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".

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) for recognizing me and for making it possible along with my friend, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Ballance) to have the opportunity to bring this bill to the floor.

As the gentleman said at the end of his speech just previously, Governor Hugh Gregg died on September 24th of this year after a brief illness, and brief it was, because just prior to that illness, the city of Nashua, which is the largest city in my district, celebrated its 150th anniversary. And guess who walked at the front of the line in a top hat and tuxedo with a cane but Hugh Gregg, the grand marshall of the parade. Governor Hugh Gregg celebrating the city that he loved and lived in his entire life.

Indeed, he served our country during World War II, not once, but twice. He served in the Korean War. He served on the Nashua City Council. He became its mayor, and he was elected Governor of the State of New Hampshire in his early thirties, the year I was born.

Hugh Gregg also took on big projects. He was not one to think about things pragmatically or think about things in any small way.

During my political career, he achieved two major accomplishments. First, he sought out to establish a museum of political history in New Hampshire. It is no secret that New Hampshire is the first part of the Nation's primary and always will be. Hugh Gregg wanted to make sure that the political history of the State, going back as far as anybody cared to, was properly recorded. And as time went on, candidates running for office would have a place to repose their memorabilia and great events and so forth. He published no less than three books on the subject of New Hampshire political history, the latest with our Secretary of State, Bill Gardner. Hugh Gregg is responsible for the establishment of this institution, which will live on in perpetuity.

The second big project he took on was an effort to try to prove that New Hampshire was the birthplace of the Republican party and not Ripon, Wisconsin, as it has been previously thought. No offense to our distinguished presiding officer here today, but he turned out to be right about that. He made extensive research and determined that the records of the party originated in Exeter, New Hampshire, and he established a society called the Amos Tuck Society.

Indeed, Mr. Speaker, Hugh Gregg was not only Governor, mayor of Nashua, father of U.S. Senator Judd Gregg and Cy Gregg, long-time husband of Catherine Gregg, a great political crusader for many different causes, not all of which were necessarily associated with Republicans, but were really focussed on the good of the State of New Hampshire and the good of the lives of the people around him. The efforts he made on behalf of others, not only in the area of politics, but in charity through the Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center which is one of the Nation's leading centers for the treatment of those brain-injured and developmentally-disabled individuals established by his father but nurtured and expanded significantly by him.

He served on a number of different boards, serving on the board of the Fleet Bank, at that time Indian Head Bank. He was involved in businesses all over the place.

Hugh Gregg was a man of courage. He was a man that some might say was tactless on occasion. I know, as Governor of the State of New Hampshire, on a couple of occasions he was known to become frustrated with people he came in contact with, and he had a habit of taking scissors and snipping their ties off just to get their attention and, indeed, it did.

Hugh Gregg campaigned with me during one of my many campaigns in the Nashua Recycling Center. We were trying to meet people there, of course. He was in his early eighties or late seventies. He said, You go over there and work over there in recycling, where they bring in bottles and cans. That is a nice clean thing for you to do. I will go over and carry the garbage because nobody is going to tell a 75-year- old man that they do not like him for carrying their garbage over to the garbage area.

Hugh Gregg was the kind of man that was full of energy, full of enthusiasm and full of compassion and a commitment to the folks around him in the city of Nashua and the State of New Hampshire. He will be sorely missed by all of us. I think this is a wonderful opportunity to name the Nashua Post Office after this great American citizen.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3185) 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''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3185.

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

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Government Reform, I am pleased to call up H.R. 3185 for consideration. This legislation introduced by my colleague, the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Bass) designates the postal facility at 38 Spring Street in Nashua, New Hampshire, as the Hugh Gregg Post Office Building.

Hugh Gregg, a giant in New Hampshire politics for several decades, was elected Governor of the Granite State in 1953 at the age of 34. As a result, he was forevermore nicknamed the ``Boy Governor.'' One of his most notable achievements was his work in organizing the first-in-the- Nation Presidential primary in New Hampshire. What began as little more than a beauty contest for candidates in 1952, his tireless work is a big reason the New Hampshire primary has evolved into such a critical date for modern Presidential candidates.

It is also important to note that Governor Gregg's son, Judd, went on to be elected Governor of New Hampshire in 1989, and he now serves as the State's senior United States Senator.

Mr. Speaker, America mourned on September 24th of this year, when Hugh Gregg passed away at age 85. He is survived by his wife, Catherine Warner Gregg, two sons, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Bass) for his work on H.R. 3185, and I strongly support its passage.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Bass), the author of the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, since the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Bass) has brought up the founding of the Republican party and Mr. Gregg's interest in that, I would mention that I have the privilege of representing the only district in the United States that has had

continuous Republican representation in the United States House of Representatives since the founding of the Republican party.

This legislation seems to be very fitting and proper to name this post office facility after Hugh Gregg who was a very great American, who saw the American dream come true in his life in several different ways. I urge passage of this bill.

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

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

I am honored and pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 3185, legislation naming a postal facility after Hugh Gregg. H.R. 3185 which was introduced by the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Bass) on September 25, 2003, was unanimously approved by the Committee on Government Reform on October 8, 2003.

H.R. 3185 has the support and cosponsorship of the entire New Hampshire Congressional delegation. Hugh Gregg, a former Republican Governor of New Hampshire from 1953 until 1955, was born in New Hampshire and became its youngest Governor at the age of 34. A graduate of Yale and Harvard Law School, he served as a Special Agent of the Counterintelligence Corps during World War II and the Korean Crisis.

A well-known businessman and community leader, Mr. Gregg passed away on September 24, 2003 at the age of 85. Hugh Gregg was remembered as a statesman and gentleman. His love for his State and country and dedication to public service was well known.

Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleagues for seeking to honor the late Hugh Gregg and urge swift adoption on H.R. 3185.

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

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to consideration of Calendar No. 397, H.R. 3185.

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