[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 17] [House] [Pages 24961-24963] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]WILLIAM H. AVERY POST OFFICE Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2591) to designate the United States Post Office located at 713 Elm Street in Wakefield, Kansas, as the ``William H. Avery Post Office.'' The Clerk read as follows: H.R. 2591 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. DESIGNATION. The United States Post Office located at 713 Elm Street in Wakefield, Kansas, shall be known and designated as the ``William H. Avery Post Office''. SEC. 2. REFERENCES. Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the post office referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``William H. Avery Post Office''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh). Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the bill before us, H.R. 2591, was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran) and is sponsored by each Member of the House delegation from the great State of Kansas, which is pursuant to a long-standing policy of the Committee on Government Reform. This legislation, as noted by the Clerk, [[Page 24962]] designates the United States Post Office located at 713 Elm Street in Wakefield, Kansas as the William H. Avery Post Office. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by commending the gentleman from Kansas for his leadership on this issue, for bringing to our attention I think a very, very laudable, worthy designation and express my appreciation as well from the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), the ranking member, and all of the members of the subcommittee and the committee and its Chairman, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), for processing this bill in a very timely manner. As to the designee, Mr. Avery was born the son of a farmer and rancher near Wakefield, Kansas, in 1911 and attended Wakefield High School in that town. He later graduated from the University of Kansas in 1934, after which he returned home to raise crops and livestock on his family farm. During that time, he served on the local school board. Mr. Avery was elected to the State House of Representatives and served from 1951 to 1955. He was a Member of the legislative council from 1953 to 1955. Mr. Avery won the Republican nomination for the United States Congress and served in this House from 1955 to 1965. In 1965, the people of Kansas elected him to serve one term as the 37th governor of Kansas. Mr. Avery continues to this day to live in his hometown of Wakefield, Kansas. Mr. Speaker, it is, it seems to me, especially meaningful to honor a person during his or her lifetime. Quite often, we come to this floor and designate these facilities in honor of someone who is no longer with us and no longer able to be directly aware of our appreciation and the honor that they are about to receive. But in this instance, we are naming a facility in the hometown after a native son, a place which is visited daily by the neighbors and friends of that person, and naming it after someone who is identified with the town literally from birth. I certainly urge our colleagues to honor Governor Avery and this very worthy recipient. Supporting this bill, the Congressional Budget Office indicates that enactment of the legislation would have no significant impact on the Federal budget and would not directly affect spending or receipts, and therefore pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. Additionally, the legislation contains no governmental or private sector mandates that are defined in the unfunded mandates reform act, and as such, would impose no costs on State, local, or tribal governments. In sum, Mr. Speaker, this is a very worthy piece of legislation, a very worthy designee, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it this afternoon. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to join with the gentleman from New York in moving today some five postal naming bills. This is the first, and it is indeed an honor for us to have the opportunity to participate. It really provides to the people of Kansas the notice that is appropriate for the service of a former Member by naming this post office, and the majority Chairman has walked through the tremendous public service that Congressman Avery provided, not just his service here in the Congress for more than a decade, but his service as a member of a local school board, his graduation from Wakefield high, his service in the State House, and then finally, his service as governor of the State of Kansas. I think it is appropriate that we move this naming bill that was introduced on July 2 by the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran), and as the minority ranking member on the Subcommittee on Postal Service, I want to just offer my thanks to the cooperative working relationship that I have had with the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh). And as we will see today, we have moved through the committee a number of these bills that are important not just to the Members who have introduced them but to the memory of those whose names these postal facilities will bear, because it represents I think the continuing hope that there will be others from those communities who will come and provide service, not just here in this House, but in a variety of roles of public service throughout our Nation, and that it is appropriate that the Congress recognize the achievements and accomplishments and the legacy of service of people like the gentleman from Kansas, Mr. Avery, who we honor today through this legislative proposal. So Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to first respond to the gentleman from Pennsylvania in saying that I value the working relationship we have had, and as he so, I think, accurately noted, the work product of that relationship will be shown on this floor today. It has been both an honor and a pleasure to work with him and the Members on his side who have joined us in putting aside partisan differences in attempting to rather just move legislation that serves the people. In this instance, as I said, we do have the privilege of joining today in supporting a bill that is very worthy and recognizes a very worthy individual, as well as having with us on the floor today the gentleman who really has led the fight to put this bill together and to bring our attention to this very worthy opportunity. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the chief advocate, chief sponsor of the legislation. Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) for their work on this piece of legislation, and I thank the chairman for yielding me this time. As indicated earlier, I rise to join my colleagues in recognizing a man who served for 20 years in public service. William H. Avery served as governor of our State and as Congressman for a portion of our State from 1950 to 1960s, and it is my honor to speak on behalf of this legislation which names the post office in his hometown of Wakefield, Kansas. Bill Avery became the 37th governor of Kansas in 1965, but his public service first began over a decade earlier. However, he never intended to follow a career in politics or government service. {time} 1500 When he graduated from the University of Kansas, the country was in the midst of the Great Depression, so rather than going on to school, he went back to his family farm to raise crops and livestock. He made a life with his wife and four kids on that farm, the same farm that his family had worked since the Civil War. In these early years he expanded the farm and served on the local school board. At the age of 39, Mr. Avery became involved in politics for the first time when construction of several big dams in our State threatened to take farmland of his and his neighbors out of production. A reservoir was being planned that would take his farm and force relocation of nearly two-thirds of his hometown. Avery was encouraged to run then for the State House of Representatives, and he won, serving from 1951 to 1955. Effective and well-liked by all of his colleagues, he then went on to serve in the United States Congress in this House for 10 years. As Governor, Mr. Avery was bold and direct. He took his job in public office very seriously. In his service, Governor Avery worked for everything that was important to Kansas: agriculture, rural communities, water conservation, and education. He was not afraid to make effective but unpopular policy decisions. Avery inherited a deficit when he came to the Kansas State House, and he worked to direct funds towards schools and economic growth. He effectively reformed education, and brought new industry to our State. After serving as Governor, he became active in the oil and grain industries. Avery also served in both the Department of the Interior and the Agency for International Development. For those who know Bill Avery, just mentioning his name often brings out a [[Page 24963]] smile or a chuckle, and provokes a personal story about the Governor. Often described as a big, kindhearted, jovial fellow, Governor Avery is an extremely colorful, personable, and funny man. Having great appreciation for farming and being near the people he grew up with, he returned to Wakefield when he retired in 1980. With his love for horses and agriculture, Avery bought a team of horses, collected a line of antique farm machinery, and worked a small piece of farm ground as a hobby. Members of the Wakefield community fondly tell his stories of antique machinery and his love for agriculture. One community member recollects that in one parade, the press did not even recognize Governor Avery because he was wearing overalls and a straw hat behind his own team of horses. I have a feeling Governor Avery likes it that way. Bill Avery takes very great pride in being a farmer. Bill Avery was born and grew up in a farm near Wakefield. Today, at the age of 89, he continues to reside in his hometown in a house overlooking the reservoir that took his farm. He still is active in public policy, and in fact, writes letters to me and other Members of Congress on a regular basis. Governor Avery was a true farmer and family man who did not let politics change him. I admire both his integrity and his character, and I am honored to pay this small tribute to our Governor Avery. This bill will name the Post Office in his hometown where he daily goes to collect his mail. I ask that this body pass this legislation. Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I think that the previous speaker has laid out for the House ample reason for us to swiftly pass this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella). Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2591, naming the Post Office for Governor Avery, who also served in the House of Representatives. Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I have words of appreciation to the ranking member, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), and also a word of appreciation to the sponsor, the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran). Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2591, legislation introduced by my colleague from Kansas, Jerry Moran, that would designate the Wakefield, Kansas, post office as the William H. Avery Post Office. Bill Avery served the people of Kansas with distinction in several public offices. Born in Wakefield in 1911, he attended public schools and earned an A.B. at the University of Kansas in 1934. A farmer and stockman since 1935, he became director of the Wakefield Rural High School Board of Education in 1946 and was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1950. While in the legislature, he served on the Legislative Coordinating Council. Bill Avery was elected to Congress five times, serving from 1955- 1965. In 1964, he was elected governor of Kansas, where he served for two years until his defeat for re-election by Robert Docking, who went on to be the only Kansan elected to the governorship four times. During his tenure as governor, Bill Avery tackled several complicated, controversial issues, including enactment of a school funding program which provided broader state support for elementary and high schools through increases in the sales, liquor, cigarette and income taxes, including establishment of state income tax withholding. He also presided over implementation of a school unification statute that closed many rural schools. After leaving the governorship, Bill Avery returned to Wakefield and became president of Real Petroleum Company. At age 88, he resides in Wakefield today. I am pleased to cosponsor this legislation with my colleagues from the Kansas congressional delegation and I am glad to take this opportunity to commend Bill Avery for his distinguished career of public service on behalf of his fellow Kansans. I urge my colleagues to support this timely and well-deserved measure. Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Stearns). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2591. The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________