[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 126 (Wednesday, September 9, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H9367-H9368]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  WILLIAM O. LIPINSKI FEDERAL BUILDING

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2498) to designate the Federal building located at 844 North 
Rush Street in Chicago, Illinois, as the ``William O. Lipinski Federal 
Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2498

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The Federal building located at 844 North Rush Street in 
     Chicago, Illinois, shall be known and designated as the 
     ``William O. Lipinski Federal Building''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the Federal building 
     referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to 
     the ``William O. Lipinski Federal Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and the gentleman from Florida 
(Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart) 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 
and to include extraneous material on H.R. 2498.
  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.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2498 and am pleased 
today to speak in support of a bill that names a Federal building 
located in Illinois as the ``William O. Lipinski Federal Building.''
  Representative William Lipinski was a leader on the Public Works and 
Transportation Committee and later on the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee throughout the time of his service in the 
Congress when he represented the Third and Fifth Congressional District 
of Illinois. He served as a senior Democrat on the Railroads 
Subcommittee, the Aviation Subcommittee, and the Highways and Transit 
Subcommittee.
  He had a lifelong passion to address transportation and connectivity 
issues in his district, whether it was providing a local airport with 
access for financing infrastructure improvements or providing public 
transit options to areas in his congressional district that lacked 
access. Representative Lipinski also played a large role in national 
transportation policy by taking leadership roles in the past two 
transportation authorization bills that provided funding for local 
priorities in highways, highway safety, mass transit and surface 
transportation programs.
  Representative Lipinski was born in Chicago on December 22, 1937. He 
attended Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, and served in the United 
States Army Reserves from 1961 to 1967. After serving in the Armed 
Forces, Representative Lipinski served in several different public 
service capacities in Chicago, Illinois. He was an alderman in Chicago, 
a city councilman, and later held several different positions within 
the Democratic Party in Chicago. Congressman Lipinski was eventually 
elected to Congress in 1982 and served in the 10 succeeding Congresses.
  Representative Lipinski retired in 2005 and is succeeded by his son, 
Representative Daniel Lipinski.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2498, which names this building 
located at 844 North Rush Street in Chicago as the ``William O. 
Lipinski Federal Building.''
  I reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, again, the chairwoman 
described this very, very well. I want to add just one more thing. I'm 
not quite sure if she touched on it.
  Obviously he has a long and distinguished career in this body and in 
the Transportation Committee as well, but he was also in the United 
States Army Reserve. And one of the things we should never, never 
forget are those who are willing to serve in our Nation's Armed Forces. 
He was willing to do so, and he did so honorably.
  So, again, naming this Federal building in Chicago after 
Representative Lipinski I think is an appropriate recognition of his 
commitment to public service.
  I do not believe that I have any other speakers. Can I inquire if 
there are any other speakers?
  Ms. NORTON. I have no other speakers.
  Does the gentleman have any other speakers?
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I have no other speakers, so I 
would yield back the remaining part of my time.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bill, H.R. 
2498, which I introduced, to designate the Federal building located at 
844 North Rush Street in Chicago, Illinois, as the ``William O. 
Lipinski Federal Building'' in honor of our former colleague and 
national leader in transportation issues, Bill Lipinski.
  William O. Lipinski was born in Chicago, and lived there for most of 
his life. He attended Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, and served in 
United States Army Reserves from 1961 to 1967. After serving in the 
armed forces, he was active in public service in Chicago, Illinois. He 
served as an Alderman, a city councilman, and several different 
positions within the Democratic Party in Chicago. William O. Lipinski 
was elected to Congress in 1982, where he went on to serve in 10 
succeeding Congresses. In his Congressional career, Congressman 
Lipinski served as the senior Democrat on the Subcommittee on 
Railroads, the Subcommittee on Aviation, and the Subcommittee on 
Highways and Transit.
  Our colleague, Bill Lipinski, was a leader on transportation issues 
while he represented the 3rd and 5th Congressional Districts of 
Illinois. He strongly advocated for the transportation and connectivity 
issues in his district, whether it was providing a local airport with 
access for financing for infrastructure improvement or providing public 
transit options to areas in his Congressional district that lacked 
access.

[[Page H9368]]

  In the early 1990s, Congressman Lipinski was instrumental in securing 
the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC), which enabled airports to finance 
infrastructure improvements. He also served in leadership roles in the 
past two surface transportation authorization bills, providing funding 
for highway, highway safety, and public transit programs.
  It is most fitting that we honor his civic career, his leadership 
role on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and his 
contributions to the transportation industry with this designation.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2498.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1215

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pastor of Arizona). 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. 
2498.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. NORTON. 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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