[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 93 (Tuesday, July 18, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H6387-H6389]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  JOSEPH F. SMITH POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4554) to redesignate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 1602 Frankford Avenue in Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania, as the ``Joseph F. Smith Post Office Building.''

[[Page H6388]]

  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4554

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

     SECTION 1. REDESIGNATION.

       The facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
     1602 Frankford Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and 
     known as the Kensington Station, shall be known and 
     designated as the ``Joseph F. Smith Post Office Building''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the facility referred 
     to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to the 
     ``Joseph F. Smith Post Office Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. McHugh) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh).


                             General Leave

  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on H.R. 4554.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would never be so bold as to suggest that we save the 
best for last, but let me instead suggest that for all of the very 
special individuals that we have the opportunity both here today and 
traditionally on this floor through the process of postal namings it is 
somewhat special, I think for most of us, to have the opportunity to 
pay such a tribute to a former colleague, to someone who had the honor, 
as we all do, to serve in this, the people's House. And this final 
legislation, brought to us by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Borski), is indeed such an opportunity.
  Joseph F. Smith was in fact a Member of this body, elected to the 
97th Congress to represent his home district in Pennsylvania. But for 
anyone having the opportunity, as I have had, who takes the time to 
look over this gentleman's distinguished life story, we find that his 
service and his efforts and contribution extended far beyond the walls 
of this particular House.
  In fact, he began as a sergeant in the United States Army, serving 
not only in World War II but receiving a Purple Heart for the wound he 
received in that action. He served as a congressional staffer, later 
serving in the Pennsylvania State Senate before coming to Congress; and 
after having left Congress, he continued to serve in politics and 
government through various party positions.
  This is a man who, I think, has shown in his lifetime that he cares 
as well about his communities, who always strived to serve them, 
whether through the Armed Services and defending our Nation's pride and 
freedom, or through elective office and serving those people who were 
selecting him time and again to be their representative.
  So just a final word of thanks to the sponsor, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski), for bringing us this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  First, Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4554, a bill to 
designate a post office in Philadelphia after Joseph F. Smith, a former 
Member of this body.
  If I can take some liberties, before I speak on the bill, Mr. 
Speaker, I want to thank a departing staff member of mine, Neil Snyder, 
who is here on the floor, who has served as my legislative director 
since I came to the Congress. He is moving on to a brighter future, and 
I want to wish him and his wife all the best. He is someone who was 
from my district back home, but has had a great deal of impact on the 
legislative successes we have had here in the House, and I would hope 
that my colleagues would join with me in wishing him well.
  This legislation to honor Joe Smith, who served both in the 
Pennsylvania State Senate, where I served, and here in the Congress, is 
someone who, as has been mentioned by the gentleman from New York, has 
been much more than a lawmaker. He also served in the United States 
Armed Forces, fought in World War II and received the Purple Heart. He 
could have probably received a few other Purple Hearts for the rough 
and tumble of Philadelphia politics that he had to endure through his 
many years and decades of service in Philadelphia as a ward leader and 
other various positions.
  There is no one better qualified, more uniquely situated to speak on 
the life and legacy of Mr. Smith, or Chairman Smith, than my colleague, 
the gentleman from Philadelphia (Mr. Brady), who is not only the Member 
of Congress representing the first district but also serves now as the 
chairman of the same Democratic party that Joe Smith served as chairman 
of.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) to speak on this legislation.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to support bill 4554. My friend, Joe Smith, 
served in Congress, earned the Purple Heart in World War II, was a 
fellow ward leader for 30 years, and was the chairman of the Committee 
on Appropriations in the Senate in the State of Pennsylvania. But 
closer to my heart, he was my predecessor in the city of Philadelphia 
as the chairman of the Democratic party in the city, and nobody knows 
better than I do what a tough position that can be at times.
  He was a people person. He loved the people that he served in his 
neighborhood. Mr. Speaker, that is why this distinguished honor is so 
fitting. In naming this post office after him, his memory will remain 
in that community forever. To his lovely wife, Jean, to his daughter, 
Gigi, we want them to know that we are as proud of him as they have 
been throughout his distinguished career.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend and colleague, the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski), for introducing this measure, and my 
friend and partner, the gentleman from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Fattah), for bringing this bill to the floor; and I want to also thank 
the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
McHugh), for his hard work in honoring my friend, Joe Smith.
  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume by 
saying that the senior Congressman and chair of the Philadelphia 
delegation here in the Congress, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Borski), is the prime sponsor of this legislation and is someone who 
served with Joe Smith when he was here in the Congress. The gentleman 
from Pennsylvania could not be with us here on the floor at this 
moment, Mr. Speaker, but he will be entering a statement into the 
Record.
  Let me finally thank the gentleman from New York, the chairman of the 
subcommittee. It is as always a pleasure to work with the gentleman as 
we move this type of legislation through the House. And I congratulate 
him on yesterday's passage of the semipostal bill, which is an 
important piece of legislation having to do with postal services here 
in our country and the benefit for charitable causes.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume; 
and first, I want to return the compliment from the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania, the ranking member. We did, indeed, do some good work 
here yesterday. That was, as I attempted to indicate yesterday in the 
course of the discussion on the bill, in no small measure due to the 
contributions, the input, and the very constructive suggestions that 
the gentleman from Pennsylvania and his staff made to that bill, and I 
think we can all take a great deal of pride in it.
  Let me echo as well his appreciation by expressing my thanks to him 
for his continued cooperation. I mentioned earlier the bipartisan 
structure of the subcommittee, the record of achievement, and the 
bipartisan way that we have accrued; and I think, again, we should all 
take a great deal of pride in that. It is probably not as common on 
this floor as some of us would hope it would be.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
(Mr.

