[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 23, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H2235-H2237]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CHANEY, GOODMAN, SCHWERNER FEDERAL BUILDING

  Mr. PERRIELLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3562) to designate the Federal building under construction 
at 1220 Echelon Parkway in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ``Chaney, 
Goodman, Schwerner Federal Building,'' as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3562

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

     SECTION 1. BUILDING DESIGNATION.

       The Administrator of General Services shall ensure that the 
     federally occupied building located at 1220 Echelon Parkway 
     in Jackson, Mississippi, is known and designated as the 
     ``James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner Federal 
     Building''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       With respect to the period in which the building referred 
     to in section 1 is federally occupied, any reference in a 
     law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the 
     United States to that building shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael 
     Schwerner Federal Building''.
         Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to designate the 
     federally occupied building located at 1220 Echelon Parkway 
     in Jackson, Mississippi, as the `James Chaney, Andrew 
     Goodman, and Michael Schwerner Federal Building'.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Perriello) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario 
Diaz-Balart) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PERRIELLO. 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. 3562.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PERRIELLO. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3562, as amended, 
which designates the federally occupied building located at 1220 
Echelon Parkway in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ``James Chaney, Andrew 
Goodman, and Michael Schwerner Federal Building.''
  The events surrounding these three young men have a special place in 
the history of the civil rights movement. James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, 
and Michael Schwerner were civil rights activists who were training in 
Ohio to organize African Americans in Mississippi during the Freedom 
Summer of 1964. These three young men represented a wave of young 
Americans that took time off from other parts of their lives to wade 
into certain adversity in the fight for equal rights for all Americans.
  During this fateful summer, these three young men were arrested by 
the local police as they were leaving the site of the burned church and 
held by the police for several hours. Later, they were released, only 
to be rearrested shortly thereafter. After the second arrest, the local 
police official turned the three civil rights activists over to members 
of the Ku Klux Klan. All three activists were later murdered and their 
bodies were buried in an earthen dam outside of Philadelphia, 
Mississippi.
  Many Members of this Chamber came of age during the civil rights 
movement, and it was a defining time in American history. This bill 
offers an opportunity to recognize the sacrifice of these young men, 
which galvanized the Nation's conscience on the brutality that everyday 
Americans were facing. The public's reaction to these events ultimately 
provided the momentum necessary for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 
1964. The bill is all the more significant since the named building 
will house the Jackson, Mississippi FBI field office, which was created 
at the behest of President Lyndon B. Johnson as a result of this 
horrific crime. It is fitting that we honor the memory of these young 
men in designating the federally occupied building located at 1220 
Echelon Parkway in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ``James Chaney, Andrew 
Goodman, and Michael Schwerner Federal Building.'' I urge my colleagues 
to join me in supporting H.R. 3562.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  I want to thank the gentleman for his explanation of a moment in 
history that left a mark on this country and changed this country 
forever. These three individuals, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and 
Michael Schwerner, whose blood was spilled in 1964 in their quest for 
freedom for civil rights, that blood was spilled and it became part of 
a wave of change that swept our country towards civil rights. Others 
also sacrificed a lot for those efforts. It's fitting that this 
building will be named for them. It will be a memorial not only for 
them, for their sacrifice, and for those others who sacrificed as well, 
but also a reminder as to how far we have come from those sad days in 
1964. These three gentlemen gave their lives, but it was not in vain. 
We've seen the changes ever since. So, again, I think this is a fitting 
memorial and a fitting reminder for all of us as to the sacrifices that 
many have made and to how far we have come.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I would reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PERRIELLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), the author of this bill.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I appreciate the time from the gentleman 
from Virginia.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3562, a bill to designate the 
FBI building under construction in Jackson, Mississippi, as the Chaney, 
Goodman, and Schwerner Federal Building.
  Mr. Speaker, 45 years ago, three young men lost their lives while 
attempting to organize and register voters during what became known as 
Freedom Summer. These men were James Chaney, a 21-year-old Meridian, 
Mississippi, native; Andrew Goodman, a 20-year-old college student from 
New

[[Page H2236]]

