[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8786-8787]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                LIEUTENANT TODD JASON BRYANT POST OFFICE

  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 988) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 5757 Tilton Avenue in Riverside, California, as the 
``Lieutenant Todd Jason Bryant Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 988

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

     SECTION 1. LIEUTENANT TODD JASON BRYANT POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 5757 Tilton Avenue in Riverside, 
     California, shall be known and designated as the ``Lieutenant 
     Todd Jason Bryant Post Office''.
       (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 ``Lieutenant Todd Jason Bryant Post 
     Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Watson) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. 
Foxx) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 988 is legislation introduced by Representative Ken 
Calvert to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 5757 Tilton Avenue in Riverside, California, as the 
Lieutenant Todd Jason Bryant Post Office.
  On October 31, 2003, somewhere in the Iraqi desert between Fallujah 
and Baghdad, First Lieutenant Todd Jason Bryant was killed when his 
Humvee was struck head-on by a rocket-propelled grenade. His life was 
taken instantly at age 23. He was assigned to C Company, 1-34 AR where 
he assumed duties as platoon leader, 3rd Platoon.

                              {time}  1415

  First Lieutenant Todd Bryant received the Bronze Star, the Purple 
Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the National Defense Service 
Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon for his distinguished service to his 
country.
  First Lieutenant Todd Bryant is survived by his wife, Jenifer, his 
parents, Larry and Linda Bryant, his brother, Major Timothy Bryant, 
USMC, and his sister, Tiffany Bryant.
  The memory of this jovial fun-loving man will live on forever through 
his

[[Page 8787]]

family and friends. Jenifer Bryant said, ``There was a lot more to him 
than just a soldier. He was my best friend. His goal in life was to 
make people think that he was the most hilarious man alive.''
  I support H.R. 988 and urge its passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Lieutenant Todd Jason Bryant was a proud and loyal American who 
served his country in fighting the war on terror. He made the ultimate 
sacrifice, defending freedom and liberty, when he lost his life on 
October 31, 2003, in Iraq.
  Todd Jason Bryant was born in Long Beach, California, on January 14, 
1980. As a young student, he was very athletic and always involved in 
school activities. During high school, he played football and golf, and 
also played the tuba in the marching band. He was the youngest of three 
and was determined to follow in his siblings' path by enlisting in the 
military.
  At 17, he joined the Army Reserves and completed boot camp before 
graduating from high school. He received his nomination to West Point 
Academy from the sponsor of this bill, Congressman Ken Calvert. He 
graduated from West Point in 2003 with a degree in political science. 
He had said before his death that he dreamed of being either a Member 
of Congress or a high school football coach.
  His military training took him to installations in Kentucky and 
Kansas. Only 9 days before Lieutenant Bryant was sent to support 
Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, he happily wed Jenifer Reardon in 
Pittston, Pennsylvania.
  On Friday, October 31, 2003, at the age of 23, Lieutenant Bryant was 
killed when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his Humvee while on 
patrol in Fallujah. Lieutenant Todd Bryant was an ambitious man who was 
able to accomplish much in his short but meaningful lifetime. Among his 
military awards are the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service 
Medal, National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
  Lieutenant Bryant will always be remembered as a fun-loving, 
humorous, cheerful, proud and loyal friend, husband, son and brother. 
He brought joy to all those around him, easily making friends through 
his contagious laughter.
  Lieutenant Bryant was honored to serve his country, and he served it 
well. Let us honor his ultimate sacrifice by renaming this post office 
for him.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, as the author of H.R. 988, I rise today to 
pay tribute to First Lieutenant Todd Bryant. The legislation would 
designate a post office in my district as the ``Lieutenant Todd Bryant 
Post Office.'' Todd was born on January 14, 1980, in Long Beach, 
California. Todd came from a military family and his desire and 
determination to join the military was nothing short of resolute. He 
enlisted in the Army Reserve and completed Basic Training at Fort Sill, 
Oklahoma before his senior year of high school.
  In the fall of 1997, Todd came to my office seeking a nomination to 
the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the following March, Todd 
accepted an Appointment to West Point. I was proud to nominate this 
ambitious young man who I knew would distinguish himself throughout his 
military service, just as he had done throughout his whole life.
  Todd interned in my district office before his senior year at West 
Point and graduated with a degree in Political Science on June 1, 2002. 
He would often joke that he was going to run for my congressional seat 
some day--I have no doubt he would have succeeded. After graduation, 
Todd attended the Armor Officer's Basic Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky, 
graduating in December 2002.
  On August 30, 2003, Todd and Jenifer Reardon were married in 
Pennsylvania, 9 days before shipping out with his unit in support of 
Operation Iraqi Freedom. On Friday, October 31, 2003, Todd was killed 
by an improvised explosive device as his Humvee traveled on a road 
between Fallujah and Baghdad. He was 23 years old.
  I ask you to support H.R. 988 to honor the service and sacrifice of 
Lieutenant Bryant. The naming of the post office in Rubidoux would be a 
fitting tribute to him, and the sacrifice of his wife and loving 
family. First Lieutenant Bryant was a true patriot and a brave young 
man, and our community feels his loss immensely.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud cosponsor of H.R. 
988, the Lieutenant Todd Jason Bryant Post Office Building Designation 
Act. Todd Bryant, a First Lieutenant in the United States Army, was 
killed in action on October 31, 2003 when his Humvee encountered an 
explosive device on the road between Fallujah and Baghdad. He was 23 
years old. He is a recipient of the National Defense Service Ribbon, 
the Purple Heart, the Iraqi Freedom Medal, the Meritorious Service 
Medal and the Bronze Star.
  Bryant, a 2002 graduate of West Point, was a member of Company C, 1st 
Battalion and 34th Armor Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division at Fort 
Riley, Kansas. Todd Bryant was deployed to Iraq in September 2003, a 
few days after he married his wife Jenifer.
  Todd was born at the Long Beach Naval Hospital. Although he grew up 
in Riverside, he attended La Canada High School, located in La Canada-
Flintridge, California, one of the cities I am privileged to represent. 
While at La Canada High, he participated in the band and played for the 
Spartans football team. Todd came from a military family. His parents, 
Larry and Linda, prior to both working at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 
La Canada-Flintridge, both served as Captains in the U.S. Air Force. 
His older sister Tiffany is a fellow West Point graduate and his older 
brother Timothy is a U.S. Marine. Although Todd excelled at being a 
solider, he also had other interests. He volunteered as a Congressional 
intern in Congressman Ken Calvert's office and he spent a summer 
participating in Service America at West Hills Elementary School in 
Bremerton, Washington in 2001. Learning more about Todd's interests and 
actions, one can not come away without noting the extraordinary impact 
he had on his friends, family and community. Today, his friends and 
family are still reminiscing about his humor, his love of In-N-Out 
burgers and his charisma.
  Mr. Speaker, without question, Congress and the American people will 
continue to honor and remember the men and women who gave the ultimate 
sacrifice in this war. We hope this small act of memorializing 
Lieutenant Todd Jason Bryant at the Rubidoux post office honors his 
memory and serves as a reminder to those in the community of the 
remarkable heroism of Todd and his family.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 988.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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