[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 120 (Monday, October 2, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H8559-H8561]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
OWEN B. PICKETT UNITED STATES CUSTOMHOUSE
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5284) to designate the United States customhouse located at
101 East Main Street in Norfolk, Virginia, as the ``Owen B. Pickett
United States Customhouse''.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 5284
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.
The United States customhouse located at 101 East Main
Street in Norfolk, Virginia, shall be known and designated as
the ``Owen B. Pickett United States Customhouse''.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES.
Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper,
or other record of the United States to the United States
customhouse referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a
reference to the ``Owen B. Pickett United States
Customhouse''.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect on January 3, 2001.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia
(Ms. Norton) 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. 5284 designates the United States customhouse, in
Norfolk, Virginia, as the Owen B. Pickett United States Customhouse.
Congressman Pickett was born in Richmond, Virginia, and attended
public schools. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech and the University of
Richmond School of Law. In addition to being admitted to the Virginia
and District of Columbia bar, he is also a certified public accountant.
Congressman Pickett began his distinguished career in public service
in 1972, when he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. While
he was in the House of Delegates, Congressman Pickett served on
numerous boards and committees within the local community.
After 14 years in the House of Delegates, Congressman Pickett was
elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1986.
Representing Virginia's Second District, which consists of the Nation's
largest military complex of facilities serving commands of the Navy,
Army, Coast Guard and the NATO Atlantic Command, Congressman Pickett
has been an ardent supporter of our Nation's military. Accordingly, he
sits on the Committee on Armed Services and is the ranking member of
the Subcommittee on Military Research and Development.
Congressman Pickett is also a member of the Congressional Study Group
on Germany, as well as the Congressional Study Groups on Japan and the
Duma-Congress. He participated in the first Congress-Bundestag-Japanese
Diet Trilateral seminar.
Owen Pickett is retiring from his lengthy and productive career in
this body at the conclusion of this 106th Congress. While we will be
losing a valuable Member, this legislation is a fitting gesture of our
appreciation of his fine service.
I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 5284 as a fitting tribute to Owen
Pickett. His service to the citizens not only of the second district of
Virginia, but also to the citizens of this Nation, is exemplary. We owe
a debt of gratitude to Congressman Pickett for his diligence in
pursuing military matters in particular.
Since he was first elected to Congress in 1986, Owen Pickett has
devoted himself to ensuring that the United States military is
technologically ready and superior to any other military force. He
supported veterans programs, and a strong U.S. flag merchant fleet.
In addition to being a dedicated public servant, Owen Pickett is a
lawyer and a certified public accountant. He is a devoted husband,
father and grandfather to seven grandchildren. Mr. Pickett is known as
tenacious, but also as a gentleman, a willing listener and a consensus
builder.
Mr. Speaker, this bill has broad bipartisan support, and every member
of the Virginia delegation supports the bill. It is a most fitting to
honor Mr. Pickett with this designation.
Mr. SCOTT. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to speak in support of the
bill H.R. 5284, to name the U.S. Customhouse in Norfolk, Virginia,
after our colleague, Owen Pickett, who will be retiring at the end of
this session.
Mr. Speaker, the Members of the Virginia Congressional Delegation
pride ourselves on our ability to work together for the common good of
all who reside within the Commonwealth of Virginia. The fact that the
Customhouse continues to serve its role in Hampton Roads is a perfect
example of that, because while this building is physically located in
the Third Congressional District, which I represent, Owen interceded in
the effort to preserve this 141 year old structure, which has been
symbolic of the history of Norfolk and all of Hampton Roads.
The American flag was first raised over this building during the
Civil War, and it has seen numerous renovations in its history.
Norfolk was one of the first ports in the Nation to have a customs
office, and the Customhouse in Norfolk remains the first Federal
building constructed in Virginia for business operations. It has been
designated as one of the 12 most outstanding buildings constructed in
Virginia since the Revolutionary War, and it is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places.
Notwithstanding that history, when the new Federal Building in
Norfolk was completed, employees of the Customs Service were moved out
of the Customhouse and it was contemplated that the building would be
turned into a restaurant or museum. But Owen Pickett demonstrated the
leadership that makes things happen. He brought together the interested
parties within the City of Norfolk, the General Services Administration
and the U.S. Customs Service and secured the necessary funding for the
renovation. On September 19 of this year, I was proud to participate,
along with Owen, in a ceremony to reopen the newly refurbished
Customhouse in Norfolk.
