To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 431 State Street in Ogdensburg, New York, as the "Frederic Remington Post Office Building".

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2090) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 431 State Street in Ogdensburg, New York, as the ``Frederic Remington 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.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to present H.R. 2090 for consideration. This legislation will designate the United States postal facility located at

431 State Street in Ogdensburg, New York, as the Frederic Remington Post Office Building introduced on April 23, 2009, by the Republican vice chair of my subcommittee--and the recently nominated Secretary of Army--Mr. McHugh of New York. H.R. 2090 was reported out of the Oversight Committee by unanimous consent on May 6, 2009. I'm also pleased to report that this legislation enjoys strong support from the New York House delegation.

A long-time resident of the City of Ogdensburg in St. Lawrence County, New York, Frederic Remington was a renowned 19th century painter, illustrator, sculptor and writer who specialized--and I think in many people's minds really captured the essence and legend of the American West.

Born on October 4, 1861, in Canton, New York, Frederic Sackrider Remington moved to Ogdensburg, New York, in 1873 and attended the Yale College School of Art before soon heeding the call to go west.

Remington's early travels through America's new frontier in the late 1800s provided him with the unique opportunity to observe scenes that he had imagined since his childhood and gained an authentic view on America's west that would later translate into his unparalleled and inspirational depictions of frontier life.

Harper's Weekly published Remington's first commercial illustration in 1882 and Remington soon began to receive a steady flow of commissioned work from additional publications, including Collier's, that were searching for authenticity in Western themes. Remington's first full cover appeared in Harper's in 1886 when he was only 25 years old. And in 1887, Remington received a highly regarded commission for 83 illustrations for a book by Theodore Roosevelt entitled ``Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail.'' This latter assignment provided a significant boost to Remington's career and marked the beginning of a lifelong bond between the artist and Roosevelt.

Despite his success as a magazine and book illustrator, Remington was focused on further developing his artistic abilities; and in the mid- 1880s and 1890s, he turned his attention to water and full-color oil painting as well as sculpture. In order to retain the authenticity of his work, Remington embarked on annual trips to the West and even created a Western environment in his New York studio by surrounding himself with objects collected from his various travels.

In noted paintings, such as the ``Return of the Blackfoot War Party'' and ``Mule Train Crossing the Sierras,'' and ``A Dash For the Timber,'' Remington continued to evidence a unique ability to handle complex compositions and realistically capture the sweeping landscapes, heroic figures and moments of danger and conflicts which came to epitomize the American West. In 1888, Remington even achieved the honor of having two of his paintings used for reproduction on United States postal stamps.

In the mid-1890s, Remington quickly mastered a new medium and became immersed in sculpture. Similar to his previous illustrations and paintings, well-known Remington bronzes such as ``The Broncho Buster'' and ``The Cheyenne'' were highly regarded for their detail, movement, energy, and overall realism. Notably, Remington's piece ``The Broncho Buster,'' was presented to Theodore Roosevelt following the Rough Riders' return from the Spanish-American War, an honor that Remington deemed the ``greatest compliment I ever had.''

Regrettably, Frederic Remington died on December 26, 1909, at the young age of 48 and at the height of his profession. Nevertheless, he was able to produce over 3,000 drawings and paintings, 22 bronze sculptures, over 100 articles and stories, and even a novel and a Broadway play over the course of a career that inspired the American imagination and immortalized the Western experience.

Madam Speaker, let us honor the great 19th century artist, Mr. Frederic Remington, through the passage of this legislation to designate the Ogdensburg post office in his honor. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2090.

I reserve the balance of our time.

Madam Speaker, we have no further speakers at this moment. I continue to reserve.

Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve.

Madam Speaker, again, I would like to bring the discussion back to the matter at hand which is the dedication of this post office in Ogdensburg, New York, in memory of Frederic Remington.

I think it's especially notable that people would take away from the honor that's trying to be bestowed here by a Republican colleague and, you know, a nominee for Secretary of the Army. Mr. McHugh asked that we take a moment and designate this post office in memory of one of New York's most renowned citizens and someone who has provided great service to this country in his artistic work in capturing an era of our country that is enormously important to all of us.

And I know a lot of people out there must be very confused. What does the French use of nuclear power have to do with the post office being named on behalf of Frederic Remington? And there is no connection.

There is no connection. There is a denigration going on here, a discourtesy, I think, to Mr. McHugh, a discourtesy to the people of New York by the Republican Party, and taking this moment of recognition away from Mr. Remington and his memory, away from Mr. McHugh and the object of his legislation, to spout on about issues that can be spouted on about at different times and more appropriate times. We do not have to have either discussion of one issue at the cost of reducing the respect and courtesy that are due to Members and particular initiatives that they put forward that they deem important to their districts and to the people that they represent.

