[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 27, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H8369-H8370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  MAUDELLE SHIREK POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 438) to designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 2000 Allston Way in Berkeley, 
California, as the ``Maudelle Shirek Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 438

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

     SECTION 1. MAUDELLE SHIREK POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 2000 Allston Way in Berkeley, California, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Maudelle Shirek 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 Maudelle Shirek Post Office Building.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite) and the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Watson) each will control 20 minutes.
  Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I seek to claim time in opposition to 
the motion.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentlewoman from California in favor 
of the motion?
  Ms. WATSON. Yes, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) will 
control 20 minutes in opposition.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-
Waite).


                             General Leave

  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. 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 the 
bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.

                              {time}  1500

  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 438 would name this post office building after 
long-time Berkeley, California resident Maudelle Shirek. The author of 
this legislation is the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), who 
seeks to recognize Ms. Shirek.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.

[[Page H8370]]

  Mr. Speaker, normally I would not come to the floor to oppose a bill 
naming a post office in someone else's district. I am confident I speak 
on behalf of some of the west coast Members of Congress, as well as the 
mainstream American values and certainly have no personal animosity 
towards the lady for whom this post office is named in this bill.
  However, there is a plethora of information on the record that sets 
her apart from, I will say, the most consistent of American values. And 
rather than read those into the Record, Mr. Speaker, I just wish to 
voice my objection.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 10 minutes to 
the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson).
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Committee on Government 
Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 
438, legislation naming a postal facility in Berkeley, California, 
after Maudelle Shirek. This measure was introduced by the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Lee) on February 1, 2005.
  Maudelle Shirek, the granddaughter of slaves, was born in Jefferson, 
Arkansas, before moving to the Bay Area over 60 years ago. She became 
an activist and a community leader. Certainly emblematic of her 
community, Ms. Shirek has spent a lifetime fighting against injustice, 
poverty, and housing discrimination. She is now 94 years old.
  In the 1960s and 1970s, she was active in the anti-war movement. She 
founded two senior centers, was one of the first elected officials to 
address the AIDS epidemic, and helped organize the ``Free Mandela 
Movement.''
  A well-known and outspoken former member of the Berkeley City Council 
and former Berkeley vice mayor, Maudelle Shirek was instrumental in 
encouraging former Congressman Ron V. Dellums to enter politics and has 
served as a role model for many people in the community, especially the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
  Earlier this year the Young Adult Project 2005, Black History Month 
Celebration honored Maudelle Shirek's ``Life, Legacy and Service.''
  Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) for 
seeking to honor her constituent in her community, a former member of 
the city council, in this manner and urge swift passage of this 
measure.
  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have no further 
requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, just to make a couple of gentle points, the effort has 
been, at least on the record, as not, I do not want to say fighting 
against injustice, but a record of fighting against justice, 
particularly in the case of the effort to free Mumia Abu-Jamal. I think 
most of us know about that particular case. And I am concerned about a 
role model. I am concerned about young people a generation or two from 
now. When they go back by that post office in Berkeley and look at the 
name on the post office, they are going to ask what were the principles 
that brought this about? And I contend that those principles would be 
running contrary to American values.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bradley of New Hampshire). The question 
is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny 
Brown-Waite) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 
438.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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