friend and colleague Congressman JERRY COSTELLO. 

For 24 years Mr. COSTELLO has served the 

people of Southwestern and Southern Illinois 

with a will and determination I have long admired. As a member of the Illinois delegation, 

I have often looked towards his bipartisan 

work ethic and unique ability to reach across 

the aisle as a reminder of what can be 

achieved when lawmakers put the American 

people before themselves. Congressman COSTELLO ‘‘gets it.’’ He’s a man of character who 

has never lost sight of his ultimate purpose: to 

serve the people of Illinois’ 12th District. 

Mr. Speaker, Congressman COSTELLO is 

also a man who has never shied away from 

working hard to make his goals a reality. After 

high school, he worked full time as a law enforcement officer in order to pay his way 

through college. He went on to serve his community administering the region’s court services system, and in 1980 he was elected 

Chairman of the St. Clair County Board. 

After proving his ability as a leader, the 

good people of Southwestern and Southern Illinois saw fit to send Mr. COSTELLO to Congress in 1988, and he took his vision for a 

new regional Illinois transportation network to 

the national level. As a senior member of the 

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, 

he has worked tirelessly to expand transit, 

having championed the $670 million Mississippi Bridge between Madison County and 

downtown St. Louis. In addition, through his 

role on the Aviation Subcommittee, he helped 

pass some of the toughest aviation safety 

laws our country has seen in over half a century. 

It is because of efforts like these that Congressman COSTELLO has established himself 

as one of Congress’ most effective members, 

someone who can be counted on to get things 

done. For the past 24 years the people of the 

12th Congressional District of Illinois could 

rest easy knowing that Congressman JERRY

COSTELLO was working hard for them in Washington. His constituents, and those of us who 

have had the pleasure of working with him, 

know that if there is a tough task or issue to 

address, JERRY COSTELLO is the person to see 

it through. 

Mr. COSTELLO has spent most of his life 

serving the public. He is admired by his family, 

district and his peers and rarely is there a 

member who has worked so well across party 

lines and accomplished so much during his 

time in office. I want to thank him for setting 

an ideal example that we should all strive for 

when we come to DC. It is part of the larger 

legacy he leaves in Congress, which will stay 

with many of us as we continue where he 

leaves off in working for the American people. 

Mr. Speaker, JERRY COSTELLO’s presence in 

the halls of Congress will be sorely missed. I 

am proud to call Congressman JERRY COSTELLO a friend and wish him all the best as he 

heads back to Illinois to seek new endeavors. 

Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

honor and pay tribute to my distinguished 

friend and colleague from Illinois, JERRY COSTELLO, as he enters his final days serving the 

Prairie State in Congress. 

JERRY has been a loyal advocate and dedicated fighter for the people of Southern and 

Southwestern Illinois in the U.S. House of 

Representatives. JERRY’S unyielding commitment to Illinois, however, dates back even further—to his early days working as a full-time 

law enforcement officer as he worked his way 

through college. No matter how far JERRY traveled, his heart has always remained with his 

community—and his family, at home in Belleville. 

Since I first arrived in Congress in 2003, I 

have had the privilege of serving as a member 


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of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. During our service together, I have 

continually been impressed by JERRY’s understanding of key issues, especially those pertaining to aviation, as well as his knowledge 

and passion for the legislative process. 

Members of Congress and influential figures 

on both sides of the aisle have praised Jerry 

for his willingness to work across party lines to 

get things done for his constituents and the 

nation. As the rough winds of partisanship 

have made getting things done in Washington 

difficult, Illinois and Congress have benefitted 

from an experienced pilot who still believes 

that by working together, Congress can push 

ahead through turbulence to a better flight 

plan for our nation. 

Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring my 

friend and colleague, JERRY COSTELLO, for his 

eleven terms in Congress and his continued 

dedication to our nation. 

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I 

rise to recognize my good friend and distinguished colleague from Illinois, Congressman 

JERRY COSTELLO. It is an honor for me to join 

my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 

commend and thank him for his outstanding 

leadership and long record of service to this 

nation. 

