[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 118 (Wednesday, September 9, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H7465-H7466]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             DAVID P. RICHARDSON, JR., POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3999) to designate the United States Postal Service building 
located at 5209 Greene Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the 
``David P. Richardson, Jr., Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3999

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

     SECTION 1. DAVID P. RICHARDSON, JR., POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The United States Postal Service building 
     located at 5209 Greene Street, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``David P. Richardson, 
     Jr., 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 ``David P. Richardson, Jr., Post Office 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Sessions) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions).
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3999 was introduced by the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), who is the ranking member of the 
Subcommittee on Postal Service. The legislation was introduced on June 
5, 1998, and enjoys the cosponsorship of the entire House delegation 
from the State of Pennsylvania pursuant to the policy of the Committee 
on Government Reform and Oversight.
  H.R. 3999 designates the building of the United States Postal Service 
located at 5209 Greene Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the 
``David P. Richardson, Jr., Post Office Building''.
  Mr. Richardson served 11 terms in the Pennsylvania House of 
Representatives. He was involved in many community and professional 
organizations, including the Urban League of Philadelphia, the National 
Association of State Legislators, and the Greater Germantown Youth 
Corporation. He was the recipient of numerous honors and awards for his 
civic involvement.

                              {time}  1500

  Mr. Richardson died in 1995.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I also rise in support of H.R. 3999, which would name a 
postal facility in the Germantown section of Philadelphia after a 
former colleague who I served in the State House with, David P. 
Richardson. He served for some 11 terms as a state legislator from 
Philadelphia. I served in the State House for 3 terms and then as a 
state senator in which our districts were contiguous to each other and 
also briefly as a Member of Congress while he was still alive.
  David P. Richardson was a state legislator. But he was more than 
that. He was elected by his colleagues as the president of the National 
Association of Black State Legislators in our Nation. He was the 
president of that association but also served on the Executive 
Committee of the National Conference of State Legislators.
  He was at home in Harrisburg, in our state capital, the chairman, or 
as we would say, the ``powerful chairman,'' of the health and welfare 
committee for so many years that none could remember a previous 
chairman.
  David P. Richardson served his constituents well. He was a former 
product of the public schools of Philadelphia, Germantown High School. 
He is someone who is well-respected for all of his work. His legacy 
will be with us for a great time to come. And this post office in the 
heart of his State House district will remind his constituents that 
David P. Richardson and his work should not ever be forgotten.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  May the spirit of what we have done here today and us working 
together live and enrich these communities of these post offices of 
which we have dedicated not only to the people of these communities but 
also for the spirit in which these gentlemen lived their lives.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gillmor). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3999.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.

[[Page H7466]]

  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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