WILLIAM J. DONOVAN POST OFFICE BUILDING

On 2026-04-14, Representative Timothy M. Kennedy (D-NY-26) delivered a floor speech titled "WILLIAM J. DONOVAN POST OFFICE BUILDING" in the House. The speech addressed taxes and also covered defense, trade policy. It referenced legislation: HR1706.

WILLIAM J. DONOVAN POST OFFICE BUILDING

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 65 (Tuesday, April 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 14, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2848-H2849] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] WILLIAM J. DONOVAN POST OFFICE BUILDING Mr. GILL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1706) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1200 William Street, Room 200, in Buffalo, New York, as the ``William J. Donovan Post Office Building''. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1706 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. WILLIAM J. DONOVAN POST OFFICE BUILDING. (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1200 William Street, Room 200, in Buffalo, New York, shall be known and designated as the ``William J. Donovan 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 ``William J. Donovan Post Office Building''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gill) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Subramanyam) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas. General Leave Mr. GILL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas? There was no objection. Mr. GILL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, which would rename a post office in Buffalo, New York, for William J. Donovan. William Donovan dedicated his life to military service and global leadership. After earning the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary leadership under fire in World War I, Donovan was chosen to lead our Nation's effort in a centralized intelligence program during World War II. He became the founding Director of the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the modern CIA. Donovan worked closely with America's allies, orchestrating espionage missions and assisting resistance movements in Nazi-occupied Germany. His important work contributed to the success of the war effort and the establishment of intelligence capabilities, which were instrumental to the U.S. throughout the Cold War era. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1706, and I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Kennedy). Mr. KENNEDY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 1706, to designate the United States Post Office on William Street in Buffalo, New York, as the William J. Donovan Post Office. This is a simple bill with a profound purpose: to honor an extraordinary American whose life of service helped shape the course of our Nation's history and the security of the free world. In 1883, William J. Donovan was born and subsequently raised in Buffalo's Old First Ward to first-generation Irish Americans, Timothy and Anna Donovan. Donovan attended St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, my alma mater, where he developed the leadership skills that would define the course of his life. From there, Donovan attended Niagara University before transferring to Columbia University. After earning his degree, Donovan spent 2 years at Columbia Law School, where he was a classmate of future President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Those beginnings shaped a man who would bring the values of western New York with him onto the global stage: courage, grit, and an unwavering commitment to something greater than himself. During World War I, Donovan was tapped to lead the 165th Infantry (69th New York), known to many as the Fighting 69th Regiment. Donovan proudly took the helm of the unit that once included dozens of Irish- American soldiers from Buffalo's Old First Ward, who bravely fought for the Union during the Civil War. As a Lieutenant Colonel, Donovan distinguished himself as a fearless leader under fire. In 1923, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroism at the Battle of Landres-et-Saint-Georges where, despite sustaining three bullet wounds, he refused to leave the battlefield until all of his men were accounted for. It was this intrepid bravery that gave rise to the legend of Wild Bill Donovan, seizing the Nation's imagination and securing his place as an enduring American hero. Despite having already established a national reputation during World War I, some of Donovan's most consequential contributions to our Nation were still to come. After the Great War, Donovan served as U.S. attorney for the Western District of New York, where he became well known for being a vigorous crime fighter. He later served as an Assistant Attorney General under President Calvin Coolidge. In World War II, at a moment when the world stood on the brink of destruction, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt turned to his former classmate to build something entirely new--a centralized intelligence capability that could meet the demands of a modern global conflict. [[Page H2849]] Donovan once again answered the call to serve our country, becoming the founding Director of the Office of Strategic Services, the OSS. Under his leadership, the OSS broke new ground. It coordinated intelligence gathering, carried out covert operations, and worked hand in hand with Allied forces and resistance movements across Nazi- occupied Europe. {time} 1540 In recognition of his wartime heroics, Donovan was promoted to brigadier general in March 1943. By November 1944, he earned the esteemed rank of major general in the United States Army. His efforts helped turn the tide of the war and contributed directly to the Allied victory. Donovan knew that, in a rapidly changing world, intelligence would be central to protecting our Nation and advancing our interests. The foundation he built with the OSS became the blueprint for what we now know as the Central Intelligence Agency, positioning the United States as a global leader in national security throughout the Cold War and beyond and up through today. For these reasons, Donovan is rightly remembered as the Father of American Intelligence, and his legacy lives on in the institutions that protect our country every single day. William J. Donovan's legacy belongs not only to Buffalo and western New York, but to our entire Nation. This designation is a recognition that honors a true American hero, whose leadership, bravery, and foresight helped shape the world we live in today. I thank the entirety of the New York delegation for working with me in advancing this cause, and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1706. Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from New York, and I hope the body will join me in passing this bill. I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. GILL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill naming a post office for William J. Donovan, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Kennedy) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1706. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________

Referenced legislation: HR1706, HR1706