[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15582-15583]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           NATIONAL PARK RANGER MARGARET ANDERSON POST OFFICE

  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 5788) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 103 Center Street West in Eatonville, Washington, as 
the ``National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson Post Office.''
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5788

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

     SECTION 1. NATIONAL PARK RANGER MARGARET ANDERSON POST 
                   OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 103 Center Street West in Eatonville, 
     Washington, shall be known and designated as the ``National 
     Park Ranger Margaret Anderson 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 ``National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson 
     Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Gosar) and the gentleman

[[Page 15583]]

from Pennsylvania (Mr. Altmire) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arizona?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 5788, introduced by the gentleman from Washington (Mr. 
Reichert), would designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 103 Center Street West in Eatonville, Washington, as 
the National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson Post Office. The bill is 
cosponsored by the entire Washington State delegation, and it was 
favorably reported by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
on June 27.
  Mr. Speaker, while we will consider multiple bills this afternoon to 
designate postal facilities after fallen military heroes, H.R. 5788 
gives us the opportunity to honor those who wear a different kind of 
uniform--our country's national park rangers. Specifically, this 
legislation would name the post office in Eatonville, Washington, for 
Margaret Anderson, who was a national park ranger who was shot and 
killed in the line of duty on New Year's Day in 2012.
  Ranger Anderson worked to keep the visitors of Mount Rainier safe, 
and on New Year's Day, she gave the ultimate sacrifice for the safety 
of others. For going above and beyond a park ranger's duty to protect 
and serve, I thank Ranger Anderson and all those who serve in our 
national parks for their service and dedication to our country.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in strong support of 
this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I am pleased to join my colleagues in support of H.R. 5788, a bill to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service in 
Eatonville, Washington, as the National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson 
Post Office. In accordance with committee requirements, the bill is 
cosponsored by all members of the Washington delegation.
  Margaret Anderson was born near Toronto, and she grew up in 
Connecticut and Westfield, New Jersey. She received her bachelor's 
degree in fisheries and wildlife sciences from Kansas State University 
in 1999, and she received her master's degree in biology from Fort Hays 
State University in Kansas.
  She loved the outdoors and was said to be at peace in nature. 
Margaret Anderson was living her dream in working with her husband, 
Eric, at Mount Rainier National Park as a United States park ranger. 
Her duties were not confined to patrolling but ranged from the 
supervision of snow plow areas to medical coordination and instruction 
for her fellow staff members.
  Anderson was described by her colleagues as ``a candid and honest 
coworker who could always bring a smile to your face.''
  On New Year's Day, Anderson blocked the road with her patrol car to 
hinder the escape of a man who crashed through a checkpoint. Little did 
she know at that time that the man was a suspect in an earlier shooting 
that had wounded four people. The suspect shot at her while she was 
still blocking the road with her patrol car, and she was fatally 
wounded.
  Mr. Speaker, National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson made the ultimate 
sacrifice in the line of duty. I urge the passage of this bill to honor 
her, which is on behalf of all of our colleagues in the House, 
especially the Washington delegation. The passage of this bill will be 
dedicated to her family and to the United States Park Service.
  I urge the passage of H.R. 5788, and I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. GOSAR. I now yield such time as he may consume to my 
distinguished colleague from the State of Washington, the sponsor of 
this legislation, Mr. Reichert.
  Mr. REICHERT. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5788, legislation to 
designate the post office located at 103 Center Street West in 
Eatonville, Washington, as the National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson 
Post Office.
  You've heard a little bit about some of her history, educational past 
and some of her family history, but let me tell you that this really 
hits close to home for me as a law enforcement officer in my previous 
life. I spent 33 years in the law enforcement profession.
  Margaret Anderson was a park ranger for 4 years at Mount Rainier 
National Park. The little town of Eatonville is nestled in a little 
valley, right at the bottom of beautiful Mount Rainier, which was where 
Margaret Anderson lived. It's called the gateway to the national park, 
the gateway to Mount Rainier, the gateway where folks come to visit in 
order to reflect on their lives and to dream. It's usually a peaceful, 
serene, and beautiful place to visit. Margaret's job usually was to 
guide folks, give direction, patrol the area, offer first aid, and just 
in general be the loving and kind person as she has been described here 
today and after her death and throughout the past year by friends and 
family who dearly miss her.

                              {time}  1340

  But on New Year's Day, things changed. Her job took on a totally 
different meaning. She was now the protector of those people who came 
to reflect and dream. Their lives were in danger, and she stepped in 
front. She parked her car, blocked this crazed man with a firearm. Many 
say that her actions saved many lives that day. But it didn't save 
hers. She died. She died protecting those she served. And I think it's 
only fitting because of that sacrifice and the service to that 
community and the love that that community has had for Margaret and her 
husband Eric, who also served as a ranger but has now moved on because 
memories there are too hard for him to bear, it is only fitting that 
this small little town with this small little post office have the name 
of Margaret Anderson attached to that building in honor of her service 
and her sacrifice to that community.
  I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this bill.
  Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers on our side.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of 
H.R. 5788.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 5788.
  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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