As this session’s adjournment and his retirement approaches, I also wish to take this opportunity to thank JERRY for his friendship and 

guidance as my senior colleague on the 

Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, on 

which I have had the honor of serving with 

him since I was first elected in 2002. When I 

first met JERRY, he was already a veteran 

member of this body with a broad knowledge 

and understanding of the many important and 

complicated issues under our committee’s jurisdiction. 

JERRY’s guidance and counsel in those early 

years were invaluable to me as a new Member. I have continued to look toward JERRY in 

this Congress as the standard-bearer for our 

committee with an unrivaled insight, institutional knowledge, and vision of the many complex issues facing our nation. 

As the former chairman and now ranking 

member of the aviation subcommittee, JERRY

has performed a critical service in shaping 

federal aviation policies to ensure our system 

remains unrivaled and the safest in the world. 

As a senior member of the Science, Space & 

Technology Committee, JERRY has proven 

there is no stronger advocate or more successful champion for our nation’s space program or national STEM initiatives to better 

prepare students for a 21st Century economy. 

Indeed, JERRY has achieved tremendous 

success and distinguished himself with an impeccable record of accomplishments in public 

service and leaves an indelible mark on the 

House of Representatives. 

Mr. Speaker, I wish Congressman JERRY

COSTELLO the best of luck in his future endeavors and bid the gentleman from Illinois a 

fond farewell. 

Ms. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the congressional career of our colleague, the gentleman and legislator from Illinois’ 12th Congressional District, JERRY COSTELLO. It is hard to imagine this Congress, the 

Science, Space and Technology, SST, Committee, and the Transportation and Infrastructure, T&I, Committee without him as he retires 

at the end of the 112th Congress. I am happy 

that he is leaving on his own terms and I wish 

him every happiness as he moves on to the 

next phase of life. 

When I became a Member of the House of 

Representatives in 2008, I was new to elected 

public office. I was given the opportunity to 

serve on the SST and T&I Committees, both 

of which I have had the honor of serving with 

Representative COSTELLO. As a new Member 

of Congress, there are certain members you 

observe and seek to emulate. Right away, I 

admired Rep. COSTELLO’s preparation, diligence, and his quiet and tempered leadership. 

Throughout my time in the House, I have 

seen Representative COSTELLO exhibit these 

qualities time and time again. That is likely 

why he has managed a feat rare in this day 

and age, being admired by both Democrats 

and Republicans as a man who exemplifies 

public service. 

On the T&I Committee, Rep. COSTELLO

fought to make air travel safer with the passage of the Federal Aviation Administration 

Reauthorization Act of 2007. Responding to 

the crash of a commuter airplane outside of 

Buffalo, NY, he sought to improve safety 

standards to ensure better pilot training in 

2009. 

He has fought tirelessly over his 26 years in 

the House of Representatives for his constituents by expanding critical infrastructure in the 

12th Congressional District of Illinois, growing 

the local economy, and bringing good paying 

jobs to the region. Southern Illinois is better off 

to have had such vigorous and able leadership. 

All of us in this institution are referred to as 

the gentlelady or gentleman from the day we 

are sworn in as a Member of this body. However, Rep. COSTELLO truly deserves that title 

since he is a true gentleman. His retirement 

will leave a void in this House that cannot be 

filled. 

My first four years in Congress, the House 

of Representatives, and our country are better 

off thanks to JERRY COSTELLO’s public service 

and efforts. I wish you JERRY, your wife Georgia Cockrum Costello, your children Jerry II, 

Gina, and John Patrick, and your eight grandchildren continued success, happiness, and 

hopefully some well-earned rest. I know they 

have been of tremendous support to you in 

your service to this House and our nation. You 

leave behind a legacy of service that others 

can and should aspire to. 

Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

today to recognize Congressman JERRY COSTELLO, my colleague on the Science, Space 

and Technology Committee, who is retiring at 

the end of this Congress after 24 years of 

service to Illinois’ 12th Congressional district. 

Congressman COSTELLO began serving his 

community long before he was an elected official. As a college student, Mr. COSTELLO

helped make communities safer by working as 

a law enforcement officer. Though hard work, 

dedication and leadership, Mr. COSTELLO

earned the respect and trust of his peers, 

leaders throughout the State of Illinois and 

most importantly, his community. A few years 

after graduating from Maryville University, Mr. 

COSTELLO was elected as Chairman of the St. 

Clair County Commission Board. Fittingly, 

when his community was searching for an exceptional leader to replace 22-term Congressman Melvin Price, they turned to Mr. COSTELLO. Over the next 24 years, he would lead 

his community through some of its most challenging times. 

When the Scott Air Force Base, one of his 

district’s largest employers, was facing closure, they turned to Congressman COSTELLO. 

He not only stood up for them, he delivered. 

In addition to convincing the Department of 

Defense (DOD) to keep the base open, he 

worked with them to bring hundreds of additional jobs to the region. 

Congressman COSTELLO has worked in a bipartisan manner to make flying safer and 

strengthen our nation’s infrastructure. He 

helped write and pass legislation that has 

pumped billions of dollars into our nation’s infrastructure, and heightened aviation industry 

standards. As Chairman of the House Aviation 

Subcommittee, Congressman COSTELLO

prioritized passenger safety, held airline companies accountable and pushed for innovations rather than accept the status-quo. 

While he will be missed in Washington, 

through his countless contributions, his presence will linger. His wife Georgia, three children, eight grandchildren and constituents will 

be happy to have him home. 

Mr. Speaker, Congressman COSTELLO epitomizes what it means to be a public servant. I 

am grateful for his 24 years of service to our 

nation and I encourage my fellow members of 

Congress to commend him for his service. 

Thank you Congressman COSTELLO. 

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I 

rise to salute my friend and colleague, Mr. 

COSTELLO on over two decades of admirable 

service to our country and especially to the 

people of Southern Illinois. 

I have been honored to serve with Mr. COSTELLO as a member of the Transportation and 

Infrastructure Committee, where I have seen 

firsthand his skill at working on a bipartisan 

basis to improve our nation’s transportation infrastructure. As the Ranking Member of the 

Aviation Subcommittee, his patience and willingness to work with all Members of Congress 

was critical in the passage of the recent Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill. 

He has provided leadership, guidance and a 

long-term vision of how we can move our 

country forward. I am thankful for his friendship and advice over the years, and I wish him 

the best in his future steps. 

Mr. NEAL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take 

this opportunity to recognize the retirement of 

my dear friend, Congressman JERRY COSTELLO. During his tenure in the U.S. House of 

Representatives, his absolute dedication to the 

12th district of Illinois, and his success in 

passing beneficial legislation has gained him 

the admiration of colleagues and constituents 

alike. He is fully committed to the prosperity of 

the economy, the well-being of his constituents, as well as solving the issues of the day. 

As a member of the House Committee on 

Transportation and Infrastructure, Congressman COSTELLO made his mark through the improvement of the transportation industry for 

both his district and the nation. He is responsible for the creation of MetroLink extension in 

St. Clair county and for funding the construction of the Mississippi River Bridge. Congressman COSTELLO is also an active member of 

the Aviation Subcommittee and the Railroads, 

Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee. He worked relentlessly to pass the 

Airline Safety and the Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009, the strongest aviation safety 

legislation in fifty years, following a passenger 

jet crash killing fifty-one people. Congressman 

COSTELLO will also always be remembered as 


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‘‘the patron saint of Scott Air Force Base,’’ for 

preventing the base’s closure in Belleville, IL 

during the Base Realignment and Closure 

process and for expanding its operations. 

As a senior member of the House Committee of Science and Technology, Congressman COSTELLO is known for his dedication to 

developing clean coal technology and for providing a voice for Illinois farmers and workers. 

