[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 111 (Thursday, August 2, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H5321-H5323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THURGOOD MASHALL UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 988) to designate the United States 
courthouse located at 40 Centre Street in New York, New York, as the 
``Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse,'' and ask for its 
immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?

[[Page H5322]]

  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I strongly 
support H.R. 988, a bill to name the Federal courthouse at 40 Centre in 
New York City in honor of former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood 
Marshall, one of our country's genuine heroes.
  I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) for introducing this 
bill and for his steadfast support of this legislation, and the 
chairman, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette), for his support in 
moving this bill through the subcommittee and to the floor this 
evening.
  The contributions of Judge Thurgood Marshall are legendary. His 
dedication and devotion to the ideals of equality and dignity for all 
people were of historical proportions.
  Mr. Speaker, further reserving my right to object, I yield to the 
ranking member of the full committee, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. 
Oberstar).
  (Mr. OBERSTAR asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 988, to name the 
U.S. Courthouse at 40 Centre Street in New York City in honor of former 
Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. The naming of the federal 
courthouse after Justice Marshall is a fitting tribute to one of the 
most important lawyers and Justices in American history.
  During his arguments as attorney for the plaintiffs in the landmark 
case of Brown v. Board of Education, Marshall was asked to define 
``equal'' by Justice Frankfurter. Marshall responded that: ``Equal 
means getting the same thing, at the same time, and in the same 
place.'' This statement encapsulates Justice Marshall's values and what 
he tried to achieve during a lifetime of fighting for those who were 
unable to fight for themselves.
  Justice Marshall's long journey took him from a humble beginning as 
the grandson of a slave in a time and place where segregation and 
racism were strong barriers, and ended with him becoming the first 
black Justice of the Supreme Court. This great accomplishment was not 
only easily achieved, and, indeed, was made possible in large part by 
the changes in society and law that were created by Marshall's own 
victories against racial inequities.
  Although he finished near the top of his undergraduate class, Justice 
Marshall was denied entry to the University of Maryland Law School 
because of his race. Soon after graduating first in his class from 
Howard University Law School, Justice Marshall commenced his career as 
a lawyer for the NAACP. He began the work of creating a more just 
society by challenging pay gaps between black and white teachers in 
Maryland. Justice Marshall then went on to open for others the very 
door that had been closed to him: he won a lawsuit against the 
University of Maryland Law School that forced it to admit black 
students.
  While working for the NAACP, Justice Marshall fought an unending 
battle against racism and inequality in laws. As a result of fighting 
for the rights and freedoms of others, Justice Marshall's own freedom--
an even his life--was constantly in danger. On more than one occasion 
he was harassed and threatened. In Tennessee, he was arrested on false 
charges; and when he was in Florida to argue a case where a local 
sheriff set up the defendant, the Governor assigned the state police to 
protect him, out of concern for his safety. Justice Marshall was not 
intimidated and continued his crusade, becoming chief counsel for the 
NAACP.
  Justice Marshall was behind the successful strategy of using the 
courts to achieve racial equality. He first attacked school segregation 
at every level, culminating in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education 
decision that ended segregation in public schools in 1954.
  During his career with the NAACP, Marshall won 29 of the 32 civil 
rights cases he argued before the Supreme Court. Some of the important, 
but lesser known, victories that Justice Marshall won were: to stop the 
government from enforcing property covenants that restricted the sale 
of land by race; to end discrimination in interstate bus travel; and to 
end whites-only primary elections.
  In 1961 President Kennedy nominated Marshall for a seat on the Second 
Circuit Court of Appeals, and in 1964 President Johnson appointed 
Marshall as solicitor general.
  After serving three years as solicitor general, President Johnson 
nominated Thurgood Marshall for a seat on the Supreme Court. Justice 
Marshall overcame opposition from southern senators to be confirmed by 
the Senate and went on to serve on the Supreme Court for 24 years, 
during which time he wrote many of the Court's most important 
decisions. Throughout his service on the Supreme Court, Justice 
Marshall continued to be a strong advocate of individual rights, and 
remained true to his crusade to end discrimination.
  By fighting and winning as he did for the protection to the rights of 
minorities, Justice Marshall brought greater protection to the rights 
of all Americans.
  The career, character, and contributions of Justice Thurgood Marshall 
are without equal. His struggles for equality and dignity for all 
people were of historic proportions. He has given to the American 
public an enduring symbol of leadership, determination, compassion, and 
honor.
  There is no tribute we could bestow upon him that could in any way 
enhance the record he complied himself as a distinguished advocate of 
the Constitution and its fair and equal application to all Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to support this bill and urge its passage.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of objection, I 
yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette), the ranking member 
of the subcommittee.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to 
me.
  H.R. 988 designates the U.S. courthouse at 40 Centre Street in New 
York as the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse.
  Mr. Speaker, similar legislation to honor this great jurist passed 
the House in the 104th, the 105th, and the 106th Congress. Sadly, and 
unfortunately, the other body has not acted.
  I too want to congratulate our colleague, the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Engel) for his persistence in bringing this important matter to 
our attention. It is a bill worthy of being enacted by this body, and 
hopefully we can have it on the President's desk for his signature.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Further reserving my right to object, Mr. Speaker, I 
yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).
  (Mr. ENGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me thank the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Costello), the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette), the 
gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), and the gentleman from Minnesota 
(Mr. Oberstar) for their assistance in bringing the bill to the floor. 
It is a pleasure working with them, and a special thanks to the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello).
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be the sponsor of H.R. 988, which 
designates the United States courthouse at Foley Square in New York 
City as the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse.
  Thurgood Marshall, of course, was the first African American Supreme 
Court justice and one of the most well-known leaders of the Civil 
Rights movement. His efforts were instrumental in the landmark case 
Brown v. Board of Education which made segregation in schools illegal.
  Realizing his abilities, President Kennedy appointed him to the 
Second Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals. He next served as 
Solicitor General under President Johnson and won 29 of the 32 cases he 
argued. When he was appointed to the Supreme Court of the U.S., 
President Johnson stated that it was, ``The right thing to do, the 
right time to do it, the right man, and the right place.'' And I could 
not agree more.
  Mr. Speaker, my legislation has the support of Thurgood Marshall's 
family, the New York State Senate, the New York State Bar Association, 
and the New York State County Lawyers Association, of which Marshall 
was a long-time member. The Federal courthouse at Foley Square is where 
Thurgood Marshall practiced when appointed by President Kennedy to the 
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1961.
  This is an honor for Thurgood Marshall, it is a fitting honor, and I 
thank the House for considering this important legislation and look 
forward to its passage.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the bill, as follows:

                                H.R. 988

       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 courthouse located at 40 Centre Street in 
     New York, New York, shall be known and designated as the 
     ``Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse''.

[[Page H5323]]

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the United States 
     courthouse referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``Thurgood Marshall United States 
     Courthouse''.

  The bill was ordered to be engrossed, read a third time, was read the 
third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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