I will not do that. I will not go on about cap-and-trade. I will wait for the debate on cap-and-trade. I will not go on about whether I think the French are doing the right thing with nuclear power and the disposal of their waste. I'll wait on that. There will be appropriate times to discuss that.

What we're here about today in this bill is recognizing Frederic Remington for what he provided for in this country in his brief time on this Earth and in a way that is consistent with the wishes of the sponsor of this legislation, the Republican gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) who deserves our respect.

And with that, I urge all my Members to join with Congressman McHugh, the nominee for the Secretary of the Army, a good choice in my opinion, and support this measure unanimously.

I yield back the balance of our time.

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

The pretty long speech here that was put together by staff on Mr. McHugh's post office renaming, and some of it will be, I think, redundant from Mr. Lynch's comments, but I think it's important that we do give the proper respect to the Frederic Remington Post Office Building.

I rise in support of H.R. 2090, a bill designating the postal facility located at 431 State Street in Ogdensburg, New York, as the Frederic Remington Post Office Building in honor of the renowned 19th century sculptor, painter, author and illustrator.

Frederic Remington was born in Canton, New York, in 1861 and moved to Ogdensburg, New York, in 1873. He headed west to the Montana territory and is best known for his depictions of frontier life of the American West, including cowboys taming broncos, cavalry soldiers engaged in battle, and Native American warriors and scouts. He began his career as a magazine illustrator upon his return east, when he sold his first sketches to Harper's Weekly.

In the mid-1880s, Remington moved from illustration to water color and oil painting; and in 1895, he began sculpting in bronze. He ultimately produced nearly 3,000 drawings and paintings, 22 sculptures, and eight volumes of writings throughout his career. Frederic Remington died on December 26, 1909, thus making 2009 the 100th anniversary of his death. Unfortunately, he was only 48 years old and died at the height of his popularity.

In 1961, the U.S. Postal Service issued a postal stamp to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Frederic Remington's birth. The stamp featured an oil painting drawn by Remington in 1905 entitled ``Smoke Signal.'' Over 111 million Remington stamps were issued by the postal service.

Remington's works can be found throughout the Nation in some of America's highly regarded museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many others. In fact, ``The Broncho Buster,'' the stirring Remington sculpture to this day remains in a prominent location within the Oval Office at the White House.

Today a comprehensive collection of original Remington paintings, sketches and sculptures are housed at the Frederic Remington Art Museum founded in 1923 and located in Ogdensburg, New York.

Frederic Remington was one of northern New York's most famous residents, and his home town of Ogdensburg is one of the most historic destinations. Located along the St. Lawrence River, Ogdensburg was the site of key battles during the French and Indian War as well as the War of 1812. In fact, the city was captured by British forces during the famed Battle of Ogdensburg in the War of 1812.

Ogdensburg was also the site of the appropriately titled Ogdensburg Agreement of 1940. This was a joint defense pact between the Canadian Prime Minister and President Franklin Roosevelt.

Ogdensburg's post office is also of historic significance and was listed in the National Historic Register in 1977. The building serves as the oldest active post office in New York and among the oldest in the United States. It was constructed between 1867 and 1870; and in August of 1872, President Grant visited the building for a public reception. It is also very likely Frederic Remington himself would have sent some of his correspondence from the very post office that will be dedicated in his name.

I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation to designate the Ogdensburg, New York, post office as the Frederic Remington Post Office Building.

I reserve the balance of my time

I would yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlelady from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx).

Madam Speaker, before I yield back my time, I would just say that I think the gentlelady from North Carolina makes an outstanding point. This cap-and-trade/cap-and-tax concept, all you've got to do is look at the Heritage Foundation study, which rank-orders all 435 Congressional districts in this country who would be most negatively impacted, who would lose jobs because of this proposal. And it hits home because nine of the top 10 most affected districts are in Ohio and Indiana. I happen to represent one of those districts in Ohio. We'd be fourth hardest hit in the country. It doesn't take a genius to figure out if you are heavy into manufacturing, as we are, and frankly, rely on coal, from coal-fired plants on the Ohio River to provide your electricity needs, you're going to get hit hard. This is a terrible move for our country, but it will have disproportionately negative impacts on the Midwest. That's why we should defeat this proposal.

With that, I would yield back the balance of our time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today as the proud sponsor of H.R. 2090, which would designate the Ogdensburg, New York post office in honor of renowned 19th-century American sculptor, painter, author and illustrator Frederic Remington. I want to thank the Gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns) and the Gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) for their work to bring this legislation to the floor today. I also want to thank the members of the New York delegation for cosponsoring this measure along with Representative Chaffetz, Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia.

Frederic Remington was born in Canton, New York, in 1861 and moved to Ogdensburg, New York in 1873. Best known for his depictions of frontier life of the American West, including cowboys taming broncos, cavalry soldiers engaged in battle, and Native American warriors and scouts, Remington first headed west to the Montana Territory in 1881. Upon his return east, he sold his first sketches to Harper's Weekly, thus beginning his career as a magazine illustrator.

