[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 131 (Tuesday, September 23, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H8460-H8461]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              ROBERTO CLEMENTE WALKER POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2826) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 1000 Avenida Sanchez Osorio in Carolina, Puerto 
Rico, as the ``Roberto Clemente Walker Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2826

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

     SECTION 1. ROBERTO CLEMENTE WALKER POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 1000 Avenida Sanchez Osorio in Carolina, 
     Puerto Rico, shall be known and designated as the ``Roberto 
     Clemente Walker 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 Roberto Clemente Walker Post Office 
     Building.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy).


                             General Leave

  Mr. MURPHY. 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. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2826, introduced by the gentleman from Puerto Rico 
(Mr. Acevedo-Vila) designates the U.S. Postal Service facility in 
Carolina, Puerto Rico, as the Roberto Clemente Walker Post Office 
Building. Roberto Clemente was one of baseball's greatest heroes, both 
when he commanded the right fields of baseball stadiums across America, 
and when he was so giving of his time, energy and resources off the 
field. Naming this post office in Carolina, his hometown, is a 
wonderful tribute to a man all of us ought to never forget.
  This legislation is particularly relevant to my constituents and 
myself because of Roberto Clemente's great years with the Pittsburgh 
Pirates. He played all of his 18 major league seasons in Pittsburgh, 
slugging 240 home runs and exactly 3,000 hits. Clemente remains the 
Pirates' all-time leader in at-bats and hits. Along with his hitting 
prowess, Pittsburghers and Pirate fans everywhere remember his cannon 
of an arm. Number 21 finished his career with 266 assists from the 
outfield, and won 12 Gold Gloves.
  And at a time when we may confuse the meaning of hero, he truly fits 
the definition, showing sacrifice and courage and giving of himself to 
help others. Beyond the baseball field, Roberto Clemente took seriously 
his role as a community leader. He was known for his work to bring 
better lives to disadvantaged children all over the world. And 
tragically, it was his charitable conduct that led to his death. After 
relief supplies had failed to be sent to Nicaragua immediately 
following a devastating earthquake in December 1972, Clemente wanted to 
see to it himself that essential provisions were delivered. Roberto 
loaded 16,000 pounds of supplies into a DC-7 aircraft and set off for 
Nicaragua. The plane, apparently overloaded, crashed just off the coast 
of his native Puerto Rico on New Year's Eve.
  Major league baseball honored Roberto Clemente the very next summer 
by inducting him into Baseball's Hall of Fame. He was the first player 
ever from Latin America to become a Hall of Famer; and today, Major 
League Baseball's annual Man of the Year Award is named in Roberto 
Clemente's honor.

                              {time}  1600

  After Clemente's death, his eldest son, Roberto, Jr., sought to 
continue his father's benevolent legacy; and in 1993 he established the 
Roberto Clemente Foundation, which provides educational and 
recreational programs for disadvantaged youth in the Pittsburgh area. I 
want to commend all those involved in the work of the Roberto Clemente 
Foundation today.
  Roberto Clemente once said, ``I want to be remembered as a ball 
player who gave all he had to give.'' Off the field, perhaps more than 
on, today we remember Roberto Clemente as just that, a man who gave all 
he had to give.
  Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of 
H.R. 2826 that will name this post office after Roberto Clemente, 
number 21. I thank the gentleman from Puerto Rico for his work on this 
fitting honor for a

[[Page H8461]]

