[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 20, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H5674-H5675]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ZAPATA VETERANS POST OFFICE

  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 5591) to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 810 N US Highway 83 in Zapata, Texas, 
as the ``Zapata Veterans Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

[[Page H5675]]

  


                               H.R. 5591

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

     SECTION 1. ZAPATA VETERANS POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 810 N US Highway 83 in Zapata, Texas, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Zapata Veterans 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 ``Zapata Veterans Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Jody B. Hice) and the gentlewoman from the District of 
Columbia (Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. 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 Georgia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5591 introduced by 
Representative Henry Cuellar to designate the post office located in 
Zapata, Texas, as the Zapata Veterans Post Office.
  Our veterans deserve to be recognized every day, and we, as a House 
of Representatives, express our sincerest appreciation and gratitude 
for their sacrifices in the name of preserving our freedoms that we 
enjoy as Americans. I look forward to learning more about the heroic 
exploits of veterans from Zapata, Texas, from the sponsor of the bill, 
Representative Cuellar.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 5591, a bill to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
810 North US Highway 83 in Zapata, Texas, as the Zapata Veterans Post 
Office.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), a good friend and the author of this bill.
  Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I want to say, first of all, that I rise in 
support of H.R. 5591, which designates the facility of the United 
States Postal Service in Zapata as the Zapata Veterans Post Office.
  I would like to thank Chairman Chaffetz and Ranking Member Cummings 
for their leadership and their support in this bill and, of course, the 
staff on both the majority and the minority. I especially want to thank 
also the chairman, the managing Member from Georgia (Mr. Jody B. Hice) 
for his kind words to the veterans in Zapata, and also my friend, the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton)--both of them 
for their leadership. I thank them so much for the work that they have 
done.
  Zapata County is home to 503 veterans, according to our U.S. Census. 
It is imperative that we honor the service and dedication of those 
veterans in Zapata to our Nation. Dedicating this post office in Zapata 
to the Zapata veterans will serve as a constant reminder of the 
sacrifice that our friends, our neighbors, and our families have made 
while serving our country.
  Today, I particularly want to acknowledge the sacrifice of those 
veterans in Zapata County. These are veterans who put country ahead of 
self for whom I am proud to recognize in dedicating the Zapata postal 
facility in their name.
  As an example of some of the heroic actions of some of the veterans 
of Zapata, let me mention the six Trevino brothers: Teodoro, Leopoldo, 
Antonio, Anselmo, Filberto, Jr., and Jose Manuel, who served honorably 
for a combined 15\1/2\ years in our armed services during World War II 
before they returned home to Zapata.
  Despite the many hardships that these brothers faced, six of them 
were able to overcome whatever obstacle was put before them. Among 
their many acts of bravery, they fearlessly took down enemy planes and 
protected fellow soldiers using their bodies as shields.
  Their courage and dedication to our Nation--those six brothers and 
the other veterans who we have in Zapata--demonstrate what it really 
means to be an American. They are, again, just an example of many of 
the veterans who have made countless sacrifices for their country in 
the face of danger.
  I also would like to thank the Veterans' Service Office in Zapata for 
their work in providing care to the veterans in Zapata. Again, they are 
only one of many local organizations.
  Again, using the words of President John F. Kennedy: ``As we express 
our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is 
not to utter words, but to live by them.'' This bill allows us to show 
our appreciation and make sure that their service and the sacrifice to 
our country is not forgotten.
  So, again, I want to thank, Mr. Speaker, both the chairman and the 
ranking member, Ms. Norton and Mr. Jody B. Hice, and, of course, the 
staff that has worked so hard.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I want only to conclude by requesting that 
the House pass this bill and name the post office in Zapata, Texas, to 
commemorate the men and women whose brave acts and selfless deeds have 
preserved our American freedom.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 5591.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the work of 
the gentleman from Texas. I urge passage of this 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 Georgia (Mr. Jody B. Hice) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5591.
  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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