Stephen Lynch

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 441) honoring the historical contributions of Catholic sisters in the United States, as amended.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield time to the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy) so that he may speak on the bill that just passed.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present H.R. 2971 for consideration. This legislation, as my colleague noted, will designate the United States postal facility located at 630 Northeast Killingsworth Avenue, in Portland, Oregon, as the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Post Office. Introduced on June 19, 2009, by my colleague, Representative Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, H.R. 2971 was favorably reported out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee on July 10, 2009, by unanimous consent. Additionally, this legislation enjoys the support of the entire Oregon House delegation. My friend from Utah has articulated very well the events, the life and legacy of Dr. King, from his leadership in helping to organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 to his riveting ``I Have a Dream'' speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial not far from this spot, and also the passion of his pursuit of nonviolent protest to change opinions, attitudes and opportunity in this country. Dr. King served to remind this Nation of its fundamental responsibility to safeguard the natural, God-given rights of all men and women, so that all people in this country would be free to pursue our goals and aspirations without limit. Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that we can further honor the great life and legacy of Dr. King by joining our colleague from the State of Oregon and supporting the passage of this legislation to designate the Northeast Killingsworth Avenue post office in his honor. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2971. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I again urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., through the passage of H.R. 2971.

Mr. LYNCH. I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2215) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 140 Merriman Road in Garden City, Michigan, as the ``John J. Shivnen Post Office Building''.

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

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am writing to offer my strong support of H.R. 22, the United States Postal Service Financial Relief Act of 2009, as amended, which would provide short-term relief in the form of a 1-year restructuring of the Postal Service's retiree health benefits payment. The Postal Service, after having overpaid this obligation for the past couple of years, deserves to have this payment restructured, immediately. I need to also mention that the bill before us does not constitute a bailout of the Postal Service, in any form or fashion. Instead, it is intended to provide the Postal Service with some relief from an ill-structured payment schedule that would have required the Postal Service to pay nearly $5.5 billion into the retiree health benefits fund this year, notwithstanding USPS current financial crisis. The bill before us simply lowers that payment to $1.4 billion, thereby ensuring that the Postal Service will not default on its financial requirements as defined by the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. Additionally, the bill before us falls in line with calls for a more fiscally responsible government, since the amended version of H.R. 22 does not score. In 2006, Congress placed an unprecedented burden on the Postal Service by requiring the prepayment of 80 percent of future retiree health benefits--a 75-year liability--in just 10 years. No other Federal agency carries this burden. Our subcommittee has held oversight hearings of the Postal Service in the 111th Congress, and during that time the financial condition of the Postal Service has rapidly gone from bad to worse. The Postal Service is faced with rising costs and unprecedented declines in mail volume. The losses were driven by the nationwide economic recession, diversion of mail to electronic alternatives, and also by the aggressive payment schedule for retiree health benefits required by the 2006 postal reform act. The Postal Service's fiscal year 2008 payment total for current and future retiree health benefits was roughly $7 billion. It is likely that without these payments last year, the Postal Service would not have reported a net loss of over $2 billion in fiscal year 2008. The future does not appear to be getting better. Although the Postal Service has targeted $6.5 billion in savings through closures of administrative offices, an agency-wide hiring freeze, reduction of work hours, and readjustment of delivery routes, among other efforts, the Postal Service nonetheless expects losses for this year to exceed $7 billion. Again, H.R. 22, as amended, provides the Postal Service some much needed short-term relief and improves the organization's cash position. As currently structured, the Postal Service is almost entirely self- sustaining. In fact, less than 1 percent of the Postal Service's budget is appropriated by Congress. While the measure being considered today should not be substituted for a longer-term solution to the Postal Service's financial problems, it is, nevertheless a critical component to a mix of strategies to assist the Postal Service in these dismal economic times. In the coming months, our subcommittee will continue to provide oversight of the Postal Service, including an in-depth examination of the Postal Service's business model to help determine what longer-term changes may be necessary to help the Postal Service return to financial viability. In closing, I would like to thank Representatives John McHugh of New York and Denny Davis of Illinois for introducing this bill and for their hard work in advancing this bill through the House. Additionally, I would like to thank Chairman Edolphus Towns, the House leadership, and the House Budget Committee for their tireless efforts to bring the bill to the floor. Lastly, I want to recognize Representatives Darrell Issa and Jason Chaffetz for their ongoing assistance on this important piece of legislation. I again express my strong support, Mr. Speaker, of approving H.R. 22 as amended, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. I thank the gentleman from Florida for his remarks and adding that personal touch. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers at this time, and I will reserve.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers at this time, but I will continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I now yield myself such time as I may consume. As chairman of the House subcommittee with jurisdiction over the United States Postal Service, I'm pleased to present H.R. 2972 for consideration. This legislation will designate the United States Postal Service Facility located at 115 West Edward Street in Erath, Louisiana, as the ``Conrad DeRouen, Jr. Post Office.'' Introduced by my colleague, Representative Charles Boustany of Louisiana, on June 19, 2009, and reported out of committee on July 10, 2009, by unanimous consent, H.R. 2972 enjoys the support of the entire Louisiana House delegation. Born on February 12, 1921, Conrad ``Snookie'' DeRouen graduated from Erath High School in 1937, and subsequently attended Vanderbilt University, graduating with a master's degree in health and physical education. At the age of 21, Conrad DeRouen volunteered for service in the United States Marine Corps and was commissioned as a second lieutenant at Quantico, Virginia. Following additional training at Camp Pendleton, Second Lieutenant DeRouen was deployed to the Asiatic theatre during World War II, serving with the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Division. In July of 1944, after serving overseas for a few months, Second Lieutenant DeRouen was involved in the Battle of Saipan in the Marianas Islands. Regrettably, Second Lieutenant DeRouen was gravely wounded in the neck by enemy forces and subsequently died from his wounds at the age of 23. In recognition of his distinguished service, Second Lieutenant DeRouen posthumously received the Navy Cross, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force and going beyond the call of duty. As noted by the accompanying citation, Second Lieutenant DeRouen, despite his wounds, ``gallantly refused to be evacuated and remained steadfast in his station until he collapsed from pain and blood loss.'' Additionally, the citation noted that, ``By his initiative, courage, and devotion to duty throughout these hazardous operations, Second Lieutenant DeRouen upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.'' Madam Speaker, Second Lieutenant Conrad DeRouen's life stands as a testament to the bravery and dedication of the heroic men and women who have offered the ultimate sacrifice in service to our Nation. Let us together honor this distinguished Marine through the passage of this legislation to designate the West Edward Street Postal Facility in his honor. I urge my colleagues to join Mr. Boustany, the lead sponsor of this resolution, in supporting H.R. 2972. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2972) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 115 West Edward Street in Erath, Louisiana, as the Conrad DeRouen, Jr. Post Office.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I now yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 534, the resolution supporting the goals and ideals of National Children and Families Day. The strength of our Nation relies heavily upon the future success of today's children. To ensure this success, families across the Nation work hard to instill resiliency, health and wisdom in their children. This bill was introduced on June 11 and was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The committee reported the bill by unanimous consent on June 10, and it comes to the House floor today with bipartisan support from over 56 cosponsors. Madam Speaker, American families together make tremendous sacrifice each day to ensure the quality of their child's development. Families play a critical role in the care of children, including their health and developmental needs. Families, including those with children of special needs, should be encouraged to create safe and secure and supportive environments to foster confidence and self-esteem. Madam Speaker, House Resolution 534 gives us the opportunity to celebrate and reflect upon the role that all these families play in developing well-rounded, well-educated children and the positive outcomes this creates for the Nation's future. We sincerely thank them for their contribution to our country. And with that, Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. At this point I would take great pleasure to yield 5 minutes to the lead sponsor of this resolution, the gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Edwards).

