[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 19]
[House]
[Pages 27000-27001]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   ORVILLE WRIGHT FEDERAL BUILDING AND WILBUR WRIGHT FEDERAL BUILDING

  Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3118) to designate the Orville Wright Federal Building and 
the Wilbur Wright Federal Building in Washington, District of Columbia.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3118

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

     SECTION 1. ORVILLE WRIGHT FEDERAL BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The Federal building located at 800 
     Independence Avenue, Southwest, in Washington, District of 
     Columbia, shall be known and designated as the ``Orville 
     Wright 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 ``Orville Wright Federal 
     Building''.

     SEC. 2. WILBUR WRIGHT FEDERAL BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The Federal building located at 600 
     Independence Avenue, Southwest, in Washington, District of 
     Columbia, shall be known and designated as the ``Wilbur 
     Wright 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 ``Wilbur Wright Federal 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
West Virginia (Mrs. Capito) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. 
Blumenauer) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. 
Capito).
  Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3118, offered by the gentleman from North Carolina 
(Mr. Hayes), designates the building located at 800 Independence 
Avenue, Southeast as the ``Orville Wright Federal Building,'' and the 
building located at 600 Independence Avenue, Southeast as the ``Wilbur 
Wright Federal building.''
  Recognized as the fathers of aviation, Orville and Wilbur Wright were 
raised in Dayton, Ohio, the sons of Bishop Milton Wright and Susan 
Catherine Wright. The two brothers were raised in a home where 
education was important and creativeness was encouraged. At an early 
age, the boys showed an aptitude for mechanics, a skill that was useful 
in their early career making and selling bicycles.
  In 1901, the boys built their first aircraft. Not much more than a 
glider and flown like a big kite, this initial step was critical in 
determining the aerodynamics of flight. The brothers tried various 
designs in their quest for flight and 2 years later, on December 17, 
1903, they flew the world's first powered airplane.
  Planes are still using the aeronautics developed by the Wright 
brothers. Their design of the propeller and wing are still the basic 
shapes we use today. They truly are the fathers of modern aviation.

                              {time}  1445

  It is fitting that we grant the Wright brothers this important honor 
at this time. This December will mark 100 years since the Wright 
brothers took their Wright Flyer aircraft on to the dunes of Kitty 
Hawk, North Carolina, and ushered in the age of flight. It is doubly 
fitting that we grant this honor as the buildings in question are in 
use by the Federal Aviation Administration.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation and encourage my colleagues 
to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I too rise in support of this legislation. It is 
appropriate for us to designate the Federal Government building located 
down on Independence Avenue as the Orville Wright Federal Building. As 
the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito) pointed out, we are 
approaching the centennial of the birth of flight. I only wish that we 
had available on the floor the repartee that we had in committee, Mr. 
Speaker, between our colleagues from Ohio and North Carolina about what 
State is the true birth place of flight.
  Orville and Wilbur were from Ohio. That is where their bicycle shop 
was located; that is where they did the engineering and the research. 
There were some, I would not say unkind, but pointed comments from some 
of our colleagues that they had to go to North Carolina to get the hot 
air for the lift for the initial flight, although our friend, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes), I think had an interesting 
rejoinder.
  Suffice it to say, this has been an important designation for our 
country. Aviation has played a critical part in the development of our 
industry in terms of the United States military might. In terms of 
today, it is one of the leading employers in our country still. Despite 
the travail of the industry and the economy, there are still more than 
600,000 employees and the United States is the leading aviation country 
in the world with over 600 million passenger flights, including a 
number of people in this Chamber whose lives would not be possible in 
two States were it not for aviation.
  It is fitting that we honor the matchless contributions of the Wright 
brothers, not only to American history but to the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I support the legislation and urge its passage, but do 
point out as Chair of the Bicycle Caucus that this is yet another 
American innovation in infrastructure that owes its founding to the 
genius behind the cycling community.
  Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Hayes).
  Mr. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, as a pilot of 35 years of experience, I 
appreciate the work that was done by Wilbur and Orville Wright, and I 
am pleased to sponsor H.R. 3118, which will honor the memory and 
achievements of Orville and Wilbur Wright by naming the Department of 
Transportation building, which houses the Federal Aviation 
Administration in Washington in their honor. It is a fitting tribute to 
men with a vision and determination to fly.
  The first 12 seconds of flight started America down the path to such 
accomplishments as passing the speed of sound, achieving low-Earth 
orbit, developing reusable manned space vehicles, and even landing on 
the moon.
  Today the U.S. aviation system is the busiest, safest system in the 
world, and in large measure we have the Wright brothers to thank for 
this. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the milestone event, two 
celebrations in North Carolina deserve special recognition. This past 
May, Fayetteville, North Carolina held the Festival of Flight 
Celebration, and in December the State of North Carolina will present 
the First Flight Centennial Celebration to take place at the National 
Park in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, not in Dayton, Ohio, where the 
Wright brothers first flew. A monument to the brothers was placed on 
the dunes of Kitty Hawk.
  As we approach the 100th anniversary of the birth of aviation at 
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, it is indeed fitting to recognize these two 
aviation pioneers by naming the Federal buildings at 600 and 800 
Independence Avenue in their honor. I thank the Wright brothers.
  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, the designation of two Federal Aviation 
Administration buildings in Washington, DC, in honor of Wilbur and 
Orville Wright's contribution to history with their invention of 
powered flight, is a fitting tribute to their conviction and courage.
  I am fortunate to represent the hometown of the Wright Brothers, a 
place where they studied and tinkered over their design for an 
airplane. The lessons they learned from their failures, over time 
became the key to their successes.
  In a little over a month, the world will celebrate the 100th 
anniversary of powered flight, one of the human race's greatest 
achievements. The contributions of powered flight to the world are 
immeasurable and have pushed the human race forward in countless ways.
  Wilbur and Orville Wright dreamt of searing and sweeping across the 
sky, of far away places and thrilling adventures. They were crazy 
enough to believe that their dream of flight was within their grasp. On 
December 17, 1903, by making the dream of flight a reality,

