[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 21093]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1500
                  AKRON VETERANS MEMORIAL POST OFFICE

  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2004) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 4282 Beach Street in Akron, Michigan, as the ``Akron 
Veterans Memorial Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2004

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

     SECTION 1. AKRON VETERANS MEMORIAL POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 4282 Beach Street in Akron, Michigan, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Akron Veterans 
     Memorial 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 ``Akron Veterans Memorial Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Watson) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) 
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. I now yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform, I am pleased to present H.R. 2004 for consideration. This 
legislation will designate the United States postal facility located as 
4282 Beach Street in Akron, Michigan, as the Akron Veterans Memorial 
Post Office.
  Introduced by my colleague, Representative Dale Kildee of Michigan, 
on April 21, 2009, and favorably reported out of the Oversight and 
Government Reform Committee by unanimous consent on June 18, 2009, H.R. 
2004 enjoys the support of the entire House Michigan delegation.
  Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us pays tribute to the brave men 
and women from Akron Village, the State of Michigan, and across the 
United States who have served our Nation in the United States military, 
both at home and abroad. Over 23 million American military veterans are 
currently living in the United States, including approximately 742,000 
living in the State of Michigan alone. They, as well as those that are 
no longer with us, have devoted their lives to the defense and security 
of our Nation, and always at a great personal risk and sacrifice. We 
are eternally in their debt and forever grateful for their noble and 
selfless dedication to our Nation and the preservation of its founding 
principles.
  Mr. Speaker, let us pay tribute to the distinguished service of our 
veterans from the village of Akron, the State of Michigan, and across 
the country by designating the Akron post office in their honor.
  I urge my colleagues to me in supporting H.R. 2004.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I too rise in support of the renaming of the 
Akron, Michigan post office. From its humble beginnings on July 23, 
1857, this post office has been part of the community in small town 
Michigan. Rather noteworthy, Mr. Kildee has chosen a rather unusual 
naming for a post office, and one that I wholeheartedly support. This 
post office is not named after one brave American or one now-departed 
politician. Instead, it's named after the countless thousands of men 
and women of Michigan who have served in the Armed Forces or are 
serving today and deserve our respect as veterans.
  I would urge support of this, and I would urge all of my colleagues 
to take note that this post office represents a symbol of service more 
than the symbol of any one person.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I again urge my colleagues to 
join me in honoring America's military veterans through the passage of 
H.R. 2004.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill H.R. 
2004, which would designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 4282 Beach Street in Akron, Michigan, as the ``Akron 
Veterans Memorial Post Office''.
  The Akron Post Office was first established at the house of its first 
postmaster, Samuel B. Covey. At the beginning of the Civil War, the 
post office was moved to the home of Lucius Waldo, about 7 miles south 
west of Unionville, Michigan, and relocated to Akron village in 1882.
  As the only Federal office in the town of Akron, Michigan, this 
facility should have the honor of recognizing all of the brave men and 
women who have served our country in uniform.
  It has long been a goal of mine to honor all veterans. As a father of 
two sons, both of whom served as captains in the United States Army, I 
am a firm believer that our Nation owes an immense debt of gratitude to 
its armed forces veterans.
  That is why I will continue to advocate for America's most important 
obligation, caring for its defenders and honoring they for their 
service.
  Designating this facility will provide citizens with the opportunity 
to be mindful of the sacrifices our armed forces' veterans have made, 
and continue to make today.
  I would like to thank the entire Michigan delegation for their 
support on this legislation and urge my colleagues support in passing 
this legislation.
  Ms. WATSON. I yield back the remainder 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. 2004.
  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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