[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 30, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H8759-H8761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     ROGER P. McAULIFFE POST OFFICE

  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3834) to redesignate the Dunning Post Office in Chicago, IL, 
as the ``Roger P. McAuliffe Post Office''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3834

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

     SECTION 1. REDESIGNATION.

       The Dunning Post Office, located at 6441 West Irving Park 
     Road, Chicago, Illinois, shall be redesignated and know as 
     the ``Roger P. McAuliffe Post Office''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the United States 
     Post Office referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``Roger P. McAuliffe Post Office''.


[[Page H8760]]


  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York [Mr. McHugh] and the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Moran] each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York [Mr. McHugh].
  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that the legislation before us. 
H.R. 3834, was approved unanimously by the Committee on Government 
Reform and Oversight. This legislation redesignates the Dunning Post 
Office located at 6441 West Irving Park Road, Chicago, IL, as the 
``Roger P. McAuliffe Post Office.'' The bill was introduced by the 
gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Flanagan], and is cosponsored by his full 
State delegation, as required by committee policy.
  The late Roger McAuliffe was elected to the Illinois House for 24 
years. He served the people of the 14th District, Chicago's northwest 
side and several suburbs, including Park Ridge, Rosemont, Norridge, and 
Schiller Park. He had previously represented the 16th District.
  Mr. McAuliffe served in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1963. He graduated 
from the Chicago Police Academy in 1965 and remained on active duty 
with the Chicago Police Department even as he served in the 
legislature. He was known as an advocate for senior citizens, tax caps, 
and fighting crime and successfully enacted stiffer penalties for 
drunken driving. He also promoted legislation for school reform and 
pension benefits to families of police officers and firefighters killed 
in the line of duty. Roger McAuliffe was assistant majority leader of 
the Illinois House when he died unexpectedly, the day before his 58th 
birthday, in a fatal boating incident.
  Mr. Speaker, I am a cosponsor of this legislation and I urge our 
colleagues to support H.R. 3834.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we also support this bill redesignating the Dunning Post 
Office that is located on West Irving Park Road in Chicago as the Roger 
McAuliffe Post Office. The Illinois delegation has chosen a fitting way 
to honor a former State representative in this way.

                              {time}  1245

  State Representative McAuliffe was the dean of the Illinois State 
House Republicans. He recently died in a tragic boating accident over 
the Fourth of July holiday.
  So we would support this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois [Mr. Flanagan], the sponsor of this legislation.
  Mr. FLANAGAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
McHugh], chairman of the Subcommittee on Postal Service, and the 
ranking member, the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Moran], as well as the 
chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. 
Clinger], and especially the ranking member of the full committee, the 
gentlewoman from Illinois [Mrs. Collins], who is of the Illinois 
delegation and a cosponsor of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, as the sponsor of H.R. 3834 to redesignate the Dunning 
Post Office at 6441 West Irving Park Road in Chicago the Roger P. 
McAuliffe Post Office I would like to take this time to tell my 
colleagues about Roger McAuliffe. Roger was not only my constituent, 
but also a good personal friend, a wonderful man who was first elected 
to the Illinois General Assembly in 1972.
  At the time of his tragic death in a boating accident on July 5 of 
this year, the day before his 58th birthday, Roger was the dean of the 
Illinois State House Republicans, having just completed his 24th year 
of service there. In the State house, he served as the assistant 
majority leader. Many Members of our Illinois House congressional 
delegation, who have cosponsored this legislation along with the 
chairman of the Subcommittee on Postal Service, served with Roger in 
the Illinois General Assembly.
  Roger represented the people of the 14th State House District, which 
overlaps in part the Fifth Congressional District of Illinois, and 
takes in not only the northwest side of Chicago, but also such suburbs 
as Park Ridge, Rosemont, Norridge, and Schiller Park. Not only did we 
share some commonality in our district boundaries, but Roger and I were 
both graduates of Chicago's Lane Technical High School.
  Since we were both lifelong Chicagoans, I often relied on Roger for 
advice on Chicago area matters, and his keen insights were always a 
help. Other Members have told me that they, too, frequently relied on 
Roger for his astute wisdom and counsel.
  Being a State representative, however, was only one of Roger's public 
service roles. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1963, Roger 
then became a Chicago police officer. He graduated in 1965 from the 
Chicago Police Academy and was still a Chicago patrolman at the time of 
his unfortunate death.
  Because he never wanted to take advantage of his elected office, 
Roger remained a patrolman his whole life. Although the police 
department on many occasions wanted to promote Roger to higher rank, 
Roger always refused. Roger also turned down chances to run for mayor, 
sheriff, and Cook County board president. He thought he would be a 
better servant of the community if he remained a State legislator. And 
so he did.
  Given his background in law enforcement, Roger promoted legislation 
for stiffer penalties for drunk drivers and pension benefits to the 
families of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of 
duty. Well known for his constituent services, Roger was particularly 
concerned about senior citizens and, as far back as 1981, he started 
holding driving seminars for senior citizens. They were so popular that 
as many as 1,000 at a time attended them.
  Known locally as the Monsignor, Roger was well liked and respected by 
both sides of the aisle. The July 10, 1996, article entitled ``A Sense 
of Loss'' by Chicago Sun-Times reporter Steve Neal well describes why 
Roger is already sorely missed. I will include this article following 
my remarks.
  I can think of no finer tribute to Roger McAuliffe's memory than to 
honor his dedicated and distinguished long public service by 
redesignating the Dunning Post Office the Roger P. McAuliffe Post 
Office. I urge my colleagues to unanimously pass this measure.
  The article referred to is as follows:

