[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 28 (Tuesday, March 7, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H579-H581]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HIRAM L. FONG POST OFFICE BUILDING
Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
Senate bill (S. 2089) to designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1271 North King Street in Honolulu, Oahu,
Hawaii, as the ``Hiram L. Fong Post Office Building''.
The Clerk read as follows:
S. 2089
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. HIRAM L. FONG POST OFFICE BUILDING.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 1271 North King Street in Honolulu, Oahu,
Hawaii, shall be known and designated as the ``Hiram L. Fong
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 ``Hiram L. Fong Post Office Building''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
General Leave
Mr. DENT. 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
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Senate bill S. 2089 offered by
Senator Akaka. This bill would designate the post office in Honolulu,
Hawaii, as the ``Hiram L. Fong Post Office Building.''
Hiram Fong was born on the island of Oahu in Honolulu on October 15,
1906. The seventh of 11 children, Fong helped to support his family at
an early age by earning money selling newspapers, shining shoes and
caddying on golf courses. After graduating from high school, he went on
to attend the University of Hawaii and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa
as a graduate in 1930. He then graduated from Harvard Law School and
began a career of public service that spanned over 40 years. He served
in the Territorial House for 14 years, including 6 as Speaker of the
House.
With the coming of statehood in 1959, he ran for a seat in the United
States Senate and was elected to three consecutive terms until his
retirement in 1976. While serving in office, he was highly regarded for
his work on immigration and naturalization law, and for encouraging
relations with the People's Republic of China and other developing
nations of Asia. From providing timely answers to constituent concerns,
to being widely respected by both sides of the aisle, Senator Fong was
indeed a great leader.
I ask all Members to honor his leadership by passing S. 2089.
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 Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie), the author of
this legislation.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to amplify my formal
statement with a few personal observations. The chairman has kindly
indicated some of the history of Senator Fong. It is interesting when I
look down and see the word Hiram L. Fong, because he is so much of the
history of Hawaii, we all think of him as Senator Fong.
As has been noted, he was the seventh of 11 children of an immigrant
family. If there was ever a story of Hawaii, of our rainbow people and
our aloha spirit, it is Hiram Fong. He worked a lot of jobs and worked
his way through school and did very, very well. He founded not only a
prominent law firm but founded as well what became a financial empire.
I have some real interest in it because the very first campaign that
I ever ran was funded by Senator Fong's Finance Factors. I went down to
get a loan. I thought if I was going to run against him, I thought the
least I could do, in the spirit of bipartisanship, was to ask him to
help fund my campaign. As a graduate student at the University of
Hawaii, I went down to borrow $50. They said we cannot lend you $50, we
have to lend you $200 if we are going to make any money on this. So I
said, I will take it. I was able to run my very first campaign on Hiram
Fong's dime, although I should say nickel, because that is what I
passed out in the streets of Honolulu to represent the inflation that I
thought we were going to have to deal with in those days. That was an
innocent time.
Senator Fong was always gracious. Senator Fong was always able to
reach out. As has been noted, he was elected
[[Page H580]]
as a Republican in a very Democratic State. He was supported in great
measure and elected in great measure with the support of labor in
Hawaii. Most particularly, the ILWU, the International Longshoremen
Workers Union, testifying in favor of the establishment of a commission
in 2005, after he passed away, to honor and recognize him as a
political, business and community leader testified, ``The Senator was a
successful businessman and a Republican who never forgot his humble
beginnings. He was a strong supporter of civil rights and often crossed
the aisle to cooperate on issues important to Hawaii's unions and
workers.''
Senator Hiram Fong came to the United States Senate with the arrival
of Hawaii as the last State of the Union. Probably nothing could be
more fitting than to recognize him today through this legislation and
the pioneer effort that he made. Yes, the last State to enter the Union
had as its first Senator the son of an immigrant family who came from
China looking for opportunity, looking for justice, and found it in the
person of their son, and a true son of Hawaii, Hiram Fong.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2089, a
bill to designate a post office in Honolulu, Hawaii, after Senator
Hiram L. Fong. This is a fitting tribute for a man who was a great
statesman, businessman and community leader.
