Danny Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6229) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2523 7th Avenue East in North Saint Paul, Minnesota, as the ``Mayor William `Bill' Sandberg Post Office Building''.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to Representative McCollum of Minnesota.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I present for consideration and support H.R. 6229, which names a postal facility in North St. Paul, Minnesota, after Mayor William ``Bill'' Sandberg. H.R. 6229 was introduced by Representative Betty McCollum on June 10, 2008, and was reported from the Oversight Committee on July 16, 2008, by voice vote. The measure has been cosponsored by the entire Minnesota House delegation and pays tribute to one of the State's most well known public officials. William ``Bill'' Sandberg was a longtime resident of North St. Paul, Minnesota, who served his beloved city as mayor for 30 years until his death on April 20, 2008. First elected in 1978, Mayor Sandberg was reelected seven times. Known for his good sense of humor, Mayor Sandberg once joked that the reason he kept getting reelected was simply because no one else wanted the job. As mayor, Mr. Sandberg earned a reputation for his ability to bring people together by his warm, personable style. During the controversial meeting of the North St. Paul City Council, Mayor Sandberg once remarked that ``we were friends before the meeting, and while we may not agree on this, we will be friends when we walk out.'' He exhibited this same unique ability in bringing people together when he successfully solved divisive issues, such as the reconstruction of Highway 36. Before assuming the position of mayor, Bill Sandberg served in the United States Army during the 1950s. He then went on to a successful business career, joining his parents' funeral home business in St. Paul and White Bear Lake, Minnesota. So, Mr. Speaker, given Mayor Sandberg's commitment to his community, his State and to our country, I urge swift passage of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time and urge passage.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I urge passage.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Klein), who introduced this legislation.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, as Chair of the House subcommittee with oversight authority for the United States Postal Service, I stand in support of H.R. 6338, which renames a postal facility in Coconut Creek, Florida, in honor of Specialist Daniel Agami. H.R. 6338 enjoys the support of the entire House delegation from Florida and was introduced by my colleague, Representative Ron Klein, on June 20, 2008. The measure was taken up by the Oversight Committee on July 16, 2008, where it was passed by voice vote. H.R. 6338 calls for honoring Specialist Daniel Agami for his unwavering commitment, service and sacrifice to America. Army Specialist Daniel Agami died on June 21, 2007, in Baghdad from injuries he suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. While in college in 2005, he enlisted in the Army and was deployed to serve in Iraq the following year. Army Specialist Agami not only served as a combat soldier, but he was also a mentor for orphaned children in Iraq. Described as having a sunny personality, he was loved by the children he worked with and is certainly missed. Daniel's parents were presented with his Purple Heart and Bronze Star at his funeral. Agami was also posthumously honored with the Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal and the Combat Infantryman's Badge. In honor of his tremendous service to this country, I urge my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 6338 and renaming the postal facility on West Hillsboro Avenue in Coconut Creek, Florida, after Specialist Daniel Agami. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the amendment being offered.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the amendment being offered by the gentleman from Mississippi. The amendment, which is largely taken from the base bill H.R. 6691, goes way beyond the ruling that's been handed down by the Supreme Court in the Heller case and, ironically, would lead to less security and safety and greater risk in the Nation's capital. Moreover, in light of the ruling in the Heller case, the gentleman's amendment touches on more than just the issue of gun ownership in the home for purposes of self-defense. The amendment would allow the unfettered transport of guns and/or firearms and the possession of guns in businesses, and as written, the amendment only says businesses and nothing about businesses in which property is owned. And what is even more disturbing about the amendment is that it strips the District of Columbia from issuing or enacting any rule, law, or regulation dealing with homeownership. Nowhere in the case was such an order or action addressed or even mentioned in the Heller Supreme Court decision as written by Justice Scalia. In fact, it is my understanding that the decision clearly stated that a range of gun regulations are presumptively lawful. However, the gentleman's amendment fails to take that part of the Court's ruling into consideration. When the Court overturned the District's long-standing gun laws, in order not to infringe upon the second amendment rights of District residents, it set in motion a process that would require the District Government to rewrite the laws and not the United States Congress or the House of Representatives. This would be the case in Tupelo, Mississippi. Therefore, the elected officials of the District of Columbia should have an opportunity to develop permanent legislation to bring the city into compliance with the Heller ruling. If I may, Mr. Chairman, let me point out just what the amendment before us does. For starters, it would eliminate any form of gun registration which would prevent the city's police department from knowing who owns what type of gun or firearm. Secondly, the language is written so broadly that it would permit individuals to carry assault rifles openly in public and on D.C. streets. Lastly, I'd also like to point out that the amendment creates a gun show loophole that will allow D.C. residents to avoid background checks