[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 119 (Tuesday, September 28, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H7708-H7709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  MARTHA PENNINO POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 5133) to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 11110 Sunset Hills Road in Reston, 
Virginia, as the ``Martha Pennino Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 5133

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

     SECTION 1. MARTHA PENNINO POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 11110 Sunset Hills Road in Reston, 
     Virginia, shall be known and designated as the ``Martha 
     Pennino 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 Martha Pennino Post Office Building.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. 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. 5133.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5133, sponsored by my friend and colleague, the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), designates the postal facility in 
Reston, Virginia, as the Martha Pennino Post Office. The entire 
Virginia delegation supports this legislation, and I am pleased to join 
them tonight.
  On September 17, Virginia's Fairfax County, which I represent, lost 
one of its most influential community leaders, Martha Pennino. I rise 
tonight to honor and remember Martha Virginia Pennino, a former vice 
chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, with whom I served 
for 12 years on the board.
  Mrs. Pennino died September 17, 2004, at Inova Fairfax Hospital at 
the age of 86, leaving a long and lasting legacy.
  Known as Mother Fairfax, Mrs. Pennino was born in 1918 in Roanoke, 
Virginia, and was raised in Gloucester, Massachusetts. She received a 
bachelor's degree from Emerson College in Boston.
  Mrs. Pennino served three terms on the Vienna Town Council prior to 
being elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in November 
1967, representing what was then the Centreville District.
  From 1968 to 1991, Mrs. Pennino was at the center of nearly every 
major decision made in Fairfax County. She was involved with such 
projects as the Dulles Toll Road, the Reston Hospital Center, South 
Lakes High School, the Reston Community Center, and the Reston Regional 
Library.
  Mrs. Pennino played an instrumental role in the planned community of 
Reston, which was taking shape when she took office and was also 
critical in getting Interstate 66 built inside the beltway.
  During her years on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Mrs. 
Pennino was deeply committed to helping the poor and homeless. She 
pushed for the building of the Embry Rucker shelter for the homeless, 
supported building low-cost housing, and buying and renovating the 
rundown Stonegate apartment complex. Prior to the construction of the 
shelter, she even provided cots in her supervisor's office and opened 
it at night for people with nowhere else to go.
  Mrs. Pennino received many accolades for her work in Fairfax County. 
In 1985, she was awarded the Tom Bradley Regional Leadership Award from 
the National Association of Regional Councils. The group cited her 
efforts in developing the first energy policy for a metropolitan area, 
the region's car-pool program, and a fair-share housing program. 
Washingtonian Magazine named her Washingtonian of the Year.
  Mrs. Pennino was also involved with many community boards and 
foundations. She was a member of the Advisory Board of the Northern 
Virginia Youth Services Coalition, director of the Northern Virginia 
Community Foundation, a commissioner on the Northern Virginia Regional 
Commission, and a member of the Board of Visitors of George Mason 
University.
  Additionally, Mrs. Pennino served as President of the Virginia 
Association of Counties of the Virginia Municipal League and was a 
member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council 
of Governments for 17 years, holding posts of president and chairman.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to express my gratitude to Martha 
Virginia Pennino for her service to Fairfax County and the mark she has 
left on her community. She will be sorely missed. In recognition of her 
dedicated service, I ask that the Reston Post Office be renamed in her 
honor.
  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 Virginia (Mr. Moran), the sponsor of this 
legislation.
  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I very much thank my friend and 
colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), and the gentleman 
from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis), the chairman of the committee, who I 
know felt very strongly about Martha, having served with her, and was a 
close friend to her.
  As my friend said, on September 17, Fairfax County lost one of its 
most important and influential citizens ever. Martha Pennino was known 
as Mother Fairfax. Through her leadership, Martha Pennino helped 
oversee development of Fairfax County into one the most successful 
jurisdictions in the entire country. She was a kind and compassionate 
public servant who made sure that all people were treated fairly, 
regardless of their circumstance.
  Born in Roanoke, Virginia, as the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom 
Davis) said, she grew up in Gloucester, Massachusetts. She lived for 
many

