[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 165 (Monday, October 29, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H12128-H12129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                C. CLYDE ATKINS UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2671) to designate the United States courthouse located at 
301 North Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida, as the ``C. Clyde Atkins United 
States Courthouse''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2671

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The United States courthouse at 301 North Miami Avenue, 
     Miami, Florida, shall be known and designated as the ``C. 
     Clyde Atkins United States Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the United States 
     courthouse referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to 
     be a reference to the ``C. Clyde Atkins United States 
     Courthouse''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and the gentleman from Arkansas 
(Mr. Boozman) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia.


                             General Leave

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 2671.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, this bill honors C. Clyde Atkins by naming the 
courthouse located at 301 North Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida, as the C. 
Clyde Atkins United States Courthouse. This bill has broad bipartisan 
support from the Florida delegation.
  Judge Atkins was a Federal judge for over 30 years in south Florida 
and was a leader in many capacities in his community. He presided over 
some of the most controversial cases in south Florida and often spoke 
for those who had no voice. He ruled that Miami schools would no longer 
be racially segregated. Judge Atkins found that the City of Miami was 
guilty of harassment of the homeless and stopped them from arresting 
the homeless for eating, sleeping and bathing in public. He also ruled 
that Haitian and Cuban refugees should receive equal treatment.
  In addition to Judge Atkins's courage from the bench, he also played 
a prominent leadership role in his own community. He served as 
president of the Dade County Bar Association, the Florida Bar 
Association. He was a trustee of Biscayne College and Mercy Hospital. 
He was also very active in the Catholic Church where he was named a 
knight of St. Gregory by Pope Paul VI. It is clear that Judge Atkins 
took the notion of being a public servant seriously and endeavored to 
make his service a large part of his life. In honor of Judge Atkins's 
public service as a Federal judge for 33 years, it is fitting to name 
the courthouse located at 301 North Miami Avenue in Miami, Florida, as 
the C. Clyde Atkins United States Courthouse, and I urge my colleagues 
to approve this bill.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 2671, introduced by the gentlewoman from Florida 
(Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), designates the United States courthouse located at 
301 North Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida, as the C. Clyde Atkins United 
States Courthouse.
  The bill recognizes Judge Atkins's dedication to the law and his 
fairness on the bench. In 1914, Judge Atkins was born in Washington, 
D.C. He received his law degree from the University of Florida College 
of Law in 1936 and began his career in the private practice of law in 
Stuart, Florida.
  Judge Atkins's service to his community in the legal profession 
includes serving as president of the Dade County Bar Association, 
president of the Florida Bar Association, trustee of the Mercy 
Hospital, and trustee of Biscayne College.
  In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson appointed Judge Atkins to the U.S. 
District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Judge Atkins 
served as chief justice on the district court from 1977 to 1982 when he 
assumed senior status. Judge Atkins's tenure on the bench ended with 
his passing at the age of 84 on March 11, 1999.
  This legislation is a fitting tribute to Judge Atkins's service to 
equal justice. I support this legislation and urge my colleagues to do 
the same.
  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to 
the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
2671, to designate the United States Courthouse located at 301 North 
Miami Avenue in my district of Miami, Florida, as the C. Clyde Atkins 
United States Courthouse.
  I would like to commend my Florida colleagues for working together in 
a bipartisan manner to bring this bill to the floor today. I also want 
to thank our Florida Senators, Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez, for taking 
the lead and introducing this bill in the Senate.
  As the author of this legislation, I am pleased that this bill would 
take the next step toward ensuring that we can properly pay tribute to 
one of Florida's great jurists by naming the courthouse in Miami in 
honor of the stellar career of Judge Atkins.
  After receiving his law degree from the University of Florida in 
1936, C. Clyde Atkins worked as a distinguished attorney and held 
prestigious posts such as the president of the Miami-Dade County Bar 
Association, as well as president of the Florida Bar. In 1966, Atkins 
was nominated to the bench by President Lyndon Johnson. The late Judge 
Atkins brought tremendous honor to the legal profession through his 
dedicated service as a United States District Judge for the Southern 
District of Florida from 1966 until his death in 1999 at the age of 84.

                              {time}  1630

  Judge Atkins was committed to the administration of the rule of law 
without consideration of race, creed, or national origin.
  He was recognized for his devotion to equality by the National 
Conference of Christians and Jews and the Anti-Defamation League, to 
name just a few, Madam Speaker.
  Judge Atkins was the first Catholic to be appointed to the bench in 
the Southern District of Florida.
  His faith to his church was recognized by Pope Paul VI through his 
selection of Judge Atkins as a Knight of St. Gregory.
  Judge Atkins was a fair and capable judge and rendered important 
decisions in the area of civil liberties and civil rights.

[[Page H12129]]

  Judge Atkins declared that segregation in Miami-Dade County public 
schools was intolerable. He ruled that homelessness was not a crime and 
affirmed that freedom of expression was a constitutional right.
  Judge Atkins was a man of principles who had the utmost respect for 
the rule of law.
  Therefore, I ask my colleagues to join me in support of this 
legislation.
  The C. Clyde Atkins United States Courthouse at 301 North Miami 
Avenue in Miami will serve as a lasting tribute to the incredible life 
and great accomplishments of this distinguished man.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2671, a bill 
to designate the Federal courthouse located at 301 North Miami Avenue, 
Miami, in the Southern District of Florida as the ``C. Clyde Atkins 
United States Courthouse''.
  Judge C. Clyde Atkins was born on November 23, 1914, in Washington, 
DC. He graduated from the University of Florida College of Law in 1936. 
He practiced law as a partner in the law firm of Walton, Lantaff, 
Shroeder, Atkins, Carson, and Wahl for more than 25 years, from 1941 to 
1966.
  In 1966, judge Atkins was appointed to the District Court in the 
Southern District of Florida by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He served 
first as a district judge, then as chief judge, and eventually as a 
senior judge. During his time on the Federal bench, Judge Atkins 
presided over a number of landmark cases, including the unprecedented 
desegregation of Dade County schools in 1969. In 1970, he presided over 
an important environmental case and ruled that there was a public 
interest in protecting wildlife from discharge from a nuclear plant 
into Biscayne Bay. Judge Atkins found the City of Miami guilty of a 
pattern of harassment of the City's homeless population and showed 
great courage in overturning Federal policies that required the 
repatriation of Haitian and Cuban refugees at Guantanamo Bay.
  Judge Atkins often made these rulings with little fanfare but always 
with a deep, abiding respect for the rule of law and equality. He was 
respected because of his application of the law without respect to 
race, creed, religion, or national origin.
  He was also very active in the Catholic Church, and he was named a 
Knight of St. Gregory by Pope Paul VI.
  Judge Atkins died in 1999 at the age of 84.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2671.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, having no further speakers, again, I 
think this is a very fitting tribute and honor and something that we 
should all very much support.
  With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman, and I am pleased to 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2671.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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