John McHugh

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) once again has taken the mantle of leadership in introducing this bill, H.R. 3701. Also on February 29 of this year and, as in the previous enactment, he has brought the entire House delegation of the State of Virginia in support of his proposal in concert with the standing policy of the Committee on Government Reform. As we have heard, H.R. 3701 designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3118 Washington Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia, as the Joseph L. Fisher Post Office Building. The Congressional Budget Office has also reviewed this legislation and determined that its enactment would have no significant impact on the Federal budget. Spending by the postal service is classified as off budget and not subject to pay-as-you-go procedures. This act would have no impact or cost on State, local, or tribal governments. Once again, Mr. Speaker, we have an individual and an opportunity to honor an individual who served in this body. Joseph L. Fisher was elected as a representative from the 10th District of Virginia in 1974, the 94th Congress, as a Democrat, and served for three terms, interestingly enough, immediately following our previous honoree, Representative Broyhill. As in our previous designee, then Congressman Fisher went on to a very storied, very meritorious career in public service. After his leaving Congress, he served as Secretary of Human Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia during Governor Robb's administration. He was a professor of political economy at George Mason University. He served as the Chairman of the National Academy of Public Administration. He served as the head of the Unitarian Universalist Association, and on and on and on. As I have said previously, we are indeed privileged today to have the opportunity to honor two individuals who have served in a broad range of capacities that have really exemplified what the commitment to public service should be and, in fact, is all about. Congressman Fisher passed from our midst in Arlington, Virginia, in 1992; but he is survived today by his wife, Margaret, seven children, 16 grandchildren, and two great-grandsons. And certainly to them we want to extend our most heartfelt feelings of appreciation and deep respect for the actions of Joseph L. Fisher in support of this House, in support of his government, and in support of his community. I will be pleased in a moment to yield to the author, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf), for some more extensive remarks. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3701) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3118 Washington Boulevard in Arlington, Virginia, as the ``Joseph L. Fisher Post Office Building''.

Mr. McHUGH

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

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I would simply urge all our Members to support this very worthy piece of legislation honoring an equally worthy individual. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf), who is the primary author of this bill, a gentleman who has worked very hard to bring these two very meritorious measures to the floor before us today.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) introduced this bill, H.R. 3699, on February 29 of this year, with each Member of the House delegation from the State of Virginia supporting the legislation, which is the standing policy on the Committee on Government Reform. As noted, Mr. Speaker, this bill designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 8409 Lee Highway in Merrifield, Virginia, as the ``Joel T. Broyhill Postal Building.'' The Congressional Budget Office has reviewed the legislation and has determined the enactment of H.R. 3699 would have no significant impact upon the Federal budget. Spending by the Postal Service is classified as off-budget and, thus, is not subject to pay-as-you-go procedures. As well, the bill contains no intergovernmental or private sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. It would impose no cost on State, local, or tribal governments. Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the record of this subcommittee in working with particularly the distinguished gentleman from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), the ranking minority member, in having the opportunity to bring a host of postal naming bills to this floor. Today we have two bills that certainly are no exception, two bills that seek to name facilities after individuals who, as their predecessors have done, have so admirably served their country, have served, in these instances, their Congress and their government here in Washington, and most importantly have served their communities. I am going to be pleased in a moment to yield to our good friend and colleague, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf), for a full description of the background of our first designee. But I would just say that this is an individual who was elected to the 83rd Congress in 1955 and for 22 years served in this House proudly. Of interest, he was the first Member of Congress to represent what was then the newly created 10th Congressional District of Virginia, where he served as a member on the Republican side of the aisle. It is also important to note, Mr. Speaker, that