[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17612]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1450
                         JESSE J. McCRARY, JR. 
                              POST OFFICE

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5655) to designate the Little River Branch facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 140 NE 84th Street in Miami, 
Florida, as the ``Jesse J. McCrary, Jr. Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5655

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

     SECTION 1. JESSE J. MCCRARY, JR. POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The Little River Branch facility of the 
     United States Postal Service located at 140 NE 84th Street in 
     Miami, Florida, shall be known and designated as the ``Jesse 
     J. McCrary, Jr. 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 ``Jesse J. McCrary, Jr. Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Bilbray) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia.


                             General Leave

  Ms. NORTON. 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 the District of Columbia?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. NORTON. I now yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform, I present H.R. 5655 for consideration. This measure 
designates the Little River Branch facility of the United States Postal 
Service, located at 140 Northeast 84th Street, in Miami, Florida, as 
the Jesse J. McCrary, Jr. Post Office.
  H.R. 5655 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from 
Florida, Mr. Kendrick Meek, on June 30, 2010. It was referred to the 
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which ordered it 
reported favorably by unanimous consent on July 28, 2010. It enjoys the 
support of the entire Florida delegation to the House.
  Jesse J. McCrary, Jr. was the first African American member of the 
Florida cabinet since the end of Reconstruction, being appointed to 
that post in 1978. He is also remembered for his work as a civil rights 
activist, leading lunch counter sit-ins in Tallahassee during his days 
studying at Florida A&M. Mr. McCrary also had an esteemed legal career, 
serving as Florida's first African American assistant attorney general 
in 1967. He was renowned for his knowledge of constitutional law and 
for his skill at debate and argument.
  In 2003, 2 years after Mr. McCrary suffered a disabling stroke, the 
Florida House passed a resolution honoring him as a ``living legend'' 
and as a ``preeminent authority on constitutional law who won 10 
landmark cases presented before the Florida Supreme Court.'' His 
colleagues remember him as a dedicated public servant and as a fierce 
advocate for underserved communities. Sadly, Mr. McCrary died of lung 
cancer on October 29, 2007.
  Mr. Speaker, let us now take time to honor the memory of this great 
public servant, Jesse J. McCrary, Jr., through the passage of H.R. 
5655, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BILBRAY. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5655, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may 
consume to the sponsor of the bill, the gentleman from Florida, 
Representative Kendrick Meek.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Thank you, Madam Chair.
  Mr. Speaker, Jesse McCrary was an outstanding American, and I believe 
the chair did a very fine job in outlining his track record of what he 
was able to accomplish on behalf of not only this country, but of the 
State of Florida. He was a trailblazer in the first of many areas, a 
barrister of all barristers in the State of Florida, his memory being 
one of creating organizations for those who walked the trail that he 
actually made.
  He started at the Wilkie Ferguson Bar Association, which is in south 
Florida. It is a place for young African American lawyers who join the 
legal field in the south Florida area. It is a place where they can go 
and share notes and can talk about experiences. They also receive 
professional advice from those who came before them.
  Jesse McCrary was an American who believed in serving. Even though he 
was a legal eagle, he took time to talk to people in the public 
defender's office. He took time to talk to young lawyers in the State 
attorney's office. He took time to talk to 501(c)(3) lawyers and to 
share with them the importance of the legal community.
  So I am very honored that we are moving this legislation forward to 
recognize his memory and enshrine it in south Florida, and I know the 
south Florida community will be forever grateful of the House of 
Representatives' endorsement of his memory and of his purpose.
  Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, may I again urge my colleagues to join me in 
supporting this measure.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5655.
  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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