[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 91 (Tuesday, July 6, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H5159-H5160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    JAMES E. WORSHAM POST OFFICE AND JAMES E. WORSHAM CARRIER ANNEX 
                                BUILDING

  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 3340) to redesignate the facilities of the United 
States Postal Service located at 7715 and 7748 S. Cottage Grove Avenue 
in Chicago, Illinois, as the ``James E. Worsham Post Office'' and the 
``James E. Worsham Carrier Annex Building'', respectively, and for 
other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3340

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

     SECTION 1. JAMES E. WORSHAM POST OFFICE.

       (a) Redesignation.--The facility of the United States 
     Postal Service located at 7715 S. Cottage Grove Avenue in 
     Chicago, Illinois, shall be known and designated as the 
     ``James E. Worsham Post Office''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in this section shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the James E. Worsham Post Office.

     SEC. 2. JAMES E. WORSHAM CARRIER ANNEX BUILDING.

       (a) Redesignation.--The facility of the United States 
     Postal Service located at 7748 S. Cottage Grove Avenue in 
     Chicago, Illinois, shall be known and designated as the 
     ``James E. Worsham Carrier Annex 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 this section shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the James E. Worsham Carrier Annex Building.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Mrs. Miller) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller).


                             General Leave

  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3340.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker on behalf of the Committee on Government Reform, I rise 
in support of H.R. 3340. This bill redesignates two postal facilities 
in Chicago, Illinois, as the James E. Worsham Post Office and the James 
E. Worsham Carrier Annex Building, respectively. My esteemed colleague, 
the gentleman from Chicago, Illinois, introduced this legislation and 
all members of the Illinois State Congressional delegation have 
cosponsored this bill. I share their support of H.R. 3340, and I urge 
all of my colleagues to likewise support this bill.
  James Worsham was a native of Chicago and enjoyed an admired career 
as a letter carrier and a leader of a postal employees union. After 
bravely serving our Nation for 4 years, Worsham began his postal career 
as a letter carrier in 1963. He ultimately joined the National 
Association of Letter Carriers and he rose to the ranks of Branch 
President and National Trustee.

[[Page H5160]]

  Today, we honor Mr. Worsham's sustained diligence within the postal 
community.
  Mr. Speaker, again I urge support of H.R. 3340.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Committee on Government Reform, I am 
pleased to join my colleague the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. 
Miller) in the consideration of H.R. 3340, legislation redesignating 
the Grand Crossing Postal Station in Chicago, Illinois, after James E. 
Worsham.