York; and Michael Schwerner, a 24-year-old CORE organizer and social 
worker, also from New York.
  Mr. Speaker, on July 21, 1964, the three men were driving from 
Meridian, Mississippi, to Longdale, Mississippi, to investigate the 
burning of Mount Zion United Methodist Church, which had been the 
meeting place for numerous civil rights groups. Along their journey, 
the trio was stopped by a Neshoba County deputy, who was also known as 
a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Subsequently, the three young men were 
arrested for speeding and held at the Neshoba County jail, without the 
use of a telephone. Hours later, they were fined and released. Shortly 
after the trio continued their journey, they were again pulled over by 
the sheriff's deputy, who was, unbeknown to them, followed by a mob of 
Klansmen who had assembled to abduct and kill the men. The three 
individuals were taken to a remote area of the county and were beaten 
and killed. Their car was burned and their bodies were buried in an 
earthen dam.
  Mr. Speaker, the murders of James Chaney, who was black, and Andrew 
Goodman and Michael Schwerner, both Jewish, attracted national 
attention to the voracity of the State's racial problems. As a result 
of their deaths, there was more pressure on the Federal Government to 
pass the Voting Rights Act. After significant investigation by the FBI, 
the individuals' bodies were found on August 4, 1964. Due to 
Mississippi officials' refusal to prosecute the individuals for murder, 
the Justice Department brought charges against 17 individuals for 
conspiracy to deprive the three workers of their civil rights. Seven of 
the 17 individuals were found guilty, but none of them served terms 
longer than 6 years in jail. Mr. Speaker, finally, on June 21, 2005, a 
Neshoba County jury convicted Edgar Ray Killen on three counts of 
manslaughter and sentenced him to three consecutive terms of 20 years 
in prison in connection with the deaths of the young men.
  Mr. Speaker, these young men paid the ultimate price attempting to 
bring justice and equality to my home State of Mississippi. While the 
naming of this building pales in comparison to the loss of a son or 
brother, we hope that the families of these three young men will find 
solace in our acknowledgment of their contribution by naming the latest 
symbol of justice in Mississippi after their loved ones. May the naming 
of this building service as a notice to domestic terrorists--in this 
instance, they were law enforcement officials, Ku Klux Klansmen, and 
trucking company owners--that their actions will never be tolerated 
again.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert in the Record from the City of 
Jackson, Mississippi and the Hinds County Board of Supervisors 
resolutions passed supporting the naming of this building in honor of 
Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner.
  Mr. Speaker, while there may be many individuals who are worthy of 
having their names grace Mississippi's new FBI building, I cannot think 
of any more fitting for this honor than James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, 
and Michael Schwerner.

Resolution of the Board of Supervisors of Hinds County, Mississippi in 
 Support of Naming the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) Building in 
      Honor of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner

       Whereas, it is the intent of the Hinds County Board of 
     Supervisors, to rise strong in support and recognize the 
     contributions of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner, remarkable 
     gentlemen who dedicated their lives to the service of others, 
     in the effort to name the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) 
     Building located on 1220 Echelon Parkway, Jackson, 
     Mississippi, in their honor; and,
       Whereas, in June 1964, three young civil rights workers 
     disappeared outside Philadelphia, Mississippi, where they 
     were involved in the registering of African-Americans who had 
     a desire to vote. The Department of Justice requested the 
     Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) to intervene and lead the 
     case. During this time, an intensive search for the young men 
     was launched. At the request of President Lyndon Johnson, a 
     new Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) field office opened in 
     Jackson, Mississippi; and,
       Whereas, as a result of the opening of the Jackson Division 
     and the subsequent investigations, the bodies of the three 
     civil workers were found in August 1964, in an earthen dam 
     near Philadelphia, Mississippi. Seven men were convicted of 
     federal conspiracy charges and sentenced to prison terms 
     ranging from three to ten years. MIBURN, ``Mississippi 
     Burning'' as the case was called, became one of the largest 
     investigations ever conducted in Mississippi; and,
       Whereas, today, the Jackson Division has Special Agents 
     assigned at the headquarters office in Jackson and in the 
     nine (9) Resident Agencies, located in Columbus, Greenville, 
     Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Meridian, Oxford, Pascagoula, 
     Southaven, and Tupelo, Mississippi; and,
       Whereas, time may blur the enormous personal risk that they 
     took in America in 1964; today these civil rights activists 
     are recognized and remembered by people of all races for not 
     only the effect they had on the civil rights movement but 
     also for their selfless acts of heroicism: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, that the Hinds County Board of Supervisors, does 
     hereby express its unconditional support and commend the life 
     and legacy of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner, and supports 
     the effort to name the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) 
     Building in their honor.
                                  ____