Due to his many accomplishments, he won 

the ‘‘Friend of Agriculture Award’’ three times 

since 2004, the ‘‘Labor Man of the Year 

Award’’ in 2010, and countless other awards 

and recognitions. 

Having served with him since I was first 

elected into Congress, I am truly honored to 

have worked with such a dedicated and passionate member of the House. I am grateful to 

call Congressman COSTELLO my friend, and I 

wish him the best in his future endeavors. 

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay 

tribute to a great colleague, a wonderful Member of this House, and a very dear friend, 

Congressman JERRY COSTELLO. 

I have had the great privilege of serving with 

JERRY COSTELLO on the House Transportation 

and Infrastructure Committee since I’ve been 

in Congress. Over the years, I have learned 

so much from JERRY and have enjoyed our 

partnership on the Committee. 

During his twenty-four years in Congress, 

JERRY has been a passionate advocate for his 

constituents and improving the transportation 

infrastructure in the Illinois 12th Congressional 

District. As the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, he has 

been a tireless champion of general aviation 

and modernizing our aviation system. His effective leadership and extensive knowledge of 

these issues have led to countless infrastructure improvements in his district and state. 

JERRY’s commitment to service extended 

beyond Illinois. When visiting my home state 

of Iowa, JERRY took the time to meet with 

some of my constituents to understand the 

transportation needs of our state and see how 

potential investments would affect our communities. He took the concerns of Iowans as seriously as those of his own constituents and 

made certain that these concerns were addressed in Washington. 

I will greatly miss working with him, but I 

wish him and his family my very best wishes 

for a very bright future. 

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. 

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a cherished 

colleague and dear friend in the U.S. House of 

Representatives, Congressman JERRY COSTELLO. After more than twenty-three years of 

dedicated public service, Congressman COSTELLO will be retiring from the U.S. Congress. 

Congressman COSTELLO is a true statesman, 

and he will be sorely missed. 

Congressman COSTELLO is a stellar example of the commitment needed to be an effective public servant. He began his public service at an early age, working in law enforcement while attending college. He has built his 

career on bipartisanship and dependability, 

and has always kept the needs of his constituents and the American people foremost in his 

mind and close to his heart. Congressman 

COSTELLO is a devoted family man, who treasures his wife, Georgia, their three children, 

and eight grandchildren. His compassion has 

given Congressman COSTELLO a unique perspective, making him that much more effective 

as a Member of Congress. 

I have had the distinct pleasure of working 

closely with Congressman COSTELLO on both 

the House Committees on Transportation and 

Infrastructure and Science, Space, and Technology. He is an effective legislator, and has 

shown an unwavering commitment to furthering scientific research and building our Nation’s infrastructure. Having served both as 

Chairman and Ranking Member on the Aviation Subcommittee, Congressman COSTELLO

continues to work with his colleagues on a bipartisan basis to improve the safety and innovation of the aviation industry. 

Mr. Speaker, the bonds that we form with 

our fellow colleagues in Congress are unlike 

anything else, and the friendship Congressman COSTELLO and I have developed over the 

years is very special to me. The House of 

Representatives is losing a distinguished colleague, and the constituents of the 12th District of Illinois are losing a loyal advocate. I 

have immense respect for Congressman COSTELLO. I will miss him dearly, and I wish him 

and his family all the best in their future endeavors. 

Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

honor the distinguished career of JERRY COSTELLO. In this vast body, JERRY is well known 

and admired by Members on both sides of the 

aisle. Republicans and Democrats alike have 

praised his tenure since JERRY announced retirement last October. He has served since 

1988 and I have had the pleasure of sitting 

with him on the Committee on Transportation 

and Infrastructure for nearly five years. 

Serving four years as Chairman of the 

House Aviation Committee, and now as the 

Ranking Member, JERRY has been able to 

drive sound policy to make sure that America’s skies are safe. JERRY wrote and played 

an instrumental role in passing legislation to 

reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. As a member of the Transportation and 

Infrastructure Committee, he helped write national highway bills and secure $150 million for 

the Mississippi River Bridge in his district. 

