[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 77 (Thursday, May 10, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5930-S5931]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. Obama):
  S. 1352. A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 127 East Locust Street in Fairbury, Illinois, as the 
``Dr. Francis Townsend Post Office Building''; to the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce 
legislation to designate the U.S. Post Office at 127 East Locust Street 
in Fairbury, IL, as the ``Dr. Francis Townsend Post Office Building.'' 
I am grateful to Senator Barack Obama, Mayor Robert Walter, Jr. and the 
Fairbury City Council for their support of this legislation.
  This legislation honors Dr. Francis Townsend, the creator of the 
Townsend old-age revolving pension plan, and his hometown of Fairbury, 
IL, a town which will celebrate its sesquicentennial anniversary this 
June.
  Dr. Francis E. Townsend, the son of a farmer, was born in January 
1867. He became a physician and served in the Army Medical Corps during 
World War I. Following his retirement from medicine, Dr. Townsend 
developed an old-age pension plan for seniors during the Depression. 
The Townsend Plan created a Federal pension of $200 a month paid to 
every citizen age 60 and older, on the condition that the pensioner 
spend the entire sum within 30 days of receipt, in order to stimulate 
the economy.

[[Page S5931]]

  Dr. Townsend advocated tirelessly around the country on behalf of his 
plan and encouraged 25 million Americans to sign petitions to the White 
House and to Congress demanding that the Federal Government institute a 
revolving old-age pension fund. It is likely that Townsend's efforts 
expedited passage of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Social Security 
Act, a major New Deal initiative. The Social Security Act included 
matching payments from the Federal Government, known as Old Age 
Assistance, and a national old-age annuity program. Though the 
initiative fell short of Dr. Townsend's vision, he continued to press 
for increased benefits to the elderly. Dr. Townsend's persistence 
helped to sustain the movement for increased elder benefits.
  Dr. Francis Townsend, an innovator and social activist, was a pivotal 
figure in the antipoverty movement and became the leader of a social 
movement. I am pleased to introduce this legislation to permanently and 
publicly recognize Dr. Townsend by naming this post office in Fairbury 
in his honor. Given Dr. Townsend's dedication to his community and his 
commitment towards the improvement of society, the renaming of this 
post office would be a most appropriate way for us to express our 
appreciation to Dr. Townsend and to celebrate his contributions to our 
Nation's pension programs.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1352

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

     SECTION 1. DR. FRANCIS TOWNSEND POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 127 East Locust Street in Fairbury, 
     Illinois, shall be known and designated as the ``Dr. Francis 
     Townsend 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 ``Dr. Francis Townsend Post Office 
     Building''.
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