Former President Bill Clinton will be honored by namesake as a major political figure and environmental pioneer after having the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially rename its headquarters the "William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building" on Wednesday.
In a honorary renaming ceremony held today, Clinton joins just under two dozen individuals who have had a federal building in Washington, D.C., the nation's capital, after him, according to a report from the Washington Post.
ThinkProgress.org reports that last December Congress passed legislation that would rename the EPA building after Clinton. This was an appropriate bid to the President who, while known for his work on balancing the budget and similar accomplishments, worked hard, hand-in-hand with former Vice President Al Gore to make major strides in cleaning up the environment.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Clinton acknowledged during the renaming ceremony that the honor could very well have gone to Gore, who effectively spearheaded the environmental campaigns during Clinton's time in office.
However, it was agreed upon by those in attendance that the renaming wasn't so much a tribute to Clinton himself, but what his administration stood for.
"I think it more than sort of fits, not for me, but for what we did," Clinton said.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee first proposed dedicating the building to Clinton, and she was one of many who spoke at the ceremony today. Following Boxer's introduction, Carol Browner, who led Clinton's EPA from 1993-2001 gave a moving tribute to the 42nd president.
"Thank you, Mr. President for what you have continued to do on behalf of the global environment...You have proven and continue to prove that real action on climate change is achievable," Browner said. "I can think of no better recognition of your leadership and ongoing commitment to finding the environmental solution of today that that this building bear your name."