[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 14350-14352]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  JOHN J. HAINKEL POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 2346) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 105 NW Railroad Avenue in Hammond, LA, as the ``John 
J. Hainkel Post Office Building,'' as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2346

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

     SECTION 1. JOHN J. HAINKEL, JR. POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 105

[[Page 14351]]

     NW Railroad Avenue in Hammond, Louisiana, shall be known and 
     designated as the ``John J. Hainkel, Jr. 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 ``John J. Hainkel, Jr. Post Office 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from PA 
(Mr. Dent) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent).


                             General Leave

  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation salutes the life of an extraordinary 
member of the Louisiana legislature, the late John Hainkel, Jr. John 
Hainkel served 20 years in the Louisiana State house and another 25 
years in the State senate until he passed away on April 15 this year. I 
know he was a tremendous representative of his many constituents and 
supporters.
  The State of Louisiana has mourned the loss of Senator Hainkel for 
several weeks, but I appreciate the House leadership's selecting this 
bill for consideration so the entire Nation can acknowledge the life of 
this highly respected man. I also want to especially thank the 
distinguished gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jindal) for his work on 
this bill and his commitment to recognizing Senator Hainkel.
  Prior to his passing, Senator Hainkel had served in Baton Rouge since 
1968, when he was first elected to the State house. He clearly earned 
the great respect of his colleagues because he became speaker of the 
house in 1980, and he held that post through 1984. In 1988, New Orleans 
voters elected him to be their State senator. He ultimately became 
president of the senate from 2000 through last year. He remained in the 
senate until his passing in April.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this post office designation on behalf of John 
J. Hainkel, Jr. and urge all Members to do the same. It seems clear his 
contributions to the State of Louisiana will be long lasting. I look 
forward to the words of the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jindal), 
sponsor of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as a Member of the House Committee on Government Reform, 
I am pleased to join with my colleague in consideration of H.R. 2346, 
legislation naming a postal facility in Hammond, Louisiana, after the 
late John J. Hainkel, Jr. This measure, which was introduced by the 
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jindal) on May 12, 2005, and unanimously 
reported by our committee on June 16, 2005, enjoys the support and 
cosponsorship of the entire Louisiana delegation.
  John Hainkel was first elected to the Louisiana legislature in 1968. 
He held that position for 20 years, also serving as speaker of the 
house from 1980 to 1984.

                              {time}  1500

  The voters in uptown New Orleans elected him in 1988 to the State 
senate, where he served until his death representing the Sixth 
District. While serving in the senate, his colleagues elected him 
president of the senate in the Year 2000, a position he held until 
2004. He is the only legislator in Louisiana history to hold the 
leadership position in both houses.
  Senator Hainkel supported the arts, was pro-business, worked hard to 
clean up Lake Pontchartrain, and loved to hold legislative meetings 
over the barbecue pit. He loved his district and State and served 38 
years in politics working to improve the lives of his constituents. 
Sadly, John Hainkel passed away this past April.
  Mr. Speaker, designating the post office in Hammond, Louisiana, is an 
excellent way to honor the memory of one of Louisiana's political 
legends, John Hainkel, Jr. I commend my colleague for sponsoring this 
measure and urge swift passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
distinguished gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jindal), the author of H.R. 
2346.
  Mr. JINDAL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise both with a grateful and also a heavy heart. I 
rise with a grateful heart and I want to thank my colleagues for their 
speedy consideration of this resolution. I rise with a heavy heart 
because of the untimely passing of not only a colleague, but a friend.
  I first met John Hainkel well over a decade ago, and at that point he 
had already been involved in elected politics for well over three 
decades. Senator Hainkel, as you already heard, accomplished many 
significant things in his public career. Indeed, he was the only person 
in Louisiana's history to be elected both speaker of the house and 
president of our senate.
  His broad-based appeal, however, extended beyond party lines. He was 
elected as speaker of the house, serving as a Democrat, with the active 
support of Louisiana's first Republican Governor elected in modern 
times. He then went on to serve, when I first met him, as chairman of 
the senate budget committee as a Republican, even though two-thirds of 
the senate at that time was comprised of Democrats. Indeed, when he 
served as president of the senate as a Republican, two-thirds of the 
senate in Louisiana at the time was comprised of Democratic members. I 
think that fact alone shows his bipartisan support, his broad appeal to 
many senators and representatives.
  The reason he commanded such respect was the fact that he brought 
integrity, the fact he brought humor, wit, the fact that he brought 
fashion to the daily legislative tasks.
  But John was more than just a senator, he was more than just a 
legislator. Indeed, he was very accomplished in those arenas. Senator 
Hainkel not only worked with Pat Taylor to bring about Louisiana's TOPS 
bill, which provides access for students to higher education, but he 
championed many budget reforms, helping to turn deficits into 
surpluses, helping to reform our State's health care system and helping 
to revive our State's economy.
  But his accomplishments outside the legislature were almost as 
noteworthy as his accomplishments inside the legislature. John was also 
not only a dedicated senator, a dedicated representative, he was also a 
dedicated Tulane fan. I know that he watched from above as his Green 
Wave served him well in Omaha and went on to do so well in the College 
World Series. I know that he will still be watching them season after 
season, just with slightly better seats than he had before.
  Indeed, Senator Hainkel was known for his friendship and was known 
for reaching out to new members of the bodies in which he served, to 
new members of the administration. He truly brought a passion and an 
attitude of public servant leadership that too often is missing from 
our elected halls. He brought a spirit of bipartisanship, a spirit of 
love for his home State of Louisiana.
  Several things have been said about Senator Hainkel and the years of 
service he offered my State. I also want to note that he is survived by 
his son, John J. Hainkel, III, his daughter, Juliet Hainkel Holton, his 
other daughter, Alida Hainkel Furr, and by five grandchildren. I know 
his family brought him much joy. I know they, like I, am very saddened 
by his untimely and his early departure.
  It is hard, it would be really impossible, to overstate the amount of 
affection and respect that Senator Hainkel engendered not only in his 
home district, but the home State of Louisiana.

[[Page 14352]]

Whether you were with him or against him on a particular legislation, 
and I was in both places, whether you were with him or against him in a 
particular election, and I was in both places, he was always a worthy 
friend and a worthy opponent.
  I can certainly think of nothing that would be more appropriate than 
naming, at least as a small tribute to him, this post office in 
Hammond, Louisiana, that was within the district he represented in the 
senate. Indeed, there is a spirited election to replace him now. Two 
very distinguished women are seeking that post. Though either one of 
them will serve well, neither of them will be truly able to succeed and 
replace the giant that was John Hainkel.
  I want to thank my colleagues again for their support.
  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I simply urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 
2436.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Radanovich). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2346, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
105 NW Railroad Avenue in Hammond, Louisiana, as the `John J. Hainkel, 
Jr. Post Office Building'.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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