To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 211 Hope Street in Mountain View, California, as the "Lieutenant Kenneth M. Ballard Memorial Post Office".

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and good friend and classmate Mrs. Maloney from New York, and I thank our colleague from Texas for his very kind and generous remarks about the designation of the United States post office in Mountain View, California, in my district, as the Lieutenant Kenneth M. Ballard Memorial Post Office.

A Mountain View native, Ken Ballard joined the Army at the age of 18. He comes from a distinguished family that have given a long line of military service to our country. He attended basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He went on to bravely serve our Nation in Germany, Bosnia, Macedonia, and Iraq.

On April 3, 2004, Lieutenant Ballard's battalion, the 2nd Battalion, 37th Regiment, 1st Armored Division turned in their weapons and began preparing to return home. The very next day, violence broke out in Baghdad, and shortly thereafter, Lieutenant Ballard's tour was unexpectedly extended for an additional 120 days.

Less than 2 months later, on May 20, 2004, after 9 years of service, Lieutenant Ballard was killed in Najaf, Iraq, by accidental discharge of the M-240 weapon on his vehicle. He was a recipient of the Purple Heart and three Bronze Stars, two with valor device.

Lieutenant Ballard was a true American hero, and his ultimate sacrifice deserves our formal recognition of gratitude, which is what we are doing here today. In paying tribute to him and his service, the House will not only honor his sacrifice, but also that of every brave American who dons a uniform in defense of our Nation each and every day. So many have given their lives so that we may live ours freely, and each deserves our gratitude, our respect, and our remembrance.

I want to thank the city council of Mountain View, California, for their support of this effort, and I want to pay tribute to Lieutenant Ballard's mother, Karen Meredith, for her unswerving advocacy on behalf of her son that the truth would be documented and put forward, and of course her support in the renaming of the post office of his hometown after him.

So I urge my colleagues to vote for this legislation. I thank everyone on a bipartisan basis that has been involved in this.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6260) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 211 Hope Street in Mountain View, California, as the ``Lieutenant Kenneth M. Ballard Memorial Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6260, introduced by the gentlelady from California (Ms. Eshoo) would designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 211 Hope Street in Mountain View, California, as the ``Lieutenant Kenneth M. Ballard Memorial Post Office.'' This bill was introduced August 1 and reported favorably from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Lieutenant Ballard committed his entire adult life to serving his country. Upon graduating from Mountain View High School in 1995, Mr. Ballard enlisted in the Army. During his military career, he served in Germany, Bosnia, Macedonia, and Iraq. Sadly, Lieutenant Ballard was killed in 2004 while deployed in Iraq. I'm truly grateful for the brave and heroic service of Lieutenant Ballard and for all those who serve and defend our Nation every day.

Mr. Speaker, Lieutenant Ballard is a very worthy designee of this postal facility naming, and I urge all Members to join me in support of this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I join the gentlelady from California and the gentlelady from New York in support of this legislation honoring Lieutenant Kenneth M. Ballard, naming the post office the Lieutenant Kenneth M. Ballard Memorial Post Office, and urge my colleagues to enthusiastically support H.R. 6260.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I'm pleased to join my colleagues in support of H.R.

6260, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 211 Hope Street in Mountain View, California, as the Lieutenant Kenneth M. Ballard Memorial Post Office.

The bill before us was first introduced by my good friend and colleague, Representative Anna Eshoo from the great State of California, and I yield her such time as she may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague and compliment her on her very moving tribute, not only to her constituent but to all the men and women who serve our great Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support of this renaming in honor of a true American hero. And noting that I have no additional speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee be discharged from the following postal naming bills en bloc: H.R. 2338 and H.R. 3892; that the Senate proceed to their consideration and the consideration of the following bills, en bloc, which were received from the House and are at the desk: H.R., 3869, H.R. 4389, H.R. 6260, H.R. 6379, and H.R. 6587.

I ask unanimous consent that the bills be read a third time and passed en bloc; the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc, with no intervening action or debate; and that any related statements be printed in the Record.