[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 50 (Tuesday, May 2, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H1932-H1933]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               LT MICHAEL P. MURPHY POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 4101) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 170 East Main Street in Patchogue, New York, as the 
``LT Michael P. Murphy Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4101

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

     SECTION 1. LIEUTENANT MICHAEL P. MURPHY POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 170 East Main Street in Patchogue, New 
     York, shall be known and designated as the ``Lieutenant 
     Michael P. Murphy 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 ``Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy Post Office 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from North Carolina.


                             General Leave

  Ms. FOXX. 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 North Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4101, offered by the distinguished gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Bishop), would designate the post office building in 
Patchogue, New York, as the ``Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy Post Office 
Building.''
  Lt. Michael P. Murphy was a true hero in every sense of the word. At 
the age of 29, Lieutenant Murphy and three of his Navy SEAL comrades 
were killed during an ambush by Taliban insurgents while serving our 
country in Afghanistan. Lieutenant Murphy will not be forgotten, as he 
was universally loved and admired. In fact, his Navy SEAL commanding 
officer remembers him as being ``a very focused young man with a 
terrific attitude, quiet intensity and determination.''
  Lieutenant Murphy graduated from Penn State University; and after his 
military service, he planned to attend law school and was engaged to be 
married. He truly enjoyed life. As his father recalls, ``He squeezed 
more life in 29 years than I will ever see.''
  I ask all Members to come together and honor this brave young man for 
his service to this country.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such 
time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Bishop), the 
sponsor of this legislation.
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Davis for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4101, which I proudly 
introduced last October on behalf of all 29 members of the New York 
delegation in the House.
  Our bill names the U.S. Post Office on 170 East Main Street in 
Patchogue, New York, in honor of a fallen neighbor and decorated hero 
of the United States Navy's elite Sea-Air-Land forces, Lt. Michael P. 
Murphy, who was killed in action on the evening of June 28, 2005, while 
tracking insurgent Taliban and al Qaeda movements in the mountains of 
the Kubar province of Afghanistan.
  For his valor and sacrifice, Lieutenant Murphy was posthumously 
awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. Approaching the first 
anniversary of the deaths of Lieutenant Murphy and his fellow SEALs, it 
is appropriate for this House to once again express the solemn 
appreciation of a grateful Nation for their sacrifices and to share 
this tribute with their families.
  Mr. Speaker, my colleagues will recall the tragic images from around 
the last July 4 holiday when it was first reported that U.S. Army 
helicopters carrying two teams of Special Forces, known as the ``Night 
Stalkers,'' who were attempting a daring rescue of Lieutenant Murphy's 
unit, were shot down by rocket-propelled grenades over the mountains in 
Eastern Afghanistan.
  That tragic day claimed the lives of 11 SEALs and eight soldiers, 
representing the single deadliest attack on the U.S. military up to 
that point in the global war on terror. The Naval Special Warfare 
Command later confirmed that it was also the single largest loss of 
life in the history of the Navy SEALs, the smallest of our intrepid 
Special Operations Forces.
  Nearly a thousand people attended Lieutenant Murphy's memorial 
service at our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Patchogue. His 
parents, Daniel and Maureen, spoke of how their extraordinary son's 
boundless enthusiasm, generosity, and determination made them so proud 
of him through the short years they had together. Remembered not only 
for his courage and for the ultimate sacrifice Lieutenant Murphy made 
for this country, he will also be admired in our community as one of 
its favorite sons. At Patchogue-Medford High School, he was an 
excellent student, awarded by the National Honor Society and accepted 
to Penn State University, where he majored in political science. He 
played varsity football, life-guarded along the beaches of Long Island 
during the summers, and, after graduating from Penn State University, 
chose the Navy over offers from two law schools.
  Like the impeccable reputation he earned in the eyes of the community 
of Patchogue, Lieutenant Murphy's brilliant naval record reflects his 
courage, diligence, and steadfast dedication.

[[Page H1933]]

With firm resolve and a robust drive toward perfection, he was 
determined to exceed the SEALs' rigorous physical requirements and was 
known to perform chin-ups wearing full body armor to stay in shape.

                              {time}  1500

  Still, he took the time each day during his deployment to stay in 
touch with his family and his fiance, Heather, whom he would have 
married upon his anticipated return last fall. Through it all, he 
comforted them with a cheerful outlook and a sense of humor.
  Although under the most unfortunate circumstances, I am proud to have 
come to know the Murphy family over the past year and feel privileged 
to represent them. Today, it is entirely appropriate that we pay 
tribute to their son by naming the post office on East Main Street in 
his hometown in his honor.
  On behalf of Eastern Long Island, I thank all of my colleagues in the 
New York delegation for cosponsoring H.R. 4101, and appreciate the 
leadership's decision to call this bill to the floor. By passing this 
legislation, the Murphy family will know that they are in our thoughts 
and prayers and that our Nation will always honor the memory of their 
son.
  Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4101.
  I thank my colleague from North Carolina for her support of this 
measure, and I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  As a member of the Government Reform Committee, I am pleased to join 
my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 4101, legislation naming the 
postal facility in Patchogue, New York, after LT Michael P. Murphy.
  This measure was sponsored by Representative Timothy Bishop of New 
York on October 20, 2005, and unanimously reported by our committee on 
November 16, 2005. The bill, of course, has the support and 
cosponsorship of the entire New York delegation.
  Michael Murphy of Patchogue, New York, was a 29-year-old lieutenant 
serving with a four-man SEAL reconnaissance team that called for help 
when his SEAL team was ambushed by Taliban fighters in Kunar Province, 
Afghanistan, on June 28, 2005. His remains were found during a combat 
search and rescue operation on July 4, 2005. Lieutenant Murphy was 
assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One, Pearl Harbor, I Hawaii.
  Michael Murphy was a graduate of Patchogue-Medford High School in New 
York and Penn State university. He chose to defer law school until he 
had completed his tour of duty.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague for seeking to honor the ultimate 
sacrifice of this war hero by dedicating the Patchogue Post Office in 
his honor. I urge swift passage of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of 
H.R. 4101, and yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Issa). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4101.
  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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