To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3038 West Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the "Congressman James Grove Fulton Memorial Post Office Building".

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Thursday, December 15, 2005, at 10 a.m. on pending committee business.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Thursday, December 15, 2005, at 10 a.m., for a hearing titled, ``Hurricane Katrina: Who's In Charge of the New Orleans Levees?''.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affaris be authorized to hold an off-the-floor markup during the session on Thursday, December 15, 2005, to consider the nominations of George W. Foresman to be Under Secretary for Preparedness, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Mary M. Rose to be Member, Merit Systems Protection Board.

Agenda

Nominations

(1) George W. Foresman to be Under Secretary for Preparedness, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

(2) Mary M. Rose to be Member, Merit Systems Protection Board.

Post Office Naming Bills

(1) S. 1445, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 520 Colorado Avenue in Arriba, CO, as the ``William H. Emery Post Office.''

(2) S. 1792/H.R. 3770, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 205 West Washington Street in Knox, IN, as the ``Grant W. Green Post Office Building.''

(3) S. 1820, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 6110 East 51st Place in Tulsa, OK, as the ``Dewey F. Bartlett Post Office.''

(4) S. 2036, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 320 High Street in Clinton, MA, as the ``Raymond J. Salmon Post Office.''

(5) S. 2064, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 122 South Bill Street in Francesville, IN, as the ``Malcolm Melville `Mac' Lawrence Post Office.''

(6) S. 2089, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1271 North King Street in Honolulu, Oahu, HA, as the ``Hiram L. Fong Post Office Building.''

(7) H.R. 2113, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 2000 McDonough Street in Joliet, IL, as the ``John F. Whiteside Joliet Post Office Building.''

(8) H.R. 2346, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 105 NW Railroad Avenue in Hammond, LA, as the ``John J. Hainkel, Jr. Post Office Building.''

(9) H.R. 2413, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1202 1st Street in Humble, TX, as the ``Lillian McKay Post Office Building.''

(10) H.R. 2630, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1927 Sangamon Avenue in Springfield, IL, as the ``J.M. Dietrich Northeast Annex.''

(11) H.R. 2894, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 102 South Walters Avenue in Hodgenville, KY, as the ``Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Post Office Building.''

(12) H.R. 3256, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 3038 West Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, PA, as the ``Congressman James Grove Fulton Memorial Post Office Building.''

(13) H.R. 3368, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 6483 Lincoln Street in Gagetown, MI, as the ``Gagetown Veterans Memorial Post Office.''

(14) H.R. 3439, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 201 North 3rd Street in Smithfield, NC, as the ``Ava Gardner Post Office.''

(15) H.R. 3548, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located on Franklin Avenue in Pearl River, NY, as the ``Heinz Ahlmeyer, Jr. Post Office Building.''

(16) H.R. 3703, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 8501 Philatelic Drive in Spring Hill, FL, as the ``Staff Sergeant Michael Schafer Post Office.''

(17) H.R. 3825, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 770 Trumbull Drive in Pittsburgh, PA, the ``Clayton J. Smith Memorial Post Office.''

(18) H.R. 3830, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 130 East Marion Avenue in Punta Gorda, FL, as the ``U.S. Cleveland Post Office Building.''

(19) H.R. 4053, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 545 North Rimsdale Avenue in Covina, CA, as the ``Lillian Kinkella Keil Post Office.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent at the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on December 15, 2005, at 2:30 p.m., to hold a closed meeting.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Schmidt) for yielding me time and for her work and the work of the Committee on Government Reform on this bill.

We are here to remember and consider a Congressman beloved in the hearts of those in southwestern Pennsylvania, James G. Fulton. Now, there were two things you were not allowed to say in the congressional office of James Fulton. The first was, ``I can't,'' and the second was, ``I don't know,'' this according to Congressman Fulton's long-time aide Richard Beeman, who wrote these words in the eulogy that were included in the Congressional Record on October 21, 1971.

Consistent with these simple mottos, warm-hearted, thoughtful, plain- spoken James Fulton represented the Pittsburgh area in Congress with great charm and distinction and a vibrant can-do spirit for 27 years.

James Fulton was born in Dormont Borough in Allegheny County in March of 1903, and it was the elected officials in Dormont who recommended that we consider him for naming this post office. He graduated from Pennsylvania State College, now known as Penn State University, and later from Harvard Law School.