In the mid 1880s, Remington moved from illustration to water-color and oil painting, and in 1895 began sculpting in bronze. He ultimately produced nearly 3,000 drawings and paintings, 22 sculptures, and eight volumes of writings throughout his career. Frederic Remington died on December 26, 1909, thus making 2009 the 100th anniversary of his death. Unfortunately, he was only 48 years old and died at the height of his popularity.

In 1961 the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Frederic Remington's birth. The stamp featured an oil painting drawn by Remington in 1905 entitled ``Smoke Signal.'' Over 111 million Remington stamps were issued by the Postal Service.

Remington's works can be found throughout the nation, in some of America's most highly regarded museums, including the Art Institute in Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many others. Indeed, President Obama has kept ``The Bronco Buster,'' the stirring Remington sculpture, in a prominent location within the Oval Office at the White House.

Today, a comprehensive collection of original Remington paintings, sketches and sculptures are housed at the Frederic Remington Art Museum, founded in 1923, and located in Ogdensburg, New York. The Remington Museum is open year-round, and offers many programs for the public, including school tours, gallery talks, exhibit openings and workshops. Since the Museum's founding, purchases and donations of Remington art and personal artifacts have added significantly to the breadth of

this amazing collection. The Remington Museum's importance to the residents of my Congressional District can be attributed to both its cultural and historical significance, as well as its economic impact on the surrounding community.

Frederic Remington was, indeed, one of Northern New York's most famous residents and it is fitting we honor his artistic contributions to the world. It is also fitting that Ogdensburg, one of America's most historic destinations, be the home of such an equally historic figure. Located along the strategic St. Lawrence River, Ogdensburg was the site of key battles during the French and Indian War as well the War of 1812. In fact, the city was captured by British forces during the famed Battle of Ogdensburg in the War of 1812. Ogdensburg was also the site of the appropriately titled Ogdensburg Agreement of 1940. This was a joint defense pact signed between Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King and President Franklin Roosevelt.

It is also fitting that such a storied city has a duly historic post office. In fact, the Ogdensburg Post Office was listed in the National Historic Register in 1977. The building serves as the oldest active post office in New York State and among the oldest in the United States. It was constructed between 1867 and 1870, and is truly a building befitting of this honor. Of note, on August 7, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant visited the building for a public reception. It is also very likely Frederic Remington himself would have sent some of his correspondence from the very post office that will be dedicated in his name.

Accordingly, I ask my colleagues to support this legislation to designate the Ogdensburg, New York Post Office as the Frederic Remington Post Office Building.

I thank my colleague for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I want to commend my colleague, Mr. McHugh, for introducing this legislation to honor Frederic Remington. I'm sure it is a very well-deserved honor, and I'm glad that we have the opportunity to do it here today.

However, there is a really critical issue facing our country these days, and it is the cap-and-tax plan that the Democrats are doing their best to get passed in the House of Representatives. We know that the Commerce and Energy Committee voted it out the night we left for our district work period for Memorial Day. But we also know that it is not good legislation for this country.

The truth behind the Democrats' cap-and-tax plan is that it is a national energy tax which will kill jobs, raise taxes, and lead to more government intrusion in our lives. This is an irresponsible proposal that will do more harm than good. The President's energy plan is a $646 billion national energy tax that will hit every American family, small business and family farm. Family energy costs will rise on average by more than $3,100 a year. Those hardest hit by this massive tax will be the poor, who experts agree spend a greater proportion of their income on energy consumption. So much for the President's promise to cut taxes for everybody who makes less than $200,000 a year.

A devastating consequence will be fewer jobs for hardworking Americans. Various studies suggest anywhere from 1.8 million to 7 million jobs could be lost.

Republicans believe there are better solutions than more taxes, fewer jobs, and more government intrusion. House Republicans want to increase American energy production made by American workers, encourage greater efficiency and conservation, and promote the use of clean alternative fuels. House Republicans offer a plan that is more environmentally friendly than the Democratic plan. The Democrat cap-and-tax plan will relocate manufacturing plants overseas in countries with far less stringent environmental regulations.

Furthermore, the GOP plan will include nuclear energy which does not emit carbon. We find it very interesting that we know very well that the French, who have gotten 80 percent of their electricity from nuclear power, have no problem with their nuclear waste because they recycle everything and wind up with very, very small amounts of waste and yet the Democrats deny this opportunity to create electricity from nuclear power.

We think the American public needs to be made aware of this issue, and we're going to do everything we can to educate the public on the disastrous way that the Democrats are taking this country in terms of cap-and-tax.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the following postal naming bills en bloc: Calendar Nos. 133 through 144: S. 748, S. 1211, S. 1314,

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