[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 192 (Tuesday, December 5, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H13957-H13958]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    THOMAS D. LAMBROS FEDERAL BUILDING AND UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 869) to designate the Federal building and U.S. Courthouse 
located at 125 Market Street in Youngstown, OH, as the ``Thomas D. 
Lambros Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse'', as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 869

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The Federal building and United States courthouse located 
     at 125 Market Street in Youngstown, Ohio, shall be known and 
     designated as the ``Thomas D. Lambros Federal Building and 
     United States Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the Federal building 
     and United States courthouse referred to in section 1 shall 
     be deemed to be a reference to the ``Thomas D. Lambros 
     Federal Building and United States Courthouse''.


[[Page H 13958]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest] will be recognized for 20 minutes, and the 
gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Traficant] will be recognized for 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest].
  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 869, as amended, a bill 
to designate the Federal Building and Courthouse located in Youngstown, 
OH, as the ``Thomas D. Lambros Federal Building and United States 
Courthouse.'' Judge Lambros was born and raised in Ashtabula, OH. He 
attended Fairmont State College in Fairmont, WV and received his law 
degree from Cleveland Marshall law School in 1952.
  Prior to his career as a judge, he served in the U.S. Army from 1954 
to 1956. In 1960, Judge Lambros began his career in public service with 
his election to the Court of Common Pleas in Ashtabula County. In light 
of Judge Lambros' excellent reputation as a fair and dedicated jurist, 
President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated him in 1967 to the U.S. District 
Court for the Northern District of Ohio. As a district court judge, 
Judge Lambros was responsible for several important legal reforms such 
as the voluntary public defender program, which provided indigent 
criminal defendants with free counsel. This reform eventually became 
law in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision of Gideon versus 
Wainwright. Judge Lambros became Chief Judge of the Northern District 
of Ohio in 1990, and officially resigned from this position in February 
1995. Judge Lambros also received numerous honors and awards throughout 
his career including the Cross of Paideia presented by the Greek 
Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, and an honorary 
doctorate of law from Capital University Law and Graduate Center.
  It is a fitting tribute to name this building after Judge Lambros 
because he played such an instrumental role in its construction. Prior 
to the opening of the U.S. courthouse in Youngstown, citizens had to 
travel at least 65 miles to Cleveland to seek justice in the Federal 
court system. Judge Lambros recognized the hardship this imposed on 
many people, especially senior citizens and the indigent. I strongly 
urge all Members to support this bill.

                              {time}  1600

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Oberstar], the distinguished ranking 
member.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I compliment the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. 
Traficant], the leader on our side, for persisting on this legislation 
and bringing it forward once again. It passed the House in the last 
Congress and again did not muster support in the Senate.
  I appreciate the role that the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. 
Gilchrest] has played in assuring that we again consider this 
legislation and bring it to the floor and I appreciate his support for 
the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, it certainly is appropriate to honor Judge Lambros, who 
played a role in a very important area of law that often is poorly 
understood and overlooked, and that is the voluntary public defender 
program that provides free counsel for indigent criminal defendants. 
Judge Lambros was responsible for reforms in this area of the law that 
are very significant, and he laid the groundwork for, but his work 
preceded the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Gideon versus 
Wainwright that guaranteed free counsel to indigent criminal 
defendants.
  It is often difficult for us to understand and to take up the cause 
of those who are indigent and who have committed a crime, but 
nonetheless they deserve in our legal system legal counsel.
  For a judge who provided that kind of distinguished leadership in an 
often neglected and poorly understood area of the law, it is 
appropriate to honor Judge Lambros by naming a Federal building and 
courthouse in his honor. He is a good friend of the Democratic leader 
on the subcommittee, Mr. Traficant, who has been an advocate for this 
cause, and I compliment the gentleman, and I know that today we will 
again pass this legislation so justly deserved.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
   Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. 
Oberstar] for his comments and remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, throughout the distinguished career of Judge Lambros, 
who retired in February, he embraced the rule of law, human rights, and 
social justice for all citizens. I cannot think of a more appropriate 
way to honor him than to name this courthouse and have this courthouse 
bear his name.
  Judge Lambros was born in Ashtabula, OH, where he graduated from 
Ashtabula High School. He attended Fairmont State College in Fairmont, 
WV, and received his law degree from Cleveland Marshall Law School in 
1952. From 1954 to 1956 he served in the U.S. Army; distinguished 
service, I might add. In 1960, Judge Lambros was elected judge of the 
Court of Common Pleas in Ohio's Ashtabula County. He was reelected to a 
second full term without opposition, as his reputation for fairness 
continued to grow.
  In 1967, that fairness was nevertheless recognized by former 
President Lyndon B. Johnson, who nominated Judge Lambros to the Federal 
bench, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio. As a district 
court judge, as so aptly stated by the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. 
Oberstar], Judge Lambros was responsible for many important reforms, 
such as the voluntary public defender program to provide indigent 
criminal defendants with free counsel. His groundbreaking work, 
Members, in this area preceded the landmark U.S. Supreme Court 
decision, Gideon versus Wainwright, which guaranteed free counsel to 
indigent criminal defendants.
  In 1990, Judge Lambros became chief judge in the Northern District of 
Ohio. From there he officially retired in February 1995.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a most beautiful man. His efforts in the field 
of law will be remembered for years. I urge all to support this 
legislation.
  I thank the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest] and the gentleman 
from Minnesota [Mr. Oberstar] and all of those who participated for 
such help and ask for an ``aye'' vote.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, we have no more speakers on this bill. I 
want to thank the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Traficant] for his work on 
this, and I too urge an ``aye'' vote on this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest] that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 869, as amended.
  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Everett). Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I 
and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion 
will be postponed.

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