Stephen Lynch

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. I now yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support for the consideration of H.R. 987, a bill to designate the United States postal facility located at 601 8th Street in Freedom, Pennsylvania, as the John Scott Challis, Jr. Post Office. Introduced by Representative Jason Altmire on February 11, 2009, and reported out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee on March 10, 2009, by a voice vote, H.R. 987 enjoys the support of the entire Pennsylvania House delegation. As recently noted in the Ellwood City Ledger, John Scott Challis, Jr., ``came into this world fighting.'' Only 2 days after his birth on December 16, 1989, John was helicoptered from The Medical Center in Beaver County to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he spent 16 days in hospital care and received lifesaving surgery. As his beloved family and friends in Beaver County, and as many of us across the Nation well know, John never stopped fighting throughout his young life, even after being diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma, an adult form of liver cancer, at the age of 16. John's response to his initial diagnosis was indicative of his eternal determination and resolve, as well as a reflection of his own personal motto of ``courage and believe equals life.'' In April of 2008, John learned that his cancer had spread and that, most likely, he had only a few months to live. Nevertheless, John never ceased to live his life to the fullest and do what he loved most, which was spending time with his family and friends and playing and following the game of baseball. On April 14, 2008, John first received national attention when he was able to pinch-hit for his beloved Freedom High School baseball team in a game against Aliquippa High. John cracked the first-pitch fastball into the outfield for an RBI single, and upon making it to first base proudly exclaimed to everyone, ``I did it, I did it.'' The following month, John graduated with his senior class. And in June of last year, John was able to take a family vacation with his devoted parents, Scott and Gina, and his younger sister, Lexie. He also visited the Pittsburgh Pirates Clubhouse and reminded the players to cherish the game of baseball and, of course, to cherish life. Regrettably, John lost his battle with cancer in August of 2008. However, his memory and inspirational message will never be forgotten. In John's honor, the John Challis Courage For Life Foundation was established in 2008. The organization is dedicated to providing sports opportunities to student athletes with life-threatening illnesses. Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that we can further serve to honor John's life through the passage of this legislation before us. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 987. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, before closing, I would like to mention that the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Altmire) who is the chief sponsor, the lead sponsor of the bill under consideration, has informed me that he is en route. He has informed us that he regrets not being able to be here for this afternoon's discussion but has asked that his support for the bill and the Challis family be known. In closing, I urge my colleagues to join myself, Representative Altmire and the gentleman from California in supporting H.R. 987.

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

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1217) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 15455 Manchester Road in Ballwin, Missouri, as the ``Specialist Peter J. Navarro Post Office Building''.

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

Mr. LYNCH. Again, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Akin) for authoring the measure at hand. I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 1217. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH

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. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the House subcommittee with jurisdiction over the United States Postal Service, I am pleased to present for consideration H.R. 1284, a bill to designate the United States Postal Facility located at 103 West Main Street in McLain, Mississippi, as the ``Major Ed W. Freeman Post Office Building.'' Introduced by my friend, Representative Gene Taylor, on March 3, 2009, and reported out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee on March 10, 2009, by voice vote, H.R. 1284 enjoys the support of the entire Mississippi House delegation. Born in Neely, Mississippi, on November 20, 1927, Major Ed W. Freeman proudly served his country in the United States Army as a fixed and rotary wing aircraft pilot. On July 16, 2001, President George W. Bush presented Major Freeman with the Medal of Honor--the United States military's highest commendation--in recognition of his brave actions during the Vietnam War. Major Freeman began his distinguished military career at the age of 17, with 2 years of service in the United States Navy during World War II. He subsequently joined the United States Army, serving in Germany for 4 years before being deployed to Korea. Notably, Major Freeman received his well-familiar nickname of ``Too Tall'' after being told that he was too tall to serve as an Army pilot. However, he quickly dispelled this notion by becoming one of the Army's finest helicopter pilots. Major Freeman's bravery, dedication, and flying skills were never more evident than on November 14, 1965, during the battle of Ia Drang, at Landing Zone X-Ray, in Vietnam. As noted in his Medal of Honor citation, Major Freeman ``distinguished himself by numerous acts of conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary intrepidity'' as a member of Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division. Specifically, as a flight leader and second-in-command of a 16- helicopter lift unit, then-Captain Freeman supported a heavily engaged American battalion at the Landing Zone in the Ia Drang Valley by ``flying his unarmed helicopter through a gauntlet of enemy fire, time after time, delivering critically needed ammunitions, water, and medical supplies to the besieged battalion.'' Additionally, Major Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions which resulted in the lifesaving evacuation of an estimated 30 seriously wounded soldiers. Major Freeman's Medal of Honor citation goes on to note that his ``selfless acts of great valor, extraordinary perseverance, and intrepidity were far above and beyond the call of duty or mission and set a superb example of leadership and courage for all of his peers.'' Major Freeman's heroic acts in the Ia Drang Valley were subsequently immortalized in the Mel Gibson film We Were Soldiers. While he retired from the military in 1967 and moved to Idaho with his beloved wife, Barbara, and sons, Mike and Doug, Major Freeman did not give up flying--as he went to work for the Department of the Interior's Office of Aircraft Services. Upon his official retirement in 1991, Major Freeman had logged more than 25,000 hours of flying time. Regrettably, Major Freeman passed away in August of last year at the age of 80. Mr. Speaker, let us honor Major Freeman and his service to our country through the passage of this legislation. I urge my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 1284, and dedicating the McLain Post Office after this distinguished veteran. I reserve the balance of our time.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 5 minutes to the lead sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor).