[[Page H7709]]

years in Massachusetts and went to Emerson College in Boston.
  Early on she had dreams of becoming a ballerina or an actress. She 
did have a flare for the dramatic. But her plans changed upon meeting 
Walter Pennino. She says she knew at the outset that she would be with 
him for life. They moved to Vienna, Virginia, in the 1950s after her 
husband took a job at the Pentagon and began searching for a typically 
American place to live.
  What she did not know when she moved to the small town of Vienna, 
Virginia, in Fairfax County was that through her work she would help 
transform the county into one of the premier locations, attracting 
thousands of families from all over the country.
  Knowing that she wanted to get involved in her community, not just 
wanting to stand on the sidelines, Martha Pennino began her public life 
by serving three terms on the Vienna Town Council. In 1968 she was 
elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors as a representative 
of the Centreville District. As the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom 
Davis) said, she served for many years with him. At the time of her 
election, though, she was only the seventh woman elected to office in 
Virginia, paving the way for women throughout Northern Virginia.
  She continued to serve on the Board of Supervisors until 1991, 
including 17 years as vice chairman. By the time she left the board, 
she was the longest-serving woman in office in Virginia. During her 
tenure, she was involved in most of the major decisions affecting the 
county and was instrumental in seeing Reston develop into a successful 
planned community. From the moment she saw Reston as conceived by its 
founder, Robert E. Simon, she was determined that Reston would be a 
place where all people would be welcomed and no one would be excluded.
  Through her commitment, she saw the very rapid development of 
projects that included the Dulles Toll Road, South Lakes High School, 
and the Reston Regional Library, among many other things. She helped 
create a true sense of community for all those living in this new area.
  Martha Pennino also helped establish the Fairfax County Human Rights 
Commission to help fight discrimination throughout the county. Having 
lived through the Jim Crow era, she knew that too often people were 
being treated differently because of their income level or their race, 
and Martha wanted to ensure that past discrimination had no place in 
her community.
  Martha Pennino will best be remembered by the citizens of Fairfax 
County for her commitment to the poor and to the homeless in her 
community. As the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) has said, she 
opened her office at night for people without a home and provided them 
a bed and a warm place to rest. She also ensured that with the enormous 
development occurring in Fairfax County, there would be low-cost 
housing options for those who needed them and that these buildings 
would be as aesthetically pleasing as other housing options in the 
area.
  One story that has followed Martha Pennino and perhaps best 
characterizes her style involves former President Jimmy Carter. When 
then-Governor Jimmy Carter was running for President, Martha Pennino 
hosted a party for him. During the party, they ran out of ice. As only 
Martha could, she asked Jimmy Carter to run out and pick up some more 
ice at the 7-11, and he did.
  I would also like to take a minute again to thank my friend and 
colleague, the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis), for his 
efforts in seeing this legislation come to the floor, and my colleague 
and friend, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), who has helped us 
bring so many good pieces of legislation to the floor. I know that the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) was a close friend of Martha 
Pennino, and I know that he as well as we regret her passing.
  So in honor of her work to help all residents of Fairfax County, for 
being an instrumental part in managing the growth of the county, I ask 
that the Reston Post Office be named after Martha Pennino. In doing so, 
we honor and remember this remarkable woman so future generations can 
know what one person can do and what this very special person has 
accomplished for the benefit of her entire community.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, again, I had the pleasure of serving on the Fairfax 
Board of Supervisors with Martha Pennino for 12 years. I want to say I 
am very grateful for the opportunity to have known her and to have 
worked with her on so many projects. She was a classy lady, and I am 
going to miss her.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 5133.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I simply would want to commend the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Moran) and the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom 
Davis) for their leadership in bringing this important measure to the 
floor. I urge its passage.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a co-sponsor and in strong 
support of H.R. 5133, legislation to designate a United States Postal 
Service facility in Reston, Virginia, as the Martha Pennino Post 
Office.
  Martha Pennino, known as ``Mother Fairfax,'' passed away on September 
17. She was a leader in Fairfax County, and was instrumental in helping 
the county achieve the success it enjoys today. She served from 1968 to 
1991 on the Fairfax Board of Supervisors, and served as the board's 
vice chairman for 17 years. Under her leadership, Reston became a 
successful developed community, and several important projects, 
including the Dulles Toll Road, South Lakes High School, and the Reston 
Regional Library, were undertaken.
  It is Martha Pennino's dedication to those in Fairfax County with the 
least that will also be remembered. She was committed to the poor in 
the community, often opening her office at night to allow the homeless 
to rest their heads in a warm, safe place. Under her leadership, a 
homeless shelter was opened in her district, and she was an advocate 
for low-cost housing in Fairfax County, to help ensure that as the 
county grew, its poorest residents would not be left out of the 
county's progress. Martha Pennino's desire for Fairfax County to be an 
inclusive community is also reflected in her work to help establish the 
Fairfax County Human Rights Commission. Martha Pennino wanted everyone 
in Fairfax County to feel that they truly belonged to Fairfax County.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support H.R. 5133, and proud to 
commemorate the life of Martha Pennino, an outstanding leader in 
Fairfax County, and a tireless advocate for those in need.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5133.
  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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