Senator Fong was born on October 15, 1906, in Kalihi. He was the
seventh of 11 children in an immigrant family. A firm believer of
standing on his own feet, he worked numerous odd jobs while in public
school in order to help support his family. He worked his way through
the University of Hawaii where he graduated with honors in 1930. He
went on to Harvard Law School and became the state and county Deputy
Attorney General of Honolulu for three years.
At the age of 31, Senator Fong began his public service career by
serving in Hawaii's Territorial House of Representatives. His ability
to work well with both Democrats and Republicans was quickly identified
and he was elected Speaker of the House during his first term in
office. In 1959, he was elected to the first of three consecutive terms
in the U.S. Senate.
Senator Fong never forgot his humble beginnings and was an ardent
supporter of labor rights. Despite being a Republican, Senator Fong
enjoyed widespread support from the labor unions, particularly the
International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) which endorsed
Senator Fong's candidacy to Congress and campaigned for his reelection.
Senator Fong played an integral role in Hawaii becoming the 50th
state and worked on many landmark laws such as the authorization of the
Interstate Highway System and the establishment of the East-West
Center.
Senator Fong's work and leadership will impact generations to come
and it is with great honor that I rise to support S. 2089 in
recognition of his leadership and service to this country. I ask my
colleagues to support this measure and appreciate the House's attention
to the life and work of this great man.
Mr. DENT. 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 Committee on Government Reform, I am
pleased to join with my colleagues in consideration of S. 2089,
legislation naming the postal facility in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, after
Hiram L. Fong. This measure, sponsored by Senator Daniel Akaka and
cosponsored by Senator Daniel Inouye, was unanimously passed by the
Senate on March 3, 2006. An identical measure, H.R. 4509, sponsored by
Mr. Abercrombie, was unanimously reported by our committee on February
1, 2006.
Hiram L. Fong, a native of Hawaii, was a noted and well-known member
of Hawaii politics. Mr. Fong was a graduate of the University of Hawaii
and Harvard Law School before practicing law in Honolulu. He later
served as deputy attorney for the city and county of Honolulu, and
during World War II, Mr. Fong served as a major and judge advocate of
the 7th Fighter Command of the 7th Air Force from 1942 to 1945.
He began his political career in 1938 as a member of the Territorial
legislature, serving 4 years as Vice Speaker and 6 years as Speaker and
Vice President of the Territorial Constitutional Convention in 1950. In
1959, Mr. Fong was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate.
Upon the admission of Hawaii as a State, he was reelected in 1964 and
again in 1970.
Senator Fong did not seek reelection in 1976. Instead, he returned to
private enterprise, serving as chairman of Finance Enterprises,
Limited. Sadly, he passed away on August 18, 2004.
Mr. Speaker, as Senator Akaka, my good friend and colleague observed
last week upon the Senate passage of S. 2089, ``Senator Hiram Fong was
a man of great integrity and a compassionate advocate for civil rights
and workers' rights. It is fitting that a United States Post Office
near his home in Kalihi be named in his honor. During his 20 years of
service in the United States Senate, Senator Fong personified a spirit
of bipartisan cooperation. He was instrumental in enacting landmark
civil rights legislation in the 1960s; reforming U.S. immigration laws
to end discrimination against Asian immigrants; improving job training
programs for workers; and fighting for equal pay for women. The people
of Hawaii were truly fortunate to have been represented by Hiram
Fong.''
I commend my colleagues for seeking to honor the political legacy of
Senator Hiram Leong Fong and urge swift passage of this legislation.
Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in full support of S. 2089,
legislation which provides permanent recognition--the naming of the
prominent Kapalama post office in Honolulu, Hawaii--of the late, great
U.S. Senator Hiram L. Fong of Hawaii, whose long life--he died in
August 2004 at the age of 97--was dedicated to reshaping, for the
betterment of all, the social and political landscape of twentieth-
century Hawaii.
S. 2089, introduced by Senator Daniel Akaka, and cosponsored by
Senator Daniel Inouye, passed the Senate on March 3. I was pleased to
cointroduce its companion, H.R. 4509, with Congressman Neil Abercrombie
on December 13, 2005.
