[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 183 (Tuesday, December 8, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H13573-H13574]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ROY RONDENO, SR. POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 3951) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 2000 Louisiana Avenue in New Orleans, Louisiana, as 
the ``Roy Rondeno, Sr. Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3951

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

     SECTION 1. ROY RONDENO, SR. POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 2000 Louisiana Avenue in New Orleans, 
     Louisiana, shall be known and designated as the ``Roy 
     Rondeno, Sr. 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 ``Roy Rondeno, Sr. Post Office Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Cao) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and add any extraneous materials.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the House subcommittee with jurisdiction 
over the United States Postal Service, I am pleased to present H.R. 
3951 for consideration. This legislation will designate the United 
States Postal Service facility located at 2000 Louisiana Avenue in New 
Orleans, Louisiana, as the ``Roy Rondeno, Sr. Post Office Building.''
  Introduced by my colleague, Representative Anh ``Joseph'' Cao of 
Louisiana on October 28, 2009, and reported out of the Oversight and 
Government Reform Committee on November 18, 2009 by unanimous consent, 
H.R. 3951 enjoys the support of the entire Louisiana House delegation.
  A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Roy Rondeno, Sr. served his 
beloved community as a dedicated employee of the United States Postal 
Service for over 30 years. Notably, Mr. Rondeno worked at the United 
States Postal Service facility at Uptown Station located at 2000 
Louisiana Avenue in New Orleans, the very facility that we seek to 
designate in his honor.
  The true embodiment of the old adage that ``neither rain, nor snow, 
nor sleet'' will keep a postman from completing his rounds, Mr. Rondeno 
was roundly known as a dedicated and beloved letter carrier who would 
never fail to deliver even the smallest package in the pouring rain.
  As noted by the New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper, many residents 
along Mr. Rondeno's route had formed a close relationship with this 
letter carrier and described him as a charismatic man who always had a 
kind word for everyone. According to friend and Uptown resident Susan 
Hereford, Mr. Rondeno did not only deliver the mail every day but 
rather also delivered ``a little piece of himself'' and connected with 
everyone on his route. Dr. Brian Ghere, another Uptown resident, 
further describes Mr. Rondeno as ``an exceptional human being, a great 
letter carrier, and a real credit to his profession.''
  The extent of Mr. Rondeno's commitment to his job and his Uptown 
residents that he was proud to serve was never more evident than on 
September 26 of this year. Mr. Rondeno volunteered to work on his day 
off given that the Uptown Station lacked enough letter carriers to 
cover the day's route. As Mr. Rondeno was sorting mail on the back of 
his truck, he was struck by a car and tragically lost both of his legs 
as a result of the accident.
  The outpouring of support for Mr. Rondeno and his family that 
followed his hospitalization stands as a true testament to Mr. 
Rondeno's standing in Uptown New Orleans as a model public servant and 
community member. Notably, local merchants and community leaders 
promptly established a donation fund to assist Mr. Rondeno in his 
recovery, and signs of support for the letter carrier could be seen 
hanging in a variety of local storefronts along his route.
  Regrettably, on October 2, only 6 days after this accident, Mr. 
Rondeno died from heart failure during surgery. Mr. Rondeno was only 57 
years old at the time of his death, and he had planned on retiring from 
the postal service early next year so as to focus his attention on 
serving his New Orleans community in a different capacity, through an 
outreach ministry that he had recently founded with his beloved wife, 
Shirley.
  As noted by Acting Louisiana District Manager Peter Sgro upon Mr. 
Rondeno's passing, ``Roy was a dedicated postal employee who wore his 
uniform proudly. Everybody who knew him agreed he had a tremendous work 
ethic and always worked to provide the best service to his customers 
and the postal service.''
  Mr. Speaker, while Mr. Rondeno is no longer with us, his memory will 
undoubtedly live on through his wife, Shirley; his three sons, Roy, 
Richard, and Ryan; and all those who were fortunate enough to know this 
dedicated and hardworking public servant.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that we can pay tribute to the life and 
legacy of Mr. Roy Rondeno, Sr. through the passage of this legislation 
to designate the Uptown postal facility in his honor. I urge all of my 
colleagues to join us and Mr. Cao, the chief sponsor of this measure, 
in supporting H.R. 3951.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CAO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3951 to designate the 
Uptown post office building located at 2000 Louisiana Avenue in New 
Orleans, Louisiana, in honor of Roy Rondeno, Sr., a 34-year USPS letter 
carrier and military veteran, who was the epitome of a loyal and 
beloved public servant and community member.
  In late September 2009, while working on his day off because the 
postal service was short-staffed, Mr. Rondeno was sorting through mail 
in the back of his truck when he was hit by a car. The vehicle blew 
through a stop sign

[[Page H13574]]

and critically injured him. Six days later, on October 2, 2009, he died 
from heart failure during surgery, a few weeks short of his plan to 
retire and spend time with his family and recently founded outreach 
ministry.
  Mr. Rondeno, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, lived in Metairie 
and worked at the USPS Uptown Station in New Orleans. He was known as a 
dedicated, charismatic, and beloved letter carrier. Survivors include 
his wife Shirley of Metairie; and sons Richard of Houston, Ryan of Los 
Angeles, and Roy, Jr. of Metairie.
  Mr. Rondeno's accident and subsequent death came as a complete shock 
to those whom he loyally and lovingly served for and with during the 
past 37 years. The merchants and community members whom Mr. Rondeno 
served established a donation fund in his honor and organized a block 
party to raise funds for his family. Shortly thereafter, the community 
members and Louisiana district postal employees asked that we dedicate 
this post office in his honor.
  According to the Times-Picayune, those whom Mr. Rondeno served said 
they formed a ``close bond'' with Mr. Rondeno and described him as a 
``happy man with a kind word for everyone and a dutiful postman who 
introduced himself to new residents, never delivered junk mail 
addressed to previous tenants, and would stand outside in pouring rain 
to deliver even the smallest package.''
  As one constituent, Susan Hereford, expressed to the Times-Picayune 
regarding Mr. Rondeno's service to and passion for those whom he 
served: ``To have that constancy with someone who doesn't just have his 
head down and drop mail in your box, he connected with everyone on his 
route. And they connected with him.''
  To those whom he served, Mr. Rondeno was a great letter carrier, 
civil servant, New Orleanian, American, veteran, and friend. To those 
he leaves behind, he was a loyal and loving husband, father, brother, 
uncle, and friend. I am proud of his service to the postal service, the 
United States Military, and the citizens of New Orleans, and I am proud 
to dedicate this post office in his honor.
  As another constituent, Mary Nass, said to the Times-Picayune: ``The 
outpouring of grief on the part of hundreds of people following Roy's 
death should teach us that we do not need to know others intimately to 
positively impact their lives. Here was a kind, humble, and 
conscientious man who made each and every person whose path he crossed 
feel a little happier, a little more connected to the human race, after 
his daily passing. No one could have left us a finer legacy.''
  Mr. Rondeno was beloved by the community, his colleagues, and his 
wonderful family. And I can think of no greater way to honor him than 
to dedicate the Uptown post office located at 2000 Louisiana Avenue in 
New Orleans, Louisiana, in his name as a reminder for all who go there 
of the dedication and passion of this public servant.
  I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 3951.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge all our colleagues to join 
Mr. Cao, the principal author of this bill, to support House Resolution 
3951, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3951.
  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. CAO. 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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