[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 20]
[House]
[Pages 27304-27308]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               FRANCIS X. McCLOSKEY POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 3379) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 3210 East 10th Street in Bloomington, Indiana, as 
the ``Francis X. McCloskey Post Office Building.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3379

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

     SECTION 1. FRANCIS X. MCCLOSKEY POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 3210 East 10th Street in Bloomington, 
     Indiana, shall be known and designated as the ``Francis X. 
     McCloskey 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 Francis X. McCloskey Post Office Building.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Shays) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) 
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 within 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.
  H.R. 3379 designates the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 3210 East 10th Street, Bloomington, Indiana, as the Francis 
X. McCloskey Post Office Building. Congressman Frank McCloskey, a six-
term Representative from Indiana, sadly passed away at age 64 on 
Sunday, November 2, 2003.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to join with the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. 
Hill) in offering the deepest sympathies to the family of Frank 
McCloskey and to say to the Chair and to the other Members of this 
House, Frank was an extraordinarily caring individual, tremendously 
hardworking, a gentle man and a very effective Member of Congress. Mr. 
Speaker, he was a devoted Member of this body, with whom many of us 
served, and we are all saddened to hear the news that he had passed 
away on Sunday and are grateful for the opportunity to remember him 
here today.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 3379.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3379, 
and I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. 
Spratt), the ranking member of the Committee on the Budget.
  Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an old friend and dear 
colleague. Frank McCloskey and I came to Congress together in 1983, and 
for all the time that he served here, we sat beside each other on the 
Committee on Armed Services. I enjoyed him as a person. He became a 
good friend. I admired him as a colleague. I learned a lot from him.
  Frank was plain and unpretentious, but beneath a serious and even 
studious sort of demeanor, he was passionate about the things that he 
believed in and dogged in their pursuit. He stayed on top of the 
issues. We get confronted continually with issue of all sorts.
  I will never forget the morning after Reagan made his SDI speech, 
March 1983. Frank was the one member of the committee then who was 
probing the Defense Department witnesses about strategic defense. He 
was skeptical but he was always, always informed and diligent and fair-
minded as a critic. Long before Srebrenica, he was troubled, deeply, 
personally conflicted about the war and current issues in the Balkans, 
and he was an early advocate and lone supporter of our intervention 
there. There were those who said it was not feasible, it was not 
possible or it was not desirable, but in the long run Frank McCloskey's 
position was vindicated.
  Frank McCloskey was not glib. He was not flashy. He was not smooth. 
He was not, in Sam Rayburn's famous analogy, a show horse, but he was a 
workhorse. He took his job seriously and never himself. He was never 
one to preen or pontificate. There was no conceit about him. He was a 
plain spoken Hoosier who worked hard in the House, worked hard for his 
constituents, and every election ran hard to hold on to his seat.
  Frank was gone from the House before we really knew it, and now he is 
gone altogether. Naming this post office after him is completely 
appropriate, though it seems a small gesture. This does give us, 
however, at least the chance to say to an old colleague whom we greatly 
respected, well done. Well done for all the years you served here. Well 
done in all your friendships you have given to us, and also to say to 
Frank and his family, we have never forgotten you, and this bill proves 
it.
  I hope this post office will also give his constituents, whom he 
served so well, cause to remember him and all that he did for them. Our 
hearts go out to his family. We understand their grief. We share their 
loss, but we hope that they will take solace in hearing his old 
colleagues here in the House say that the years he spent here were 
years well spent in service to his country.
  While he left here more than 8 years ago, I believe his example still 
shines among us, as the passage of this resolution will demonstrate.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 5 
minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hill), the sponsor of this 
legislation.
  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding such time 
to me.
  Mr. Speaker, this past Sunday we lost in Indiana another man by the 
name of Frank. A couple of months ago we lost our Governor, Frank 
O'Bannon, and this past Sunday, we have lost Frank McCloskey.
  Frank was born on June 12, 1939, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He 
graduated from Bishop Kendrick High School in Norristown, Pennsylvania 
in 1957, and got his undergraduate degree at Indiana University in 
1968, his law degree at Indiana University in 1971. He served in the 
United States Air Force from 1957 until 1961. He was a newspaper 
reporter from 1961 to 1968. Admitted to the Indiana bar in 1971.
  He became mayor of the great city of Bloomington, Indiana for 10 
years, from 1972 until 1982. He was elected at the ripe old age of 32 
years of age. He was in the U.S. Congress from the 8th District from 
1983 until 1995.
  He was an attorney, he was a good guy, and we are going to miss him. 
We are losing too many Franks in Indiana. Frank was a special guy. I 
like what the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) had to say 
about Frank. He was a good and decent fellow, mellow, mild, dedicated, 
especially to the cause in Bosnia and made many trips over there. He 
was a good Congressman.
  He created some controversy in this House on an election one time, 
and I think some Members still remember that, but the House has always 
been full of controversy, and we look beyond that in these kind of 
special things that happen to people in their lives.
  It is the right thing for us to do today to honor Frank McCloskey by 
naming this post office after him.

