[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 121 (Monday, September 14, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H7648-H7649]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1300
HURFF A. SAUNDERS FEDERAL BUILDING
Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate
bill (S. 2032) to designate the Federal building in Juneau, Alaska, as
the ``Hurff A. Saunders Federal Building,'' as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
S. 2032
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.
The Federal building located at 709 West 9th Street in
Juneau, Alaska, shall be known and designated as the ``Hurff
A. Saunders Federal Building''.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES.
Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper,
or other record of the United States to the Federal building
referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to
the ``Hurff A. Saunders Federal Building''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). Pursuant to the rule, the
gentleman from California (Mr. Kim) and the gentlewoman from the
District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Kim).
Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, Senate 2032, as amended, designates the Federal building
located in Juneau, Alaska as the ``Hurff A. Saunders Federal
Building.''
Hurff Saunders was a resident of Alaska who played an instrumental
part in the House and State's history both as a territory and as a
State. He originally came from South Dakota to Ketchikan, Alaska prior
to World War II where he accepted a civilian position with the United
States Coast Guard.
During the war, he played a critical role in the ability of the
United States Navy and Coast Guard to navigate the North Pacific waters
by correctly determining the latitude and longitude of various key aids
to navigation that were misidentified on official charts at the time.
Following the war, Mr. Saunders returned to a civil engineering
position with the Federal Government. In this position, he supervised
several public works projects, completing the projects on schedule and
within budget.
In 1966, just prior to his retirement, Mr. Saunders successfully
completed his final federal construction project, the Juneau Federal
Building, Post Office and United States Courthouse, which is the
building we designate in his honor today.
This certainly is a fitting tribute to a dedicated public servant. I
support the bill as amended and urge my colleagues to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, S. 2032 is a bill to designate the Federal building in
Juneau, Alaska as Hurff A. Saunders. Mr. Saunders was a lifelong
Alaskan who helped write chapters of Alaskan history.
He was the civil engineer for the United States Coast Guard and in
charge of constructing the Juneau Federal building, which was completed
on budget and on schedule. Mr. Saunders later supervised the many
public works projects for the territory and later for the State of
Alaska. His work on correcting the navigational charts for the waters
in southeast Alaska aided the Navy and the Coast Guard during World War
II.
Mr. Saunders was widely respected and viewed as a dedicated public
servant, a devoted father, and beloved husband who lived a full life
and died peacefully at the age of 94.
Mr. Speaker, the city of Juneau and the Juneau Rotary Club both
passed unanimous resolutions supporting this designation, also the
American Society of Civil Engineers and the Society of Professional
Engineers adopted resolutions urging this distinction be bestowed upon
Mr. Saunders.
It is fitting, and in recognition of his outstanding contributions to
Alaskan life, that the Federal building in Juneau, Alaska be designated
the Hurff A. Saunders Building.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. KIM. 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 California (Mr. Kim) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the Senate bill, S. 2032, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and Senate the bill, as amended, was
passed.
The title was amended so as to read: ``A bill to designate the
Federal building located at 709 West 9th Street in Juneau, Alaska, as
the `Hurff A. Saunders Federal Building'.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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