[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 12, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H5959-H5960]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 BENNY C. MARTINEZ POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend 
the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 203) to designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 4020 Broadway Street in 
Houston, Texas, as the ``Benny C. Martinez Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 203

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

     SECTION 1. BENNY C. MARTINEZ POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 4020 Broadway Street in Houston, Texas, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Benny C. Martinez 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 ``Benny C. Martinez Post Office 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
(Mr. Keller) 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 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 rise today in support of H.R. 203, to honor Benny 
Martinez.
  Mr. Martinez was born in Goliad, Texas, in 1934. He attended 
segregated schools before his father moved the family to Houston so 
that Mr. Martinez and his siblings would not have to pick cotton for a 
living.
  At the age of 18, Mr. Martinez was inducted into the U.S. Army. He 
first went to boot camp in El Paso, Texas, and was then sent to supply 
handling school for the Quartermaster Corps in Fort Lee, Virginia. 
After completing this training, he was sent to Korea where he was 
assigned to the 564th Quartermaster Company.
  On June 23, 1958, Mr. Martinez was discharged from Active Duty and 
transferred to the Army Reserves at Fort Hood, Texas, where he served 
as a medic until his final discharge on September 4, 1962. After his 
honorable discharge, he returned home to Houston and re-engaged with 
his local community.
  Mr. Martinez went on to graduate from Houston Community College as a 
licensed vocational nurse in 1967. He later obtained a bachelor of 
general studies degree from the University of Houston-Downtown College. 
Mr. Martinez put his education degree to use as an associate teacher at 
Crockett Elementary.
  Mr. Martinez was most known for his collaboration with fellow members 
of the League of United Latin American Citizens to organize a gala for 
President John F. Kennedy during the President's trip to Texas. 
Historians credit this meeting as the very first time a sitting United 
States President met with a Latino civil rights group.
  Mr. Martinez was a member and active participant in many civic 
engagement organizations including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the 
American GI Forum, The American Legion, LULAC, and the Knights of 
Columbus. He was also an honorary member of the Goliad Rotary Club and 
active volunteer for the American Red Cross.
  Due to his 35 years of service, Houston and Harris County declared 
Benny C. Martinez Day on August 27, 1997, and February 17, 1998. Mr. 
Martinez passed away at the age of 85 on December 29, 2019.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring his 
legacy by naming the Post Office at 4020 Broadway Street in Houston, 
Texas, as the Benny C. Martinez Post Office Building, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 203, which names a Houston 
post office for Benny Martinez.
  Mr. Martinez was a native Texan and attended segregated schools in 
his hometown of Goliad before moving to Houston with his family in the 
pursuit of greater opportunities. He served in the U.S. Army and was 
deployed during the Korean war.
  After he was honorably discharged, Mr. Martinez went back to school 
at Houston Community College and the University of Houston. He 
recognized the importance of education and became an associate teacher 
in the Houston School District and raised money for student 
scholarships.
  Most famously, Mr. Martinez worked with the League of United Latin 
American Citizens to organize a gala for President Kennedy held the 
night before his assassination during his trip to Texas in 1963. This 
was the first time a sitting President met with a Latino civil rights 
group. Mr. Martinez was a leader in the civil rights movement and is 
deserving of this honor.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1515

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes 
to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Garcia), the vice chair of the 
Committee on Financial Services' Subcommittee on Diversity and 
Inclusion.
  Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman and the 
ranking member for such kind remarks about a dear friend and colleague 
back home, Benny Martinez.
  They have covered a lot of what was said, but I will repeat some of 
it because I think it is important, not just for people in my district 
to hear it, but for people across the district because, with the naming 
of this Post Office, Mr. Speaker, it will mean the first post office 
named for a Latino in the Houston area, which, too, is a remarkable 
achievement.
  Mr. Martinez was a community leader, an advocate for Mexican-American 
civil rights, an Army veteran, a nurse, a Houston, Texas educator, and 
a friend.
  Benny and his family came from humble beginnings in Goliad, Texas, 
but moved to Houston, like many others, to find more opportunities.
  In 1956, at the age of 18, Benny was inducted into the U.S. Army. 
After completing his training, he was sent to Korea, where he was 
assigned to the 564th Quartermaster Company.
  Benny put his education degree to use and worked as an associate 
teacher in the Houston School District at Crockett Elementary.
  On top of this, Mr. Speaker, he served many organizations. As was 
mentioned, he was a lifelong member of LULAC, the League of United 
Latin American Citizens; the Veterans of Foreign Wars; the Knights of 
Columbus; and the American GI Forum. He also found time to be an usher 
at his local church.
  The thing that has been mentioned but that I want to underscore, 
because it was another historical note, is that he is better known for 
facilitating a historic meeting between a Texas LULAC chapter--again, 
the League of United Latin American Citizens--and then-President John 
F. Kennedy in 1963. This event is the first known meeting between a 
U.S. sitting President and a Hispanic civil rights group--very 
noteworthy.
  After a lifetime of a lot of achievements, Mr. Martinez passed away 
at 85 in 2019. This bill would name the post office after him. I urge 
all of my colleagues to support this bill in the memory of a history 
maker and a pioneer in our community.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of 
H.R. 203, 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.

[[Page H5960]]

Carolyn B. Maloney) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, 
H.R. 203.
  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. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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