[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 137 (Monday, October 5, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H9453-H9454]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THOMAS P. FOGLIETTA POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4000) to designate the United States Postal Service building 
located at 400 Edgmont Avenue, Chester, Pennsylvania, as the ``Thomas 
P. Foglietta Post Office Building,'' as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4000

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

     SECTION 1. THOMAS M. FOGLIETTA POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The United States Postal Service building 
     located at 400 Edgmont Avenue, in Chester, Pennsylvania, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Thomas M. Foglietta 
     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 ``Thomas M. Foglietta 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).


                             General Leave

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on the bill, H.R. 4000.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SESSIONS Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4000 was introduced by the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), our distinguished colleague and a gentleman 
who sits on this subcommittee with me. The legislation was introduced 
on June 5, 1998 and is cosponsored by the entire House delegation from 
the State of Pennsylvania pursuant to the policy of the Committee on 
Government Reform and Oversight.
  H.R. 4000 designates the building of the United States Postal Service 
located at 400 Edgmont Avenue, Chester, Pennsylvania as the ``Thomas P. 
Foglietta Post Office Building.''
  Mr. Foglietta started his career as a public servant by serving in 
the Philadelphia city council. He represented Pennsylvania's First 
Congressional District for almost 9 terms when he was appointed to be 
the current Ambassador to Italy, which occurred earlier this year.
  While in Congress, Mr. Foglietta served on the House Committee on 
Foreign Affairs, the House Subcommittee on Transportation of the 
Committee on Appropriations, and the Subcommittee on Military 
Construction. Mr. Foglietta is presently this Nation's Ambassador to 
Italy.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill was amended by the Committee on Government 
Reform and Oversight to correct the middle initial of Mr. Foglietta's 
name from P. to M., which is a technical but important amendment.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  (Mr. FATTAH asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I also would seek to rise in support of H.R. 4000. Let 
me thank my colleague for his kind remarks.
  This House knows all too well of the service of Congressman Tom 
Foglietta from the city of Philadelphia. In the First Congressional 
District, he served here for a great many years. I first knew him, 
however, as a city council person, in fact, a Republican member of the 
city council of Philadelphia for some 20 years prior to his election to 
the House first as an independent and then as a Member of the 
Democratic party.
  He has had a wide and varied career, but, nonetheless, he is someone 
who served the city of Philadelphia and our suburbs, including the city 
of Chester, with distinction.
  He was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate to go 
forward and represent our country as our Ambassador to Italy. He is 
someone who rightfully and richly deserves this honor.
  I thank the gentleman from Texas for outlining in more detail his 
resume and bio.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Traficant) to allow him to make a comment on this bill.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, from what I understand, I think the 
gentleman who yielded me the time is the successor to our individual 
here today, the Ambassador to Italy.
  I just wanted to say that this has been a very unusual Member, a good 
friend, absolutely deserving of this tribute. But the fact was, as had 
been stated, he was elected as an independent and then joined the 
Democratic caucus, but served for years in Philadelphia as a 
Republican.
  Mr. Foglietta, Ambassador Foglietta is known as a friend to all the 
people. I guess that anybody going into that post office now can pay 
their own little bit of tribute when they send off one of those little 
pieces of mail, one of those stamps.
  So I want to congratulate the committee for bestowing this tribute. 
It is worthy. It is deserving. I hope our Ambassador continues his fine 
service and has a good, long life.
  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, once again, I think we have heard kind remarks about one 
of our former colleagues. We not only wish him the best for his 
continued success but also that of our country in regard to his service 
to our country.
  I am just going to add, and it will probably be in what the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania submits, but I believe that the First District of 
Pennsylvania was well represented. It is the city about brotherly love. 
They will be honored with a post office in his honor.
  Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my great 
friend, Tom Foglietta, and to support H.R. 4000, which designates the 
Thomas P. Foglietta Post Office Building. Thomas Foglietta is our 
current Ambassador to Italy and former Member of Congress. He is an 
individual who has worked hard to serve his country, and I can think of 
nobody more deserving of this honor.
  Tom Foglietta has a long history of public service that dates far 
back before his first day in the U.S. Congress. At the age of 26, Tom 
became the youngest individual in the history of the City of 
Philadelphia to be elected to the City Council. I might add, 
reluctantly, that he was elected as a Republican. During his 20 years 
in that institution, Tom served his constituents well as the Minority 
Leader.
  In 1975, Tom was the Republican candidate for Mayor of Philadelphia 
against Frank Rizzo, who was then a Democrat. Although unsuccessful in 
his bid, Tom gained the valuable political experience he would need to 
pull off a stunning upset victory five years later.
  In 1980, Tom Foglietta undertook his first run for Congress, as an 
independent against a well-established Democratic incumbent. Against 
all odds, Tom won, and managed to stave off fierce challenges in 1982, 
1984, and 1986. Tom's election was an inspiration to me, when I won my 
first election to Congress in 1982 as a long-shot against an incumbent 
Republican.
  Since his first day in Congress, Tom Foglietta has worked tirelessly 
for all of his diverse constituency, and has fought for the survival of 
the city he holds so dearly in his heart. At a time when our nation's 
cities needed a stronger voice in Congress, Tom founded and co-chaired 
the Congressional Urban Caucus. And as a senior member of the 
Appropriations Committee, Tom fought hard to secure much-needed federal 
resources for Philadelphia's

