[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 130 (Monday, October 7, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H7034-H7036]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AUGUSTUS F. HAWKINS POST OFFICE BUILDING
Mr. DAN MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (H.R. 2578) to redesignate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 8200 South Vermont Avenue in Los
Angeles, California, as the ``Augustus F. Hawkins Post Office
Building.''.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 2578
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
8200 South Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, California, shall
be known and redesignated as the ``Augustus F. Hawkins 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
``Augustus F. Hawkins Post Office Building''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Dan Miller) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Dan Miller).
{time} 1330
General Leave
Mr. DAN MILLER of Florida. 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. 2578.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Aderholt). Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. DAN MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the House consider H.R. 2578,
introduced by our distinguished colleague,
[[Page H7035]]
the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), that designates the
facility of the United States Postal Service located in Los Angeles as
the Augustus F. Hawkins Post Office Building. Members of the entire
House delegation from the State of California are cosponsors of this
legislation.
This legislation honors a former Member of the House who preceded our
colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), in what was
the 29th Congressional District of California.
Congressman Augustus Hawkins was elected to 14 consecutive terms to
this House on behalf of the people of South Central Los Angeles.
He rose through the ranks of this body and ultimately chaired the
Committee on Education and Labor in the 1980s. Prior to his term in the
House of Representatives, he served 28 years in the California State
Assembly, a body in which he was the only black member for the greater
part of his tenure.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation honors a man who devoted more than five
decades of public service to the people of California. For that reason,
I urge all Members to support the adoption of H.R. 2578.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Committee on Government Reform, I am
indeed pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 2578,
which names a post office in Los Angeles, California, after former
Representative Augustus Hawkins. H.R. 2578 was introduced by the
distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) on July 19,
2001, and enjoys the support and cosponsorship of the entire California
delegation.
Augustus Freeman Hawkins was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1907
and moved with his parents to Los Angeles in 1918. He received a public
school education and graduated from the University of California at Los
Angeles and the University of Southern California.
From 1935 to 1962, Mr. Hawkins served as a member of the California
State Assembly. He served on the important Committee on Rules during
part of his tenure in the Assembly and began his focus on education,
labor and employment issues.
In 1963, Augustus Hawkins was elected to Congress as a Democrat
representing the 29th Congressional District in California. In 1971, he
joined 12 other African American Members of Congress and formally
established the Congressional Black Caucus, a coalition of African
American Members of the House dedicated to achieving greater equality
for persons of African descent.
During his tenure in Congress, Gus Hawkins served as chairman of the
Committee on House Administration and the Committee on Education and
Labor. The 1990 Almanac of American Politics describes Chairman
Hawkins' mindset: ``His convictions are that government programs can
help and have helped the poor and middle class; that aid to education
has strengthened the Nation; that Federal job programs have made the
difference between a productive life and an idle one; and that the
government has a responsibility to give jobs to those who cannot find
employment in the private sector.''
To that end, Chairman Hawkins coauthored the Humphrey-Hawkins Full
Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978, legislation designed to
promote genuine and sustainable recovery and a full employment society.
Representative Hawkins also served as Chairman of the Joint Committee
on Printing and Joint Committee on the Library. He retired at the end
of the 101st Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I commend my good friend, the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Waters), for seeking to honor Chairman Augustus Freeman
Hawkins by naming a post office after him in Los Angeles, California.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman
from California (Ms. Waters).
Ms. WATERS. I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for
yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that this bill is being considered today.
As it has been stated, it would rename the post office at 8200 South
Vermont Avenue, which is California's 35th Congressional District,
after Representative Augustus Hawkins. Representative Augustus Hawkins
represented this district for nearly 30 years.
Mr. Speaker, this is a small gesture to a truly great man.
Congressman Hawkins was a distinguished Member of this House. He worked
hard, and he carried the respect of all those who worked with him.
Again, he was first elected to the California State Assembly in 1935.
He served in the Assembly for almost 28 years. In 1962, he was elected
to the U.S. House of Representatives and was California's first African
American Member of Congress. He served a total of 13 terms.
