Congressional Record, Volume 149 Issue 83 (Monday, June 9, 2003)

[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 83 (Monday, June 9, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H5052-H5053]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[Congressional Record: June 9, 2003 (House)]
[Page H5052-H5053]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr09jn03-52]

BIRCH BAYH FEDERAL BUILDING AND UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
Senate bill (S. 763) to designate the Federal Building and United
States courthouse located at 46 East Ohio Street in Indianapolis,
Indiana, as the ``Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States
Courthouse''.
The Clerk read as follows:

S. 763

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF BIRCH BAYH FEDERAL BUILDING AND
UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE.

The Federal building and United States courthouse located
at 46 East Ohio Street in Indianapolis, Indiana, shall be
known and designated as the ``Birch Bayh Federal Building and
United States Courthouse''.

SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper,
or other record of the United States to the Federal building
and United States courthouse referred to in section 1 shall
be deemed to be a reference to the Birch Bayh Federal
Building and United States Courthouse.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Mexico (Mr. Pearce) and the gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms. Carson) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce).
Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, S. 763, which is identical to H.R. 1082 introduced by
the gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms. Carson), designates the Federal
building and United States courthouse located at 46 East Ohio Street in
Indianapolis, Indiana as the ``Birch Bayh Federal Building and United
States Courthouse.'' This bill has the bipartisan support of the entire
Indiana delegation.
Senator Birch Bayh was born in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1928 to
schoolteachers; and it is from them that he inherited an ethic of
public service. Upon graduation from high school, Senator Bayh
volunteered for and served in the United States Army from 1946 to 1948.
Upon his return, he attended and graduated from the Purdue University
School of Agriculture at Lafayette in 1951. This education served him
well, since throughout his long career, he always found time to work on
and oversee the family farm, growing corn and soybeans for more than 4
decades.
Senator Bayh's political career began in 1954 when at the age of 26
he was elected to serve in the Indiana House of Representatives. While
serving in that body, he served as Speaker in 1959 and as Democrat
floor leader in 1957 and 1961. Despite these responsibilities, he also
found time to attend and graduate from Indiana University School of Law
in 1960 and was admitted to the bar in 1961.
In 1962, at the age of 34, Senator Bayh entered the United States
Senate where he served three terms from 1963 to 1981. While in the
Senate, he served as chairman of the Senate Select Committee on
Intelligence, worked with the CIA, the National Security Agency, and
the FBI. He also was a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on
Transportation, where he called for and funded efforts to build the
District of Columbia's Metro subway system and to modernize the Amtrak
rail system.
Senator Bayh is best known as chairman of the Constitution
Subcommittee where he authored two amendments to the Constitution; the
25th amendment on Presidential and Vice Presidential succession, and
the 26th amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 years of
age.
This is a fitting tribute to a dedicated public servant. I support
this legislation and encourage my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume, and I thank the gentleman from New Mexico.
Mr. Speaker, Senate bill 763 is a bill that designates the Federal
Building and United States Courthouse in Indianapolis, Indiana as the
Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse. Our senior
Senator from Indiana, Senator Lugar, who heads the Foreign Relations
Committee in the Senate, was so kind and gentle enough

[[Page H5053]]

to usher Senate bill 763 through the United States Senate. I had
introduced the House version of this bill, H.R. 1082, which is
cosponsored by the entire Indiana delegation.
Born to two schoolteachers in Shirkeyville, Indiana, but also call
Terre Haute, Shirkeyville on January 22, 1928, he began his political
career at the young age of 26 with his election to the Indiana House of
Representatives in 1958. Having been a citizen of that State for many
years, I grew to admire and respect the kind of leadership that the
Senator displayed in the Indiana House of Representatives. Senator Bayh
rose to become minority leader in 1957 and then went on to become
Speaker of the House in 1959.
In 1962 he entered the United States Senate and distinguished himself
on the Subcommittee on the Constitution of the Committee on the
Judiciary. His expertise in constitutional law led him to author two
amendments to the Constitution, the 25th amendment on Presidential and
Vice Presidential successions which was ratified in 1967, and the 26th
amendment lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 years of age, which was
ratified in 1971. No lawmaker since the Founding Fathers has
successfully authored two amendments to the United States Constitution.
In addition to his constitutional work, Senator Bayh wrote landmark
legislation on behalf of women. He authored Title 9 of the Higher
Education Act, which provided equal opportunities for women, students,
and faculty. He also worked diligently on the Juvenile Justice Act and
played an integral role in the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act
of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
At present, Senator Bayh is a partner in the Washington, D.C. law
firm of Venable, Baetjer, Howard and Civiletti.
As a member of the Government Division's Legislative Group, he
counsels corporate interests with business before all three branches of
government, helping them to affect pending law, build coalitions,
advance their causes, and to ensure that their voices and interests are
considered in the public dialogue.
Senator Bayh also continues to work on behalf of his long-held
passions of education, citizens' rights, and the fight against bias,
bigotry, and racism in America. Senator Birch Bayh is respected and
admired throughout the State of Indiana and the Nation as a man of
dedication and unwavering principles.

