[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 132 (Monday, September 28, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H9118-H9119]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RICHARD C. WHITE FEDERAL BUILDING

  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 3598) to designate the Federal building located at 700 East San 
Antonio Street in El Paso, Texas, as the ``Richard C. White Federal 
Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3598

       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 700 East San Antonio Street 
     in El Paso, Texas, shall be known and designated as the 
     ``Richard C. White 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 ``Richard C. White Federal Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Kim) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant) 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.
  H.R. 3598 designates the Federal building located in El Paso, Texas 
as the Richard C. White Federal Building. Congressman White represented 
the 16th district of Texas of the United States House of 
Representatives for 9 successive terms from 1965 to 1983.
  He was known for his dedication to public and community service. He 
served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, receiving 
the military Order of Purple Heart. He also served in the Texas State 
House of Representatives from 1955 to 1958.
  In 1983, after serving his ninth congressional term, Congressman 
White returned to his family in El Paso to resume his legal career and 
serve as a civic leader. He passed away in February of this year.
  As a dedicated public servant of the people of El Paso, Texas this is 
a fitting tribute. Again, I support the bill and urge my colleagues to 
support the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Richard White was a former colleague from Texas who represented the 
16th district from 1965 until 1983. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Reyes) who currently holds this seat, former border patrol agent and a 
very fine Member, is the sponsor of this bill.
  Congressman White was a native Texan, University of El Paso, received 
his law degree from the University of Texas in Austin.
  He served his country with honor and distinction. In the United 
States Marines stationed in the Pacific, he saw active duty and was 
awarded the military Order of the Purple Heart. He served on many 
committees in the Congress, including Arms Services, Interior, Post 
Office and Civil Service,

[[Page H9119]]

Committee on Science and Technology. He was known as a consensus 
builder and a team player.
  In 1983, he retired to El Paso and resumed his legal career. He was a 
devoted husband, father of 7 children. His values and character and 
integrity and leadership skills were assets to the United States of 
America and certainly to this Congress.
  It is absolutely proper and fitting that this tribute be made, naming 
this Federal building.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Reyes).
  Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to 
me.
  I rise in support of the bill, H.R. 3598, and urge the House to pass 
it. I am proud to have authored this legislation to name the Federal 
building in El Paso, Texas after Richard C. White, the man who 
represented the people of El Paso in Congress for 9 terms, from 1965 to 
1983.
  In his years of service to our Nation and to the people of the 16th 
district of Texas, Congressman White showed genuine concern for his 
constituents and a commitment to do all that was in his power to help 
those whom he served. He truly led a life filled with integrity, 
compassion and contributed to the welfare of others. And he made a 
lasting impression on the lives of all who knew him.
  I am proud to have personally known Congressman White. The more I 
learned about this individual, the more respect and admiration I and 
members of my family had for this fine gentleman and representative of 
the people's House.
  He made a lifetime commitment to his community and to his country. As 
a young man he served as a marine in World War II, seeing combat in 
Bougainville, Guam and Iwo Jima, where he was wounded and received the 
Purple Heart for his service to his country.
  His military service was only the beginning of a lifetime of public 
service. Upon returning to the States, he began an outstanding career 
in 1949 as a lawyer advocating for the people of El Paso.
  Heeding a for even greater community service, Congressman White 
launched a distinguished career as a State legislator, serving first in 
the Texas legislature from 1955 to 1958. From the beginning he worked 
hard to improve the quality of life along the Texas border and left 
behind a strong legacy for all border legislators.
  Among his numerous legislative accomplishments, he focused on health 
care and environmental issues, establishing a nursing school at the 
University of Texas at El Paso and creating the Hueco Tanks State Park.
  Thereafter he sought to make an even greater impact by serving at the 
national level and began a congressional career in 1965 as a 
representative for the 16th district of Texas.
  Many of my colleagues were his colleagues and remember his powerful 
advocacy on behalf of El Paso and for the well-being of the Nation as a 
whole.
  I can tell them that as I now serve in the seat he formerly held, I 
take great pride in working to meet the high standards that he set for 
all of us here in Congress. Congressman White personified the meaning 
of honorable leadership and public service. He stood for high ethics 
and moral values, and he always stood by his word.
  Many of my colleagues recall his work on the Committee on Armed 
Services which reflected an unyielding commitment to our national 
security. He provided unwavering support for air defense through El 
Paso's Flort Bliss Army Post and drafted the reorganization of the 
Joint Chiefs of Staff.
  In addition, he brought the needs of El Paso and the border to the 
forefront. He created the Chamizal Border Highway and the Chamizal 
National Memorial and enacted the Scenic Rivers bill. Moreover, I know 
that many of you were proud to have served with him on the Interior and 
Insular Affairs committee, the Post Office and Civil Service Committee 
and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
  While Richard White was known for his legislative accomplishments, 
maybe his greatest accomplishment was serving as a tremendous role 
model for countless young people from El Paso, the State of Texas and 
this great country.
  He had a kind word for everyone he met and never failed to take time 
to encourage our children to reach their full potential. This was 
reflected in his dedication as a family man. And despite having 
attained seniority and earning the admiration of his peers in Congress, 
Richard White left this body after 9 terms in 1983, to return to that 
family that he so much loved in El Paso.
  He was the proud father of 7 children and was devoted to spending 
more time with each and every one of them as they grew up. Nonetheless, 
after leaving Congress, he continued working towards the betterment of 
El Paso. He remained active in numerous community affairs and lent his 
wisdom to me and the 16th district as a mentor and as a civic leader. I 
can say that Richard White made the most of his life by touching the 
lives of all those around him. He will always be remembered as a 
wonderful Congressman and wonderful husband, a tremendous father, 
friend, role model and a great person.
  He was a true gentleman who is profoundly missed and it is only 
fitting that we honor and remember him by passing this legislation 
today and naming the El Paso Federal building in his name.

  I would like to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Armey) the majority leader, and also the minority leader, the gentleman 
from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt) for scheduling this bill on the floor 
today. I would also like to thank Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure chairman, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), 
and the ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) for 
their full support of this legislation.
  In addition, I want to thank the Subcommittee on Public Buildings and 
Economic Development, the gentleman from California (Mr. Kim), and the 
ranking member of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Traficant) for giving me this opportunity to speak on behalf of Richard 
White today.
  I appreciate the work of their staffs in moving this legislation 
forward. I would also like to extend my extreme gratitude to the 41 
Members who cosponsored H.R. 3598 and the other 16 Members who agreed 
to cosponsor the bill after it came out of committee.
  Congressman White would have been pleased to know of his many friends 
in the 105th Congress who knew him and respected him and who remember 
his legacy of public achievement and leadership on behalf of this great 
Nation.
  With passage of this bill, I look forward to the Senate's quicken 
enactment of the bill and the President's signature.
  Richard White, thank you and gracias for your leadership and 
inspiration.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. 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 bill, H.R. 3598.
  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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