Ed Towns

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. On that note, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS

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

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, but I would like to just close by encouraging and urging all of the Members of this House to support this legislation. I think this is legislation that truly makes a lot of sense, and it sort of does the things that we need to do to sort of tighten our belts and work together to be able to bring about solutions to solve problems. I think this legislation is legislation that points us in the right direction, and maybe as result of this we can find other ways to be able to bring about savings for the Postal Service. I yield back the balance of my time and encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3137) to amend title 39, United States Code, to provide clarification relating to the authority of the United States Postal Service to accept donations as an additional source of funding for commemorative plaques.

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

Mr. TOWNS. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as we all know, the financial condition of the United States Postal Service is dismal, at best, and the agency is faced with a continually declining mail volume. Accordingly, we should all welcome cost-saving efforts such as those provided in H.R. 3137, that is not a detriment to hardworking postal employees, but rather will only serve to alleviate the financial burden of the Postal Service. We all name post offices from time to time. I know I named one after Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to serve in the United States Congress. I thought it was a great thing. But, let's face it, it cost the Postal Service money in order to be able to get the plaque, to get it designed, and to be able to put together an event because, after all, that was an important event for the first black woman who served in the United States Congress. So these are things that cost money that the Postal Service has to put up the money for. And I want to congratulate Mr. Issa for introducing this legislation because I really think that you might look at it as not a giant step or big or tremendous saving, but I see it today that every little bit helps. And this, I feel, is really helping. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to present H.R. 3137 for consideration. This legislation will clarify the authority of the United States Postal Service over the receipt of monetary donations for post office commemorative plaques. I want to commend my ranking member, Congressman Issa, who really, really brought this idea forth. I think that it goes into what we are doing. We are trying to reserve, we are trying to save money, and I think this legislation is a very creative way of being able to do that. Congress routinely passes legislation to designate post offices throughout the country and honor deserving individuals, and I think that is a great idea. Under current practice, the United States Postal Service subsequently purchases dedicatory plaques, at its own expense, out of the agency's operating budget. I think this is something that we will be able to eliminate and save money. I think that is one way to do that. H.R. 3137 simply seeks to reduce and to eliminate the financial burden imposed on the United States Postal Service with regard to the purchase of commemorative plaques by clarifying current law in this area. Specifically, the legislation would amend the United States Code to make clear that the postal service may accept monetary donations offered for the funding of postal facility commemorative plaques. In addition, H.R. 3137 provides that monetary donors may specify the postal facility at which their donations will be used. Moreover, when the amount of a donation exceeds the cost of a specified facility's commemorative plaque, H.R. 3137 would also allow, with a donor's consent, for the use of the excess donations towards the purchase of a plaque needed for another postal facility. I think that is a great idea. I think it's a very creative way to be able to sort of save money and, at the same time, not to have to cut back on doing what we know is right based on the fact that they do not have the funding. On that note, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. I now yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to present H.R. 3386 for consideration. This legislation will designate the United States postal facility located at 1165 2nd Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa, as the ``Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Memorial Post Office.'' At this time I would like to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3386) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1165 2nd Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa, as the ``Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Memorial Post Office''.

Mr. TOWNS

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

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

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to associate myself with the remarks made by the gentleman from California by saying that, yes, they are truly real heroes. There is no question about it. Again, I would like to urge my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the first responders who are fighting the California wildfires. I will tell you that that has been something that I have watched. Seeing people coming together around an issue is something for which we should all pause and say thank you.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 724) honoring the first responders, paying tribute to the victims of the Southern California wildfires, and mourning the loss of the Firefighter Captain Tedmund ``Ted'' Hall, and Firefighter Specialist Arnaldo ``Arnie'' Quinones.

Mr. TOWNS. I now recognize the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff) for 5 minutes.

Mr. TOWNS

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

Mr. TOWNS. Let me just make the statement, then I will be prepared to yield back. Again, I want to thank the gentleman from California. I want to thank Peter King. I want to thank Congresswoman Matsui; I want to thank my colleague, of course, Congressman Engel, for his participation. And again I would like to urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing September 11 as an ideal opportunity for giving back to our Nation through service.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have?

Mr. TOWNS. I yield myself such time as I may consume. As we take time today to remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001, let us also remember the great compassion that Americans showed each other following the attacks. They donated blood, searched through wreckage, and sat to comfort one another. The service of volunteers helped our country through their time of crisis, as it has so often during our history. It is in their spirit that we observe the anniversary of the attacks by not only remembering those lost and injured on September 11, 2001, but by serving our fellow Americans in their honor. This is the proper tribute to those who served those in need on that day. I am proud that we are taking time today to recognize these heroic volunteers. I would like to thank the leadership for allowing us to bring this bill to the floor today. I would also like to thank the ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Mr. Issa of California, for his support of the bill. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).

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

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 718) Recognizing September 11 as a ``National Day of Service and Remembrance''.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui), who really is responsible for us being here today. I want to thank her for her insight and, of course, making it possible for us to recognize people who really contributed so much on September 11.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to join my colleagues in saying that this was a day that I will never, never forget as I stood and I watched the second plane hit, and then I realized that this was a day that we would never, never forget. I also want to recognize those firefighters and those police officers and people who came from all over the Nation to help us at that time, and I mean New Yorkers. And of course, that's something that we cannot forget. People just packed up, came to help us clean up. And I've never seen people work together the way they worked during the crisis of September the 11. So I think it's only fitting that we stop and we recognize the great work of those volunteers. And I want to thank Congresswoman Matsui, I want to thank Congressman Peter King for sponsoring this resolution. I remember on that day a gentleman by the name of Al Walden, who worked here in the Congress, served in the Congress with us, who was a judge, and his office was in the building that caught on fire, the first building. And I recall standing out there talking to him as we were looking at the problem and the smoke coming from the building. And then as we heard the fire trucks and the volunteers running to help each other, and, of course, that's a day that I will never, never forget. I remember getting a call indicating that Fireman Glascoe, who was a very, very dear friend, was in the building, and that Officer Venable, I mean, I just can go down the list, calling the roll of all these people that lost their lives on that day. But I can't help from thinking about the togetherness that came from this and how people said, let's do everything we can to assist the people in New York. So I want to thank people from all over this land for doing that. I have no other speakers, and I reserve my time.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the loss of J.D. Williams, who expired 3 days ago. J.D. Williams was a very special person. He worked with the young people, taught so many how to play baseball. And, of course, he was an outstanding athlete himself. He was always giving of himself to help others. I recall as a youngster how he would organize and go into his pocket and take money out to be able to assist young people in buying uniforms and being able to move from one location to another to be able to play different teams. He was just so committed to developing young people. He worked to get them into college, and, of course, he had a relationship with many coaches around the country. And they would respect the fact that if J.D. Williams said that you could play, you would be able to play. And that's the kind of relationship that he had. Of course, let me say to his family in times like these you can be proud of the accomplishments of J.D. Williams, even though he's no longer with us.