{time} 1430

This designation, Mr. Speaker, is a most fitting tribute to the
outstanding career of a devoted and thoughtful and committed public
servant.
Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 763, a bill
to designate the federal building located at 46 East Ohio St. in
Indianapolis as the ``Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States
Courthouse.'' This bill has strong bipartisan support and each member
of the Indiana delegation is a co-sponsor. The bill was also introduced
during the last Congress, but unfortunately, it stalled at the end of
the last term. I urge the 108th Congress to enact this legislation so
that we may properly honor Birch Bayh.
Birch Bayh was born on January 22, 1928, in Terre Haute, Indiana. He
attended public schools in Indiana and joined the Army in 1946. In
1954, he was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives where he
served for eight years, including terms as Minority Leader and later,
as Speaker of the House. He is a graduate of both Purdue University and
the Indiana University School of Law.
In 1962, when he was only 34 years old, Birch Bayh was elected to the
first of three terms in the U.S. Senate. Senator Bayh quickly became a
leader on issues of education, equal rights, and Constitutional law. As
Chairman of the Constitutional Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary
Committee, Senator Bayh authored two amendments to the Constitution:
the 25th Amendment, which sets forth the order of Presidential
succession, and the 26th Amendment, which lowers the voting age from 21
to 18 years of age. It should go without saying that authorship of two
constitutional amendments is a remarkable achievement. In addition,
Senator Bayh was a strong supporter of two landmark pieces of
legislation--the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
He was also highly instrumental in enacting the Juvenile Justice Act,
which mandates the separation of juvenile offenders from adult prison
populations.
Throughout his career, Senator Bayh was a strong champion for the
rights of women, children, and minorities. He authored Title IX to the
Higher Education Act, which ensures equal opportunities for women
students and faculty in our Nation's schools. One result of this
legislation is that women's sports teams have been given unprecedented
opportunities to excel. To give just one example, the University of
Minnesota-Duluth women's hockey team has excelled in the sport and has
won the past three consecutive NCAA championships. It is proper that,
as we honor Senator Bayh today, we should remember his commitment to
equal opportunity and ensure that the Title IX funding mandates remain
strong, especially in light of recent proposals to undercut this
important piece of legislation.
Since leaving the Senate in the 1980s, Senator Bayh has continued his
commitment to public service. He serves as a member of the William
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, National Institute Against
Prejudice and Violence, and the University of Virginia's Miller Center
Commission on Presidential Disability and the 25th Amendment.
I urge my colleagues to support S. 763 and to honor the contributions
of Senator Birch Bayh to his home state of Indiana and to our Nation.
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I first came to know Senator Birch Bayh
following his election to the United States Senate in 1962, through my
father, John Visclosky, the former Mayor of Gary, IN. My father has
always had a deep respect and strong feelings towards Senator Bayh.
Later, as a Member of Congress, I have always considered Senator Birch
Bayh a friend and a mentor. As a citizen, I am grateful that he chose a
life of public service.
We will forever be served by Senator Bayh through the two changes he
authored to, what I consider one of the greatest documents ever
written, the Constitution. Senator Bayh amended the document first by
authoring the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, which created an orderly
transition of power in the case of the death or disability of the
President and a method of selecting a Vice President when a vacancy
occurs in that office. Later, Senator Bayh authored the Twenty-Sixth
Amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 years old. To
think of Birch Bayh improving this document not once but twice is
breathtaking, but expected from such a unique person. The structure of
the Constitution had not been so impacted by a single lawmaker since
its creation by the founding fathers.
Throughout his career, Senator Bayh always remembered that he was
working for the people, especially those who were never given a fair
chance in life. Senator Bayh fought hard for those who wanted an honest
days work at a living wage in order to support their families. For
instance, he fought hard and was successful in obtaining crucial
funding for a railroad track rehabilitation program that put thousands
of unemployed workers back on the job, and improved our nation's
infrastructure.
Senator Bayh is a person who developed every talent that God gave him
to serve others and is a person of deep compassion and caring. He is
also a person who never lost his perspective on life, is fun to be
with, and who can always make you laugh. My father would describe
Senator Bayh as a ``100 percent guy.'' I would too, and I congratulate
him on this great honor.
Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Stearns). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 763.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.

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