[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 18826-18827]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                WILLIAM J. SCHERLE POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 1399) to redesignate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 101 South Vine Street in Glenwood, Iowa, as 
the ``William J. Scherle Post Office Building.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                S. 1399

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

     SECTION 1. WILLIAM J. SCHERLE POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Redesignation.--The facility of the United States 
     Postal Service located at 101 South Vine Street in Glenwood, 
     Iowa, and known as the Glenwood Main Office, shall be known 
     and designated as the ``William J. Scherle 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 William J. Scherle Post Office Building.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Shays) and the gentlewoman from the District of 
Columbia (Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays).


                             General Leave

  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on 
the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Connecticut?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
   Mr. Speaker, S. 1399, introduced by the esteemed gentleman from 
Iowa, Senator Harkin, redesignates the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 101 South Vine Street in Glenwood, Iowa, as 
the William J. Scherle Post Office Building.
   Mr. Speaker, Congressman Bill Scherle of Iowa has lived a life that 
is worthy of commemoration by this House. He served four terms as a 
representative of the people of Iowa in this body, from 1967 to 1975, 
and prior to that he was a member of the Iowa State legislature for 6 
years.
   One of Congressman Scherle's most remarkable contributions in office 
was

[[Page 18827]]

his determined work in freeing the crew of the USS Pueblo, which was 
captured by North Korea in January 1968. The North Koreans imprisoned 
and brutally tortured the members of the crew, and Congressman Scherle 
was the most outspoken leader in Congress on the crisis. Eventually, 
due largely to his leadership, all but one member of the crew, Richard 
Benden, was released and returned safely home.
   In addition, Congressman Scherle took particular interest in rural 
issues, which were most important to his district's constituents. He 
was a farmer himself, as well as a businessman, which seems somewhat 
redundant because farmers have to be businessmen as well. But in 
addition to being a farmer/businessman, he was a businessman and a 
Republican Party official in his State prior to becoming an elected 
official.
   Now retired, Congressman Scherle continues to live with his beloved 
wife, Jane, on their farm outside of Henderson, Iowa. I understand he 
enjoys spending as much time as he can with his six grandchildren.
   I think it is pretty special, as well, that the Senator from Iowa 
has introduced this bill because he ran two House races against Bill 
Scherle. The first match-up in 1972 was won by Congressman Scherle, and 
the second time around, in 1974, the Senator from Iowa was victorious. 
The two have since become good friends, and after running two campaigns 
against each other, I think that is a refreshing commentary on both 
these dedicated public officials and the process.
   I also want to recognize the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) for his 
work on H.R. 2558, a virtually identical piece of legislation 
introduced here in the House. I know he worked alongside the Senator 
from Iowa to recognize Bill Scherle in the Congress, and I commend him 
for his efforts as well.
   Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I commend the Senator from Iowa for 
introducing S. 1399 that honors W.J. Scherle, as well as commending the 
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King). I urge all Members to support its 
passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
   I rise in support of S. 1399, a bill that would name a U.S. postal 
facility after W.J. Scherle. S. 1399 was introduced by Senator Tom 
Harkin of Iowa on July 14, 2003, and passed unanimously by the Senate 
on July 17, 2003.
   S. 1399 would name the Glenwood, Iowa, Post Office after W.J. 
Scherle, a former Member of Congress. Congressman Scherle was first 
elected to represent Iowa's Seventh Congressional District in 1967. 
After redistricting, Representative Scherle represented the Fifth 
Congressional District until 1974.
   During his tenure in Congress, Representative Scherle served on the 
Committees on Education and Labor and Appropriations. Prior to serving 
in the Congress, Bill Scherle served in the Navy and Coast Guard during 
World War II, and then later in the Navy Reserve. He served as chairman 
of the Mills County Republican Party, and then went on to serve in the 
Iowa legislature for 6 years.
   According to Senator Harkin, the sponsor of this measure, 
Representative Scherle will particularly be remembered for leading the 
effort in Congress to release the crew of the U.S.S. Pueblo, which had 
been seized by North Korea in 1968.
   Mr. Speaker, I urge the swift adoption of this bill.
  Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring forth S. 1399, 
the William J. Scherle Post Office Building Redesignation Act, to honor 
the selfless service of a great Iowan, Bill Scherle. I want to thank 
the Iowa delegation in the House of Representatives for joining me and 
Senators Harkin and Grassley in supporting this well-deserved gesture 
to honor the service of a great American by their cosponsorship of my 
House version, H.R. 2758.
  Mr. Scherle was born in Little Falls, New York in 1923. After serving 
this great country in the Second World War, Mr. Scherle attended 
Southern Methodist University and subsequently served in the United 
States Naval Reserve. After serving his country in the military, Mr. 
Scherle decided to engage in grain and livestock farming and settled in 
rural Mills County, Iowa. Mr. Scherle was elected to 3 consecutive 
terms in the Iowa House of Representatives.
  In 1966, he was elected to his first of four terms in the United 
States House of Representatives. Bill was known as a watchdog of 
government waste who brought a keen eye for economic accountability to 
the Congress.
  Bill was an outspoken and persistent voice for the members of the 
captured spy boat, the Pueblo, during 1968 when the boat and crew were 
captured by the North Koreans. Thanks to his daily reminders on the 
floor of Congress, the members of the Pueblo and their plight were kept 
at the forefront of the Congress' consciousness until they were 
released by the North Korean government.
  Mr. Scherle promoted personal responsibility, agricultural growth and 
innovation, and was the embodiment of common sense conservatism during 
his tenure in this honorable House. After serving in the United States 
Department of Agriculture and as a consultant in Washington D.C., Mr. 
Scherle retired to Henderson, where he currently resides with his wife 
Jane.
  Mr. Speaker, members of the House, please join me and the entire Iowa 
delegation in voting to designate the Glenwood, Iowa Post Office the 
William J. Scherle Post Office Building.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
   Mr. SHAYS. 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 Connecticut (Mr. Shays) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 1399.
  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.

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