[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 56 (Wednesday, April 9, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H2081-H2083]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CONGRESSWOMAN JO ANN S. DAVIS POST OFFICE

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 5489) to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 6892 Main Street in Gloucester, 
Virginia, as the ``Congresswoman Jo Ann S. Davis Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5489

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

     SECTION 1. CONGRESSWOMAN JO ANN S. DAVIS POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 6892 Main Street in Gloucester, Virginia, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Congresswoman Jo Ann 
     S. Davis 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 ``Congresswoman Jo Ann S. Davis Post 
     Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Clay) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Marchant) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CLAY. 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 Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in 
the consideration of H.R. 5489, which seeks to honor the life of 
Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis, and the example she has set for all of us; 
as an American stateswoman, legislator, and most importantly, as our 
friend, by naming a U.S. post office in her name.
  Congresswoman Davis represented Virginia's first Congressional 
District from 2001 until her untimely death in 2007. She was the second 
woman ever to be elected to Congress from Virginia.
  A woman of faith and strong conviction, Congresswoman Davis lived 
admirably and with down-to-earth humility, which is why her presence 
here in the House is sure to be missed for quite some time to come.
  The bill before us, H.R. 5489, was introduced by Representative 
Robert Wittman of Virginia on February 26, 2008 and was considered by 
and reported from the Oversight Committee on March 13, 2008 by voice 
vote. The measure has the support of over 20 Members of Congress, and 
provides our body a collective opportunity to acknowledge one of our 
very own for her dedication and congressional action to improve the 
lives of others, whether in her congressional district, her beloved 
home State of Virginia, or throughout our great country.
  Jo Ann Davis was born in Rowan County, North Carolina on June 29, 
1950. At the age of 9, her parents moved to the Virginia peninsula. 
Despite her humble beginnings, Congresswoman Davis set her sights high 
and the expectations for herself even higher. In 1968 she graduated 
from Kecoughtan High School in Hampton, Virginia and then went on to 
attend Hampton Roads Business College. After graduating she became an 
executive secretary at a real estate company in Newport News until she 
obtained her real estate license in 1984 and soon thereafter, founded 
Jo Ann Davis Realty.
  Her whole life she exceeded expectations, so it should come as no 
surprise when she ran for Congress in 1999 and won by receiving 58 
percent of the vote in her Southern Virginia District.
  Representative Davis' congressional record is a testimony to her 
fight for employees' rights and fairness in the workplace. Her first 
piece of legislation raised the life insurance benefit paid to 
survivors of military members killed on duty, and she also pushed for 
improving dental and vision benefits for government employees, and 
argued in favor of a more evenhanded system for compensating Federal 
law enforcement officers.
  Our country owes her our sincere appreciation for her efforts in 
making public service, which is the lifeblood of our Nation, a more 
equitable and beneficial system.
  In September 2005, our dear friend Congresswoman Davis was diagnosed 
with breast cancer and for years underwent the necessary treatments. 
Although she was planning to seek re-election in 2008, Congresswoman 
Davis unfortunately succumbed to the cancer on October 6, 2007 in her 
home in Gloucester, Virginia.

                              {time}  1100

  She is survived by her husband, Chuck Davis, a battalion chief of the 
Hampton Fire Department, two sons, and a granddaughter.
  Mr. Speaker, let's join together this day to express our thanks and 
to pay our respects for the sacrifices and battles Congresswoman Jo Ann 
Davis fought in the name of liberty and justice and pass H.R. 5489 
which would designate the Main Street post office in her hometown of 
Gloucester, Virginia, as the ``Congresswoman Jo Ann S. Davis Post 
Office.'' I urge the swift passage of the bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, born in North Carolina but a Virginian since the age of 
9, Jo Ann Davis set the standard for Republican women in Virginia. 
After graduating from high school in Hampton, Virginia, she attended 
Hampton Roads Business College and became a real estate agent. Prior to 
her election to the House of Representatives in November 2000, she 
served in the General Assembly of Virginia. Subsequently, she was the 
first Republican woman elected in her own right to the United States 
Congress from the Commonwealth. Congresswoman Davis served honorably 
for four terms as the representative of the First Congressional 
District of Virginia.
  During her tenure, Congresswoman Davis served on the House Armed 
Services Committee and on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Congresswoman 
Davis was particularly proud of securing funding for the construction 
of the Navy's next-generation aircraft carrier, the CVN-21.
  In 2001, the House passed her first piece of legislation, H.R. 1015, 
the SGLI Adjustment Act which increased the

