Richard G. Lugar Post Office

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of a bill to name a U.S. Post Office in Indianapolis in honor of Senator Richard Lugar, who passed away earlier this year.

This bill is supported by the entire Indiana delegation, and I believe it is a wonderful start as we work to advance his iconic legacy.

I was fortunate to know Senator Lugar. He understood what it meant to be a true public servant, and the values he expertly displayed have inspired our work in Congress.

Senator Lugar served as mayor of Indianapolis from 1968 to 1975, and he also represented Indiana honorably in the U.S. Senate from 1977 to 2013.

Senator Lugar was a brilliant scholar, a brave member of our armed services, and a dedicated public servant who championed people and principle over party.

Senator Lugar's distinguished life, Mr. Speaker, is a testament to the type of leader that Indiana cultivates, and his public service is an unquestionable example of his deep commitment to our great country.

A native Hoosier, he studied at Denison University and at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.

Following graduation, Senator Lugar served in the United States Navy as an intelligence officer.

Senator Lugar rose to prominence in local politics, serving as the mayor of the city of Indianapolis. But it was the Senate where he became venerable, he became known, and he had become the leader that we all came to recognize.

Senator Lugar served as chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, where he garnered bipartisan support for great reforms in domestic policy.

Through his Senate tenure, he is perhaps best remembered for his wide-ranging impact on international affairs.

Senator Lugar served for 34 years on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, including two terms as chair.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Mr. Speaker, Senator Lugar helped reduce the threat of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons through the passage and implementation of the Nunn-Lugar Program. This bipartisan effort, Mr. Speaker, secured and dismantled the former power's most deadly weapons, making our world a safer place.

Senator Lugar also played a very important role in America's enactment of sanctions against the apartheid Government of South Africa and in the United States' recognition of a democratic government in the Philippines.

Senator Lugar contributed to the expansion of the NATO alliance; the implementation of the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, to end the global AIDS epidemic; and the ratification of antiterrorist treaties.

For all he accomplished, Mr. Speaker, Senator Lugar was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 by President Barack Obama, our Nation's highest civilian honor.

In his final years, he served as president of The Lugar Center, a nonprofit organization focused on global food security, combating nuclear proliferation, enhancing foreign aid, and promoting bipartisan governance.

Senator Lugar's tireless efforts and commitment to good governance helped make the world a better and safer place, and his commitment to bipartisanship won the respect of people across the political spectrum, including President Barack Obama.

In our very divided society, Mr. Speaker, it is now more important than ever that we reach across the aisle and listen to each other's concerns the same way Senator Lugar did throughout his many years of public service.

All of us, regardless of our party's affiliation, should draw inspiration from Senator Lugar's dedication to our country, and all of us should strengthen his legacy by pledging to advance the Hoosier values and American values of bipartisanship and cooperation that defined his life. Let this bill be the first step to advance that goal. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this effort.

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