To designate the Federal building located at 844 North Rush Street in Chicago, Illinois, as the "William O. Lipinski Federal Building".

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2498) to designate the Federal building located at 844 North Rush Street in Chicago, Illinois, as the ``William O. Lipinski Federal Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 2498.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2498 and am pleased today to speak in support of a bill that names a Federal building located in Illinois as the ``William O. Lipinski Federal Building.''

Representative William Lipinski was a leader on the Public Works and Transportation Committee and later on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee throughout the time of his service in the Congress when he represented the Third and Fifth Congressional District of Illinois. He served as a senior Democrat on the Railroads Subcommittee, the Aviation Subcommittee, and the Highways and Transit Subcommittee.

He had a lifelong passion to address transportation and connectivity issues in his district, whether it was providing a local airport with access for financing infrastructure improvements or providing public transit options to areas in his congressional district that lacked access. Representative Lipinski also played a large role in national transportation policy by taking leadership roles in the past two transportation authorization bills that provided funding for local priorities in highways, highway safety, mass transit and surface transportation programs.

Representative Lipinski was born in Chicago on December 22, 1937. He attended Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, and served in the United States Army Reserves from 1961 to 1967. After serving in the Armed Forces, Representative Lipinski served in several different public service capacities in Chicago, Illinois. He was an alderman in Chicago, a city councilman, and later held several different positions within the Democratic Party in Chicago. Congressman Lipinski was eventually elected to Congress in 1982 and served in the 10 succeeding Congresses.

Representative Lipinski retired in 2005 and is succeeded by his son, Representative Daniel Lipinski.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2498, which names this building located at 844 North Rush Street in Chicago as the ``William O. Lipinski Federal Building.''

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

I have no other speakers.

Does the gentleman have any other speakers?

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bill, H.R. 2498, which I introduced, to designate the Federal building located at 844 North Rush Street in Chicago, Illinois, as the ``William O. Lipinski Federal Building'' in honor of our former colleague and national leader in transportation issues, Bill Lipinski.

William O. Lipinski was born in Chicago, and lived there for most of his life. He attended Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, and served in United States Army Reserves from 1961 to 1967. After serving in the armed forces, he was active in public service in Chicago, Illinois. He served as an Alderman, a city councilman, and several different positions within the Democratic Party in Chicago. William O. Lipinski was elected to Congress in 1982, where he went on to serve in 10 succeeding Congresses. In his Congressional career, Congressman Lipinski served as the senior Democrat on the Subcommittee on Railroads, the Subcommittee on Aviation, and the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Our colleague, Bill Lipinski, was a leader on transportation issues while he represented the 3rd and 5th Congressional Districts of Illinois. He strongly advocated for the transportation and connectivity issues in his district, whether it was providing a local airport with access for financing for infrastructure improvement or providing public transit options to areas in his Congressional district that lacked access.

In the early 1990s, Congressman Lipinski was instrumental in securing the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC), which enabled airports to finance infrastructure improvements. He also served in leadership roles in the past two surface transportation authorization bills, providing funding for highway, highway safety, and public transit programs.

It is most fitting that we honor his civic career, his leadership role on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and his contributions to the transportation industry with this designation.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2498.

Mr. Speaker, again, the chairwoman described this very, very well. I want to add just one more thing. I'm not quite sure if she touched on it.

Obviously he has a long and distinguished career in this body and in the Transportation Committee as well, but he was also in the United States Army Reserve. And one of the things we should never, never forget are those who are willing to serve in our Nation's Armed Forces. He was willing to do so, and he did so honorably.

So, again, naming this Federal building in Chicago after Representative Lipinski I think is an appropriate recognition of his commitment to public service.

I do not believe that I have any other speakers. Can I inquire if there are any other speakers?

I have no other speakers, so I would yield back the remaining part of my time.

Madam Speaker, yesterday, I missed 4 votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows.

Rollcall No. 690, on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to H. Res. 447, I would have voted ``yea.''

Rollcall No. 691, on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 2097, I would have voted ``yea.''

Rollcall No. 692, on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 2498, I would have voted ``yea.''

Rollcall No. 693, on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to H. Res. 722, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Environment and Public Works Committee be discharged from further consideration of the following bills, all en bloc: H.R. 2913, H.R. 1687, H.R. 2053, H.R. 2498, and H.R. 2121; that the bills be read a third time and passed, en bloc, with the motions to reconsider laid upon the table.