[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 33 (Thursday, February 28, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H1160-H1161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                JOHN ``MARTY'' THIELS SOUTHPARK STATION

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (S. 2272) to designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service known as the Southpark Station in Alexandria, Louisiana, 
as the John ``Marty'' Thiels Southpark Station, in honor and memory of 
Thiels, a Louisiana postal worker who was killed in the line of duty on 
October 4, 2007.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The text of the Senate bill is as follows:

                                S. 2272

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

     SECTION 1. JOHN ``MARTY'' THIELS SOUTHPARK STATION.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service known as the Southpark Station in Alexandria, 
     Louisiana, shall be known and designated as the ``John 
     `Marty' Thiels Southpark Station''.
       (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 ``John `Marty' Thiels Southpark Station''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.

                              {time}  1030

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of S. 
2272, which names the postal facility in the town of Southpark Station 
in Alexandria, Louisiana, as the John ``Marty'' Thiels Southpark 
Station in honor and memory of Thiels, a Louisiana postal worker who 
was killed in the line of duty on October 4, 2007.
  S. 2272, which was introduced on October 31, 2007, in the Senate by 
Senator David Vitter of Louisiana and passed by the Chamber under 
unanimous consent on November 16, 2007, has been considered and 
reported out of the Oversight Committee by voice vote as of January 29, 
2008.
  S. 2272 comes to us today from our friends from the State of 
Louisiana as a way of acknowledging and honoring the work of one of the 
postal service's own, John Thiels. Affectionately referred to as Marty, 
Mr. Thiels spent a significant portion of his professional career 
working for the United States Postal Service. In fact, Thiels served as 
a letter carrier for nearly 30 years, and 24 years out of those 30 he 
spent delivering mail to the downtown section of Alexandria, Louisiana.
  A devout husband and a loving father of four, Mr. Thiels' life was 
cut dramatically short when on October 4, 2007, a distraught 64-year-
old gunman went on a shooting rampage near the Rapides Parish 
Courthouse in Alexandria, Louisiana, wounding three and killing two, 
one of whom was John Thiels, and the other was Camille Giordano, II, a 
32-year-old assistant district attorney.
  An obvious and heartbreaking misfortune, Mr. Thiels lost his life 
while doing something that he had done so diligently for so many years, 
delivering mail. John Marty Thiels will long be remembered by many in 
the Alexandria, Louisiana, area for his years of service and his 
virtuous reputation.
  Mr. Speaker, let us pay tribute to the life of this gentleman by 
passing S. 2272 and renaming the Southpark Post Office Station in 
Alexandria, Louisiana, as the John ``Marty'' Thiels Southpark Station.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

[[Page H1161]]

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my fellow Members of Congress in 
lamenting the senseless murder of 50-year-old Alexandria, Louisiana, 
letter carrier, John Marty Thiels, on Thursday, October 4, 2007. Mr. 
Thiels was a 30-year veteran of the Alexandria post office.
  For over 20 years of that time, he faithfully carried mail on the 
same route in downtown Alexandria and became well known in the 
community. On the fateful day of Mr. Thiels' death, a local deranged 
man went on a shooting spree, eventually taking the lives of five 
people, including Mr. Thiels, before police were able to take control 
of the situation. When Mr. Thiels' life was taken, he was simply going 
about his daily routine of delivering mail to a local law office in 
Alexandria, Louisiana.
  This terrible event goes to demonstrate that public servants are not 
immune from harm. On the contrary, many of them brave unforeseen 
dangers every single day, including innocent letter carriers such as 
Mr. Thiels.
  The death of Mr. Thiels was a senseless and heartbreaking tragedy for 
both his family and the community that he served so well for over three 
decades. Mr. Thiels' family and his community deserve our deepest 
sympathy and condolences for their loss. The naming of this post office 
is a fitting tribute to Mr. Thiels and his dedicated service to the 
postal service.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the Senate bill, S. 2272.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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