[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 21, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H3997-H3998]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
KENNETH M. CHRISTY POST OFFICE BUILDING
Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 4960) to designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 525 N Broadway in Aurora, Illinois, as the ``Kenneth
M. Christy Post Office Building''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4960
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. KENNETH M. CHRISTY POST OFFICE BUILDING.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 525 N Broadway in Aurora, Illinois, shall
be known and designated as the ``Kenneth M. Christy 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 ``Kenneth M. Christy Post Office
Building''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Iowa (Mr. Blum) and the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Iowa.
General Leave
Mr. BLUM. 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 the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Iowa?
There was no objection.
Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 4960, introduced by the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. Foster). The bill designates a post office in
Aurora, Illinois, as the Kenneth M. Christy Post Office Building.
Mr. Christy was a dedicated employee of the United States Postal
Service and a devoted advocate for postal employees. I look forward to
hearing more about Mr. Christy from my colleague and the sponsor of
this bill, Representative Foster. For now, I urge Members to support
this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration
of H.R. 4960, a bill to designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located in Aurora, Illinois, as the Kenneth M. Christy
Post Office Building.
It is only fitting that we name a post office after Ken Christy, a
man who dedicated his career to the Postal Service and its workforce.
Joining the Aurora Post Office in 1977, Ken worked as a letter carrier
for over 30 years. Ken also served 25 years as the president of the
National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 219, receiving multiple
awards for his dedication, leadership, and community service.
In 2004, he joined the Illinois State Association of Letter Carriers.
Ken was awarded honorary membership in numerous postal facilities
outside of Aurora and was inducted into the Illinois Letter Carriers
Hall of Fame in 2012.
Mr. Speaker, I have spoken about my illustrious career in the United
States Postal Service, one of 30 years. I started that career as a
letter carrier, so it is with great honor that I stand here today
strongly suggesting and saying that we should pass this bill to honor
Ken Christy's life of public service and his tireless dedication to the
Postal Service. I urge the passage of H.R. 4960.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster).
Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Michigan, and I
also thank the entire Illinois delegation on both sides of the aisle
for cosponsoring this legislation.
On March 26, 2016, the State of Illinois and the city of Aurora lost
a consummate public servant. On the day he died, Ken Christy was the
sitting Aurora township clerk, the president of the Illinois State
Association of Letter Carriers, and a dear friend of mine.
Ken was a family man, and he left behind three daughters and his
wife, Bonnie, his high school sweetheart to whom he was married for 52
years. I rise today to honor Ken's legacy and his lifetime of public
service.
Ken and his wife, Bonnie, settled in Aurora in 1977, when Ken took a
job as a letter carrier with the United States Postal Service, a career
that would last more than 30 years. Ken took on a leadership role
within the Postal Service. He quickly became the Aurora NALC Branch 219
president and served in that role for 25 years.
During that time, Branch 219 was recognized for its charitable
contributions and received several awards from the Muscular Dystrophy
Association. Under Ken's leadership, Branch 219 was recognized
nationally with an NALC Branch Service Award and its Humanitarian
Award. Ken spent countless hours as a volunteer at the letter carriers'
annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive and made deliveries for the Northern
Illinois Food Bank.
In 2000, Ken was personally awarded the Dave Bybee award for
leadership and dedication by the Illinois Association of Letter
Carriers.
In 2004, he was recognized for his leadership skills and civic
engagement by becoming its legislative liaison.
Just 3 years later, he was elected president of the Illinois State
Association of Letter Carriers, a position he held until the end of his
life.
{time} 1615
As president of the Illinois Association of Letter Carriers, Ken made
sure
[[Page H3998]]
that the voices of his members were heard by public officials on both
sides of the aisle at both the State and Federal level.
In 2012, Ken was nominated to the Illinois Letter Carriers Hall of
Fame. In 2013, Ken Christy was elected Clerk of Aurora Township.
Ken was a public servant in the truest sense of the word. Ken was
always working for others, whether it was in his 30-year career
delivering mail in his community, his dedication to charity work, or
his devotion to his family as a husband, father, and grandfather.
So I think it is only appropriate that we honor his life and his
legacy and pass this bill today to name the post office where Ken spent
his entire career the Kenneth M. Christy Post Office Building.
I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing this man, who was a
pillar of his community, by voting ``yes.''
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Blum) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 4960.
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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