[[Page 27305]]

  I spoke with Frank last week in the hospital, and he told me he did 
not want to go. He was still fighting, wanted to fight to live, but he 
actually told me that he thought that he was not going to win this 
fight, but he went down swinging.
  We have always respected that element in Frank McCloskey. He was a 
fighter for the things that he believed in, to the last day that he 
died.
  My heart and my prayers go out to Roberta, his wife; his daughter, 
Helen; and his son, Mark, and to the people of Bloomington, Indiana who 
loved Frank McCloskey. They will miss him, I know, but we honor him 
here today by naming this post office in the city that he loved, in 
Bloomington, Indiana.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 3 
minutes to the gentlewoman from Indianapolis, Indiana (Ms. Carson).
  Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I would commend my colleague the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hill) who represents the district that the 
Honorable Frank McCloskey represented so well, and certainly appreciate 
very much the fact that he has expedited this measure to the floor 
today on behalf of a great man.
  Congressman Frank McCloskey passed away Sunday after a long battle 
with cancer, and as my colleagues already know, the Honorable Frank 
McCloskey served more than 10 years as mayor of Bloomington and was an 
elected Member of Congress for 6 years.
  What I think, Mr. Speaker, that I would emphasize today is that this 
country has produced great scientists. When I fly back and forth from 
Indianapolis on a weekly basis, I think about the incredible brilliance 
of the Wright brothers who taught us how to annihilate space and 
circumscribe time, and I am wondering when and where and how we will be 
able to amass that same kind of talent to eradicate this deadly, deadly 
disease called cancer.
  Frank McCloskey was a very strong man who brought to the ears and 
eyes of America the problems with ethnic cleansing among the Balkans in 
Bosnia, a very courageous and decent individual, and I know that his 
wife Roberta is full of pain, even though she would not want to see him 
in pain any longer. His congressional career, the leadership that he 
exhibited, the fact that he worked at the local bases and was just an 
ordinary person, a reporter for the Star and the Herald-Telephone in 
Bloomington, and the City News Bureau in Chicago, named director of the 
Kosovo programs for the Democratic National Institute for International 
Affairs, where he was teaching leaders how to govern democratically.
  I am pleased to support this effort by the gentleman from Indiana 
(Mr. Hill) on H.R. 3379 designating the Frank X. McCloskey Post Office 
in memory of the former Frank McCloskey, to the citizens of Bloomington 
and, yes, to the entire State of Indiana, and I urge all of my 
colleagues to support this legislation and keep Frank and his family 
very near and dear in our thoughts and prayers.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer).
  Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3379, a bill to 
designate the Bloomington, Indiana, post office in honor of the late 
Congressman Frank McCloskey.
  Indiana has lost one of its more dedicated and valued public 
servants. Frank McCloskey, his sincerity, his compassion for people not 
only here in America but around the world, was very profound.
  I served with him on the Committee on Armed Services when I was a new 
Member here, and he was very informative because in the 1993 time 
period he was very eager to teach a new President at that time about 
the plights in Bosnia, at a time where our country wanted to turn more 
inward, and he wanted to focus us more outward.
  As I look back on that, a lot of things that Frank spoke of came to 
pass, and for that reason, for his public service, not only as the 
mayor of Bloomington but also what he helped do for our country in a 
very difficult time in the world, this is an honor fitting of the 
gentleman, and for that, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of 
this bill.