Mr. LYNCH. I yield the gentlelady 1 additional minute.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I just ask all Members to support the gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Edwards) and her resolution, and I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield such time as she may consume to the gentlelady from California, the Speaker of the House, Ms. Pelosi.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, as chairman of the House subcommittee with jurisdiction over the United States Postal Service, I am pleased to present H.R. 3119 for consideration. This legislation will designate the United States postal facility located at 867 Stockton Street in San Francisco, California, as the ``Lim Poon Lee Post Office.'' Introduced by the Speaker of the House, Ms. Pelosi of California, on July 7, 2009, and reported out of the Oversight Committee on July 10, 2009, by unanimous consent, H.R. 3119 enjoys the strong support of the entire California House delegation. Born in Hong Kong in 1911, Lim Poon Lee and his family immigrated to San Francisco, California, when he was only 8 months old. Following his distinguished service as a United States Army counterintelligence specialist during World War II, Mr. Lee received his undergraduate education at the College of the Pacific and his Juris Doctor at the Lincoln University School of Law. Mr. Lee would then go on to serve his beloved San Francisco community through his longtime service as a social worker, juvenile probation officer, and as a writer for the monthly Chinatown news magazine, Chinese Digest. In 1966, Mr. Lee achieved further distinction when he was selected by President Lyndon Baines Johnson for appointment as the postmaster of San Francisco. Notably, Mr. Lee's appointment at the time was the highest Federal appointive post ever held by a Chinese American. Mr. Lee's subsequent 14-year tenure as the postmaster of San Francisco was marked by his dedicated and successful effort to increase the hiring of minority and disabled persons, as well as the inauguration of an alcohol recovery program for post office employees. During his later years, Mr. Lee continued his admirable commitment to public service through his service as a Methodist chaplain and his membership on the boards of several community organizations, including the Chinatown YMCA, the Chinese American Civil Council, and the Chinatown Community Service Organization. Additionally, Mr. Lee was well known in San Francisco as the master of ceremonies for the city's annual Chinese New Year parade for several years. Regrettably, Mr. Lee passed away in 2002 at the age of 91. Madam Speaker, let us honor this dedicated public servant and distinguished Chinese American and postal employee through the passage of this legislation to name the San Francisco Chinatown Post Office in his honor, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3119. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda).

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I simply want to thank Speaker Pelosi for bringing this bill forward. I thank Mr. Honda for his remarks and the ranking member for his comments as well. And I ask that all Members join us in honoring Lim Poon Lee by naming the San Francisco Chinatown Post Office in his honor. I yield back the balance of my time.

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