[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 130 (Tuesday, September 15, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H9507-H9508]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS MEMORIAL POST OFFICE

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 3386) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 1165 2nd Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa, as the ``Iraq 
and Afghanistan Veterans Memorial Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3386

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

     SECTION 1. IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS MEMORIAL POST 
                   OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 1165 2nd Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa, shall 
     be known and designated as the ``Iraq and Afghanistan 
     Veterans Memorial 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 ``Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Memorial 
     Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Towns) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. TOWNS. 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 New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TOWNS. I now yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform, I am pleased to present H.R. 3386 for consideration. This 
legislation will designate the United States postal facility located at 
1165 2nd Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa, as the ``Iraq and Afghanistan 
Veterans Memorial Post Office.''
  At this time I would like to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ISSA. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this bill designating the facility of 
the United States Postal Service located at 1165 2nd Avenue in Des 
Moines, Iowa, as the ``Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Memorial Post 
Office.''
  Mr. Speaker, this is a particularly appropriate naming. Often we name 
post offices in honor of one individual whose service may have been in 
the Postal Service, here in Congress, or perhaps an individual who gave 
their last full measure to the country.
  In this case, we're recognizing a conflict--a conflict that has been 
difficult and has cost the lives of a great many American men and 
women--and this broad recognition that we should pay honor to them is 
particularly noteworthy when you realize that more than 11,000 Iowa 
National Guard members have been called to Active Duty in the past 8 
years and that in fact more than 70 have died in combat.
  So I join with Mr. Boswell in support for this bill. It's well 
thought out. It's unusual for a Member to forgo perhaps the 
gratification of naming something after a former colleague or after 
somebody by name in their district and to look beyond that--to look to 
the brave men and women who have served nobly in this crisis and 
recognize them in a broader way and one that I think will be enduring 
in Iowa for generations to come.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa 
(Mr. Boswell) who has worked very hard to make certain that we are here 
today.
  (Mr. BOSWELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. BOSWELL. I would first like to thank the chairman and ranking 
member for moving this bill along. I might add, Mr. Issa, that we did 
have an individual request for this, and we thought about it long and 
hard. Then we thought about the multitude, the many that have served, 
and felt like it was appropriate to do this.
  So I do rise today and honor those who have nobly served the Nation 
in Iraq and Afghanistan, and ask colleagues to support H.R. 3386, 
which, as has been said, will designate a post office in Des Moines, 
Iowa, as the ``Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Memorial Post Office.''
  Having spent some 20 years myself in the Army, and a couple tours in 
Vietnam, I understand the sacrifices, and so do you, Mr. Issa, and so 
do many others, made by our servicemembers.
  Our Armed Forces have many assets--whether it's our aircraft 
carriers, fighter planes, missiles. However, oftentimes one of the 
greatest military assets is overlooked, and that's our military 
personnel.
  Our servicemen and -women stand ready to defend the freedoms we hold 
dear. Our all-volunteer force is made up of brave individuals who know 
all too well the sacrifices that we have asked them to make. Yet time 
and again, with this knowledge, they continue to put our freedoms above 
what they give up. These brave young men and women who have fought in 
these wars, many having lost their lives, deserve recognition for their 
service and their sacrifice.
  Renaming the post office in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, will create a 
memorial for all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, and each day Iowans 
will be reminded of our neighbors who courageously fought on our 
behalf. By renaming this post office, we honor those who have served, 
but also those who have given the ultimate sacrifice--their lives. To 
date, more than 50 Iowans have made that sacrifice.
  Those who have or are serving in our Armed Forces are committed to 
serving our Nation with courage and honor. We must make that same 
commitment to them.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3386. We must 
never forget.

[[Page H9508]]

  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield back the balance of my 
time and urge full support for this resolution.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  The legislation before us pays tribute to the brave men and women 
from the city of Des Moines. Let me say that over 400 have been 
wounded, 50 have been killed, and I think that this is something that, 
once it's there, people will always see it and know in terms of what 
happened.
  Let me say that I urge my colleagues to support this legislation 
because I think it's legislation that's broad and that it recognizes 
the conflict and, of course, the people that have been involved in it 
in the local area as well.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3386.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________