Born into poverty in Honolulu in October 1907, Hiram L. Fong was the
seventh of 11 children of Chinese-immigrant parents. His father, Fong
Sau Howe, originally from China's Kwangtung Province, arrived in Hawaii
in 1872, one of 45,000 Chinese immigrants who came to Hawaii to work on
the plantations of the islands' once dominant sugar industry. His
mother, Fong Lum Shee, arrived in Hawaii when she was 10 years old to
work as a maid.
By all accounts, Hiram Fong was enterprising, even as a child. He
shined shoes, delivered poi, sold newspapers, led visitors to local
tourist spots as well as caddied nine holes of golf for 25 cents.
He attended Hawaii's public schools and was a member of McKinley High
School's famous class of 1924, whose 216 members, many of them first-
generation immigrants, became some of Hawaii's most distinguished
lawyers, business executives, and public servants. Hiram Fong himself
became the first resident of Hawaii to receive the Horatio Alger Award
for overcoming poverty to achieve great success in law, business, and
public service.
As a student at the University of Hawaii, Fong found time to edit the
student paper and the yearbook, become a member of the volleyball,
rifle and debate teams, and serve as president of the YMCA and Chinese
Students Alliance, all the while working at the Pearl Harbor Naval
Shipyard as a supply clerk. He somehow managed to graduate from the
University of Hawaii with honors in 1930 after just 3 years.
After working at what was then the Suburban Water System of Oahu from
1930 to 1932, Hiram Fong attended Harvard Law School. Upon graduation
in 1935, he returned to Honolulu to work as a deputy city attorney.
In 1938, when he was 31, he founded the law firm of Fong, Miho, Choy
and Robinson, and entered and won a race for a seat in the Territorial
House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he forged a
coalition of independent Republicans and Democrats to win election as
speaker of the Territorial House, where he would serve a total of 14
years, including three terms as speaker.
Hiram Fong's political career was interrupted by World War II, when
he was called to active duty with the Army Air Corps. He served as
judge advocate with the 7th Fighter Command of the Seventh Air Force.
He later retired as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
As a member of the Hawaii Territorial House, Fong supported
legislation designed to help organized labor and working families. In
1945, he supported what became known as the ``Little Wagner Act,''
which allowed agriculture workers to unionize. It was Hiram Fong's
understanding of and identification with Hawaii's laborers and
plantation workers and fellow immigrant families that enabled him, a
Republican in an increasingly Democratic Party-dominated Hawaii, to
continue winning elections.
His one electoral defeat, which ended the first phase of his
political career, came in 1954, when he lost his race for re-election
to the Territorial House seat by a mere 31 votes.
[[Page H581]]
Hiram Fong then focused on real estate, insurance, and investments, and
established a number of successful island firms: Finance Factors,
Finance Realty, Finance Home Builders, and Finance Investment, to name
a few.
In the Statehood year of 1959, Fong embarked on the second phase of
his political career by running for and winning one of the two new
United States Senate seats created for the newly established State of
Hawaii. He won re-election in 1964 and 1970, and served with honor and
distinction, beloved by all in his native Hawaii and beyond, until his
retirement on January 2, 1977. At his retirement, Senator Fong was the
ranking Republican on the Senate Committee on the Post Office and Civil
Service.
But even then, Senator Fong, as he was universally known thereafter
with great affection, returned home to his various business enterprises
and to the devotion of his expanded family. Well into his nineties, he
was a remarkable sight as he strode through downtown Honolulu on his
way to and from work, excited by what the day brought and eager to
continue his long string of accomplishments. At his death, his body lay
in state in Hawaii's State Capitol as whole generations of citizens
paid tribute to a remarkable man who led a remarkable life.
It is both fitting and appropriate that we provide this modest
memorial, as he would have wished, in order to remember the essence of
public service and a life well lived by Hawaii's quintessential native
son, Hiram L. Fong.
I would like to thank our House Leadership, Congressman Tom Davis,
chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, and Congressman
Henry Waxman, the committee's ranking member, for their assistance in
moving this bill expeditiously to the House floor. I also appreciate
the support of my colleagues on this measure.
I am certain that Senator Fong's family and friends, and all of
Hawaii, are appreciative of all of your support. Mahalo.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support passage of S.
2089, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the Senate bill, S. 2089.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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