To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1000 Avenida Sanchez Osorio in Carolina, Puerto Rico, as the "Roberto Clemente Walker Post Office Building".

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2826) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1000 Avenida Sanchez Osorio in Carolina, Puerto Rico, as the ``Roberto Clemente Walker Post Office Building''.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2826, introduced by the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Acevedo-Vila) designates the U.S. Postal Service facility in Carolina, Puerto Rico, as the Roberto Clemente Walker Post Office Building. Roberto Clemente was one of baseball's greatest heroes, both when he commanded the right fields of baseball stadiums across America, and when he was so giving of his time, energy and resources off the field. Naming this post office in Carolina, his hometown, is a wonderful tribute to a man all of us ought to never forget.

This legislation is particularly relevant to my constituents and myself because of Roberto Clemente's great years with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played all of his 18 major league seasons in Pittsburgh, slugging 240 home runs and exactly 3,000 hits. Clemente remains the Pirates' all-time leader in at-bats and hits. Along with his hitting prowess, Pittsburghers and Pirate fans everywhere remember his cannon of an arm. Number 21 finished his career with 266 assists from the outfield, and won 12 Gold Gloves.

And at a time when we may confuse the meaning of hero, he truly fits the definition, showing sacrifice and courage and giving of himself to help others. Beyond the baseball field, Roberto Clemente took seriously his role as a community leader. He was known for his work to bring better lives to disadvantaged children all over the world. And tragically, it was his charitable conduct that led to his death. After relief supplies had failed to be sent to Nicaragua immediately following a devastating earthquake in December 1972, Clemente wanted to see to it himself that essential provisions were delivered. Roberto loaded 16,000 pounds of supplies into a DC-7 aircraft and set off for Nicaragua. The plane, apparently overloaded, crashed just off the coast of his native Puerto Rico on New Year's Eve.

Major league baseball honored Roberto Clemente the very next summer by inducting him into Baseball's Hall of Fame. He was the first player ever from Latin America to become a Hall of Famer; and today, Major League Baseball's annual Man of the Year Award is named in Roberto Clemente's honor.

After Clemente's death, his eldest son, Roberto, Jr., sought to continue his father's benevolent legacy; and in 1993 he established the Roberto Clemente Foundation, which provides educational and recreational programs for disadvantaged youth in the Pittsburgh area. I want to commend all those involved in the work of the Roberto Clemente Foundation today.

Roberto Clemente once said, ``I want to be remembered as a ball player who gave all he had to give.'' Off the field, perhaps more than on, today we remember Roberto Clemente as just that, a man who gave all he had to give.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 2826 that will name this post office after Roberto Clemente, number 21. I thank the gentleman from Puerto Rico for his work on this fitting honor for a

baseball great and a great humanitarian.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

I am just reminded of one other thing. When Roberto Clemente hit his 3,000th hit, as he reached the base, he stood there and raised his hat to the fans. It is fitting for a man who gave his life helping others that we raise our hats to him. I urge all Members to support the passage of this measure that honors Roberto Clemente.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, today is a very important day for Puerto Ricans, for fans of baseball, and for humanitarians alike who value the legacy of Roberto Clemente, one of the greatest ball players of all time. It gives me great pride to recognize Roberto Clemente's successful career, both on the field as a baseball player and off it as a humanitarian, by naming a post office after him in his native town of Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Roberto had rare talent that combined all the essential elements of a great baseball player. He had a powerful bat, speed, graceful fielding, and an especially amazing arm. But perhaps the most important characteristics about Roberto Clemente for Puerto Ricans and for Americans include his character, integrity, humility, and commitment to excellence both on and off the field.

Between 1955 and 1972, Roberto Clemente batted 9,454 times in the major leagues, scored 1,416 runs, 3,000 hits, the first Puerto Rican to reach that mark; 240 home runs and batted in 1,305 runs in 2,433 games. Also, Roberto won four National League batting titles, 1961, 1964, 1965 and 1967; had a .317 lifetime batting average; and was selected 12 times to the Midsummer Classic, the All-Star game.

