[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 141 (Wednesday, September 21, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H6288-H6289]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CHRISTOPHER S. BOND UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (S. 846) to designate the United States courthouse located at 80
Lafayette Street in Jefferson City, Missouri, as the Christopher S.
Bond United States Courthouse.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 846
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. CHRISTOPHER S. BOND UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE.
(a) Designation.--The United States courthouse located at
80 Lafayette Street in Jefferson City, Missouri, shall be
known and designated as the ``Christopher S. Bond United
States Courthouse''.
(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
United States courthouse referred to in subsection (a) shall
be deemed to be a reference to the ``Christopher S. Bond
United States Courthouse''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Denham) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on S. 846.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
Senate bill 846 would designate the newly constructed federal
courthouse at 80 Lafayette Street in Jefferson City, Missouri, as the
``Christopher S. Bond United States Courthouse.''
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Senator Blunt of
Missouri for introducing this legislation. I want to thank his
colleague, Senator McCaskill, also of Missouri, for cosponsoring this
bill.
Senator Bond has honorably served the State of Missouri and this
Nation for many decades. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and went
on to pursue his undergraduate degree at Princeton University and his
law degree at the University of Virginia. After law school, he clerked
for the Honorable Elbert Tuttle, who was then the Chief Judge of the
United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, Georgia.
After a brief time of private practice in Washington, DC, he moved
back to Missouri, where he was elected as Missouri State auditor in
1970. Two years later, Senator Bond was elected Governor of Missouri,
making him the youngest Governor in State history. He served two terms,
from 1973 to 1977 and from 1981 to 1985.
In 1986, Senator Bond ran successfully for the United States Senate,
where he represented citizens of Missouri for 24 years until his recent
retirement after the 111th Congress.
During his time in the Senate, he served on several committees and
was chair of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship from
1995 to 2001.
I believe it is appropriate that we honor Senator Bond's dedicated
service for his State and country. I support passage of this
legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. COSTELLO. I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 846, a bill that names
the United States courthouse located at 80 Lafayette Street in
Jefferson City, Missouri, as the ``Christopher S. Bond United States
Courthouse.''
Senator Kit Bond is a sixth-generation Missourian with a long and
distinguished career in public service spanning over 40 years, serving
in many different capacities as an elected official at both the State
and federal levels. Senator Bond served as a law clerk to the Fifth
Circuit Court of Appeals, as a Missouri Assistant State Attorney
General, Missouri State auditor, Governor of Missouri, and finally in
his longest-serving post, as United States Senator from 1987 to 2010
from the State of Missouri.
{time} 1300
In the Senate, Senator Bond served on the Committees on
Appropriations, Commerce, Science, Transportation and Intelligence. As
ranking member of the Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator Bond
played an important role as Congress crafted its anti-terror policies
in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Senator Bond also worked well with Members across the aisle on many
issues, including perhaps one of his proudest legislative
accomplishments as a cosponsor of the Family Medical Leave Act, signed
into law by President Bill Clinton in 1993.
Finally, Senator Bond was a vigorous advocate for the State of
Missouri, proudly championing and pursuing Federal investment in
support of public housing, university research, defense, agriculture
and infrastructure throughout the State. Senator Bond and I worked very
closely on a number of projects for Missouri and Illinois and the St.
Louis region, including the new Mississippi River Bridge, which is
under construction now.
In January 2009, Senator Bond announced that he would not run for
reelection in 2010, noting that in 1973, at 33 years old, he had become
the youngest Governor ever to be elected in Missouri and that he had no
desire to become Missouri's oldest Senator.
Naming the Federal courthouse in Jefferson City as the Senator
Christopher ``Kit'' Bond Courthouse is a fitting tribute, and I support
the passage of Senate bill 846, which honors his service to our country
and to this great institution.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler).
Mrs. HARTZLER. I thank the chairman for bringing this bill forward.
I am so excited to be here today and so proud to support Senate bill
846, which renames the new Federal courthouse in my district of
Jefferson City the Christopher S. Bond United States Courthouse. This
is such a fitting tribute to a great Missourian, who I have had the
privilege of knowing and working with over the years.
Senator Bond was first elected in 1986 to the U.S. Senate and served
over 24 years representing our State here valiantly in the United
States Congress. And before he came here to the Senate, he served two
terms as Governor and was also State auditor.
He is known for accomplishing many things--and there's not enough
time to share all of them--but one thing he is certainly noted for is
that he started the Parents as Teachers program and took it statewide.
That has benefited thousands of children in Missouri and across this
country, and certainly I participated with our daughter. It's a
wonderful, wonderful program.
He is also a great supporter of free trade. He had been a champion of
building highways and infrastructure, which has enabled vital
investments in our roads and bridges in Missouri. He was vice chairman
of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and he worked for
bipartisan support to renew the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
He is a strong defender of our military and our national defense. As
part of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, he worked to continue
operation of Boeing's F-15 production
[[Page H6289]]
line in a plant next to the St. Louis airport. And we always heard
about how proud he was of his son's service in the military.
But being from the farm, I appreciated Senator Bond's support of
agriculture. He was certainly a leader in making Missouri a leader in
agricultural research. He is a leader whose service has improved the
lives of thousands of Missourians, an example of patriotism that has
inspired future leaders to follow in his footsteps.
Every time now that Missourians will drive by this courthouse, they
will be inspired to serve their fellow man--service above self--just
like Kit Bond has done all of these years.
I want to close with some words that Kit said himself about his
service, and I think it's an example for all of us in Missouri and
across this country. He said: ``Serving Missouri has been my life's
work. I have walked the land, fished its rivers, and been humbled by
the honesty and hard work of our people. The highest honor is to
receive and safeguard the public trust.''
Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 846, which would
designate the name of the United States courthouse in Jefferson City,
Missouri as the Christopher S. Bond United States Courthouse. We would
like to congratulate Mr. Bond on behalf of our office for this
prestigious honor.
Mr. Bond served the State of Missouri for over 4 decades, beginning
as the Assistant Attorney General in 1969, where he led the Consumer
Protection Division. He then went on to be elected Missouri State
Auditor in 1970 until 1973. Later in 1973, at the age of 33, he was
elected Governor of Missouri, making him the youngest Governor in the
State's history. He served as Governor from 1973 until 1977, and again
from 1981 until 1985. Mr. Bond then went on to serve as a United States
Senator from 1987 until his retirement in January of 2011.
Kit Bond has served our State and our Country with dedication, and
naming the United States Courthouse after him is an appropriate manner
in which to show our appreciation for all of his hard work over the
last 40 years for the people of Missouri and all Americans. Once again,
on behalf of our office and the entire State of Missouri, we would like
to congratulate him and we wish him the best.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Denham) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, S. 846.
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. DENHAM. 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, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
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