[[Page 27001]]

the Brothers gave us one of our hearts great desires, they gave us 
wings.
  The Wilbur and Orville Wright Federal Buildings, located in 
Washington, DC, follows the long line of history makers that have left 
an indelible impression on the city and the country. Earlier this year, 
the Dayton community celebrated the Centennial of Flight and the shared 
aviation heritage of Dayton, OH and Kitty Hawk, NC. As a cosponsor of 
H.R. 3118, I am pleased to offer my support and to commend my good 
friend and colleague Representative Robin Hayes for his leadership.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3118, a bill to 
designate the Federal Building located at 800 Independence Avenue as 
the Orville Wright Federal Building, and the Federal building located 
at 600 Independence Avenue as the Wilbur Wright Federal Building. 
Fittingly, these buildings house the headquarters of the Federal 
Aviation Administration.
  Wilbur Wright was born on a farm near Millville, Indiana, in 1867, 
and his younger brother Orville was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1871. Both 
boys were excellent students with a love for invention. As young men in 
Dayton, the Wright brothers owned a now-famous bicycle shop where they 
sold and repaired bicycles. In a few short years the shop was a huge 
success, and the men earned a reputation as talented mechanics. The 
profits from their bicycle shop were put toward their aviation 
experiments, providing the seeds of what would become our modern 
aviation industry.
  Between 1899 and 1903 the brothers had developed five experimental 
airplanes, including the 1899 Wright Kite and the 1902 Glider. Then, in 
1903, with a flight of 120 feet lasting a total of 12 seconds, the 
Wright brothers launched the world into the age of aviation. These 
daring experiments laid the groundwork for the American aviation 
industry, which in 2002 employed 621,000 people, had more than 9 
million departures, carried 612,000,000 passengers, flew 25 billion 
miles, included 5,000 passenger jets, 1,000 cargo jets, and over 
several hundred propeller planes.
  The Wright brothers' personal history and amazing achievements are 
the stuff of American legend. This designation honors the contributions 
they made to American history.
  As we approach the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' historic 
flight at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903, it is a just and fitting 
tribute to name the Federal Aviation Administration Headquarters 
Buildings after the ``Fathers of Aviation''.
  I urge my colleagues to honor the Wright brothers and to support H.R. 
3118.
  Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3118, 
legislation to name the Federal office buildings at 600 and 800 
Independence Avenue, SW., in Washington, DC in honor of Wilbur and 
Orville Wright. I thank my colleague and friend from North Carolina, 
Robin Hayes, for introducing this bill, and I was pleased to add my 
name as an original co-sponsor.
  This legislation is an appropriate honor for the Wright Brothers for 
two reasons. First, the office buildings currently house the main 
offices of the Federal Aviation Administration, which was made possible 
by the development of manned flight. Second, these two buildings are 
literally across the street from the original Wright 1903 Flyer, which 
is maintained in its place of honor at the National Air and Space 
Museum.
  It is also appropriate that this action will take place this year, on 
the centennial of the Wright Brothers' great achievement. We have 
already seen an amazing series of events in the Dayton, Ohio area 
commemorating this landmark year, and we look forward to the 100th 
anniversary this December, where the first flight will be appropriately 
commemorated at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina.
  As air travel continues to change our world, there has been a growing 
appreciation and public interest in the earliest days of manned flight. 
The past few years has seen the establishment in Ohio of the Dayton 
Aviation Heritage National Historical Park encompassing the Wright 
Cycle Shop; Huffman Prairie Flying Field; the John W. Berry, Sr. Wright 
Brothers Aviation Center; and the Paul Laurence Dunbar State Memorial. 
Additionally, a new interpretive center was recently opened at Huffman 
Prairie at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in my district, where the 
Wright Brothers perfected the techniques they first used at Kitty Hawk.
  As an Ohioan, I am proud to reside in the same state as the two 
brothers whose invention changed the world. I appreciate Representative 
Hayes authoring this legislation to provide a visible and appropriate 
commemoration of the lives of Wilbur and Orville Wright in our Nation's 
Capital, and urge its approval by the House of Representatives.
  Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hefley). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3118.
  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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