Roberto also participated in two World Series, won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1966, and became the first Puerto Rican to win such an award. He also won 12 Gold Gloves as a right fielder; and was selected, and I remember that one, in 1971 the World Series Most Valuable Player. Also, Roberto Clemente has been the only Latin American to appear in two First Class stamps.

Puerto Ricans remember Roberto Clemente with great pride, for he not only made the most of his athletic talents, he was also a role model for us all, helping those in need and giving back to the community what he earned through his hard work and dedication. In a day when we often cringe at the scandals involving some of our greatest athletes, we can remember Roberto Clemente for all the great things he embodied.

Last December 31, 2002, we commemorated the 30th anniversary of his tragic death. Roberto died on New Year's Eve while delivering aid to the victims of a major earthquake that hit Nicaragua in 1972. I was 10 years old, and I clearly remember that New Year's Day in Puerto Rico the reaction, a holiday that is supposed to be a celebration, New Year's Day was a day of great, great sorrow for the people of Puerto Rico when we all learned about what had just happened to Roberto. Even though his family urged him not to do the trip because of foul weather, Roberto was determined to help the victims. Unfortunately, the plane suffered a tragic accident; and Roberto and the whole crew perished in the incident.

H.R. 2826 will honor Roberto's legacy by naming his hometown post office in his honor. This legislation will serve much-deserved recognition to Roberto Clemente. It is for our fallen star, his family, and for all his fans in Puerto Rico, Pennsylvania, and throughout the world. We will never ever forget what he brought to both the baseball field and to our society.

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

H.R. 2826 would designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1000 Avenida Sanchez Osorio in Carolina, Puerto Rico, as the Roberto Clemente Walker Post Office Building. As a member of the House Committee on Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleague in the consideration of H.R. 2826, which designates a U.S. postal facility in Puerto Rico after Roberto Clemente Walker. H.R. 2826 was introduced by the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Acevedo-Vila) on July 23, 2003.

Roberto Clemente Walker was born in Barrio San Anton in Carolina, Puerto Rico, in 1934. A top athlete from his early years where he excelled in track and field, he went on to play amateur baseball in Puerto Rico. From there he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers, playing for the Montreal Royals. He later joined the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team as the number one draft pick in 1954. He played 18 years, his entire major league career, with the Pirates.

During his career with the Pirates, Roberto Clemente played in two World Series, he was the National League batting champion four times, was awarded 12 Gold Gloves, and selected National League Most Valuable Player. Roberto Clemente Walker could do it all, and he did.

He was also a very caring man. He was the father of three sons, Roberto, Jr.; Luis Roberto; and Roberto Enrique, and the husband of Vera Cristina Zabala. Sadly, he died in a plane crash in 1972 delivering food, clothes, and medical supplies to an earthquake- stricken Nicaragua.

Mr. Speaker, while we often honor athletes for their great athletic ability, for the number of home runs that they hit, for how fast they can run, how well they can catch, how many touchdowns they may have thrown or how many they may have caught, Roberto Clemente died demonstrating that when you give of yourself, when you give of yourself for others, that is when you truly give. That is really what makes you great. Roberto Clemente died proving that if he could help somebody as he passed along, if he could cheer somebody with a word of song, if he could give his life for the benefit of others, that is the real stuff that heroes are made of. That is really what made Roberto Clemente the hero that we all know him to be.

I commend my colleague for seeking to honor this great American, this great humanitarian, this great man. I urge passage of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Acevedo-Vila), the author of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Again, I would like to commend the gentleman from Puerto Rico for introducing this legislation. In my community, there is a Roberto Clemente High School that we revere as one of the great institutions in the city of Chicago. I certainly would urge passage of this legislation naming a post office for a tremendous athlete, but more than that for a great humanitarian and a great citizen.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Governmental Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2826 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.