[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 193 (Monday, December 17, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H15480-H15481]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1300
             LANCE CORPORAL DENNIS JAMES VEATER POST OFFICE

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3911) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 95 Church Street in Jessup, Pennsylvania, as the 
``Lance Corporal Dennis James Veater Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3911

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

     SECTION 1. LANCE CORPORAL DENNIS JAMES VEATER POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 95 Church Street in Jessup, Pennsylvania, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Lance Corporal Dennis 
     James Veater Post Office''.
       (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 ``Lance Corporal Dennis James Veater Post 
     Office''.

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


                             General Leave

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 3911, 
a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 95 Church Street in Jessup, Pennsylvania, as the ``Lance 
Corporal Dennis James Veater Post Office.''
  H.R. 3911 was introduced by Representative Carney of Pennsylvania on 
October 22, was reported from the Oversight Committee on December 12 by 
voice vote. This measure which has been cosponsored by 18 Members has 
the support of the entire Pennsylvania congressional delegation. Lance 
Corporal Veater was wounded in Anbar province, Iraq, and died of his 
wounds in Fallujah, Iraq. The mission was believed to be his last 
mission just 2 weeks before returning home.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge swift passage of this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I join with my colleague from the District of Columbia in supporting 
the naming of this post office after Lance Corporal Dennis Veater. He 
was a dedicated marine who enlisted in 2004 upon his high school 
graduation and entered the Marine Corps Reserve at age 17, following in 
the footsteps of his marine sergeant major father. Lance Corporal 
Veater wanted to serve his country, and he wanted to make a difference.
  On March 9, 2007, just 2 weeks before his scheduled return to the 
United States, Lance Corporal Veater was mortally injured while 
conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.
  He leaves behind his fiancee, whom he planned to marry upon his 
return, and his 14-month-old son, Dominick.
  Lance Corporal Veater did not die in vain. Today Anbar province is 
safer because of the work he and the other marines did there. I join 
with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle in thinking it is 
very important to remember this man and the work he did for his family 
back home.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield to the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Carney) such time as he may consume.
  Mr. CARNEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman and 
appreciate the comments of our friends on the other side.
  Dennis Veater is somebody we are very proud of from the 10th 
District, and I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 3911.
  I would like to take a moment to talk about and honor Dennis Veater

[[Page H15481]]

and those from Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District. He was born 
in Quantico. He moved to Pennsylvania where he graduated from Abington 
Heights High School in 2004. At the age of 17 he enlisted in the Marine 
Corps Reserves. Dennis proudly followed in the footsteps of his father, 
a retired marine sergeant major.
  Unfortunately, as we have already found out, 2 weeks before his 
scheduled return, he was mortally injured while conducting combat 
operations in the Anbar province, Iraq. He died of his wounds in 
Fallujah. Lance Corporal Veater died fighting for our freedom. He is 
truly a hero, and he represents what is best about Pennsylvania's 10th 
Congressional District.
  It is my hope by naming the post office at 95 Church Street in 
Jessup, Pennsylvania, as the Lance Corporal Dennis Veater Post Office, 
future generations will remember what this brave young man did for 
them.
  I urge all Members of Congress to honor this hero and vote in favor 
of this legislation.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
for thinking to do something that we rarely see. We see post offices 
honoring Members of Congress, honoring judges, honoring very honorable 
people. But in my service on this committee, I have not seen a post 
office named for a young person who has died recently in battle. I do 
think it is an important way to indicate, particularly to the family, 
to what must surely be for many young men, many who knew him and looked 
forward to his returning in just 2 weeks from the time he died, that 
his memory will live not only with this Congress and in this resolution 
but also permanently with a United States Post Office in his honor.
  We are pleased we were able to dedicate this resolution before the 
end of this Congress because this young man died just in March of 2007.
  Mr. Speaker, I 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. 3911.
  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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