Congress is about to honor U.S. District Judge John Roll, killed last month in the Arizona shooting rampage, by naming a new courthouse for him.
The House today will vote on a bill by Arizona Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl, both Republicans, to put Roll's name on the new facility in Yuma. Construction is supposed to begin in July and the courthouse should be completed by 2013, the senators said.
The Senate passed the bill by voice vote earlier this month.
Roll stopped by the "Congress on Your Corner" event held by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., on Jan. 8. Giffords was shot in the head and six people, including Roll, died in the attack.
Roll, 63, was a "tireless advocate for all Arizonans, working to guarantee the federal courts in our state were capable of handing the growing caseload while ensuring swift justice for all," the senators said.
McCain recommended Roll for the federal bench. President George H.W. Bush nominated Roll for the position in 1991 and Roll was confirmed by the U.S. Senate later that year. He was elevated to chief judge for Arizona in 2006.
