[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2522-2523]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              LIONEL R. COLLINS, SR. POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. RUSSELL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2458) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 5351 Lapalco Boulevard in Marrero, Louisiana, as the 
``Lionel R. Collins, Sr. Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2458

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

     SECTION 1. LIONEL R. COLLINS, SR. POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 5351 Lapalco Boulevard in Marrero, 
     Louisiana, shall be known and designated as the ``Lionel R. 
     Collins, Sr. 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 ``Lionel R. Collins, Sr. Post Office 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Oklahoma (Mr. Russell) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan 
F. Boyle) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma.


                              General Leave

  Mr. RUSSELL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days 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 Oklahoma?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. RUSSELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 2458, introduced by Congressman 
Richmond of Louisiana. The bill designates the post office located at 
5351 Lapalco Boulevard in Marrero, Louisiana, as the Lionel R. Collins, 
Sr. Post Office Building.
  Madam Speaker, Judge Collins made history by being the first African 
American to win an elected office position in the Jefferson Parish of 
Louisiana. He dedicated his life to making New Orleans a more just and 
equal community.
  Judge Collins was born in Harvey, Louisiana, and not only maintained 
his roots in the New Orleans area, but also contributed tremendously to 
the city.
  After serving in the United States Army and graduating from Howard 
University School of Law, Judge Collins returned to New Orleans and 
initiated his career as a pioneering civil rights attorney. He led 
groundbreaking cases that overturned discriminatory practices. He also 
integrated West Jefferson Hospital and Jefferson Parish Public Schools.
  In 1977, Judge Collins received an interim appointment from the 
Louisiana Supreme Court to serve as a judge. He was the first African 
American to do so. He was then reelected to serve a second term, during 
which his fellow judges elected to name him chief judge. He was the 
first African American to hold this position. Judge Collins broke 
further barriers, both in his courtroom decisions and in his personal 
accomplishments.
  In 1988, Judge Collins passed away at the age of 60. Naming this 
postal facility for the Honorable Lionel Collins will memorialize his 
groundbreaking achievements in civil rights and his

[[Page 2523]]

lifelong dedication to the New Orleans community.
  I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 
such time as I may consume.
  I am happy to echo and second the eloquent words that were just said 
by my colleague on the other side of the aisle.
  Rather than repeat them or preempt the next speaker, I yield such 
time as he may consume to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Richmond).
  Mr. RICHMOND. Madam Speaker, I am honored to stand here today in 
support of a bill to designate the Marrero, Louisiana, post office for 
Lionel Collins, Sr.
  We will name a number of post offices today, and I just want to state 
why it is important to me and why it makes a difference: because as a 
kid, when you pass buildings and you pass things that have names on 
them, it makes you go back and research who was that person and what 
did they do so great to get a building or a facility named after them.
  I hope that today when we pass this bill to name this post office 
after Judge Lionel Collins, that kids will get a chance to pass by and 
say: ``What made Lionel Collins deserving of a post office?'' and 
``When I grow up, will I be deserving of a post office?'' and ``What is 
it I need do in my life to make a difference?''
  When they go back and they do the research, they will see that Judge 
Lionel Collins was a pioneering civil rights lawyer. He dedicated his 
life to making Louisiana a more just and equal State for them. He was 
the first African American to win elected office in Jefferson Parish 
where he served as the judge in the 24th Judicial District in Gretna.
  Lionel had long roots in the metropolitan area. He was born in Harvey 
in 1927 and attended Gilbert Academy before serving in the United 
States Army. After that, he went on to the esteemed Xavier University, 
and then went on to receive his juris doctorate from Howard University 
in 1954.
  Throughout his career as a lawyer, Judge Collins played a major role 
in the civil rights struggle in the South. Beginning in 1957, Lionel 
led groundbreaking cases that helped to overturn practices of White-
only jobs and higher pay for White employees at the Celotex 
Corporation.
  Lionel continued to successfully steer desegregation cases with the 
NAACP across Louisiana. His work integrated West Jefferson Hospital and 
the Jefferson Parish Public Schools.
  His courtroom successes and courage in the civil rights initiatives 
earned him the role of Jefferson Parish's first African American 
assistant parish attorney in 1968. As already mentioned, in 1977, 
Lionel made history by receiving an interim appointment from the 
Louisiana Supreme Court to serve as judge to the newly created Division 
L of the 24th Judicial District. He was reelected to a second term and 
named chief judge by his fellow judges.
  In addition to his civil rights work, Judge Collins served the New 
Orleans area community throughout his career. He served as a board 
member for the Urban League and Selective Service. As a testament to 
his life legacy, the Jefferson Parish School Board voted to rename Ames 
Montessori School in Marrero as Judge Lionel R. Collins Elementary in 
2011.
  I thank Chairman Chaffetz and Ranking Member Cummings for bringing 
this bill to the floor and congratulate Lionel's family for this 
wonderful recognition. I hope that this postal facility will serve as a 
reminder of Lionel's courage, his intellect, and his passion for 
generations to come.
  Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, again, I urge 
passage of this bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. RUSSELL. Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCALISE. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2458 and thank 
my colleague and friend Congressman Cedric Richmond for his leadership 
in bringing this important bill to the House floor. The Honorable 
Lionel R. Collins Sr. is a true Louisiana and American hero, and this 
bill honors his life and achievements with a fitting tribute.
  Judge Collins served on the bench in the 24th Judicial District Court 
in Gretna, Louisiana and was the first African-American elected to 
public office in my home parish of Jefferson, Louisiana. He also led 
the efforts to integrate Jefferson Medical Center and helped integrate 
Jefferson Parish public schools.
  Judge Collins had an innate sense of justice. His colleagues 
described him as a `hardworking, fair and honest judge . . . tough when 
he had to be tough, but he had a sense of fairness.'
  While we can never fully repay Lionel Collins for his distinguished 
public service, we can honor his life and legacy as a pioneering civil 
rights attorney and an education champion in southeast Louisiana by 
passing this legislation. Judge Collins made meaningful impacts that 
advanced equality, justice, health care, and access to quality 
education. In fact, the Ames Montessori elementary school in Marrero 
was renamed Judge Lionel R. Collins Elementary in 2011.
  Our community is better for the life and service of Judge Collins.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this measure to 
memorialize a respected defender of civil liberties, and I urge passage 
of this legislation by Congressman Richmond.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Russell) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2458.
  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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