                              {time}  1415

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), the pride of northeastern 
Indiana, and my neighbor and friend across the water.
  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I want to join my colleagues in asking 
all of the House to support this resolution on behalf of a great 
American, a true Hoosier, and an outstanding public servant, that is, 
the former Indiana Congressman, Frank McCloskey. Frank devoted his life 
to serving people, whether it was in the military service of our 
country, whether it was as a mayor, whether it was as a Member of 
Congress, or subsequently as a private citizen. He was a man of great 
passion over those things that mattered to him and those things that 
mattered to people who could least defend and protect themselves.
  Frank McCloskey was a noble man engaged in noble work, and he was a 
man of courage. The gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hill) mentioned he was 
courageous to the last breath that he took. He was always courageous in 
the words he spoke and in the actions he took in the House of 
Representatives. Frank did come to Congress in 1983, and he served his 
district with distinction for 12 years. He was passionate about helping 
working families, their children and their parents.
  It is also said, and it is certainly true, that Frank was as much at 
home in the coal mines of southern Indiana as he was in the halls of 
Congress. Frank authored legislation for children to make sure that 
companies could not send free samples of drugs or cleaning products 
through the mail without child safety caps. In 1990, he authored other 
legislation against deceptive practices.
  But subsequent to his public service in the United States Congress, 
he acted most nobly when he took great interest in humanitarian issues 
worldwide. He was one of the first U.S. public servants to visit Bosnia 
when it was embroiled in warfare and ethnic cleansing. He successfully 
brought the suffering to the attention of the American people, our 
government, and championed humanitarian intervention; and he continued 
that work throughout his life.
  In 2002, Frank was named director of the Kosovo Programs for the 
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, where he 
taught other leaders from around the globe how to govern 
democratically. I would close by again reflecting on Mr. McCloskey's 
courage, courage of his convictions, of his life, and of his commitment 
to everyone.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Democratic leader.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time, and I thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hill) for making this 
resolution possible this afternoon.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great personal sadness that I rise to pay 
tribute to Frank McCloskey, who passed away on Sunday surrounded by 
family and friends, and that is exactly how he lived, surrounded by 
family and friends. Frank was a respected colleague in this body, a 
dear friend and a faithful public servant. He was the mayor of 
Bloomington for 10 years. He was just out of law school when he was 
elected mayor of Bloomington, and he was always in touch with his 
district. He was so proud to represent Indiana in the Congress, and 
those of us who served with him learned from him every single day about 
the wonders of Indiana and about the prospects for our great country.
  Frank was a fighter, a gentleman, a diplomat, a lovely and gracious 
man, but a fighter. He believed in causes greater than himself, and he 
worked tirelessly to achieve them. Anyone who served in Congress with 
Frank knew once he grabbed hold of an idea, he did not let go. In his 
work on the Committee on Armed Services and Committee on Foreign 
Affairs, he knew that our highest priority as Members of Congress was 
to provide for the common defense. He honored that commitment and 
became an expert on national defense policy. He was passionate and

[[Page 27306]]

