To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 500 West Eisenhower Street in Rio Grande City, Texas, as the "Lino Perez, Jr. Post Office".

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 437) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 500 West Eisenhower Street in Rio Grande City, Texas, as the ``Lino Perez, Jr. Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 437, legislation naming a postal facility in Rio Grande City, Texas, after the former postmaster of Rio Grande City, Lino Perez, Jr.

Lino Perez, Jr., was the 18-year-old son of the mayor of the City of Rio Grande, Texas, where he witnessed how a breakdown in a government service could disrupt the lives of nearly all of its beneficiaries.

The City of Rio Grande, with a population of over 2,000, was disincorporated in 1933 at the height of the Great Depression over local businesses' refusal to pay taxes, causing young Perez's high school to lose its accredited status.

Thereafter, unable to complete in school in town, Mr. Perez persevered with his education, attending classes 100 miles away in Brownsville and eventually receiving his diploma from a school in Austin. Mr. Perez's father, Lino Perez, Sr., had served for 4 years as the Democratic mayor of the now disbanded town of Rio Grande. Some might have feared that a town which had financially defaulted and disbanded its government would suffer the fate of so many ghost towns in the western States, slowly fading from the map.

However, Mr. Perez, Sr., continued to look after his community, volunteering for the office of postmaster to his unincorporated neighbors. Mr. Perez, Sr., put his son, Lino Perez, Jr., to work delivering letters that same year.

Mr. Speaker, Lino Perez, Jr., succeeded his father as postmaster of Rio

Grande on New Year's Eve, 1957. During his first term, Mr. Perez improved service to the growing downtown district and the surrounding rural areas of Starr County. Mr. Perez strove to further serve the city by winning approval for a new post office building.

The Perez family, senior, and then junior, ran that post office in Rio Grande from 1934 to 1975. Together, they watched the town heal from economic stagnancy and grow in population throughout the century.

When Lino Perez, Jr., retired from the postal service, he continued his public service as State warden, State secretary and finally State treasurer of Texas. Lino Perez, Jr., learned from his father and, in turn, showed his town the strength of a community to weather difficulty as one, and the power of letter carriers to knit the lives of their fellow citizens together, to make all of the neighbors' stories into one story.

Many local officials support naming this post office after Lino Perez, Jr., including the city mayor, the county judge, and the area's State Representative.

Mr. Speaker, together with my colleagues, we urge the swift passage of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield for as much time as he may consume to my esteemed colleague from Texas (Mr. Cuellar).

Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, we are indeed very proud that this post office is being named after a postal employee, a very proud family.

On behalf of all the workers of the United States Postal Service, we want to urge swift passage of this bill.

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

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

I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for his kind words, and the gentleman also from California for the kind words.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 437, a bill to name the postal facility of Rio Grande City, Texas, after Lino Perez, Jr.

Mr. Lino Perez, Jr., is a role model and a leader in south Texas, who helped ingrain a rich tradition of public service in his community. Mr. Perez was born in Rio Grande City, Texas, in 1914. He attended high school in south Texas, as well as in Austin, and then returned home to Rio Grande City shortly after graduation to begin his post office career.

He first started with the United States Post Office in 1934 under the guidance of his father, who was then the postmaster of Rio Grande City. Lino Perez, Jr., worked through the ranks of the Rio Grande City Post Office; and after two decades, 20 years, he was named postmaster for Rio Grande City.

Under his leadership, the Rio Grande Post Office was upgraded to a second-class post office. Mr. Perez also established the city's first mail delivery, created several rural routes in Starr County, and helped lay that foundation for his community's further progress.

In addition, Mr. Perez served several terms on the Starr County Hospital Board of Directors, was actively involved in the Knights of Columbus, including being Texas State deputy, the highest Knights of Columbus position in Texas. After 41 years of loyal service, Lino Perez retired from the Rio Grande Post Office. Forty-one years of great service.

Mr. Perez still resides in the region, is warmly remembered by his family, friends and community as a community leader. Lino Perez, Jr.'s service to our country shall be remembered and celebrated through this small tribute, and I urge swift passage of this bill.

Again, I want to thank the gentleman from California and the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to hold an off-the- floor markup during the session of the Senate on Monday, May 21, 2007, at 5:30 p.m., in S-216 of the Capitol, to consider pending committee business.

Agenda

Nomination

Howard C. Weizmann to be Deputy Director, Office of Personnel Management.

Post Office naming bills

(1) S. 1352, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 127 East Locust Street In Fairbury, llilinois, as the ``Dr. Francis Townsend Post Office Building'';

(2) H.R. 1402, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 320 South Lecanto Highway in Lecanto, Florida, as the ``Sergeant Dennis J. Flanagan Lecanto Post Office Building'';

(3) H.R. 625, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 4230 Maine Avenue in Baldwin Park, California, as the ``Atanacio Haro-Marin Post Office'';

(4) H.R. 988, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 5757 Tilton Avenue in Riverside, California, as the ``Lieutenant Todd Jason Bryant Post Office'';

(5) H.R. 437, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 500 West Eisenhower Street in Rio Grande City, Texas, as the ``Lino Perez Jr. Post Office'';

(6) H.R. 414, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 60 Calle McKinley West in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, as the ``Miguel Angel Garcia Mendez Post Office Building.''

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately I was unable to cast my votes on the following rollcall votes on February 13, 2007. Had I been present to vote, I would have voted as follows:

On rollcall No. 95--On the Motion to Suspend the Rules and pass H. Res. 122, Recognizing the significance of the 65th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and supporting the goals of the Japanese American, German American, and Italian American communities in a National Day of Remembrance, I would have voted ``aye.''

On rollcall No. 96--On Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 157, the Rule providing for consideration of H. Con. Res. 63, disapproving of the decision of the President announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq, I would have voted ``nay.''

On rollcall No. 97--On Agreeing to H. Res. 157, the Rule providing for consideration of H. Con. Res. 63, disapproving of the decision of the President announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq, I would have voted ``nay.''

On rollcall No. 98--On the Motion to Suspend the Rules and pass H.R. 437, naming a post office after Lino Perez, Jr., I would have voted ``aye.''

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

Mr. Speaker, it is not uncommon in this body to name post offices after former Members of Congress, national figures, Presidents and the like. But it is incredibly appropriate today to name a post office after two generations of hard work on behalf of that very post office.

As a member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, I have managed many bills for post offices, and in my 6 years I have not seen a more befitting naming of a post office. Because, in fact, it is this group of tireless workers for the Federal Government, often the butt of jokes, the postmasters and the postmen and postwomen, that make sure that our bills, our letters, our correspondence, and, yes, our junk mail, are delivered to us.

I think this is among the most appropriate pieces of legislation that I have had the opportunity to help manage. I urge the passage of this. I urge the people of this Congress to take note that we are, in fact, naming a post office after a postman this one time.

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

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