[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 127 (Monday, September 8, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H7278-H7279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         SPECIALIST KEITH ERIN GRACE, JR. MEMORIAL POST OFFICE

  Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4651) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 601 West Baker Road in Baytown, Texas, as the 
``Specialist Keith Erin Grace, Jr. Memorial Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4651

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

     SECTION 1. SPECIALIST KEITH ERIN GRACE, JR. MEMORIAL POST 
                   OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 601 West Baker Road in Baytown, Texas, 
     shall be known as the ``Specialist Keith Erin Grace, Jr. 
     Memorial Post Office''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referenced to subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``Specialist Keith Erin Grace, Jr. Memorial 
     Post Office''.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Stivers) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.


                             General Leave

  Mr. STIVERS. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 
legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stockman).
  Mr. STOCKMAN. I thank the gentleman from Ohio for yielding me the 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I attended this young man's funeral and started hearing 
stories about him, and one of the things that was really moving was 
that he lost his mother when he was 12. He went on to get bone cancer 
and survived bone cancer, and then last spring, he was assigned to 
Afghanistan, after he volunteered to join the military to make 
something of his life.
  As we know, we have no greater respect or love for someone than to 
lay down your life, and that is exactly what Keith did, he laid down 
his life.
  At his funeral, his friends were gathered there in honor of him, but 
in truth, the whole Nation owes him a debt of gratitude for his 
service. Given all the rough times he had through his life, he wanted 
to make something great of his life, and he did that.
  Unfortunately, he gave the ultimate sacrifice, but I, for one, am 
very honored that we can remember him in a way that he wasn't 
remembered earlier in life.
  I include for the Record a brief bio on Spc. Grace:

       Spc. Keith Erin Grace Jr. was killed in action on August 
     11, 2013. Spc. Grace was killed near the town of Dzadran, 
     which is in the Khost province near the Pakistan border in 
     southern Afghanistan and a site of repeated insurgent 
     activity.
       Grace joined the Army in January 2012 and was stationed in 
     Fort Campbell in May of last year. The 4th Brigade Combat 
     Team, a unit of the 101st Airborne, was deployed to Iraq this 
     spring. His military awards include one National Defense 
     Service Medal, one Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and 
     an Army Service Ribbon.
       Grace came from difficult family circumstances and was 
     placed for adoption at birth, friends said. His adoptive 
     mother died when he was about 12. By that time, he had 
     survived bone cancer that they said should have killed him.
       ``He shouldn't have made it, but he pulled through it and 
     survived 100 percent,'' said longtime friend, Garland Davis, 
     who said he regarded Grace as a brother, though there was no 
     legal or blood connection.
       Grace grew up in Baytown and graduated from Lee High School 
     in 2006. He worked in a variety of jobs before deciding to 
     join the military. Friends said he was looking for something 
     that would give his life structure and possibly lead to a 
     career.
       ``He was an extremely hard worker and was very, very 
     funny,'' said friend Natalie Ingram, who met Grace about five 
     years ago. ``His positive attitude is hard to even describe, 
     it was so strong. He took everything as it came to him. He 
     survived cancer and went through countless family struggles. 
     He had a very tough background, but he had a great attitude 
     and made everyone comfortable.''
       ``We were his family because he chose us,'' Davis said. 
     ``He's been through hell and back with his family, but he 
     always has had a smile on his face. He never picked fights, 
     never tried to create a problem. He was stuck in a bad 
     position and he tried to better himself. He ended up falling 
     in love with the Army, and he loved this country.''

                              {time}  1930

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  I join with my colleague and friend on the other side of the aisle in 
support of this measure. Specialist Keith

[[Page H7279]]

Grace, Jr. was a hero. All of us thank his family for his service and 
his sacrifice, and I ask that everyone vote in favor of this measure to 
rightfully name this post office in his honor.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I urge that all Members support H.R. 4651.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Collins of New York). The question is on 
the motion offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Stivers) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4651.
  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.

                          ____________________