[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 21, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H8854-H8855]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     DOUGLAS APPLEGATE POST OFFICE

  Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2129) to designate the U.S. Post Office located at 150 North 
3d Street in Steubenville, OH, as the ``Douglas Applegate Post 
Office.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2129

       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 located at 150 North 3rd 
     Street in Steubenville, Ohio, shall be known and designated 
     as the ``Douglas Applegate 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 ``Douglas Applegate Post Office''.

  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. 2129 designates the U.S. Post Office located at 
150 North 3d Street in Steubenville, OH, as the Douglas Applegate Post 
Office. The legislation was introduced by the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. 
Traficant] and cosponsored by the entire House delegation from the 
State of Ohio, as in accordance with the policy of the Committee on 
Government Reform and House Oversight.
  Mr. Applegate was born and educated in Steubenville. He served in the 
Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate for 8 years, 
respectively. He was then elected to the 95th Congress by Ohio's 18th 
Congressional District, and reelected each term until his retirement 
after the 103d Congress.
  Mr. Applegate was known as an advocate of America's veterans, and was 
chairman of the Subcommittee on Compensation, Pension, and Insurance of 
the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Though he was known as a quiet 
worker, he strongly and emphatically defended American jobs.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 2129 designates the U.S. Post Office located at 
150 North 3d Street in Steubenville, OH, as the Douglas Applegate Post 
Office. The legislation was introduced by Mr. Traficant and cosponsored 
by the entire House delegation from the State of Ohio in accordance 
with the policy of the Committee on the Government Reform and 
Oversight.
  Mr. Applegate was born and educated in Steubenville. He served in the 
Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate for 8 years 
respectively. He was then elected to the 95th Congress by Ohio's 18th 
Congressional District and reelected each term until his retirement 
after the 103d Congress. Mr. Applegate was known as an advocate of 
America's veterans and was the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs 
Subcommittee on Compensation, Pensions, and Insurance. Though he was 
known as a quiet worker, he strongly and emphatically defended American 
jobs.
  Madam Speaker, I urge our colleagues to support H.R. 2129 designating 
the U.S. Post Office located at 150 North 3d Street in Steubenville, 
OH, as the Douglas Applegate Post Office.
  Madam Speaker, the Congressional Budget Office has affirmed that the 
legislation contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as 
defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 and would impose no 
costs on State, local, or tribal governments.
  Madam Speaker, I would say, as happened earlier this afternoon with 
our tribute to a former colleague, Mr. Moorhead, that Mr. Applegate as 
well represents the kind of dignity, the kind of hard work and honesty, 
that this body strives for each and every day.

                              {time}  1330

  And he certainly would represent a very, very fitting recipient of 
this postal naming bill, and I urge the support by all of my 
colleagues.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FATTAH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

[[Page H8855]]

