[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 17812-17813]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               ELIZABETH L. KINNUNEN POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3378) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 220 Elm Avenue in Munising, Michigan, as the 
``Elizabeth L. Kinnunen Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3378

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

     SECTION 1. ELIZABETH L. KINNUNEN POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 220 Elm Avenue in Munising, Michigan, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Elizabeth L. Kinnunen 
     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 ``Elizabeth L. Kinnunen Post Office 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Farenthold) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and add extraneous material to the Record regarding H.R. 3378.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.

[[Page 17813]]

  H.R. 3378, introduced by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Benishek), 
would designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 220 Elm Avenue in Munising, Michigan, as the Elizabeth L. 
Kinnunen Post Office Building.
  This bill was introduced November 4, 2011, and reported from the 
Government Oversight and Reform Committee on February 7, 2012.
  Mr. Speaker, Elizabeth Kinnunen was a strong pillar of her community 
in Munising, Michigan. She and her husband, Oscar, operated a boarding 
house in Marquette, Michigan, and together they raised 11 children. Two 
of their sons fought bravely for their country and tragically gave 
their lives. Her son Eiso was killed in action during World War II. Her 
son Raymond was killed during the Korean war.

                              {time}  1800

  Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Kinnunen is a very worthy designee of this postal 
facility naming, and I urge all Members to join me in the support of 
this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  As a member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am 
pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 3378, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
220 Elm Avenue in Munising, Michigan, as the Elizabeth L. Kinnunen Post 
Office Building.
  The bill before us was introduced by my colleague Dan Benishek on 
November 4, 2011. In accordance with committee requirements, H.R. 3378 
is cosponsored by all members of the Michigan delegation, and it was 
reported out of the Oversight Committee by a voice vote on February 7, 
2012.
  Elizabeth Kinnunen has a very special place in America's heart due to 
her personal sacrifice for our country. Mrs. Kinnunen is what we call a 
``double gold star mother.'' Her son Eiso was killed in action during 
the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Unfortunately, years later, 
her son Raymond was killed during the Korean War, while a third son, 
Reino, served in West Germany during the same war. No mother should 
have to lose two sons to war; but her family sacrifice will forever be 
part of history, and I ask that we pass this bill with no reservation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. I yield as much time as he may consume to my 
distinguished colleague from the State of Michigan (Mr. Benishek).
  Mr. BENISHEK. Thanks to the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to urge my colleagues to 
support my legislation, H.R. 3378, a bill to name the post office 
building in Munising, Michigan, after the late Mrs. Elizabeth Kinnunen.
  Mrs. Kinnunen's story is like that of many people's from northern 
Michigan and all across this Nation. It's a story of an immigrant who 
came to this country in the hopes of a better life and left America a 
better place. Mrs. Kinnunen came to our country from Finland in 1903. 
She married Oscar Kinnunen in 1909. They had 11 children, and like 
parents do all across this country, they worked hard all of their lives 
to ensure that their children would have a shot at the American Dream.
  Mr. and Mrs. Kinnunen operated a boarding house in Marquette, 
Michigan. They provided warm beds to many timber and mining workers in 
Marquette County. Eventually, they moved to Munising, Michigan, where 
Oscar worked for the paper company and Elizabeth worked as a local 
cook. Mrs. Kinnunen was a faithful member of the Messiah Lutheran 
Church in Munising.
  Mrs. Kinnunen's life was marked by tragedy. Two of her sons, Eiso and 
Raymond, were both killed in war while defending the freedoms we 
cherish so much. Eiso was killed in action during the Battle of the 
Bulge in 1945, and Raymond lost his life in the Korean War in 1952. We 
will never know the devastating grief their family must have suffered 
after such an enormous loss. We will also never be able to fathom the 
somber dignity Mrs. Kinnunen must have felt--in the words of President 
Lincoln--to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.
  Mrs. Elizabeth Kinnunen died on April 5, 1974, at the age of 81. She 
is not famous. Her name does not grace history books; but Mrs. 
Kinnunen's life--the hard work she did, the family she raised, the 
terrible sacrifices she endured--is a small but important part of this 
long story that we call the United States. It is the countless lives 
like hers that has made this country the greatest Nation in the world. 
Naming this post office in her honor is a thoughtful and lasting way 
for the community of Munising to celebrate her life and 
accomplishments.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, having no further requests for time, I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 
3378, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Farenthold) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3378.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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