Throughout his career, Gus focused on education, labor and employment
issues. He served as chairman of the Committee on House Administration
for 4 years. He also sat on the House Education and Labor Committee.
However, it is for his work on monetary and economic policies that he
is often talked about. He teamed up with Senator Humphrey to sponsor
the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978. One aspect of the
bill, which has become known as the Humphrey-Hawkins Report, required
the Chairman of the Federal Reserve to report to the House and Senate
Banking Committees on the economy and monetary policy twice a year.
This report has become one of the most important speeches given by the
Federal Reserve Chairman.
While the statute has officially expired, the report is still
provided to Congress and remains a benchmark for evaluating the
economy.
In 1971, though already in office for nearly a decade, Congressman
Hawkins joined 12 other African American Members of Congress to
establish the Congressional Black Caucus. Today, only the gentleman
from New York (Mr. Rangel) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr.
Conyers) of the pioneering group remain in the House.
Over the past 31 years, the CBC has grown in influence and in size.
Today, we have 38 Members from all over the country. The CBC owes much
of its success to Gus Hawkins and the other founding members.
In 1991, after 14 terms in Congress, Congressman Hawkins decided to
retire. I was fortunate enough to be elected to serve in the district
that he had represented so well for so many years.
Recently, Congressman Hawkins partnered with Dr. Vinetta C. Jones,
the Dean of Howard University School of Education, to form the Black
Education Leadership Summit. The group is comprised of education, civil
rights, nonprofit, business and community groups that seek to remove
the public education debate beyond rhetoric-based theory. The ultimate
goal of the group is to develop and enhance the education of all
African American students.
I certainly appreciate the work of Congressman Augustus Hawkins, and
I am very pleased and proud to represent the 35th Congressional
District, that area which he served so admirably for so long.
I would like to just close by giving my very fond thoughts about the
length of time that I have known Congressman Hawkins. The conversations
that we have had over the years helped me to understand that not only
do I have a responsibility to come to this body and represent my
constituents in the absolutely best way that I possibly can, but
Congressman Hawkins taught me to ``trace the money.''
He came home often, and he always went to city hall to find out what
they were doing with the Federal funds that we were sending down there.
I learned to pay attention to that. Because of Gus Hawkins, even today
I am tracing the dollars from the CDBG Grants, Section 108 loan
guarantees and other areas of government where we appropriate money
that goes into the local government to be disbursed.
It was because of Gus Hawkins that I think our city began to do a
better job of making sure, as Gus said, that all of the money was not
concentrated downtown, that the money got out into the communities and
out to the district that he represented, and certainly to the district
that I now represent.
Again, I am pleased and proud to be a part of the efforts here today
to name this Post Office after a most deserving gentleman, Congressman
Augustus Hawkins.
[[Page H7036]]
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may
consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson).
Ms. WATSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of
H.R. 2578, the naming of a post office after Gus Hawkins. I just want
to tell my colleagues this personally. My father, who has long been
deceased, did the first fund-raiser for Gus Hawkins. They raised all of
$75, and that was a lot of money in those days.
During a time of renewed interest in public service, Gus's career and
life epitomized the importance and the impact of serving one's fellow
man for the betterment of our country and way of life. A champion of
children, poor people, working people, senior citizens, and minorities,
he expressed his views about public service by stating: ``The
leadership belongs not to the loudest, not to those who beat the drums
or blow the trumpets, but to those who day in and day out work for the
practical realization of a better world.''
Still living, and we are so proud that he is with us, he was born in
Louisiana in 1907. He moved with his family to Los Angeles when he was
11 to escape racial discrimination. He received degrees from UCLA, my
alma mater, and USC and began his legislative career in 1935 in the
California Assembly where he served for 28 years, often as its only
black member. And to get him there in 1935, that $75 went a long way.
