[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 164 (Thursday, November 5, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H12398-H12400]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   JACK F. KEMP POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (S. 1211) to designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 60 School Street, Orchard Park, New York, as 
the ``Jack F. Kemp Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 1211

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

     SECTION 1. JACK F. KEMP POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 60 School Street, Orchard Park, New York, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Jack F. Kemp Post 
     Office Building''.
       (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 ``Jack F. Kemp Post Office Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Bilbray) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).


                             General Leave

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. 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 Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform, I am very proud to present S. 1211 for consideration. This 
measure would designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 60 School Street, Orchard Park, New York, as the 
``Jack F. Kemp Post Office Building.''
  S. 1211 was introduced July 9, 2009, by Senator Chuck Schumer of New 
York and passed by the United States Senate by unanimous consent on 
September 4, 2009. The bill was then favorably reported out of the 
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform by unanimous consent 
on October 29, 2009.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 1211 will designate the postal facility at 60 School 
Street in Orchard Park, New York, as the Jack F. Kemp Post Office. Mr. 
Kemp launched his first political campaign in 1970 and ran for the 
congressional seat in upstate New York's 39th District. Mr. Kemp won 
his first election and proceeded to serve eight additional terms in 
Congress.
  In addition to his tenure in Congress, Mr. Kemp's political career 
also includes his service as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
in the administration of President George Herbert Walker Bush from 1989 
to 1993 and as the Republican Party's Vice Presidential candidate in 
1996.
  Mr. Speaker, regretfully, Jack Kemp passed away on May 2 of this 
year. In honor of his legacy of public service, Mr. Kemp was 
posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President 
Barack Obama in 2009. Let us continue to honor this dedicated public 
servant through passage of this legislation to designate the School 
Street post office in his name.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting S. 1211 and reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in support of S. 1211, designating the United States 
Post Office at 60 School Street in Orchard Park, New York, as the Jack 
F. Kemp Post Office.
  A former Congressman, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 
and, most importantly, a former quarterback for the San Diego Chargers, 
Jack Kemp will always be remembered in San Diego and around this 
country for his unwavering dedication to the ideals of conservative 
principles, a passion for economics, faith in helping poor people 
across the country, and for his eloquent quotes of Abraham Lincoln, 
Winston Churchill, or one of the influential citizens he met along his 
journey, such as Kimi Gray. Jack Kemp was truly an American original.
  Through his years as a Congressman and as a Cabinet Secretary, Jack 
Kemp inspired us all to hold fast to our ideals. He was known and 
respected by people in both political parties and by people from all 
walks of life for his leadership and commitment to principles, no 
matter what the issue.
  Jack Kemp spent the majority of his political career staunchly 
advocating tax cuts, promoting economic growth, and encouraging us all 
to recognize, as John Kennedy did, that a rising economic tide raises 
all boats. His devotion to supply-side economics saw its height when, 
due largely to his influence, it became a cornerstone in the

[[Page H12399]]

Reagan administration's economic policy. He believed in expanding and 
growing the economic pie, not just parceling up what was available at 
the time.
  He was also deeply committed to minority rights. Throughout his life, 
Jack Kemp relentlessly urged the GOP to fight for and support 
minorities. He sincerely believed in the party of Abraham Lincoln as 
the party that should be leading all people in this country.

