[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 125 (Wednesday, October 6, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H8276-H8278]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IRMA RANGEL POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4829) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 103 East Kleberg in Kingsville, Texas, as the ``Irma 
Rangel Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4829

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF IRMA RANGEL POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 103 East Kleberg in Kingsville, Texas, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Irma Rangel 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 ``Irma Rangel Post Office Building''.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members

[[Page H8277]]

may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4829.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4829 designates the post office in Kingsville, 
Texas, as the Irma Rangel Post Office Building. I congratulate the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) for garnering the cosponsorship of 
each Member of the Texas delegation and for advancing the bill to the 
floor today.
  Mr. Speaker, Irma Rangel was the first Mexican-American woman elected 
to the Texas State House of Representatives. She was a political 
institution in the State of Texas and very deserving of this honor 
today.
  Irma Rangel sadly lost her valiant struggle against cancer on May 18, 
2003. On June 2, 2003, the House unanimously agreed to a resolution 
that expressed sorrow following Irma Rangel's death. Today's 
legislation will be a more lasting tribute to Irma Rangel's 
groundbreaking service, and I support its passage.
  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 in support of H.R. 4829, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
103 East Kleberg in Kingsville, Texas, as the Irma Rangel Post Office 
Building.
  Irma Rangel was an outstanding civic, community and political leader 
who became an institution in her community, and I commend the gentleman 
from Texas for seeking to honor her in this manner.
  I would urge passage of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Brady).
  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to serve with 
Irma in the Texas legislature. They broke the mold with Irma Rangel. 
She was so knowledgeable and so caring. I sat just a few seats away 
from her in my freshman year. She was and is in our memories a 
wonderful legislator.
  I was a Republican, and there were times when she could certainly put 
me in my place. But the fact of the matter is, she had such a great 
heart for people. She had such a great heart for Texas. She was a 
tireless worker for people who had no voice and who needed someone to 
stand up in the halls of Austin and fight for their beliefs.
  I am proud to be a supporter of this important bill. I appreciate the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Hinojosa) and other members of the Texas delegation bringing this very 
important person to America's attention and naming this Post Office 
after someone who is so deserving of it. I am glad to be part of this 
effort.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa)
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. 
Duncan) and my good friend, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4829, a bill to designate the 
U.S. Post Office in Kingsville, Texas, as the Irma Rangel Post Office 
Building.
  First, I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom 
Davis), the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), 
and, of course, my good friend, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) 
for all their assistance in bringing this bill to the House floor 
today. I also want to thank all my colleagues in the Texas delegation 
for their unanimous support of this legislation.
  Last year, the people of Texas lost a true Texas legend when State 
Representative Irma Rangel finally lost her battle with cancer. Irma 
Rangel was the first Mexican-American woman elected to the Texas House 
of Representatives, where she served the people of the great State of 
Texas for 26 years.
  During her tenure, she devoted her efforts to increasing the 
educational attainment of Hispanics, empowering Texas youth with the 
tools they need to succeed and bring economic development to Texas.
  She was proud of her legislation that ensured that all Texas high 
school seniors who graduated in the top 10 percent of their class will 
be able to attend any public university in the State of Texas. As a 
former teacher, she knew that the economy of Texas depends on creating 
a highly educated, diverse workforce.

                              {time}  1815

  Irma was always ready to engage her colleagues not only on the 
pressing issues of the day, but also on the issues that were forgotten 
or ignored, but were important to average working families. She was 
famous for her motto, ``will it help or hurt'' and used it as a 
standard for judging legislation.
  She was a fighter for her congressional district, and because of her 
relentless efforts, Texas A&M Kingsville now has a School of Pharmacy, 
the first such professional school in south Texas.
  Irma was also a courageous example of how to live life fully, even 
with cancer. She survived bouts of breast and ovarian cancer before she 
finally succumbed to the brain cancer. When she lost all of her hair 
because of chemotherapy treatments, she proudly wore her bright, 
colorful hats on the Floor of the Texas House. She was a positive force 
in educating women about cancer treatment and prevention. Her fighting 
spirit, her courage and her passion for educational excellence will 
truly be missed.
  It is very fitting that the U.S. Post Office in her hometown of 
Kingsville, Texas, should bear her name. Every Member of Congress from 
Texas endorsed and cosponsored this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4829.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 3 
minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez).
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 
4829, the legislation to honor State Representative Irma Rangel by 
naming the Post Office in her name in her beloved hometown of 
Kingsville, Texas.
  Irma Rangel had three careers over the course of her life. She was a 
teacher first, then a lawyer, then a State legislator. In each one of 
those roles, Irma was dedicated to helping the poor, improving the 
Hispanic community, reaching out to everyone, and fighting for justice 
and equality. I have had the honor not only of calling her a friend but 
also a colleague in the Texas House.
  During my tenure in the Texas legislature, I had the privilege of 
working with Representative Irma Rangel. As a colleague on the 
Committee on Higher Education, I saw Irma consistently fight to improve 
the quality and accessibility of education for not only her 
constituents but all students. She was a driving force in securing the 
passage of the 10 Percent Plan, which makes the top 10 percent of 
students in every high school eligible for admission to any State or 
college university, in the wake of the devastating Hopwood case.
  I would like to just mention that, during this particular case, I had 
filed that particular legislation, and I was very pleased to have 
worked directly with her. It was at that point that I got elected to 
the Congress, and she was able to move forward a piece of legislation 
that has meant tremendous advantages for both African-Americans and 
Latinos, in spite of the Hopwood case, and when the administration in 
Texas went after us on affirmative action.
  Her advocacy helped create the School of Pharmacy at the Texas A&M 
University at Kingsville, the first professional school in south Texas, 
now named the Irma Rangel School of Pharmacy. We all look forward to 
the day when the first class of the School of Pharmacy graduates from 
Texas A&M, Kingsville.
  For many young Hispanic women, she was also a trailblazer. She was 
the first Hispanic woman elected to the Texas legislature and the first 
woman to act as the chairman of the Mexican-American Legislative 
Caucus. I would also add, she was extremely responsible, along with a 
large number of others, but she was right there, because

[[Page H8278]]

she was part of the Higher Education Committee in Texas, when we 
recognized the disparities that existed throughout south Texas, where 
we had no universities of any professional type, and we fought. We were 
very pleased with then Governor Ann Richards and others to be able to 
push forward what she made happen in the late 1980s and early 1990s, 
and that was the formation of a 4-year institution in Corpus Christi; 
the formation of a 4-year institution in Brownsville, Texas; the 
formation of a 4-year institution in Webb County; the expansion of the 
A&M downtown campus in San Antonio. During her tenure, in her efforts 
in higher education, she knew that those were the areas that she needed 
to move on.
  She has left a lasting legacy, and this is a tribute that will 
continue to remind the residents of south Texas of her strength and 
courage.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I do not have any additional 
requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no other additional speakers, I urge 
passage of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4829.
  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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