A southwest Houston post office will be renamed after slain U.S. Army Spc. Vanessa Guillén after a vote in Congress Wednesday.
The post office, currently named Park Place and located in the 5300 block of Galveston Road, is just a few minutes away from where Guillen lived with her family. After the bill's passage it will be changed to the Vanessa Guillén Post Office Building.
U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, sponsored the bill and said the renaming would serve as a reminder of Guillén's legacy.
My bill to name a Houston area postal office in honor of SPC Vanessa Guillén passed the House.
Vanessa has a very special place in the heart of my constituents and the Houston area.
Thanks to my colleagues who voted in support of honoring Vanessa. Her legacy shines bright. pic.twitter.com/yjBdrXSxKg
— Rep. Sylvia Garcia (@RepSylviaGarcia) May 11, 2022
"With her tragic death came a landmark change in the military," Garcia said. "Not just here in the states but in every military installation in the world that we have a base in, whether it's Army or Navy or Marines."
Guillén was killed by another soldier in 2020. It was subsequently found that soldier had been sexually harassing Guillén and Army officials did not take any action. A series of reforms were passed by Congress in the wake of Guillén’s death and signed into law at the end of 2021.