To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 11001 Dunklin Drive in St. Louis, Missouri, as the "William 'Bill' Clay Post Office Building".

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5395) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 11001 Dunklin Drive in St. Louis, Missouri, as the ``William 'Bill' Clay Post Office Building.''

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

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

Once again I stand as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 5395, which would rename the post office facility at 11001 Dunklin Drive in

St. Louis, Missouri, after a true hero of mine: my beloved father, the Honorable William ``Bill'' Clay, Sr.

The measure before us was first introduced by my friend and colleague Representative Russ Carnahan from my home State of Missouri on February 12, 2008. I am proud to say that the bill now enjoys the support and cosponsorship of nearly 60 Members of Congress, including the entire congressional delegation from the ``Show Me State'' of Missouri. H.R. 5395 was taken up by the House Oversight Committee on March 13, 2008, and reported out of the committee by voice vote that same day.

Mr. Speaker, I'm sure you can imagine that in commemorating the achievements and accomplishments of my father, I could begin anywhere and probably go on endlessly. Throughout my lifetime I have been blessed to experience and witness firsthand my father's commitment to his community and his country.

Congressman Clay served Missouri's First Congressional District for 32 years from 1968 to 2000. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Bill Clay served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955. Prior to his service in the U.S. House of Representatives, my father held the position of alderman in St. Louis from 1959 to 1964. And prior to that, he held jobs as a real estate broker, a labor coordinator, and a union affiliate for the St. Louis City Employees Union from 1961 to 1964 and an education coordinator for the Steamfitters Union up until 1967.

During his tenure in Congress, Bill Clay became an advocate for environmentalism, labor issues, and social justice. Co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, he chaired the House Committee on the Post Office and Civil Service from 1991 to 1995. His leadership in this policy arena serves as greater evidence for passing the measure at hand, which would name the Dunklin Drive post office in his honor. Upon retiring in 2000, I was fortunate and honored to pick up where my father left off representing Missouri's First Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, as we move to recognize the accomplishments of a great statesman, father, and to many of us friend, I ask that we pass the underlying bill without reservation and pay tribute to service and diligence rendered by Congressman Clay to this body over a 32-year period. I urge passage of H.R. 5395.

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

I want to thank the gentlewoman from Missouri, my friend and colleague, for those kind words. I certainly appreciate it.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 5 minutes to the sponsor of this amendment, my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Carnahan).

Mr. Speaker, let me thank my friend and colleague Mr. Carnahan from Missouri for those kind words and for his friendship to our family. We are both proud Missourians with political families, and I'm certainly honored to serve with him in this body and honored that he would recognize a great Missourian like he has.

Let me also thank Mr. Marchant of Texas, too, for his indulgence and his support of this measure and thank the entire body for their support.

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

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5395, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 11001 Dunklin Drive in St. Louis, Missouri, as the ``William `Bill' Clay Post Office Building.'' I would like to thank my colleague Congressman Carnahan for introducing this bill, and Chairman Waxman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for bringing this important legislation to the floor today.

As my colleagues are aware, William `Bill' Clay served in the House of Representatives for 32 years, until his retirement in 2000. He was a true leader, a champion of civil rights, and a tireless voice for the people of Missouri's 1st Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Clay was born in 1931 in St. Louis, Missouri and he graduated from St. Louis University. He began his political career in 1959, serving as a member of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen until 1964. He also worked as a real estate broker, and served his community as a labor coordinator. From 1961-1964, he worked for the union of St. Louis city employees, and later with a steamfitters union until 1967.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Clay was also a true champion of civil rights. He was one of the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus, and, throughout his time in Congress, he championed social justice and labor issues. He worked tirelessly on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised, always seeking to give them a voice in these halls. He was instrumental in fighting racial discrimination whenever and wherever it occurred. Congressman Clay authored the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Capital Financing Act, which provides $375 million in federal loan guarantees for construction and renovation projects at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Because of his commitment to labor he selected committees whose primary business

deals with labor issues, and he served as a senior Member of the Education and the Workforce Committee. Congressman Clay was a champion of education and played a key role in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, including efforts to reduce early grade class sizes by hiring 100,000 teachers nationwide. He has also leading the way for our Nation's schools to be first in getting the resources necessary for school construction, renovation and modernization. His work in education has also included winning concessions from the Republicans to increase the amount of Pell Grant funding and the reduction of student loan interest rates.

From 1991 until 1995, Congressman Clay chaired the House Committee on the Post Office and Civil Service. Upon his retirement in 2000, he was succeeded by his son, my colleague, Congressman William Lacy Clay.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will honor a true champion of civil rights in a very fitting way. It is fitting that a former Chairman of the House Committee on the Post Office and Civil Service be honored with a post office in the very town where his political career begun.

