[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 57 (Tuesday, April 2, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H2969-H2970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  LOUISE AND BOB SLAUGHTER POST OFFICE

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 540) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 770 Ayrault Road in Fairport, New York, as the 
``Louise and Bob Slaughter Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 540

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

     SECTION 1. LOUISE AND BOB SLAUGHTER POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 770 Ayrault Road in Fairport, New York, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Louise and Bob 
     Slaughter 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 ``Louise and Bob Slaughter Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Connolly) and the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. 
Miller) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CONNOLLY. 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 measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of 
H.R. 540, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 770 Ayrault Road in Fairport, New York, as the ``Louise and 
Bob Slaughter Post Office''.
  Representative Louise Slaughter was a groundbreaking Member of this 
House. She served here for 32 years. She was the first female 
chairwoman of the Rules Committee, and she coauthored the landmark 
Violence Against Women Act. She was also a dear friend.
  Born in Harlan County, Kentucky, in 1929, Louise Slaughter was the 
daughter of a blacksmith. After graduating from high school, she went 
on to earn a bachelor's degree in microbiology and a master's degree in 
public health, both from the University of Kentucky.
  After moving to upstate New York and marrying her beloved husband, 
Bob, Louise became active in local community groups and, eventually, in 
politics. She served a number of years in local elected offices and in 
the New York State Assembly.
  Louise was first elected to Congress in 1986, where she eventually 
rose to become the top Democrat on the powerful Rules Committee. 
Tragically and very sadly, Louise died in March of last year, and she 
is sorely missed by all of us.
  Naming a post office in her honor in her hometown of Fairport, New 
York, is maybe the least we could and should do to honor the 
distinguished career in public service of this remarkable woman.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 540, which names a post 
office located in Fairport, New York, in honor of Louise and Bob 
Slaughter.
  Louise Slaughter was a Member of the House body for over 30 years. 
From 1987 until she passed away last year, Representative Slaughter was 
a tireless advocate for the people of her upstate New York district.
  In addition to her numerous legislative accomplishments, 
Representative Slaughter made a mark on this body as the first woman to 
chair the House Committee on Rules.
  Representative Slaughter was an intellectual and a beloved Member of 
the House. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Woodall).
  Mr. WOODALL. Mr. Speaker, I took my colleague by surprise here. We 
just came down from a Rules Committee meeting, and I appreciate her 
yielding me the time.
  Mr. Speaker, if you didn't have the pleasure of serving with Louise 
on the Rules Committee, it looks kind of strange to have the Louise and 
Bob Slaughter Post Office.
  I have been here only 8 years, but I can't recall us doing that after 
a couple out here. Perhaps it is done regularly, but to serve with 
Louise--you know, the Rules Committee, Mr. Speaker, goes into the wee 
hours of the morning; 2 a.m., 3 a.m., 4 a.m., the Rules Committee is 
working, and it is truly Louise and Bob Slaughter.
  Since my first day on the Rules Committee back in 2011, Louise took 
me under her wing. Yes, I was a young conservative Republican. Yes, she 
was an older--we can say, I think, honestly--liberal Democrat. She 
began building those partnerships with the young members of the Rules 
Committee with each and every committee meeting that took place.
  I don't know if she was the first one who said it to me, but she was 
certainly one of them. She said: You know, Rob, of your colleagues on 
the other side of the aisle, folks sometimes think that we are upset 
with each other and we are bad people.
  She said: I always tell folks, it is not that the people on the other 
side of the aisle are bad people. They are really good people. They 
just have some bad ideas.
  She would share that with me from time to time, that my ideas were 
amongst those bad ideas. Her picture hangs right across from my seat 
there today.

[[Page H2970]]

  There are so many men and women in America, Mr. Speaker, who are 
worthy of celebration, and it seems like we always make time to talk 
about those things that tear us apart, and we just don't make enough 
time to talk about those things that bring us together.
  Louise was a strident, a fighter for her beliefs, as is any man or 
woman in this institution, but she never missed a moment to try to 
bring people together instead of pushing people further apart.
  This is a wonderful gesture that the committee is moving forward 
today.
  I hope that all of my colleagues will find, amongst their very busy 
Tuesday, time to sit back and reflect that they have an opportunity to 
be a uniter or to be a divider. It doesn't mean you trade away one iota 
of who you are and what you believe. It is just how do you tell that 
story, and how do you go about persuading your colleagues that it is 
true.
  Louise gave us a wonderful example every single day of her decade 
upon decade of service in this institution, and I am honored to have 
sat across the aisle from her there in the Rules Committee.
  Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate the gentleman's 
comments, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter).
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, and Mr. Woodall, 
whose words prompted me to want to come speak, because I served on the 
Rules Committee when we were in the majority a number of years ago. 
Louise was our leader, and she ran that thing with an iron fist. 
Excellent woman, articulate, powerful, in her tiny little frame. She 
was somebody who made us stay on task.
  We worked a lot of hours on that committee, as I am sure my friend 
from the Rules Committee would agree, and she was indefatigable. The 
number of hours that the Rules Committee would meet, and she would make 
sure we were on task--and a great sense of humor, focused, and smart.
  This is really a nice honor that the committee is bringing in her 
name and in Bob's name. He would be at the committee almost as much as 
Louise, and they were a great team. I just want to add my word of 
thanks for this honor for the Slaughters.
  Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am 
prepared to close.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, on a personal note, Louise Slaughter was an 
extraordinary Member of this body. She had a marvelous sense of humor. 
She was an encyclopedia about the procedures of the Rules Committee, 
which often mystified many of us. Her heart was in the cause every day.
  The last few years she was here were tough. She lost her beloved Bob 
very suddenly, and she struggled with a lot of health issues in the 
last year of her life. None of it left her daunted.

                              {time}  1545

  She faced every day with an indomitable spirit and will, a commitment 
to her values and to fighting for her constituents and for those 
values.
  This is the least we can do to honor Louise Slaughter and her 
husband, Bob. I hope we can do more as we progress, but it is an honor 
to have served with Louise, and it is a privilege to manage this bill 
today.
  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 Virginia (Mr. Connolly) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 540.
  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. CONNOLLY. 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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