[[Page H9454]]

transportation system, including SEPTA, the Philadelphia International 
Airport, and the Ports of Philadelphia.
  Tom Foglietta has also worked tirelessly to keep important federal 
facilities and jobs in Philadelphia. Few Congressmen have fought as 
hard to prevent an important military base from closing as Tom did with 
the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. After the closure decision, Tom did 
not give up on the Shipyard and its people, working hard to bring 
private-sector investment and jobs to the facility.
  Tom's public service extends far beyond the city limits of 
Philadelphia and the shores of our country. In 1991, he was appointed 
to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and its Subcommittee on Asia 
and Arms Control. He quickly developed a grasp of important foreign 
policy issues, and became a passionate supporter of human rights for 
people across the globe. In 1985, he even escorted South Korean leader 
Kim Dae Jung to his country amidst reports that Mr. Kim faced arrest or 
assassination. What perhaps moved me the most was Tom's response to the 
earthquake in Italy. Immediately after the devastating quake, Tom flew 
to his ancestral birthplace to help those left homeless and distraught 
by the disaster.
  Mr. Speaker, I can think of no better way to honor Tom's 40 years of 
public service and devotion to the people of Philadelphia than to have 
a public building in that city bear his name. I join my colleagues as 
we honor a man who has served our country with great distinction and 
character.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4000, a bill to 
designate the U.S. Post Office in Chester, Pennsylvania as the ``Thomas 
P. Foglietta Post Office Building.''
  Tom Foglietta's years of government service at the local and national 
levels, his foreign policy expertise, and his 1997 appointment to U.S. 
Ambassador to Italy, make him thoroughly deserving of this post office 
name designation.
  After two decades on the Philadelphia City Council--starting as the 
Council's youngest member at age 25, Tom Foglietta continued to serve 
Pennsylvania and the nation during 16 years in Congress. As a local 
legislator and later founder of the Congressional Urban Caucus, Tom 
comprehends the range of challenges our nation faces. He has applied 
his understanding of the cities both here at home and abroad. And he 
has proven that he can ably represent America's rich diversity 
overseas.
  Tom Foglietta's congressional work on foreign affairs and defense 
issues has allowed him to ably serve our nation's interests with an 
important ally--Italy. His distinguished career allowed him both to 
represent our country's interests and to preserve and strengthen the 
vital relationship between the United States and Italy.
  I'm proud to support this naming bill, and I'm proud to call Tom 
Foglietta my friend.
  Mr. SESSIONS. 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 Texas (Mr. Sessions) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 4000, as amended.
  (The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title was amended so as to read:

       ``A bill to designate the United States Postal Service 
     building located at 400 Edgmont Avenue, Chester, 
     Pennsylvania, as the `Thomas M. Foglietta Post Office 
     Building'. ''.

  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________