Mr. Speaker, this is but one example of Owen's record of public
service. For nearly 29 years, he has worked tirelessly for the
residents of his district and the Nation. He served 15 years in the
Virginia General Assembly, and almost 14 years now he has represented
the Second Congressional District of Virginia in the House of
Representatives.
Prior to our service in Congress, Owen Pickett and I both served in
the Virginia House of Delegates, where he was known as a conscientious
and dedicated public servant. This reputation has continued with his
service in Congress.
Representative Pickett serves on the Committee on Armed Services. He
is the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Military Research and
Development, and he serves on the Subcommittee on Readiness. Throughout
his career he has been a staunch advocate of our military and has
championed the quality of life issues affecting military families. The
Hampton Roads community has a significant military presence, including
Oceana Naval Air Station and the Norfolk Naval Base, and I know our
military community will miss Owen and his steadfast advocacy on their
behalf.
In addition to ensuring that our country is prepared to overcome any
[[Page H8560]]
threats to our national security, Owen has been on the front line of
protecting our Nation's environment. As a member of the Committee on
Resources, he has fought hard to remind his colleagues in Congress of
the importance of a balanced approach to the protection of our natural
resources and the environment.
As we head into the final weeks of this legislative session,
Congressman Pickett will no doubt continue to demonstrate his
leadership in the House. By passing the bill, H.R. 5284, the Owen B.
Pickett U.S. Customhouse will serve as a lasting reminder of his
leadership and his dedication to the Second District of Virginia and to
our Nation.
{time} 2000
Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. SCOTT. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. I thank my friend for yielding to me.
Mr. Speaker, I want to add to the gentleman's comments. I could not
agree more with everything that the gentleman from Virginia said. I
have had the pleasure of serving as the chairman of the Subcommittee on
Military Research and Development and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Pickett) is the ranking member. There is probably no finer gentleman in
this Congress in either party someone who is dedicated, hard-working,
conscientious and someone who I have the highest respect for.
Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to add my comments to that of the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) and will associate everything that
he said about the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Pickett), applaud him
for his positive note of the leadership of the gentleman from Virginia
(Mr. Pickett), and hope that our colleagues on both sides of the aisle
will join in supporting the legislation the gentleman referred to.
Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5284, designating
the Owen B. Pickett U.S. Customhouse.
I want to commend the House for considering this legislation today
because our colleague who is retiring shortly is indeed worthy of such
an honor. I have worked with Owen for the entire time I have served in
the U.S. House of Representatives and he is a man who epitomizes the
sort of public servant whose service is dedicated to his community.
I have traveled all over the world with Owen in the pursuit of
understanding the evolving needs of our uniformed military service
members. You learn much about your colleagues when you travel together.
In Washington, Owen is a hard-working member of the House Armed
Services Committee and the Resources Committee. When you see him on the
House floor, you might never know that this easy-going guy is wild at
heart. He is a Harley-rider. He is also a surfer. None of these
pastimes seemed even remotely consistent with the things I knew about
Owen from our work together in the House.
Also, for the last Congress, Owen has been my across-the-hall
neighbor in the Rayburn building. He is a generous host for me when I
seek a change of scenery and we visit in his office until we get
interrupted.
Designating a customhouse for Owen Pickett is a fitting tribute for a
man who understands the importance of international trade to the
economic development and well-being of his Tidewater constituents in
Virginia.
If there is one thing that I would want to make sure everyone knows
about Owen, it is this: he is a tireless advocate for the constituents
in his congressional district and for the men and women who serve the
United States in our military's uniform.
Mr. Speaker, I commend the House for considering this legislation,
and I urge its passage.
Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to rise today
to honor our colleague, Owen Pickett of Virginia's 2nd Congressional
District. After 29 years of serving the citizens of Virginia Beach and
Norfolk, as well as the entire Commonwealth of Virginia, Mr. Pickett
has decided to retire from the United States House of Representatives.
My colleague, Mr. Pickett, is a member of the Armed Services
Committee and is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Military
Research and Development and serves on the Readiness Subcommittee and
the MWR Panel. The 2nd Congressional District is heavily dependent on
the massive concentration of naval installations, shipbuilders and
shipping firms in the Hampton Roads harbor area, which ranks first in
export tonnage among the nation's Atlantic ports.
The United States Navy Atlantic Fleet berthed in its home port of
Norfolk is one of the greatest awe-inspiring sights in America, or
anywhere. The aggregation of destructive power in the line of towering
gray ships is probably greater than that of any single port in history.