baseball great and a great humanitarian.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 2826 would designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 1000 Avenida Sanchez Osorio in Carolina, Puerto 
Rico, as the Roberto Clemente Walker Post Office Building. As a member 
of the House Committee on Government Reform, I am pleased to join my 
colleague in the consideration of H.R. 2826, which designates a U.S. 
postal facility in Puerto Rico after Roberto Clemente Walker. H.R. 2826 
was introduced by the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Acevedo-Vila) on 
July 23, 2003.
  Roberto Clemente Walker was born in Barrio San Anton in Carolina, 
Puerto Rico, in 1934. A top athlete from his early years where he 
excelled in track and field, he went on to play amateur baseball in 
Puerto Rico. From there he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers, playing 
for the Montreal Royals. He later joined the Pittsburgh Pirates 
baseball team as the number one draft pick in 1954. He played 18 years, 
his entire major league career, with the Pirates.
  During his career with the Pirates, Roberto Clemente played in two 
World Series, he was the National League batting champion four times, 
was awarded 12 Gold Gloves, and selected National League Most Valuable 
Player. Roberto Clemente Walker could do it all, and he did.
  He was also a very caring man. He was the father of three sons, 
Roberto, Jr.; Luis Roberto; and Roberto Enrique, and the husband of 
Vera Cristina Zabala. Sadly, he died in a plane crash in 1972 
delivering food, clothes, and medical supplies to an earthquake-
stricken Nicaragua.
  Mr. Speaker, while we often honor athletes for their great athletic 
ability, for the number of home runs that they hit, for how fast they 
can run, how well they can catch, how many touchdowns they may have 
thrown or how many they may have caught, Roberto Clemente died 
demonstrating that when you give of yourself, when you give of yourself 
for others, that is when you truly give. That is really what makes you 
great. Roberto Clemente died proving that if he could help somebody as 
he passed along, if he could cheer somebody with a word of song, if he 
could give his life for the benefit of others, that is the real stuff 
that heroes are made of. That is really what made Roberto Clemente the 
hero that we all know him to be.
  I commend my colleague for seeking to honor this great American, this 
great humanitarian, this great man. I urge passage of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Puerto Rico (Mr. Acevedo-Vila), the author of this legislation.
  Mr. ACEVEDO-VILA. Mr. Speaker, today is a very important day for 
Puerto Ricans, for fans of baseball, and for humanitarians alike who 
value the legacy of Roberto Clemente, one of the greatest ball players 
of all time. It gives me great pride to recognize Roberto Clemente's 
successful career, both on the field as a baseball player and off it as 
a humanitarian, by naming a post office after him in his native town of 
Carolina, Puerto Rico.
  Roberto had rare talent that combined all the essential elements of a 
great baseball player. He had a powerful bat, speed, graceful fielding, 
and an especially amazing arm. But perhaps the most important 
characteristics about Roberto Clemente for Puerto Ricans and for 
Americans include his character, integrity, humility, and commitment to 
excellence both on and off the field.
  Between 1955 and 1972, Roberto Clemente batted 9,454 times in the 
major leagues, scored 1,416 runs, 3,000 hits, the first Puerto Rican to 
reach that mark; 240 home runs and batted in 1,305 runs in 2,433 games. 
Also, Roberto won four National League batting titles, 1961, 1964, 1965 
and 1967; had a .317 lifetime batting average; and was selected 12 
times to the Midsummer Classic, the All-Star game.
  Roberto also participated in two World Series, won the National 
League Most Valuable Player award in 1966, and became the first Puerto 
Rican to win such an award. He also won 12 Gold Gloves as a right 
fielder; and was selected, and I remember that one, in 1971 the World 
Series Most Valuable Player. Also, Roberto Clemente has been the only 
Latin American to appear in two First Class stamps.
  Puerto Ricans remember Roberto Clemente with great pride, for he not 
only made the most of his athletic talents, he was also a role model 
for us all, helping those in need and giving back to the community what 
he earned through his hard work and dedication. In a day when we often 
cringe at the scandals involving some of our greatest athletes, we can 
remember Roberto Clemente for all the great things he embodied.
  Last December 31, 2002, we commemorated the 30th anniversary of his 
tragic death. Roberto died on New Year's Eve while delivering aid to 
the victims of a major earthquake that hit Nicaragua in 1972. I was 10 
years old, and I clearly remember that New Year's Day in Puerto Rico 
the reaction, a holiday that is supposed to be a celebration, New 
Year's Day was a day of great, great sorrow for the people of Puerto 
Rico when we all learned about what had just happened to Roberto. Even 
though his family urged him not to do the trip because of foul weather, 
Roberto was determined to help the victims. Unfortunately, the plane 
suffered a tragic accident; and Roberto and the whole crew perished in 
the incident.
  H.R. 2826 will honor Roberto's legacy by naming his hometown post 
office in his honor. This legislation will serve much-deserved 
recognition to Roberto Clemente. It is for our fallen star, his family, 
and for all his fans in Puerto Rico, Pennsylvania, and throughout the 
world. We will never ever forget what he brought to both the baseball 
field and to our society.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  Again, I would like to commend the gentleman from Puerto Rico for 
introducing this legislation. In my community, there is a Roberto 
Clemente High School that we revere as one of the great institutions in 
the city of Chicago. I certainly would urge passage of this legislation 
naming a post office for a tremendous athlete, but more than that for a 
great humanitarian and a great citizen.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  I am just reminded of one other thing. When Roberto Clemente hit his 
3,000th hit, as he reached the base, he stood there and raised his hat 
to the fans. It is fitting for a man who gave his life helping others 
that we raise our hats to him. I urge all Members to support the 
passage of this measure that honors Roberto Clemente.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Culberson). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2826.
  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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