[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 158 (Tuesday, November 4, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H10243-H10245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  S. TRUETT CATHY POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. TURNER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 3029) to designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 255 North Main Street in Jonesboro, Georgia, 
as the ``S. Truett Cathy Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3029

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

     SECTION 1. S. TRUETT CATHY POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 255 North Main Street in Jonesboro, 
     Georgia, shall be known and designated as the S. Truett Cathy 
     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 S. Truett Cathy Post Office Building.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. TURNER of Ohio. 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 Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TURNER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3029, introduced by the distinguished gentleman 
from the State of Georgia (Mr. Scott) designates the U.S. Postal 
Service facility in Jonesboro, Georgia, as the ``S. Truett Cathy Post 
Office Building.'' All members of the Georgia State delegation have 
signed on to this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation honors a wonderful American 
entrepreneur, S. Truett Cathy. The respected founder of the Chik-Fil-A 
restaurant chain, Mr. Cathy has developed one of the most successful 
privately-owned restaurant chains in the United States. S. Truett Cathy 
lived the American Dream by spending just a few thousand dollars to 
open a tiny diner with his brother, Ben, in the Atlanta suburb of 
Hapeville, Georgia, in 1946. It was almost 20 years later, in 1967, 
before Mr. Cathy opened his first Chik-Fil-A restaurant in an Atlanta 
shopping mall. Today there are over 1,000 Chik-Fil-A restaurants from 
coast to coast.
  Many people know that Chik-Fil-A restaurants are not open on Sundays. 
This has been true ever since the first restaurant opened in 1967. Mr. 
Cathy makes no exceptions for his ``closed-on-Sunday'' policy, ensuring 
that all Chik-Fil-A employees have a chance to worship, spend time with 
their families and friends, and simply relax 1 day a week. On his day 
off, Mr. Cathy has taught Sunday school classes for nearly 50 years.
  Mr. Cathy also should be recognized for his work in offering 
educational scholarships. He has established the Chik-Fil-A Team Member 
Scholarship that awards a $1,000 scholarship to 25 Chik-Fil-A employees 
each year, encouraging them to pursue advanced educations. Chik-Fil-A 
has generously given away nearly $18 million to its employees through 
this program. Mr. Cathy has also created the WinShape Centre Foundation 
that annually grants dozens of $24,000 scholarships to students wishing 
to attend Berry College in Rome, Georgia. Chik-Fil-A has also provided 
$25,000 in general scholarship funds to each of the universities who 
participate in the Chik-Fil-A Peach Bowl football game in late 
December.
  Mr. Speaker, for all these reasons, I commend the gentleman from 
Georgia for his meaningful work on H.R. 3029 that honors S. Truett 
Cathy. S. Truett Cathy's success as an entrepreneur and charity as a 
philanthropist are truly worthy of commendation by this House.
  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, I am pleased to join with the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.

[[Page H10244]]

Turner) in support of H.R. 3029, legislation naming a Postal Service 
facility located at 255 North Main Street in Jonesboro, Georgia, after 
S. Truett Cathy. H.R. 3029 was introduced by the gentleman from Georgia 
(Mr. Scott) on September 5, 2003. The bill has met the Committee on 
Government Reform policy and has the support and cosponsorship of the 
entire Georgia delegation.
  S. Truett Cathy is the founder and chairman of the third largest 
fast-food chicken chain in the United States. The first restaurant 
opened in 1967 in Atlanta, Georgia. As of February, 2003, there are 
more than 1,000 restaurants in 36 States and Washington, D.C.
  Not content to be just a successful businessman, Mr. Cathy continues 
to give back to his community. He provides leadership scholarships to 
employees, scholarships to young people to attend college, sponsors 
long-term care for foster children, and a summer camp program to build 
self-esteem. He also sponsors golf and football sporting events.

