[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 39 (Monday, April 3, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H1642-H1644]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 FRANK J. BATTISTI AND NATHANIEL R. JONES FEDERAL BUILDING AND UNITED 
                           STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1359) to designate the Federal building and United States 
courthouse to be constructed at 10 East Commerce Street in Youngstown, 
Ohio, as the ``Frank J. Battisti and Nathaniel R. Jones Federal 
Building and United States Courthouse.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1359

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

[[Page H1643]]

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The Federal building and United States courthouse to be 
     constructed at 10 East Commerce Street in Youngstown, Ohio, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Frank J. Battisti and 
     Nathaniel R. Jones Federal Building and United States 
     Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the Federal building 
     and United States courthouse referred to in section 1 shall 
     be deemed to be a reference to the ``Frank J. Battisti and 
     Nathaniel R. Jones Federal Building and United States 
     Courthouse''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1359 designates the Federal building and United 
States courthouse now under construction in Youngstown, Ohio, as the 
Frank J. Battisti and Nathaniel R. Jones Federal Building and United 
States Courthouse.
  Our colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant), who I 
mentioned earlier, is a proud member of our committee and introduced 
this measure. As with so many of the bills he had an introduced, it was 
a good idea.
  Judge Battisti and Judge Jones were both Ohio natives who had a 
positive impact on their communities. Judge Battisti was admitted to 
the Ohio Bar in 1950. Before being elected judge of the Common Pleas 
Court in Mahoning County, he served as an Assistant Attorney General 
for Ohio.
  In 1961, he was appointed to the United States District Court for the 
Northern District of Ohio. In 1969, he became the chief judge for the 
Northern District, and shortly after his retirement, Judge Battisti 
passed away.

                              {time}  1445

  Nathaniel Jones served in World War II in the United States Army Air 
Corps. He was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1957 while he was the 
executive director of the Fair Employment Practices Commission of the 
City of Youngstown. Judge Jones was later appointed assistant U.S. 
attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. He later served as 
assistant general counsel to the National Advisory Commission on Civil 
Disorders and was the general counsel for the NAACP for 10 years.
  In 1979, Judge Jones was appointed to the United States Court of 
Appeals for the 6th Circuit and took senior status in 1995. This is a 
fitting honor for two of Youngstown's most distinguished natives. I 
support this measure and urge our colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to rise in support of H.R. 1359 
and I appreciate our colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Traficant), for bringing it forward. The bill designating the new 
courthouse and Federal building under construction as the Frank J. 
Battisti and Nathaniel R. Jones Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is 
an appropriate recognition for these two native sons of Youngstown, 
Ohio, who have contributed diligence and excellence to the judicial 
system and dedicated their lives to preserving the notion of equal 
justice under law.
  Judge Battisti was born and brought up in Youngstown, attended Ohio 
University in 1950, receiving his JD from Harvard Law School. He was an 
assistant Attorney General, law instructor at Youngstown State 
University and director of law in Youngstown. He was elected judge of 
Common Pleas Court in Mahoning County, Ohio. In 1991, he was appointed 
to the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Ohio by 
President Kennedy; and in 1969, he became chief judge.
  Judge Nathaniel Jones was also born and brought up in Youngstown, is 
a World War II veteran. His civic and public appointments include being 
director of the Fair Employment Practices Commission, and, as was 
referenced, Executive Director of the Mayor'S Human Rights Commission. 
He was appointed by Attorney General Robert Kennedy as assistant U.S. 
attorney for the Northern District of Ohio in Cleveland.
  In 1969, Roy Wilkins, then executive director of the NAACP, asked 
Judge Jones to serve as the NAACP general counsel. He accepted that 
offer and served for a decade from 1969 to 1979, when he was appointed 
by President Carter to the U.S. Court of Appeals in the 6th Circuit.
  Both gentlemen have been active in numerous community and civic 
affairs. They were personal friends and professional colleagues, and it 
is entirely fitting and proper that we support this bill in both of 
their names.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Ohio (Mr. Traficant), the sponsor of this legislation
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman of our 
subcommittee, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Franks) and our 
ranking member, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Wise). I want to 
thank the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), and our ranking member of the full 
committee, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar). I want to give 
a special thanks to Rick Barnett and Susan Brita of the staffs, who do 
one of the finest jobs on one of the finest subcommittees of the House.
  This is a great day for the Mahoning Valley and for the City of 
Youngstown. Both the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) and the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) have given many of the credits; 
and I will not go into those credits except to say this, one of the 
legacies of Judge Battisti is he is being credited with one of the 
first desegregations of a major city in the United States of America, 
that being Cleveland, Ohio. And the other significant aspect of this, 
as brought out by Judge Jones, his work with the NAACP and his work 
through several landmark cases with the Supreme Court to strike down 
segregation.
  One thing I did not know when I submitted this bill, that this will 
be the first building, Federal building in the history of the United 
States, to be named after both a black and white jurist, two native 
sons of Youngstown, who have given of themselves and their lives to 
make America a better place to live and to bring all of the diverse 
ethnic people of our country together; not an easy task.
  I am so very proud of Judge Battisti, who is deceased, having been 
appointed by President Kennedy; Nathaniel R. Jones, still alive and 
still very productive, having been appointed by President Carter.
  This is a day of tribute to the people of Youngstown, to all of the 
Mahoning Valley, to all of the State of Ohio, and, Mr. Speaker, to all 
of America for their profound contributions in making America a better 
and safer place to live.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to 
the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones).
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to have 
an opportunity to speak in support of this legislation. I am 
particularly proud because I personally have had an opportunity to get 
to know Judge Frank Battisti, as well as Judge Nathaniel R. Jones. I 
will not try and repeat either of the backgrounds of either of these 
great jurists. Coming from Cleveland, clearly both of them had a 
significant impact on my legal career and my time in political life.
  I am particularly proud today to speak up on behalf of Judge 
Nathaniel R. Jones because my new chief of staff, Stephanie Jones, is 
the daughter of Judge Nathaniel R. Jones; and she is staffing with me 
today on the floor. So it gives me great pleasure to have a chance to 
come to the floor in support of this piece of legislation.
  I want to congratulate my colleagues in moving to pass such a piece 
of legislation. I stand wholeheartedly in support.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I just want to commend our colleague, the gentlewoman 
from Ohio (Mrs. Jones) for having the foresight to hire a chief of 
staff named Stephanie Jones. If there is anyone named Steve LaTourette, 
I guess I could go shopping for that as well. Mr.

