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Opposition from Republican lawmakers has apparently halted a bid to name Berkeley’s main post office after the 93-year-old local civil rights icon Maudelle Shirek. 

Earlier this month, GOP leaders abruptly withdrew the bill introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) from a vote on the floor of the House. 

Ceremonial matters like the naming of a post office typically sail through the Congress, but according to published report in The Hill, a weekly congressional newspaper, “Certain members in the California delegation believe that Shirek is a socialist or a communist.” 

Shirek, who reportedly once dined with Fidel Castro, served on the Berkeley City Council for 20 years before losing her bid for re-election last year. She was a seminal figure in the local civil rights movement and played a major role in combating housing discrimination in Berkeley. Shirek did not return phone calls for this story. 

Robert White, a spokesperson for the House Government Reform Committee, which has jurisdiction over the bill, said the committee removed it because of opposition from other California representatives. 

The committee, White said, typically doesn’t move ceremonial bills unless they have the support of the entire state delegation. In the case of the Shirek bill, White said, Committee Chair Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) agreed to move the bill as long as no one in the state delegation opposed it. 

But that’s just what a couple of members did, White said. He added that he wasn’t aware of which members raised objections or the nature of their concerns. 

Shirek’s friends were puzzled to hear that the bill had been derailed. “I definitely want to know who blocked it,” said Dale Bartlett, her former legislative aide. 

For her part Lee remained optimistic she could still honor the woman she considers a mentor. 

“Well, you would never want to bet on the schedule in Congress, but I am hopeful that we will pass this bill and honor a woman whose leadership, service and commitment to our community have been an inspiration to us all,” she said in a released statement. 

To win passage for the legislation, Lee will either have to resolve the objections of her colleagues in the state delegation or persuade Davis to move the bill in spite of the opposition, White said. 

Lee has signed on 43 colleagues as co-sponsors for the bill. Nearly all of the nine members of the state delegation not co-sponsoring the legislation are Republicans. 

One of the 11 Republicans to sign on to the bill, Rep. Mary Bono (R-Palm Springs), recently considered withdrawing her support, a spokesperson said. “It was something we talked about because other members were pulling off, but she decided to stay on,” said Kimberly Pencille. 

According to congressional records, Rep. John Doolittle (R-Roseville), who initially co-sponsored the bill, has withdrawn his support. 

If Lee ultimately wins passage for the bill, the post office building at 2000 Allston Way will be recognized as the “Maudelle Shirek Post Office Building.” 

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