[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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