[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 26, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H2330-H2331]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MICHAEL J. HEALY POST OFFICE BUILDING
Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 825) to redesignate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 7401 West 100th place in Bridgeview, Illinois, as
the ``Michael J. Healy Post Office Building''.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 825
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. MICHAEL J. HEALY POST OFFICE BUILDING.
(a) Redesignation.--The facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 7401 West 100th Place in
Bridgeview, Illinois, and known as the Moraine Valley Post
Office, shall be known and designated as the ``Michael J.
Healy Post Office Building''.
(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be
a reference to the Michael J. Healy Post Office Building.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan).
{time} 1230
General Leave
Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Stearns). Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 825 was introduced by the gentleman from Illinois
(Mr. Lipinski), our distinguished colleague and my great friend and one
of our most outstanding Members of this body. This bill redesignates
the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 7401 West
100th Place in Bridgeview, Illinois, as the Michael J. Healy Post
Office Building. The entire delegation from the State of Illinois has
signed on as cosponsors of this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, the story of Michael Healy is a heartbreaking one. On
June 21, 1981, Michael Healy was a 26-year-old postal police officer
who worked at a downtown Chicago post office building. During an
attempted robbery of the facility that day, Officer Healy was shot and
killed by one of three assailants, becoming the first officer of the
Postal Inspection Service ever to be murdered in the line of duty.
The Postal Service has had to deal with a variety of tragedies over
the years, most recently the anthrax mailings of fall, 2001, and last
year's pipe bombings in mailboxes across the Midwest.
This legislation would appropriately rename one of the U.S. Postal
Service's Buildings after one of its very own heroes, Officer Michael
J. Healy, who died fighting criminals who attacked our Nation's postal
system. Therefore, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R.
825.
I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) for introducing
this important measure.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
might consume.
Mr. Speaker, as the ranking member of the Committee on Government
Reform's Subcommittee on Civil Service, Census and Agency Organization,
I join my colleague in the consideration of three postal naming bills.
I would like to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) for
the timely consideration of these measures.
For the benefit of my colleagues, the postal naming measures before
us today have met the committee requirements and enjoy the support and
cosponsorship of their respective State congressional delegations.
We continue the tradition of naming post offices after individuals of
enormous character who have made important contributions to their
community, State and country. To that end, I commend the sponsors of
these postal naming bills for seeking to recognize their respective
designees by naming a United States Post Office in their honor.
H.R. 825, to Redesignate the United States Postal Service located at
7401 West 100th Place in Bridgeview, Illinois, as the Michael J. Healy
Post Office Building.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 825, which names a U.S. Post Office located in
Bridgeview, Illinois, after Michael J. Healy was introduced by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski), my friend and colleague, on
February 13, 2003.
On June 21, 1981, Michael Healy became the first uniformed postal
police officer of the Postal Inspection Service to be killed in the
line of duty. Sadly, he was slain by two assailants in a foiled robbery
attempt while guarding the Chicago Main Post Office located at Harrison
Avenue and Canal Street, which is now known as the Cardiss Collins Post
Office.
As one of our Nation's oldest Federal law enforcement agencies,
founded by Benjamin Franklin, the United States Postal Inspection
Service has a long and proud and successful history of fighting
criminals who attack our postal system and endanger the public. Since
its inception in 1772, the Postal Inspection Service has lost nine
employees in the line of duty.
In 2001, the Chicago division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service
honored the 20th anniversary of the passing of their fallen comrade and
the Fraternal Order of Police has supported the effort to rename the
local post office after Officer Healy.
Mr. Speaker, in addition to the roughly 1,900 postal inspectors who
serve as fact finders and investigators, the Inspection Service
maintains a security force of approximately 1,400 uniformed postal
police officers assigned to critical facilities throughout the country.
Postal police officers provide perimeter security, escort high-value
shipments and protect and defend postal employees. As the primary law
enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service, the Postal Inspection
Service was very ably represented by Officer Michael Healy.
The gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) is to be commended for
seeking to recognize Officer Healy by designating a post office in his
honor.
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congressman Danny
Davis for helping to bring H.R. 825 to the floor this morning.
Today, I am very pleased to pay tribute to a fallen federal law
enforcement officer and the service he represented with the highest
honor. On June 21st, 1981, Officer Michael J. Healy, of the United
States Postal Inspection Service, was slain by two armed assailants in
a foiled robbery attempt outside of Chicago's Main Post Office. That
day, Mr. Healy sadly became the first Postal Police Officer to be
killed in the line of duty.
Fortunately, Michael J. Healy has not been forgotten. In fact, Healy
has come to symbolize the personal risk that police officers from a
relatively unrecognized federal force undertake everyday. Healy's badge
#3972 was retired, and all official depictions of Postal Police Officer
badges bear #3972 in honor of Healy. In 2001, The Fraternal Order of
Police, National Labor Council #2 and The Postal Inspection Service
gathered to remember the 20th anniversary of Healy's passing. At their
gathering, the Fraternal Order of Police pledged to continue the memory
of their fallen comrade, and contacted my office to discuss an
appropriate memorial.
Together, we felt it would be fitting to name a federal building in
Healy's honor. We felt it further appropriate that the post office
nearest to Hometown, Illinois--the Healy family's ``home town''--would
best enshrine Officer Healy's ultimate sacrifice. Simultaneously, we
felt this renaming would pay belated tribute to the U.S. Postal
Inspection Service.
In October 2001, when letters filled with Anthrax spores were sent to
several offices on Capitol Hill, the United States, and especially its
Congress, became suddenly reminded of the necessity of a Postal
Inspection Service. In fact, our nation's 1,400 Postal Police Officers
are first responders in this unprecedented Front Line on the War on
Terror--the U.S. mail system.
In 2002 alone, Postal Police Officers and Inspectors responded to
17,000 suspicious mailings, anthrax hoaxes and threats--a 100 fold
increase from the previous year. Besides protecting America's post
offices and 200,000
[[Page H2331]]
postal carriers, the service responds to more than 1,000 postal-related
assaults and credit threats, 75,000 complaints of consumer mail fraud,
and it arrests 12,000 criminal suspects for mail-related crimes each
year.
Today, my colleagues have a special opportunity to honor the entire
United States Postal Service, by naming a postal facility after one of
their own heroes. With the passage of H.R. 825, The House of
Representatives will rename the Moraine Valley, Illinois Post Office
the Michael J. Healy Post Office.
Finally, I would like to recognize Joan Healy, Michael's mother, his
brother David, sister Mary, and widow Barbara, as well as Lieutenant
Michael Ruth and the Fraternal Order of Police, Labor Council #2, who
have ably continued Officer Healy's memory.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 825.
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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