To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 410 South Jackson Road in Edinburg, Texas, as the "Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez Post Office Building".

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I am honored to have the opportunity to rise today to join my colleagues and, indeed, my country men and women in paying tribute to our departed and, I would say, sincerely beloved former President Ronald Reagan. We mourn his loss and we give our condolences, of course, to Mrs. Reagan and their family.

I cannot claim, as some can in this Chamber, to have known President Reagan personally and well. In fact, we met a few times while he was serving in the White House. I was attorney general of Connecticut and visited with attorneys general. We did have one remarkable rendezvous.

Our paths crossed, figuratively speaking, as President Reagan was departing Washington, having completed his second term as President. I was arriving as a freshman Senator from Connecticut. It was January 14, 1989, and the outgoing President was set to give his final weekly radio address Saturday morning.

As always, he gave a masterful and moving performance, engaging the Nation with his wisdom and his wit. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, the new Senate majority leader, asked me to give the Democratic response to President Reagan that Saturday morning in January. It was a high honor, of course, for me as a freshman Senator to be asked to give the weekly radio address but it was, needless to say, a tough act to follow.

I looked back to my remarks and in them I see I praised President Reagan

for his love of country, his fervent devotion to freedom, and his commitment to the values of faith, flag, and family. I said I was ``inspired and encouraged by his sense of patriotism,'' and I urged all Americans to work together on our unfinished business with ``the spirit of purpose and confidence that is the legacy of the Reagan years.''

Today, 15 years later, I am very proud I was able to speak those words, and proud of their truthfulness. My admiration and respect for President Reagan has only grown with time. The optimism, the idealism, the patriotism, and confidence he radiated infected us all and are exactly what we need today.

President Reagan won the trust of the American people and used that trust to lead. I believe he won the trust of the American people because he reflected their values and they knew he was the real thing, that he stuck to what he believed was right, whether it was popular or not. His leadership was classic democratic leadership, with a small ``d.'' His moral conviction, combined with his pragmatism, enabled him to do an awful lot for our country and the world. He understood what America was about, which was freedom and opportunity, and extended both in America and throughout the world.

After all, he led our country and the free world to victory in the final battle of the cold war against communism.

Ronald Reagan's message of optimism and purpose was carried by one of the most effective messengers ever to occupy the Oval Office. His rhetoric, after all, made us swell with pride, sometimes harden with indignation, often resonate with emotion. He also made us laugh.

I loved President Reagan's jokes and borrowed them often, sometimes with attribution, sometimes not. One of my favorites was the one that said a lot about him and about what he believed, what he was for, and what he was against. It was about the commissar who visited the Communist collective farm in Russia. He greeted the farmer, who was the head of the farm, on an inspection tour and asked the farmer how the potato crop had been that year.

The farmer said: Oh, commissar, the potato crop has been excellent. As a matter of fact, if we took all the potatoes we grew on this farm this year and put them one on top of the other, they would reach all the way up to the feet of God.

Troubled, the commissar from Moscow said, comrade farmer, I am glad to hear you did so well raising potatoes, but what do you mean about reaching up to the feet of God? This is a Soviet Communist collective farm. There is no God.

The comrade said, that is okay, because there are no potatoes, either. So it was.

I heard someone in the last few days since President Reagan's death repeat a one-liner of his where the press was getting on him because they said he was not working hard enough as President. At some public gathering, President Reagan said he was aware of these criticisms and he was also aware of the old line that hard work never killed anybody, but, President Reagan said, I figure why should I run the risk? And so it was.

His sense of humor and exuberance served him and the country well. Yes, he was a cold warrior, our leader in the final battle of the cold war, but he was also a happy warrior. In this and in so many other ways, Ronald Reagan reflected the personality and values of the American people. You could disagree with his policies, but you could never find his personality or his sincerity disagreeable.

He treated Democrats and Republicans alike, which is to say with respect. That attitude was contagious and even infected both Chambers of Congress. President Reagan once urged an audience of young people to live lives ``that were a statement, not an apology.''

This week we remember a true American giant, whose life was a statement, not an apology--a statement of America's values and its transcendent spirit of our faith in God and our love of country, of our national purpose, which is to uphold and extend the reality of freedom and opportunity in the world.

I yield the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4299, a bill that will rename the post office in Edinburg, Texas, home of the University of Texas Pan American, in honor of Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez. I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis) and the gentleman from California (Ranking Member Waxman) for their assistance in bringing this legislation to the floor so quickly.

