[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 19] [House] [Pages 26861-26862] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]LLOYD D. GEORGE UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 437) to designate the United States courthouse under construction at 333 Las Vegas Boulevard South in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the ``Lloyd D. George United States Courthouse.'' The Clerk read as follows: S. 437 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF LLOYD D. GEORGE UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE. The United States courthouse under construction at 333 Las Vegas Boulevard South in Las Vegas, Nevada, shall be known and designated as the ``Lloyd D. George United States Courthouse''. SEC. 2. REFERENCES. Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the United States courthouse referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``Lloyd D. George United States Courthouse''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Franks) and the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Franks). Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Senate 437 designates the United States courthouse to be built in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the Lloyd D. George United States Courthouse. Judge Lloyd D. George was born in Montpelier, Idaho, and later moved and attended schools in Las Vegas, Nevada. He earned his B.S. from Brigham Young University in 1955, and that same year entered the United States Air Force. He participated as a fighter pilot in the Strategic Air Command, concluding his military service in 1958, holding the rank of captain. He then returned to school where he earned his J.D. in 1961 from the University of California at Berkeley. Judge George was admitted to the Nevada Bar in 1961 and began practice in Las Vegas. In 1974 he was appointed by the Ninth Circuit to preside over the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada for a term of 14 years. In 1980 he became a member of the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panels. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan appointed Judge George to the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, where he was elevated in 1992 to Chief Judge of the Nevada District. During his tenure on the bench, Chief Judge George held a variety of distinguished memberships. He was a board member on the Federal Judicial Center, a member of the National Bankruptcy Conference, the Chair of the Judicial Advisory for Bankruptcy Rules, the Chair of the Judicial Committee on Administration of Bankruptcy System, a Fellow at the American College of Bankruptcy, and a member of the Judicial Conference on International Judicial Relations. I fully support the bill and urge my colleagues to support it as well. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of designating the United States courthouse in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the Lloyd D. George United States Courthouse. It is my sincere pleasure to introduce this measure, and I have worked very hard to bring it to the House floor. I would like to thank all of those that helped in this endeavor, particularly the ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Chairman Shuster), and my colleague in the United States Senate, Senator Harry Reid. I cannot think of a more suitable honor to bestow on this beloved Las Vegan, who has served the citizens of his home State of Nevada with humility, humanity, compassion, and dignity. In fact, the new Federal courthouse which this bill names is located right across the street from where Judge George attended grade school and within one block of his high school alma mater. I would like to highlight some of Judge George's tremendous accomplishments. From his early days, as both high school and college student body president, Judge George demonstrated outstanding leadership abilities. Judge George served our country as an Air Force pilot before receiving his juris doctorate in 1961 from the University of California at Berkeley. Among his numerous achievements, Judge George has been the recipient of the Jurist of the Year Award, the Liberty Bell Award for public service, and the Brigham Young University Alumni Distinguished Service Award. He has served as former chairman of the State Apprentice Council, former [[Page 26862]] president of the Clark County Association for Retarded Children, and a member of the National Advisory Council for the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott School of Management. From 1974 until 1984 Judge George served as the United States Bankruptcy judge. He also served as a National Bankruptcy Conference member and an American College of Bankruptcy fellow and a Judicial Conference member. In May of 1984, Judge George was appointed U.S. District judge for the District of Nevada. He served as Chief District judge from 1992 to 1997 and assumed senior status in December of 1997. Not only has Judge George served our Nation, he has also participated in numerous global committees, such as the International Judicial Relations Committee of the Judicial Conference, and has led seminars on legal topics in central and eastern Europe. What an extraordinary example he is for all of us. When I think of Judge George, I see him administering the oath of allegiance to new citizens that are receiving their citizenship in the State of Nevada. I can tell you, when he administers this oath, there is not a dry eye in the house. This very sensitive, very compassionate man welcomes these people as new citizens to our country, and he does it with such charm and dignity that it makes us all very proud to be Americans. That is why it is most fitting and proper to honor the long, distinguished career of Judge George with this designation. I urge all of us to support this. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar). Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I want to especially express my appreciation to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Chairman Shuster) for bringing this bill forward, and to the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Franks) for acting on the bill so quickly. After a long gestation period, this bill has been awaiting action; but it is, as both the chairman of the full committee and chairman of the subcommittee have noted, a deserving recognition for a noted jurist. I want to also commend my colleague, the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkeley), on her persistence in advocating for this legislation and to the Senator from Nevada, Mr. Reid, for being such a strong champion of naming the building for Judge Lloyd D. George. I did not have the pleasure, as the gentlewoman from Nevada has had, of knowing Judge George, but on a recent visit last month to Nevada, where I met with many of the gentlewoman's constituents, spontaneously and without prompting, each came forward to extol the virtues of this great jurist. He certainly is a living legend, loved and respected, admired and appreciated by all who know of him, and maybe have been adjudicated by him. But certainly this naming by popular appeal is exceptional. He is a man of great judicial capacity, but also great compassion, as the gentlewoman has so appropriately noted; and I am delighted we at last have this opportunity to bring to conclusion the appropriate naming of the U.S. courthouse and Federal building in Las Vegas for Judge Lloyd D. George. I compliment the gentlewoman on her success in achieving this breakthrough. {time} 1545 Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gibbons). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Franks) that the House suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 437. The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________