JERRY gets the job done and I have been enriched by sitting on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee with him. 

JERRY has been a true and effective advocate for Illinois’s 12th Congressional district. 

His list of accomplishments is long and he 

truly cares about protecting the interests of his 

constituents. For example, he was not only 

able to keep Scott Air Force Base open during 

several rounds of the Base Realignment and 

Closure (BRAC) process, but JERRY added 

800 jobs. The base is Illinois’s largest employer south of Springfield. 

While the halls of Congress and particularly 

the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will be less bright, I know that JERRY

will find joy in his next journey back home in 

Illinois. I wish him and his family all the best. 

Mr. HOLDEN. Mr. Speaker, it is with great 

appreciation that I rise today to remember and 

honor the congressional career of my good 

friend, JERRY COSTELLO. JERRY and I have 

served together for the last twenty years. 

Not only do I consider JERRY a dear friend, 

but he is also a mentor. He was there to provide sound advice and tutelage when I joined 

the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the 105th Congress. He is widely 

seen as a leader in Congress on transportation issues. JERRY and I also worked closely 

together on matters concerning the people of 

Ireland. JERRY never forgot his ancestral roots 

in trying to better the lives for the Irish. 

It wasn’t only in matters before Congress 

that JERRY provided guidance, but also in life. 

I had the great fortune of sharing the same 

travel agent as JERRY which has enriched my 

life greatly. 

JERRY, you will be greatly missed in this 

body and Congress will greatly miss you. I 

wish you all the best in your next endeavors 

and know you will bring your pragmatic approach to the task at hand. 

Mr. Speaker and fellow colleagues, please 

join me in celebrating my dear friend, JERRY

COSTELLO. 

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

honor my great friend and colleague, the distinguished senior member from Illinois, Mr. 

COSTELLO, as he prepares to retire at the conclusion of the 112th Congress. 

Congressman COSTELLO has been a trusted 

friend and mentor to me for the last twelve 

years. 

When I first arrived as a freshman Member 

of Congress in 2001, Congressman COSTELLO

was here to greet me and guide me along the 

right path. 

And over the years, I have continued to rely 

on his good advice and wise counsel. 

His departure is a great loss for the State of 

Illinois, the citizens of the 12th district, and the 

St. Louis regional delegation. 

For the last twenty-four years, Mr. COSTELLO

has been a tireless advocate for southern Illinois and metro east. 

He has been a champion for rebuilding and 

enhancing our transportation infrastructure. 

The magnificent new Mississippi River 

Bridge that is currently under construction will 

be a powerful symbol of his legacy of leadership. 

Congressman COSTELLO has also been the 

patron saint of Scott Air Force Base—the largest employer in southern Illinois. 

Our region, and indeed, our nation are 

stronger because of his continuous efforts to 

preserve and expand this vital national defense asset. 

Mr. Speaker, I consider it a great blessing to 

have had the opportunity to serve with Congressman COSTELLO and to call him my good 

friend. 

I honor him for his service to his state, the 

St. Louis region and our nation. 

And I salute him on a remarkable congressional career. 

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, 

I rise today to honor one of this body’s finest 

members, Congressman JERRY F. COSTELLO, 

for his long-time service to the Congress. 

Mr. COSTELLO has worked on behalf of the 

people of southern Illinois for more than 24 

years, passionately bringing their concerns 

with him to Washington and diligently 

partnering with his colleagues to get the job 

done. 

Beyond his service to the people of Illinois’ 

12th District, Congressman COSTELLO has 

been a steadfast leader for our nation’s transportation infrastructure. He was instrumental in 

the creation of national highway bills that have 

become the groundwork for a more prosperous America, and a tireless advocate for 

aviation measures that have made our skies 

safer and our airlines stronger. 

