To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 10701 Abercorn Street in Savannah, Georgia, as the "J.C. Lewis, Jr. Post Office Building".

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to start out saying that there is a statement, I cannot quite get it right, but it states to the effect that men who have monuments built after them to honor them do not need monuments built after them to honor them because their achievements speak for themselves. Nothing could be truer for Mr. J.C. Lewis, Jr. His achievements have touched and reached thousands of lives in Savannah, Georgia, the State of Georgia, and the United States of America. He is truly a renaissance man, a modern day Cincinnatus, who goes and leads his community time and time again in cause after cause and then returns to his own business life or quietly takes a step offstage to avoid the applause.

In fact, the bill today, Mr. Speaker, would not be here if the family had their wish; but I have known the Lewis family for some time, and I know the sons well enough to speak frankly, and I have told them despite their opposition because they do not really seek the limelight under any circumstances, to a person in the family, I said, we need to do this for your dad. I figured that forgiveness was easier than permission, and waiting around for the permission of any Lewis to give them honor will keep one waiting for a long, long time. So we are moving forward.

When I spoke to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) about this, whose district contains this post office, he absolutely jumped up and down about it because the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) knew of Mr. Lewis long before committing himself to run for the United States Congress. And so we are proud to offer this legislation as partners. It basically names this post office after Mr. J.C. Lewis, Jr., not sufficient enough in terms of an honor to a guy who has done so much for our community; and yet in another way it is a token, just one way of saying thanks not just to Mr. Lewis but to his wife, Nancy, and to the six children, Nan, Curtie, Walter, Wistar, Scott, and Christian. I hope I named six of them. It is a big family. I know they will kill me if I left out one of them.

I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for yielding me this time. And I also want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for those kind words about a very important local hero, but I think one who shows what kind of country we have and why this country is so great.

The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) had enumerated so many of J.C. Lewis's accomplishments, but I wanted to go over a couple of them, just maybe from a personal standpoint.

I first got to know the Lewis family through my father-in-law, Archie Morris, who was a boyhood friend of his. And my mother in-law, Betty Morris, has been friends with Mrs. Lewis, and the Morris kids and the Lewis kids were all friends. In fact, I think my first encounter with one of them was with Wistar Lewis when he was riding a horse down the street, down Milledge Avenue in Athens, Georgia for one of his Kappa Alpha fraternity parades and they were going by the Lambda Chi House, which I was a member of. And I was proud to see that my fraternity brothers spooked his horse and caused his date to fall off the horse in hopes

that she would join us as far better bulldogs than that fraternity. Wistar never let me forget that, and I was really surprised when I started dating my wife, Libby, and the Lewis family was known for having a big Christmas party on Christmas night in Savannah, and they invited me through the Morrises to come to it, and I thought I do not know why they would want me to come. They hardly know me. But I realized I was riding the coattails of my future in-laws. But that is the kind of people they are. Opening up the doors on Christmas Day for people to come, strangers and mere acquaintances, to come in and enjoy their fellowship.

The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) had spoken about Mr. Lewis being in the Merchant Marines, in the Coast Guard, and the Navy. He also did not know that from there he went on to have a lot of fun fishing and had a boat at one point called the NAUTI-NAN, and I think in time the children sort of took over. Certainly, Scott and Wistar became the big mariners in the family, but I think all of them enjoyed it. In fact, I think that webbed-feet tradition continues and his son Curtie, actually, I was counting his boats this summer, and he has four of them. I do not know how one would utilize all those, but the Lewises absolutely loved the waterfront and living in Savannah, Georgia, on the water.

The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) had pointed out that he has been active in the First Baptist Church and on the board of deacons and the trustees. He has also been very active in our Wednesday Businessmen's Bible study with a Presbyterian minister, Terry Johnson, who is in charge of it, but Mr. Lewis and son Scott and son Christian are very active and stalwarts in that Bible study. And what happens every Wednesday is they try to drill the Gospel message into the thick skulls of business people such as myself and a lot of our friends. But to see people like that, each and every Wednesday, devoting time to the Lord is very instrumental for the rest of us.

The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) talked about when J.C. Lewis was mayor of Savannah and pointed out that he was the first Republican mayor of Savannah, a major Georgia city, but one of the things that is interesting, from that point on, he did somewhat become the godfather of the Republican Party in Savannah in as much as anybody who ran under the Republican ticket always went by to see J.C. Lewis. But rather than assume the role of local political Republican kingmaker, he took a much broader approach.

