[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 17, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H5955-H5956]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          CORPORAL ALEX MARTINEZ MEMORIAL POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. ROUDA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1844) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 66 Grove Court in Elgin, Illinois, as the ``Corporal 
Alex Martinez Memorial Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

[[Page H5956]]

  


                               H.R. 1844

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

     SECTION 1. CORPORAL ALEX MARTINEZ MEMORIAL POST OFFICE 
                   BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 66 Grove Court in Elgin, Illinois, shall 
     be known and designated as the ``Corporal Alex Martinez 
     Memorial 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 ``Corporal Alex Martinez Memorial Post 
     Office Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Rouda) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROUDA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend remarks and 
include extraneous material on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROUDA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of 
H.R. 1844, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 66 Grove Court in Elgin, Illinois, as the Corporal 
Alex Martinez Memorial Post Office Building.
  Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Krishnamoorthi).
  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Rouda).
  Madam Speaker, I would like to rise in support of my own legislation, 
H.R. 1844, to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located 
at 66 Grove Court in Elgin, Illinois, as the Corporal Alex Martinez 
Memorial Post Office Building.
  Corporal Alex Martinez, a lifelong Elgin resident, wanted to join the 
Marine Corps since he was a little boy. From a young age, he yearned to 
follow in the footsteps of his father, Enrique Martinez, who was a 
longtime Navy reservist, and an aunt who served in the Army.
  As a senior in high school, with his whole life ahead of him, he 
decided to follow his dreams. He surprised his friends and family by 
attending summer school to graduate early, enlist in the Marine Corps, 
and marry his high school sweetheart, Juliana Martinez, at the age of 
18.
  After graduation from basic training, Corporal Martinez was assigned 
to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, One Marine 
Expeditionary Force, where he excelled as a combat engineer. In this 
role, he had the dangerous but crucial responsibility to guide ground 
forces away from life-threatening obstacles, such as lethal improvised 
explosive devices.
  In his second deployment on April 5, 2012, a unit that Corporal 
Martinez was guiding began receiving enemy fire. Despite facing an 
immediate threat to his own life, he continued to calmly and 
systematically clear lanes for marines to maneuver against the enemy.
  Tragically, Corporal Martinez was killed after an explosive device 
detonated in Helmand province. In that moment, Alex Martinez became the 
first and only Elgin native to fall in combat since the terror attacks 
on September 11.
  While in Afghanistan, Corporal Martinez would tell his loved ones his 
plans to start a family and to continue his selfless service by 
becoming a fireman or a police officer. But as a consequence of his 
sacrifices to this great Nation and the people who inhabit it, he never 
could pursue those dreams.
  Madam Speaker, you and I and the many Members of this Chamber are 
fortunate to live in a diverse nation with innumerable freedoms, but we 
can only enjoy these freedoms and the peace and prosperity that 
accompany them because of the sacrifices made by Corporal Martinez and 
the millions of men and women who dedicate their lives to defend our 
democracy.
  To honor Corporal Martinez's honorable sacrifices to this country, to 
recognize the sacrifice of his loved ones, and to express solidarity 
with all servicemembers and veterans in the United States, I strongly 
urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1844.
  Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1844, introduced by 
Representative Krishnamoorthi. This bill names the post office located 
in Elgin, Illinois, in honor of Marine Corporal Alex Martinez.
  Alex Martinez knew he was destined for public service since he was a 
little boy. He had a two-phased plan. First, he would join the 
military, following in his father's footsteps. Then, upon retirement, 
he would continue in public service as a police officer or firefighter.
  Shortly after high school, Alex joined the United States Marine 
Corps, filling step one of his boyhood dream. After boot camp, he was 
assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division.
  Corporal Martinez was deployed twice to Afghanistan in support of 
Operation Enduring Freedom. On April 5, 2012, Corporal Martinez was 
conducting combat operations in the Helmand province of Afghanistan and 
was killed after an explosive device detonated.
  While Corporal Martinez's life of service was tragically cut short, 
his sacrifice and bravery will not be forgotten. I urge my colleagues 
to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROUDA. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Rouda) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1844.
  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.

                          ____________________