To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 19504 Linden Boulevard in St. Albans, New York, as the "Archie Spigner Post Office Building".

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. 4632, legislation designating the United States postal facility in St. Albans, New York, after Archie Spigner. This measure, which was unanimously reported by our committee on July 21, 2004, was introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) on July 21, 2004. H.R. 4632 enjoys the support and cosponsorship of the entire New York delegation.

A native New Yorker, Archie Spigner was born and educated in New York. He was called early on into the world of politics and community activism.

In 1974, Mr. Spigner began his first term as a city councilman from Southeast Queens. As a member of the New York City Council, Mr. Spigner chaired the committees on Housing and Building, Economic Development, and the Legislative Office of Budget Review.

As a result of his legislative prowess, he was able to assume the post of deputy majority leader, the second highest position in the New York City Council.

Mr. Spigner served on the advisory board of the National League of Cities, the City Council Budget Negotiating Team, and liaison for the Queens delegation. As district leader and executive member of the Guy R. Brewer United Democratic Club, Mr. Spigner was instrumental in electing the first African American Supreme Court Justice, Assembly member, State Senator, and Congress member in the Borough of Queens.

He was also instrumental in the campaigns for the Honorable David Dinkins, former mayor of the City of New York; the Honorable Percy Sutton, former Manhattan borough president, the Honorable Carl McCall, former state comptroller; former Congressman Floyd H. Flake; and my friend and colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks).

Archie Spigner retired from the New York City Council in 2001; and although retired, Mr. Spigner is still involved in politics and community affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks), for seeking to honor this political legacy of City Council Member Archie Spigner in this manner. I urge swift passage of H.R. 4632.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).

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

Mr. Speaker, I come before you today to honor a man that has given much to my district and asked for very little.

Former City Council Member Archie Spigner is considered the Godfather of African American politics in my district in southeast Queens. A mentor to many of our current successful leaders, Archie held his seat from 1974 until term limits ended his service in the New York City Council in 2001.

As a member of the City Council, Archie rose to the post of Deputy Majority Leader--the second highest position in the Council. HIs legislative responsibilities included Chairmanships of the Committees on Housing and Buildings, Economic Development and the Legislative Office of Budget Review. He also served on the Council's Budget Negotiating Team and acted as liaison for the Council's 14 member Queens delegation. He was elected to and served on the advisory board of the National League of Cities, an advocacy group for our Nation's urban areas.

As District Leader and Executive Member of the Guy R. Brewer United Democratic Club, he was instrumental in electing Queens' first African- American Supreme Court Justice, the first African-American Assembly Member, the first African-American State Senator, and the first African-American Member of Congress. He played a pivotal role the mayoral campaigns of David N. Dinkins and Percy Sutton, as well as the gubernatorial campaign of H. Carl McCall. Archie helped elect my precedessor to Congress, and of course, provided indispensable support and counsel when I sought this office.

A post office facility bearing Archie's name, located a few blocks from the headquarters from which Archie's political organizing emanated will be a reminder to the community he served long and well of the gratitude they owe to this man who made a difference in their everyday lives and effectively represented them in the corridors of New York City government.

Please join me in designating the Saint Albans postal facility the Archie Spigner Post Office Building, in honor of this accomplished gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in honoring former Council Member Archie Spigner. I had the great honor of serving with him as a member of the Housing and Buildings and Economic Development Committee of the New York City Council, a committee which he chaired for many years with great distinction, with great judgment, honesty, and fairness. In a city that has a terrific need, a deep need for affordable housing, he was one of the truly outstanding leaders in our city in the area of working to build more housing that is affordable, and truly as a leader in our city, serving for many years as the deputy majority leader.

He was also active on a national level, with the League of Cities. He dedicated, really, his life to the problems of cities; and he used to say that one of the great challenges of the next century would be who pays for the cities, with their ailing infrastructure and their many, many needs for housing and other areas.

He not only was active in the National League of Cities. He was on the Finance Committee and the City Committee on the Budget, and I had the honor of serving with him on the Committee on the Budget where he was a great bridge-builder. He would often negotiate compromises that would enable us to move a budget to the floor for a vote. He is an outstanding person, kind and wonderful. He is very active politically also and played a major role in the election of one of my good friends and colleagues, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks), along with many other important leaders in New York City and State.

Even though Archie retired from the City Council in 2001, he has continued to be an important leader and adviser on both the city and local level. He is a terrific person. To know him is to love him.

I am delighted to join my colleagues today in naming this important building after him and in really applauding his lifetime of service to the communities in Queens and the City and the State of New York.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4632) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 19504 Linden Boulevard in St. Albans, New York, as the ``Archie Spigner 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 and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 4632, a post office designation act sponsored by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks). The legislation before us honors Archie Spigner, a man who has been a political institution in Queens and indeed all of New York City for more than a quarter of a century.

Archie Spigner served a respected tenure on the New York City Council from 1974 until 2001. Mr. Spigner ultimately became the second highest ranking member of the council as he rose to the post of deputy majority leader. In addition, he served on the advisory board of the National League of Cities, an urban advocacy organization.

Mr. Speaker, I know the gentleman from New York considers Mr. Spigner a close friend and political ally. That is why I am pleased to join with him today in urging passage of H.R. 4632. The post office in the legislation is appropriately located within Archie Spigner's former district at Linden Boulevard and 196th Street in Queens.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 4632, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleague and fellow New Yorker, Mr. Meeks in supporting this bill, H.R. 4632, to name the post office in St. Albans, Queens, New York after my old and close friend, Archie Spigner.

Archie Spigner and I go back a long time in the political life of New York; myself in Harlem and Archie in St. Albans. He has been providing leadership in his community for nearly four decades. He has provided the shoulders for many of our current successful leaders. It is unfortunate that term limits have deprived his community of his representation. Archie held his seat from 1974 until term limits ended his service in the New York City Council in 2001.

As District Leader and Executive Member of the Guy R. Brewer United Democratic Club, he was instrumental in electing the first African- American Supreme Court Justice, Assembly Member, State Senator and Congress Member in the Borough of Queens. He was a leader in the campaigns of the Hon. David Dinkins, Hon. Percy Sutton, Hon. Carl McCall, our former colleague Congressman Floyd H. Flake and the sponsor of this bill, the current member from St. Albans, our distinguished colleague Greg Meeks. He and I have been allies on countless battles in the effort to provide equality, opportunity, and justice for our constituents, for New Yorkers and Americans.

Having a public building in this historic African American community named after as an esteemed member of the community as Archie Spigner is quite fitting.