Stephen Lynch

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California's Sixth District (Ms. Woolsey).

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2090) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 431 State Street in Ogdensburg, New York, as the ``Frederic Remington Post Office Building''.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, we have no further speakers at this moment. I continue to reserve.

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

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, again, I would like to bring the discussion back to the matter at hand which is the dedication of this post office in Ogdensburg, New York, in memory of Frederic Remington. I think it's especially notable that people would take away from the honor that's trying to be bestowed here by a Republican colleague and, you know, a nominee for Secretary of the Army. Mr. McHugh asked that we take a moment and designate this post office in memory of one of New York's most renowned citizens and someone who has provided great service to this country in his artistic work in capturing an era of our country that is enormously important to all of us. And I know a lot of people out there must be very confused. What does the French use of nuclear power have to do with the post office being named on behalf of Frederic Remington? And there is no connection. There is no connection. There is a denigration going on here, a discourtesy, I think, to Mr. McHugh, a discourtesy to the people of New York by the Republican Party, and taking this moment of recognition away from Mr. Remington and his memory, away from Mr. McHugh and the object of his legislation, to spout on about issues that can be spouted on about at different times and more appropriate times. We do not have to have either discussion of one issue at the cost of reducing the respect and courtesy that are due to Members and particular initiatives that they put forward that they deem important to their districts and to the people that they represent. I will not do that. I will not go on about cap-and-trade. I will wait for the debate on cap-and-trade. I will not go on about whether I think the French are doing the right thing with nuclear power and the disposal of their waste. I'll wait on that. There will be appropriate times to discuss that. What we're here about today in this bill is recognizing Frederic Remington for what he provided for in this country in his brief time on this Earth and in a way that is consistent with the wishes of the sponsor of this legislation, the Republican gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) who deserves our respect. And with that, I urge all my Members to join with Congressman McHugh, the nominee for the Secretary of the Army, a good choice in my opinion, and support this measure unanimously.

Mr. LYNCH. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to present H.R. 2090 for consideration. This legislation will designate the United States postal facility located at 431 State Street in Ogdensburg, New York, as the Frederic Remington Post Office Building introduced on April 23, 2009, by the Republican vice chair of my subcommittee--and the recently nominated Secretary of Army--Mr. McHugh of New York. H.R. 2090 was reported out of the Oversight Committee by unanimous consent on May 6, 2009. I'm also pleased to report that this legislation enjoys strong support from the New York House delegation. A long-time resident of the City of Ogdensburg in St. Lawrence County, New York, Frederic Remington was a renowned 19th century painter, illustrator, sculptor and writer who specialized--and I think in many people's minds really captured the essence and legend of the American West. Born on October 4, 1861, in Canton, New York, Frederic Sackrider Remington moved to Ogdensburg, New York, in 1873 and attended the Yale College School of Art before soon heeding the call to go west. Remington's early travels through America's new frontier in the late 1800s provided him with the unique opportunity to observe scenes that he had imagined since his childhood and gained an authentic view on America's west that would later translate into his unparalleled and inspirational depictions of frontier life. Harper's Weekly published Remington's first commercial illustration in 1882 and Remington soon began to receive a steady flow of commissioned work from additional publications, including Collier's, that were searching for authenticity in Western themes. Remington's first full cover appeared in Harper's in 1886 when he was only 25 years old. And in 1887, Remington received a highly regarded commission for 83 illustrations for a book by Theodore Roosevelt entitled ``Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail.'' This latter assignment provided a significant boost to Remington's career and marked the beginning of a lifelong bond between the artist and Roosevelt. Despite his success as a magazine and book illustrator, Remington was focused on further developing his artistic abilities; and in the mid- 1880s and 1890s, he turned his attention to water and full-color oil painting as well as sculpture. In order to retain the authenticity of his work, Remington embarked on annual trips to the West and even created a Western environment in his New York studio by surrounding himself with objects collected from his various travels. In noted paintings, such as the ``Return of the Blackfoot War Party'' and ``Mule Train Crossing the Sierras,'' and ``A Dash For the Timber,'' Remington continued to evidence a unique ability to handle complex compositions and realistically capture the sweeping landscapes, heroic figures and moments of danger and conflicts which came to epitomize the American West. In 1888, Remington even achieved the honor of having two of his paintings used for reproduction on United States postal stamps. In the mid-1890s, Remington quickly mastered a new medium and became immersed in sculpture. Similar to his previous illustrations and paintings, well-known Remington bronzes such as ``The Broncho Buster'' and ``The Cheyenne'' were highly regarded for their detail, movement, energy, and overall realism. Notably, Remington's piece ``The Broncho Buster,'' was presented to Theodore Roosevelt following the Rough Riders' return from the Spanish-American War, an honor that Remington deemed the ``greatest compliment I ever had.'' Regrettably, Frederic Remington died on December 26, 1909, at the young age of 48 and at the height of his profession. Nevertheless, he was able to produce over 3,000 drawings and paintings, 22 bronze sculptures, over 100 articles and stories, and even a novel and a Broadway play over the course of a career that inspired the American imagination and immortalized the Western experience. Madam Speaker, let us honor the great 19th century artist, Mr. Frederic Remington, through the passage of this legislation to designate the Ogdensburg post office in his honor. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2090. I reserve the balance of our 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.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from the Ninth District of Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).