                              {time}  1415

  Mr. Speaker, naming a postal facility after Mr. S. Truett Cathy 
continues the tradition of honoring dedicated and committed individuals 
who make a difference in their community and in our Nation. I am 
pleased to join in urging swift adoption of H.R. 3029.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TURNER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott), the proud Georgian 
sponsor of this legislation.
  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Turner) for their excellent remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, as the sponsor of this legislation today, I am pleased 
to speak on the House floor regarding H.R. 3029. This legislation 
honors a Georgia entrepreneur and restaurateur and a great American, S. 
Truett Cathy, the founder, chairman and CEO of Chick-Fil-A, 
Incorporated. This legislation designates the post office in Jonesboro, 
Georgia, in my district, as the S. Truett Cathy Post Office Building. I 
appreciate the support of the entire Georgia congressional delegation, 
which has cosponsored this important legislation.
  The Chick-Fil-A story began in 1946 when Truett and his younger 
brother, Ben, spent $10,000 to open a tiny 24-hour restaurant called 
the Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, Georgia; and the Dwarf Grill still stands 
in Hapeville, Georgia. In 1967, Mr. Cathy opened his first Chick-Fil-A 
restaurant at Atlanta's Greenbriar Mall, which established the in-mall 
fast-food quick-service restaurant concept in this Nation. Today, 
Chick-Fil-A is the third largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain 
in the entire United States based on annual sales. Currently, there are 
more than 1,080 restaurants in 36 States and in Washington, D.C.
  Truett Cathy is a devoted religious man who built his life and his 
business based upon hard work, humanity, humility, and Biblical 
principles. Based on these principles, all of Chick-Fil-A's restaurants 
operate with a closed-on-Sunday policy, without exception, to allow the 
employees of Chick-Fil-A to attend services on Sunday. When not 
managing his company, Cathy donates his time to community efforts and 
teaches a Sunday school class to 13-year-old boys, as he has done for 
more than 45 straight years.
  Chick-Fil-A's official statement of corporate purpose says that it 
exists ``to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is 
entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in 
contact with Chick-Fil-A.'' That is why Mr. Cathy invests in 
scholarships, character-building programs for kids, foster homes and 
other community services.
  Mr. Cathy has established the WinShape Centre Foundation, the 
Leadership Scholarship Program, and the WinShape Homes Program. The 
WinShape Center Foundation annually awards 20 to 30 students wishing to 
attend Berry College in Georgia with $24,000 scholarships that are 
jointly funded by the Rome, Georgia, institution. Through its 
Leadership Scholarship Program, the Chick-Fil-A chain has given over 
$17.5 million in $1,000 scholarships to Chick-Fil-A restaurant 
employees since 1973. As part of his WinShape Homes Program, a long-
term care program for foster children, 13 foster care homes have been 
started in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and even in Brazil. They are 
operated by Cathy and the WinShape Foundation.
  S. Truett Cathy is a dedicated husband and family man. He is a father 
and grandfather. Cathy and his wife, Jeanette, have 12 grandchildren 
and more than 125 foster grandchildren. Due to inspiring his life story 
and his dedication to community service, I am pleased to honor this 
great Georgian and his legacy in this manner.
  I especially would like to thank my colleagues from Georgia, the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston), the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Bishop), the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Marshall), the gentlewoman 
from Georgia (Ms. Majette), the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson), the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Linder), the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins), the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Norwood), the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal), the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey), and the gentleman from Georgia 
(Mr. Burns) for their support in joining me as sponsors of this 
legislation.
  In addition, I would like to thank the members of the Committee on 
Government Reform and the committee staff for including my bill in the 
list of suspension bills today. I would especially like to thank my 
good friend, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), for managing this 
bill on the floor, and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal) for all 
his efforts as a member of the committee on behalf of my legislation.
  I encourage all of my colleagues to support this legislation and pass 
this bill in the House today. I look forward to working with Senator 
Miller and Senator Chambliss and the Senate Governmental Affairs 
Committee and the entire Senate in order to gain quick passage of this 
bill in the Senate.
  What an outstanding story, what an outstanding life, what an 
outstanding man is S. Truett Cathy. We humbly honor this great servant 
of God by naming this post office in Jonesboro, Georgia, after him.
  Mr. TURNER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns).
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3029, 
renaming the post office in Jonesboro, Georgia, for S. Truett Cathy. I 
join my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Scott), in recognizing this man's great achievement in our State, in 
our community, and in our Nation. Truett Cathy is truly a leader and 
truly a friend, and I am very honored to call him a friend of not only 
Georgia, but of the Nation.
  Certainly at his opening of that first small restaurant called the 
Dwarf Grill back in the 1940s, no one could have imagined the impact 
that he has had on our communities throughout the Nation. He developed 
a keen art of both marketing and culinary skills and developed what we 
all know as the Chick-Fil-A sandwich. I will tell you one of the things 
I enjoy most when I have the opportunity is to visit one of his 
restaurants. Begun in 1967, it is now the third largest chicken quick-
serve establishment in the world.
  The most interesting thing about Mr. Cathy is he has been true to his 
principles. As the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott) pointed out, he 
chooses not to operate his business on Sunday so that his employees can 
worship their God and enjoy their families. He is a member and deacon 
of the First Baptist Church in Jonesboro.
  I got to know Truett Cathy through his involvement in education, not 
only at Berry College, but at multiple universities around the State. 
At the university that I had an opportunity to be on the faculty of at 
Georgia Southern, he was one of our strongest supporters. We have a 
Chick-Fil-A Room in our university where we teach marketing. His son 
Dan is a graduate of Georgia Southern; and he continues to be very, 
very active in education throughout our State and throughout our 
Nation.
  As the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott) pointed out, he has the 
WinShape Foundation that operates long-term care programs for foster

