[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 104 (Wednesday, July 14, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H5561-H5563]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TOM BRADLEY POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 5450) to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 3894 Crenshaw Boulevard in Los 
Angeles, California, as the ``Tom Bradley Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5450

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

     SECTION 1. TOM BRADLEY POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 3894 Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles, 
     California, shall be known and designated as the ``Tom 
     Bradley 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 ``Tom Bradley Post Office Building''.

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


                             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 such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from Los Angeles, California (Ms. Watson), 
the author of this legislation.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5450. I 
would also like to thank the members of the California delegation for 
supporting this bill.
  H.R. 5450 would designate a Post Office in my district located at 
3894 Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, as the Tom Bradley 
Post Office Building.
  Tom Bradley served as the mayor of Los Angeles for an unprecedented 
20 years, as a city councilman for 10 years, and as a Los Angeles 
police officer for 21 years. Tom Bradley, the son of sharecroppers and 
the grandson of a former slave, was born on December 29, 1917, to Lee 
and Crenner Bradley in Calvert, Texas. In 1924, the Bradleys moved to 
Los Angeles near Temple and Alvarado Streets.
  A young Tom Bradley attended Polytechnic High School, where he 
starred in track and was an all-city football player. Upon graduating 
from high school in 1937, Bradley attended the University of California 
at Los Angeles on a track scholarship. During his junior year at UCLA, 
Bradley dropped out to attend the Los Angeles Police Academy.
  After becoming a police officer in 1940 and serving many years in the 
department, Tom Bradley would rise to the rank of lieutenant, which was 
the highest rank for an African American at that time.
  While working for the Los Angeles Police Department, Bradley studied 
at night at Southwestern University School of Law and received his law 
degree in 1956. He later passed the State bar, and in 1961 he would 
leave the LAPD to practice law.
  In 1963, Tom Bradley, along with Billy Mills, would become the first 
African Americans elected to the Los Angeles City Council. Bradley 
would serve on the City Council until the year 1972. During his tenure 
on the City Council, he would speak out against racial segregation 
within the LAPD, as well as the department's handling of the Watts 
riots in 1965.
  In 1969, Tom Bradley first challenged incumbent mayor Sam Yorty. 
Armed with key endorsements, Bradley held a substantial lead over Yorty 
in the primary, but was a few percentage points shy of winning the race 
outright. However, in the runoff, Yorty pulled an amazing come-from-
behind victory to win reelection, primarily because he played racial 
politics.
  In 1973, Tom Bradley would unseat Sam Yorty to become Los Angeles' 
first African American mayor and the second African American to be 
mayor of a major United States city.
  During Tom Bradley's tenure as mayor, Los Angeles overtook San 
Francisco as the financial capital of the State and much of the West. 
The

[[Page H5562]]

City of Los Angeles sprouted a skyline of new and impressive office 
buildings, and with a booming international airport and Port of Los 
Angeles, the city became a transportation hub and gateway to the 
Pacific rim.
  In 1982, as the Democratic Party nominee, Tom Bradley lost the race 
for California governor to George Deukmejian by less than 1 percentage 
point of the vote. The racial dynamics that appeared to underlie his 
narrow and unexpected loss in 1982 gave rise to the political term 
``the Tom Bradley effect.''
  In 1984, amid a chorus of people predicting disaster, Tom Bradley 
championed Los Angeles as the host of the Summer Olympics. The games 
were a huge success, bringing the city not only great publicity, but a 
$250 million surplus, and I am happy to announce that that surplus has 
grown and it still remains around $300 million.
  Tom Bradley's most difficult moments as mayor came in the last years 
of his tenure. During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, more than 50 people 
were killed in the civil unrest following the acquittal of the police 
officers involved in the Rodney King beating.
  During a speech in September of 1992 when Bradley announced he would 
not seek a sixth term as mayor, he stated, ``The April unrest tore at 
my heart, and I will not be at peace until we have healed our wounds 
and rebuilt our neighborhoods. Let us all, every one of us, pledge to 
make Los Angeles a beacon of mutual respect, justice and tolerance from 
this day forward.''

