[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 124 (Thursday, September 28, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H7886-H7887]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                ROBERT J. THOMPSON POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. MARCHANT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 6075) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 101 East Gay Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania, 
as the ``Robert J. Thompson Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 6075

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

     SECTION 1. ROBERT J. THOMPSON POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 101 East Gay Street in West Chester, 
     Pennsylvania, shall be known and designated as the ``Robert 
     J. Thompson 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 ``Robert J. Thompson Post Office 
     Building''.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. MARCHANT. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MARCHANT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 6075, offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
(Mr. Pitts), would designate the facility of the Post Office in West 
Chester, Pennsylvania, as the ``Robert J. Thompson Post Office 
Building.''
  Born on November 30, 1937, Senator Thompson graduated from Penn State 
University in 1959 and was known to be a loyal and devoted fan of the 
Nittany Lions.
  He was a native of West Chester, Pennsylvania, and began his career 
in public service in 1970 as a member of the West Goshen Township Board 
of Supervisors. He began serving as a member of the Pennsylvania State 
Senate in 1995, representing the 19th District, which includes parts of 
Chester and Montgomery Counties. During his distinguished career as 
Senator, Thompson also served as chairman of the Appropriations 
Committee and vice chairman of the State Government Committee.
  But his contributions were not limited to just the public arena. He 
and his wife, Nancy, were very dedicated to the community in which they 
lived. Senator Thompson's list of involvements was impressive. He was 
the founding Executive Director of the Chester County Chamber of 
Commerce, a member of the Chester County Hospital Board, a member of 
the Immaculata College President's Council, and was an elder at the 
First Presbyterian Church of West Chester.

[[Page H7887]]

  He passed away in January of 2006 and will be greatly missed by 
friends, family, and the community.
  I urge all Members to come together and vote in favor of H.R. 6075.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 6075, legislation sponsored by Representative 
Joseph Pitts, was unanimously passed by the Government Reform Committee 
on September 21, 2006. The bill designates the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 101 East Gay Street in West Chester, 
Pennsylvania, as the ``Robert J. Thompson Post Office Building.''
  Robert Thompson, a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate since 1995 
and Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, passed away in 
January of 2006.
  Madam Speaker, Robert Thompson was a distinguished citizen who gave 
much of himself and much of his life to public service, and one way of 
recognizing and remembering the contribution that he made is to name 
this postal facility in his honor.
  Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, today, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
honor of Robert J. Thompson and I rise in support of H.R. 6075, the 
Senator Bob Thompson Post Office Designation Act.
  I've introduced this bill with my fellow colleagues from Pennsylvania 
and I thank them for their support.
  It's a great privilege to be able to commemorate the life and public 
service of the late Senator Robert Thompson--Bob, as he was known to 
his friends.
  Senator Thompson was a distinguished legislator and respected public 
servant. He served the people of southern Pennsylvania for more than 30 
years as an elected official.
  Bob got his start in public life in 1970 as a member of the West 
Goshen Township Board of Supervisors.
  In 1995, Bob was elected to the State Senate where he represented the 
good people of Chester and Montgomery counties and served as Majority 
Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
  I had the great privilege of serving with him in the Pennsylvania 
State legislature before coming to Congress--an honor I will always 
cherish.
  Throughout his tenure in Harrisburg, Bob earned a solid reputation as 
an honest and sincere representative who always made his constituents 
his first priority.
  Despite his health challenges that required him to be in the hospital 
frequently, his friends and colleagues fondly recall the encouraging 
and humorous e-mails he would send on his Blackberry from his hospital 
room.
  Those who knew Bob loved his gentle demeanor, cheerful spirit, and 
great sense of humor.
  His kindness and generosity were evidenced by his dedication to 
community service and civic participation.
  He served on the board of numerous civic associations and community 
groups, including the Chester County Historical Society, the Westtown-
Goshen Rotary Club, Chester County Library, and the West Chester Area 
Day Care Association.
  Despite his many accomplishments as a respected public servant, I 
believe Bob would most like to be remembered as a devoted husband to 
Nancy and a loving father and grandfather.
  Although Pennsylvania lost a great public leader, his kind and gentle 
countenance will not be forgotten by the many men and women who have 
served alongside him.
  The Bob Thompson Post Office will be a fitting tribute to his life 
and work for many years to come.
  Mr. GERLACH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a great public 
servant and friend, the late Pennsylvania State Senator Robert J. 
Thompson. Today, the House of Representatives has the unique 
opportunity to designate the United States Postal Service facility 
located at 101 East Gay Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania, the 
``Robert J. Thompson Post Office Building''.
  Bob, a native of Chester County, Pennsylvania, gave his life to 
public service as a township supervisor, county commissioner, member of 
the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, and finally as 
State Senator representing the 19th District of Pennsylvania. In all of 
these endeavors, he represented his constituents with honor, dignity, 
and professionalism. He was also known throughout the community as a 
loving father and grandfather with a tremendous sense of humor and love 
of life. So, it is an honor for me to take this time to remember a man 
I worked closely with and who I greatly respected as a mentor and a 
friend.
  Bob and his wife Nancy made community service, civic participation, 
and faith-based activities paramount in their lives. When not serving 
on countless commissions, committees, and caucuses, Bob made sure he 
was there for his family as well. In short, Bob was a ``legislator's 
legislator,'' a highly honored servant and a loving family man.
  Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to stand before this House today to 
help remember State Senator Robert Thompson. He is sorely missed by his 
family, his constituents, and myself, and I know that by naming the 
post office in West Chester after him, his legacy of public service 
will live on.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MARCHANT. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Marchant) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 6075.
  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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