Number one, he would not just see aspiring Republican candidates. Democrats, or Independents, the door was wide open. And he never said this is the strategy for winning, so that I can grow my kingdom and my influence and my clout. It was always, What do you stand for, and what is best for Chatham County, Georgia? What is best for Savannah, Georgia? How are we going to make this a better community? So whether one's name is Jack Kingston, Max Burns, Saxby Chambliss, or anybody else, Sonny Perdue, he always tried to do what was best for the State or the community or the country and never would call them. Once they were elected, he would never say, I want you to vote on House bill whatever. He has never made such a call to me to ask me to vote for anything. And I can tell the Members how rare that is, and we have 435 Members of Congress who would certainly agree to that.

As a businessman, Mr. Lewis lost his father at a young age, and he took over an automobile business, which probably the easiest thing would have been to sell it, but instead he grew it. It became one of the largest Ford dealerships in coastal Georgia. But, in addition, he added broadcasting and equipment leasing and real estate and insurance.

For example, they have had a television station, WJCL, which is an ABC affiliate. They also had WJCL for many years on the radio, which had some of those great classic tunes that we all enjoyed from the swing era. It kind of always put a little class and a little taste in the city of Savannah airwaves.

Charitable donations, an incredible list of them. He gave land to the YMCA on Habersham Street; for the Agudath Achim Congregation Synagogue; for Memorial Baptist Church; land for Virginia Heard Public School; land for the Episcopal Church in Oakdale, Georgia; land and building for the Skidaway Island Baptist Church; land and building for the Savannah Baptist Center; and funded the new Cancer Program at the J.C. Lewis Health Center.

The Gospel tells us that to those whom much has been given, much is expected. Mr. Lewis has followed that line. He also has been a Free and Accepted Mason and the past potentate of the Alee Temple Shrine, and part of the creed of Masons is somewhat to look after each other, and I have heard many Masons who do not know Mr. Lewis personally say Mr. Lewis is a Mason who looks after his brother Masons and looks after the community in general.

A friend of mine, a formal liberal, which I cannot tell if he is still a liberal anymore or not. He still tells me he is a Democrat, but Reverend Michael Elliott, whom the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) and I deal with on homeless issues, he and I were talking over the weekend, and I told him what we were doing with this legislation, that we were sneaking out something on Mr. Lewis and hoped he would forgive us. He said, he is the guy that I have had the opportunity to have this homeless shelter built, because of his generosity, because of his leadership, and the fact he has opened so many doors for me and getting other businessmen to see them.

When we think about all the down and out people in the world that have benefitted from the generosity and the leadership of Mr. Lewis, there again, we do not know who is always benefitting. In the Gospel there is a part where followers of John the Baptist asked him, Are you the Messiah? And he says to them, No, I am not the Messiah. I have come to prepare a place for Him, and I am not even worthy to pick up the breadcrumbs from his table. That, Mr. Speaker, is so important because often when we do things for others, we do not know who is going to benefit, and indeed, when we receive these blessings, we do not know who caused these blessings to happen. That is the case with Mr. Lewis on everything that he has done.

Civic responsibilities, and I know this is just voluminous, but I want to name a few. He has been active on the Board of the Kiwanis Club; on the Bethesda Home for Boys, on the Board of Directors; the Georgia Baptist Children's Home; Woodberry Forest School Board of Trustees; the President of the YMCA; the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; the United Community Appeal or United Way; Savannah Country Day School, Board of Directors; Association of the United States Army, President, Coastal Empire Chapter; the Elks Club, Lodge 183; American Legion, Post 184; the Navy League; Salvation Army as an Honorary Director. The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) mentioned the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum Foundation; and many more. And I think one of the more important things, recently, was he was the sponsor of the Isle of Hope Mudcats baseball team in the U12 League last year and probably will be doing it again.

His awards, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) had mentioned some of these: A Brotherhood Award from Agudath Achim Synagogue, the President's Award from Savannah State College, Outstanding Alumni Award from the University of Georgia; Union Mission, Golden Heart Award; Community Service Award from the Georgia Municipal Association; Department of Army Award for patriotic civilian service while serving as President of the AUSA, Coastal Empire Chapter; Salvation Army, ``Others'' Award; Savannah Exchange Club, Golden Deeds Award; the Rotary Club, Paul Harris Fellow, which one of the big motives of the Rotary Club is service above self, which I think, again, he epitomizes; the Oglethorpe Leadership Award; a two-time recipient of the Ben Franklin Quality Dealer Award sponsored by Time Magazine; and also an inductee in the Savannah Business Hall of Fame. And I want to say this on behalf of the local Chatham County Republican Party, we name our annual award in his honor, the J.C. Lewis Award.

