[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 119 (Tuesday, September 28, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H7709-H7710]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SPECIALIST ERIC RAMIREZ POST OFFICE

  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 5027) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 411 Midway Avenue in Mascotte, Florida, as the 
``Specialist Eric Ramirez Post Office''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 5027

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

     SECTION 1. SPECIALIST ERIC RAMIREZ POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 411 Midway Avenue in Mascotte, Florida, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Specialist Eric 
     Ramirez 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 subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the Specialist Eric Ramirez Post Office.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. MICA. 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. 5027.

[[Page H7710]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5027 pays tribute to the life of a fallen United 
States hero. Specialist Eric Ulysses Ramirez paid the ultimate 
sacrifice in defense of this great Nation. Tonight, the House of 
Representatives remembers his devoted service.

                              {time}  2015

  Specialist Eric Ulysses Ramirez was a model citizen, a husband and a 
father. He was a sheriff's deputy, and he also served as a National 
Guardsman.
  In February of 2003, Specialist Ramirez and his Guard unit were 
activated to take part in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Tragically, on 
February 12 of this year, just 42 days before his tour of duty in Iraq 
would have been completed, Iraqi insurgents killed Eric in an attack. 
Eric Ramirez was to have returned from Iraq in March with the 670th 
Military Police Company.
  Eric is survived by his wife, Tracy Bensen-Ramirez, by his young 
daughter, Isis, and a brand new son, Chase. Last December, Eric was 
given permission to leave Iraq and return to Florida for his son's, 
Chase's, birth.
  Mr. Speaker, this Post Office at 411 Midway Avenue in Mascotte, 
Florida, which is Eric's hometown, will be an exceedingly deserved and 
appropriate commemoration of his life. Eric loved his family. He loved 
his hometown. He loved this country so much that he fought and 
struggled and gave his life to defend them.
  I strongly urge all Members to join me and also the distinguished 
gentlewoman from my home State of Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite) to 
support this legislation that will create the Specialist Eric Ramirez 
Post Office.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to also thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. 
Ginny Brown-Waite) for her efforts and sponsorship of H.R. 5027.
  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, as a member of the House Committee on Government Reform, 
I am pleased to join my colleague in consideration of H.R. 5027, 
legislation naming the U.S. postal facility in Mascotte, Florida, after 
Eric Ramirez.
  This measure, which was unanimously reported by our committee on 
September 15, 2004, was introduced by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. 
Ginny Brown-Waite) on September 8, 2004. H.R. 5027 enjoys the support 
and cosponsorship of the entire Florida delegation.
  Eric Ulysses Ramirez was born and raised in Florida. He was a 
graduate of Mount Dora High School in Mount Dora, Florida. He enlisted 
in the U.S. Navy, served in the National Guard, and was working as a 
sheriff's deputy in San Diego, California, when his unit was activated. 
Specialist Ramirez was deployed to Iraq in February 2003.
  Sadly, Specialist Ramirez was killed when his unit was attacked. He 
died on February 12, 2004. He left behind a wife, Tracy; daughter, 
Isis; and son, Chase.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague for seeking to honor the 
sacrifice, the diligence and the giving of himself of Eric Ramirez, and 
I urge passage of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time, I have no further speakers, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite), the 
sponsor of this legislation.
  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to 
join me in honoring the life of a fallen soldier, a man who made the 
ultimate sacrifice so that we might live free.
  Eric Ulysses Ramirez was killed in action on February 12 of this 
year. He only had 42 days remaining on his tour of duty when he was 
killed by a rocket-propelled grenade launched by Iraqi insurgents.
  Eric gave his life fighting in the sands of Iraq to secure our 
liberty while granting a new start to an oppressed people. As his 
friends and family know, Eric was a man of courage who was willing to 
fight to preserve a safe future for his children and for his 
countrymen.
  In his lifetime, he was a model citizen, husband, father and son, as 
well as a sheriff's deputy and National Guardsman. He graduated from 
the Mount Dora High School which is very near Mascotte, and he planned 
on attending the University of Central Florida, but instead, he 
enlisted in the Navy for 4 years. Upon his return, his commitment to 
public service was evident when he took a job as a sheriff's deputy in 
San Diego.
  Specialist Ramirez answered the call to duty yet again when his unit 
was activated to fight in Operation Iraqi Freedom in February 2003. 
Tragically, this would be his last mission.
  Since the awful day that took the life of this American hero, I have 
come to know the family that he left behind. His wife, his children and 
his parents, Reverend and Mrs. Felix Ramirez, who live in Mascotte.
  I attended the funeral of this brave young man, and although I did 
not know him personally, when I attended the funeral, I felt as if I 
did know him. I was very obviously struck with emotion when I met his 
parents and learned that his father, Felix Ramirez, was the minister 
who was conducting the service for his own son. As he conducted the 
service, I was awe-struck with his courage and with his belief in our 
American troops and in what his son did to help make Iraq a free 
country.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the Members of this body to join me in honoring 
specialist Eric Ramirez's life and his service by naming the United 
States Post Office at 411 Midway Avenue in Mascotte, Florida, as the 
specialist Eric Ramirez Post Office.
  The beautiful town of Mascotte is where Eric grew up and where his 
family now calls home. I believe it is the very least that we can do to 
honor Eric and to repay his family for the son, husband and father that 
they lost when he fought to defend our freedom.
  Lastly, I want to also thank my Florida colleagues for their 
willingness to support this measure. Passage of this bill is a 
tremendous bipartisan effort and shows the true compassion of the 
Florida delegation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this resolution.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I will conclude, yielding myself the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, tonight we rise to recognize Eric Ramirez who was lost 
in service to this Nation. First, I want to thank again the gentlewoman 
from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite) for bringing this naming of this 
Post Office Building before the House of Representatives and 
recognizing one who, again, gave his life in service to this Nation.
  It was just one week ago, Mr. Speaker, right below the level where 
you stand tonight, when we heard the Prime Minister of Iraq Allawi tell 
us that 1 million Iraqis were murdered or missing, his fellow 
countrymen, and that over 300,000 to date have been found slaughtered 
in mass graves. Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for 
his fellow man, and here Eric Ramirez gave his life in service to this 
Nation so that, tonight, every American can enjoy the freedoms that 
they have, and the people that he never knew or never met have the 
potential to live in freedom and not see a tyrant continue to murder, 
to maim and slaughter the people of Iraq.
  So we give thanks tonight for the life of Eric Ramirez. We ask that 
God take him in his arms and all of those who served this Nation and 
lost their lives and their loved ones tonight in his care and remember 
them.
  So, again, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-
Waite) for remembering one American hero tonight, Eric Ramirez, and his 
family with this great honor.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kline). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) that the House suspend 
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5027.
  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.




                          ____________________