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

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I do want to bring this discussion back to the point at hand and this bill that seeks to honor Governor Wilder. And I would hope that, in taking the moment to dedicate this post office--and I chair this committee, and we do name a lot of post offices here. As a matter of fact, I think sometimes we'll run out of names before we run out of post offices. But I do think that this is one that is so well deserved because of the wonderful career of bipartisanship, and it disappoints me greatly that people would take away the focus of this dedication to harp on a bunch of hot air about some other issues that are going to have plenty of time to be debated. This is a moment that we have to honor this gentleman, Governor Wilder, for his wonderful accomplishment, and in all the testimony here given this morning by his closest friends and his strongest advocates, he is one of the most bipartisan leaders that we have had in this country, and he has held that position as Lieutenant Governor for over 30 years. So I want to make sure that he gets the recognition that he deserves. I want to congratulate Mrs. Blackburn for being the lead sponsor of this, and Mr. Cohen and all of the House Members, both Republican and Democrat, on behalf of the Tennessee delegation for the wonderful work that they've done. And I ask all of my colleagues to join with us in giving due honor to Governor Wilder by naming this post office in Somerville, Tennessee, in his name.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I don't believe we have any further speakers at this time, but I will continue to reserve our time.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I now 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. 1817 for consideration. This legislation will designate the United States postal facility located at 116 North West Street in Somerville, Tennessee, as the ``John S. Wilder Post Office Building.'' Introduced by Representative Marsha Blackburn on March 31, 2009 and reported out of the Oversight Committee by unanimous consent on May 6, 2009, H.R. 1817 enjoys the support of the entire Tennessee delegation. A longtime resident of Somerville, Tennessee, John Shelton Wilder admirably devoted over 40 years of his life to public service, including over 30 years as the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Tennessee. Born on June 3, 1921 in Fayette County, John Wilder attended the University of Tennessee College of Agriculture and subsequently received his juris doctor at the Memphis State University Law School. A distinguished United States Army veteran of World War II, Mr. Wilder also served as a member of the Fayette County Quarterly Court, known also as the county commission, for 18 years. In 1958, Mr. Wilder was first elected to the Tennessee State Senate as a Democrat representing senate district 26, which included Chester, Crockett, Fayette, Hardin, McNairy, and Wayne Counties. While he did not run for reelection in 1960, Mr. Wilder returned to the State senate in 1966. Following the adoption of a State constitutional amendment that extended the length of terms in the State senate in Tennessee to 4 years, Mr. Wilder was elected to his first 4-year term in 1968 and was subsequently re-elected to nine consecutive terms until his retirement in March of 2008. In 1971, Mr. Wilder's senate colleagues elected him speaker of the State senate, a position that under the State constitution also granted him the title of Lieutenant Governor. And notably Mr. Wilder became the first Tennessee Lieutenant Governor in almost 50 years to serve under a Governor of a different political party, Republican Winfield Dunn. While the Tennessee General Assembly had not traditionally maintained its own staff or its own offices prior to Mr. Wilder's tenure, State senate Speaker Wilder undertook a variety of efforts to enhance the State legislature's standing, including the construction of General Assembly offices. Mr. Wilder also made a unique mark by retaining the lieutenant governorship of Tennessee for over 30 years. Notably, the State had not previously seen an individual serve more than three consecutive terms as speaker of the State senate since 1870. In contrast to other elected officials in his position, Mr. Wilder never sought higher office. And he often stated that ``the speaker likes being speaker.'' In fact, Mr. Wilder's service as Lieutenant Governor from 1971 until 2007 is regarded as one of the longest Lieutenant Governor tenures in United States history. During his simultaneous service as Lieutenant Governor and as State senate speaker, Mr. Wilder was widely admired for his unrivaled and genuine commitment to bipartisanship. Mr. Wilder routinely awarded chairmanships to both Democratic and Republican members. And in 1987, Mr. Wilder, a Democrat, even earned the Republican Caucus's nomination for Lieutenant Governor. Mr. Wilder's commitment to bipartisanship, for the benefit of the citizens of Tennessee, was further evidenced by his retirement announcement in March of 2008. In that address, Mr. Wilder encouraged his colleagues to ``be statesmen, to do what is good and right for this State of Tennessee and leave partisan politics out of it.'' Mr. Wilder further noted the destructive nature of partisan politics and emphasized that the success of the State of Tennessee greatly depended on legislators voting their conscience, absent the influence of partisan politics. Madam Speaker, let us honor this dedicated public servant, John Shelton Wilder, through the passage of this legislation to designate the Somerville, Tennessee, post office in his honor. And I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1817. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1817) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 116 North West Street in Somerville, Tennessee, as the ``John S. Wilder Post Office Building''.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam 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. That was overreaching on my part.