It has been a privilege to serve in this 

House with Congressman COSTELLO, and I am 

proud today to stand with my colleagues and 

pay tribute to his distinguished career and 

leadership. We salute a gentleman who has 


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made a positive impact on the lives of those 

he has served, and who leaves a legacy worthy of this institution. I wish him, his wife Georgia, and his family well on their future endeavors. 

Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct 

honor to rise and salute my friend and colleague, the distinguished gentleman from Illinois’ 12th district, JERRY COSTELLO, as he prepares to conclude 24 years of service to his 

country and the people of southern Illinois as 

a Member of the House of Representatives. I 

have worked with JERRY regularly over the 

years on a number of bills and issues, but he 

and I collaborated especially closely these 

past two years on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure as we worked to pass 

a long-term Federal Aviation Administration 

(FAA) reauthorization bill. And at every juncture, I never failed to be impressed by his earnest and apparent desire to do right by his 

constituents and the American people. 

JERRY first came to Congress as a freshman 

Member of the Illinois Delegation after his 

election in 1988, but, even before he took the 

oath of office, he had already distinguished 

himself as a faithful public servant of the people of Illinois through his service in the state 

court system and then as chief executive of 

one of Illinois’ largest counties. JERRY came to 

Congress—and this was apparent to me from 

some of my earliest collaboration with him— 

with a strong sense of duty to his constituents 

and to the public at large. For 24 years, this 

has been reflected in the strong spirit of bipartisanship in which JERRY works with our colleagues across the aisle. He finds compromises where others cannot. 

Whether working with JERRY to advance 

clean coal or to make our aviation system 

safer and stronger, I always got the sense he 

was practically an expert in the subject matter. 

And, indeed, he was. In 2007, he was instrumental in helping write and secure House passage of a $68 billion FAA reauthorization. He 

worked to pass the bill again in 2009, and he 

negotiated tirelessly with the other body to 

enact a final bill before the clock ran out last 

Congress. 

Moreover, in the aftermath of the tragic 

crash of Colgan Flight 3407 in 2009, JERRY

wrote and worked in a bipartisan manner to 

pass an airline safety bill that called for the 

strongest aviation safety improvements in 

more than 40 years. The bill made sweeping 

airline safety and pilot training reforms that 

have made the traveling public safer. JERRY’s 

vision, knowledge, and leadership resulted in 

those reforms becoming law. 

This Congress, JERRY and I worked very 

closely as we negotiated with our House and 

Senate colleagues on a long-term FAA bill. 

Before that process began, there were probably some who thought ‘‘slots’’ are something 

you might find in Vegas or Atlantic City. But 

JERRY would patiently explain the other type of 

‘‘slots’’ that loomed large over the FAA bill: 

slots for airlines to fly to Washington National 

Airport. Explaining slots—or any complex aviation issue, for that matter—JERRY would boil 

down years of legislation, rulemaking, and airline mergers and bankruptcies into a few simple words that reflect his good Midwestern 

common sense. 

When JERRY retires at the end of this Congress, we will lose the benefit of his institutional memory, his knowledge of aviation 

issues from top to bottom, and his bipartisan 

approach to solving problems and finding 

common ground. I have no doubt that JERRY’s 

family—his wife, Georgia, his daughter and 

two sons, and his eight grandchildren—are 

looking forward to having him closer to home 

for longer periods of time. On behalf of my 

colleagues, I would like to thank them for 

sharing JERRY with us for these 24 years. His 

good work has made a tremendous difference 

not only for the people of his district, but for 

every American who flies, drives, or takes a 

train in this country. 

Mr. Speaker, with great admiration, I salute 

my friend as he prepares to retire from this 

body, and I join with my colleagues in extending to him every best wish in his future endeavors. 

f 

GOP DOCTORS CAUCUS 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under 

the Speaker’s announced policy of January 5, 2011, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. BENISHEK) is recognized for 60 

minutes as the designee of the majority leader. 

