[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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