[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5668-5669]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              JOSEPH F. WEIS JR. UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1690) to designate the United States courthouse located at 
700 Grant Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the ``Joseph F. Weis 
Jr. United States Courthouse''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1690

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The United States courthouse located at 700 Grant Street in 
     Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, shall be known and designated as 
     the ``Joseph F. Weis Jr. United States Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the United States 
     courthouse referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``Joseph F. Weis Jr. United States 
     Courthouse''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Barletta) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Carson) each will control 
20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 1690.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 1690 designates the United States courthouse located at 700 
Grant Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the Joseph F. Weis Jr. 
United States Courthouse.
  Joseph F. Weis, Jr., served as a Federal judge on the United States 
Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit from 1973 until assuming senior 
status in 1988. He served in that capacity until his death last year.
  Prior to his appointment to the United States Court of Appeals, Judge 
Weis was appointed to the United States District Court for the Western 
District of Pennsylvania.
  Prior to his appointment to the Federal bench, he served as a judge 
on the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County and was in the private 
practice of law.
  Judge Weis served our country during the Second World War as a 
captain in the United States Army and is buried in Arlington National 
Cemetery.
  Given Judge Weis' service and dedication to our country, it is 
fitting to name this courthouse after him.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1690 names the U.S. Federal courthouse in 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for Judge Joseph Weis, a distinguished jurist 
who made significant contributions to the surrounding community.
  Judge Weis was a World War II veteran who received the Bronze Star 
and the Purple Heart with oak leaf clusters for his service in the 
Army. Judge Weis went on to graduate from Duquesne University and the 
University of Pittsburgh Law School. In 1970, he was appointed to the 
Western District Court of Pennsylvania. Three years later, he was 
appointed to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and went on to serve 44 
years as a distinguished Federal judge.
  Judge Weis won numerous awards while on the bench, including the 
DeVitt Award, considered the highest award for a Federal judge; the 
Pitt Distinguished Alumni Award; and he served as an adjunct faculty 
member at the Pitt School of Law.
  Because of Judge Weis' dedicated service to the legal community and 
his exemplary time as a jurist in Pittsburgh, it is fitting to name 
this courthouse in his honor.
  I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. BARLETTA. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Michael F. Doyle), my 
very distinguished colleague.
  Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania. I thank my good friend for 
yielding me time. I want to thank him as well for his support for this 
legislation in committee and here today on the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1690, legislation to 
designate the Federal courthouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the 
Joseph F. Weis Jr. United States Courthouse.
  I have the honor and privilege of representing the city of Pittsburgh 
in the House of Representatives. Joseph F. Weis, Jr., was a well known 
and respected individual in western Pennsylvania who served his country 
both as a soldier and as a judge.
  Naming the Federal courthouse in Pittsburgh would be fitting 
recognition for an individual with such a long and distinguished record 
of service to his country.
  Joe Weis left college and enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War 
II. Later in life, he described that decision simply as ``the thing to 
do. The country was at war, and I felt I should be out there doing my 
share.'' And he clearly did. He was wounded twice fighting in France 
with the 4th Armored Division. He was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor 
and a Purple Heart with an oak leaf cluster for his action in combat.
  After the war, Joe Weis completed his undergraduate degree at 
Duquesne University and then pursued a legal career, joining his 
father's practice after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh 
Law School in 1950. After a number of years in private practice, he was 
elected to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas in 1968 as the 
first choice on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. As a judge, 
he rapidly earned a reputation for dedication, integrity, and hard 
work. Two years later, Judge Weis was appointed to the Federal bench, 
and in 1973, he

[[Page 5669]]

was appointed to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Third 
Circuit, one step below the Supreme Court.

                              {time}  1630

  He served on that court for 40 years, retiring just 2 years ago when 
he was 90 years old.
  He worked tirelessly to improve the judicial system, advocating for 
innovative courtroom technologies and enforcement of judicial ethics. 
He was recognized for his outstanding service on the bench with the 
Devitt Award, the highest honor given to Federal judges.
  Amidst this impressive list of accomplishments, he was known most of 
all for the strength of his character. Joe Weis was beloved by his 
colleagues and his law clerks, who to this day call themselves ``Weis 
guys.''
  Joseph F. Weis, Jr.'s life is a model all public servants should 
aspire to emulate. Naming this Federal courthouse in his honor is a 
fitting way to honor this long, faithful, and capable service to our 
country and to hold him up as an example of a true public servant.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
legislation to name the Federal courthouse in Pittsburgh in his honor.
  Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, Mr. 
Doyle, from Pennsylvania.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Barletta) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1690.
  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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