[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 17813-17814]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       CECIL E. BOLT POST OFFICE

  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4389) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 19 East Merced Street in Fowler, California, as the 
``Cecil E. Bolt Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4389

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

     SECTION 1. CECIL E. BOLT POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 19 East Merced Street in Fowler, 
     California, shall be known and designated as the ``Cecil E. 
     Bolt 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 ``Cecil E. Bolt Post Office''.

  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 respectfully ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and 
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  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 as much time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 4389, introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa), 
would designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 19 East Merced Street in Fowler, California, as the Cecil E. 
Bolt Post Office. This bill was introduced on April 18, and it was 
reported out favorably from the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform on June 27.
  Mr. Speaker, Cecil Bolt was drafted into the Army just prior to the 
start of World War II. He was assigned to the 75th Artillery Unit in 
the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. After the war, Mr. Bolt returned to 
Fowler, California, and was appointed postmaster in 1947. He was known 
for his friendly service,

[[Page 17814]]

especially when delivering packages on Christmas Eve, which is 
something at this time of the year we can all appreciate. Sadly, Mr. 
Bolt passed away on February 9, 2007, but he is fondly remembered by 
many family members and friends.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Bolt 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 such time as I may consume.
  As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 
4389, which was introduced by my good friend and colleague to whom I 
now yield such time as he may consume, the gentleman from the great 
State of California, Representative Jim Costa.
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4389, and I thank 
the gentlelady from New York for yielding me the time to speak on 
behalf of the naming of this post office in Fowler, California, on 
behalf of Cecil E. Bolt, who was the postmaster there for many, many 
years.
  Today is a great day for the city of Fowler and for its community and 
the city council, which over a year ago overwhelmingly came to me and 
asked that we dedicate and name--appropriately so--the post office at 
Fowler, California, on behalf of a postmaster who served the city and 
the community so well for so many years.
  Fowler is a wonderful community in my district of over 5,000 people, 
one not unlike many communities that we have throughout the country--
with a high school and with generations of families that have lived 
there for years. As a matter of fact, the mother of one of our 
colleagues, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, was born in Fowler, 
California.
  Today, we name the post office after Cecil E. Bolt. He was born and 
raised in Idaho, but like many, came to California. After graduating 
from college, Mr. Bolt moved to Fowler in 1939. Just prior to World War 
II, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, and as was noted, he was 
assigned to the 75th Artillery Unit in Alaska.

                              {time}  1810

  Cecil Bolt was part of, as Tom Brokaw wrote, America's Greatest 
Generation. In 1942, he married the love of his life, Naomi Opal 
Gourley, and together they raised two loving daughters: Dorothy Jane 
and Kathy Jean.
  After the war, Bolt returned to Fowler and was appointed the 
postmaster, a position he held for 27 years. Known for his dedication 
and friendly demeanor, many times he would personally deliver packages, 
and not just during the Christmas season but throughout the year 
because of course everybody knew Cecil. His decades of public service 
extended far beyond the walls of the post office, which centered as a 
hub of activity for the community.
  Cecil volunteered every day for more than 17 years at the Marshall 
Elementary School, where his service helped shape a generation of young 
people. He was also a faithful and active member of the Presbyterian 
Church of Fowler, where he also served as a Sunday school teacher and a 
Kids Club volunteer. For his service, he received Fowler's ``Citizen of 
the Year'' award in 1969 and the ``Silent Servant of the Year'' award 
in 2004.
  Sadly, after years and years of service, Cecil Bolt passed away in 
2007. Those in the city of Fowler who knew him were undoubtedly better 
off thanks to the good service of Postmaster Bolt.
  So in conclusion, Mr. Speaker, the city of Fowler and its county 
council and the overwhelming support of citizens of the city and 
students who wrote in postcards ask that we do this in his honor 
without reservation--recognize the post office in the city of Fowler to 
be named after Postmaster Cecil E. Bolt in dedication to his family and 
the community of Fowler as well as the United States Postal Service.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Having no other speakers at this time, I continue to 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MALONEY. Having no further speakers, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in 
supporting H.R. 4389, the Cecil E. Bolt Post Office. I urge all Members 
to join me in support of this bill.
  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. 4389.
  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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