[[Page H6389]]

Brady) for his very gracious and kind comments and also thank all the 
Members of the Pennsylvania delegation, including, of course, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski), for bringing this nominee to 
our attention. And I would, finally, urge support from all our 
colleagues for this legislation.
  Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4554, a 
bill that I introduced which would rename a United States Post Office 
in Philadelphia, PA to honor the late U.S. Congressman, Joseph F. 
Smith. I would like to thank Chairman McHugh for his efforts on behalf 
of this bill. I would also like to extend my deep appreciation to my 
fellow colleagues of the Philadelphia Delegation. Ranking Member Fattah 
put in remarkable work at expediting this bill through Committee. 
Congressman Bob Brady, the successor to Joe Smith as the Democratic 
Chairman of the City of Philadelphia, was an advocate of this bill from 
day one. Finally, I would like to thank the entire Pennsylvania 
Congressional Delegation for joining together in a bipartisan matter in 
strong support of this important legislation.
  Joe Smith started his career of service to this Nation as a sergeant 
in the United States Army, receiving a Purple Heart for his actions 
during World War II. Joe began his career in politics as a Democratic 
Committeeman. He was a Ward Chairman, working directly under James 
Byrne, the Ward Leader who went on to become a U.S. Congressman, who 
Joe would eventually work for as an Administrative Assistant from 1965-
1970. From 1970-1981, he served in the Pennsylvania State Senate. As 
you are aware, Joe was elected to the Ninety-seventh Congress in 1981 
and served until 1983. He worked at the forefront of the Democratic 
Party as the Democratic City Chairman in Philadelphia from 1983-1986. 
this was an enormous accomplishment, because he achieved the difficult 
task of earning the trust and respect of the city's Ward Leaders who 
voted to elect him their Chairman. Joe also served as the 31st Ward 
Leader for more than 3 decades. He remained devoted to the people of 
his community until May of 1999, when he passed away.
  Joe Smith served for over 60 years in politics. Through his old-
fashioned values of working hard and starting from the grassroots, Joe 
climbed from Committeeman to U.S. Congressman. Regardless of the 
position he was serving, Joe Smith remained noble enough of a man to 
continuously work hard towards his goal of helping the people of his 
country and his community. He once told me that he considered himself a 
``dinosaur'' because he still believed in the pure art of politics--
going door to door in your community not only to get the vote, but also 
to learn about the people and families that you plan to serve. On 
another occasion, Joe answered a question given by group of labor 
leaders with a memorable quote. ``I was Joe Smith yesterday, I'm Joe 
Smith today, and I'll be Joe Smith tomorrow.'' They understood what he 
meant--that they could always count on this unpretentious man who 
believed enough in the hard-working people and values of the 1st 
Congressional District, to adamantly work for their well being. I can 
only hope that more of today's leaders will abide by Joe's principle 
that ``politics'' is never a dirty word.
  Throughout his career, the people of Philadelphia looked to him for 
leadership, and he immersed himself in understanding their needs. Joe 
understood that public service is most effective when one understands 
and closely reflects the convictions and beliefs of one's constituents. 
No matter what body he was serving in, his heart was always with the 
people who resided in the communities of Kensington, Port Richmond, and 
Fishtown. After his retirement, Joe could still be found sharing wisdom 
and insight from his front steps to those who sought advice and 
kinship.
  When I think of Joe Smith I also think of the dedicated women in his 
life. He was a committed husband to the love of his life, his wife, 
Jean, and a devoted father to his daughter, Gigi. Joe was certainly 
proud of Gigi who is following in his footsteps as a Democratic 
Committeeperson. His daughter has also sought elected office and I am 
sure that she has a bright political future ahead of her. Along with 
his wife and daughter, I am certainly reminded of the three ``Peg's'' 
in his life--Peg Butkowski, the late Peg McCook, and Peg Rzepski. 
Whenever you called his office, you were sure to be assisted by the 
ever-helpful Peg Butkowski and Peg McCook. These women fought the fight 
in reconnecting the community with their government. Peg Rzepski served 
as his loyal lieutenant as the Ward Chairman for years. As his 
successor of the 31st Ward, she has shared in his belief that politics 
is never a dirty word and should be seen as a noble cause.
  Joe Smith was an outstanding legislator, a great human being, and a 
distinguished American. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting 
this bill to honor his legacy in the community that he so diligently 
served throughout his life, by naming the Kensington Station Post 
Office after Joe Smith.
  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 4554.
  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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