eloquent in his support for the people of Bosnia and a leader in 
stopping the genocide there. What a source of pride that must have been 
for him. The gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) is nodding his head 
and acknowledging that Mr. McCloskey was such a champion for human 
rights and respecting the dignity and worth of every person. He cared 
deeply for the people of Bosnia and refused to believe that the United 
States could not stop the atrocities occurring there. On that issue, 
Frank was ahead of his time, as he was on so many issues.
  I thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hill) for his work to 
designate the Francis X. McCloskey Post Office Building. Frank served 
on the post office and civil service subcommittee, and I know it would 
be a source of great pride to have a post office named in his honor.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with Roberta and their two children. I 
had the pleasure of being in their company on a number of occasions and 
spoke to Frank as recently as last week. He was still a fighter and was 
fighting to get through this rough patch. But he knew that he had 
wonderful things in store, but they might not be with us here on Earth. 
We hope it is a comfort to Roberta and Frank's children that so many 
people share their loss. We miss Frank not only as a colleague, but as 
a precious and dear friend. He was a leader. People who never met him 
benefited from his great service in this Congress of the United States. 
Again our sympathies go out to his family, to his constituents whom he 
cared so much about, and I thank again the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. 
Hill) for making this tribute to Frank possible.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the Democratic whip.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once remarked, ``An 
individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow 
confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all 
humanity.''
  Today as we note the untimely passing on Sunday afternoon of our 
friend and former colleague, Indiana Congressman Frank McCloskey, who 
lost a year-long battle with cancer, let it long be remembered that 
this Hoosier embraced not only the important concerns of his 
constituents in southwest Indiana, but also the broader concerns of all 
humanity.
  In the early 1990s, I worked very closely with Congressman McCloskey 
and others to call attention to the atrocities and ethnic cleansing 
perpetrated by Slobodan Milosevic and his henchmen in Bosnia. Many in 
the international community, indeed many in this country, looked away. 
Frank McCloskey did not.
  A fact-finding trip to Bosnia in 1991 stirred and galvanized Frank's 
passion. As a member of the Committee on Armed Services and Committee 
on Foreign Affairs, Congressman McCloskey was among the first in 
Congress to call for air strikes against Serbian positions in Bosnia-
Herzegovina from which Bosnians were being shelled and murdered. Frank 
urged that Slobodan Milosevic be tried as a war criminal, which now is 
happening. He and I worked to lift the arms embargo against Bosnia, and 
he was not shy in criticizing the Clinton administration when he 
disagreed with its handling of that conflict.
  Mr. Speaker, political expediency practically demanded that Frank 
McCloskey focus on shoring up his position in the 8th Congressional 
District. As is well known, he won his first election to this body in 
1984 by four votes. But in spite of the fact that he won six 
congressional races in one of the most competitive districts in 
America, political calculation did not crowd out the humanity in Frank 
McCloskey's heart. He was commanded by conscience to do what he 
believed was right.
  Frank McCloskey lived a full life serving in the Air Force, working 
as a newspaper reporter, and serving as Bloomington's mayor for 10 
years before he was elected to this Congress.
  Let me close, Mr. Speaker, by quoting John Kennedy who inspired Frank 
and inspired many of us in this body. Kennedy said: ``I believe in 
human dignity as the source of national purpose, human liberty as the 
source of national action, the human heart as the source of national 
compassion, and in the human mind as the source of our invention and 
our ideas.''
  Mr. Speaker, those were words that Frank McCloskey lived by. We mourn 
his loss and offer our condolences to Roberta, his wife of 30 years, 
and his two children, Helen and Mark, as well as his family and many 
friends. Frank McCloskey made this a better body. He made this country 
better. We mourn his loss.
  Mr. Speaker, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once remarked that: ``An 
individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow 
confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all 
humanity.''
  Today, as we note the untimely passing on Sunday afternoon of our 
friend and former colleague, Indiana Congressman Frank McCloskey--who 
lost a year-long battle with cancer--let it long be remembered that 
this Hoosier embraced not only the important concerns of his 
constituents in southwest Indiana but also the broader concerns of all 
humanity.
  In the early 1990s, I worked very closely with Congressman McCloskey 
and others to call attention to the atrocities and ethnic cleansing 
perpetrated by Slobodan Milosevic and his henchmen in Bosnia.
  Recall that as the former Yugoslavia disintegrated and Milosevic 
trained his fury on Bosnia, millions were displaced, hundreds of 
thousands were killed, and tens of thousands were raped and tortured.
  Many in the international community--indeed many in this country--
looked away. Frank McCloskey did not.
  A fact-finding trip to Bosnia in 1991 stirred and galvanized Frank's 
passion, which, as the Indianapolis Star said on Monday, dominated both 
the twilight of his life and his political career. At the time of his 
death, he was the Director of Kosovo Programs for the National 
Democratic Institute for International Affairs, where he taught leaders 
how to govern democratically.
  Back in the 1990s, as a member of the Armed Services and Foreign 
Affairs Committees, Congressman McCloskey was among the first in 
Congress to call for air strikes against Serbian positions in Bosnia-
Herzegovina. He believed such strikes were needed to prevent 
hostilities from spilling over to Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia and other 
provinces.
  Frank urged that Milosevic be tried as a war criminal, which now in 
fact is happening. He and I worked to lift the arms embargo against 
Bosnia. And he was not shy about criticizing the Clinton administration 
when he disagreed with its handling of the conflict.
  Mr. Speaker, political expediency practically demanded that Frank 
McCloskey focus on shoring up his position in the Eighth Congressional 
District. As is well know, he won his first attempt at re-election to 
this body in 1984 by four--yes, four--votes.
  But in spite of the fact that he won six congressional races in one 
of the most competitive districts in America, political calculation did 
not crowd out the humanity in Frank McCloskey's heart. He was commanded 
by conscience to do what he believed was right--for his constituents, 
for his nation, and for humanity, too.
  Mr. Speaker, Frank McCloskey crowded an enormous amount of living 
into his 64 years. He served our Nation for 4 years in the Air Force; 
graduated from Indiana University with bachelor's and law degrees; 
worked as a newspaper reporter in Chicago, Bloomington and 
Indianapolis; and served as Bloomington's mayor for 10 years before 
being elected to Congress.
  Still, though his contributions were many, one cannot help but think 
that they would have been even greater had he been given the gift of 
more time in his life.
  Let me close by quoting John F. Kennedy, who inspired Frank 
McCloskey, as well as myself: ``I believe in human dignity as the 
source of national purpose,'' said President Kennedy, ``Human liberty 
as the source of national action, the human heart as the source of 
national compassion, and in the human mind as the source of our 
invention and our ideas.''
  Mr. Speaker, those were words that Frank McCloskey lived by.
  We are all the beneficiaries of his tireless efforts on behalf of 
human rights and basic dignity.
  As we mourn his loss and honor him by naming this post office in his 
honor, I want to express my sincere condolences to his wife of

