[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 132 (Monday, September 29, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H8090]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          MARTIN V. B. BOSTETTER, JR. UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate 
bill (S. 819) to designate the United States courthouse at 200 South 
Washington Street in Alexandria, Virginia, as the ``Martin V. B. 
Bostetter, Jr. United States Courthouse.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 819

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF MARTIN V. B. BOSTETTER, JR. UNITED 
                   STATES COURTHOUSE.

       The United States courthouse at 200 South Washington Street 
     in Alexandria, Virginia, shall be known and designated as the 
     ``Martin V. B. Bostetter, Jr. 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 ``Martin V. B. Bostetter, Jr. United States 
     Courthouse''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California [Mr. Kim] and the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Traficant] each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California [Mr. Kim].
  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 819 designates the U.S. courthouse in Alexandria, VA, 
as the ``Martin V.B. Bostetter, Jr. United States Courthouse.''
  Chief Judge Bostetter has served and continues to serve his country 
in many ways. Since 1952, Judge Bostetter's entire career has taken 
place within a radius of eight blocks in Old Town, Alexandria, VA. He 
served as the special assistant to the city attorney and associate 
judge of the municipal court.
  In 1960, Judge Bostetter was appointed to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court 
and continues to serve as a judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the 
Eastern District of Virginia. He was appointed chief judge in February 
1, 1985, and ranks among the longest sitting full-time bankruptcy 
judges in the United States.
  This is a fitting tribute to such a distinguished jurist. I support 
this act and urge my colleagues to join in this support.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to join the gentleman from California [Mr. Kim] 
in supporting S. 819, a bill to designate the courthouse on South 
Washington Street in Alexandria, VA, in honor of Judge Martin 
Bostetter, Jr. He certainly deserves it.
  I would also like to state that the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. 
Moran], one of my Democratic colleagues, has also introduced companion 
legislation, H.R. 1851, also a bill naming this courthouse in honor of 
Judge Martin Bostetter, Jr. I will include his written statement 
immediately after my remarks.
  Judge Bostetter served the people of Virginia for over 40 years. He 
ranks among the longest sitting full-time bankruptcy judges in these 
United States. He has long been associated with and active in many 
civic and community organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce in 
Alexandria, the Alexandria Hospital, and the Alexandria Boys Club, to 
show the diversity of his involvement and his caring of the people whom 
he has served for so many years.
  I am proud to join the gentleman from Virginia, [Mr. Moran], Senator 
Warner, and the gentleman from California, [Mr. Kim] in this 
legislation. I want to commend the gentleman from California [Mr. Kim] 
for the fine, expeditious job to bring this and other legislation 
forward.
  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I 
rise today in support of S. 819. This legislation is identical to the 
bill I introduced June 10, 1997, naming the United States Court House 
on South Washington Street in Alexandria, Virginia the Chief Bankruptcy 
Judge Martin V. B. Bostetter, Jr. Court House. The Bostetter Court 
House will be a lasting reminder of the distinguished career of Judge 
Bostetter and commemorates his numerous contributions to bankruptcy law 
in Northern Virginia.
  Judge Bostetter's distinguished legal career began in 1952 and took 
place entirely within an eight block radius of Old Town, Alexandria. He 
served as Special Assistant to the City Attorney of Alexandria in 1953 
in the capacity of City Prosecutor. In 1957, he became an Associate 
Judge of Alexandria's Municipal court system. Judge Bostetter was then 
appointed to the United States Bankruptcy Court in 1959 and presently 
serves as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of 
Virginia. In 1985, he was appointed Chief Judge and now ranks among the 
longest sitting full-time bankruptcy judges in the United States.
  In 1959, Judge Bostetter established the First Bankruptcy Court in 
Alexandria, in the former Federal District Courthouse--38 years later 
he resides in the same building as the Chief Judge of the Bankruptcy 
Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He has taken a special 
interest and great pride in the ongoing renovation of this historic 
building.
  During his service on the bench, Chief Judge Bostetter has seen the 
Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia grow to three 
divisions with five full-time judges and staff, 90 employees in its 
Clerk's Office and an average of more than 2,600 bankruptcy filings per 
month. The Alexandria Division has two full-time judges, 22 employees 
and averages approximately 790 bankruptcy filings per month.
  When Judge Bostetter began his career on the bench with approximately 
nine bankruptcy filings per month and one employee. He remained the 
only full time bankruptcy judge in Alexandria from July 1959 until 
December 1994. During the 1980's and early 1990's his case load swelled 
to about two times the volume expected for a single judge to preside 
over.
  Chief Judge Bostetter has been a dedicated and loyal public servant, 
serving the people of Virginia faithfully with honor, integrity and 
distinction during his tenure as a bankruptcy judge. He has fulfilled 
his duties with a strong sense of fairness and pragmatism, while 
adhering to the constraints imposed by the Bankruptcy Code and related 
case law. Moreover, he has set very high standards for the lawyers who 
practice before him, thereby making those lawyers better prepared and 
more effective advocates for their respective client's interest.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank Transportation 
and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Shuster, Subcommittee Chairman 
Jay Kim and ranking members Jim Oberstar and Jim Traficant, along with 
the committee and subcommittee staff for their efforts to bring this 
legislation to the floor. I truly appreciate their cooperation.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Miller of Florida). The question is on 
the motion offered by the gentleman from California [Mr. Kim] that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 819.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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