Congressman Broyhill was also a member of what was then the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, that committee at the time that oversaw the activities of the postal service and, as such, I think is particularly worthy of this particular designation. His time in Congress, I think, would merit such a designation, but Congressman Broyhill accumulated a record of service that extends far beyond the halls of this hallowed institution. He was a decorated veteran. He served in World War II as a captain and, at age 25, he fought in the Battle of the Bulge, where he was taken prisoner and held in a German POW camp until he heroically escaped and rejoined the advancing allied forces. In short, Mr. Speaker, this is an individual that dedicated most of his life to service of his country, both in a public fashion and, as we have just heard, in his military capacity as well. Congressman Broyhill today is the father of three daughters and one step-daughter and resides not far from this body, in Arlington, Virginia. It is with great pride, Mr. Speaker, that I bring this bill to the floor and ask for its enthusiastic adoption. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3699.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3699) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 8409 Lee Highway in Merrifield, Virginia, as the ``Joel T. Broyhill Postal Building''.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring forward S. 335 with the provisions of the House passed deceptive sweepstakes mailing bill, H.R 170, and would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Subcommittee on the Postal Service for the interest they showed in moving this important legislation, particularly our ranking member, the gentlemen from Pennsylvania, Mr. Fattah, for his input in making this legislation stronger and of wider appeal to those affected by its provisions. By taking this action today, we help to ensure enactment of this important legislation in 1999. On behalf of our full committee chairman, Mr. Burton, I must also note that S. 335 includes additional provisions that, it is my understanding, that the other body has agreed to include in the bill. Incorporated in the bill is H.R. 807, which passed the House under suspension of the rules by voice vote on March 16, 1999, after being introduced on February 23 by our Civil Service Subcommittee chairman, Mr. Scarborough of Florida, with eight original cosponsors, including the committee's ranking member, Mr. Waxman of California. H.R. 807, included as Title II of S. 335, provides retirement portability for certain Federal Reserve Board employees who take jobs in the executive branch. It will allow those employees who participate in the Board's FERS-like retirement plan to obtain FERS credit for their Federal Reserve years when they transfer to another federal agency. The Federal Reserve already provides such reciprocity for employees who transfer to the Federal Reserve from other federal agencies. Without this correction, former Board employees would receive smaller annuities upon retirement than they otherwise should. This title will also correct an inequity in current law that prevents certain Federal Reserve employees from withdrawing their funds from their Thrift Savings Plan accounts. Finally, one section in this title is critically important to the men and women who have served our nation in the armed services. It clarifies the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 to ensure that veterans will receive the benefits that Congress intended when it passed that act last year. Title III includes H.R. 3187, a bill introduced by Representative Ken Calvert, that would amend the 1949 Federal Property and Administrative Services Act to continue the authority allowing no-cost conveyances of surplus Federal property to State and local governments for law enforcement and emergency response purposes. Under the Federal Property Act, State and local governments or eligible nonprofit entities can obtain surplus property, at no cost, for several authorized public purpose programs. These programs include education, public health, correctional facilities, and pubic airports. A bill that became law in the 105th Congress, introduced by Representative Calvert, added law enforcement and emergency management response purposes to this list. Prior to its enactment, however, Mr. Calvert's bill was amended to include a December 31, 1999 sunset date for these new public purpose categories. Three properties have been conveyed to local governments, under these authorities. There are more than 22 pending State and local government application nationwide. These new conveyance categories have been invaluable for local governments who are enhancing their law enforcement, and fire and rescue training efforts. These new authorities have allowed for an excellent reuse of surplus Federal property. H.R. 3187 provides that during the extension, the General Services Administration may not convey surplus Federal property at no cost for law enforcement and emergency response purposes. However, the General Services Administration could at least accept, consider, and approve applications for transfer during this extension. Additionally, prior to December 31, 1999, the General Services Administration can convey surplus property at no cost, for law enforcement and emergency response proposes, to