[[Page H2082]]

amount of life insurance paid to beneficiaries of the Armed Forces who 
died in the performance of duty between November 2000 and April 2001.
  In 2005, Congresswoman Davis was diagnosed with breast cancer. 
Tragically, in 2007, the cancer returned and her condition rapidly 
worsened. Congresswoman Davis died in October at the age of 57 leaving 
behind her husband, Chuck Davis, and two sons and a granddaughter.
  Congresswoman Davis was an inspiration to so many of our Members, as 
well as her constituents, as she battled breast cancer courageously for 
over 2 years. Her determination to continue serving the citizens of the 
First District of Virginia while undergoing treatment set a remarkable 
standard of perseverance for many of us.
  I believe that the naming of the postal service located at 6892 Main 
Street in Gloucester, Virginia, after Congresswoman Davis is a fitting 
tribute to her years of public service.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I will reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. MARCHANT. I yield as much time as he may consume to my 
distinguished colleague from the State of Virginia (Mr. Wittman).
  Mr. WITTMAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my 
colleagues to support H.R. 5489, a bill to designate a United States 
Postal Service facility located at 6892 Main Street in Gloucester, 
Virginia, as the ``Congresswoman Jo Ann S. Davis Post Office.'' I 
introduced this legislation to honor Jo Ann who dedicated her entire 
being to serving the First District of Virginia.
  As you've heard, Jo Ann made history in 2000 when she became the 
first female Republican elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 
from the Commonwealth of Virginia. In Congress, she was a passionate 
advocate for better government, lower taxes, and a strong national 
defense. Jo Ann believed that God called her to service, and in her 
years of service to this Nation, Jo Ann's reliance on God never 
wavered.
  Virginia's First District is home to one of our Nation's most 
treasured historical sites. In 1607, our Nation's first settlement was 
founded at Jamestown. Jo Ann often reminded others in Virginia and 
around the Nation that she actually represented America's First 
District where the beginnings of America were founded.
  Indeed, the First District has a rich history, including a 
significant and important military community. And Jo Ann was a tireless 
advocate for our brave servicemembers. She constantly supported 
legislation that strengthened our armed services and improved benefits 
for our men and women in uniform. As cochair and founding member of the 
Ship Building Caucus, she worked tirelessly to ensure that Congress 
provided for our Navy.
  Jo Ann truly loved her family and had an unwavering faith in our Lord 
and Savior, Jesus Christ. She regularly attended the Members' weekly 
prayer breakfast, and she was also cochair of the 2007 National Prayer 
Breakfast, an event designed to bring leaders of the country and 
leaders from around the world together in recognition of our dedication 
to God.
  Jo Ann was known as an extraordinarily caring and helpful person, and 
anyone who came across her was touched. She worked on both sides of the 
aisle and truly defined bipartisanship.
  Jo Ann represented the people of the First District of Virginia with 
extraordinary distinction, and through her service, she set an example 
of courage in the face of adversity. She refused to allow a disease 
that afflicts many to affect her life or to take away from her work 
that she loved so dearly. She was dedicated to representing her 
constituents even while undergoing chemotherapy treatments. And I have 
to say that the day after one of those chemotherapy treatments, she was 
in the little town of Kilmarnock in the northern neck of Virginia to 
celebrate their 75th anniversary. I had the privilege of being with Jo 
Ann that day, and it was a cold, windy spring day, and she was there 
without a coat on. And I thought, how brave for her to be there right 
after a chemotherapy session, to be out there celebrating with the 
folks of Kilmarnock. And afterwards I got her aside and said, Jo Ann, I 
am so surprised that you're here after that chemotherapy treatment. And 
she said, Rob, listen, I'm not different than anybody else. I have 
adversity in my life just like everybody else, and I don't expect for 
me to do anything different than anybody else who faces adversity would 
have to do.
  And that just proved to me what a brave and humble soul Jo Ann was 
and how she really had in mind others above herself.
  Mr. Speaker, because of Jo Ann Davis' diligence and devoted service 
to our country, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the people of the 
First District, I am proud to sponsor this legislation, and I urge my 
colleagues to support H.R. 5489.
  Mr. CLAY. I continue to reserve.
  Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield as 
much time as she may use to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Drake).
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I would certainly like to thank my 
colleagues for this resolution today in honor of my dear friend, 
Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis.
  Jo Ann really was the American dream, and we have all heard a lot 
about her life since her very unfortunate and very early passing last 
fall. But she came from a very poor childhood and reached just, I 
think, the highest of success to serve in this body.
  But she was a success because she cared for other people and she put 
them first. And that's what people saw in Jo Ann. They loved and 
trusted her. She was a woman of great faith, great courage, great 
honesty, great strength, and great integrity.
  Jo Ann was a very private person, and when she told me of her 
diagnosis with breast cancer, I was really quite surprised that she had 
made the decision that she would be very public with her illness for 
the purpose of helping other women. I think we all admire and thank her 
for doing that. But I watched as she went through her chemo, and I saw 
how she struggled to be here with each and every one of us.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank my colleagues. I know if Jo Ann 
were here today she would say, oh, don't bother doing that. But we all 
need a memory of Jo Ann. I think this is a fitting way to do it. She 
loved America. She served her constituents, she was true to herself, 
and she was a gift to each and every one of us who knew her.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.
  Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my distinguished 
colleague from the State of North Carolina (Mrs. Myrick).
  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and also 
for bringing this resolution forward as a small token of honor for Jo 
Ann Davis.
  All of us in this Chamber loved her because Jo Ann was Jo Ann. She 
was simply who she was. She made no bones about it. As the gentlewoman 
from Virginia said, she came from a humble background and achieved very 
good things in her life. She did care about other people, and I think 
having this post office named after her lets the people in her 
district, every time they go by it, because it's on a main road, every 
time they go in it they will remember Jo Ann.
  She was a breast cancer survivor, as was mentioned, and she and I had 
a special bond not only because of that but because of a lot of 
similarities in our lives, and we all miss her greatly.
  But the thing about Jo Ann was she was here for the right reasons. 
She was here to do public service, she was here to help her 
constituents, and she did that, even in trying times. She still came 
here and did her job. And she served her people well.
  Thank you again for this resolution, and I hope everyone will support 
it.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.
  Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers at this time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to give this recognition 
to our former colleague, Representative Jo Ann Davis, and urge the 
passage of this bill.
  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my former 
colleague and friend, Jo Ann Davis. Congresswoman Davis was a 
remarkable woman whose courage under challenging circumstances made so 
many of us proud to be her friend. She never gave up during her valiant 
two-year fight

