[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 14 (Tuesday, February 24, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H526-H527]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                EUGENE J. McCARTHY POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2836) to designate the building of the United States Postal 
Service located at 180 East Kellogg Boulevard in Saint Paul, Minnesota, 
as the ``Eugene J. McCarthy Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2836

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       (a) In General.--The building of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 180 East Kellogg Boulevard in Saint Paul, 
     Minnesota, shall be known and designated as the ``Eugene J. 
     McCarthy Post Office Building''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     building referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Eugene J. McCarthy Post Office 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. McHugh) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) 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, the bill, H.R. 2836, was introduced by the gentleman 
from Minnesota (Mr. Vento) on November 6, 1997, and was favorably voted 
on a voice vote by the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight on 
February 12. The legislation is cosponsored by the entire House 
delegation of the State of Minnesota, pursuant to committee policy.
  As the Clerk read, Mr. Speaker, this legislation designates the 
building of the United States Postal Service located at 180 East 
Kellogg Boulevard in St. Paul, Minnesota as the ``Eugene J. McCarthy 
Post Office Building''.
  Obviously, as we have seen here today, Mr. Speaker, we are accustomed 
to honor individuals who are fully worthy but often don't have the kind 
of national reputation for achievement that the subject matter of H.R. 
2836 does. Mr. McCarthy has had a long and storied career in government 
and politics, one that I am sure the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. 
Vento) and others will share with us.
  I can only say that clearly this gentleman, who is still in his 81st 
year and residing here in the Washington area, continues to care about 
this country and to contribute in very special ways. So I would clearly 
urge the passage of this bill, and extend my appreciation to the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Vento) and the other members of the 
entire Minnesota delegation for their work on behalf of this very 
worthy piece of legislation.
  Mr. Speaker. H.R. 2836 was introduced by Representative Vento on 
November 6, 1997 and was favorably voted on by voice vote by the 
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight on February 12. The 
legislation is cosponsored by the entire House Delegation of the State 
of Minnesota pursuant to Committee policy.
  The legislation designates the building of the United States Postal 
Service located at 180 East Kellogg Boulevard in Saint Paul, Minnesota, 
as the ``Eugene J. McCarthy Post Office Building.''
  H.R. 2836 honors Eugene J. McCarthy who served as both a U.S. 
Representative and Senator from Minnesota for more than two decades. 
Eugene McCarthy was elected to Congress from Minnesota's 4th District 
in 1948 and served in the House for 10 years. He was then elected to 
serve in the U.S. Senate, where he served until 1970.
  He declared his candidacy for the Democrat nomination for President 
of the United States in 1968 while he was still in the Senate. He 
called for an immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops in Vietnam, the 
first anti-war candidate.
  Mr. McCarthy, now 81, left politics in 1970 and presently resides in 
Washington, D.C. However, it would be an suitable tribute to have a 
post office named after him in his home state.
  I urge our colleagues to support H.R. 2836.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with the gentleman from New York 
(Chairman McHugh) in support of H.R. 2836, legislation introduced by 
the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Bruce Vento) which designates the 
United States Postal Service Building located at 180 East Kellogg 
Boulevard in St. Paul, Minnesota, as the ``Eugene J. McCarthy Post 
Office Building''.
  Former Senator Eugene J. McCarthy has a unique and distinguished 
background, both as a leader and public servant. He served as both a 
U.S. Representative and Senator from the great State of Minnesota for 
more than two decades and was a candidate for the Democratic nomination 
for President of the United States in 1968.
  The gentleman from California (Mr. Henry A. Waxman), the ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, 
and I are pleased to honor this great political leader, and thank the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Vento) for sponsoring legislation naming 
a post office in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, after Senator McCarthy.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Minnesota (Mr. Vento).
  (Mr. VENTO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, of course, I rise in support of the bill that 
enjoys the support of the Minnesota delegation and I daresay the 
resounding support of this Congress and of this Nation for the 
outstanding service that Senator and Representative Gene McCarthy 
provided to our Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, Gene McCarthy started out in a rural county in 
Minnesota, Meeker County, in the small town of Watkins, Minnesota. From 
there, with a good education, a public education, he went on to St. 
John's College a renowned education institution in our State. He 
eventually taught public school in Minnesota and in North Dakota, and 
from that background went on to teach at St. John's College, where he 
had attended, and at St. Thomas in St. Paul, both in economics and 
sociology and literature.
  Of course, from St. Paul he went to the United States Congress and in 
1958 to the United States Senate, and to national prominence and 
electrifying this Nation in terms of the issues of social justice and 
many other problems that faced our Nation.
  Of course, one of the outstanding characteristics of Gene McCarthy 
was his wit and wisdom. He sort of had little patience for those of us 
in politics, who took ourselves so serious, there was a great deal of 
self-deprecating humor that characterized his statements. He said, 
``Being in politics is like being in a football game. You have to be 
smart enough to know the game and stupid enough to think it is 
important.''
  Mr. Chairman, on a more serious vein, though, I think that Gene 
McCarthy, in his work in public service and his role as an educator, 
really there is another story and side to him. That is the story that 
is told that Senator McCarthy stated that ``Politics is the 
responsibility of everyone. If you don't do politics, someone else will 
do it for you.'' That view, I think, is more characteristic and an 
insight into this renowned American.
  Mr. Speaker, I remember as a young student, I believe it was at St. 
Patrick's grade school, I was raised Irish, they tried as hard as they 
could with me, it didn't always work, Mr. Speaker, but the fact was I 
was a pretty good Irish tenor at that point.
  I remember reading my Catholic Messenger at St. Paul's. On the front 
of the Messenger was this profile of a young new congressman from 
Minnesota that I was reading about. I can't remember if it was in the 
late forties or early fifties.

