To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 15455 Manchester Road in Ballwin, Missouri, as the "Specialist Peter J. Navarro Post Office Building".

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1217) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 15455 Manchester Road in Ballwin, Missouri, as the ``Specialist Peter J. Navarro Post Office Building''.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to present for consideration H.R. 1217, which designates the United States postal facility located at 15455 Manchester Road in Ballwin, Missouri, as the Specialist Peter J. Navarro Post Office Building.

Introduced by Representative W. Todd Akin on February 26, 2009, and reported out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee on March 10, 2009, by a voice vote, H.R. 1217 enjoys the support, the unanimous support of the entire Missouri House delegation.

A resident of Wildwood, Missouri, Specialist Peter Joseph Navarro bravely served with the United States Army's 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor, 3rd Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Riley, Kansas.

On December 13, 2005, Specialist Navarro and three fellow members of his unit were killed in Taji, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Humvee while the soldiers were conducting combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Specialist Navarro, a member of the United States Air Force Junior ROTC Program, graduated from Lafayette High School in 2003. He subsequently decided to forego his acceptance at Truman State University in order to join the United States Army.

As noted by his father, Jose, a retired chief petty officer for the United States Navy, Specialist Navarro was a strong-willed young man and a dedicated soldier who cared for the soldiers that he worked with and would do anything for his friends. Mr. Navarro also recounts that his son wanted to try and make a difference, and that being a soldier was what making a difference is in this time of our lives.

Specialist Navarro's dedication to his unit and his country was evidenced in July of 2005 when he returned home to Wildwood to attend the funeral of his younger brother, Daniel, who had been killed in a car accident. Specialist Navarro's mother, Rowena, begged her son not to return to Iraq in the summer. As Mrs. Navarro recalls her son telling her, ``Mom, they would be a man short. Somebody's taking my place, and that's not fair. They'd do the same thing for me.''

Mr. Speaker, Specialist Peter J. Navarro's life stands as a testament to the bravery and dedication of the heroic men and women who have served and continue to serve our Nation at home and abroad. It is my hope that we can further honor his service through the passage of this legislation.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1217 and dedicate the Manchester Road Post Office in Ballwin, Missouri, after this outstanding American soldier.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Akin) for authoring the measure at hand. I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 1217.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of designating the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 15455 Manchester Road in Ballwin, Missouri, as the Specialist Peter J. Navarro Post Office Building. As you may know, in the previous Congress, we had voted to name this post office and, unfortunately, the term ended before we were able to pass this.

But the failure of the Senate to act should not diminish what happened in the summer of 2005 when Specialist Peter J. Navarro returned home from duty in Iraq to join his family at their home in Wildwood, Missouri, not for a joyful reunion, but to bury his younger brother, who had died in a car accident.

After Daniel's funeral, Peter's mother, distraught over the loss of her middle son, begged him not to return to Iraq. This young man's response to his grieving mother is nothing short of heroic. He had to go back. He said,

``Mom, they would be a man short. Somebody's taking my place, and that's not fair.''

This selfless devotion to his comrades and his country exemplifies the character of this tremendous young man.

Forgoing his acceptance to Truman State University, Specialist Navarro enlisted in the Army right after his graduation from Lafayette High School in 2003.

This young man believed in the mission, men, and country he served. Tragically, on December 13, 2005, just 1 month before he was scheduled to end his deployment, Specialist Navarro lost his life while on patrol in Iraq.

Specialist Navarro has been awarded the Good Conduct Medal, the Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star for his service. Specialist Navarro's father, a veteran of the Navy, remembers his strong-willed son with admiration: ``He died because he was trying to make a difference, and being a soldier was what was making a difference in this time of life.''

Like many young men and women in uniform today serving our country, Specialist Navarro in fact has made the decision to go into harm's way to help another people far away--people he never met, people he knows nothing about, and people who he only knows he's going because our country is there and because we are trying to make a difference.

I join with the majority today and with Congressman Akin, who could not be here, for passage of his bill, in saying this is the right name in this town for the right individual who gave so completely to the American people, and I urge support.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1217, a bill I introduced to honor the life of Peter J. Navarro by designating the post office in Ballwin, Missouri, as the ``Specialist Peter J. Navarro Post Office Building.'' A resident of Wildwood, Missouri, Specialist Peter J. Navarro was part of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. On December 13, 2005 Specialist Navarro was one of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee during combat operations in Taji, Iraq.

A graduate of Lafayette High School, Peter declined his acceptance at Truman State University so he could join the Army right after graduation.

When Peter returned home for his younger brother's funeral, he was faced with the undeniable risks of serving his country. However, he returned to Iraq telling friends and family, ``They need me there.''

Peter was a dedicated soldier, willing to give the ultimate sacrifice to protect his county and the men and women who reside there. As Peter's father, Jose Navarro said, ``He cared for the soldiers he worked with. He would do anything for his friends. And he told me he believed in what the mission was.''

As the father of two Marines, one of whom has served in Iraq; it is a privilege to stand here today to honor one of our fallen soldiers. Peter's commitment and dedication to his country is a shining example of how our military men and women are the finest our nation has to offer. His and his family's sacrifice should serve as a reminder to all that the freedom we enjoy as Americans is not free but the result of the tremendous bravery and selfless service of men and women willing put themselves in harms way for freedom's cause.

Our nation will be forever indebted to Specialist Peter Navarro. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me today in honoring Peter.

Vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1217.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately, I was unable to be present in the Capitol on Monday, March 16, 2009 and therefore unable to cast votes on the House Floor that evening.

However, had I been present I would have voted yea on H.R. 1284, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 103 West Main Street in McLain, Mississippi, as the ``Major Ed W. Freeman Post Office''; yea on H.R. 1217, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 15455 Manchester Road in Ballwin, Missouri, as the ``Specialist Peter J. Navarro Post Office Building''; and yea on H.R. 987, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 601 8th Street in Freedom, Pennsylvania, as the ``John Scott Challis, Jr. Post Office.''

In addition, on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, I was attending a meeting with President Obama at the White House with many of my colleagues in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus when votes were called. Unable to return to the Capitol in a timely fashion, I missed two votes. However, had I been present, I would have voted yea on ordering the previous question on H. Res. 250, to provide for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 1388), to reauthorize and reform the national service laws; and I would have voted aye on H. Res. 250, to provide for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 1388), to reauthorize and reform the national service laws.

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, today, March 16th, I was detained in my district and therefore missed the three rollcall votes of the day. Had I been present I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 125 on agreeing to the resolution H.R. 987--to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 601 8th Street in Freedom, Pennsylvania, as the ``John Scott Challis, Jr. Post Office''. Had I been present I would have also voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 126 on agreeing to the resolution H.R. 1217--to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 15455 Manchester Road in Ballwin, Missouri, as the ``Specialist Peter J. Navarro Post Office Building.'' Lastly, had I been present I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 127 on agreeing to the resolution H.R. 1284--to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 103 West Main Street in McLain, Mississippi, as the ``Major Ed W. Freeman Post Office.''