[[Page H2083]]

against breast cancer and continued to serve the citizens of the 1st 
District of Virginia throughout her treatments until her untimely death 
on October 6, 2007.
  Inasmuch as Congresswoman Davis' district had a large number of 
Federal employees, and because of her impressive knowledge and advocacy 
on behalf of all civil servants, I appointed her Chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Organization when I was 
Chairman of the Committee on Government Reform. Her dedication and 
sense of teamwork while a Member of Congress were traits I could always 
count on--as could the entire Virginia Delegation.
  It is with pleasure I support the passage of H.R. 5489 and thank Mr. 
Wittman for taking this opportunity to dedicate the Postal Service 
located at 6892 Main Street in Gloucester, Virginia in honor of our 
esteemed former colleague, Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5489, to designate 
the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6892 Main 
Street in Gloucester, Virginia, as the ``Congresswoman Jo Ann S. Davis 
Post Office.''
  I would like to thank Congressman Rob Wittman for introducing this 
legislation to honor the memory of our colleague and friend.
  Congresswoman Davis was not only my House colleague, she was my 
Virginia colleague who represented the First District of Virginia--a 
district, which she proudly called ``America's 1st District'' because 
of our country's roots at Jamestown and the many significant events in 
history, which occurred there.
  Her career in elected office spanned 10 short years--from her first 
election in 1997 to the Virginia House of Delegates to her four elected 
terms in the House beginning in 2000. But over that decade, she made 
her mark as a deeply caring and hard-working public servant who 
believed in commonsense, conservative ideals.
  She was a person of honesty, integrity, and strong moral conviction 
in representing her district and living her life. She was a dedicated 
and tenacious fighter for her beliefs, and the importance of her faith 
was obvious in the way she cared for and treated others. And, above all 
else, she worked tirelessly to protect the interests of the men and 
women in uniform, their families, and veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that this designation will serve as a constant 
reminder to the constituents of the First District of Jo Ann's service 
and leadership. I wholeheartedly urge my colleagues to join us in 
recognizing Jo Ann's memory by supporting this bill.
  Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, just a few months ago, we said farewell to a 
great woman and a great patriot, my colleague of several years, Jo Ann 
Davis. Jo Ann was a terrific friend, and the Commonwealth of Virginia 
suffered tremendously from her loss.
  Since my days of serving with her in the Virginia House of Delegates, 
Jo Ann fought for and embodied the core values of Virginia. She was an 
ardent advocate for veterans, national defense and a strong military. 
The naming of a Gloucester post office in honor of Jo Ann Davis is a 
wonderful tribute that will serve as a reminder of her love and service 
to Virginia's First District.
  Mr. CLAY. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 5489.
  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. WITTMAN of Virginia. 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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