[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 59 (Monday, April 26, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H2848-H2849]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                ANTHONY J. CORTESE POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 4543) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 4285 Payne Avenue in San Jose, California, as the 
``Anthony J. Cortese Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4543

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

     SECTION 1. ANTHONY J. CORTESE POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 4285 Payne Avenue in San Jose, California, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Anthony J. Cortese 
     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 ``Anthony J. Cortese Post Office 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson) 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 proud to present H.R. 4543 
for consideration. This legislation will designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 4285 Payne Avenue in San Jose, 
California, as the Anthony J. Cortese Post Office Building.
  Introduced by my friend and colleague Representative Zoe Lofgren of 
California on January 27, 2010, H.R. 4543 was favorably reported out of 
the Oversight and Government Reform Committee on April 14, 2010, by 
unanimous consent. In addition, this legislation enjoys the 
overwhelming support of the California House delegation.
  A 55-year resident of San Jose, California, Mr. Anthony Cortese was 
born in the East Bay city of Richmond, California, and graduated from 
James Lick High School in San Jose. While in his early twenties, Mr. 
Cortese began working for the United States Postal Service as a letter 
carrier in the downtown San Jose post office and continued to serve as 
a proud Postal Service employee for over 40 years. As a letter carrier, 
Mr. Cortese became an active member of his union, the National 
Association of Letter Carriers Local 193. Mr. Cortese climbed the ranks 
from shop steward to vice president, and in 1981 was elected union 
president, a position he proudly held for 27 years.
  As president of Local 193 for nearly 30 years, Mr. Cortese devoted 
his efforts to advancing the well-being of his fellow letter carriers. 
Notably, Mr. Cortese successfully procured a union-owned headquarters 
building for the members of Local 193. He helped expand member health 
benefits and established an open, meaningful, and continuing dialogue 
between his union members and Federal, State, and local elected 
officials.
  However, Mr. Cortese's service was not just limited to his efforts on 
behalf

[[Page H2849]]

of his fellow letter carriers. Rather, Mr. Cortese's commitment to 
public service could be evidenced by his effort to benefit the entire 
San Jose community. Specifically, in 1990, Mr. Cortese established a 
local food drive initiative, sponsored by the National Association of 
Letter Carriers, that since 1991 has become a national food drive held 
every year on the first Saturday before Mother's Day.
  Regrettably, Mr. Cortese passed away on February 11, 2007. However, 
while Mr. Cortese is no longer with us, his memory and legacy of public 
service will live on through his family, his friends, his community, 
and of course his fellow letter carriers.
  Mr. Speaker, let us further honor the life and legacy of this letter 
carrier and former union president Anthony Cortese through the passage 
of H.R. 4543, which will designate the postal facility located at 4285 
Payne Avenue in San Jose, California, in his honor. I urge my 
colleagues to join me and the bill sponsor, Zoe Lofgren from 
California.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4543, designating the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4285 Payne 
Avenue in San Jose, California, as the Anthony J. Cortese Post Office 
Building.

                              {time}  1415

  A graduate of James Lick High School in San Jose, Mr. Cortese started 
working as a letter carrier in his early twenties. He was known for his 
outgoing nature and ability to work collaboratively to get things done, 
whether he was resolving workplace issues or organizing charitable work 
in the local community.
  As president of the National Letter Carriers Association Branch 193 
for over 26 years, Mr. Cortese had one of the longest tenures of any 
local labor official. Not only did Mr. Cortese help build membership of 
more than 1,000 local postal workers into a political force, he also 
helped to initiate a food drive in which letter carriers collected 
donations for the Second Harvest Food Bank for families in the San Jose 
area. This program served as a pilot for what ultimately became a 
national food drive sponsored by the NALC. The program continues today 
and is just one of the generous contributions Mr. Cortese made to his 
community and his country.
  Sadly, this outstanding citizen of San Jose died of a heart condition 
on February 11, 2007. He leaves behind his wife, Barbara; his daughter, 
Caroline; his sister, Mary; and his grandchildren, Austin and Ashley.
  For his tireless efforts for his fellow postal workers and people in 
need throughout the country, it is fitting that we name the post office 
in Tony Cortese's honor.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for his kind 
remarks. And I would encourage my colleagues to join the lead sponsor 
of this measure, Zoe Lofgren from California, in supporting H.R. 4543.
  Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 
4543, a bill to designate the U.S. Post Office located at 4285 Payne 
Avenue in San Jose, California, as the Anthony J. Cortese Post Office.
  For over four decades, Mr. Cortese was a proud and dedicated employee 
of the United States Postal Service. He was also a loving family man, 
respected community leader, and a friend to many of us in local 
government.
  Mr. Cortese was born in the East Bay and moved to Santa Clara County 
with his family after his father went to work at the Ford Plant in 
Milpitas. A few years after graduating from James Lick High School in 
San Jose, Mr. Cortese started working as a letter carrier in the 
downtown San Jose post office.
  Mr. Cortese was a tireless advocate for letter carriers in the region 
and made a significant impact on his community. In addition to his 
forty-two years with the Postal Service, Mr. Cortese served twenty-
seven years as the president of the National Association of Letter 
Carriers Local 193. Under his leadership, Local 193 procured a building 
for its members, secured expanded health benefits, and provided an open 
forum for discussion with union members, community advocates, Postal 
Service supervisors, and local elected officials. Throughout his 
tenure, Mr. Cortese developed strong relationships with postal workers 
and management.
  Mr. Cortese's service was not limited to advocacy of union members, 
but extended into the San Jose community and beyond. In 1990, Mr. 
Cortese started a food drive program through the Second Harvest Food 
Bank to help needy families in the San Jose area. Under Mr. Cortese's 
guidance, this program served as a pilot for what would become a 
national food drive sponsored by the National Association of Letter 
Carriers.
  I urge all of my colleagues to join Congressman Mike Honda and me to 
vote in favor of this bill to honor our good friend, Anthony J. 
Cortese.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, 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. 4543.
  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. LYNCH. 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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