A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 8801 Sudley Road in Manassas, Virginia, as the "Harry J. Parrish Post Office".

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 14, 2006, at 10 a.m., to mark up S. 418 ``Military Personnel Financial Services Protection Act,'' as amended by the committee print; S. 811 ``Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Coin Act,'' and to vote on the nominations of Ms. Sheila C. Bair, of Kansas, to be a member and chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Ms. Kathleen L. Casey, of Virginia, to be a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission; Mr. Robert M. Couch, of Alabama, to be President of the Government National Mortgage Association; Mr. Donald L. Kohn, of Virginia, to be vice chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; and Mr. James B. Lockhart III, of Connecticut, to be the Director of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight. Immediately following the mark up, the committee will meet in open session to conduct a hearing on ``FASB's Proposed Standard on `Employers' Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans.' ''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 14, 2006, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing on ``Extension of HUD's Mark-to-Market Program.''

Mr. President, I would like to ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to hold an oversight hearing on Wednesday, June 14, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. to consider whether potential liability deters abandoned hard rock mine clean up.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, June 14, 2006, at 10 a.m. for a business meeting to consider pending committee business.

Agenda

Legislation

1. S. 2145, Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2005;

2. S. 1554, a bill to establish an intergovernmental grant program to identify and develop homeland security information, equipment, capabilities, technologies, and services to further the homeland security of the United States and to address the homeland security needs of Federal, State, and local governments;

3. S. 1741, Disaster Area Health and Environmental Monitoring Act;

4. S. 1838, Federal and District of Columbia Real Property Act of 2005;

5. S. 2068, a bill to preserve existing judgeships on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia;

6. S. 2146, a bill to extend relocation expenses test programs for Federal employees;

7. S. 2296, Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Latin Americans of Japanese Descent Act;

8. H.R. 3508, 2005 District of Columbia Omnibus Authorization Act.

Post Office Naming Bills

1. S. 2228/H.R. 4456, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 2404 Race Street in Jonesboro, Arkansas, as the ``Hattie W. Caraway Station;''

2. S. 2376/H.R. 3934, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 80 Killian Road in Massapequa, New York, as the ``Gerard A. Fiorenza Post Office Building;''

3. S. 2722, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 170 East Main Street in Patchogue, New York, as the ``Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy Post Office Building;

4. H.R. 4108, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 3000 Homewood Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland, as the ``State Senator Verda Welcome and Dr. Henry Welcome Post Office Building;''

5. H.R. 3440, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 100 Avenida RL Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, as the ``Dr. Jose Celso Barbosa Post Office Building;''

6. H.R. 4786, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 535 Wood Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, as the ``H. Gordon Payrow Post Office Building;''

7. H.R. 4561, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 8624 Ferguson Road in Dallas, Texas, as the ``Franciso `Pancho' Medrano Post Office Building;''

8. H.R. 4688, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1 Boyden Street in Badin, North Carolina, as the ``Mayor John Thompson `Tom' Garrison Memorial Post Office;''

9. H.R. 4995, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 7 Columbus Avenue in Tuckahoe, New York, as the ``Ronald Bucca Post Office;''

10. H.R. 3549, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 210 West 3rd Avenue in Warren, Pennsylvania, as the ``William F. Clinger Jr. Post Office Building;''

11. H.R. 2977, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 306 2nd Avenue in Brockway, Montana, as the ``Paul Kasten Post Office Building;''

12. S. 2690, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 8801 Sudley Road in Manassas, Virginia, as the ``Harry J. Parrish Post Office;''

13. S. 3187, a bill to designate the Post Office located at 5755 Post Road, East Greenwich, Rhode Island, as the ``Richard L. Cevoli Post Office;''

14. H.R. 5245, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1 Marble Street in Fair Haven, Vermont, as the ``Matthew Lyon Post Office Building.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, June 14, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing on S. 374, the Tribal Parity Act and S. 1535, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Amendments Act of 2005.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on ``Judicial Nominations'' on Wednesday, June 14, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226.

Witness list:

Panel I: The Honorable F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. and The Honorable William Kovacic, Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission, Washington,

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 14, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed business meeting.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness be authorized to meet on Wednesday, June 14, 2006, at 10 a.m. on Alternative Energy Technologies.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2389, The Pledge Protection Act of 2005.

As I said in 2004 when the House voted on the Pledge Protection Act in the 108th Congress, I strongly believe that the Pledge of Allegiance, including the phrase, ``under God'' is a constitutional expression of patriotism.

Therefore, I--along with many of my colleagues--was outraged by court decisions that erroneously declared the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional. As a result, I consistently have voted in favor of legislation reaffirming the place of the Pledge of Allegiance in its entirety in our schools.

