[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 21, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H8851-H8853]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                OSCAR GARCIA RIVERA POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 282) to designate the U.S. Post Office building located at 
153 East 110th Street, New York, NY, as the ``Oscar Garcia Rivera Post 
Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 282

       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 153 East 
     110th Street, New York, New York, shall be known and 
     designated as

[[Page H8852]]

     the ``Oscar Garcia Rivera Post Office Building''.

     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 building referred to in section 1 shall be deemed 
     to be a reference to the ``Oscar Garcia Rivera 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. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 282, the bill designating the U.S. Post Office 
Building located at 153 East 110th Street, New York, NY, as the Oscar 
Garcia Rivera Post Office Building, was introduced by the gentleman 
from New York [Mr. Serrano] and cosponsored by the entire House 
delegation of the State of New York in accordance with the policy of 
the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight.
  This legislation honors the first Puerto Rican elected to public 
office in the continental United States. Having been born in Puerto 
Rico, Mr. Rivera came to New York. After graduating from high school, 
he worked at the post office and city hall while pursuing his further 
studies.
  He was instrumental in organizing and establishing the Association of 
Puerto Rican and Hispanic Employees within the Post Office Department. 
Mr. Rivera received his law degree from St. John's University in New 
York in 1930 and was elected as a State assemblyman in New York in 1937 
and served until 1940.
  He returned to his hometown of Mayaguez, PR, where he continued to be 
known for his commitment to protecting the rights of manual laborers, 
and remained a role model and a community leader. He died in Mayaguez 
in 1969.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to support H.R. 282 to designate 
the U.S. Post Office building located at 153 East 110th Street, New 
York, NY as the ``Oscar Garcia Rivera Post Office Building'' which has 
twice been approved by the House. The Congressional Budget Office has 
determined that enacting H.R. 282 would not affect direct spending or 
receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply, nor does 
it contain any intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined 
in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, Public Law 104-4, and 
would impose no costs on the budgets of State, local, or tribal 
governments.
  Mr. Speaker, I would at this time like to commend the gentleman from 
New York [Mr.  Serrano], for his initiative on this bill. Under any 
circumstances, Mr. Rivera would represent a totally worthy recipient of 
this particular honor, but given the odds that he overcame, the ground 
that he broke, I think this is a particularly fitting tribute, and I am 
honored and proud to be a part of this. I also would like to thank the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr.  Fattah] for his invaluable assistance 
in helping this bill to come to the floor in a timely manner.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 282, to name a post office in 
the State of New York after Mr. Garcia Rivera. He has two last names, 
and I guess we alternately have used both. But, nonetheless, it is a 
fitting tribute.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a gentleman who was the first Puerto Rican to be 
elected to the State assembly in the State of New York, a labor leader, 
someone committed to human rights, who helped to fight and support 
legislation to punish lynchings throughout our land, someone who in his 
own time and space has made a contribution.
  I join with my colleague, the gentleman from New York [Mr.  Serrano], 
who has sponsored this bill, in support of this legislation. I would 
like just to add that in terms of the leadership that my colleague from 
the State of New York is providing in this Congress on so many 
important issues, he has helped inspire all of us on the committee to 
give due consideration to this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from New York [Mr.  Serrano], the prime 
sponsor of this bill.
  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from 
New York, Chairman McHugh, and the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr.  
Fattah, for bringing this bill to the floor. I would like to thank the 
New York delegation for supporting the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues' support of H.R. 282, 
a bill that would designate the U.S. Post Office Building located at 
153 East 110th Street, New York, NY, as the Oscar Garcia Rivera Post 
Office Building.
  Let me in addition thank my colleague and mentor, the gentleman from 
New York [Mr.  Rangel]. The post office is in his district, and he has 
allowed me to play this role throughout these couple of years on this 
bill.
  Mr. Garcia Rivera, and let me clarify for the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania [Mr.  Fattah], this is an old tradition in Latin America. 
His name was Garcia, and then you pick up your mother's last name, and 
that created a big confusion in New York. That is why I am ``Serrano'' 
and not ``Serrano Soto.'' Otherwise it would be kind of confusing at 
times.
  Mr. Garcia Rivera was elected assemblyman in New York in the 14th 
District on March 30, 1937. He was born in Mayaguez, PR, on November 6, 
1900, which happens to be my hometown.
  Oscar Garcia Rivera was raised on a coffee plantation. After 
graduation from high school, Garcia came to the mainland and began 
working part time in a factory in Brooklyn while he continued to take 
courses to reach his goal of becoming a lawyer.
  He applied for a job in the U.S. Postal Service, obtained high 
recommendations, and was assigned to the post office in city hall. He 
quickly became very involved in union issues, and later encouraged the 
establishment of the Association of Puerto Rican and Hispanic Employees 
within the U.S. Postal Service. Garcia Rivera attended law school at 
St. John's University and graduated in 1930.
  Dedicated and committed to the struggles of the then pioneering 
Puerto Rican and Hispanics in East Harlem, he announced publicly in 
1937 that he would seek a seat in the New York State Assembly.
  In March of that same year he made history by becoming the first 
Puerto Rican elected to public office in the United States. The 
gentleman from New York [Mr.  McHugh], would be happy to know he was 
elected as a Republican, the first and only one, but that is an issue 
for another day. He won reelection the following year and continued in 
this post until 1940.
  During the short time that he served in the assembly, however, Garcia 
Rivera, initiated legislation that offered valuable and lasting 
contributions to his Puerto Rican community, the labor movement, and to 
the working class at large.
  He introduced a bill guaranteeing safeguards against unemployment. 
This revolutionary piece of legislation at that time was enacted into 
law in 1939. Garcia Rivera defended minimum wage laws, fought for 
regulated hours of labor, worked to establish tariff agreements, and, 
most importantly, he was committed to protecting the rights of manual 
laborers and encouraged workers to organize themselves into active 
unions.

                              {time}  1315

  He also supported the campaign, which, as my colleague, the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fattah] has said, established a law which 
punished lynchings throughout the United States.
  Every year the anniversary of his election as the first Puerto Rican 
who attained a public office marks a proud moment in my community's 
history. Despite his brief career as Assemblyman, Oscar Garcia Rivera 
became a great leader in his community, creating a role model for young 
people and establishing hope for his people that they could achieve 
their dreams in the United States. His actions transformed the Puerto 
Rican community and improved working conditions for all New Yorkers.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe the passage of this bill and the dedication of 
this building to this great leader would serve as an inspiration to the 
future generations in my community and

[[Page H8853]]

Americans throughout this country and throughout the United States. 
Please join me in support of H.R. 282.
  Once again, I want to thank these two gentlemen for bringing this 
bill to the floor. This has been a long time coming, and as one who 
served 16 years in the State Assembly in New York, I take very 
seriously the fact that Mr. Garcia Rivera opened the doors for so many 
members of my community.
  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Serrano] for his hard work on this bill to honor a gentleman who 
obviously is a very, very fitting recipient of this kind of honor. I 
urge all of my colleagues to join with the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
[Mr. Fattah] and the gentleman from New York [Mr. Serrano] and myself 
in supporting this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, 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. 282.
  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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