[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15745-15746]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              ENDY NDDIOBONG EKPANYA POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 294) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 2700 Cullen Boulevard in Pearland, Texas, as the 
``Endy Nddiobong Ekpanya Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 294

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

     SECTION 1. ENDY NDDIOBONG EKPANYA POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 2700 Cullen Boulevard in Pearland, Texas, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Endy Nddiobong Ekpanya 
     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 ``Endy Nddiobong Ekpanya Post Office 
     Building''.

  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 in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

[[Page 15746]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Montana?
  There was no objection.

                              {time}  1730

  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 294, introduced by Congressman Pete 
Olson of Texas. The bill names the Pearland, Texas, Post Office, 
located at 2700 Cullen Boulevard, as the Endy Nddiobong Ekpanya Post 
Office Building in honor of the Pearland police officer who fell in the 
line of duty in 2015.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Olson), the sponsor of the bill, so that he can explain 
the bill.
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, first, I want to thank my friend from Montana 
for bringing this bill forward this afternoon.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a great day back home in Pearland, Texas, 
because right now this House is about to honor a fallen hero from 
Pearland, Endy Ekpanya.
  Endy was born in Nigeria in 1985, the same year I graduated from 
college. When he was 11, his family left Nigeria to come to America to 
provide a better life for them. They moved to Long Island in 1996. He 
obtained a degree in psychology and sociology from Hofstra University 
in New York and later earned his MBA and master's degree in criminal 
justice from the University of Maryland.
  The call to serve his country and his community never left Endy, 
which is why, after moving to Pearland, Texas, he enrolled in the Alvin 
Community College Police Academy. He graduated with the 105th class in 
December of 2015, and he was sworn in as a Pearland police officer 6 
months later.
  In less than 6 months after December of 2015, his time with us was 
cut short just 2 days before his 31st birthday. At approximately 4 a.m. 
on the morning of June 12, 2016, Endy was hit head-on by a drunk driver 
while responding to an emergency call. He was the first officer to die 
in Pearland while on duty in over 40 years.
  Endy's life embodies the selfless dedication of our law enforcement 
officials back in Pearland. His sacrifice will never ever be forgotten. 
That is why I am proud that today this House will pass a bill to name 
the post office at 2700 Cullen Boulevard after Endy. It will be a 
source of great pride for our local community and will ensure that his 
sacrifice is remembered for generations to come.
  This small gesture can't make up for the loss of Endy's life. The 
grief his wife, his young son, and his parents have will never go away. 
The Pearland community has suffered, but this small gesture is a 
testament to Endy's commitment to protect and serve. It will be an 
inspiration for future generations to strive to improve their community 
just like Endy did in his short time with us.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill.
  Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 294, a 
bill to designate the facility of the United States Post Office located 
at 2700 Cullen Boulevard in Pearland, Texas, as the Endy Nddiobong 
Ekpanya Post Office.
  Endy Ekpanya reflected the best of America. Born in Nigeria in 1985, 
Endy immigrated to the United States in 1996. Here, he obtained U.S. 
citizenship, a college education, and two master's degrees.
  Endy's deep love of family and community inspired him to join the 
police force so he could help those in need. He hoped that his hard 
work in the classroom and the field would help him be a role model for 
his young son, Julian.
  As a rookie member of the Pearland Police Department, Officer Ekpanya 
took his duty to protect his community seriously but always found a way 
to brighten his fellow officers' days. Tragically, on June 1, 2016, 
Officer Ekpanya was killed when a drunk driver struck his police 
cruiser as he was responding to a call.
  Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to honor Officer Endy Ekpanya's 
dedication to his education, family, and community, and to remember the 
sacrifices he made while working to protect those he loved.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 294, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill in 
recognition of Officer Ekpanya'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. 294.
  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.

                          ____________________