[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 21, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H4344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1800
                  SPENCER BYRD POWERS, JR. POST OFFICE

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 655) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 95 Dogwood Street in Cary, Mississippi, as the 
``Spencer Byrd Powers, Jr. Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 655

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

     SECTION 1. SPENCER BYRD POWERS, JR. POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 95 Dogwood Street in Cary, Mississippi, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Spencer Byrd Powers, 
     Jr. Post Office''.
       (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 ``Spencer Byrd Powers, Jr. Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Farenthold) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Farenthold).


                             General Leave

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 
legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on S. 655.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  S. 655, introduced in the Senate by Senator Thad Cochran of 
Mississippi, would designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 95 Dogwood Street in Cary, Mississippi, as the 
Spencer Byrd Powers, Jr. Post Office.
  Spencer Byrd Powers, Jr., was born on February 12, 1945, and grew up 
in Cary, Mississippi, a town that his family has called home for nearly 
a century. While growing up in Cary, Spencer Powers had a sense of duty 
and service ingrained in him by his father, uncle, and other relatives, 
all who bravely served our country during World War II.
  During the mid-1960s, as the Vietnam War progressed, Spencer Powers 
decided it was time to step up and serve his country. He was 
commissioned in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant and fought 
valiantly until his tragic death on February 8, 1968, during an 
offensive attack operation in South Vietnam. He was only 22 years old 
at the time and just a few days shy of his 23rd birthday.
  Mr. Speaker, I am truly grateful for each and every member of our 
armed services that has paid the ultimate price and given the ultimate 
sacrifice in the name of freedom and in defense of our Nation. Spencer 
Byrd Powers, Jr., and his family are a great example of the values that 
make this country a wonderful place, a country where sacrifice, duty, 
and a selfless desire to serve inspire and motivate people to a cause 
greater than themselves. To the Powers family and to all the others who 
have served, I say thank you.
  I'd like to urge all Members to join me in strong support of this 
bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform, minority, I also want to thank my colleague Mr. 
Farenthold for the leadership that he's provided on managing this bill, 
and I am pleased to join my colleagues across the aisle in 
consideration of S. 655, which would name the United States Postal 
Service facility at 95 Dogwood Street in Cary, Mississippi, as the 
Spencer Byrd Powers, Jr. Post Office.
  The underlying bill before us was introduced by Senator Thad Cochran 
of Mississippi on March 28, 2011, and passed by the Senate on May 16, 
2011. Our colleague, Representative Bennie Thompson from the State of 
Mississippi, also introduced a companion bill to this measure in the 
form of H.R. 1072. Both measures aim to acknowledge and recognize the 
heroic service of Spencer Byrd Powers, Jr., by renaming the local post 
office in Cary, Mississippi, in his honor.
  With his father and other relatives serving in our Armed Forces, 
Spencer Byrd Powers would continue their legacy by joining the United 
States Army, where he would serve this Nation honorably up until the 
point of his death. In 1968, Spencer Byrd Powers unfortunately would 
become the first member of his family not to return home from serving 
in war abroad. Spencer Byrd Powers was killed in an offensive attack 
operation in the Vietnam War.
  I ask that we come together as Americans to honor Mr. Powers' 
sacrifice so that those who continue to serve after Mr. Powers can 
understand his commitment and his courage to serve on behalf of this 
beautiful country that we call America.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this fallen soldier and 
vote in support of passing H.R. 1072 to rename the Dogwood Street 
postal facility in Cary, Mississippi, as the Spencer Byrd Powers Post 
Office.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this Senate bill.
  I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I too urge all Members to support the 
passage of S. 655, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Farenthold) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 655.
  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.

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