[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15743-15744]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              SPECIALIST JEFFREY L. WHITE, JR. POST OFFICE

  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 452) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 324 West Saint Louis Street in Pacific, Missouri, as 
the ``Specialist Jeffrey L. White, Jr. Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 452

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

     SECTION 1. SPECIALIST JEFFREY L. WHITE, JR. POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 324 West Saint Louis Street in Pacific, 
     Missouri, shall be known and designated as the ``Specialist 
     Jeffrey L. White, Jr. 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 ``Specialist Jeffrey L. White, Jr. Post 
     Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Montana (Mr. Gianforte) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Gomez) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Montana.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within 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 Montana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 452 introduced by 
Congressman Luetkemeyer from Missouri. The bill names the Pacific, 
Missouri, Post Office at 324 West Saint Louis Street the Specialist 
Jeffrey L. White, Jr. Post Office in honor of U.S. Army Specialist 
White, who, in 2012, was killed in action in an IED attack in 
Afghanistan.
  Mr. Speaker, I now yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer), the sponsor of the bill.
  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 452, 
legislation to designate the United States Postal Service facility 
located at 324 West Saint Louis Street in Pacific, Missouri, as the 
Specialist Jeffrey L. White, Jr. Post Office.
  U.S. Army Specialist White grew up in Catawissa, Missouri, with his 
parents, Jeff and Paula White, and his brothers, Michael and Kyle. He 
graduated from Pacific High School in 2008, and enlisted in the Army in 
October of 2009.
  Specialist White served our country honorably as a member of the 
First Battalion, 501st Airborne, Fourth Brigade Combat Team, 25th 
Infantry Division, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, unit.
  Specialist White deployed for Afghanistan in December 2011, and after 
serving our country bravely, he gave his life for our country when an 
IED detonated near his unit on April 3, 2012, roughly one week before 
he was scheduled to return to the United States.
  Specialist White was a highly decorated servicemember. His awards and 
medals include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Good Conduct 
Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 
Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army 
Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, and the NATO Medal, among many 
others.
  As an avid sports fan, White shared my love of the St. Louis 
Cardinals. He witnessed their 2011 World Series Championship win 
shortly before his deployment and was planning to attend opening day in 
2012. Specialist White was honored by the Cardinals, who invited his 
family to raise the 2011 World Championship flag on opening day in his 
memory.

[[Page 15744]]

  Specialist White was an upstanding citizen and beloved by his family, 
friends, and community. Hundreds of individuals lined the streets in 
the pouring rain to honor his final journey home and memorial service.
  We can never fully express our thanks to our military and their 
families. Their service and sacrifice for this country goes beyond a 
level of bravery most people have never seen. While the naming of this 
post office is not nearly enough to honor Jeffery White, nor will it 
heal the pain felt each day and every day by the family he left he 
behind, it is my sincere hope each time the Whites and folks in the 
Pacific community pass by this building they are reminded of how 
grateful and how proud we are to call Specialist White one of our own.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the Missouri delegation and Pacific community 
for their support of this designation, and I ask every Member of the 
House to join us in honoring our hometown hero, Jeffery L. White, Jr.
  Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of 
H.R. 452, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Post 
Office located at 324 West Saint Louis Street in Pacific, Missouri, as 
the Specialist Jeffrey L. White, Jr. Post Office.
  A native of Missouri, Jeffrey White, Jr. graduated from Pacific High 
School in 2008, and joined the United States Army. After graduating 
from basic and advanced training at Fort Benning, Georgia, Specialist 
White was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division at Joint Base 
Elmendorf-Richardson.
  He deployed to Afghanistan in 2011, and tragically lost his life in 
April of 2012, after insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised 
explosive device. Specialist White was just 21 years old.
  Specialist White is remembered for his love of the St. Louis 
Cardinals, as well as his distinguished service, for which he received 
many awards, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.

                              {time}  1715

  As an avid Dodgers fan, I think Specialist White would get a kick out 
of the fact that I am here and that the St. Louis Cardinals are still 
beating the Dodgers.
  Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to commemorate the life of 
Specialist Jeffrey White, Jr., who selflessly sacrificed his life in 
defense of his country.
  I urge the passage of H.R. 452, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill in 
recognition of Specialist White's sacrifice to our Nation, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Montana (Mr. Gianforte) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 452.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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