                              {time}  1120

  The words of tolerance, justice, and respect were how Tom Bradley 
lived his life, governed the city of Los Angeles, and created 
coalitions with people from every race, religion, and ethnic 
background.
  At the age of 80, Tom Bradley died on September 29, 1998. He was 
survived by his late wife, Ethel Bradley, and their two daughters, 
Lorraine and Phyllis. The city of Los Angeles will never have a mayor 
that served as long as Tom Bradley and had the type of impact and 
influence he commanded. For this Congress to give Tom Bradley this 
honor would be fitting, due to his life's work as a public servant 
working to bring justice and prosperity to all citizens of Los Angeles.
  And I proudly, Mr. Speaker, would like all of you to know Tom Bradley 
followed my father, who was a police officer in Los Angeles, and he was 
proud to say that he helped to train him.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5450.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5450, to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3894 Crenshaw 
Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, as the ``Tom Bradley Post Office 
Building.'' Mr. Speaker, it is altogether fitting and proper that we 
name this for the late Mayor Tom Bradley, a man who tirelessly and 
selflessly served the citizens of Los Angeles, and who truly embodies 
the quintessential American success story.
  Born in Calvert, Texas, on December 29, 1917, Mayor Bradley was the 
son of sharecroppers and the grandson of a slave. In 1924, he moved to 
Los Angeles, where he was raised by his single mother and excelled in 
school and athletics. Upon graduation from high school, Mayor Bradley 
attended the University of California at Los Angeles, or UCLA, where he 
ran track and field, as well as achieving multiple records, and 
eventually became the team captain. When he graduated from UCLA in 
1940, Mayor Bradley joined the Los Angeles Police Department and 
eventually was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He was the first 
African American in the department's history to attain that rank. While 
working for the LAPD, Mr. Bradley attended Southwestern Law School at 
night and graduated in 1956. He passed the State Bar of California on 
the first try, and in 1961 resigned from the LAPD so he could practice 
law full time.
  Mr. Speaker, like so many of us, Tom Bradley entered politics because 
he cared about the community in which he resided. In 1949, he 
volunteered for an Los Angeles City Council campaign and during his 
time at the LAPD he became active in the Democratic Minority Conference 
and the California Democratic Council. In 1963, he threw his hat into 
the political ring and was elected to the Los Angeles City Council, 
representing the city's 10th District. That year marked the first time 
in the city's history that an African American was elected to the city 
council, Bradley being one of those three.
  After winning reelection in 1967, the always ambitious Bradley ran 
for mayor of Los Angeles in 1969. After winning the primary, Bradley 
lost in a runoff in his bid for mayor to Sam Yorty. Not discouraged by 
the outcome of his first try for mayor, Bradley ran again in 1973, this 
time beating Sam Yorty. Bradley became the first African American 
elected as mayor of Los Angeles. Mayor Bradley was able to win by 
building a multiethnic coalition that transcended race and united 
residents from all walks of life.
  Tom Bradley would go on to serve five consecutive terms. During his 
20 years in office, Mayor Bradley did much for the citizens of Los 
Angeles. Under his stewardship, Los Angeles became the financial 
capital of California and gained international prominence as the 
gateway to the Pacific Rim. Not only did Bradley promote and expand 
international trade and travel through Los Angeles, he improved social 
services and the lives of those struggling most in the inner city. 
Mayor Bradley doubled the number of minorities and women working in 
City Hall. And though he endured much opposition, he successfully 
brought civilian control over the Los Angeles Police Department.
  Aside from the economic development and skyline of new and impressive 
buildings in downtown Los Angeles, many would argue that Mayor 
Bradley's greatest accomplishment surrounded the 1984 Summer Olympics 
hosted in Los Angeles. Amid much skepticism, Mayor Bradley was able to 
not only bring the games to Los Angeles, but he helped make them a huge 
success. Los Angeles received fame and publicity. And when the games 
left town, Los Angeles had a $250 million surplus that evidently 
continues to grow. After serving five terms as mayor, Tom Bradley 
resigned in 1993. He was the city's longest-serving mayor.
  Tragically, in 1996, Mayor Bradley suffered a debilitating stroke 
that left him partially paralyzed and not able to speak. Then, on 
September 29, 1998, Mayor Bradley passed away after suffering a heart 
attack. He was 80 years old. Surviving him was his wife of 57 years, 
Ethel Arnold Bradley, as well as his two daughters, Lorraine and 
Phyllis.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I leave this body with a quote from Mayor 
Bradley upon his resignation as mayor, where he said, ``Let us all, 
every one of us, pledge to make Los Angeles a beacon of mutual respect, 
justice, and tolerance from this day forward.'' I firmly believe this 
is a pledge that not only Angelenos should take, but that all Americans 
should consider.
  Mr. Speaker, it is proper that we pass this legislation in honor of 
the memory of Mayor Tom Bradley, a true American hero and success 
story. I urge all Members to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform, I am pleased to present H.R. 5450 for consideration. 
This measure would designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 3894 Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles California as 
the ``Tom Bradley Post Office Building.''
  H.R. 5450 was introduced by my colleague, the gentlewoman from 
California, Representative Diane Watson, on May 27, 2010. It was 
referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which 
ordered it reported favorably by unanimous consent on June 17, 2010. 
The measure enjoys the bipartisan support of 52 members of the 
California delegation.
  Mr. Speaker, Tom Bradley was born on December 29, 1917, in Calvert, 
Texas. The son of a sharecropper and the grandson of former slaves, Mr. 
Bradley achieved many firsts over the course of his career in Los 
Angeles, where he moved with his family as a child. He

