Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. Obama):

S. 2156. A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 332 South Main Street in Flora, Illinois, as the ``Robert T. Ferguson Post Office Building.''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.

There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:

S. 2156

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. ROBERT T. FERGUSON POST OFFICE BUILDING.

(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal Service located at 332 South Main Street in Flora, Illinois, shall be known and designated as the ``Robert T. Ferguson Post Office Building''.

(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``Robert T. Ferguson Post Office Building''.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce legislation to designate the U.S. Post Office at 332 South Main Street in Flora, Illinois as the ``Robert T. Ferguson Post Office Building''.

Mr. Ferguson was a distinguished public servant who began his postal career at the Harvey, Illinois Post Office, where he worked as a city carrier from 1954 to 1957. He then moved to the Flora, Illinois Post Office where he worked his way up from clerk/carrier to Assistant Postmaster to Postmaster in 1986. During the final three years of his career before he retired in 1988, Robert Ferguson served as Postmaster in Collinsville, Illinois.

In recognition of his hard work and dedication, Mr. Ferguson received five Outstanding Superior Accomplishment Awards and qualified as a Postmaster Trainer on October 1, 1976. He worked tirelessly on behalf of postal workers and traveled throughout Southern Illinois training newly appointed Postmasters. He was well liked by his colleagues who knew they had a leader they could trust.

In addition to his active professional life, Robert Ferguson found time to serve his community. As President of the Clay County Shrine Club in 1992, he organized events to raise thousands of dollars for the Shriner's Hospital for Children. In 1996, he raised money to assist a local family after a storm destroyed their mobile home. In 2002, Mr. Ferguson created a Hospital Directory for Southern Illinois, which aid local citizens by providing phone numbers and addresses of local hospitals.

In 1996, the Flora Chamber of Commerce named Robert Ferguson the ``Outstanding Citizen of Flora''.

Mr. President, post offices are often designated in honor of individuals who have made valuable contributions to their community, State, and country. I can think of no more fitting way to permanently and publicly recognize Robert Ferguson's work than to name the Flora, Illinois post office in his honor. It would be a most appropriate way to commemorate his exemplary service to the Flora community and to postal workers and patrons throughout Southern Illinois.

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