[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 17149-17150]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



               JAMES W. McCABE, SR. POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mrs. MORELLA. Madame Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 2302) to designate the building of the United States 
Postal Service located at 307 Main Street in Johnson City, New York, as 
the ``James W. McCabe, Sr. Post Office Building.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2302

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       (a) In General.--The building of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 307 Main Street in Johnson City, New York, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``James W. McCabe, Sr. 
     Post Office Building''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     building referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``James W. McCabe, Sr. Post Office 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Maryland (Mrs. Morella) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella).


                             General Leave

  Mrs. MORELLA. Madame Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks on H.R. 2302.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, our colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Hinchey) introduced H.R. 2302 on June 22, 1999. Pursuant to the policy 
of the Committee on Government Reform, each House Member of the State 
delegation of New York has cosponsored the legislation.
  H.R. 2302 designates the building of the United States Postal Service 
at 307 Main Street in Johnson City, New York, as the James W. McCabe, 
Sr. Post Office Building.
  James W. McCabe was born in Johnson City, New York, in 1917. He 
attended elementary school in Johnson City and high school at Holy 
Cross Seminary in Notre Dame, Indiana. He graduated cum laude from the 
University of Notre Dame where he majored in Latin and had minors in 
English and philosophy. He then attended SUNY-Albany to complete 
teaching requirements, and he also received a master's degree in 
education. He did further graduate studies at Syracuse University, 
Colgate University and Ithaca College.
  Mr. McCabe served with the Army Air Corps from 1943 through 1945. He 
was stationed in the South Pacific with a B-24 bomber crew. He was 
awarded the Air Medal with an oak leaf cluster and was honorably 
discharged with the rank of technical sergeant.
  After military service, Mr. McCabe taught Latin and English at 
Johnson City High School. James McCabe served as mayor of Johnson City 
from 1963 to 1971, and on the executive committee of the New York 
Conference of Mayors in 1970 to 1971. He was elected to represent his 
constituents as an assemblyman from January 1973 to 1985.
  For his efforts on behalf of the mentally disabled, the Mayor of New 
York, on behalf of the City of New York and the Advisory Board of the 
New York City Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation 
Services, presented Mr. McCabe the Human Service Award in 1977. Also in 
1977, he received the Legislator of the Year Award from the New York 
State Personnel and Guidance Association for his work in mental health.
  In 1981 and 1982, Mr. McCabe was named Legislator of the Year by the 
New York State Association of Counties and the Friend of Education 
Award.
  After his service in the State assembly, Mr. McCabe served on the New 
York State Board of Regents for 5 years.
  Mr. McCabe died in Johnson City on May 23, 1999. He is survived by 
his wife of 55 years, Margaret Flynn McCabe.
  Madam Speaker, this bill honors an individual who devoted his life to 
public service. It is most appropriate to honor James W. McCabe, Sr., 
by naming a United States Post Office in Johnson City, New York, where 
Mr. McCabe was born, served his community and died; and I urge all 
Members to support H.R. 2302 honoring James W. McCabe, Sr.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Hinchey), the author of the legislation.
  Mr. HINCHEY. Madam Speaker, it is with a great deal of pleasure that 
I rise and ask the House to support us in designating the building of 
the United States Postal Service, which is located at 307 Main Street 
in Johnson City,

[[Page 17150]]