 Resolution of the City of Jackson, Mississippi, in Support of Naming 
 the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Building in Honor of James 
             Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner

       Whereas, it is the intent of the governing authorities of 
     the City of Jackson, Mississippi (``City of Jackson''), to 
     recognize the contributions of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, 
     and Michael Schwerner, three (3) remarkable gentlemen who 
     dedicated their lives to the service of others; and
       Whereas, in June 1964, these three young civil rights 
     workers disappeared outside Philadelphia, Mississippi, where 
     they were involved in the registering of African-Americans 
     who had a desire to vote; and
       Whereas, the Department of Justice requested the Federal 
     Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to intervene and lead the case; 
     whereby, the FBI lead an intensive search for the young men; 
     and
       Whereas, during the investigation, and at the request of 
     President Lyndon B. Johnson, a new Federal Bureau 
     Investigation (FBI) field office was opened in Jackson, 
     Mississippi; and
       Whereas, as a result of the opening of the Jackson Division 
     and the subsequent investigations, the bodies of the three 
     civil workers were found in August 1964, in an earthen dam 
     near Philadelphia, Mississippi; and
       Whereas, seven (7) men were convicted of federal conspiracy 
     charges and sentenced to prison terms ranging from three (3) 
     to ten (10) years; and
       Whereas, MIBURN (``Mississippi Burning''), as the case was 
     called, became one of the largest investigations ever 
     conducted in Mississippi; and
       Whereas, today, the Jackson Division employs Special 
     Agents, which are assigned to the headquarters office in the 
     City of Jackson, as well as in the nine (9) Resident Agencies 
     located in the following Mississippi municipalities: 
     Columbus, Greenville, Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Meridian, 
     Oxford, Pascagoula, Southaven, and Tupelo; and
       Whereas, these civil rights activists will always be 
     recognized and remembered by people of all races, for not 
     only the effect they had on the civil rights movement, but 
     also for their selfless acts of heroicism: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, that the governing authorities of the City of 
     Jackson, Mississippi, do hereby strongly urge and join in the 
     effort to name the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 
     Building, located on 1220 Echelon Parkway, Jackson, 
     Mississippi, 39201, in honor of the life and legacy of James 
     Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner.

  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would like now to 
yield such time as he may consume to the ranking member of the 
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the gentleman from Florida 
(Mr. Mica).
  Mr. MICA. First, I want to thank my ranking member of our 
subcommittee for yielding me the time, and then I want to turn my 
attention to thanking the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) for 
his authorship of this legislation. Also, Ms. Norton from the District 
for her cosponsorship and sponsorship of this legislation.
  On behalf of all of the Republicans, I am fortunate to be the 
Republican leader of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, 
the biggest committee in Congress, and proud of the work of this 
subcommittee in bringing forth this legislation to honor three young 
heroes, three brave students who, in the summer of 1964, instead of 
playing games and doing whatever young people did that summer, they 
chose to become engaged in the civil rights movement and signing up 
people who previously hadn't had the ability to vote to exercise their 
constitutional right.
  Most young people today wouldn't know the names of James Chaney, 
Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner. This is 46 years ago. But 46 
years later, we're making a small memorial in naming this FBI building 
now in Mississippi, the headquarters, after these three individuals who 
made such a difference in the civil rights movement. And through their 
tragic and horrific death came so much good

[[Page H2237]]

that other people could have rights that they were fighting for in that 
summer of 1964.
  On behalf of the Republicans on the committee, I know I join in 
thanking, again, Mr. Thompson, Ms. Norton, and our ranking member, Mr. 
Diaz-Balart, for bringing this bill forward and for honoring those who 
haven't been honored before in this manner. What a great day for this 
Congress. What a great day for their memory. What a great day for the 
United States of America.
  Mr. PERRIELLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns).
  Mr. TOWNS. I'd like to thank the gentleman for yielding. Of course, I 
also would like to join those who have indicated, in terms of Mr. 
Thompson from Mississippi, in recognizing Schwerner, Goodman, and 
Chaney. I know that this is not bringing them back, but I think it says 
to the families of those that are left behind that the good that they 
did changed America, and to move America in the right direction. When 
you stop and you think about it, they gave of their lives in order to 
help to change America.
  I want to say to the gentleman from Mississippi, I think it's very 
honorable for him to come to the floor of the House and to offer this 
naming and this resolution of this Federal building, because when we 
look back and we see in terms of the things that they went through--not 
to do anything for themselves; they were trying to help others. And 
that's the reason why I think that this is so honorable, because they 
gave of their lives to be able to make America better. They made it 
possible for people like me to be able to come and be a part of the 
United States Congress. If it were not for their actions, we probably 
wouldn't even be here.