when purchasing weapons from private individuals and at gun shows without background checks. While Members from both sides of the aisle agree on the importance of preserving individual rights, we must also recognize that we live in perilous times, and with lone-wolf terrorists and copycat shootings on the rise, flat out ignoring the homeland security interests of the District of Columbia and the Federal Government is downright reckless and risky. But yet, this is exactly what this amendment has the potential to do, if adopted. As stated earlier, the District has already begun to revamp its laws, and in the coming months, we will have an opportunity to review the newly adopted gun ownership laws under our already well- established congressional review authority. I ask my colleagues to recognize and respect this fact and to join me in opposing this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, today I rise in strong support of H.R. 6842, the National Capital Security and Safety Act. The bill before us this evening has been crafted with great care and with utmost concern for the safety and well-being of our Nation's capital--its residents, businesses, visitors, and the Federal Government. I would like to recognize and thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) as well as Committee Chairman Henry Waxman for their leadership in bringing today's bill to the floor and for not turning a blind eye to the concept of home rule and self-governance by attempting to rewrite the District's new gun laws since the Supreme Court's decision in the Heller case. The measure has been considered and debated thoroughly by the oversight committee and was approved by a vote of 21-1, which demonstrates the bill's bipartisan support. As chairman of the subcommittee with oversight authority over the District of Columbia, I am well aware of the long history behind the District's gun regulatory efforts as well as the city's continual efforts to protect its citizens against violence and crime. As chairman, I'm also well aware of the effect that the presence of the Federal Government places on the security concerns of the District. H.R. 6842 seeks to highlight this issue by urging the District's city council to take into consideration such issues as homeland security, military functionality, threats of terrorism, and foreign dignitary protection as they continue to amend their laws to be in compliance with the Supreme Court's Heller decision. The measure being considered today serves as a commonsense and practical approach to ensuring the requisite protection of our Nation's capital, while at the same time supporting the District in its efforts to reform its own gun laws versus rewriting the laws for them. That is the job that the District's elected officials are tasked with, not Congress, and I am happy to see that this legislation recognizes that, especially since according to information from the District City Council, efforts are already underway to address several outstanding second amendment issues from the Supreme Court's Heller decision and expressed by Members of Congress in other pieces of legislation. The Council is revisiting the definition of ``machine guns'' and ``semiautomatics'' and making current gun storage requirements advisory versus mandatory. In light of the city's efforts today, today's bill, H.R. 6842, represents both the least and the most we should be doing at this moment and at this level. The bill upon enactment gives the District 6 months to finalize its laws governing the possession and use of firearms as necessary to comply with the decision of the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller. As the city continues to perform its work to produce a permanent gun law reform package, I am sure that at some point in the future Congress, under its legislative review authority, will have the chance to revisit this issue under regular and proper protocol. But until then, let us continue promoting the importance of self-government and home rule for the District of Columbia and the importance of safety and security in our Nation's capital by supporting H.R. 6842. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the majority leader, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the primary author of the Norton bill, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton from Washington, D.C.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I yield another 30 seconds to the lady.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the chairman of Oversight and Government Reform, Mr. Henry Waxman.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time I have left.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, it is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I would just say you can certainly kill more people with automatic weapons. I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland, Representative Elijah Cummings.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to a strong proponent of sane, sensible gun legislation, Representative Carolyn McCarthy from New York.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California, Representative Lynn Woolsey.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, the truth is that from 2001 to 2007, Republicans controlled all levels of power here in Washington. It was their opportunity to put the conservative economic ideas that they have been talking about for decades into law, and they did it. Today we see the effect of these policies. Middle-class families are being squeezed by wages that have actually fallen by $300 since President Bush took office, 3.4 million more Americans are unemployed, 5.7 million more Americans are living in poverty. Foreclosure rates have hit a record high with 2.5 million families expected to lose their homes this year. The dollar remains weak because President Bush continues to borrow record amounts of money from other countries. This is the economy Washington Republicans created with policies towards the needs of the wealthiest few over those of hard-working, middle-class Americans. Now Senator McCain vows to continue those same economic policies if he wins the Presidency. That does not sound like change to me.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 6842.