qualifying State and local government entities. In regard to S. 335 itself, Mr. Speaker, the testimony from the General Accounting Office at the subcommittee's August 4 hearing summed it up well: when it comes to deceptive mail, which includes sweepstakes and other kinds of mailed material, ``Consumers' Problems Appear Substantial.'' We are all concerned by the way some sweepstakes mailings entice consumers, particularly senior citizens, into making unwanted purchases under the mistaken impression that this will enhance their changes of winning a major prize. As I have stated previously, sweepstakes, themselves, are not evil. They are an effective marketing tool that are accessed by willing and often highly satisfied millions. But experience teaches, us, where the laws fall short, the dishonest will flock and honest people will suffer. Now is the time to correct these shortfalls. S. 335, as amended with the language of the House passed H.R. 170, was carefully developed with our ranking member, Mr. Fattah, and the bill's original author, the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. LoBiondo. Keeping with H.R. 170's objective of ensuring honesty in sweepstakes mailings, the amended language incorporates and responds to the extensive testimony submitted at the hearing conducted by the Subcommittee on the Postal Service, and was agreed to by the House under suspension of the rules on November 2. The gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. LoBiondo is to be commended for championing the necessary changes to our nation's postal laws in this area, and I deeply appreciate the assistance of the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Fattah. In fact, the language before us today reflects the input of other Members who also introduced bills, including the gentleman from California, Mr. Rogan, and the gentleman from Florida, Mr. McCollum, authors of H.R. 237 and H.R. 2678 respectively. This language is also based upon Senator Susan Collins' comprehensive, bipartisan sweepstakes mailing legislation, which passed in the other body, by a 93-0 vote on August 2. Mr. Speaker, you can see we have drawn from many sources to craft what I believe is a reasonably balanced and effective piece of legislation. S. 335, as amended, would establish strong consumer protections to prevent a number of types of deceptive mailings. It would impose various requirements on sweepstakes mailings, skill contests, facsimile checks, and mailings made to look like govenrment documents. It would establish strong financial penalties, provide the Postal Service with additional authority to investigate and stop deceptive mailings, and preserve the ability of states to impose stricter requirements on such mailings. I should note that in adopting H.R. 170, the House made changes to the notification system required by those sending skill contests or sweepstakes mailings. The House increased the number of days after which a name must be removed from such mailings lists from 35 to 60 days due to concerns raised by nonprofit mailers in the House hearing; the nonprofit mailers did not testify before the other body. In addition, the House included the opportunity for a consumer to bring an individual, private right of action in State court when they receive a mailing after previously requesting to be removed from the mailing list of a skill contest or sweepstakes promoter. The House included provisions stating that promoters will have an affirmative defense against such actions if they have established and implemented, with due care, reasonable practices and procedures to effectively prevent mailings in violation of the section allowing names to be removed. Pursuant to the new section 3016(d), promoters of skill contests or sweepstakes must establish and maintain a notification system that will allow for any individual to elect to have the name and address of that individual excluded from all lists of names and addresses used by that promoter to mail any skill contest or sweepstakes. The notification system in the bill passed by the Senate, and modified by the House, does not require that companies establish a specific type of system to allow consumers to request the removal of their names from mailing lists. The legislation requires companies to include in every mailing the address or a toll-free telephone number of the notification system, but does not require that consumers submit their request in writing to comply with the removal system. Companies are encouraged to adopt a consumer friendly system for the removal of names from their mailing lists, which may include the ability to have names removed by means of a call to a toll-free number. Companies using such a system would not be required to additionally require a consumer to provide their name in writing, but may wish to elect to verify the validity and accuracy of the consumer's election to be removed from their mailing list. Any appropriate method of establishing a record of removal requests by consumers would comply with the requirements of Section 8(d). This requirement should not require a promoter originating sweepstakes or skill contests on behalf of multiple unaffiliated entities to honor removal requests made to one entity in mailings sent on behalf of any other entity.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on S. 335, as amended, the legislation just passed.