I want to congratulate and thank one of the great modern heroes of south Texas, Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez, my good friend, who is retiring this year from the presidency of the University of Texas Pan American.

Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez has presided over a sea change in south Texas. His leadership of the University of Texas Pan American has transformed the region. In fact, he laid the infrastructure that will transform south Texas.

Dr. Nevarez has guided this institution from the days when this was still a position called Associate Dean of Men and only 8,000 students, many in remedial education, to today when UTPA is a full-fledged research institution, offering 56 undergraduate programs, 42 master's programs and three doctoral programs. Today, in 2004, UTPA enrolls over 15,000 students.

The growth and development of south Texas are inextricably linked to the growth and development of UTPA. Dr. Nevarez has risen to the challenge and has made south Texas and its south Texans proud. He has mentored faculties, students, and administrators.

He has built the capacity of the institution both physically and intellectually. UTPA is one of the most beautiful and well-equipped campuses in the State of Texas, and it is on the cutting edge in new research and technologies.

As UTPA has matured, so has south Texas. This is a dynamic region with dramatic growth in population and jobs in all areas of economic activity; and UTPA, with Dr. Nevarez as the university president, is at the center of it all. This is his legacy.

Furthermore, Dr. Nevarez has been the longest-serving Hispanic president of a college or university. He was one of the pioneers that paved the way for Federal support for Hispanic-serving institutions. His leadership and advocacy on behalf of HSIs helped create a specific designation in the 1998 higher education reauthorization. This designation has resulted in increased Federal funding by all Federal agencies for HSIs nationwide. These colleges and universities open the doors of higher education to half of the Latinos attending college in the country.

Dr. Nevarez's leadership has laid the foundation for the educational advancement of the fastest-growing, largest minority group in the country, Hispanic Americans. Raising the level of educational attainment for the Hispanic community is of paramount importance to our future security and prosperity.

I want to also acknowledge and recognize Dr. Nevarez's family. First, his beautiful wife Blanca Medina Nevarez who has been a very loving and strong supporter of her husband. Second, I have seen his three children, Miguel III, Annette and Marc, who have had to share their father with so many people. His duties and responsibilities may have kept him from participating in some important family gatherings, but rest assured that his family's sacrifices have not gone unnoticed. I thank them for supporting Miguel's efforts.

I am happy for my friend. He has earned his retirement. He has given so much of himself to the great State of Texas, to the Hispanic community, and to our great Nation. His efforts and his accomplishments will long be remembered. The post office in Edinburg, Texas, an all- American city, shall bear the name of Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez. He is ready to pass the mantle of leadership for UTPA and south Texas as we move into the 21st century; and thanks to him, we are ready.

Que Dios le bendiga! May God bless you.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time.

Though we honor the life's work of Dr. Miguel Nevarez by designating a post office with his name, his real legacy is reflected in the lives and the careers of the students that he has helped for over a quarter of a century with his leadership and service, mostly as president of UT Pan American.

Dr. Nevarez is the first Hispanic president of UT Pan Am and the longest seated Hispanic president of any four-year institution of higher learning. He has a total of over 30 years of service to UT Pan Am, including his tenure as a professor in the education department, associate dean of men, vice president for student and university affairs and, of course, as president and leader of the university.

Dr. Nevarez has repeatedly been recognized for his leadership, including being named one of the ``100 Most Influential Hispanics in America'' and as one of the ``50 Most Influential Hispanics in Business Technology.'' His commitment to education has fundamentally and forever changed not only the Rio Grande Valley but elsewhere across our Nation as UT Pan Am graduates have assumed positions of leadership.

It is not surprising to any of us who have worked with Dr. Nevarez that, after a much-deserved sabbatical, he will be returning to work with Dr. Velma Menchaca and the outstanding faculty of the Department of Educational Leadership. There, he will return to teaching, and he will be working primarily with the doctoral and master's programs involving higher education, organizational behavior and organizational management, programs that came into being through his leadership as the president at UT Pan American.

Just as the commencements that we are celebrating across America represent both an end and a beginning, so does this announcement by Dr. Nevarez. The opportunity is there for us to step up to the challenge of giving students all the education for which each is willing to work. We can honor this legacy of Dr. Nevarez not only by the quite appropriate naming of a post office down the street in his honor, but by giving our public institutions of higher learning the financial support that they need to do the job to which he has dedicated his life, and particularly, in preparing our students for quality jobs upon graduation, by giving them the financial assistance that they deserve.

