[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 26, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H10821-H10822]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                LLOYD D. GEORGE UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the Senate bill (S. 437) to designate the United States 
courthouse under construction at 333 Las Vegas Boulevard South in Las 
Vegas, Nevada, as the ``Lloyd D. George United States Courthouse.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 437

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF LLOYD D. GEORGE UNITED STATES 
                   COURTHOUSE.

       The United States courthouse under construction at 333 Las 
     Vegas Boulevard South in Las Vegas, Nevada, shall be known 
     and designated as the ``Lloyd D. George United States 
     Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the

[[Page H10822]]

     United States to the United States courthouse referred to in 
     section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``Lloyd D. 
     George United States Courthouse''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Franks) and the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Franks).
  Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, Senate 437 designates the United States courthouse to be 
built in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the Lloyd D. George United States 
Courthouse.
  Judge Lloyd D. George was born in Montpelier, Idaho, and later moved 
and attended schools in Las Vegas, Nevada. He earned his B.S. from 
Brigham Young University in 1955, and that same year entered the United 
States Air Force. He participated as a fighter pilot in the Strategic 
Air Command, concluding his military service in 1958, holding the rank 
of captain. He then returned to school where he earned his J.D. in 1961 
from the University of California at Berkeley.
  Judge George was admitted to the Nevada Bar in 1961 and began 
practice in Las Vegas. In 1974 he was appointed by the Ninth Circuit to 
preside over the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of 
Nevada for a term of 14 years. In 1980 he became a member of the Ninth 
Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panels.
  In 1984, President Ronald Reagan appointed Judge George to the United 
States District Court for the District of Nevada, where he was elevated 
in 1992 to Chief Judge of the Nevada District.
  During his tenure on the bench, Chief Judge George held a variety of 
distinguished memberships. He was a board member on the Federal 
Judicial Center, a member of the National Bankruptcy Conference, the 
Chair of the Judicial Advisory for Bankruptcy Rules, the Chair of the 
Judicial Committee on Administration of Bankruptcy System, a Fellow at 
the American College of Bankruptcy, and a member of the Judicial 
Conference on International Judicial Relations.
  I fully support the bill and urge my colleagues to support it as 
well.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of designating the United 
States courthouse in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the Lloyd D. George United 
States Courthouse. It is my sincere pleasure to introduce this measure, 
and I have worked very hard to bring it to the House floor. I would 
like to thank all of those that helped in this endeavor, particularly 
the ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Chairman Shuster), and my colleague in the 
United States Senate, Senator Harry Reid.
  I cannot think of a more suitable honor to bestow on this beloved Las 
Vegan, who has served the citizens of his home State of Nevada with 
humility, humanity, compassion, and dignity. In fact, the new Federal 
courthouse which this bill names is located right across the street 
from where Judge George attended grade school and within one block of 
his high school alma mater.
  I would like to highlight some of Judge George's tremendous 
accomplishments. From his early days, as both high school and college 
student body president, Judge George demonstrated outstanding 
leadership abilities. Judge George served our country as an Air Force 
pilot before receiving his juris doctorate in 1961 from the University 
of California at Berkeley.
  Among his numerous achievements, Judge George has been the recipient 
of the Jurist of the Year Award, the Liberty Bell Award for public 
service, and the Brigham Young University Alumni Distinguished Service 
Award.
  He has served as former chairman of the State Apprentice Council, 
former president of the Clark County Association for Retarded Children, 
and a member of the National Advisory Council for the J. Willard and 
Alice S. Marriott School of Management.
  From 1974 until 1984 Judge George served as the United States 
Bankruptcy judge. He also served as a National Bankruptcy Conference 
member and an American College of Bankruptcy fellow and a Judicial 
Conference member.
  In May of 1984, Judge George was appointed U.S. District judge for 
the District of Nevada. He served as Chief District judge from 1992 to 
1997 and assumed senior status in December of 1997.
  Not only has Judge George served our Nation, he has also participated 
in numerous global committees, such as the International Judicial 
Relations Committee of the Judicial Conference, and has led seminars on 
legal topics in central and eastern Europe. What an extraordinary 
example he is for all of us.
  When I think of Judge George, I see him administering the oath of 
allegiance to new citizens that are receiving their citizenship in the 
State of Nevada. I can tell you, when he administers this oath, there 
is not a dry eye in the house. This very sensitive, very compassionate 
man welcomes these people as new citizens to our country, and he does 
it with such charm and dignity that it makes us all very proud to be 
Americans. That is why it is most fitting and proper to honor the long, 
distinguished career of Judge George with this designation. I urge all 
of us to support this.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar).
  (Mr. OBERSTAR asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I want to especially express my 
appreciation to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Chairman Shuster) for 
bringing this bill forward, and to the chairman of the subcommittee, 
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Franks) for acting on the bill so 
quickly.
  After a long gestation period, this bill has been awaiting action; 
but it is, as both the chairman of the full committee and chairman of 
the subcommittee have noted, a deserving recognition for a noted 
jurist.
  I want to also commend my colleague, the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. 
Berkeley), on her persistence in advocating for this legislation and to 
the Senator from Nevada, Mr. Reid, for being such a strong champion of 
naming the building for Judge Lloyd D. George.
  I did not have the pleasure, as the gentlewoman from Nevada has had, 
of knowing Judge George, but on a recent visit last month to Nevada, 
where I met with many of the gentlewoman's constituents, spontaneously 
and without prompting, each came forward to extol the virtues of this 
great jurist. He certainly is a living legend, loved and respected, 
admired and appreciated by all who know of him, and maybe have been 
adjudicated by him.
  But certainly this naming by popular appeal is exceptional. He is a 
man of great judicial capacity, but also great compassion, as the 
gentlewoman has so appropriately noted; and I am delighted we at last 
have this opportunity to bring to conclusion the appropriate naming of 
the U.S. courthouse and Federal building in Las Vegas for Judge Lloyd 
D. George. I compliment the gentlewoman on her success in achieving 
this breakthrough.

                              {time}  1545

  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gibbons). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Franks) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 437.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________