Mr. McHUGH

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

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As we have heard today, this is a good bill. It needs to be acted on now, so let us do that.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen), a good friend of this bill and a colleague of mine on the Committee on Armed Services. As I mentioned, Mr. Speaker, there were many who had input into this process, and he is one of the gentlemen who has spoken to me about a very important related issue with respect to billing processes through the mail. (Mr. HANSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 15 seconds to just briefly respond to the gracious comments of the ranking member by saying, as he noted and as I want very much to make clear, his input and constructive suggestions were very important to making this, I think, a better bill than when we received it. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased and honored to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo), whose name I mentioned just moments ago, and who is certainly, from my perspective, the individual who first brought this situation to light and, through his hard work, helped articulate a response to the problem for our attention. (Mr. LoBIONDO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to bring forward S. 335 with the provisions of the House-passed Deceptive Sweepstakes Mailing Bill, H.R. 170, and would like to begin by taking the opportunity to thank all of the members of the Subcommittee on the Postal Service for their continued interest, for the effort they showed in moving this important legislation, and a particular tip-of-the-hat to the gentleman from the great State of Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), our ranking member, for his input and for his great assistance in making this legislation stronger and of wider appeal to those who are affected by its provisions. I firmly believe today, Mr. Speaker, by taking this action, we help to ensure the enactment of this important legislation in this year. On behalf of the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), our full committee chairman, I must also note that this bill, S. 335, includes provisions that it is my understanding the other body has agreed to include. Incorporated in the bill is H.R. 807, which passed the House under suspension of the rules by voice vote on March 16 of this year after being introduced on February 23 by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Scarborough), our Subcommittee on Civil Service chairman, with eight original cosponsors including, I might add, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), our full committee's ranking member. Very briefly, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 807, included as Title II of S. 335, provides retirement portability for certain Federal Reserve Board employees who take jobs in the executive branch. It would allow those employees who participate in the board's FERS-like retirement plan to obtain FERS credit for their Federal Reserve years when they transfer to another Federal agency. The Federal Reserve already provides such reciprocity for employees who transfer to Federal Reserves from other Federal agencies. Without this correction, former board employees would, I think unfairly, receive smaller annuities upon retirement than they otherwise would and otherwise should. This title will also correct an inequity in current law that prevents certain Federal Reserve employees from withdrawing their funds from the Thrift Savings Plan accounts. Finally, one section in this title is critically important to the men and women who have served our Nation in the Armed Services. It clarifies the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1988 to ensure that veterans will receive the benefits that Congress intended when it passed that act last year. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3187, also included in this new presentation, represents a bill introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) which would amend the 1949 Federal Property and Administrative Services Act to continue the authority allowing no-cost conveyances of surplus Federal property to State and local governments for law enforcement and emergency response purposes. Under the Federal Property Act, State and local governments or eligible nonprofit entities can obtain surplus property at no cost for several authorized public purpose programs. These programs include education, public health, correctional facilities and public airports. A bill that became law in the 105th Congress introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) added law enforcement and emergency management response purposes to this list. Prior to its enactment, however, the bill was amended to include a December 31, 1999 sunset date for these new public purpose categories. There are currently more than 22 pending State and local government applications for these purposes nationwide. These new conveyance categories have been invaluable for local governments, for enhancing their law enforcement and fire and rescue training efforts. These new authorities have allowed for an excellent reuse of surplus Federal property that would be lost, at least in the main, if we do not take some step at this point to extend the current opportunity for the Federal authorities to go forward. Accordingly, H.R. 3187 provides that during the extension the General Services Administration, while not being able to actually convey surplus Federal property at no cost for law enforcement and emergency response purposes, would, however, retain under the GSA at least the ability to consider and approve the applications for transfer during this extension. Additionally, prior to December 31, the GSA can convey surplus property at no cost for law enforcement and emergency response purposes to qualifying State and local governments, and as such this extension represents an important sense of relief to those local governments that have acted in good faith and stand to lose the receipt of Federal surplus properties at no cost absent our action. In regard to the underlying bill, S. 335 itself, Mr. Speaker, the House has already discussed and debated this measure extensively on November 2 when we passed it under suspension of the rules by a voice vote. I do not want to reiterate all of the comments made then, as important