[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 27, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H7627-H7628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  JOHN F. SEIBERLING FEDERAL BUILDING

  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 6051) to designate the Federal building located at 2 South 
Main Street in Akron, Ohio, as the ``John F. Seiberling Federal 
Building,'' as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 6051

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The Federal building and United States courthouse located 
     at 2 South Main Street in Akron, Ohio, shall be known and 
     designated as the ``John F. Seiberling Federal Building and 
     United States Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the Federal building 
     and United States courthouse referred to in section 1 shall 
     be deemed to be a reference to the ``John F. Seiberling 
     Federal Building and United States Courthouse''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. 
Corrine Brown) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6051, introduced by my good friend, Representative 
Tim Ryan of Ohio, designates the Federal Building and Courthouse 
located in Akron, Ohio, as the John F. Seiberling Federal Building and 
United States Courthouse.
  John Seiberling was born in 1918 in Akron, Ohio. He received his 
degree from Harvard University and his law degree from Columbia School 
of Law. After 4 years of duty with the Army during World War II, 
Seiberling began a career in private practice.
  After more than 20 years as an attorney, Seiberling was elected to 
the 92nd Congress and served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 
16 years as a representative of the 14th District of Ohio. During his 
eight terms in the U.S. Congress, Representative Seiberling led the 
fight to establish some of our country's most important urban parks, 
and has received the title of ``patron saint'' of many of today's 
national parks.
  In 1992, Representative Seiberling joined the faculty of the 
University of Akron's School of Law in Akron, Ohio. He currently 
resides in Akron, Ohio.
  I support this legislation, and encourage my colleagues to do the 
same.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6051, as amended, is a bill to designate the 
Federal building located at 2 South Main Street in Akron, Ohio, as the 
John F. Seiberling Federal Building and United States Courthouse.
  Congressman Seiberling was born in Akron, Ohio, in 1918. He attended 
public school in Akron and Staunton Military Academy in Virginia. After 
graduating from military academy, he attended Harvard and received his 
law degree from Columbia Law School, New York, in 1949.
  Serving in the United States Army from 1942 to 1946, he was admitted 
to the New York bar in 1950 and engaged in private practice from 1949 
to 1954. During this time, he volunteered with the New York Legal Aid 
Society.
  He was elected to the 92nd Congress and served for seven consecutive 
Congresses, from January, 1971, through January, 1987.

[[Page H7628]]

  He had a deep and weighty impact on the course of conservation in our 
Nation's history. Although he was raised in a family of committed 
conservationists, it was through his public service as a Congressman 
from the 14th District of Ohio that he made his most significant 
contributions to conservation.
  Congressman Seiberling authored legislation to establish the American 
Conservation Corps. Although the legislation was vetoed by President 
Reagan, the ideals and concepts outlined in the bill were later adopted 
in legislation signed by President Clinton to establish the AmeriCorps.
  Also, under his leadership, more than 100 million acres of public 
land in Alaska were designated in 1980 as national parks, forests, 
wildlife refuges and wilderness areas. He led the effort on over 33 
bills to create 250 wildlife areas or refuges. He was also an expert on 
historical preservation and authored legislation that created the 
Historic Preservation Fund.
  He was recognized by his colleagues as a gentleman and a man of honor 
who worked diligently and tirelessly for his constituents. We all 
benefited from his boundless energy and determination. It is certainly 
fitting and proper that we take this opportunity to honor his civic 
career with this designation.
  I thank Congressman Tim Ryan for introducing this bill, and urge its 
passage.
  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he 
may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan).
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlelady 
from Florida and my good friend, the chairman from Pennsylvania, for 
all of his leadership on this committee and many other issues in 
Congress.
  I am honored today, Mr. Speaker, to sponsor H.R. 6051 to name the 
Federal building and courthouse in Akron, Ohio, after Congressman John 
Seiberling, who served in the House from 1970 to 1987. I am also 
humbled that over the last 5 years I have come to know Mr. Seiberling 
as a friend, as a mentor and as a role model for I think what it truly 
means to be a dedicated and distinguished public official.
  In Ohio, and in particular in my congressional district, Mr. 
Seiberling is among the most respected and loved leaders of the last 
century, and it is a distinction that is well-deserved. During his 16 
years of service in the House, he has an endless list of legislative 
achievements, as you heard here earlier tonight, including the bill 
that constructed this Akron Federal building. He also was a champion of 
civil rights and workers' rights.