                              {time}  1445

  As Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, he was a forceful 
advocate for affordable housing for all Americans, especially in the 
inner cities.
  Congressman Kemp was a role model because of his integrity and his 
passion, whether it be on the football field, in the House Chamber or 
in the executive branch, and it is appropriate today that we name this 
post office after him.
  I reserve the remainder of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such 
time as he might consume to Representative Brian Higgins of New York.
  Mr. HIGGINS. I thank the gentleman for the time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1211, a bill to honor 
former Congressman Jack Kemp by naming a post office in Orchard Park, 
New York, in his memory.
  Jack Kemp was born and raised in Los Angeles, and he did much of his 
important work here in Washington. But in his adopted home of western 
New York we consider him one of our own. We are especially proud of the 
contributions he made to our community, both on the football field as 
quarterback of the Buffalo Bills and in public service as our 
Representative in the United States Congress.
  During his 7-year tenure as quarterback of the Bills, Jack was 
embraced by the western New York community. He led the Bills to back-
to-back AFL championships in 1964 and in 1965, winning the league's 
Most Valuable Player award in 1965 as well. Today he still ranks third 
all time in Bills' record books for yards and touchdowns thrown.
  Before he ever stood for public office, Jack's leadership skills were 
evident when his teammates named him captain of the San Diego Chargers 
in 1960, and after he was claimed by Buffalo, the Bills, in 1962. In a 
preview of the interest he would later take in matters of economic 
policy, he cofounded the AFL Players' Association and was elected its 
president five times.
  After he retired from football, Jack ran for an open House seat in 
New York's 31st congressional district. He served nine terms in the 
House of Representatives, where many of my colleagues had the privilege 
to serve with him.
  As a Member of the House, Congressman Kemp was a tireless advocate 
for job creation, particularly in urban areas like Buffalo. He helped 
promote the idea of using special tax incentives to encourage job 
creation and private investment in distressed communities. This is a 
cause that I try to advance on behalf of western New York today through 
my work on the House Ways and Means Committee, and I owe a great deal 
to the foundation and the groundwork that Jack laid in this area.
  After leaving Congress, Jack went on to serve as Secretary of Housing 
and Urban Development in the administration of George H. W. Bush, where 
he continued to advocate for America's urban centers through promoting 
enterprise zones to attract investment to cities and by moving more 
Americans into homeownership.
  Jack also famously joined the 1996 Presidential ticket of Senator Bob 
Dole. While I may not have agreed with much of the platform on which 
they ran, I, like all western New Yorkers, was proud that Jack 
represented our community so well on the national stage.
  Jack Kemp passed away on May 2, 2009, at his home in Bethesda, 
Maryland. He was an accomplished politician, an outstanding athlete and 
a tireless public servant to this Nation. He will be, and already is, 
greatly missed.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 1211 would name a post office in Orchard Park, New 
York--where the Buffalo Bills play--after Jack Kemp. I would like to 
thank Senator Charles Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for 
proposing this fitting tribute in his honor, and I urge its passage.
  Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to 
the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. King).
  Mr. KING of New York. I thank the gentleman from California for 
yielding, and I am proud to rise in support of this legislation which 
will be naming a post office in honor of Jack Kemp.
  As the Speaker well knows, Jack Kemp was a long-time Congressman from 
New York. Jack Kemp was a proud Republican who was always willing to 
reach across party lines. Jack Kemp was a principled conservative who 
tried to find ways always to make those who were not as well off as 
others, to enable them to move up in society.
  He was particularly interested in low-income areas. He was 
particularly interested in expanding housing opportunities for the 
underprivileged. As the Speaker knows, Congressman Kemp worked very 
closely with Congressman Garcia in the Bronx to expand housing, to 
provide more opportunities. Jack Kemp was a Republican who saw a large 
world. He saw a world where we could reach out to all people.
  In my own case, I was proud to call Jack Kemp a friend. I knew him 
for many years before I had the opportunity to be here in Congress. 
During that time I was always struck by his integrity, by his candor 
and by his willingness to explain, even to people like myself, the 
nuances of economics. Jack Kemp was the author and the architect--and 
no one was more involved than he was in the Reagan Revolution--of the 
Kemp-Roth tax bills which brought unprecedented job growth to this 
country.
  Mr. Speaker, Jack Kemp personified the very best of this Congress. He 
personified the very best of being an all-pro athlete, a person who was 
always there for his friends, always there for his country, a man who 
until the day he died was fighting for the principles he believed in.
  I am proud to join in this resolution.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure to yield such 
time as he might consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania, 
Representative Fattah.
  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation. I 
knew Jack Kemp and worked with him when he was Secretary of HUD on an 
initiative in Philadelphia to take a major step in reforming public 
housing, move away from high-rise public housing for families with 
children and create real neighborhoods. It was Secretary Kemp, former 
Congressman Kemp, who really supported this effort and today, with a 
whole new skyline, a city of neighborhoods, increased our property 
values in all of the communities where we took down the high-rises and 
created real homes and neighborhoods for families.
  So I want to just rise--even though I know he is from New York and 
the Yankees won--as a Philadelphian to thank Jack Kemp for his service 
and to support this legislation today. He truly made a difference, not 
just as a Member of Congress but in his life after his work in the 
Congress as part of the President's Cabinet and as the Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development.
  Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  I want to compliment the gentleman from Pennsylvania. It's true, as 
somebody who had to endure, as my father was stationed in South Philly 
before the urban renewal, but mostly before we abandoned the old 
concepts of urban renewal and talked about true revitalization, which 
was a totally different restructuring of the way government went in, it 
wasn't the one-size-fits-all Washington knows best, it went in and 
incorporated with the community, allowed the community to decide, right 
sizing, human sizing, not just government sizing. It really did 
transform, especially South Philly.
  As somebody that spent his childhood, some of his childhood in 
Philly, I was happy to see that Jack Kemp was able to work with the 
local Congressmen, the local community, to make sure that in the future 
the children in that area wouldn't have to endure what we did in those 
days.
  I also want to point out, Mr. Speaker, that Jack Kemp was somebody 
who

[[Page H12400]]

really stood up for the concept that thinking outside of the box was 
important, that Democrat or Republican or left and right, that being 
right was all that mattered and not worrying about staying in and being 
locked in to parameters of so-called political doctrine.
  I would also like to point out in closing that as a personal friend 
of his, I appreciate the fact that we have been able to discuss his 
life. I just want to correct for the record that as far as I remember, 
Jack Kemp was not only a quarterback for the Chargers, he was the first 
quarterback for the Chargers. He was the guy that we first saw carrying 
the lightning bolt in what was then Balboa Stadium. We will always 
remember him not as a Congressman, not as a Secretary, but always the 
guy who was carrying the ball for those of us in San Diego.
  I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, I would urge the passage of S. 1211, and 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, S. 1211.
  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. DAVIS of Illinois. 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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