[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 21, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H8850-H8851]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CARLOS J. MOORHEAD POST OFFICE BUILDING
Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 681) to designate the U.S. Post Office building located at
313 East Broadway in Glendale, CA, as the ``Carlos J. Moorhead Post
Office Building.''
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 681
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 Post Office building located at 313 East
Broadway in Glendale, California, shall be known and
designated as the ``Carlos J. Moorhead Post Office
Building''.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES.
Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper,
or other record of the United States to the building referred
to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to the
``Carlos J. Moorhead Post Office Building''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York [Mr. McHugh] and the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fattah] each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York [Mr. McHugh].
Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 681 was introduced by the gentleman from Illinois
[Mr. Hyde]. As has been noted, the legislation designates the U.S. Post
Office building located at 313 East Broadway in Glendale, CA, as the
Carlos J. Moorhead Post Office Building and honors a colleague with
whom many of us in this body were very familiar.
Madam Speaker, though the sponsor of the bill, Mr. Hyde, is from
Illinois, the measure did receive, as required by the committee rules,
the support of the entire House delegation from the State of
California, where the office is located, and many other friends and
colleagues of Mr. Moorhead.
Madam Speaker, Mr. Moorhead, as we all know, represented and served
in this body with distinction from 1972 until he retired in 1997. Mr.
Moorhead was a member of the Committee on the Judiciary and then became
chairman of the Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property. He is
a native Californian, having been born in Long Beach and attending
public school in Glendale, receiving a B.A. from UCLA and a J.D. from
the University of Southern California School of Law in Los Angeles.
Former Representive Moorhead is a veteran of World War II and a retired
judge advocate lieutenant colonel.
Madam Speaker, I have a longer statement that I will submit for the
Record. I will end my comments at this time by saying I am very pleased
that the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Hyde] has acted to honor a dear
friend and a very distinguished colleague, Congressman Moorhead. Those
of us who had the opportunity and the privilege of serving with him
knew him as a hard-working legislator, an honorable man and a good
friend. I think this is the kind of tribute that this House makes that
is so appropriate and so fitting.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FATTAH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Let me join with the gentleman from New York in support of this
measure. I think it is appropriate and fitting that this House take
notice of the fine work of our colleague in this manner. I want to
congratulate the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Hyde], the chairman of
the Committee on the Judiciary, for offering this legislation.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, let me first acknowledge and express my
appreciation to the ranking member, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, as
always for his leadership and his assistance in this and all matters
involving the subcommittee. I deeply appreciate his support and his
hard work.
Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina
[Mr. Coble] for some comments about a friend and colleague.
Mr. COBLE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time. I also express my appreciation to the gentleman from Illinois
[Mr. Hyde] of the Committee on the Judiciary for having introduced this
bill and the committee of jurisdiction for having expeditiously handled
it.
During my time in the Congress, a little over a decade now, I served
with Carlos Moorhead and with the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Hyde],
the chairman, on the Committee on the Judiciary and served with Carlos
Moorhead during the years that he was the ranking Republican and during
the term when he served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Courts and
Intellectual Property. Oftentimes, Madam Speaker, when one refers to a
man, a male, a boy, or a man, as being gentle, sometimes that is
perceived as being soft or being vulnerable. Carlos Moorhead was
neither soft nor vulnerable, but he was, indeed, gentle. He was a
gentle man. He loved this House, and he loved the Committee on the
Judiciary, and for that matter the Subcommittee on Courts and
Intellectual Property.
I think it is very fitting, I say to those who have handled the bill
and I say to my friend the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Hyde], I think
it is very fitting that this bill be introduced and enacted and that
that Post Office in Glendale, I have never been to Glendale, CA, one
day I may ride by there and look with pride as it, is identified as the
Carlos J. Moorhead Building.
Mr. FATTAH. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Ohio [Mr. Traficant].
Mr. TRAFICANT. Madam Speaker, being here on the floor, I would just
like to rise and pay tribute to the distinguished past chairman and
also pay tribute to the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Hyde], the current
chairman, for having brought this legislation. Mr. Moorhead was a great
member, a good friend. He helped a lot of people like myself and
others. I just want to rise and associate myself with the remarks of
the previous speaker and add my little 2 cents in commending Mr.
Moorhead and congratulating him on this.
Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Illinois [Mr. Hyde], the primary sponsor of this legislation, the
distinguished chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary.
(Mr. HYDE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. HYDE. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Madam
Speaker, I have a prepared statement here which I will try to get
through, but I just want to say this. I, in a long life have never met
a nicer person than Carlos Moorhead. He was a gentleman. He had a sense
of patriotism. He loved this country, he loved the law, he loved the
Committee on the Judiciary, and we loved him back.
Today I rise to pay tribute to a man who dedicated his professional
life to the service of this country and to the people of California.
Most Members are familiar with Congressman Moorhead who served this
body with distinction until his retirement at the conclusion of the
104th Congress. He was born in Long Beach, CA. He was a veteran of
World War II, a retired judge advocate lieutenant colonel. Carlos was
first elected to Congress in 1972 to represent the 27th District of
California, which includes his hometown of Glendale where this post
office is located, along with Pasadena, Burbank, La Crescenta, and San
Marino.
