Washington, D.C. - Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed her condolences and requested a moment of silence on the House floor this afternoon in remembrance of the passengers on the plane crash in Sao Paulo, Brazil last night.  Representative Julio Redecker, the Brazilian House Minority Leader and a passenger on the plane, was scheduled to meet with the Speaker today.  Below are her remarks:

'Last evening, the airport at Sao Paulo, Brazil was the scene of a terrible tragedy that took the lives of as many as 200.  Among those lost was Representative Julio Redecker, the Brazilian House Minority Leader. 

'As fate would have it, I was scheduled to meet this afternoon with Mr. Redecker and the President of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, Arlindo Chinaglia.  Moments ago, I spoke with Mr. Chinaglia and Brazil's Ambassador to the United States, Antonio Patriota.  Mr. Chinaglia, said that he lost a colleague last night, he lost a friend.

'On behalf of the House, I wish to offer my deepest condolences to Mr. Redecker's widow, Salete, and to his family.  I hope it comes as some comfort that so many are thinking and praying for the Redecker family as this difficult time.

'I now ask that the House observe a moment of silence in remembrance of Julio Redecker and those who lost their lives in Brazil yesterday evening.'