He pursued many diverse interests in his young adulthood; went on to private practice in Pittsburgh; as it was noted before, became the publisher of the Mount Lebanon News; earned a seat on the Allegheny County Board of Law Examiners; and then served 2 years in the Pennsylvania State senate in 1939 and 1940.

At the relatively advanced age of 39, he enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve in 1942, and heroically served in the South Pacific as a lieutenant. What is perhaps most remarkable about Fulton's service was that he actually ran for Congress while still fighting the war abroad.

Indeed, in November 1944, while still in the service, Fulton was elected as a Republican to the 79th Congress to represent the Pittsburgh area. When he was honorably discharged in early 1945, he began what became a nearly 27-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives.

His primary interest in the House was to facilitate U.S. innovation in science technology. He rose to become ranking member of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics. Sadly, he died in office on October 6, 1971, at the age of 68. But among his accomplishments is something that is still remembered today in our region. He worked tirelessly in dealing with some of the many flood control issues in the hilly areas of southwest Pennsylvania. Still today when we are beleaguered by huge storms in our area, people note that it was his work on flood control projects which to this day have a lasting legacy of saving many homes in the region.

In the years following his death in 1972, the James G. Fulton Fellows Program was established as a living memorial to Congressman Fulton. This program remains today open to undergraduate students who permanently reside in Allegheny County who want to work for a Pennsylvania Member of Congress. The program reflects the fact that Congressman Fulton mentored more than 100 college students during his tenure in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, last but not least, I thank my good friends from the Committee on Government Reform, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis), the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), for helping me to honor such an esteemed former Member of this body as Congressman Fulton.

I also want to recognize Sara D'Orsie on the committee's majority staff and Denise Wilson of the staff of the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) for their important efforts.

Mr. Speaker, with enactment of this legislation, this post office building will stand as a prominent tribute to the public service career of a Pittsburgh icon, Congressman James Fulton. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3256) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3038 West Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the ``Congressman James Grove Fulton Memorial 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 rise in support of H.R. 3256, introduced by the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy). This bill would designate the post office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the James Grove Fulton Memorial Post Office Building. James Grove Fulton was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on March 1, 1903. He attended the public schools in South Hills and the fine arts department of the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1928 he was admitted to the bar after graduating from Harvard Law School and began to practice law in Pittsburgh.

He served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in many capacities. He was a member of the Allegheny County board of law examiners from 1934 to 1942, he served in the State Senate from 1939 to 1940, he served as solicitor for Dormont Borough in 1942, and finally as the publisher of the Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania News. Mr. Fulton was also a member of the United States Naval Reserve after enlisting in 1942. He served in the South Pacific as a lieutenant until 1945 when he was discharged. James Grove Fulton, while still serving in the Navy, was elected to the 79th Congress. Mr. Fulton was a 14-term Member whose time in Congress spanned nearly 30 years. This respected Member of Congress will be remembered for his passion for science as a member of the Science and Aeronautics Committee as well as a delegate to the United Nations as an adviser on space from 1960 to 1969.

James Grove Fulton served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania his entire life at all levels of government. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H.R. 3256, and I salute the sponsor, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, for his work on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy).

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 3256.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Government Reform Committee,

I am pleased to join my colleague in the consideration of H.R. 3256, legislation naming a postal facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after Congressman James Grove Fulton. This measure, which was sponsored by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy), was introduced on July 12, 2005, and unanimously reported by our committee on October 20, 2005.

James Grove Fulton was a native of Pennsylvania and practiced law in Pittsburgh before serving in the State senate in 1939 and 1940. Prior to enlisting in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Mr. Fulton published the Mount Lebanon News and other newspapers.

While still serving in the Naval Reserve, Mr. Fulton was elected to the 79th Congress. He was reelected to 13 succeeding Congresses, and served from 1945 until his death in 1971.

Former Representative Fulton will be remembered for his work with the United Nations where he served as an adviser on space and delegate on trade and employment.

Mr. Speaker, I would urge swift passage of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, due to an excused absence, I missed 3 rollcall votes on the night of Tuesday October 25, 2005. I would like to enter into the record how I would have voted if I had been able to attend the session:

On H.R. 3675, the American Spirit Fraud Prevention Act, I would have voted ``yea.''

On H. Con. Res. 269, a resolution recognizing the 40th anniversary of the White House Fellows Program, I would have voted ``yea.''

On H.R. 3256, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3038 West Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the ``Congressman James Grove Fulton Memorial Post Office Building,'' I would have voted ``yea.''