[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H9900-H9901]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     SAM M. GIBBONS U.S. COURTHOUSE

  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure be discharged from 
further consideration of the bill (H.R. 3710) to designate a U.S. 
courthouse located in Tampa, FL, as the ``Sam M. Gibbons U.S. 
Courthouse'' and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Maryland?
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I will not 
object, and I yield to the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest] for 
an explanation.
  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, the bill designates the U.S. courthouse 
located at 611 North Florida Avenue, Tampa, FL, as the Sam M. Gibbons 
U.S. courthouse.
  Sam Gibbons has been a distinguished Member of this body for 34 years 
and will be retiring after he finishes his 17th term in the House of 
Representatives. Sam has a long history of public service, beginning in 
World War II, where he served as captain in the 501st Parachute 
Infantry/101st airborne division. He was part of the initial assault 
force in Normandy on D-Day and was awarded the Bronze Star for his 
actions.
  Sam has been a Member of the Committee on Ways and Means since 1969, 
where he served as acting chairman in 1994 and became ranking minority 
member in the 104th Congress.
  Sam has conducted himself with dignity and commanded respect from 
those who have served with him. I urge my colleagues to support this 
fitting tribute to our distinguished colleague.
  The gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Shuster], who could not be here 
today, strongly supports this legislation.
  I, as a Member of the House, Mr. Gibbons, an American and a veteran 
thank you for your long, distinguished, courageous career to this most 
great country, the United States.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of objection, I 
yield to the distinguished gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Oberstar].
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my appreciation to the 
ranking member, Mr. Gilchrest, chairman of the subcommittee, and 
Chairman Shuster for moving this and the previous unanimous-consent 
request to name these buildings for distinguished Americans and in this 
case for a very distinguished colleague.
  All of us will long treasure in our memories the vision of Sam 
Gibbons striding to the well of the House without a document in hand 
but only a gifted, able, agile, and retentative mind to instruct us as 
a moral conscience on the Tax Code of the United States and our trade 
laws and to instruct and to guide and to shape responsible legislation.

[[Page H9901]]

  He will long be remembered by our Canadian colleagues to the north 
for his service on the Canada-United States interparliamentary group, 
for the relations that he cemented, established and broadened with our 
neighbors to the north and during which service he shaped many of the 
policies that guide the destinies of our two countries and fostered 
strong and warm relations between us and our neighbor to the north.
  He will indelibly be remembered by the French for his landing at St. 
Mere Egleiese in that Normandy invasion. He was a parachutist, risking 
life in a manner so vulnerable, none of us can possibly understand it 
until you have experienced it. None of us can fully appreciate the 
gratitude of the French until you have seen delegations of French 
parliamentarians who have been to this country, and I have witnessed 
it. And Mr. Gibbons talks about that extraordinary experience and the 
French respond with tears in their eyes, gratitude in their hearts and 
a grateful memory of a wonderful nation that appreciates the sacrifice 
and the risk that was taken.
  The naming of this building is a small token that we can all take and 
we can all offer for the long and enduring memory of the many gifts 
that Sam Gibbons has shared with us and the lasting monument, body of 
legislation and sacrifice that he has offered for this Nation, for its 
good and for others for all time to come.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, Sam Gibbons  was a war hero. He has been 
a congressional hero. He is an American hero. In the delicate nature of 
the work he performed not everybody may have agreed on every single 
little issue. But never, ever was the integrity, the direction, the 
focus of which he pursued his endeavors ever questioned. No one has 
been more respected.
  I am glad that I am in a position to have an opportunity to speak on 
this and to have played a part in it.
  I want to thank the gentleman, Mr. Gilchrest, and the Republicans. I 
want to also notify the Members of the House that this enacting and 
enabling legislation has a date of January 3, 1997, because Mr. Gibbons 
is still a powerful seated Member of this Congress and we are so proud 
to have him.
  I just want to say personally on behalf of myself, all the Members 
from our committee, the entire Democrat caucus and everyone who has 
worked in this House who knows this man that Tampa will be a much more 
graceful and elegant place with the naming of this building.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the bill, as follows:

                               H.R. 3710

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The United States courthouse located at 611 North Florida 
     Avenue in Tampa, Florida, shall be designated and known as 
     the ``Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law map, regulation, document, paper, or 
     other record of the United States to the United States 
     courthouse referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse''.


    amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by mr. gilchrest

  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by Mr. 
     Gilchrest: Strike all after the enacting clause and insert 
     the following:

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The United States courthouse under construction at 611 
     North Florida Avenue in Tampa, Florida, shall be known and 
     designated as the ``Sam M. Gibbons United States 
     Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the United States 
     courthouse referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the United States 
     courthouse referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse''.

     SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       This Act shall become effective on January 3, 1997.

  Mr. GILCHREST (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
consent that the amendment in the nature of a substitute be considered 
as read and printed in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, this amendment in the nature of a 
substitute simply sets an effective date of the bill of January 3, 
1997.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute offered by the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. 
Gilchrest].
  The amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read 
the third time, and passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to 
designate the United States courthouse under construction at 611 North 
Florida Avenue in Tampa, Florida, as the `Sam M. Gibbons United States 
Courthouse' ''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________