Mr. LYNCH. I ask to strike.

Mr. LYNCH. I withdraw my comments. I apologize. I apologize on the word ``blowhard.'' I retract that. I retract that. Instead, we have Members----

Mr. LYNCH. I yield myself such time as I may consume just to rebut the fallacy that the other side of the aisle needs to step on a bill that Mr. McHugh put forward to recognize someone from his district because we're naming a post office for that individual; or the gentleman from Tennessee who was honored, Governor Wilder, 30 years served as Lieutenant Governor of that State. The other side argues that there's a lack of opportunity to talk about these other issues so they have to use the time that was designated to honor these people--a very brief amount of time, by the way. Normally, just a few minutes on each side, we get rid of these bills. They have extended the time we have spent on this floor. But I just want to take today's schedule. Today's schedule, we have hearings all over the Capitol. We have 14 hearings in the Senate; some of those dealing with cap-and-trade. We have 18 hearings where Members of Congress will stand behind microphones just like this one and expound of their views on issues everywhere from agriculture to appropriations to energy and commerce, which is the subject matter that the other side would like to talk about. There are ample opportunities for people in Congress to talk and talk and talk. Matter of fact, it reminds me of that movie, ``Charlie Wilson's War.'' Charlie Wilson's secretary, who was not familiar with the workings of Congress, turned to the Congressman and said, Charlie, why do Members of Congress talk and talk and talk and talk and never do anything? And Charlie turned to her and he said, Well, honey, mostly it's tradition. And that's what's going on here. I have great respect for the ranking member, the gentleman from Utah, who came up and talked about the bill that was on the floor, talked about its merits. And Carl B. Smith; this is a post office being named after a gentleman who worked as a rural letter carrier. Now you may laugh down your nose at that, but we seem to think that's honorable service to our country. Just because this guy was a letter carrier is no reason for Members on the other side of the aisle to denigrate his service, to denigrate the honor that's being bestowed upon him. This man worked his entire life. He was a veteran. He was a letter carrier. This is the backbone of America. He was a proud union member. He dedicated his life. He was a good American. He put on the uniform of this country. Served in the Army. What about his service? What about his service? Instead, we get a bunch of . . . standing up here spouting about stuff that you can talk in any single committee hearing on this schedule.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to present H.R. 2173 for consideration. This legislation will designate the United States postal facility located at 1009 Crystal Roads in Island Falls, Maine, as the ``Carl B. Smith Post Office.'' This bill, introduced by my colleague and friend, Representative Mike Michaud of Maine, on April 29, 2009, was reported out of the Oversight Committee by unanimous consent on May 6, 2009, and enjoys the support of both members of Maine's House delegation. A lifelong resident of the town of Island Falls, Maine, Carl B. Smith dedicated over half of his life to public service and local and State government, the United States military, and the United States Postal Service. Born on March 30, 1922, Carl B. Smith graduated from Sherman High School in 1940 and 2 years later joined the United States Army Corps. Representative Smith's subsequent 10-year tenure in the United States Army included service in Europe during World War II, as well as service in Japan and Korea during the Korean conflict. He would go on to become a lifelong member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7529 out of Island Falls as well. Following his discharge from the service, Representative Smith attended barber school and proceeded to serve his beloved community of Island Falls as a barber for 30 years. In addition, he also worked as a rural letter carrier with the United States Postal Service and, of course, was a proud member of the Maine Rural Letter Carriers Union. Representative Smith would