E612 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks May 16, 2019 and for its contribution to the communities of INTRODUCTION OF THE DUCK b. If canopies are removed, requiring that all Will and Kankakee Counties. BOAT SAFETY ACT, TO IMPLE- passengers wear a personal flotation device MENT SAFETY REGULATIONS while the vessel is on the water; f RELATED TO AMPHIBIOUS PAS- c. Permanently closing all unnecessary ac- SENGER VESSELS AND FOR cess plugs and reducing through-hull penetra- TRIBUTE TO ELLEN TAUSCHER OTHER PURPOSES tions to the minimum number and size nec- essary; HON. ANDRE´ CARSON d. Installing independently-powered electric HON. OF INDIANA bilge pumps; e. Installing no fewer than four independ- OF IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ently-powered bilge alarms; IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Thursday, May 16, 2019 f. Mandating inspection of vessels in water Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I after each through-hull penetration; Thursday, May 16, 2019 am pleased to reintroduce the Duck Boat g. Verifying watertight integrity of vessels in Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I rise today Safety bill, to implement safety regulations for the water at the outset of each waterborne de- in recognition of the lifelong contributions amphibious passenger vessels. These safety parture; and h. Otherwise complying with existing Coast made by Ellen Tauscher, who led the charge recommendations were made by federal agen- Guard regulations related to the inspection, in every aspect of her life, from politics to cies to address known problems associated configuration, and operation of such vessels. world diplomacy and from Wall Street to moth- with duck boats that have resulted in far too Those vessels that do not meet the one- erhood. many injuries and fatalities. I became aware of these problems when my year deadline to implement interim safety She was a woman with strong convictions, constituents, the Coleman family, were in- measures, as well as those that do not meet a steel backbone, and an unshakable moral volved in a horrible duck boat accident on July the two-year deadline to install reserve buoy- compass. As a Democratic centrist she didn’t 19, 2018 in Branson, Missouri. Tia Coleman ancy systems, would be prohibited from oper- let party politics rule every decision and was one of only two survivors in her family of ating on U.S. waterways until they are compli- bucked a lot of trends. 11, losing her husband Glenn and her children ant. Ellen never met an obstacle she couldn’t Reece (nine years old), Evan (seven years Madam Speaker, I hope my colleagues will overcome. Frustrated as a working mother old), and Arya (one year old). Tia’s 13-year- join me in supporting this bill to make com- struggling with lack of access to quality old nephew, Donovan Coleman, was the other mon-sense corrections to the persistent safety childcare, she wrote a book to help other surviving family member, losing his mother problems facing duck boats so that no other moms and put her money and her time where Angela, his younger brother Maxwell (two family must face the kind of tragedy experi- her mouth was by founding a service to years old), his uncles Ervin (76 years old) and enced by my constituents on Table Rock screen prospective child-care providers and Butch (70 years old), and his aunt Belinda (69 Lake. I urge the House to support this bill. donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to years old). Boarding a duck boat on Table f California and Texas schools. Rock Lake started out as a fun outing for this INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK She broke new ground as one of the first family, but it turned into an unspeakable trag- women to hold a seat on the New York Stock edy when the boat capsized and sank. Seven- HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON teen of the 31 passengers on board were Exchange. At age 25, she was the youngest OF TEXAS killed. woman there ever. Ellen also was an officer IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES on the American Stock Exchange and worked Investigations by state and federal authori- Thursday, May 16, 2019 as an investment banker and bond trader for ties are still underway, and lawsuits are pend- 14 years before she became one of the driv- ing over the specifics of this incident. But Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, ing forces behind Sen. ’s there is a long record of problems associated I rise today to voice my support for the 7th an- successful 1992 bid for the U.S. Senate. with duck boat operations that should be ad- nual Infrastructure Week, which runs May 13 dressed now. Since 1999, more than 40 peo- through 20. America’s businesses, workers, In 1996, Ellen ran against Congressman ple have died in duck boat accidents, the vast citizens, and elected leaders from all levels of William P. Baker, the Republican incumbent, majority of them from drowning when the ves- government are all united around one mes- in a heavily conservative district in the East sel sinks. In 2002, the National Transportation sage: America’s future will be shaped by the Bay. She won the race, and the votes of many Safety Board (NTSB) issued recommendations infrastructure choices we make today. Republican women, with her common-sense to improve the safety of the vessels in cases In the 116th Congress, my fellow Transpor- campaign in favor of access to abortion, in- of flooding or sinking, but little has been done tation and Infrastructure Committee colleagues creased spending on education, gun-control to implement those measures. We know from and I are working across the aisle to achieve legislation, and focus on fiscal responsibility. these past incidents that more can be done to key objectives for the people, including cre- She served 13 years in Congress, including make these vessels safe. Congress does not ating and sustaining family-wage jobs, improv- her work in the House Armed Services Com- need to wait to act. ing the daily lives of Americans, preserving mittee, formerly known as the National Secu- While we wait to learn more about the spe- and protecting our environment, building sus- rity Committee, and as chairwoman of the cific circumstances and causes that led to the tainable and resilient communities, and ensur- Strategic Forces Subcommittee. tragedy on Table Rock Lake, this legislation ing U.S. economic competitiveness. Ellen’s interest in arms control and nuclear would implement the NTSB’s past rec- Specifically, in my home state of Texas, we weapons was a key asset during her tenure ommendations to improve the ability of duck have worked to establish milestones such as as a diplomat in the Obama Administration. boats (officially referred to as ‘‘amphibious laying the groundwork for the Texas Central She was integral to the negotiation of the New passenger vessels’’) to stay afloat in a flood- high-speed passenger rail line, which will con- Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty of 2010, ing or sinking situation. nect the fourth and fifth largest economies in which brought American and Russian nuclear Specifically, this bill would direct the Coast the country in less than 90 minutes. In Dallas, arsenals to their lowest levels in nearly 60 Guard to issue regulations within one year of there are currently over $2 billion dollars in ac- years. As said, ‘‘She made enactment to require operators of amphibious tive highway projects and an additional $1.5 American and the world safer through her passenger vessels to retrofit their vessels to billion in design-build projects. In Congres- work on arms control . . .’’ provide reserve buoyancy. Vessel operators sional District 30 alone, there are $1 billion would have no longer than two years to com- dollars’ worth of projects under construction. And she did all of this with a beautifully in- ply with the requirements. Other investments include a new 26-mile re- fectious smile that lit up any room she en- While vessel operators work to comply with gional transit passenger rail line, an airport tered. the reserve buoyancy requirements, this bill di- runway realignment project, and expansions of My heart goes out to Ellen’s daughter, Kath- rects them to implement interim measures to one of the largest inland ports as well as erine, and her other family members who lost improve vessel safety, including: major interstates and highways. These efforts her far too soon. I can only hope that they are a. Removing canopies from vessels for wa- have contributed to a $70-billion-dollar eco- able to take some comfort in knowing Ellen’s terborne operations, or replacing canopies nomic impact and nearly 67,000 jobs. legacy to make the world a better, safer place with structures that do not restrict escape in While we are focused on the need for sus- will live on. the event of flooding or sinking; tainable infrastructure, we must also highlight

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