[[Page H5563]]

was the first African American lieutenant in the Los Angeles Police 
Department, where he served for 22 years. He took night classes at the 
Southwestern University School of Law during this time and received a 
law degree in 1956. In 1963, he was elected to the Los Angeles City 
Council and was its first African American member. He was also the 
city's first African American mayor as well as the longest-serving 
mayor in the city's history, serving from 1974 to 1994.
  Mr. Bradley was a physically imposing figure, standing well over 6 
feet tall, but his manner was soft, low-key, and calming. He helped 
lead Los Angeles through difficult times, including the first energy 
crisis of 1973 to 1974, and helped to boost economic development and 
investment in the city. Following the riots associated with the Rodney 
King incident in 1992, Mr. Bradley, along with then-Governor Pete 
Wilson, formed the Rebuild Los Angeles Task Force, an extensive effort 
to revitalize the city. Mr. Bradley also formed the Christopher 
Commission in July of 1991, charging it with conducting ``a full and 
fair examination of the structure and operation of the Los Angeles 
Police Department, including its recruitment and training practices, 
internal disciplinary system, and citizen complaint system.''

                              {time}  1130

  And so, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Bradley's leadership, vision for his 
community, and skill as a conscientious administrator are inspirations 
to us all. Let us now pay tribute to this great American through the 
passage of H.R. 5450. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it.
  Again, I commend Representative Diane Watson for introducing this 
legislation. It deserves all of our votes, and I would urge its 
passage.
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5450, 
which honors long-time Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley by designating the 
United States Postal Service located at 3894 Crenshaw Boulevard in Los 
Angeles, California, the ``Tom Bradley Post Office Building.'' H.R. 
5450 is an important measure that commends a man who has left a lasting 
and positive impact on the Los Angeles community and our nation.
  I would like to thank Chairman Towns for his leadership in bringing 
this bill to the floor. I also thank the sponsor of this legislation, 
Congresswoman Watson, for taking the time to honor Tom Bradley and his 
historic contributions to our ration's social and economic progress.
  Mr. Speaker, Mayor Tom Bradley did much to improve the city of Los 
Angeles during his record five terms as mayor. In his 20 years in 
office, Los Angeles successfully hosted the 1984 Olympics and passed 
Chicago to become the second most populous city in the country. These 
changing dynamics brought social challenges that demanded incredible 
leadership from Mayor Bradley. After the 1992 Rodney King riots he 
worked tirelessly to rebuild Los Angeles and continue the process of 
racial reconciliation. Mayor Bradley famously stated, ``The April 
unrest tore at my heart, and I will not be at peace until we have 
healed our wounds and rebuilt our neighborhoods. Let us all, every one 
of us, pledge to make Los Angeles a beacon of mutual respect, justice 
and tolerance from this day forward.''
  Prior to his record five terms as mayor of Los Angeles, Tom Bradley 
served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1963 to 1972. In 1963, he 
and Mr. Billy G. Mills became the first African Americans elected to 
the City Council. The district that he represented was based around the 
ethnically diverse Crenshaw neighborhood. During his tenure, he spoke 
out against racial segregation within the LAPD, as well as the 
department's mishandling of the Watts Riots in 1965.
  Growing up in the Los Angeles area, Mayor Tom Bradley had a positive 
impact on my life. His service to our community, commitment to social 
and economic progress, and hard work to bring about racial 
reconciliation was an example that inspired me to get involved in 
public service. I am grateful for the progress that he led in the Los 
Angeles community.
  Mr. Speaker, it is entirely fitting that we honor and express our 
national gratitude for Mayor Tom Bradley's record service, during which 
time he worked on behalf of millions of Americans and helped fight 
poverty, inequality, and social injustice. The U.S. Postal Service 
building at 3894 Crenshaw Boulevard will honor a great humanitarian, 
politician, and all around remarkable individual. Naming a post office 
in his honor is the least we can do to recognize Mayor Tom Bradley's 
great contributions to the Los Angeles community and our nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5450.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, 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, H.R. 5450.
  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.

                          ____________________