[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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