[[Page H10245]]

children. He provides scholarships to Berry College, and he provides 
scholarships to employees of Chick-Fil-A, over $17 million worth of 
development and education scholarships. He believes in the youth of 
America. He believes that our future is in those individuals that will 
shape and mold and become the future leaders that we so desperately 
need.
  I am indeed privileged to join the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott) 
and to join the rest of the Georgia delegation as we provide a tribute 
to the life and the accomplishments of S. Truett Cathy. I urge my 
colleagues in this body to join us as we vote today on H.R. 3029.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it is clear that Mr. Cathy is indeed a remarkable man. I 
congratulate the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott) and the Georgia 
delegation. I urge swift passage of this legislation.
  Ms. MAJETTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor S. Truett Cathy. 
Guided by his ability, dedication, and faith, Mr. Cathy took a small 
restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, and built Chik-Fil-A, Inc., the third 
largest fast food chicken restaurant in America, with more than 1,080 
restaurants nationwide.
  This is in itself a great enterprise. Yet Mr. Cathy, through his 
success in business and exemplary community service, has come to serve 
as a paradigm of excellence. In 1984, Mr. Cathy founded the WinShape 
Center Foundation, designed to ``shape winners'' by helping young 
people succeed in life through scholarships and other youth-support 
programs.
  Like Mr. Cathy, the foundation he began is the epitome of responsible 
citizenry. The foundation annually joins Berry College in Rome, Georgia 
to award 20 to 30 students with $24,000 scholarships. In addition, 
through its Leadership Scholarship Program, the Chick-Fil-A chain has 
awarded more than $17.5 million in $1,000 scholarships to Chick-Fil-A 
restaurant employees since 1973. Chik-Fil-A's partnerships with the 
LPGA and college football's Peach Bowl have resulted in more than $1.25 
million for WinShape homes and other charities in 2002 alone.
  Mr. Cathy's philanthropic endeavors extend to children as well. As 
part of his WinShape Homes program--a long-term care program for foster 
children--Mr. Cathy launched and operates 13 foster care homes in 
Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Brazil. These homes, accommodating up 
to 12 children with two full-time foster parents, provide long-term 
care for foster children with a positive family environment. In 
addition, more than 1,600 young campers from throughout the country 
attend annual sessions at Camp WinShape. An initiative of the WinShape 
Center Foundation, this camp offers a series of two-week summer 
programs to help boys and girls build self-esteem through physical and 
spiritual activities.
  Mr. Cathy is a devoutly religious man who built his life and business 
on hard work, humanity and biblical principles. Based on his strong 
faith and sense of purpose, all of Chik-Fil-A's restaurants operate 
with a ``closed-on-Sunday'' policy, allowing employees to practice 
their faith and spend time with their families. Mr. Cathy spends his 
day off teaching a Sunday school class to 13-year-old boys, as he has 
done for more than 45 years.
  S. Truett Cathy represents the best that Georgia and this country has 
to offer. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of H.R. 3029, designating the 
post office of Jonesboro, Georgia as the ``S. Truett Cathy Post Office 
Building.''
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TURNER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers. I urge 
passage of H.R. 3029, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hefley). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner) that the House suspend 
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3029.
  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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