                              {time}  2215

  Most notably, he successfully sponsored and passed dozens of bills 
addressing conservation and environmental protection which continue to 
benefit our Nation here today.
  From protecting wilderness areas to authorizing the legislation of 
the American Conservation Corps, to establishing the only national park 
in the State of Ohio and the Cuyahoga Valley, which actually kept Akron 
and Cleveland from growing together, he demonstrated a long-term vision 
which is seldom seen in politics today and leadership and ability.
  Even after leaving Congress, he remained one of our Nation's 
advocates for conservation and environmental protection. So it is no 
surprise that he was nominated for the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 
2000 and in January 2001 received the Presidential Citizens Medal.
  But as important, John Seiberling distinguished himself in his 
community, Ohio, and this body through civility, kindness, and a 
genuine respect for all people.
  And it was interesting, as I was beginning to offer this piece of 
legislation, to talk to several current Members of Congress who were 
staffers when Mr. Seiberling was a Member of Congress, and each of them 
said that he treated the staffers as he treated the Members of 
Congress, which I think is a sign of class and kindness that is to be 
respected here today.
  Since introducing this bill, not only did I hear these stories, but I 
also heard many other stories from staffers and colleagues and others, 
and there is yet to be a conversation with any of these Members where 
Mr. Seiberling didn't end his conversation with a ``thank you'' or a 
``please'' or ``thank you for your assistance,'' going above and beyond 
the kind of respect that most people offer.
  In 2001, when Mr. Seiberling received the Presidential Citizens 
Medal, he called many of his former staffers, one of whom is my chief 
of staff now, Mary Anne Walsh, to ask them to join him at the White 
House ceremony because he said: ``I am receiving this award because of 
your hard work, your talents, your dedication. And that made it all 
possible for us to make a difference during my congressional career.'' 
That statement represents the essence of the man John Seiberling is.
  When John first ran for Congress in 1970, he had a slogan that said: 
The guts to do what is right. And for those of us who know John 
Seiberling, I am certain we will all agree that John never needed the 
guts to do what is right; it is just who the man is.
  And so, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Young, Ranking Member 
Oberstar, Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member Norton, Ms. Brown for 
handling the time here tonight and helping me with this legislation to 
help move this bill through the committee and to the floor so quickly.
  President Kennedy said in the great speech he gave at Amherst College 
that this Nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but by 
the men it honors. And I think this is a very appropriate response to 
honor Mr. Seiberling to reflect the importance and the greatness of 
this Nation.
  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Once again, I want to thank Congressman 
Ryan for bringing this bill to the floor, and I want to thank the 
chairman.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6051, as 
amended, a bill to designate the federal building located at 2 South 
Main St. in Akron, OH, as the John F. Seiberling Federal Building and 
United States Courthouse.
  Congressman John Seiberling was born in 1918. He attended public 
school in Akron and Staunton Military Academy in Virginia. After 
graduating from the military academy, he attended Harvard and received 
his law degree from Columbia Law School.
  In the 1950s, Congressman Seiberling engaged in private practice and 
also volunteered with the New York Legal Aid Society. He was elected to 
the 92nd Congress and served for seven succeeding Congresses from 1971 
to 1987.
  He was an ardent environmentalist long before it was a trendy word. 
He comes from a long line of conservationists. His grandfather donated 
land in Akron for the city's first metropolitan park. As a junior 
Member of Congress, Seiberling authored legislation to establish the 
Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area. He then went on to shepherd 
through Congress an additional 62 park related bills, including 
legislation that tripled the size of the Land and Water Conservation 
Fund.
  Congressman Seiberling also sponsored legislation to establish an 
American Conservation Corps. Although the legislation was vetoed by 
President Reagan, the ideals and concepts outlined in the bill were 
later adopted as part of the AmeriCorps authorization legislation 
signed by President Clinton.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6051.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Marchant). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6051, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to 
designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 
2 South Main Street in Akron, Ohio, as the `John F. Seiberling Federal 
Building and United States Courthouse'.''
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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