HR-4283-119
Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
Sponsored by Darrell Issa (R-CA)
What it does
This bill would officially rename the U.S. Postal Service facility at 1157 West Mission Avenue in Escondido, California, as the "Captain E. Royce Williams Post Office Building." It would also require that any future references to this facility in official government documents, maps, regulations, and records use the new name.
Who benefits
Captain E. Royce Williams and his family, who would receive public recognition through the naming. Residents of Escondido, California, who may value the local commemoration of a military figure. Veterans' groups and military communities who support honoring service members. Local historians and those who follow naval aviation history.
Who is hurt
No group faces a direct material harm from this bill. The U.S. Postal Service would incur minor administrative costs to update signage and records. Taxpayers bear those minimal costs, though they are not expected to be significant.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that Captain E. Royce Williams performed an extraordinary act of service — reportedly engaging multiple enemy aircraft in combat during the Korean War — and that naming a public facility in his honor is a fitting and low-cost way for Congress to recognize exceptional military valor. They contend that commemorative designations like this one carry no policy controversy and serve the important civic function of preserving the memory of distinguished service members for future generations.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that Congress spends a disproportionate share of its limited floor time on commemorative naming bills — hundreds are passed each session — at the expense of more substantive legislation. They contend that local governments or the Postal Service itself could handle such designations administratively, and that the cumulative opportunity cost of processing dozens of naming bills annually represents an inefficient use of the federal legislative process.