Thursday, the Frank Leone Post Office Act (H.R. 6428) unanimously passed the Oversight and Government Reform Committee with bipartisan support and will now head for a full floor vote in the of the House of Representatives. The bipartisan bill, led by Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and supported by the full New Jersey Congressional delegation, will rename the United States Postal Service facility located at 332 Ramapo Valley Road in Oakland, New Jersey the “Frank Leone Post Office.”
“I am proud of this important step toward honoring a brave veteran and a loyal public servant,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “To me, there is no commitment more sacred than the one to those who have bravely served our nation. For decades, Frank was a force for good in his community and for his country and it is only right that he receives the recognition he deserves. I want to thank the entire New Jersey delegation, both Democrats and Republicans, for coming together to support this commonsense bill.”
In July, Gottheimer announced the introduction of the bipartisan Frank Leone Post Office Act at the Oakland Senior Center with Frank’s family, including his widow Ellen, veterans from the American Legion Post 369 and across Bergen County, and local elected officials.
Frank Leone served our nation in the Navy during World War II. He honorably served as a flight deck crewman aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kearsarge—a ship Frank’s father helped build. After returning, Frank moved to Oakland with his wife Ellen, where, in 1967, he was formally appointed Postmaster of the Oakland Post Office by President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was the last presidentially appointed Postmaster in New Jersey.
Frank served as Postmaster for 48 years, during which time he also served as the President of the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, an active member of the American Legion Post 369 and the Franklin Lakes VFW, Oakland’s Fire Chief, Director of Emergency Management, and Civil Defense Defender, a Deacon at the Ramapo Valley Baptist Church, and the National Vice President of the National Association of Postmasters.
The bill is the result of nearly four years of hard work by Frank’s family, friends, former colleagues, and local elected officials, including Oakland Mayor Linda Schwager and members of the Oakland Council. The bill is cosponsored by the entire New Jersey Delegation — Representatives Norcross, LoBiondo, MacArthur, Smith, Pallone, Lance, Sires, Pascrell, Payne, Frelinghuysen, and Watson Coleman.
The full text of the bill can be found here.