Congressional Record, Volume 144 Issue 70 (Wednesday, June 3, 1998)

[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 70 (Wednesday, June 3, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H3997-H3999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

REVEREND MILTON R. BRUNSON POST OFFICE BUILDING

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2799) to redesignate the building of the United States
Postal Service located at 324 South Laramie Street, in Chicago,
Illinois, as the ``Reverend Milton R. Brunson Post Office Building.''

[[Page H3998]]

The Clerk read as follows:

H.R. 2799

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

SECTION 1. REDESIGNATION.

The building of the United States Postal Service located at
324 South Laramie Street, in Chicago, Illinois, and known as
the Austin Post Office Building, shall be known and
designated as the ``Reverend Milton R. Brunson 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
``Reverend Milton R. Brunson 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. 2799, a bill that redesignates the building of the
United States Postal Service located at 324 South Laramie Street in
Chicago, Illinois, as the Reverend Milton R. Brunson Post Office
Building, was also introduced by our distinguished colleague, the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) on November 4, 1997, and
cosponsored by each member of the Illinois delegation, which is
pursuant to the policy of the full committee.
Once again, as with H.R. 2798, Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Davis) reminds us all that it is not just appropriate but
in many ways the duty of this House to recognize people who make a
difference in the lives of people and make a difference in the quality
of life and fortunes of their community.
Indeed, H.R. 2799 honors such a man. Mr. Milton R. Brunson was the
founder of the Thompson Community Singers and guided them for 48 years.
These singers indeed became well known around the world for gospel
music. In fact, in 1995, Mr. Brunson and the Choir won a Grammy Award
for the song entitled ``Through God's Eyes.''
He used the voice of his gospel not just to bring the word of God,
although that is certainly the most important outcome of that type of
activity, but, as well, to provide positive role models for others to
help them to become productive citizens.
In fact, many of the members of the Thompson Community Singers have
become lawyers and judges and teachers and doctors. So through this
gentleman's work he made a difference not only in the lives of those
who he touched but the lives that those good people went on to touch
after him.
Here again, as with the previous bill, I want to extend my
appreciation particularly to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis)
for reminding us that this House can indeed, through these kinds of
honors, recognize truly extraordinary people.
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 also join in support of H.R. 2799. The naming of this
postal facility in Chicago is also quite important.
One might wonder why the United States Congress would take time to go
through the process of naming postal facilities after Americans. But I
think, as the chairman has mentioned, there are people among us who
have risen above the ordinary and achieved extraordinary
accomplishments and achievements in their lives and, even beyond that,
have made a contribution to the broader community and to the country as
a whole.
In this case, I refer to Reverend Milton Brunson for his work and the
inspiration that he has brought through the gospel singing, and not
only his recognition with a Grammy Award but his comforting of really
millions of American families through their opportunity to listen to
his work and his words in song.
I would like to thank my colleague again, the gentleman from Illinois
(Mr. Davis), who has been quite persistent in making sure that this
subcommittee appropriately recognizes people who have made these types
of contributions in his community and has been eager to find the time
within the House's schedule in which both the subcommittee and full
committee and now the House could act on these bills. This is quite
important to the people that he represents, and he has done a very good
job in making sure that our committee understands its role in helping
him achieve his purpose here in the House.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. Davis), to give the House a full understanding of
the importance of this legislation.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) for yielding time to me, and I also thank the
gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh).
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have introduced this bill in honor of
the late Milton R. Brunson. Reverend Brunson was born and raised in
Chicago and served as pastor and music director of the 2,500-member
Christ Tabernacle Baptist Church until his death last year. He was
dynamic, energetic, and a leader in the African American and world
community for nearly half a century.
Reverend Brunson was a giant in the music world. He and his choir,
the Thompson Community Singers, became known from the West Side of
Chicago all the way to Europe and around the world. As a matter of
fact, they just recently returned from a concert tour in Italy.
It is often said that the measure of one's life is in the number of
lives he or she touches in a positive way. Reverend Brunson touched
thousands of lives through his ministry and music. His was a ministry
of resurrection and restoration. He refused to quit, for even in his
congregation and the community at large he saw great hope and untapped
potential.
In 1948, he founded the Thompson Community Singers, which he used as
a tool to get people to dream beyond their circumstances. He guided the
Thompson Community Singers for 48 years; and throughout that time, as
we have heard, he and the group were nominated for several Grammies and
had several albums reach number one on the gospel charts. In 1995,
Reverend Brunson and his choir won a Grammy award for ``Through God's
Eyes.''
In order to be a member of the choir, he set strict standards. One
could not be a gang member, a drug user, or high school dropout. He set
high standards, and thus his choir turned out members who would go on
to become lawyers, doctors, teachers, judges, and gospel singers, as
well as other productive citizens in society.
The Choir's famous gospel alumni include Jesse Dixon, Ethel Holloway,
Delores Stamps, his wife, Jo Ann Brunson, and the great Rickey
Dilliard, among others.
His positive message through his gospel music continues to reach and
uplift millions of people even from the grave. Although Reverend
Brunson is not with us today, his legacy continues to live, and his
commitment to positive values lives on. The words that he preached and
sang echo in the hearts of men and women even today.
Therefore, I am honored to have introduced this bill, and I am even
honored that members of the community from which he came, students from
the South Loop school, are present in the audience. I am pleased to
have them here with us this afternoon.
I want to again thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh), the
chairman, and the ranking member, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Fattah).
Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Denise Wilson from my staff and Neil
Snyder for their work on these and other matters related to the
Subcommittee on Postal Service, and also, again, to the majority staff.
It is not yet perfect, but nonetheless, I think all would agree that we
have the best Postal Service anywhere in the world, and we are working
through the good efforts of our chairman and others to improve it even
beyond its present status.
I want to thank all of the staff for their efforts on these bills and
others.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I echo the words of the ranking member when he praises
the staff, Heea Vazirani-Fales, Robert Taub, and others who have worked
so hard, as the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) suggested, to
really

[[Page H3999]]

bring these very worthy initiatives to the floor. I appreciate their
support and their effort.
Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to support this legislation, and 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. 2799.
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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