Paul Eaton Post Office Building

Floor Speech

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Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Rouda), my colleague, for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 3329. This bill would rename the post office in Montclair, California, as the Paul Eaton Post Office Building.

The new name would be a tribute to Paul Eaton, who served as Montclair's mayor for 23 years, making him the longest-serving mayor in Montclair's history.

As a former mayor myself, I can tell you that that is dedication. Being mayor means being on the hook for every pothole, every accident, and every crisis that happens in your city. It is not easy work, but Mayor Eaton made it look so easy.

He uplifted the lives of every single person that he encountered. He was a fierce advocate for Montclair residents and a pillar of the Inland Empire community.

His decades of public service earned him the love, respect, and admiration of everyone.

Mayor Eaton began his career at Bethany Baptist Church and the Ontario-Montclair School District. In 1970, he helped found Montclair's Community Action Committee. There, he earned a reputation as a fierce advocate for Montclair's residents.

Later, he was appointed to the Montclair Planning Commission, where he would serve only until he eventually became a member of the Montclair City Council in 1988. Following Mayor Larry Rhinehart's sudden departure, Mayor Eaton was unanimously installed into the position of mayor by his fellow city council members.

His many achievements include construction of a youth center and a senior center, as well as a state-of-the-art police facility, widening Central Avenue on the I-10 freeway, making critical improvements to the Mission Boulevard and Holt corridors, and ensuring future service to the Montclair Transit Center for the Gold Line light-rail service.

His record of service is truly an example for the next generation. His family continues to carry on the legacy, as many of them also work in public service.

Mayor Eaton passed away in July 2018.

He was survived by his wife, Ginger, who became mayor after the passing of Mayor Eaton. He was also survived by four children, nine grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. He was loved by everyone.

Let us honor Mayor Eaton and his legacy by passing this bill and renaming the Montclair Post Office.

California, Mr. Speaker, has 53 Members of Congress, and I am so proud to have 52 of those members of the California congressional delegation as cosponsors of this bill, including the distinguished Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and the Republican minority leader, Kevin McCarthy.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important bill, and I thank the ranking member, Mr. Gosar, for his assistance in moving this bill forward.

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