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, again, I simply want to thank Mr. Taylor of Mississippi and, again, I want to urge all Members to support H.R. 1284.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, as a matter of courtesy, I would like to offer the opportunity to address the House first to my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa).

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present. THE SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

Mr. LYNCH. I would simply urge my colleagues to join us in the support of H.R. 131. We urge its adoption. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 131, the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act, creates a Federal commission to honor and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ronald Reagan. The measure has been properly vetted and amended accordingly by the House Oversight Committee and is nearly identical to the bill approved by the House in the last Congress. However, in line with calls for a more fiscally responsible government, the only real change to this year's bill is the inclusion of amending language to prevent the expenditure of Federal funds to carry out the work of the commission. Ronald Reagan was born in Illinois in 1911. He later moved to California, where he became a successful Hollywood actor and later the president of the Screen Actors Guild. On the screen, he was best known for portraying George Gipp, a famous player who, on his deathbed, famously urged his teammates to ``go out there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper.'' President Reagan would carry the nickname Gipper and the boundless optimism that he epitomized in that quote for the remainder of his life. After serving two terms as the 33rd Governor of the State of California, in January, 1981, Ronald Reagan was sworn in as our Nation's 40th President. As we are all aware, Mr. Reagan would hold and serve as the Commander in Chief of our country for two terms, between 1980-1988. Known as the ``Great Communicator,'' President Reagan spoke ably and directly to the American people about the pressing issues of his time. He positioned the United States as a strong counterpoint and a beacon of freedom and hope in the face of an oppressive Soviet Communist regime. Whether urging Premier Gorbachev to ``Tear down this wall,'' or declaring it ``Morning in America,'' President Reagan, through his words and deeds, embodied the eternal optimism that is at the core of our American spirit. Early in his Presidency, President Reagan is said to have remarked that, ``What I'd really like to do is to go down in history as the President who caused the American people to believe in themselves again.'' Mr. Speaker, I am sure that most people will agree that President Reagan's optimism in the face of great difficulty has great relevance today, as they are in harmony with President Obama's current message of hope and renewal for our country in the midst of our current challenges. I am confident that upon enactment of H.R. 131, the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission will be able to find ways to respectfully and appropriately honor and pay tribute to the accomplishments of one of America's recent and notable leaders, the late President Ronald Reagan. With that, Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of H.R. 131, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 131) to establish the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission, as amended.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of John Joseph ``Wacko'' Hurley, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to his hometown of South Boston, MA, and to commend him for over 50 years of dedicated service to his community. The son of Margaret and Michael Hurley, immigrants from County Kerry, Ireland, John was born on May 11, 1930 in South Boston and lived on East Fifth St. until 1965 when he moved to East Fourth St. in South Boston where he currently resides. John attended Nazareth School at O and Third St., and South Boston High School graduating in 1948. Subsequent to his graduation, John enlisted in the United States Navy, serving from 1950-1952 aboard the USS Noah (DD-841). Upon completion of his distinguished service to our country, John worked for the State Veterans Services for 20 years. Following this position, John worked as an office manager for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority for 18 years. Along with providing distinguished service to his country and his state, John is also an active member of his community. A faithful parishioner at St. Brigid's Church in South Boston, John can be found daily at the 7 a.m. early morning mass followed by his walk around Castle Island. John also brought to the United States Supreme Court the case (John J. Hurley v. GLIB) that affirmed the First Amendment right of the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council to organize a private parade. He won a victory with a 9-0 vote. This law can now be found in every law book in the country. In fact, John has organized the Evacuation Day/St. Patrick's Day Parade in South Boston for the past 50 years. John was recently awarded the Bishop Cheverus Medal from Cardinal Sean O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston, for Community Service and Catholic Dedication. You will find John every Thanksgiving and Christmas at St. Monica/St. Augustine serving holiday meals to the less fortunate. Madam Speaker, John is known for his quick sense of humor and great storytelling. He has had the good fortune to be married to Molly for 56 years; they are the proud parents of 7 children, 15 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren. Madam Speaker, it is my distinct honor to take the floor of the House today to join with John J. ``Wacko'' Hurley's family, friends, and contemporaries to thank him for his remarkable service to his community of South Boston.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 47) supporting the goals and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day.

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, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.