[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 30, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E221-E222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    LANE EVANS POST OFFICE BUILDING

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. RAHM EMANUEL

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 29, 2007

  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 521 as a 
tribute to Congressman Lane Evans, my friend and former colleague. 
Congressman Evans faithfully and dutifully represented the people of 
the 17th District of Illinois. Today, we honor former Congressman Evans 
by naming the Post Office located at 2633 11th Street in Rock Island, 
Illinois, after him. I thank my fellow Illinoisan and Mr. Evans' 
successor, Congressman Phil Hare, for introducing this legislation to 
honor our friend and former member of this body.
  Lane Evans grew up in Rock Island, Illinois. The son of a 
firefighter, he joined the Marine Corps right out of high school and 
served our country in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971. After his tour of 
duty, Congressman Evans went to college and then to Georgetown 
University Law Center to earn his J.D.
  Lane Evans was first elected to Congress in 1982 and served for 
eleven terms. Throughout his tenure in Congress, Evans was a tireless 
champion for veterans across the nation. He served on the House 
Veterans' Affairs Committee from 1983 through till his final term and 
was the ranking member of that committee for the last 10 years.
  During his time in Washington, Lane Evans worked tirelessly to secure 
many benefits for America's servicemen and women. He campaigned to 
increase assistance to homeless veterans, to fund research on complex 
combat-related injuries, to expand VA home loans, to increase G.I. 
worker training benefits, and was a staunch advocate of increasing 
veterans' health benefits. Specifically, he led efforts to help combat 
veterans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder.
  Although Lane Evans worked diligently for our men and women in 
uniform, he was also a leading advocate for many other causes. Mr. 
Evans fought hard to ban landmines, which kill and maim thousands every 
year, to protect American workers from cheaper foreign competition, to 
have fair trade policies with other nations, to protect America's 
farmers and our environment.
  Mr. Speaker, last year, Congressman Evans chose not to run for 
reelection to the 110th

[[Page E222]]

Congress. For 24 years, Congressman Evans was a dedicated public 
servant to the 17th District of Illinois and to the country as a whole. 
I ask my colleagues to join me in this small gesture to honor our 
former colleague by naming a Rock Island Post Office after him. I wish 
my friend and former colleague the best of luck in all his future 
endeavors.

                          ____________________