as they were, but let me say just briefly, with the authorization that we are about to extend once more on this House floor, this body stands to take a great step towards protecting those vulnerable, particularly our senior citizens, who have been preyed upon far too often by unscrupulous sweepstakes mailers. Those individuals, as few as they may be, who have come where the laws are apparently insufficient and have used deceptive practices to prey upon generally the elderly, but in other measures certainly the infirm, those who are most vulnerable, as I said, and in many cases, bilking them out of thousands, sometimes tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars of hard-earned money and their life savings. Today, this House can make again the statement that this Congress will not abide by that kind of activity and we will enact those laws necessary to ensure that future sweepstakes proposals are done under the guise of full disclosure, that deceptive practices, that misleading claims, that facsimile presentations so that checks are made to look like actual government documents, can no longer be continued. Beyond the efforts that I mentioned of the ranking member and others on the committee, I certainly want to extend a particular thanks to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo), who really brought this House's attention to this issue last year when he began formulating a response. We also owe great thanks to others, including the gentleman from California (Mr. Rogan); the gentleman from Florida (Mr. McCollum); and of course the language in this bill is based, in large measure, upon Senator Susan Collins's comprehensive bipartisan sweepstakes mailing legislation which passed the other body by a 93-to-0 vote. So, Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues can see, we have drawn from many sources here to craft what I believe is not just a reasonably balanced, but a tremendously effective and most needed piece of legislation. I urge its immediate and overwhelming approval. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 335) to amend chapter 30 of title 39, United States Code, to provide for the nonmailability of certain deceptive matter relating to sweepstakes, skill contests, facsimile checks, administrative procedures, orders, and civil penalties relating to such matter, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 2307, the bill just passed.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3189, the bill just passed.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the remaining time. Madam Speaker, let me associate myself with particularly the last comments by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings). Veterans of virtually any war are a very special class of people to whom those of us who enjoy the fruits of this wonderful democracy really owe more than we can ever repay. And I, too, want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for providing this opportunity to recognize, not only as I said earlier a 3-decade employee of the United States Postal Service, but like so many of his contemporaries, an individual whose record of service extends even beyond that of his service during World War II. Heroes come in many different forms and walk in many different ways in this life. To the community of Hopkinton, to the Greater Boston area, and to all of those across this country who believe, as I do, that the Boston Marathon is such a special event, without question, this gentleman, Mr. Brown, is a hero. We are very, very lucky today to have this opportunity. Madam Speaker, I too want to express my appreciation to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for being here today and for managing this bill, for the continued support of the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) as the ranking member, along with, of course, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) as the ranking member of the full committee and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), chairman of the full committee, and his staff and the staff of the Subcommittee on the Postal Service for their untiring work in processing these in the way in which they should be processed: in a bipartisan cooperative manner. Madam Speaker, I close with a final urging to all of our colleagues to support this fine bill, H.R. 2307. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 2307 was introduced by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) on June 22 of this year. This legislation designates the building of the United States Postal Service located at 5 Cedar Street in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, as the Thomas J. Brown Post Office Building. Both the relevant subcommittee and committee approved this legislation, which is cosponsored by the entire House delegation of the State of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, Mr. Brown is a past president of the Boston Athletic Association and former postmaster of the town of Hopkinton, which is the starting point for the Boston Marathon. Mr. Brown has been actively involved in the Boston Marathon in his capacity as president of the Boston Athletic Association. Madam Speaker, again we are here, as we did in the first bill, although under very, very different circumstances, paying tribute to an individual who perhaps does not find his name on the front page of the Nation's newspapers or as one of the lead stories on the evening news broadcast. But, nevertheless, we are here honoring a man who has, through his association, both with the Postal Service and with his activities and love of his community, has shown great leadership in important ways. I would say, Madam Speaker, that Mr. Brown is a kind of testament to, again, the American way of life, to someone who is not involved in any kind of community activity for power or glory or certainly for enrichment, but rather cares about their neighbors, cares about his association with those neighbors, and works simply to make today better than yesterday and, hopefully, tomorrow a little bit better than today. I would certainly urge all of our colleagues to support H.R. 2307 and honor this postal employee who is so actively involved in a very important part of his town's history. And I am always, as chairman of the subcommittee, particularly gratified when those postal employees, nearly 900,000 individuals who each day make this wonderful system work so well, are honored in this manner, particularly, as it does in this case, occurring in their hometown in the very facility in which they discharge those duties. