Congressman James L. Oberstar to Keynote IRF Annual Awards Luncheon
For Immediate Release: January 8, 2010
Congressman James (Jim) L. Oberstar (D-Minn.) will address an audience of international road professionals at the 2010 IRF Annual Awards Luncheon Monday January 11, 2010.
For the 34 years he has served in Congress, Oberstar has championed numerous key transportation issues and has become known as the body’s leading expert on transportation policy. As the ranking democrat of the full Transportation Committee, he worked in a bipartisan manner to take the Highway Trust Fund off budget to ensure that gas taxes are used to fix roads and bridges and not to make the budget deficit look smaller.
"There is no greater friend to the road industry and no greater advocate for transportation in America than Congressman Oberstar," said Patrick Sankey, President and CEO of the International Road Federation (IRF). "It think it is fitting that, on an afternoon where we are celebrating some of the very best accomplishments of our industry, Congressman Oberstar is among them as he has helped make so many industry projects possible through his tireless efforts in Congress."
The IRF Annual Awards Luncheon will recognize the winners of the 2009 Global Road Achievement Awards (GRAA). The GRAA program was initiated by IRF to call more attention to the many economic and social benefits the road industry provides to international communities.
Founded in 1948, the International Road Federation (IRF) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization with members from both the public and private sectors in 90 countries worldwide. IRF promotes the development and maintenance of better, safer roads and road networks throughout the world, using technological solutions and management practices that provide maximum economic and social returns from road investment.
###