In the 108th Congress, I voted in favor of H. Res. 132, which urged the Supreme Court ``to correct the constitutionally infirm and incorrect holding'' by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in its revised decision on the Newdow v. U.S. Congress case. This resolution also expressed the sense of the House of Representatives that the recitation of the Pledge is a patriotic act--not a religious act, that the Pledge should retain the phrase ``One nation, under God,'' and that Congressional policy should encourage the voluntary recitation of the Pledge in public school classrooms. I also voted in favor of an amendment offered by Rep. Hostettler to H.R. 2799, the Commerce, Justice and State and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which prohibited any funds appropriated by the bill being used to enforce the court's decision in Newdow v. U.S. Congress.

In the 107th Congress, I voted in favor of H. Res. 459, which expressed the view of the House of Representatives that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals' original decision in Newdow v. U.S. Congress to strike the words ``under God'' from the Pledge of Allegiance was incorrectly decided. Similarly, I strongly supported S. 2690, legislation that reaffirmed the language of the Pledge of Allegiance, including the phrase ``one Nation under God.''

However, as I stated last year, I am concerned that the passage of H.R. 2389 would threaten the separation of powers set forth in the United States Constitution. Historically, the United States Supreme Court has the final authority on questions regarding a Federal law's constitutionality. However, H.R. 2389 would allow future Congresses to enact laws that clearly violate basic constitutional principles, while at the same time barring these laws from review by the Supreme Court. This lack of checks and balances could undermine the strength of America's most fundamental founding document. Given these significant issues with H.R. 2389, I again plan on voting against this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 2690, legislation to designate a United States Postal Service facility in Manassas, Virginia, as the Harry J. Parrish Post Office.

I want to particularly thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) for his work to bring this legislation to the floor. I am pleased to be a sponsor of the House companion bill to the Senate measure introduced by Virginia Senator George Allen.

Harry Parrish serve over 50 years in elected office. He was elected to the town council of Manassas, Virginia, in 1951, and held that position until 1963 when he was elected mayor. He served in that capacity until 1981.

During his 12 years as town councilman and 18 years as mayor, he guided the transformation of Manassas from a small Virginia town to a thriving, lively suburb.

Mr. Parrish became a delegate in the Virginia General Assembly in 1982 and was elected to 13 terms in the Virginia House of Delegates, including serving as chairman of the Finance Committee starting in 2000. At the time of his passing in March at the age of 84, he was the oldest serving member of the House of Delegates.

As a member of the House of Delegates, he was known for conducting himself in a bipartisan manner, putting Virginia first. At Harry's funeral, current Governor Kaine was there, a Democrat; former Governor Warner, a Democrat. It was a bipartisan group. If only this body could become like that, whereby there could be a bipartisanship that we saw with Harry Parrish.

I was proud to call Harry my friend. He was a true Virginia gentleman in the truest sense of the word.

His public service started in the U.S. Air Force, where he was a decorated World War II pilot. As part of the British Royal Air Force during WWII, he flew C-47s over the Himalayas, delivering supplies, weapons and other cargo from India to China. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal for his valiant efforts. He served as an Air Force reservist in the Korean and Vietnam wars before retiring as colonel.

He was chairman of the board of his family business, Manassas Ice and Fuel Company.

Naming the post office on Sudley Road in Manassas in his honor and memory is an appropriate reminder to the people of Manassas of Harry's dedication to public service. I urge a unanimous vote for the legislation, and I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) for allowing me to have this opportunity to be here at this time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2690) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 8801 Sudley Road in Manassas, Virginia, as the ``Harry J. Parish 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 yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, Harry Parrish was a dedicated servant to both his State, his city, and his country. In 1942, he joined the Army Air Force where he began his pilot training, and he went on to become a decorated World War II pilot.

He was the mayor of Manassas for 18 years and later became an active member of the Virginia General Assembly where he rose to be chairman of the finance committee in the House of Delegates.

In 2002, as one of the few World War II veterans in the general assembly, he was integral in securing Virginia's $334,000 contribution to the National World War II Memorial. It is with gratitude for his public service and for all that he has done for his community and the Commonwealth that I ask Members to join me in naming the Manassas, Virginia Post Office after Harry J. Parrish.

And I would just add that this was a man who knew no partisan bounds. He literally was an individual from the community with broad bipartisan support in all of his elections, but always put his State, his Commonwealth, his city, and his county first in his legislative actions. It was a privilege to know Harry Parrish, and I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I understand Mr. Wolf is on his way over. Mr. Harry Parrish was a constituent of my friend Frank Wolf's as well, and served very ably with Frank working on a number of State and local and national issues together, bringing transportation out to that section of Prince William County, working on financial arrangements, and for the overall good of the community. So I would at this point, I think, reserve the balance of my time.

Could I ask the Chair how much time is remaining on our side.

Without objection, I would withdraw at this point and will resubmit this in just a minute, and we could move on with our next piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2690) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 8801 Sudley Road in Manassas, Virginia, as the ``Harry J. Parrish Post Office''.

(For text of S. 2690, see prior proceedings of the House of today.)

Mr. Speaker, I think I have been heard on this, but I did want to give Representative Wolf an opportunity to speak on this. As I stated earlier, Delegate Parrish, and it was Mayor before that, fighter pilot in World War II, was a friend of ours, but he was a friend of the greater community of Northern Virginia and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

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