Jimmy Duncan

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5051) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1001 Williams Street in Ignacio, Colorado, as the ``Leonard C. Burch Post Office Building''.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hostettler) to speak on behalf of Evansville, Indiana. (Mr. HOSTETTLER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes), the author of this resolution.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I have no other speakers on this. Let me close simply by saying that the All-America City Award was a program that was carried on for many years by Look magazine, one of our largest national circulation magazines, and I am very proud that in 1962 my hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, received one of the very earliest All-America City Awards. My father served as mayor of Knoxville for 6 years, from 1959 to 1964, and Look magazine recognized Knoxville not only for many civic improvements but also because of my father's work in leading the peaceful integration of the city, which made sure that Knoxville did not go through many of the troubles that most other cities in the North and the South went through during that time period. So this is a great, great award. It is one that the people of Knoxville were always proud of; and these cities should be proud of it, too. I thank the sponsor the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) and the cosponsors. I urge passage of this resolution.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4232 honors a very distinguished former Member of this body, Congressman Jack Fields of Texas, with whom I had the privilege of serving. Congressman Fields, who made a living as a businessman and attorney, was elected as a Republican Member of the 97th and to the seven succeeding Congresses. He served in the House from 1981 until 1987. Many of us had a chance to work alongside Congressman Fields, and we could not be happier about this post office designation in his honor. He was a very devoted Representative of the people of Texas and the Nation as a whole. He was a leading member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and contributed to this body and to this country in ways too numerous to mention at this time. I commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady) for honoring Congressman Jack Fields in this legislation. I urge passage of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2415) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4141 Postmark Drive, Anchorage, Alaska, as the ``Robert J. Opinsky Post Office Building''.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 2415, the Senate bill under consideration.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, S. 2415 honors a devoted Postal Service employee of more than four decades, Robert Opinsky. Bob Opinsky began his career with the Postal Service in 1956 as a $1.50-an-hour temporary clerk. Through hard work and dedication, he was able to work up the ranks of the Postal Service and become the district manager of the Postal Service in Alaska. He retired in 1996. Bob Opinsky was a terrific leader within the Postal Service community; therefore, I am pleased to support this post office designation in his honor, an exceedingly appropriate tribute to his postal career. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Senator from Alaska, Mr. Stevens, for advancing this legislation. I support it, and I urge passage of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4847) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 560 Bay Isles Road in Longboat Key, Florida, as the ``Lieutenant General James V. Edmundson Post Office Building''.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4847, the bill under consideration.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4847, a bill that designates the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 560 Bay Isles Road, in Longboat Key, Florida, as the Lieutenant General James V. Edmundson Post Office Building. All Members of the Florida congressional delegation have cosponsored this legislation, and I am pleased to join with them today in urging the passage of this bill. Lieutenant General James Valentine Edmundson was an American hero and veteran of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. General Edmundson flew more than 10,000 hours, including 107 combat missions during World War II. In 1973, after 35 years of highly distinguished service in the United States Air Force, General Edmundson retired as Deputy Commander in Chief of the U.S. Readiness Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. General Edmundson's incredible list of distinctions includes the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 4847, a bill that honors the valor and achievements of Lieutenant General James Valentine Edmundson. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Harris) for her work on H.R. 4847. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Harris). (Ms. HARRIS asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5053) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1475 Western Avenue, Suite 45, in Albany, New York, as the ``Lieutenant John F. Finn Post Office''.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Lieutenant John F. Finn, a 12-year veteran of the Albany Police Department, was shot three times while chasing a robbery suspect on December 23, 2003. Lieutenant Finn was immediately admitted to Albany Medical Center, and he remained in critical condition for 7 weeks. He sadly succumbed to his wounds on February 12 of this year, as I said, approximately 7 weeks later. H.R. 5053 remembers the life and service of Lieutenant Finn. Mr. Speaker, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, an average of 163 law enforcement officers have been killed annually in the line of duty over the last 10 years. Our Nation's police officers make themselves vulnerable every day in working to maintain the peace in American communities. We mourn with the citizens of Albany on this occasion and the House intends for this post office designation to serve as a lasting tribute to Lieutenant John F. Finn's patriotism, courage, sacrifice, and service to this Nation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney).

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I certainly agreed with everything that our colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney), just said. I commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. McNulty) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney) for this bill.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4968) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 25 McHenry Street in Rosine, Kentucky, as the ``Bill Monroe Post Office''.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, most Americans know that the heart of bluegrass music country is accordingly located in the Bluegrass State of Kentucky. This bill, H.R. 4968, names this Rosine, Kentucky, post office after the father of bluegrass music, Bill Monroe. Bill Monroe is credited with almost singlehandedly creating the musical art form of bluegrass. In 1939, Mr. Monroe started a band called the Bluegrass Boys, which became one of the most popular musical groups in the Nation during that era. The highly decorated Monroe was ultimately inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and he remains a musical legend to this day. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Lewis) for sponsoring this honor for Bill Monroe. I support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.