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2307) to designate the building of the United States Postal Service located at 5 Cedar Street in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, as the ``Thomas J. Brown Post Office Building''.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, let me first of all express my appreciation to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) and the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Underwood), and all of the minority members, including, of course, the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), for their continued and continuous support on these kinds of measures. I do think it is a very fine example as to how the majority and minority can work toward a common good and a common action. I also want to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), the chairman of the full committee, for his continuous support in these efforts and for helping us to expedite consideration as we wind down the end of this legislative session so that we can, indeed, pay tribute to a very deserving individual. I want to say that I certainly agree with the comments of the two previous speakers. The cause of this crime was despicable, and I think it is true as well that all Americans find hate and find the kinds of actions fueled by the hate in this instance to be unspeakably evil. And to the extent that we can make a statement against that in this forum, that is a positive thing. But I would say that we are here today honoring an individual who fell and who was victimized and who we think would be worthy of this honor regardless of the motivations of the criminal who took his life. This is a man who has, through his life, through his roots and the way in which he has overcome, earned all of our admiration. Madam Speaker, Mr. Ileto I think in many ways is a perfect profile for the American dream, a gentleman who works hard, someone who carries the common values that have continuously bound this Nation together through our more than two centuries of existence. And regardless of his race, his color, his religious beliefs or any other distinguishing factor is a man fully deserving of this honor today. So with that, Madam Speaker, I offer again our deepest sympathies to Mr. Ileto's family, to his loved ones, and to those who knew him and urge that all Members support this legislation. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 3189 was introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Miller) on November 1 of this year. This legislation designates the building of the United States Postal Service located at 1407 Peyton Drive in Chino Hills, California, as the Joseph Ileto Post Office. This legislation honors Mr. Ileto, an employee of the United States Postal Service who was slain while on duty in a hail of bullets by a white supremacist on August 10, 1999. According to an affidavit filed in Federal court, the gunman had, just an hour before the shooting, opened fire at a Jewish community center in Los Angeles, wounding five children and employees. While making his rounds, Mr. Ileto encountered the assassin who, according to the affidavit, thought it would be a good idea to kill a non-white person who was also a government employee as a target of opportunity. Mr. Ileto was the oldest of five children, born and raised in the Philippines and named after St. Joseph, the patron saint of the worker. He emigrated to the United States when he was 14 years old. After completing high school, he studied at East Los Angeles College, earning an associate degree in engineering in 1983. He lived with his brother in Chino Hills, and he cared for his recently widowed mother in Monterey Park. He worked two jobs, at ABX Filters Corporation, where he tested electronic filters for heart pacemakers, and part-time as a substitute mail carrier. He was substituting for a regular letter carrier when he was killed, at age 39. Joseph Ileto took the postal position 2 years ago because he was seeking better pay in an outside job. Mr. Ileto was known for his goodness, his good humor, his willingness to help, and for being reliable. Joe was known to be a humble man, never wanting to be the center of attention, just wanting to blend into the crowd. His work ethic and reliability won him a Special Achievement Award from the Postal Service. He was also very competitive, and loved playing games and watching the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dodgers. He was a skilled chess player and was ranked at the master level. The Los Angeles Times and magazines devoted to chess recognized him for his achievements in that regard. His father taught him to play that game at the age of 7. Uniformed postal workers, in a caravan of more than 100 trucks, paid their respects to their fallen colleague. Every mail carrier in his post office attended the funeral, along with many others from the postal community. Retired mail carriers offered to deliver the mail that day so everyone who knew Joseph could attend, exemplifying the model of mail carriers everywhere, that an injury to one is an injury to all. Madam Speaker, it is important to note that the Post Office in Chino is near completion, and due to open early next year. It would be fitting that this body take action today on this bill, H.R. 3189, so that the naming of the post office coincides with the opening of this facility. Naming the Post Office in Chino Hills after Joseph Ileto would be an act of remembrance and honor to a person who, though he just wanted to blend into the crowd, exemplifies all the qualities that we look for in an outstanding citizen of this great Nation. I also want to, Madam Speaker, take one moment to express our most heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of this brave man. They share in this honor. We come to this floor many times each session and extend the privilege of a postal naming bill to presidents, to people who, in very real ways, made world history, to heroes of all kinds. Today we honor a hero of a somewhat different kind, but certainly no less a deserving individual. I would strongly urge all of our colleagues to support this bill and to extend this honor to a very, very special man. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.