As a member of the Committee on the Judiciary and later chairman of
the Subcommittee on the Courts and Intellectual Property, Carlos led
some of the most controversial and important legislative debates that
we have ever had in Congress. Throughout his 24 years of service to the
people of California, Carlos typified the very best of what the House
has to offer, vigorous
[[Page H8851]]
debate by a gentleman statesman. He worked hard and was highly
respected by Members on both sides of the aisle, as evidenced by the
fact that all 52 members of the California delegation are cosponsors of
this legislation. He proved himself to be one of the most versatile and
adaptable legislators this body has seen. He consistently had the most
conservative voting record of any Member of Congress, and that did not
stop him from being an effective legislator during his 22-year tenure
in the minority.
Always a loyal statesman, Carlos was also skilled in the art of the
possible. He had a special ability to get past politics and negotiate
legislation that achieved the best result possible under the
circumstances. Nevertheless, after 22 years in the minority, Carlos
wasted no time adapting to the majority.
{time} 1300
He proved to be one of the most efficient and effective subcommittee
chairmen of the 104th Congress. In just 2 years, he managed to
favorably report several of the most important and controversial
elements of the Contract With America. He went on to break decades-old
log jams of legislation in the area of patents, copyrights, trademarks,
and the Federal courts.
In his short tenure as chairman of the Subcommittee on Courts and
Intellectual Property, Carlos was responsible for the enactment of 14
public laws, both qualitatively and quantitatively. That was the best
record of any subcommittee chairman.
I join with pride the California delegation in saluting this man of
service, a great patriot, and wish him and his wife, Valerie, and his
five children and grandchildren the very best.
Mr. FATTAH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, let me again join with the chairman of the Committee
on the Judiciary. I did take note while some of us were on break, he
kept the home fires burning here in Washington and the committee was
working.
Madam Speaker, I want to again say that in terms of this bill, that
we join on this side of the aisle in recognizing the achievements of
our colleague, and want to see this post office in California named
after him. I am happy he was able to serve for more than two decades in
the House. As a newer Member of the Congress, I look forward to one day
of having that type of lengthy service.
I think it is very important to see that the experience a Member
gains over those years comes to be admired by both sides of the aisle
and comes to be appreciated, hopefully, throughout the country.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
California [Mr. Rogan], Mr. Moorhead's successor in this Congress.
Mr. ROGAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. I
especially want to thank the distinguished chairman of the Committee on
the Judiciary for bringing this very well-deserved bill to the floor.
As Carlos Moorhead's successor, I have both a benefit and a burden.
It is a benefit, because I have enjoyed him not just as a friend, but
as a mentor in my private and public career. It is also a burden,
because he sets a very high-standard of respect and accomplishment for
those who follow in his footsteps.
As we walk through the Capitol, we see there is a propensity to build
statues to heroes. Yet not all of our heroes are represented in statue.
Although he deserves a statue, naming a post office for Carlos Moorhead
is a modest way of thanking him for a job well done. In 32 years of
public service, Carlos served his community and country with a sense of
quiet dignity and resolve. And he did so without there ever being a
hint of scandal or of impropriety. He is a man who has faithfully
served his country for 24 years in this House, and in doing so he has
left a lasting mark.
As I meet both veteran and new Members of Congress, I have found that
if I want to ingratiate myself, I simply tell them that I took Carlos
Moorhead's place. Invariably this introduction brings a smile and a nod
of appreciation for both Carlos as a friend, and for Carlos as a
colleague.
Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor to join with so many distinguished
Members of this House in paying tribute to a great Congressman, a great
public servant, a great friend, and most of all, a great American. This
bill is a fitting tribute to a well-deserving public servant, the
Honorable Carlos J. Moorhead of California.
Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I am honored to yield two minutes to the
gentleman from California [Mr. McKeon].
Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois,
Chairman Hyde, of the Committee on the Judiciary for bringing forth
this bill, the gentleman from New York, Chairman McHugh, and the
ranking member, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Fattah, for their
expeditious handling of the bill to bring it to the floor in this
timely manner.
Madam Speaker, I just was thinking while people were talking, I was
thinking about Carlos Moorhead. He was the first Congressman I had the
pleasure of meeting in my lifetime. I was the mayor of our city and he
was our Congressman.
I was at work one day and received a phone call from our receptionist
who said, ``There is a Congressman out front that would like to meet
you.'' I did not know how to act or how to react to that, but I invited
him to come into the office. Those of you who are colleagues who know
Carlos know how quiet and unassuming he was. He came in, introduced
himself, and we had a nice chat. That began a strong friendship.
To me, Carlos represents all that is great about the House of
Representatives. As has been mentioned, he had an unimpeachable
character. He served this House and his countrymen for many years with
great dignity. He practiced his Christian principles that he believed
in. He was a humble, unassuming man. As was said earlier by the
gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. Coble], he was a true gentleman.
The greatest praise my dad could give to someone was that he was a
real gentleman. I cannot think of anything greater to say about Carlos.
He was great to work with. He helped me very much in assuming my role
here. He was my Congressman. I replaced part of his district when we
had the reapportionment in 1992.
Madam Speaker, I am happy to see this done. I have been to Glendale
many times. I am happy this Post Office will be named after him. I know
the people of that district will love to see this named after him, and
they appreciate all the things he did for them.
Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and,
with a final urging to my colleagues to support this very worthwhile
legislation for a very distinguished colleague, I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Coble). 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. 681.
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.
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