  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2129. The sponsor of this 
bill, the gentleman from the great State of Ohio [Mr. Traficant], has 
been very enthusiastic in making sure the committee acted expeditiously 
on this piece of legislation. But I think it is appropriate because the 
colleague whose service we recognize in the naming of this postal 
facility is someone who, in many ways, the gentleman from Ohio 
seemingly has some bond with because of their support for similar 
causes.
  Madam Speaker, the naming bill that is in front of us is a bill that 
hopefully will enjoy broad-based support.
  Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Ohio [Mr. Traficant].
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Madam Speaker, Steubenville is a tough town. It 
produced Dean Martin and Douglas Applegate, and both of them had as big 
an effect in the professional careers that they pursued. Dean Martin, a 
giant on the screen and, although a lot of people did not realize this, 
Doug Applegate was a giant right here.
  Madam Speaker, when it comes to veterans benefits, veterans 
compensation, and benefit compensation to survivors of those who lost 
their lives, Doug Applegate was responsible for that legislation. When 
it came about, as chairman of the Subcommittee on Water Resources, to 
restrict the interstate transportation of hazardous materials, Douglas 
Applegate did not get a whole lot of attention for it. When the 
Taiwanese manufacturers were producing American flags and giving us a 
great deal on them, it was Doug Applegate that brought to the attention 
of Congress and the American people that Old Glory was being made by a 
Taiwanese factory.
  Madam Speaker, all of these imports all of a sudden had a ``Made in 
America'' label on them. Doug Applegate worked very hard with me to 
pass the law now that provides for a Federal offense to be applied to 
anybody who places a fraudulent ``Made in America" label.
  When it comes to benefits to veterans, Doug Applegate is a giant in 
our history just like Dean Martin is a giant in the movie industry.
  Madam Speaker, he was one of my mentors. He was just a great guy. 
Along with Walter Jones and Jamie Whitten, there was no one better, and 
maybe he is responsible for what I have evolved into. But this is 
certainly one of the great Members that we have had in our past. He 
really did not get the attention and the glory that he should have 
earned. But I would like to, hopefully with the naming of this post 
office, see that that comes to pass.
  His beautiful wife Betty, I hope that they are watching, great 
children and grandchildren. I do not know, maybe Doug is down there in 
Florida now. But hopefully we will see him up in Steubenville.
  Madam Speaker, it is a tough town, he is a tough guy, and he will 
have his name on a new post office. I am hopeful that we will get the 
other body to expeditiously handle our affair, and I thank the Congress 
for listening to my plea.
  H.R. 2129, to designate the U.S. Post Office in Steubenville, OH, as 
the ``Douglas Applegate U.S. Post Office,'' will pay a much-deserved 
tribute to a strong leader, a loyal friend, and a great man.
  As many of you may remember, Doug was not one to grandstand or bring 
attention to himself. Doug chose, instead, to work quietly, yet 
diligently. It was in this manner that he affected important change, 
earned the respect of his colleagues, and won the loyalty of Ohio's 
18th Congressional District.
  Doug chose his legislative battles then devoted himself to them 
completely. Among the most important items on his agenda was protecting 
the benefits to our country's veterans. He worked to substantially 
increase the benefits to the survivors of those who did not make it 
home. Realizing that no amount of money could ever make up for their 
terrible loss, he also knew that such compensation could make life a 
little less complicated for those left behind.
  Doug was a champion of American jobs and industry. His house 
stationery was emblazoned with the slogan ``Buy American! Save American 
Jobs!'' But, this was not just a slogan to Doug. Time and again he 
demonstrated his determination to protect and promote American jobs.
  He fought to protect the sanctity of the ``Made in the U.S.A.'' label 
when he worked to uncover a scheme, concocted by American companies, to 
cut labor costs by having United States flags made in Taiwan, then 
labeled ``Made in the U.S.A.'' Doug refused to let our workers and our 
industry be misrepresented by those only concerned with the bottom 
line.
  Throughout his tenure in Congress, Doug demonstrated tremendous 
integrity and true leadership ability. He could work to build a 
consensus, yet he was not afraid to stand alone.
  Never afraid to stand up for what he believed, he would not play 
partisan politics if he felt the interests of the American people could 
be better served by following another viewpoint.
  In addition to all of this, however, some of my fondest memories of 
Doug will be of a great and loyal friend.
  I urge all of my colleagues who believe that great leadership should 
be memorialized, to vote for H.R. 2129 to designate the U.S. Post 
Office in Steubenville, OH, the ``Douglas Applegate Post Office.''
  Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I 
would join with the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Traficant], a man who is 
known for his plain words and straight-to-the-point comments on this 
floor, and he has done them again here today, and his very poignant 
tribute to a former colleague. I urge all of our colleagues to support 
passage of this bill.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FATTAH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I would just say that the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. 
Traficant], in the conclusion of his remarks said that he hoped that 
the House would hear his words. There is not a day that he has spoken 
before the House that all of America has not heard his words. So we 
thank the gentleman for authoring this legislation, and we would hope 
that it would receive unanimous support.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H.R. 2129, which would designate the U.S. post office in 
Steubenville, OH as the Doug Applegate Post Office.
  Although I never had the privilege of serving in Congress with former 
Congressman Applegate, I do have the privilege of serving on the 
Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, which he chaired. I 
have also heard a lot about him through my legislative director, George 
Shevlin, who worked for Mr. Applegate for 5 years. George has told me 
of the fine work that Congressman Applegate did on behalf of his 
congressional district and about how he was known for providing 
excellent constituent services. He was very aware of the needs of his 
district, which was hard hit by the economic restructuring of the 
1970's and 1980's, and worked hard to protect American jobs. He 
followed the example of his father, who was the mayor of Steubenville, 
by dedicating his life to public service, first in the statehouse in 
Columbus, and then for nine terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. 
Despite his many years in Congress, he never lost touch with his 
district, and traveled back there every weekend possible, even after he 
had announced his retirement.
  Doug Applegate was also known for his tireless work on behalf of 
veterans and, as chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on 
Compensation, Pensions, and Insurance, he worked hard to increase the 
benefits to the survivors of those who gave their lives for our 
country. He was well-liked by his colleagues on both sides of the aisle 
and was loved by his loyal staff, most of whom served him for many 
years.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that we would all do well by following 
Congressman Applegate's example of service to his constituents and 
therefore I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this fine tribute to 
a dedicated public servant and former colleague.
  Mr. FATTAH. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. 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. 2129.
  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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