To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6110 East 51st Place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the "Dewey F. Bartlett Post Office".

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4054) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6110 East 51st Place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the ``Dewey F. Bartlett Post Office''.

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 rise in support of H.R. 4054, offered by the distinguished gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan). This bill would designate the post office in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the Dewey F. Bartlett Post Office Building.

Dewey Bartlett was born in Marietta, Ohio, on March 28, 1919. He was educated in the Marietta public school system and later went on to attend Princeton University. While in college, he returned home during his summers to work in the Oklahoma oil fields. In 1945, after serving in the military during World War II, he moved to Tulsa to assume a managing role in his family's business.

Dewey Bartlett's political career started in 1963, when he became an Oklahoma State senator. He then ran successfully for Governor of Oklahoma and served in this capacity for 5 years. Finally, in 1972, he was elected to the United States Senate, where he served until 1979.

During his service in government, Bartlett was dedicated to a strong national defense. He also fought for a lean government, with limited layers of bureaucracy, which he felt was important to protect the constitutional guarantees of individual liberty, freedom, and justice.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to come together to honor a man who promoted excellence in government by passing H.R. 4054.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague from the State of Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan).

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support passage of H.R. 4054, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in proud support of my bill, H.R. 4054, which will designate the 6110 East 51st Place post office in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the Dewey F. Bartlett Post Office.

Dewey F. Bartlett was a strong advocate for conservative values. A war veteran and public servant for Oklahoma and the Nation, he served as the second Republican Governor of Oklahoma and is a distinguished alumnus of the United States Senate.

He was a true representative of Oklahoma values, leadership and drive. I am pleased that we are able to honor him in this way.

After graduating from Princeton University in 1942, Dewey Bartlett served in the Marine Corps as a combat dive-bomber during World War II. As a result of his courageous efforts in the South Pacific theater, he was awarded the Air Medal.

After the war, he moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and became a farmer, rancher and oil man. He was a partner in Keener Oil Company, one of the oldest independent oil companies. In 1963, Bartlett began his career in public service by joining the State senate, and in 1967 he became Oklahoma's 19th Governor. One of his priorities while in office was increasing industry in Oklahoma. As Governor, the results of his hard work helped to produce a record $148.4 million in new industries or improvements on existing facilities and create an additional 7,500 jobs for Oklahomans.

From 1972 to 1978, Bartlett served as a Member of the United States Senate. During his tenure, this proud Oklahoman maintained a strong and consistent stance of limiting government bureaucracy, reducing burdensome taxes, and maintaining fiscal responsibility. I am proud to share Dewey Bartlett's vision of conservatism, and work daily towards the goal of promoting commonsense Oklahoma values in Congress.

I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation. By designating the Dewey F. Bartlett Post Office in Tulsa, we are commemorating an exceptional citizen who embodied the Oklahoma spirit.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer a personal explanation of the reason I missed rollcall votes 19 through 38. Due to an emergency appendectomy I was unable to be present for votes the week of March 6th. I respectfully request that it be entered into the Congressional Record that if present, I would have voted on rollcall 19 (H.R. 4054 Designating the Dewey Bartlett Post Office), ``aye''; rollcall 20 (S. 2771--Reauthorization of the Patriot Act), ``no''; rollcall 21 (Previous Question to H.R. Res 710 Providing for Consideration of the Food Uniformity Bill), ``no''; rollcall 22 (Motion to Instruct Conferees to H.R. 2830), ``aye''; rollcall 23 (H.R. 4192 designating Hope Arkansas as the President Clinton Birthplace), ``yea''; rollcall 24 (H.R. 1053 Extending Normal Trade Relations to the Ukraine), ``aye''; rollcall 25 (H. Res. 673 Expressing Support for the People of Belarus to Establish a Full Democracy), ``aye''; rollcall 26 (H.R. 3505 to Provide Regulatory Relief for Insured Depository Institutions), `` aye''; rollcall 27 (Cardoza Amendment to H.R. 4167--To Amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to Provide for Uniform Food Safety Warnings), ``aye''; rollcall 28 (Waxman Amendment to H.R. 4167), ``aye'; rollcall 29 (Capps Amendment to H.R. 4167), ``aye''; rollcall 30 (Wasserman Shultz Amendment to H.R. 4167), ``aye''; rollcall 31 (Stupak Motion to Recommit to H.R. 4167), ``aye''; rollcall 32 (Final Passage of H.R. 4167), ``no''; rollcall 33 (Previous Question of H.R. 2829 Reauthorize the National Drug Control Policy Act), ``no''; rollcall 34 (Chabot Amendment to H.R. 2829), ``aye''; rollcall 35 (Hooley Amendment to H.R. 2829), ``aye''; rollcall 36 (Paul Amendment to H.R. 2829), ``no''; rollcall 37 (Rehberg Amendment to H.R. 2829), ``aye''; rollcall 38 (Final Passage of H.R. 2829), ``aye''.

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

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Government Reform Committee, I am pleased to join my colleague in consideration of H.R. 4054, legislation naming a postal facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after Dewey F. Bartlett. This measure was sponsored by Representative John Sullivan of Oklahoma on October 7, 2005, and unanimously reported by our committee on February 1, 2006. The bill has the support and cosponsorship of the entire Oklahoma delegation.

Dewey Bartlett was born and raised in Marietta, Ohio. He later attended Lawrenceville Preparatory School in New Jersey and graduated from Princeton University. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a dive-bomber pilot in the South Pacific. After the war, Dewey Bartlett moved to Oklahoma, working as a farmer, rancher, and independent oil producer.

Politics called and Mr. Bartlett was elected to the State senate in 1962. Four years later, he made a successful run for Governor. He was recognized for his efforts in economic development, which benefited all Oklahomans, and for working in a bipartisan manner.

In 1972, Governor Bartlett was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served

from 1973 to 1979. He did not seek reelection because he was battling lung cancer. Sadly, he passed away in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on March 1, 1979.

Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague for seeking to honor the legacy of Senator Dewey F. Bartlett by naming a postal facility in his hometown, and I urge swift passage of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, due to illness I was regrettably unable to be on the House Floor for rollcall votes 19 and 20, final passage of H.R. 4054--the ``Dewey F. Bartlett Post Office Designation Act'' and S. 2271--the ``USA PATRIOT Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act of 2006,'' respectively.

Had I been here I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote 19, and ``yea'' on rollcall vote 20.