To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 99 Macombs Place in New York, New York, as the "Tuskegee Airmen Post Office Building".

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4406, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 99 Macombs Place in New York, New York, as the ``Tuskegee Airmen Post Office Building.''

H.R. 4406 is a fitting tribute to the African American men who fought heroically and against great odds and personal hardships, in World War II and is long overdue.

The 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th, Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces, which will be forever known as the ``Tuskegee Airmen,'' were instrumental in the Allied Powers victory in World War II, and is by any standard American heroes.

For these reasons it is a fitting tribute that we honor these men by naming the Post Office at 99 Macombs Place, in Harlem, New York after them.

A few years ago about this time, I was honored to join my colleagues, Congressman John Lewis and Congressman Charles Rangel, a Korean War veteran, in paying tribute to surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen and the 555th Parachute Infantry, the famed ``Triple Nickels'' at a moving ceremony sponsored by the U.S. Army commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The success of the Tuskegee Airmen in escorting bombers during World War II--achieving one of the lowest loss records of all the escort fighter groups, and being in constant demand for their services by the allied bomber units--is a record unmatched by any other fighter group.

So impressive and astounding were the feats of the Tuskegee Airmen that in 1948, it helped persuade President Harry Truman to issue his famous Executive Order No. 9981, which directed equality of treatment and opportunity in all of the United States Armed Forces and led to the end of racial segregation in the U.S. military forces.

It is a source of enormous and enduring pride that my father-in-law, Phillip Ferguson Lee, was one of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Clearly, what began as an experiment to determine whether ``colored'' soldiers were capable of operating expensive and complex combat aircraft ended as an unqualified success based on the experience of the Tuskegee Airmen, whose record included 261 aircraft destroyed, 148 aircraft damaged, 15,553 combat sorties and 1,578 missions over Italy and North Africa.

These outstanding African American men defied all odds and became military pilots when the United States was still subject to Jim Crow Laws and the American military was still segregated.

Not only were these men exceptional soldiers who fearlessly defended this nation, but they were torchbearers who illuminated a path for countless African Americans to follow.

The Tuskegee Airmen proved that the antidote to racism is excellence in performance.

This bill would honor the unsung heroes of World War II who valiantly fought to defend this nation and pioneered a movement that led to the desegregation of the American military.

For these reasons, I am proud to support, H.R. 4406; and I ask my colleagues to join me in voting to pass this fitting tribute to American heroes.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Lacy Clay for

yielding time, as well as Ranking Member Elijah Cummings and Chairman Trey Gowdy for their support in bringing this bill to the floor.

I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4406, my bill to designate the post office located at 99 Macombs Place in New York, New York, as the Tuskegee Airmen Post Office Building.

The Tuskegee Airmen hold a historic significance as the first Black military aviators to serve in the U.S. Army Air Corps during the peak of World War II. At the time, racial segregation remained in the U.S. Armed Forces as well as much of the country. These men were treated as second-class citizens, and much of the military establishment believed back then that Black soldiers were inferior to White soldiers. The Tuskegee Airmen proved them wrong.

Collectively, they earned more than 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, and they flew missions in secondhand P-40 planes, which were slower and more difficult to maneuver. Yet, in their more than 200 escort missions, the Tuskegee Airmen had a better success rate than any other escort groups of the 15th Air Force.

The Tuskegee Airmen were active in fighting against Jim Crow laws in the South, and their success and bravery encouraged the eventual integration of the U.S. Armed Forces. Many of the men who served in this squadron dedicated their lives to fighting for racial equality and civil rights.

Among the Tuskegee Airmen was a 26-year-old second lieutenant of Dominican heritage named Esteban Hotesse. Mr. Hotesse immigrated to the United States through Ellis Island at the age of 4 with his mother. He went on to serve as a pilot for 3 years with the Tuskegee Airmen before being killed during a military exercise in 1945.

Naming this post office after the Tuskegee Airmen is a fitting tribute to honor their memory and contributions to this country. I am proud to have sponsored this bill and look forward to the Tuskegee Airmen's legacy living on in my district for many, many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4406) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 99 Macombs Place in New York, New York, as the ``Tuskegee Airman Post Office Building'', as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4406, introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Espaillat).

H.R. 4406 names the U.S. Post Office at 99 Macombs Place, New York, New York, after the Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen were a squadron of skilled pilots in World War II who were the first African- American military aviators in the U.S. Armed Forces. This bill honors their skill and service to the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for bringing up this bill.

The State of Alabama takes immense pride in the Tuskegee Airmen for their skill and courage.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to make the gentleman from Missouri aware that I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote on Monday, March 5, and Tuesday, March 6, 2018, due to the Texas primary elections.

If I had been able to vote on Monday, March 5, I would have voted as follows:

On passage of H.R. 3183, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 13683 James Madison Highway in Palmyra, Virginia, as the ``U.S. Navy Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby Post Office,'' I would have voted ``yea.''

On passage of H.R. 4406, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 99 Macombs Place in New York, New York, as the ``Tuskegee Airman Post Office Building,'' I would have voted ``yea.''

If I had been able to vote on Tuesday, March 6, I would have voted as follows:

On the Democratic Motion to Recommit H.R. 4607, the Comprehensive Regulatory Review Act, I would have voted ``yea.''

On final passage of H.R. 4607, the Comprehensive Regulatory Review Act, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, July 16, 2018, I was unavoidably detained attending to representation duties in district and state and was not present for Roll Call Votes 329 and 330. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows:

On Roll Call 329, I would have voted AYE. (On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 4946, designating the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1075 North Tustin Street in Orange, California, as the ``Specialist Trevor A. Win'E Post Office.'')

On Roll Call 330, I would have voted AYE. (On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass

H.R. 4406, designating the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 511 East Walnut Street in Columbia, Missouri, as the ``Spc. Sterling William Wyatt Post Office Building.'')