H7374 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE September 22, 2004 thank the gentlewoman from Texas for Following his military service, Con- One of Congressman Skeen’s major her comments. I yield back the balance gressman Skeen attended and grad- legislative accomplishments was to en- of my time. uated from Texas A&M University with sure the opening of the waste isolation The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. a degree in agricultural engineering. pilot plant, the Nation’s first reposi- TERRY). The question is on the motion After graduation, Congressman tory for defense-related waste. Con- offered by the gentleman from Georgia Skeen worked as a soil and water engi- cerned about the public’s health and (Mr. BURNS) that the House suspend neer for the Zuni and Ramah Navajo safety and the environment, Congress- the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3428. Indians. He later purchased and ran his man Joe Skeen worked tirelessly to ad- The question was taken; and (two- family’s sheep ranch. vance storage of Federal waste. thirds having voted in favor thereof) Congressman Skeen was long dedi- He supported legislation to maintain the rules were suspended and the bill cated to public service. He was first the viability of the agricultural indus- was passed. elected to public office in 1960 where he try. He also has been a leader in sup- A motion to reconsider was laid on won a seat in the New Mexico State porting legislative initiatives on a bal- the table. senate. He served until 1970. For the anced budget, crime education and last 6 years of his time in the State f military spending. He is an senate, he served as the minority lead- unapologetic advocate of local control, REQUEST FOR REMOVAL OF NAME er. insisting that citizens make their own OF MEMBER AS COSPONSOR OF In 1980, Congressman Skeen ran as a determination and not let the legisla- H.R. 2028 write-in candidate and was elected to ture do it for them. Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, due to serve in New Mexico’s 2nd District in Congressman Skeen was well re- the radical changes made by the com- the United States House of Representa- spected on both sides of the aisle. He mittee to the introduced bill, I ask tives. Congressman Skeen served in was an earnest and capable legislator, unanimous consent to withdraw my this body for 11 terms. a worthy adviser and a true gentleman Congressman Skeen was known for name as a cosponsor from H.R. 2028. devoted to his family and dedicated to his commitment to property rights, The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under his constituents. His goodwill and balancing the Federal budget and in- clause 7(b) of rule XII, the Chair is con- humor are missed by all of us. creased tax relief. He may have been strained not to entertain that request, It is fitting and proper to honor Joe most influential as chairman of the as the bill has been reported from com- Skeen’s life and public service with the Committee on Appropriations, Sub- mittee and referred to the calendar. designation of the Federal building in committee on Agriculture, Rural De- Roswell, New Mexico, as the Joe Skeen f velopment, Food and Drug Administra- Federal Building. JOE SKEEN FEDERAL BUILDING tion and Related Agencies, enhancing Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of the agricultural viability in both New Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I move to my time. Mexico and throughout the United suspend the rules and pass the bill Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield States. He was also chairman of the (H.R. 3734) to designate the Federal such time as she may consume to my Subcommittee on Interior and Related building located at Fifth and Richard- colleague, the gentlewoman from New Agencies, dealing with natural re- son Avenues in Roswell, New Mexico, Mexico (Mrs. WILSON). sources and public land use. as the ‘‘Joe Skeen Federal Building.’’ Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. The Clerk read as follows: I support this legislation and encour- age my colleagues to do the same. Speaker, when Joe Skeen was elected H.R. 3734 Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of to the Congress, one of the first acts Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- my time. that he introduced in 1981 was legisla- resentatives of the United States of America in Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of tion to name the Federal building in Congress assembled, Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such Las Cruces, New Mexico, after the man SECTION 1. DESIGNATION. time as I might consume. he replaced, the late-Congressman Har- The Federal building located at Fifth and H.R. 3734 is a bill to designate the old Runnels, and I believe it is appro- Richardson Avenues in Roswell, New Mexico, Federal building in Roswell, New Mex- priate 23 years later to return the shall be known and designated as the ‘‘Joe favor. Skeen Federal Building’’. ico, as the Joe Skeen Federal Building, in honor of a former Member here, Con- Joe Skeen won his election with a SEC. 2. REFERENCES. successful write-in campaign. It was Any reference in a law, map, regulation, gressman Joe Skeen. document, paper, or other record of the Congressman Skeen was born in only the third such victory in the his- United States to the Federal building re- Roswell, New Mexico, in 1927, and as a tory of the United States Congress, and ferred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be young man, he served a 1-year enlist- during his nearly 22 years in the House a reference to the ‘‘Joe Skeen Federal Build- ment in the Navy and served in the Air of Representatives, he was a defender, ing’’. Force Reserves from 1949 to 1952. In a staunch defender, of New Mexico’s The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- 1950, he got his Texas marks by grad- rural lifestyle and its farming and ant to the rule, the gentleman from uating from Texas A&M University. ranching interests. Georgia (Mr. BURNS) and the gentle- He was elected to Congress in 1980 as Even as Parkinson’s began to claim woman from Texas (Ms. EDDIE BERNICE a write-in candidate in the general his speech in his later years, Joe’s JOHNSON) each will control 20 minutes. election. He was only the third person sense of humor remained intact, and it The Chair recognizes the gentleman in the Nation’s history to win a U.S. is one of the things that all of us here from Georgia (Mr. BURNS). House seat through this type of effort. treasure about him. Just about every- Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield my- For more than 2 decades, he served the body in this body has a Joe Skeen self such time as I may consume. people of the 2nd district in New Mex- story, something that makes us smile. H.R. 3734, introduced by my col- ico with distinction and devotion, and I One always knew if they had to go to league, the gentlewoman from New had the pleasure of serving with him. talk to Joe about something, they Mexico (Mrs. WILSON), designates the As Congressman, he focused his en- might as well start smiling because be- Federal building located at Fifth and ergy and interests on agriculture, na- fore it was over he was going to make Richardson Avenues in Roswell, New tional defense, and public land manage- them laugh. Mexico, as the Joe Skeen Federal ment. In 1985, he became a member of After 11 terms in the United States Building. the House Committee on Appropria- Congress, Joe decided to return to his Congressman Skeen was born and tions, and in 1995, he became Chair of ranch, a place that he described as raised on his family’s farm outside of the Committee on Appropriations, Sub- being ‘‘at the center of my upbringing Roswell, New Mexico. In 1948, Congress- committee on Agriculture, Rural De- and which shaped my character and man Skeen enlisted in the United velopment, Food and Drug Administra- principles in life.’’ States Navy and served for 1 year be- tion and Related Agencies. At the be- Joe’s ranch in Picacho is 17 miles fore transferring to the United States ginning of the 107th Congress, he was from pavement, and Joe was never a Air Force Reserves, where he served named the Chair of the Subcommittee gentleman farmer. He was a farmer, a from 1949 until 1952. on Interior and Related Agencies. rancher and a gentleman. He could be VerDate Aug 04 2004 03:17 Sep 23, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00044 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K22SE7.117 H22PT1.