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".

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise today in support of S. 1718, legislation introduced by Senator Pat Roberts and cosponsored by Senator Sam Brownback, that will designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3710 West 73rd Terrace in Prairie Village, KS, as the Senator James B. Pearson Post Office Building.

Senator Roberts introduced this legislation following my introduction of an identical bill, H.R. 3255, with the cosponsorship of the entire Kansas House delegation Representatives Jim Ryun, Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran. I commend them for joining in this bipartisan, all-Kansas effort.

Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Senator Pearson was the son of a Presbyterian minister. Raised in Virginia and educated in North Carolina, where he received a B.A. from Duke University in 1940, he fulfilled his military service requirement in Kansas, where he was a naval transport pilot during World War II, discharged with the rank of lieutenant. At the conclusion of this military service, he married a Kansan from Johnson County, to where they returned after he earned a law degree from the University of Virginia in 1950.

Following 2 years of private law practice in Mission, KS, Pearson served successively as assistant Johnson County attorney, Johnson County probate judge, and State senator. In 1960, he did not seek re- election to the State senate, serving instead as campaign manager for State Attorney General John Anderson's successful campaign for governor.

Appointed to the U.S. Senate in 1962 by Governor Anderson, upon the death of Andrew Schoeppel, James B. Pearson served our State with distinction from 1962 through 1978. Elected in 1962, and re-elected in 1966 and 1972, Senator Pearson was a workhorse, not a showhorse. A senior member of the Foreign Relations Committee, he also rose to become ranking Republican member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Senator Pearson represented our State during an important and turbulent era, addressing issues that included the Vietnam War, the civil rights revolution, enactment of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, America's space exploration program and deregulation of the trucking and airline industries. Senator Pearson was a leader in these and other areas, offering legislation on farm credit, aviation development, and campaign finance reform.

Most importantly, though, Senator Pearson was a quiet voice of thoughtful analysis--something we could use more of in both the House and the Senate today. As he said of the Vietnam War in 1966: ``On large issues and small, we cannot hold to irrevocable and unchanging positions. There is a constant need to look at every side of every issue.''

Senator Pearson was a voice of reason and common sense during these difficult times and I am proud that his home during this Senate career was Prairie Village, which is located in the Third Congressional District of Kansas. Naming the Prairie Village Post Office after Senator James B. Pearson recognizes, in a small way, the important service he provided to Kansans for 16 years in the U.S. Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 1718) 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''.

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, the bill before us today offered by the distinguished Senator from Kansas, Senator Pat Roberts, names this Prairie Village, Kansas, postal facility as the Senator James B. Pearson Post Office.

Senator James Pearson was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 7, 1920. At a young age, he moved with his family to Virginia and went on to attend Duke University. He bravely served as a pilot in the Naval Air Transport in 1943 during World War II. He was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant and returned home to graduate from the University of Virginia Law School in 1950.

Pearson moved back to Kansas and became a practicing lawyer in the town of Mission in 1950. Two years later, he became the assistant county attorney of Johnson County, and in two more years, in 1954, the county probate judge.

Pearson threw his hat into the political ring for the first time in 1956 when he earned a seat in the Kansas State Senate. On January 31, 1962, he was appointed to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Senator Andrew Schoeppel. He was elected for the first time in a special election in November of that year and earned reelection in both 1966 and 1972, retiring in 1978. Senator James Pearson served his home State of Kansas and indeed the entire Nation with distinction, and he highly deserves the commemoration provided by this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, Senator James B. Pearson continues to live here in Washington, D.C., and outside Baldwin City, Kansas, and we wish him well.

In addition to the Senator from Kansas, I want to recognize the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore) who introduced the companion legislation here in the House, H.R. 3255, and I know both gentlemen worked together to ensure that James B. Pearson would be honored with this post office.

I am pleased that Senate bill 1718 will soon be on the President's desk for his signature.

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

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

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

As a member of the House Committee on Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleague in consideration of S. 1718, legislation naming a postal facility after Senator James B. Pearson.

S. 1718, which was introduced by Senator Pat Roberts on October 14, 2003, was unanimously approved by the Committee on Government Reform on November 6, 2003. The gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore) is the sponsor of H.R. 3255, an identical version of S. 1718. H.R. 3255 has been cosponsored by the entire Kansas congressional delegation.

James Pearson was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and attended public schools in Virginia. He served as a pilot in the Navy during World War II, and after being discharged, he became an attorney and began practicing law in Mission, Kansas. He served in various legal positions before being appointed in 1962 as a Republican to the United States Senate to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Andrew Schoeppel.

Senator Pearson served in the Senate until 1978, working diligently as a senior member of the Foreign Relations Committee and ranking member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

Mr. Speaker, this is indeed an honorable act that we take in naming this postal facility. I would urge swift passage.

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