[[Page H527]]

  But I remember how we all, at that time, looked up to him because 
obviously coming from a Scandinavian State, a State in which we weren't 
always probably very successful, either Irish or Italians, in terms of 
getting elected to public office in the 1940's and 1950's clearly Gene 
McCarthy's aspiration motivated us then and now.
  But, clearly, he epitomized and set for a generation of Americans a 
great motivation to be involved along with others that he worked with, 
including the Bobby Kennedys and of course his great support from 
Minnesota and his fellow Senator, Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, of 
course, who went on to be Vice President and who of course the high 
profile, the great competition between these two Minnesota son's for 
many years.
  But I am very pleased to have had the support that I have here today 
for this measure to recognize, actually, the work of Senator McCarthy, 
and especially for his leadership in his Nation and for his work in 
terms of expression, both in the manner in which he has conducted his 
life and the impact that he has left on this Congress, nation and world 
yesterday and most importantly today.
  A few of us, when we leave these hallowed halls, this Chamber, can 
point to the types of achievements and the mark that he has made inside 
this Congress and in this country and in this world. We wish him well. 
He has been, as most Members know, not well these past days. But we 
trust that his fighting spirit will prevail.
  I hope and trust my colleagues will support this measure. I look 
forward to its passage in the Senate as it has the sponsorship of both 
of our United States Senators from Minnesota, and to designate this 
building on Kellogg Boulevard, another good name, Kellogg, one of our 
Supreme Court Justices from Minnesota, Mr. Speaker, but to designate 
this important art deco postal building in Gene J. McCarthy's honor.
  I thank my colleagues, especially the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
McHugh), for his consideration and that of the committee and the 
ranking member for their support in this manner.
  Eugene McCarthy was a teacher in the public schools in Minnesota and 
a Professor at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota. He was 
also an instructor of Economics at the College of St. Thomas in St. 
Paul and a distinguished author of numerous books on subjects ranging 
from children's literature to history and most renowned for his poetry.
  The State of Minnesota is the home of many great leaders, however, 
few have touched as many lives as Minnesota's Eugene McCarthy. Senator 
McCarthy is a tireless leader and throughout his recent illness that 
many of us have followed, Gene's fighting spirit persists. Therefore I, 
as well as, the Minnesota delegation and the people of the great State 
of Minnesota want to honor the accomplishments and service of this 
historic Minnesota leader from the area of St. Paul, Minnesota that 
catapulted him onto the national stage and into the U.S. Congress.
  I would like to express my thanks to the Chairman and Ranking Member 
of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, as well as, the 
Chairman and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Postal Service for 
their support in moving this legislation promptly in through the 
committees.
  I urge the support of all my colleagues regarding this legislation.
  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. And 
with a final thank you to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Vento) for 
his hard work on this measure and of course the support of the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the entire minority, we would 
urge our colleagues to adopt this legislation and honor a very 
remarkable man in this country's history and one who is extraordinarily 
deserving of the honor contemplated in this bill, and urge its passage.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. 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. 2836.
  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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