[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 14 (Tuesday, February 24, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H527-H528]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 DANIEL J. DOFFYN POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2773) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 3750 North Kedzie Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, as 
the ``Daniel J. Doffyn Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2773

       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 facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 3750 North Kedzie Avenue in Chicago, 
     Illinois, shall be known and designated as the ``Daniel J. 
     Doffyn Post Office Building''.
       (b) 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 subsection 
     (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``Daniel J. 
     Doffyn 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, H.R. 2773 was introduced by the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Blagojevich) on October 30, 1997. The measure is cosponsored by 
the House delegation, the State of Illinois, pursuant to the policy of 
the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight.

                              {time}  1615

  The committee unanimously voted to favorably pass this measure by 
voice vote on February 12. As the Clerk has designated, Mr. Speaker, 
this bill would seek to name the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 3750 North Kedzie Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, to be 
known as the Daniel J. Doffyn Post Office Building.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation honors a very young man of 40 years 
old, a Chicago police officer who was shot to death by gang members 
while investigating a routine burglary call. His life, his career is 
really one that I think exemplifies the sacrifices that police officers 
across this land make on our behalf each and every day; make on our 
behalf, rarely thinking of the consequences to their own lives, but 
simply wishing to be of help and of assistance to their communities.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a special bill. I feel all of these pieces of 
legislation are, but this one particularly in that it honors a law 
enforcement officer and, therefore, it honors all law enforcement 
officers who have been killed in the line of duty. We are, indeed, 
irrevocably indebted to these brave men and women who try, at risk of 
their lives, simply to make our lives better.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Blagojevich) for his work on behalf of an extraordinarily 
brave person, and I certainly urge my colleagues to endorse this 
measure unanimously in support of a very, very worthy individual.
  Mr. Speaker. H.R. 2773 was introduced by the gentleman from Illinois, 
Mr. Blagojevich, on October 30, 1997. The measure is cosponsored by the 
House Delegation of the State of Illinois, pursuant to the policy of 
the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. The Committee 
unanimously voted to favorably pass this measure by voice vote on 
February 12.
  H.R. 2773 designates that the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 3750 North Kedzie Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, be 
known as the ``Daniel J. Doffyn Post Office Building''.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation honors Daniel J. Doffyn, a 40-year-old 
Chicago police officer

[[Page H528]]

who was shot to death by gang members while investigating a routine 
burglary call. Officer Doffyn's long time dream was to be a police 
officer. That opportunity came just eight months before he was killed.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a special bill--it honors a law enforcement 
officer and, therefore, it honors all law enforcement officers who have 
been killed in the line of duty. We are indebted to these brave men and 
women who try, at the risk of their lives, to bring order to disorderly 
situations.
  An estimated 2,000 police officers traveled from neighboring states 
and as far away as New York to mourn Officer Doffyn's untimely death 
and attend his funeral in Chicago. He received the Police Medal of 
valor for his ultimate sacrifice. His survivors include his 8-year-old 
daughter, Brittany and his parents.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Illinois for introducing 
this important legislation and urge our colleagues to support the 
measure.
  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, again, I am pleased to join with the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. McHugh) in support of H.R. 2773, legislation which has been 
introduced by the gentleman from Chicago, Illinois, (Mr. Blagojevich), 
which would designate the post office located at 3750 north Kedzie 
Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, as the Daniel J. Doffyn Post Office.
  The gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Blagojevich), himself a champion of 
the promotion of public safety, is indeed to be commended for seeking 
to honor a slain Chicago police officer, Daniel Doffyn, who was killed 
in the line of duty.
  Officer Doffyn, shot in 1995 while investigating a routine burglary, 
left behind his parents, Roger and Lea Doffyn, and his daughter, 
Brittany.
  I also would associate myself with the remarks made by Chairman 
McHugh when he suggested that we do all of ourselves an honor when we 
pay tribute and give honor to those who, on a daily basis, serve and 
protect and give their best so that the rest of us can enjoy safe lives 
and safe communities.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Blagojevich) who introduced this legislation.
  (Mr. BLAGOJEVICH asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. BLAGOJEVICH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. McHugh) very much for his kind remarks and his support for this 
effort. I also thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for his 
kind remarks and his support.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to support a bill I 
introduced last year to designate the post office located at 3750 north 
Kedzie Avenue in my Congressional District in Chicago as the Daniel J. 
Doffyn Post Office Building.
  As required under House rules, and as the gentleman from New York 
mentioned moments ago, this bipartisan bill has been cosponsored by all 
19 members of the Illinois House Congressional Delegation.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased also that the House is taking up this 
measure today because this legislation is designed to honor a very 
special man: Chicago police officer Daniel J. Doffyn, a man who gave 
his life protecting and serving his neighbors and who exemplified the 
values of honor, heroism and community service that make us all proud.
  On the afternoon of March 8, 1995, Daniel J. Doffyn, then a 40-year-
old rookie police officer, and his partner, Officer Michael Bubalo, had 
just finished their regular shift when they answered a burglary call in 
the Austin Police District of the City of Chicago. In the course of 
investigating what appeared to be a routine call, both officers were 
suddenly fired upon by gun-wielding gang members, who believed that the 
officers were there to arrest them.
  In the course of the gun battle, Officer Bubalo and Officer Daniel J. 
Doffyn were seriously wounded. Officer Doffyn later passed away at the 
hospital from wounds he received in that gunfight. He left behind an 8-
year-old daughter, Brittany, and two loving parents, Roger and Lea 
Doffyn. He received the police Medal of Valor for his ultimate 
sacrifice.
  Daniel Doffyn was a model of what a public servant ought to be. He 
worked hard his entire life, but never really found a job he liked 
completely until he became a Chicago police officer. Serving and 
protecting the citizens of Chicago was a job that Officer Doffyn 
performed with distinction. He was known by people who knew him as a 
wonderful father, a caring man, and as fine a person as anyone could 
hope to know.
  While I realize it is not common for Congress to designate a post 
office for a slain law enforcement officer, I hope that my colleagues 
will agree that in this case it is an appropriate honor and a fitting 
testament to the bravery and heroism of Officer Doffyn and to the 
thousands of brave men and women who work every single day in law 
enforcement to keep our families and our communities safe.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like again to express my sincere appreciation to 
the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh), to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Fattah) and 
also to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), chairman of the full 
committee, for bringing H.R. 2773 to the floor, and I urge my 
colleagues to support this very worthy tribute.
  Mr. Speaker, having no further speakers, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, I do not have any further 
requests for time. I would again extend my appreciation to the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Blagojevich) for his hard work on behalf 
of this very, very worthy tribute to a gentleman who represents the 
very best of what is good in America today, and I urge its unanimous 
passage.
  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. 2773.
  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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