subsequently embark on a distinguished career in local and State government. First, he served as the town clerk of Island Falls for 13 years and later served on the Island Falls Board of Selectmen. In 1980, Mr. Smith was elected to the Maine State Legislature as the representative serving house district 140, which includes Island Falls, Ludlow, Oakfield, Sherman, and other areas. His admirable career in the Maine House of Representatives would span 10 years, during which time he was a member of the State's Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Agriculture, and State and Local Government. Throughout his tenure in the Maine State House, Mr. Smith was widely noted for his efforts on behalf of environmental causes, as well as his devotion to social issues such as poverty, health, and aging. In 1987, Mr. Smith received statewide recognition when he was selected by House Speaker John L. Martin to serve on the Maine Commission on Outdoor Recreation. Upon announcing Representative Smith's appointment to the commission, Speaker Martin described Smith as an ``extremely hardworking legislator who has devoted a great amount of time and energy to environmental issues.'' Regrettably, Carl B. Smith passed away on October 4, 2000, at the age of 78. Madam Speaker, let us honor this dedicated public servant through the passage of this legislation to designate the Island Falls post office in Carl B. Smith's honor. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2173. I reserve the balance of our 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.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2173) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1009 Crystal Road in Island Falls, Maine, as the ``Carl B. Smith Post Office''.

Mr. LYNCH. Instead of giving those gentlemen--the gentleman from Tennessee, who served 30 years, Carl Smith, 30 years as an elected official and a postal servicemember, and Frederic Remington--giving them their due time on this floor, the brief moment that they have, probably the highest moment of achievement for certainly Mr. Smith in Maine--and, by the way, the sponsor of that resolution, Mike Michaud, is actually chairing a subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs so he can't be here. So he has relied upon us to extend the basic courtesy to someone in his district who dedicated their lives to this country. He was a man of a common position; just a rural letter carrier--like a lot of folks in this country, from a small town--and we're trying to name a post office after him. Mr. Michaud sent this bill over while he is in committee dealing with veterans' affairs and debating those issues and asked us to handle this. I just think some of us have handled that responsibility poorly. That's what I think. That's my opinion. And I just wish that even though you may look down your nose at this, you may not think that this is important at all, it's very important for these families and for these individuals to be honored. With that, Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I welcome the gentleman's remarks. I understand the pressures put on the schedule, but I do know there is enormous opportunity for Congress. Never in the history of this country have we had more outlets and more opportunity to get our message out. Last night, I know that our side took an hour just to talk about cap- and-trade. I know that your side does the same thing. There are a lot of opportunities and a lot of forums in this building and elsewhere on Capitol Hill to speak about them. We have a lot of issues. We have a lot of issues that confront us today, and there are many, many, many opportunities to express our opinions. I just think that this is one little slice of time that we have put aside for a significant purpose. It may be a narrow purpose in recognizing certain individuals, but I think that it should be dedicated and spent on that purpose without intervening subject matter denigrating that recognition and that honor that is so well deserved. With that, I welcome the gentleman's remarks. Again, if it were not clear before, I apologize for my earlier remarks. The descriptions were inappropriate, and I do apologize for those remarks. Again, I ask that they be stricken from the Record. I reserve the balance of my time.