[[Page 27307]]

30 years, Roberta, and his two children, Helen and Mark, as well as his 
family and many friends.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf).
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I want to second what the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) said. Because of Frank McCloskey's life, there are 
a lot of people alive in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, and 
Kosovo. He, along with several other Members, did more to sensitize 
this Congress, which was not very interested at that time in those 
areas. Neither the Clinton administration nor the Congress, quite 
frankly, wanted to do anything with regard to what took place. Frank 
McCloskey went over there and because of his actions did a lot of good 
and saved a lot of lives.
  Also, as many people know, even after Congressman McCloskey left this 
Congress, he continued his work. He did not let this cause go. I want 
to rise to salute Congressman McCloskey; and on behalf of all of the 
people that are alive in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia 
and Kosovo, who may not even know the reason why, I thank Frank on 
their behalf and want to let his family know he made a tremendous 
difference not only for their district, not only for our country, but 
for our entire world.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Davis) for yielding me this time and compliment the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Hill) for bringing forward this resolution, along with the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays).
  All of us cared very deeply for our beloved colleague, Frank 
McCloskey. To his wife, Roberta, to his children, family and friends, 
to the citizens of Indiana, you sent America a beautiful man to serve 
here in this Congress.
  I can remember when Frank first arrived. We were both babies of the 
1980s here. The economy was not so good. He being from the Hoosier 
State, and I from the neighboring Buckeye State, were fighting to try 
to restore some economic sanity to the country so people could have 
decent jobs at good wages and we could manage our accounts in a way 
that would be responsible for future generations. He was a part of that 
great struggle of the 1980s. I remember how in the 1990s after his trip 
to the Balkans, he would come up to us on the floor and say we cannot 
tolerate this genocide. I remember his very straight, erect figure 
becoming a bit bent as the weight of that affected him. I could see it 
in his face. The young Congressman who had come here was taking on a 
cause that was global in proportion. He truly made a difference. 
Millions and millions of children will grow up in a different and 
better world because of the life that he lived.
  He was beyond reproach in terms of his honor and his devotion to 
public service. He always had a good word for us. He was such a 
pleasant gentleman here. He added to the comity. Partisanship was not 
the main aspect that drove Frank.
  When we look up on the wall of Congress, there is a saying by Daniel 
Webster which talks about performing something in your time and 
generation worthy to be remembered. Surely, Congressman Frank McCloskey 
of Indiana fits that level of achievement as a Member of this precious 
body of the Congress of the United States, and we send deepest 
condolences to his family. He made a difference.

