Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
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By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Reid, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Carper, Mr. Dayton, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Leahy, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Rockefeller, and Mrs. Boxer.
S. 2510. A bill to establish a national health program administered by the Office of Personnel Management to offer health benefits plans to individuals who are not Federal employees, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2510
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By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. OBAMA):
S. 2555. A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2633 11th Street in Rock Island, Illinois, as the ``Lane Evans Post Office Building''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce legislation to designate the U.S. Post Office at 2633 11th Street in Rock Island, Illinois, as the ``Lane Evans Post Office Building.''
This legislation honors my friend and fellow Illinoisan LANE EVANS who has decided to retire instead of seeking re-election to the House of Representatives in November. Congressman LANE EVANS, born and raised in Rock Island, represents Illinois' 17th Congressional District. He was first elected in 1982 and is serving his eleventh term in the U.S. House of Representatives. From the Quad Cities to Quincy, from Springfield to Decatur and Carlinville, in cities and towns throughout his district, LANE EVANS is deeply respected. His service will be greatly missed.
Congressman EVANS was a Vietnam-era veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and rose to the position of Ranking Democratic Member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. He is recognized as a leading advocate of veterans in Congress. He successfully led legislative efforts to pass Agent Orange compensation and health and compensation benefits for children of veterans exposed to Agent Orange who were born with spina bifida, a crippling birth defect. Congressman EVANS also led the effort to secure benefits for Persian Gulf veterans and to provide full disclosure about their possible exposure to toxins during their service. He has also worked to expand services to women veterans, pushed for increased help for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and established important new programs to assist in the rehabilitation and health care treatment of thousands of homeless veterans.
Congressman EVANS is also a member of the House Armed Services Committee and is Chairman of the Vietnam Veterans in Congress Caucus. He is also Co-Chairman of the Alcohol Fuels Caucus, the Congressional Working Group on Parkinson's Disease, and the International Workers Rights Caucus. Congressman EVANS has been named an ``Environmental Hero'' for his pro-environment voting record by the League of Conservation Voters and awarded the Conservationist of the Year Award for 1995 by the Heart of Illinois Sierra Club, the first time the organization gave the honor to a non-volunteer.
Congressman EVANS was born in Rock Island on August 4, 1951. He attended grade school and high school in Rock Island. Following graduation from high school, he joined the Marine Corps and was stationed in Okinawa. He received an honorable discharge in 1971. Congressman EVANS received a B.A. (magna cum laude) in 1974 from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. He also attended Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois. He is a 1978 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. Following his graduation from law school, he practiced law in Rock Island where he served children, the poor and working families.
For over 20 years, LANE EVANS has been my closest friend in the Illinois Congressional Delegation. We came to the House of Representatives together and he proved to be an indomitable force. Time and again, LANE EVANS has shown extraordinary political courage fighting for the values that brought him to public service. But his greatest show of courage has been over the last 10 years as he battled Parkinson's disease and those who tried to exploit his physical weakness. His determination to serve the 17th Congressional District he loves pushed him to work harder as Parkinson's became a heavier burden each day. His dignity and perseverance in the face of this relentless and cruel disease is an inspiration to everyone who knows LANE EVANS.
I am pleased to offer this legislation to permanently and publicly recognize LANE EVANS and his service to his Congressional District, our State of Illinois, and the entire United States by naming the Rock Island Post Office in his honor. It would be a most appropriate way for us to express our appreciation to Congressman EVANS and to commemorate his public life and work.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2555
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