Mr. BENISHEK. Mr. Speaker, as 

many of you may know, before coming 

to Congress, I was a physician in northern Michigan for nearly 30 years, and 

tonight I want to spend a little time 

talking to you about Medicare, the 

President’s health care bill, and just 

health care in general. 

In practice, many of my patients 

were on Medicare, and I know how important medical care is to our seniors. 

It’s an important part of their ability 

to take care of themselves as they get 

older. Really, the reason I’m here 

today is to explain that the GOP and 

the Republicans want to preserve Medicare for our current seniors and for the 

youth that are coming up because right 

now the way Medicare is organized, the 

trust fund will be out of money within 

10 to 12 years. Different accountants 

have different numbers. But basically, 

unless we do something, we’re going to 

run out of money. We just don’t want 

that to happen. I want to see people 

still have access to their care. 

In discussing this issue, it seems as if 

we’ve been attacked for trying to end 

Medicare. But if you see that there’s a 

problem with a system that is running 

out of money and you don’t want to address it, that’s just not right. 

The Doctors Caucus in the House is 

18 physicians, nurses, and dentists that 

represent different areas of the country, and we have a good understanding 

of health care as it exists right now in 

America. Certainly, there are problems 

with health care and access to it. And 

although we have great health care in 

America, the problem is it’s too expensive. Frankly, the President’s health 

care bill makes it more difficult to 

keep Medicare viable. Those are a few 

of the things I want to talk to you 

about this evening, just touch on to let 

you understand what I think about how 

the system is working and how we can 

improve it. 

I don’t think it’s a partisan issue. I 

think it’s something that we need to 

discuss. Frankly, I just don’t think 

that some of the people that have 

passed these laws in Congress really 

understood what they were doing. They 

admitted the fact that they passed the 

bill without really knowing what was 

in it. I just don’t think that’s really a 

good idea. 

What is really the problem with 

Medicare? The problem is that the population of our country is changing. 

There are more older citizens than 

there were; in other words, there are 

10,000 new Medicare beneficiaries being 

added each day. Right now, a little 

over three people are paying into the 

system for every person that is collecting. Because of the large numbers 

of people that are being added to the 

roles, within a few years there are only 

going to be two people paying in for 

each person collecting. That creates a 

problem in the fact that there are not 

as many people paying in as are receiving benefits. With the cost of health 

care going up, it makes it a fiscal cliff. 

The other big problem that we see 

with the Medicare situation is the fact 

that the President’s health care law, in 

order to pay for it, takes $700 billion 

out of Medicare. That’s a lot of money 

to take out of Medicare and still expect 

it to provide care for our seniors, more 

and more of which are coming on to it 

every day. I think that there is certainly some waste, fraud, and abuse 

that can be eliminated, and that will 

help, but it’s just not enough. We have 

to change the system. 

The system that I think we should 

change to, frankly, is the system of 

PAUL RYAN and Mr. WYDEN of Oregon, 

who brought together a program where 

we can put some changes in for those 

people under 55 that will allow them to 

choose between different private insurance plans similar to what Federal employees and Members of Congress have. 

These private plans would be inspected 

and reviewed by the government to be 

sure that they’re adequate and give 

people some flexibility in how they 

spend their money. 

One of the problems I see with Medicare is that the government ends up deciding how to spend the money rather 

than the patient. The patient, to me, is 

the one whose money it is. The people 

who are spending the money should be 

the ones who are deciding how it’s 

spent, not some government person or 

bureaucrat in Washington. 

Show me the slide on the $700 billion. 

I just want to show people the slide 

that demonstrates what’s happened to 

this money. I represent the northern 

half of Michigan. We have many small 

towns and small hospitals in my district. Every little town has their community hospital, and it’s hours sometimes to the next facility. 

b 1820 

This slide here shows the $716 billion 

coming out of the Medicare program, 

and $294 billion of that money is payments to hospitals. The President describes the Medicare cuts as cutting 

waste and overpayments to providers. 


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