[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.

                          ____________________