                              {time}  1545

  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to 
thank the gentleman from Mississippi. He mentioned a little while ago 
that there are some individuals that we name buildings after who are 
very meritorious. But this is a little bit different. These are three 
individuals who, frankly, changed our country for the better, and they 
gave it all. They gave their lives to change our country, to make our 
country a better place. So this is one of those that, frankly, is of 
great historic significance. I know it's important to the family 
members, but it is also equally important for our Nation for all to 
see, for all to remember, for all to know the sacrifices that so many, 
including these three individuals, made. This is the country that it is 
because people have been willing over the years to sacrifice, to even 
give their lives. And this was a tragic moment. Again, what a fitting 
tribute and reminder it is to name this building. So I want to thank 
the gentleman from Mississippi. I also need to thank Chairwoman Norton. 
She is now at this moment actually chairing her subcommittee, and I 
want to thank her also for her involvement, for her leadership, for 
moving this forward so quickly.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PERRIELLO. Mr. Speaker, let me just thank, again, the gentleman 
from Mississippi for his comments and his work in this effort. I may be 
one of the few Members of this body that was born after the events that 
we discussed here today. I had the great joy of growing up in a 
generation that knew the freedoms that these men fought and died for.
  But their legacy continues, and their lives continue through the 
inspiration they have spread. I remember working with kids in New Haven 
when I was in college, and we told the story of these three gentlemen. 
We told of their bravery and their courage to make sure that those who 
grow up today in a more free and equal society understand the blood and 
the tears that went into making that effort possible. Many in this body 
were part of that struggle to call this Nation to its greatest self and 
its truest ideals. In making them immortal in the naming of this 
office, I think we do a great honor to history and a great honor to 
this country at its best. We thank not only the people involved in 
bringing this resolution today but the families of these three 
gentlemen who sacrificed, that they may know that this Nation continues 
to honor their tremendous courage and their gift to this country.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3562, 
introduced by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson). H.R. 3562, 
as amended, designates the federally occupied building located at 1220 
Echelon Parkway in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ``James Chaney, Andrew 
Goodman, and Michael Schwerner Federal Building''.
  James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner were civil rights 
activists who were lynched in the summer of 1964 while attempting to 
organize African Americans to vote and pursue other civil rights in 
Mississippi. On June 21, 1964, the three men drove to Longdale, 
Mississippi, to investigate the site of a burned church in Neshoba 
County. They were arrested by the Neshoba County police as they were 
leaving the site and held by the police for several hours. They were 
later released only to be rearrested shortly thereafter. After the 
second arrest, the Neshoba County police officer turned the three civil 
rights activists over to local Klansmen. On August 4, 1964, 44 days 
later, their bodies were found buried in an earthen dam near 
Philadelphia, Mississippi.
  I was a young staffer working on Capitol Hill during this time period 
and can easily remember how the tragic plight of these three young men 
gripped this nation during that summer. Their deaths remain fixed in my 
mind and I am deeply moved as I remember how this incident helped 
strengthen the momentum for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
  The great public uproar also led President Lyndon B. Johnson to 
direct Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director J. Edgar Hoover 
to open the Jackson Division of the FBI. The FBI flooded the State with 
agents in an attempt to solve the crime and eventually arrested 18 
suspects on Federal conspiracy charges in the murder of these civil 
rights activists.
  These young men were courageous in the face of blistering adversity 
during the sustained march for civil rights in Mississippi during the 
summer of 1964. It is fitting we offer this permanent honor of their 
sacrifices with the designation of the Jackson, Mississippi FBI field 
office as the ``James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner 
Federal Building''.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3562.
  Mr. PERRIELLO. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Perriello) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3562, as amended.
  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. PERRIELLO. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the grounds that 
a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is 
not present.
  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.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________