I am very proud to support this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to join me in voting honoring William ``Bill'' Clay and voting for H.R. 5395.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to my distinguished colleague from the State of Missouri (Mrs. Emerson).

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 5395.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill designating the facility of the United State Postal Service located at 11001 Dunklin Drive in St. Louis, Missouri as the William ``Bill'' Clay Post Office Building. Representing the people of St. Louis in this chamber for 32 years, Bill Clay was the consummate advocate for Civil Rights, labor, and his community.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri in April of 1931, Clay grew up in the city and graduated from St. Louis University in 1953 with a bachelors degree in Political Science. After 2 years with the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955, Clay returned home to begin his career serving the people of St. Louis. After spending some time as a real estate broker, Clay was elected to the Board of Aldermen in 1959. He held this position, representing the 26th Ward until 1964.

When Bill Clay, Sr. was elected to Congress in 1968, he was the first African American member elected from Missouri and one of only two African American representatives from states west of the Mississippi River. Throughout his 16 terms in Congress, he gained a reputation for his streetwise urban politics. A staunch advocate for civil rights and social justice, he also served as one of the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus. From 1991 to 1995 he chaired the House Committee on the Post Office and Civil Service and served as the Ranking Member on the Education and the Workforce Committee until he retired. In all that he did while he was serving the people of Missouri in Congress, he still found time to author several books.

Bill Clay, Sr. retired from Congress in 2000 but his legacy lives on through his successor whom I am proud to serve with in this chamber. His successor also happens to be his son, the gentleman from Missouri, William Lacy Clay, Jr.

I urge my colleagues to support me in this resolution honoring a man who spent over 3 decades serving his community, state, and country.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to sponsor this bill today before us, H.R. 5395, a bill to name a Missouri post office after a true champion of civil rights, Congressman William ``Bill'' Clay. Mr. Clay retired from the House of Representatives in the year 2000 after a stellar career in public service.

It's especially appropriate to have this tribute for him to name the Florissant, Missouri, post office in his honor that is located in Missouri's First Congressional District that he represented for 32 years in Congress, where he rose to become chairman of the House Committee on the Post Office and Civil Service and achieved the third highest rank in seniority in the entire U.S. House.

Mr. Clay was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and began his political career in 1959 as a member of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, where he served until 1964. Prior to entering Congress in 1968, he also worked as a real estate broker and later as a labor coordinator. He worked for the union of St. Louis City employees from 1961 to 1964 and then with the Steamfitters Union until 1967.

Congressman Bill Clay is known as a true pioneer of civil rights. Throughout his tenure in Congress, he became a champion of social justice and labor rights, working on behalf of the poor and the disenfranchised. Bill Clay was co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus. He was an author of the history of African Americans who served in Congress. And he had a famous saying, that he did not have permanent friends or permanent enemies in politics, just permanent interest. He looked out for the people that he represented, and he served them well. He's been credited with turning back racial discrimination throughout his career. He remains today an outspoken leader in our community, an accomplished author. This will be a fitting tribute to his years of dedication in public service.

I ask that the U.S. House of Representatives respect this living legend, this inspirational leader, Congressman William ``Bill'' Clay with this fitting tribute of naming a Missouri post office in his honor.

Mr. Speaker, let me take this moment to recognize my former colleague, fellow Missourian, and good friend Bill Clay. Today, I join with my colleagues in support of H.R. 5395, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 11001 Dunklin Drive in St. Louis, Missouri, as the ``William `Bill' Clay Post Office

Bill was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the very town in which he carried out his storied political career. In 1959, he was elected as a member of the St. Louis Board of Alderman, where he served until 1964, Between 1964 and 1967, Bill worked as a real estate broker and later as a labor coordinator. He also worked for the union of St. Louis city employees and then with a Steamfitters Union.

In 1968, Mr. Clay was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and he proudly served the residents of Missouri's First Congressional District for 32 years. Throughout his years in office, Bill became known as a champion of social justice and a true pioneer for civil rights. He was a co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus and Chairman of the House Committee on the Post Office and Civil Service. He was always a truly delightful colleague and I am proud to have served with him as a fellow Missouri Congressman. I must also say, Mr. Speaker, that I am also so very honored to serve with Bill's son, Lacy, who was elected to represent the First District upon Bill's retirement.

Naming a St. Louis post office after Bill Clay is an outstanding way to pay tribute to an outstanding public servant and a true pioneer in American politics. I urge the House to honor Bill for his years of public service and his commitment to his community by supporting H.R. 5395.