House passes Kiggans bill honoring WWII veteran Shames

House approves designation

The House passed Kiggans’ bill to give a Virginia Beach post office the name of Col. Edward D. Shames, a World War II veteran. The vote advances the proposed federal designation beyond the House. House passage is a key legislative step, but it does not by itself put the post office name into federal law. The measure concerns the official name of a federal postal facility in Virginia Beach.

What the action means

Post office naming measures follow the federal legislative process. After House passage, the Senate must approve the measure in the same form before it can be presented to the president. If the Senate changes the text, both chambers must agree on identical language before the measure can move forward. Under the usual route, a presidential signature would then enact the designation. Until those remaining steps occur, the House vote represents approval by one chamber rather than a completed name change.

The proposal honors Shames through the name attached to a public facility, rather than through a new government program. Its subject is commemorative: the official designation of a post office for a World War II veteran. The action is not directly connected to a candidate race or election. The next public milestones are Senate consideration and, if Congress completes its work, presidential action.