[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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