              [From the Chicago Sun-Times, July 10, 1996]

                            A Sense of Loss


    Roger P. McAuliffe was a popular member of the Illinois General 
   Assembly and will be missed by his neighbors on the northwest side

                            (By Steve Neal)

       He was a neighborhood guy.
       That was the secret of state Rep. Roger P. McAuliffe's 
     success.
       McAuliffe, assistant majority leader of the Illinois House 
     and a Chicago police officer, who presumably drowned in a 
     boating accident in Northern Wisconsin, rose to statewide 
     political influence. But the Northwest Sider never forgot 
     that all politics is local.
       He promoted legislation for Chicago school reform, 
     property-tax relief, stiffer penalties for drunken drivers, 
     and pension benefits to the families of police officers and 
     firefighters killed in the line of duty.
       ``He was strong and decisive. The people of Illinois have 
     lost a tremendous legislator and the people of Chicago have 
     lost a strong advocate,'' said House Speaker Lee A. Daniels 
     (R-Elmhurst), a friend for more than 20 years. ``Roger was 
     the best in the state at providing services to his 
     constituents.''
       McAuliffe may have been the most popular member of the 
     General Assembly. ``Everyone liked Roger. He was just one of 
     those guys who was universally liked. His word was good. He 
     loved helping people. He was a grand person to be with on 
     social occasions. He's going to be missed,'' added former 
     Illinois Senate President Philip J. Rock (D-Oak Park).
       ``If you knew him as a police officer, you never knew that 
     he was a politician,'' said Chicago police officer Bill 
     Nelligan, a close friend.
       McAuliffe was first elected to the Illinois House in 1972. 
     His district included the 38th and 41st wards, part of the 
     36th Ward, and neighboring suburbs.
       Jack Dorgan, a former aide, said McAuliffe eased tension 
     between the city and suburbs. ``He always said that the 
     people in the city and suburbs aren't different except for 
     the ZIP codes,'' Dorgan said.
       ``He was a good neighbor to everyone. You could always 
     count on him when there was a problem. When he walked through 
     the neighborhood, everyone knew him as their friend first and 
     an elected official second,'' said 38th Ward Democratic 
     committeeman Patricia J. Cullerton.

[[Page H8761]]

       An Irish American who grew up on the Northwest Side, 
     McAuliffe was a second-generation Republican. After 
     graduating from Lane Tech and serving in the U.S. Army, 
     McAuliffe joined the 38th Ward GOP organizations. Through 
     hard work, he became the city's GOP precinct captain.
       In his 24-year legislative career, McAuliffe's most notable 
     win was his 1982 re-election. He was told it couldn't be 
     done. In 1980, voters had approved a constitutional amendment 
     that reduced the size of the House and replaced the state's 
     unique system of cumulative voting with single-member 
     districts.
       Under the old system, each legislative district elected 
     three representatives, including one from the minority party. 
     McAuliffe was among 17 Chicago GOP representatives. The other 
     16 members of this group retired or were defeated in 1982.
       State Rep. Roman J. Kosinski (D-Chicago), who ran against 
     McAuliffe in 1982, was favored to win. Even though there was 
     a Democratic landslide in the city, McAuliffe won by 607 
     votes out of 37,000 cast. ``Roger wasn't a quitter. He just 
     outworked Kosinski,'' recalled Fred Rupley, McAuliffe's pal.
       McAuliffe never had another close election. He survived by 
     forging alliances with Northwest Side Democrats.
       He is the only Chicago Republican elected to the House 
     since the cutback amendment. McAuliffe turned down chances to 
     run for mayor, Cook County Board president and sheriff. ``He 
     was very comfortable as a state legislator. He knew that he 
     could control his own destiny,'' Rupley said.

  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3834, 
a bill to redesignate the Roger P. McAuliffe Post Office in Chicago as 
a fitting tribute to my former colleague and friend.
  I had the privilege of serving with Roger in the Illinois General 
Assembly from 1972, when we were in the same freshman class, until my 
election to Congress. Roger was the only one of our class to continue 
to serve in the general assembly until his tragic fatal accident--and 
serve he did.
  Roger was known as an advocate for senior citizens, property tax 
caps, and as a former Chicago Police Officer, for fighting crime. Known 
particularly for his constituent services, he aided the residents of 
the neighborhoods of Chicago's northwest side as well as several 
suburbs including Park Ridge, Rosemont, Norridge and Shiller Park.
  Even though he served as assistant majority leader, with a Republican 
House and Republican Senate, as the only Republican from Chicago in the 
State House, Roger effectively crossed party lines and worked with 
Republicans and Democrats alike. He will certainly be missed.
  Roger touched many of us, with his warmth and good cheer. He was a 
dedicated public servant and a dear friend, and I will miss him 
greatly. I commend my colleague from Illinois [Mr. Flanagan] for his 
fitting tribute to Roger's memory, and for his efforts to expedite 
consideration of this important measure by the House.
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ewing). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from New York [Mr. McHugh] that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3834.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________