[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 158 (Monday, September 14, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H4361-H4362]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DOROTHY BRADEN BRUCE POST OFFICE BUILDING
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend
the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4975) to designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 1201 Sycamore Square Drive
in Midlothian, Virginia, as the ``Dorothy Braden Bruce Post Office
Building''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4975
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DOROTHY BRADEN BRUCE POST OFFICE BUILDING.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 1201 Sycamore Square Drive in Midlothian,
Virginia, shall be known and designated as the ``Dorothy
Braden Bruce 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 ``Dorothy Braden Bruce Post Office
Building''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Cloud) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.
General Leave
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. 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 this
measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. 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. 4975, to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located
at 1201 Sycamore Square Drive in Midlothian, Virginia, as the Dorothy
Braden Bruce Post Office Building.
Dorothy Bruce served as a cryptanalyst with the U.S. Army Signal
Corps' Signal Intelligence Service during World War II. Dorothy Bruce
served with thousands of other women as code breakers who were vital to
the war effort in the Pacific.
Dorothy's unit was critical in discovering the locations of Japanese
ships in the Pacific, identifying and intercepting enemy supply convoys
and protecting the lives of countless American servicemembers.
She passed away at the age of 99 last year.
Naming a post office after Dorothy Bruce will serve as a bright
example for women and girls pursuing careers in science and math and
will honor her remarkable service to the country in one of its darkest
hours.
I want to thank the honorable Member from Virginia (Ms. Spanberger)
for this legislation to honor one of our Nation's quiet, unsung heroes.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4975, which would name a
Virginia post office for Dorothy Braden Bruce.
Dorothy Bruce served as a cryptanalyst with the U.S. Army Signal
Corps' Signal Intelligence Service during World War II.
Sworn to secrecy, Dorothy's unit worked to disclose the locations of
Japanese ships in the Pacific. Her unit also identified and intercepted
enemy supply movements.
The contributions of Bruce and her unit were crucial in defeating the
Axis Powers in the Pacific.
Her story is featured in the best-selling book ``Code Girls: The
Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II.''
Bruce serves as a shining inspiration for women and girls pursuing
careers in STEM fields.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much
time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms.
Spanberger), the sponsor of this incredibly important legislation.
Ms. SPANBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the remarks of the
gentlewoman from New York and the comments of the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4975.
Midlothian resident Dorothy Braden Bruce--or Dot, as she was widely
known--embodied the true spirit of central Virginia and our
Commonwealth.
In World War II, Dorothy's work to break Japanese codes was one of
the most pivotal Allied code-breaking efforts in the war.
Having been recruited by the military to serve in a top-secret group
of code-breaking women, she intercepted enemy movements, supply
shipments, and potential threats to American servicemembers.
For 70 years, Dorothy Bruce kept her story a secret. She had sworn an
oath of secrecy. It wasn't until an author reached out to her a few
years ago that
[[Page H4362]]
she learned that she could finally talk about her by-then declassified
work in the service of our country. It was at this time that even her
grown children first learned of their mother's pivotal work.
Dorothy Bruce didn't ask for credit, and she didn't seek the
limelight. She knew that she had protected the lives of American
servicemembers in the field of combat, and she knew their families were
prospering and growing in the following decades, thanks to the
diligence of her top-secret code-breaking unit. For her, that was an
achievement worth celebrating, though quietly and secretly.
Meanwhile, Dorothy Bruce became a dedicated member of our central
Virginia community. She worked as an educator, and she raised a loving
family. Last year, she passed away at the age of 99.
This legislation honors Dorothy Braden Bruce's life serving our
country and her service to others across Virginia.
Her story continues to inspire, and that is why I am working to make
sure our community will always remember Dorothy Bruce's story and the
stories of her fellow women code breakers.
My legislation would name the Sycamore Square post office in
Midlothian, Virginia, near where she once lived at the Spring Arbor
Assisted Living, after her.
With this bipartisan bill passing today, we are one step closer to
future generations of trailblazers walking through the doors of the
Dorothy Braden Bruce Post Office Building.
I would like to thank every member of the Virginia delegation of the
House for signing onto this bill at introduction in order to recognize
Dorothy Bruce's work.
She was a trailblazer. Her ingenuity and her determination as a code
breaker did not just blaze a path for a generation of future code
breakers and women in public service, but it saved thousands of
American lives.
{time} 1615
For women pursuing careers in science and math and intelligence,
Dorothy is a reminder of the pioneering contributions of women in these
fields throughout our Nation's history.
Today, I would also like to thank Dot's loving family for their work
to amplify her story and reaffirm the importance of the female code
breakers of World War II. Their story is worth knowing and worth
celebrating.
This bill is just a small act to remember and recognize Dorothy
Braden Bruce's remarkable life of courage, dedication, selflessness,
and service to country.
Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I also urge passage
of H.R. 4975, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4975.
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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