Gus faithfully served this House from 1963 to 1991; and during his
tenure, he served as chairman of the Committee on Education and the
Committee on House Administration. He is the author of more than 17
Federal laws, including the title VII of the Civil Rights Act
establishing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Job
Training Partnership Act, and the School Improvement Act, which
revamped virtually all major elementary and secondary education
programs.
Gus once recounted that he wanted to be remembered as one who simply
loved children. I recall a telephone call I got from him just a few
months ago. He was very concerned about the Leave No Child Behind Act.
As he continues to open his heart to others, today we open our hearts
to Gus Hawkins and the officially named post office in Los Angeles. He
is a friend, he is a mentor, and he is someone who simply loves
children and their parents. He is very deserving of this honor.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would just close by indicating that Representative
Hawkins was indeed and is indeed a legend. Between the time that he
spent in the California Assembly and the time that he spent here in the
halls of Congress, he must have spent much more than half of his life
in representative positions. I think that that is indeed rare, and it
is my pleasure to urge passage of this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DAN MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this measure.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join in paying tribute
to a great American. Former Congressman Augustus Hawkins was not only a
pioneer in breaking a race barrier of the House of Representatives, he
was also a pioneer in economic and unemployment reform.
Congressman Hawkins was well respected by both sides of the aisle for
his sincerity, dedication hard work, and commitment to helping those
less fortunate. He sponsored numerous laws that created jobs and
insured civil rights. He was a forceful advocate of Federal support of
education.
During his years in Congress, Mr. Hawkins' most notable
accomplishments included the establishment of the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
and the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978.
Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues in wishing Congressman Hawkins
a happy 95th birthday, which he celebrated earlier this year. it is
fitting that we name a postal facility after Congressman Hawkins so
that Californians and Americans can long remember his legacy. Let us
not only look back at his accomplishments and his patriotism, let us
look forward and wish him many more healthy and happy years.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support giving long overdue honor
to a man who will be remembered as a great chair of the Committee on
Education and Labor. ``Gus'' Hawkins, as he was affectionately called,
will be remembered for many significant federal laws that he authored.
His name has become synonymous with the Humphrey-Hawkins Act to set our
country on the course in pursuit of the often-elusive balance between
full employment, balanced growth, and minimal inflation. However, I
want speak especially to Chairman Hawkins' work as the author of Title
VII of the Civil Rights Act, which established the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission.
I had the good fortune to chair the EEOC during a period when Gus
Hawkins was chair of the House Education and Labor Committee. I came to
the agency when it was only ten years old and had had a rocky
management tenure. Faced with no experience in handling large numbers
of complicated cases, the Commission had developed a crippling backlog.
The EEOC was fortunate during that period, and later during my own
tenure, to have in chairman. Hawkins a dedicated, no nonsense
taskmaster who insisted that the agency reform itself so that it could
deliver the equal job opportunity the statute envisioned. It fell to me
to institute the restructuring and the reform of the EEOC beginning in
1977, but that process had the advantage of the determine and very
knowledgeable oversight of a chairman who knew what needed to be done
and made sure that all of us did our best to do it.
Chairman Hawkins' name is synonymous with hard work and an
encyclopedic understanding of the most important domestic agencies and
statutes affecting health, welfare, education, and equal opportunity in
our society. His work in the California Assembly and here in the
Congress is replete with examples of his leadership and education to
the needs of working people, the unemployed, children, and minorities.
He was the author of such land mark legislation as the School
Improvement Act, which made the federal government an important factor
in elementary and secondary education for the first time. He was a
founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
However, when a man has been the author of more than seventeen
federal laws, it is difficult to overestimate his importance in
American legislative history. Mr. Hawkins was an understated man but
his legislative achievements are legendary. He is not a man who would
have sought to have a building named after him. Instead many bills bear
his name, as he would prefer. Never the less, let this House add the
name of Augustus Hawkins to a post office allowing many more to know
his work and become aware of the significance of Gus Hawkins in our
history.
Mr. DAN MILLER of Florida. 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 Florida (Mr. Dan Miller) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2578.
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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