Mr. Speaker, it is not often when people like this are born, and with Mr. Lewis, it is a family unit. If we know

him, we know his family, and we know they are all in it together. They have made Savannah and Georgia and the United States of America and the world a better place to live. So I am very honored to be a cosponsor with the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) on this piece of legislation.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 22, 2003, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing on ``Counterterror Initiatives in the Terror Finance Program.''

Mr. President: I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Wednesday, October 22, 2003, at 9:30 am on the Federal Involvement in the Regulation of the Insurance Industry.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a hearing Anti-Semitism In Europe.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 at 10:30 a.m. to hold a business meeting to consider pending Committed business.

Agenda

Legislation

1. S. 129, Federal Workforce Flexibility Act of 2003.

2. S. 1741, National Women's History Museum Act of 2003.

3. S. 1267, District of Columbia Budget Autonomy Act of

2003.

4. S. 1522, GAO Human Capital Reform Act of 2003.

5. S. 1561, a bill to preserve existing judgeships on the

Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

6. S. 1567, Department of Homeland Security Financial

Accountability Act.

7. S. 1612, Homeland Security Technology Improvement Act of

2003.

8. S. 1683, Federal Law Enforcement Pay and Benefits Parity

Act of 2003.

9. H.R. 1416, Homeland Security Technical Corrections Act

of 2003.

10. H.R. 3159, Government Network Security Act of 2003.

post office naming bills

1. S. 1405, a bill to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 514 17th Street in Moline,

Illinois, as the ``David Bybee Post Office Building.''

2. S. 1415, a bill to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 141 Weston Street in

Hartford, Connecticut, as the ``Barbara B. Kennelly Post

Office Building.''

3. S. 1590, a bill to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 315 Empire Boulevard in

Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, as the ``James E. Davis

Post Office Building.''

4. S. 1659, a bill to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 57 Old Tappan Road in

Tappan, New York, as the ``John G. Dow Post Office

Building.''

5. S. 1671, a bill to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 10701 Abercorn Street in

Savannah, Georgia, as the ``J.C. Lewis, Jr., Post Office

Building.''

6. S. 1692, a bill to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 38 Spring Street in Nashua,

New Hampshire, as the ``Hugh Gregg Post Office Building.''

7. S. 1718, a bill to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 3710 West 73rd Terrace in

Prairie Village, Kansas, as the ``Senator James B. Pearson

Post Office Building.''

8. S. 1746, a bill to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 339 Hicksville Road in

Bethpage, New York, as the ``Brian C. Hickey Post Office

Building.''

9. H.R. 1610, to redesignate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 120 East Ritchie Avenue in

Marceline, Missouri, as the ``Walt Disney Office Building.''

10. H.R. 1882, to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 440 South Orange Blossom

Trail, in Orlando, Florida, as the ``Arthur `Pappy' Kennedy

Post Office Building.''

11. H.R. 1883, to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 1601-1 Main Street in

Jacksonville, Florida, as the ``Eddie Mae Steward Post Office

Building.''

12. H.R. 2075, to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 1905 West Blue Heron

Boulevard in West Palm Beach, Florida, as the ``Judge Edward

Rodgers Post Office Building.''

13. H.R. 2254, to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 1101 Colorado Street in

Boulder City, Nevada, as the ``Bruce Woodbury Post Office

Building.''

14. H.R. 2309, to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 2300 Redondo Avenue in

Signal Hill, California, as the ``J. Stephen Horn Post Office

Building.''

15. H.R. 2328, to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 2001 East Willard Street in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the ``Robert A. Borski Post

Office Building.''

16. H.R. 2396, to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 1210 Highland Avenue in

Duarte, California, as the ``Francisco A. Martinez Flores

Post Office Building.''

17. H.R. 2452, to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 339 Hicksville Road in

Bethpage, New York, as the ``Brian C. Hickey Post Office

Building.''

18. H.R. 2533, to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 10701 Abercorn Street in

Savannah, Georgia, as the ``J.C. Lewis, Jr., Post Office

Building.''

