To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 101 East Gay Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania, as the "Robert J. Thompson Post Office Building".

Madam Speaker, today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honor of Robert J. Thompson and I rise in support of H.R. 6075, the Senator Bob Thompson Post Office Designation Act.

I've introduced this bill with my fellow colleagues from Pennsylvania and I thank them for their support.

It's a great privilege to be able to commemorate the life and public service of the late Senator Robert Thompson--Bob, as he was known to his friends.

Senator Thompson was a distinguished legislator and respected public servant. He served the people of southern Pennsylvania for more than 30 years as an elected official.

Bob got his start in public life in 1970 as a member of the West Goshen Township Board of Supervisors.

In 1995, Bob was elected to the State Senate where he represented the good people of Chester and Montgomery counties and served as Majority Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

I had the great privilege of serving with him in the Pennsylvania State legislature before coming to Congress--an honor I will always cherish.

Throughout his tenure in Harrisburg, Bob earned a solid reputation as an honest and sincere representative who always made his constituents his first priority.

Despite his health challenges that required him to be in the hospital frequently, his friends and colleagues fondly recall the encouraging and humorous e-mails he would send on his Blackberry from his hospital room.

Those who knew Bob loved his gentle demeanor, cheerful spirit, and great sense of humor.

His kindness and generosity were evidenced by his dedication to community service and civic participation.

He served on the board of numerous civic associations and community groups, including the Chester County Historical Society, the Westtown- Goshen Rotary Club, Chester County Library, and the West Chester Area Day Care Association.

Despite his many accomplishments as a respected public servant, I believe Bob would most like to be remembered as a devoted husband to Nancy and a loving father and grandfather.

Although Pennsylvania lost a great public leader, his kind and gentle countenance will not be forgotten by the many men and women who have served alongside him.

The Bob Thompson Post Office will be a fitting tribute to his life and work for many years to come.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6075) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 101 East Gay Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania, as the ``Robert J. Thompson Post Office Building''.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 6075, offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts), would designate the facility of the Post Office in West Chester, Pennsylvania, as the ``Robert J. Thompson Post Office Building.''

Born on November 30, 1937, Senator Thompson graduated from Penn State University in 1959 and was known to be a loyal and devoted fan of the Nittany Lions.

He was a native of West Chester, Pennsylvania, and began his career in public service in 1970 as a member of the West Goshen Township Board of Supervisors. He began serving as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1995, representing the 19th District, which includes parts of Chester and Montgomery Counties. During his distinguished career as Senator, Thompson also served as chairman of the Appropriations Committee and vice chairman of the State Government Committee.

But his contributions were not limited to just the public arena. He and his wife, Nancy, were very dedicated to the community in which they lived. Senator Thompson's list of involvements was impressive. He was the founding Executive Director of the Chester County Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Chester County Hospital Board, a member of the Immaculata College President's Council, and was an elder at the First Presbyterian Church of West Chester.

He passed away in January of 2006 and will be greatly missed by friends, family, and the community.

I urge all Members to come together and vote in favor of H.R. 6075.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a great public servant and friend, the late Pennsylvania State Senator Robert J. Thompson. Today, the House of Representatives has the unique opportunity to designate the United States Postal Service facility located at 101 East Gay Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania, the ``Robert J. Thompson Post Office Building''.

Bob, a native of Chester County, Pennsylvania, gave his life to public service as a township supervisor, county commissioner, member of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, and finally as State Senator representing the 19th District of Pennsylvania. In all of these endeavors, he represented his constituents with honor, dignity, and professionalism. He was also known throughout the community as a loving father and grandfather with a tremendous sense of humor and love of life. So, it is an honor for me to take this time to remember a man I worked closely with and who I greatly respected as a mentor and a friend.

Bob and his wife Nancy made community service, civic participation, and faith-based activities paramount in their lives. When not serving on countless commissions, committees, and caucuses, Bob made sure he was there for his family as well. In short, Bob was a ``legislator's legislator,'' a highly honored servant and a loving family man.

Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to stand before this House today to help remember State Senator Robert Thompson. He is sorely missed by his family, his constituents, and myself, and I know that by naming the post office in West Chester after him, his legacy of public service will live on.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 6075, legislation sponsored by Representative Joseph Pitts, was unanimously passed by the Government Reform Committee on September 21, 2006. The bill designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 101 East Gay Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania, as the ``Robert J. Thompson Post Office Building.''

Robert Thompson, a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate since 1995 and Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, passed away in January of 2006.

Madam Speaker, Robert Thompson was a distinguished citizen who gave much of himself and much of his life to public service, and one way of recognizing and remembering the contribution that he made is to name this postal facility in his honor.

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

I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate en bloc consideration of H.R. 6075, H.R. 5224, and H.R. 5929, postal naming bills which were received from the House.

I ask unanimous consent the bills be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements be printed in the Record en bloc.