[[Page H1644]]

Speaker, I would urge passage of the bill.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1359, a 
bill to designate the Federal building and courthouse under 
construction in Youngstown, Ohio, as the Frank J. Battisti and 
Nathaniel R. Jones Federal Building and United States Courthouse.
  This bill recognizes the careers, contributions, and friendship of 
two very distinguished worthy public servants.
  Judge Battisti was a Youngstown native, born on October 4, 1922. He 
attended local schools and received his undergraduate degree from Ohio 
University in 1947, and his law degree from Harvard in 1950. From 1950 
to 1953, he served as the Assistant Attorney General of Ohio. In 1961, 
President Kennedy appointed him to the position of Judge of the U.S. 
District Court of Northern Ohio, and in 1969 he became the Chief Judge.
  While serving as a Federal judge, he played a courageous and central 
role in ending school segregation in Ohio.
  In 1976, Judge Battisti was named ``Outstanding Trial Judge'' by the 
Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
  Nathaniel R. Jones is also a native of Youngstown, born in 1926. He 
attended local public schools, and is a veteran of World War II, 
serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He received his law degree from 
Youngstown State University. Jones' career is highlighted by extensive 
devotion to human rights, and service to the civil rights movement.
  Attorney General Robert Kennedy appointed him as Assistant U.S. 
Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio in Cleveland. In 1967, he 
was appointed by President Johnson to serve as Assistant Counsel to the 
National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, also known as the 
Kerner Commission. In 1969, Roy Wilkins asked Jones to serve as the 
NAACP's general counsel. Judge Jones held that position for over a 
decade.
  In 1979, President Carter appointed him to the U.S. Court of Appeals 
for the Sixth Circuit.
  In addition to his outstanding legal career, Judge Jones is very 
active in numerous civic and professional organizations, including the 
National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the Judicial Committee 
on Codes of Conduct.
  It is fitting and proper to honor the lives, careers, and lasting 
contributions of these two gentlemen with this designation.
  I urge all Members to support H.R. 1359.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1359.
  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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