Over 100 ships are based here, with some 100,000 sailors and Marines,
some $2 billion in annual spending. For these reasons, Congressman
Pickett has been an outspoken advocate for a strong, technologically
superior military and has been tenacious in supporting military bases
in his district. Mr. Pickett, together with Senator John Warner and the
late Congressman Herbert H. Bateman, have provided tremendous
leadership on behalf of Virginia. Other issues on which he has taken a
strong position are the U.S.-flag merchant fleet, private property
rights, public education, veterans programs and a balanced Federal
budget.
Mr. Pickett was born in Hanover County, Virginia, outside Richmond on
August 31, 1930 and was the youngest of three children. He attended the
public school system and is a graduate of Virginia Tech and the
University of Richmond School of Law. He was first elected to the
United States Congress in 1986. With old Virginia roots, he was elected
to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1971, at the age of 41, where he
was known as a fiscal conservative and for his hard work restructuring
the state retirement system.
By the time Mr. Pickett won the Congressional seat vacated by
retiring Republican G. William Whitehurst in 1986, Mr. Pickett had
already served as chairman of the state Democratic Party, headed a
Democratic presidential campaign in Virginia and served long enough in
the state House of Delegates to be a senior member of the
Appropriations Committee.
In the House, Mr. Pickett showed his political acumen by getting a
new seat created for him on the National Security Committee and getting
a seat on the old Merchant Marine Committee as well--two crucial spots
for any Norfolk congressman. Much of Mr. Pickett's work has been in
supporting Hampton Roads military bases and defense contractors, and
revitalizing the shipbuilding industry and merchant marine. That work
has been successful. Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock has been
building three Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the 1990s, and has
effectively ensured that there is no industry monopoly on building
nuclear submarines. The Norfolk Navy Shipyard under Mr. Pickett's
guidance has survived four rounds of base-closings and calls for
privatization.
Mr. Speaker, I join with my fellow Virginian colleagues in thanking
Congressman Owen Pickett for his service to the Commonwealth and to our
nation.
Mr. BLILEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation
naming a U.S. customhouse in Norfolk in honor of my good friend and
colleague Owen Pickett.
During his 14 years in Congress, Owen has been an outspoken advocate
of a strong military and his commitment to military personnel and their
families will leave a lasting mark on this nation for years to come.
His expertise on these matters will always be remembered by a
grateful nation.
Along with his commitment to military readiness, Owen has been an
avid proponent for veterans, better public schools and a balanced
federal budget.
He has been a tireless advocate in supporting Hampton Roads military
bases and revitalizing the shipbuilding industry and merchant marine.
Upon his retirement, this nation and this Congress will lose a
conscientious and very able legislator.
I would like to thank Mr. Scott for introducing this fitting tribute
to a true gentleman and friend.
I wish Owen all the best in his retirement.
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R.
5284, which would name the United States Customhouse in Norfolk,
Virginia, after our retiring colleague and friend, Owen Pickett. I want
to commend Mr. Scott for introducing this bill and working with both
sides to bring it to the floor today.
Let me just say at the outset how appropriate it is that this
particular federal building should bear the name of Owen Pickett. As
the other speakers have said, Owen was extremely instrumental in
securing the needed funding for the renovation of the Customhouse.
He worked hard, as he always does, to bring together the General
Services Administration (GSA), the Customs Service and other interested
parties to work out the details of this project. It is in large part
because of his hard work that the renovation of this historic building
was completed earlier this year. Owen's work on the project constitutes
a victory for historic preservation in Virginia.
Beyond this particular project, I want to say what an honor it has
been to serve with Owen Pickett during the past ten years. Mr. Pickett
is a true gentleman. Throughout his service, Owen has worked tirelessly
and effectively not only for people not only in southern Virginia, but
for our entire Nation. He has championed
[[Page H8561]]
the interests of our Nation's military, and the men and women who wear
the uniform of the United States. He has been a particularly strong
advocate for the Navy and for our commercial maritime interests.
Owen is also uncompromising in his insistence that government be
fiscally disciplined, a trait which he probably acquired during his
long service in the Virginia House of Delegates. The fact that he is
retiring at a time of record surpluses is somehow fitting. It certainly
wasn't that way when he came to the House in 1987.
Mr. Speaker, all of us in the House will certainly miss the service
and dedication of Owen Pickett. I commend the leadership for bringing
this bill to the floor in such an expeditious manner.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. 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 Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 5284.
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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