With the overwhelming majority of students at UT Pan American qualifying for student financial assistance, but with too many unable to receive the assistance that they need at current funding levels, it would be particularly appropriate to honor Dr. Nevarez with the further tribute of extending and expanding that financial assistance. I believe that we must double the maximum amount of Pell Grants in order to achieve that objective.

Dr. Nevarez already has the grateful thanks of a community that he has served for decades. Today, as we designate this post office with his name, this body, the United States Congress, affirms our gratitude for his life's work in service, not just to the Rio Grande Valley but to our entire Nation in developing the leaders who will guide our country in the future.

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 my colleague in consideration of H.R. 4299, legislation naming a postal facility in Edinburg, Texas after Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez.

This measure, which was introduced by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) on May 6, 2004 enjoys the support and cosponsorship of the Texas delegation.

Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez has served as President of the University of Texas-Pan American for 23 years. The University of Texas-Pan American is the leading institution serving underserved and underrepresented students in the south Texas community. The university is home to a high concentration of Hispanic students. Currently Hispanic enrollment is 87 percent of the student body.

Throughout his tenure as president of the university, Dr. Nevarez has made a difference in his community and profession by providing and improving higher educational opportunities to south Texas residents. For his efforts, Dr. Nevarez has received numerous accolades. He was named Outstanding Educator by President Reagan in 1985, and has worked closely with many United States Presidents on education reform and Hispanic education initiatives.

Dr. Nevarez has testified in Congress on the contributions of America's Hispanic-serving institutions. He has been named one of the 100 Influential Hispanics by Hispanic Business Magazine and has been credited with creating a Hispanic middle class in south Texas.

Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez is retiring this year. By way of recognizing his many years of dedicated service, the university is hosting a special dinner on May 14, 2004, in his honor.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join my colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa), in honoring the enormous educational and professional contributions of Dr. Nevarez. Designating the post office in Edinburg, Texas, is an excellent way to pay tribute to Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez.

I urge swift passage of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he might consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa), the sponsor of this bill, from the 15th Congressional District of Texas.

(Mr. HINOJOSA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he might consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), a representative from the 10th Congressional District of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he might consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to advise my colleague that I have no further requests for time. I would simply congratulate the gentleman for his introduction of the bill and urge its passage.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I appreciate the comments of my colleague.

Indeed, it has been a different week, a very solemn week, and a week that has required all of us to work together from an organizational standpoint and to pull together what has been almost a celebration of this legacy of Ronald Reagan.

This evening members will gather in the Senate Chamber and right around that period of time a number of people will be proceeding to the arrival ceremony. It will indeed be a historic moment for the Senate, for this body, but indeed for the American people. Over 150,000 well- wishers are expected to line the streets as President Reagan's flag- draped caisson is drawn up to this building, the Capitol, by a single riderless horse.

In the past 5 days, we have witnessed a remarkable unity in the country, a fraternity of spirit in many ways. Partisanship has fallen away, and old political foes have set aside disagreements. Americans have come together to celebrate the remarkable achievements of a truly remarkable man. Lifeguard--the pictures are imprinted in everybody's mind--radio announcer, actor, Governor, father, husband, and finally President of the United States. Ronald Wilson Reagan achieved extraordinary heights.

But he would tell you, I suspect--and it was reflected in so many of the comments among his friends and colleagues over the last several days--that he was simply being an American, fulfilling the American dream. He described the American dream once as ``a song of hope that rings through the night air; vivid, tender music that warms our heart when the least among us aspires to the greatest things.''

Ronald Reagan brought that song back to our hearts. He believed we could achieve great things, that America could achieve great things, and because of his unshakeable belief in freedom and liberty and democracy and his ironclad faith in progress, his love and respect for his fellow citizen, we did. We triumphed over the Soviet empire. We created one of the longest economic expansions in American history. We regained our strength and our optimism. We remembered the special privilege it is to be an American.

But we also remembered that freedom is not for us alone. It is the right of every man and woman across the globe, in every age, in every civilization.

In 1964, two decades before he would be reelected in a landslide victory carrying 49 of the 50 United States, Ronald Reagan told the Nation:

You and I have the ability and the dignity and the right to

make our own decisions and determine our own destiny.

As we would learn later, it was our destiny to choose Ronald Reagan to be our leader, our standard bearer, and our hero. The history books will record Ronald Reagan as one of our greatest Presidents. Of this I have no doubt. And the American people will remember him with love and with affection for generations to come.