[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 43 (Monday, March 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H1073]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ROSA PARKS FEDERAL BUILDING

  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 1278) to designate the Federal building located at 985 
Michigan Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, as the ``Rosa Parks Federal 
Building'', and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 1278

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

     SECTION 1. ROSA PARKS FEDERAL BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The Federal building located at 985 
     Michigan Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, shall be known and 
     designated as the ``Rosa Parks Federal Building''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     Federal building referred to in subsection (a) shall be 
     deemed to be a reference to the ``Rosa Parks Federal 
     Building''.
       (c) Repeals.--
       (1) Public Law 109-98 (119 Stat. 2168) is repealed.
       (2) Sections 1 and 2 of Public Law 109-101 (119 Stat. 2171) 
     are repealed.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Molinaro) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material in the Record on S. 1278.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  This bill honors Rosa Parks, a pivotal figure in the civil rights 
movement, by naming the Federal building located at 985 Michigan Avenue 
in Detroit, Michigan, in her honor.
  Of course, we know that Rosa Parks is best known for inspiring the 
Montgomery bus boycott when she refused to move from the front to the 
back of the bus.
  Her courageous work fighting against discrimination and segregation 
makes it fitting that we honor Rosa Parks by naming this Federal 
building after her.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise in support of S. 1278 introduced by Ms. 
Stabenow, which will designate this Federal building to be named for 
Rosa Parks.
  Ms. Parks is famous in civil rights history for refusing to give up 
her seat on the bus in Montgomery, leading to the Montgomery bus 
boycott. She also, after that great, heroic incident--which was 
memorialized in a song by the Neville Brothers called ``Sister Rosa''--
moved to Detroit, Michigan.
  When she moved to Detroit she was employed by the United States 
Congressman John Conyers in his office. John Conyers was a great hero 
of mine and a great star who served in this body for many, many years. 
He hired Ms. Parks, and he was responsible for Dr. King's birthday 
becoming a Federal holiday. I am sure he would have been very proud to 
be here today to see this courthouse named for Rosa Parks for her work 
in the civil rights movement, as well as in his office and just being 
an outstanding citizen at large.
  She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996, the 
Congressional Gold Medal in 1999, and she was the first woman to ever 
lie in state in the United States Capitol rotunda. A statue of her is 
present in our Statuary Hall, as well.
  I am pleased to honor her memory by supporting this legislation, and 
I urge my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, with no further speakers, I am prepared to 
close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would again indicate that I 
support this bill, and I urge everyone else to support it. I think so 
fondly upon John Conyers, who was my mentor when I came to Congress, 
and how much he would have appreciated this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  In closing, this is an appropriate piece of legislation to recognize 
the late Rosa Parks by naming this particular Federal building after 
her. This is among just one of the ways we can acknowledge the 
important work Ms. Parks did to better our Nation.
  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 New York (Mr. Molinaro) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 1278.
  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. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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