19. H.R. 2746, to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 141 Weston Street in

Hartford, Connecticut, as the ``Barbara B. Kennelly Post

Office Building.''

20. H.R. 3011, to designate the facility of the United

States Postal Service, located at 135 East Olive Avenue in

Burbank, California, as the ``Bob Hope Post Office

Building.''

Nominations

1. Jerry S. Byrd to be an Associate Judge of the Superior

Court of the District of Columbia (Family Court).

2. Joseph Michael Ryan to be an Associate Judge of the

Superior Court of the District of Columbia (Family Court).

3. Dale Cabaniss to be Chairman, Federal Labor Relations

Authority.

4. Brian F. Holeman to be an Associate Judge of the

Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

5. Craig S. Iscoe to be an Associate Judge of the Superior

Court of the District of Columbia.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on Wednesday, October 22, 2003, at 10 a.m., on ``Judicial Nominations,'' in the Hart Senate Office Building room 216.

Witness List:

Panel I: Senators.

Panel II: Janice R. Brown to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed hearing.

Mr. President: I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries, and Coast Guard be authorized to meet on Wednesday, October 22, 2003, at 9:30 a.m., on Fisheries Oversight to be held in SR-428A.

Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman for yielding. I join with the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) and the entire Georgia delegation in honoring J.C. Lewis, Jr., by the naming of the post office on Abercorn Street in the 12th District of Georgia. As the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) pointed out, Mr. Lewis seeks no recognition. A humble man, a servant of our community for decades, he was born in Savannah, Georgia; and throughout his life he has served Savannah and the low country and the rest of our State, his community, his country, and his God. He went to public schools in Chatham County and attended and graduated from the University of Georgia with honors. J.C. Lewis, Jr. is a true Bulldog. He later received the school's outstanding award as an alum. I am sure that was one of the proudest moments in his life.

After his university education, he acknowledged his patriotic duty. He served in the United States Navy. He continued to remain devoted to the U.S. military in his actions. One of the most significant things that he has done for our community is serve as chairman of the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum. He has also served as president of the Association of the United States Army and is a member of the Navy League.

After his education he returned to his childhood home in Savannah and, with his wife, Nancy Nelson Lewis, and their children, made it his home and his dream and his passion. He became the first Republican Governor in Georgia since reconstruction when he was elected as mayor of the city of Savannah. He is a successful businessman, serving as President and CEO of J.C. Lewis Enterprises. He is a devoted family man, a member and deacon of the First Baptist Church of Savannah.

But I think probably most notably that when most other Americans Mr. Lewis's age were retiring, he was just getting started. He was concerned about the rising problem of homelessness in the city of Savannah. He approached the Board of the Union Mission in 1985, nearly 20 years ago. He then purchased and donated facilities that provide for the care of both homeless men and women, and shelters are located there. He also funded a cancer program for the homeless, the J.C. Lewis Health Center, and he serves continuously as the honorary chairman of Union Mission's capital campaign as they seek in their mission to end homelessness in the city of Savannah, Georgia.

Throughout his life, J.C. Lewis has been a physically and personally devoted individual to helping and serving mankind, and I join the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) and the rest of the Georgia delegation in supporting H.R. 2533 as just a very small way that we can thank Mr. Lewis for his service to Savannah, Georgia and to the 12th District.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Government Reform, I am pleased to join with my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 2533, which designates a U.S. postal facility in Savannah, Georgia after J.C. Lewis, Jr. H.R. 2533 was introduced by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) on June 19, 2003. Mr. Lewis, the former mayor of Savannah, Georgia, serves on many charitable and community-oriented boards. A given and committed man, he financed the building site for the Savannah Baptist Center, which serves as a recreational and education center in town. He is best known for his work with Union Mission to end homelessness in Savannah. He purchased and donated the Union Mission's main office building and helped to renovate the facility so that needed and necessary health care services could be provided to those in dire straits. Mr. Lewis is currently the honorary chair of Union Mission's capital campaign.

Mr. Speaker, oftentimes individuals are involved and help raise money and generate money, not always do they give as much of their own money as Mr. Lewis seemingly does. So, Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) for seeking to honor such an individual, and I urge swift passage of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2533) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 10701 Abercorn Street in Savannah, Georgia, as the ``J.C. Lewis, Jr. Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston), the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this resolution which honors J.C. Lewis, Jr, a man truly worthy of our commendation.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.