[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 40 (Monday, March 10, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H1424-H1425]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STEVE W. ALLEE CARRIER ANNEX
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 4166) to designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 701 East Copeland Drive in Lebanon,
Missouri, as the ``Steve W. Allee Carrier Annex''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4166
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. STEVE W. ALLEE CARRIER ANNEX.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 701 East Copeland Drive in Lebanon,
Missouri, shall be known and designated as the ``Steve W.
Allee Carrier Annex''.
(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 ``Steve W. Allee Carrier Annex''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
General Leave
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days 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.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the honorable gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the
author of this bill.
Mr. SKELTON. Madam Speaker, I certainly thank the gentleman for
yielding and giving me this opportunity.
It goes without saying that the United States Postal Service has an
historic reputation for excellence and unyielding dedication to the
people of our Nation. ``Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of
night stays these carriers from the swift completion of their appointed
rounds'' are the words engraved on the outside of the James A. Farley
Post Office Building in New York City. Every day, thousands of postal
employees proudly wear the uniform of the United States Postal Service
with the understanding of the enormity of this commitment.
Today, Madam Speaker, I stand before the House in support of H.R.
4166, a bill I introduced to pay tribute to the life of one of those
public servants, Mr. Steven W. Allee of Stoutland, Missouri, and a
rural mail carrier for the citizens of Lebanon, Missouri.
Since 1989, Mr. Steve Allee held a full-time position as a rural
carrier at the Lebanon, Missouri, Post Office. He was a dedicated
employee, a loving family man to his wife Debbie, his children and his
grandchildren, a member of the Buffalo Prairie Baptist Church, and a
friend to many.
Tragically, Madam Speaker, on August 20, 2007, Mr. Allee was killed
in the line of duty when his vehicle was swept away by floodwaters in
rural Lebanon. This flash flood was unprecedented in its magnitude. As
Mr. Allee completed his route, he approached a country bridge under
which a typically dry creekbed usually lies. However, on this day, the
rapidly falling rainwater had overtaken the bridge. When Mr. Allee
attempted to cross, his vehicle was swept away.
Today, I urge the House of Representatives to honor this man for his
public service and his commitment to his community. Let us pay our
respects to his personal and postal family by designating the facility,
the United States Postal Service located at 701 East Copeland Drive in
Lebanon, Missouri, as the Steve W. Allee Carrier Annex.
Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
In his hometown of Lebanon, Missouri, Steve Allee was known not just
as a rural postal carrier at the Lebanon Post Office, but also as a
dear friend and loving family man. He came from a family of letter
carriers. His father was a highway contract driver, and his cousin is
the postmaster in Stoutland, Missouri.
Mr. Allee was a dedicated post office employee for over 15 years
until the tragic loss of his life while on the job on August 20, 2007.
On that tragic day, Mr. Allee was going about his daily routine of
delivering mail until a torrential rainstorm began. He was attempting
to cross a bridge over what is normally a dry creekbed, but due to the
rainfall, the creek had become flooded. Mr. Allee perished as his
vehicle was washed away in the rush of water. This serves as an example
of how public servants in the course of their everyday duties are
sometimes thrust into dangerous and, in this case, deadly
circumstances.
We acknowledge Mr. Allee's service and his sacrifice. He will be
deeply missed by all the people's lives that he touched.
With this, I ask my colleagues to join me in support of this fitting
tribute to a dedicated postal employee who lost his life in the line of
duty.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Madam Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues from the great
State of Missouri in the consideration of H.R. 4166, which names the
postal facility in Lebanon, Missouri, after Steve W. Allee, a dedicated
and long-serving United States postal worker.
H.R. 4166, which was introduced by Representative Ike Skelton of
Missouri on November 13, 2007, was considered and reported from the
Oversight Committee on February 26, 2008, by a voice vote. The measure
has the support of the entire congressional delegation from Missouri
and provides us with yet another opportunity to pay tribute to an
American citizen whose life was taken while simply performing his
professional duties of delivering the mail.
The story of Mr. Allee's tragic death begins on Monday, August 20,
2007, where, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, at 2
p.m. in Laclede County, 10 miles east of Lebanon, Missouri, a 2003
Chevy Blazer driven by Steve Allee, 51, of Stoutland, Missouri, came
upon a flooded roadway and was swept away as a result of flooding on
the Missouri River.
{time} 1445
Allee, who was on duty during the accident, was found 2 miles
downstream and pronounced dead at the scene.
At the urging of Representative Skelton, passage of H.R. 4166 will
allow Congress to make in order a small tribute to this big-hearted
individual, a United States postal carrier himself. Mr. Allee had been
delivering mail since 1989, when he succumbed to his death as a result
of the Missouri River overrunning its banks last fall.
Let us also remember and express our gratitude for the life of this
dedicated postal worker, who was tragically taken from us by a force of
nature while performing his vocation of delivering the mail, by passing
H.R. 4166.
I want to thank Representative Ike Skelton for moving to honor this
gentleman for the work that he not only did but for the life that he
gave.
Madam 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 bill, H.R. 4166.
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. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
[[Page H1425]]
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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