                              {time}  1430

  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence).
  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to mourn with those who mourn, and 
grieve with those who grieve, with gratitude for my colleague the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hill) for his swift and decisive leadership 
in moving this important legislation honoring a great public servant, 
Frank McCloskey, to the floor of the Congress of the United States.
  When Frank McCloskey breathed his last this Sunday, Indiana lost a 
leader, but as we have heard again and again from colleagues who served 
with him and those who simply admired his work from afar, the world 
community most certainly lost a champion of justice. Congressman Frank 
McCloskey was a man of courage, courage he demonstrated very recently 
in his struggle with cancer, staying positive and optimistic even to 
the very end in all of his public statements to family and friends and 
neighbors.
  But he was also, as we have heard today, a man of genuine courage in 
public service. In addition to his tenacity in representing the people 
of southwestern Indiana during six terms in the U.S. House of 
Representatives, Frank McCloskey will long be remembered for his 
courage in challenging the United States to confront the genocidal aims 
of President Slobodan Milosevic in the Balkans.
  As a member of the House Committee on International Relations, I had 
the occasion to speak to former Congressman Frank McCloskey on several 
occasions about his efforts to confront the evils of ethnic cleansing 
and what was without exaggeration, Mr. Speaker, his foresight and his 
vision. Long before the world community and long before the United 
States, certainly, came to recognize the threat to peace and the deep 
injustice that was taking place in the Balkans, Indiana's Frank 
McCloskey came to this floor and spoke with passion.
  It is accurate to say as we remember him here and we commemorate him 
in a building in his beloved home State, that also the name of Frank 
McCloskey will be remembered by generations of Bosnians. In fact, there 
are thoroughfares in that nascent nation this day that bear his name. 
Generations of Bosnians will remember the name of Frank McCloskey of 
Indiana on a short list of leaders who, across the globe, had the 
vision to confront the evil aims of the Serbian dictator who beset 
them.
  It has been said long ago that a man who has done nothing for mankind 
should fear to die. I speak with confidence and humility when I say I 
am sure Frank McCloskey did not fear to die given his extraordinary 
contributions to life and liberty in the Balkans. We mourn his loss 
with his friends, his colleagues, most especially his wife, his family 
and his children. We strongly support this resolution and this measure 
to recognize this true Indiana leader.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  In closing for our side, I did not have the opportunity to serve with 
Representative McCloskey, but from listening to the accolades that have 
been given to him by his colleagues who did serve with him and know 
him, it is clear that he was not only honorable, but that he was also 
seriously committed to what he believed in even if, at the time, there 
was not the full level of support that one often looks for. I commend 
the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hill) for introducing this resolution. 
I commend all of the members of the Indiana delegation, all of those 
who are supportive of this measure. I urge its swift passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I join with the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) in thanking the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hill) for introducing this resolution and 
thanking our colleagues for coming to the floor of the House and 
reminding us of what Mr. McCloskey has done, just some of what he has 
done, and to again urge passage of this resolution.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and 
recognition of my former colleague and fellow Hoosier, Congressman 
Frank X. McCloskey, upon his untimely death after a year-long battle 
with bladder cancer. I strongly support the ``Francis X. McCloskey Post 
Office Building Designation Act'' (H.R. 3379), renaming the United 
states Post Office located in downtown Bloomington, Indiana, after 
former Congressman McCloskey.
  Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1939, McCloskey attended high 
school in Norristown, PA, and entered the Air Force immediately after 
graduation. After honorably serving his country, McCloskey attended 
Indiana

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University, where the received both his undergraduate degree and a 
Doctorate of Jurisprudence. He then settled down in Bloomington and 
began his service to both the state of Indiana and our Nation in a most 
distinguished manner, beginning with his ten-year term as mayor of the 
city of Bloomington. McCloskey had the highest of aspirations, and was 
eventually elected to the U.S.House of Representatives in 1982, serving 
a 6-term career as U.S. Representative from the 8th Congressional 
District of Indiana.
  During his tenure in the House of Representatives, Frank McCloskey 
became highly involved in the Balkan crisis, introducing several pieces 
of legislation seeking to avert a humanitarian disaster in the former 
Yugoslav republics. In the years following his Congressional service, 
Frank drew upon those experiences in foreign relations and human rights 
by pursuing formal training in Balkan studies and serving as a mediator 
in negotiations over territorial disputes in Bosnia. As a result of his 
dedication and tireless efforts, McCloskey was awarded by being named 
Director of Kosovo Programs for the National Democratic Institute for 
International Affairs.
  Mr. Speaker and my esteemed colleagues, please join me in honoring 
and recognizing the service and commitment that Congressman Frank 
McCloskey gave to his fellow Hoosiers, the American people, and the 
international community. It is only fitting that we dedicate a last 
memorial by renaming the Post Office in downtown Bloomington, Indiana, 
after a man who helped change the course of history and served the 
public with distinction. Please join me in supporting the ``Francis X. 
McCloskey Post Office Building Designation Act.''
  Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 3379, a bill 
to designate the Bloomington, Indiana Post Office in honor of the late 
Congressman Frank McCloskey. Indiana has lost one of its most dedicated 
and valued public servants. Frank McCloskey's sincerity and compassion 
for people, not only here in America, but around the world, was 
profound. My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this time. 
I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Terry). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3379.
  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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