                              {time}  1430

  This measure, which was introduced by the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Rush) on October 20, 2003, was unanimously reported by our 
committee on June 24, 2004. H.R. 3340 enjoys the support and 
cosponsorship of the entire Illinois delegation.
  Mr. Worsham, a native of Chicago, began his postal career in 1963 as 
a letter carrier assigned to the Grand Crossing Postal Station. His 
hard work and dedication was quickly noticed by his coworkers, and he 
was drafted to become shop steward. From that point on, Mr. Worsham was 
a man on the move. His leadership qualities were recognized not only by 
his coworkers but from the branch president and others in the local 
National Association of Letter Carriers' office. Mr. Worsham was 
subsequently slated to run for the sergeant at arms position. He later 
became an auditor and chief steward for Branch 11.
  A career milestone occurred in 1979 when Mr. Worsham was elected 
president of Branch 11. He served in that position until his 
retirement. Upon his retirement, President Worsham became director of 
Retired Members for NALC, a position he held here in the Nation's 
Capital. He later returned to Chicago to serve again as president of 
Branch 11.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Rush), for seeking to honor the illustrious and stellar career of James 
E. Worsham, and I urge the swift passage of H.R. 3340.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Davis).
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman 
from Missouri for yielding me this time.
  I am very pleased to join with my colleague, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Rush), who introduced this legislation to rename a post 
office formerly known as the Grand Crossing Post Office for Mr. James 
Worsham.
  James Worsham is synonymous with development of the letter carriers 
union in the city of Chicago and in the State of Illinois. He has 
provided tremendous leadership to the extent that the Illinois Letter 
Carriers are actually one of the most effective organizations of letter 
carriers in America. As a matter of fact, the Chicago local has a bevy 
of activities in which they are constantly involved, not only in terms 
of protecting the rights and privileges of union members but also being 
greatly involved in civic, community, and public interest activity.
  Mr. Worsham has been honored by his local union. As a matter of fact, 
they have actually renamed the union hall the James Worsham Union Hall, 
and now with redesignating these postal facility buildings. He had 
actually retired from local leadership, became a national employee of 
the union, and then came back and was petitioned by his members to run 
again after having been away from the union for a number of years in 
terms of local leadership.
  So I commend my colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush), 
for having the foresight and understanding of how we recognize someone 
who has given practically all of their adult life to a movement. So I 
am pleased to join in support of this resolution. I urge its passage. I 
want to commend Mr. Worsham for an outstanding career as a postal 
worker, a union leader, and as a great American.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Rush).
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Missouri 
for yielding me this time.
  I certainly want to also thank my colleague, the gentleman from the 
adjoining district in Illinois (Mr. Davis), for his kind remarks, his 
gracious comments on this resolution, and for all that he does for the 
entire State of Illinois and the Nation, particularly for the 7th 
Congressional District.
  Additionally, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from 
Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis) and others for their efforts in bringing 
this legislation to the floor today. I owe a great debt of gratitude to 
the entire Illinois delegation for their cosponsorship of this worthy 
piece of legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise in support of H.R. 3340, a bill 
that I introduced back in September of last year, which designates the 
U.S. post office located at 7715 and 7748 South Cottage Grove Avenue in 
my hometown of Chicago as the James E. Worsham Post Office Building.
  This bill pays fitting tribute to Mr. James E. Worsham, who has 
served the Chicago community with considerable distinction as a hard-
working and dedicated postal worker. Before joining the postal service, 
Mr. Worsham served in the U.S. Air Force for 4 years and then the city 
of Chicago as a traffic court clerk for 4 years.
  Mr. Worsham began what would become an illustrious postal career on 
the southeast side of Chicago at the Grand Crossing Station on January 
16, 1963, the station that we are proposing to name after him today.
  Mr. Speaker, back on January 16, 1963, it was an infamous day in the 
city of Chicago. On that particular day in the city of Chicago, the 
actual air temperature reached 27 degrees below zero; and Mr. Worsham, 
a new letter carrier, having no experience as a letter carrier, was 
sent out into the elements to deliver the mail. It was his first day, 
and he was not appropriately dressed for the prolonged exposure to the 
severe weather conditions in Chicago; and as a result, he suffered 
extreme frost bite to his ears. Undaunted by this initial experience, 
he returned to work the next day and adhered to the literal meaning of 
a carrier's creed: neither rain nor snow, heat nor cold, nor frost-
bitten ears shall stay a carrier from his appointed rounds.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Worsham's coworkers were first to recognize his 
leadership skills and his fiery and staunch determination to get the 
work done. Because of this, his coworkers elected him to become their 
shop steward, and Mr. Worsham continued to climb the professional and 
leadership ladder. He held numerous high-profile positions such as 
sergeant at arms, auditor and chief steward for Branch 11. In January 
of 1979, while holding these positions, he ran for the president of 
Branch 11 and won overwhelmingly.
  Mr. Speaker, as president, his skills became known throughout the 
Nation and the national president of the association recruited him to 
become a national trustee at the same time that he maintained his 
position as president of Branch 11.
  Upon retirement, Mr. Worsham did not stop there, nor did he slow 
down. He became director of Retired Members for the Letter Carriers 
here in Washington, D.C. for the last 4 years. Mr. Worsham continues to 
fight for the rights of postal employees, and he continues to ensure 
that the public receives the services that they are entitled to.
  Mr. Speaker, again, I believe that this legislation is a fitting 
tribute to Mr. James Worsham, and I strongly encourage my colleagues to 
support H.R. 3340.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for his 
comments and the colorful tale that he told us.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support 
the passage of H.R. 3340, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Culberson). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3340.
  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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