New York, as the James W. McCabe, Sr. Post Office Building.
  In doing so, I want to express my appreciation to my friend and 
colleague, the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella), and others who 
are supporting us in this endeavor. I thank them very much.
  Jim McCabe, Sr. served a total of 17 years in New York State 
government. As a former Mayor of Johnson City and a member of the New 
York State legislature, Jim served his community and he served his 
entire State with great distinction.
  Many members of the New York congressional delegation served with Jim 
during his six terms in the assembly and remember him for his 
dedication, for his kindness, and, most of all, I think, for his great 
strong sense of integrity. His leadership was always based upon his 
conscience, not on the polls and not on party. His intelligent 
leadership earned him the friendship and respect of all those who were 
privileged to serve with him.
  Jim McCabe died in 1999, and naming the Johnson City Post Office 
after him would permanently honor his memory in the community that he 
served so well. This tribute is particularly appropriate since Jim's 
father served as the postmaster in Johnson City.
  Jim McCabe was born in Johnson City, New York, on April 17, 1917. He 
graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame. He then attended 
the State University of New York at Albany for a semester to complete 
his teaching requirements, and later received a master's degree in 
education. He did further graduate study at Syracuse University, at 
Colgate University, and also Ithaca College.
  He was a devoted family man and was married for 56 years to his wife 
Margaret, and together they had seven children.
  Jim served with the Army Air Corps from 1943 through 1945. He was a 
World War II veteran. He was stationed in the South Pacific with a B-24 
bomber crew. And for his service there, he was awarded the Air Medal 
with an oak leaf cluster.
  Jim taught Latin and English at Johnson City High School when he was 
discharged from the service from 1946 to 1973. He also served as a 
counselor at that school.
  From 1963 to 1971, Jim was the Mayor of Johnson City. As mayor, Jim 
was a strong proponent of the construction of New York Route 17, soon 
to be redesignated as part of the interstate highway system, Interstate 
86. The construction of that Route 17 brought economic development to 
the area. At a time when the region was dumping raw sewage into the 
Susquehanna River, Jim helped establish the Binghamton-Johnson City 
Joint Sewer Treatment Plant, which still serves the people of Broome 
County. And it was his foresight and leadership on this important 
environmental issue that made that possible.
  From 1970 to 1971, he served as a member of the Executive Committee 
of the New York State Conference of Mayors. Jim McCabe also served six 
terms in the New York State assembly. That service was from 1973 until 
1982. During that time, he was chairman of the Assembly Committee on 
Local Government and also chair of the Legislative Commission on State 
and Local Relations.
  As a member of the State Assembly's Committee on Mental Health, 
Education and on the Rules Committee and its Task Force on the 
Disabled, Jim was a passionate advocate on behalf of the mentally 
disabled, and he became known all across New York State for that 
service. In fact, for his efforts, Jim received the Human Service Award 
in 1977. The award was presented by then New York City Mayor Abraham 
Beame on behalf of New York City and the Advisory Board of the New York 
City Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation Services.
  In the same year, Jim McCabe received the Legislator of the Year 
Award from the New York State Personnel and Guidance Association, 
additionally for his work in mental health. Jim was named Legislator of 
the Year in 1981 and 1982 by the New York State Association of 
Counties. He also received the Friends of Education Award in 1982 from 
the New York Education Association.
  After his service in the State Assembly, and in a way as a capstone 
of his entire service in both State and local government, Jim served 
for 5 years on the New York State Board of Regents. The New York State 
Board of Regents, of course, is the board which oversees the entire 
educational system within New York. It was a very appropriate way for 
Jim McCabe to end his public service, in the sense that throughout his 
years, in local government and in the State legislature, and wherever 
he worked, with young people and old everywhere, his educational skills 
served him in good stead.
  Jim, first and foremost, was an educator. And everyone with whom he 
came in contact benefitted from his skills, from his experience, from 
his wide breadth of service both here at home and abroad. It is, Mr. 
Speaker, with a great sense of pride that I offer this legislation to 
the Congress of the United States to name the Post Office Building in 
Johnson City as the James W. McCabe, Sr. Post Office.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
to congratulate the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey) for 
introducing this bill for someone who certainly deserves the 
recognition.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I also applaud the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey) 
for this bill and for introducing it. I think he has said it quite 
eloquently as to why we are honoring this wonderful gentleman, James W. 
McCabe, in naming a post office after him.
  The fact is, as I have said about some of our other honorees earlier 
today, they have come upon the Earth, they have seen it, they saw they 
could make a difference and made that difference.
  With that, I would associate myself with the statement that the 
gentleman from New York just made and would urge our colleagues to vote 
in favor of this very important legislation based upon that.
  I also want to thank the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) 
also for all her assistance.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
and I again urge this House to unanimously pass H.R. 2302, the 
legislation naming the James W. McCabe Post Office Building.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kuykendall). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2302.
  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.

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