David Dreier

Mr. DREIER

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman would yield, I say to my chairman, ``I'd like to think I'm ready, willing, and able.'' Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Volkmer], my good friend.

Mr. DREIER. That is exactly what I was going to say. There are many people who would like to believe that January 4th ended the process of political and congressional reform. Nothing could be further from the truth because we plan to continue. My friend knows we passed a resolution in the Republican conference which calls for further review of the reforms that have been implemented. What we plan to do is to continue this process because we cannot reverse 40 years of one-party control and what existed here overnight. So I thank my friend and appreciate his remarks.

Mr. DREIER. That is just what I was going to say.

Mr. DREIER

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, might I inquire how much time remains on both sides?

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend, the gentleman from Idaho Falls, ID [Mr. Crapo].

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, the eight reform items considered previously represent the most visible elements of the House Republican reform agenda. These reforms, combined with the 23 additional changes made to the House rules in title II of this resolution, send a clear message to the American people that Congress is serious about changing the way Washington does business. Mr. Speaker, the need for the changes in title II is compelling. The rules governing committee jurisdictions and the general procedures governing the House are ineffective and out-of-date. They breed bureaucratic inertia and rigidity, and they are a hindrance to setting priorities and carrying out agendas. The rules governing the administration of the House have bred a patronage system that has brought scandal and embarrassment to this institution and have weakened both the public's image and the effectiveness of Congress. The reforms in title II are intended to make the House more accountable, professionalize the administrative management, and rebuild public confidence in representative government. Adoption of title II will bring about dramatic change to this institution while maintaining a structure of rules that achieve what Thomas Jefferson called ``a uniformity of proceeding in business'' and the ``order, decency, and regularity'' of a dignified public body. These reforms are long overdue. They have the support of the American people, and they deserve our strong support. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to clarify some of the committee jurisdiction changes contained in section 202 of House Resolution 5. The jurisdiction of the Committee on Agriculture is amended to include inspection of livestock, and poultry, and meat products, and seafood and seafood products. As a result, the food inspection programs of the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration are consolidated under the Committee on Agriculture. The current jurisdictional arrangement with respect to food safety activities will remain in the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The committee's jurisdiction is also been amended to include water conservation related to activities of the Department of Agriculture. This grants the committee jurisdiction over any measure that changes section 6217 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 with respect to agricultural activities in coastal zone areas. The Committee on Banking and Financial Services retains all of the existing authority of the Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs from the 103d Congress over financial services providers generally, including the activities and supervision of depository institutions and any affiliates. The committee's jurisdiction has been expanded, as well as clarified by this resolution. The committee is given jurisdiction over bank capital markets activities. In response to technological and market innovations, banks have sought to continue to service their traditional customer base by providing certain types of investment banking or functionally similar capital market services. The committee has jurisdiction over these capital markets activities engaged in by banks which include, but are not limited to, acting as a government securities broker or dealer under the Government Securities Act, acting as a municipal securities broker or dealer under section 15B of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, acting as an investment advisor under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, providing loan guarantees and other similar off-balance sheet support, privately placing securities, securitizing loan assets of any type, syndicating and selling bank loans, engaging in transactions involving exchange-traded and over-the- counter derivatives, and engaging in transactions involving other types of qualified financial contracts as that term is described in section 11(d) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act. A comprehensive summary of bank capital markets activities as industry practices have defined this term are contained in A Guide to the Capital Markets Activities of Banks and Bank Holding Companies (1990). In addition, the committee's jurisdiction is amended to expressly include depository institution securities activities generally, including the activities of any affiliate, except for the functional regulation under applicable securities laws not involving safety and soundness. This clarifies the committee's primary jurisdiction over the Glass-Steagall Act. It should be noted that the term ``depository institution'' specifically includes ``non-bank banks'' grandfathered under the Competitive Equality Banking Act of 1987 and the committee has jurisdiction over any affiliate of a non-bank bank, other than a registered broker-dealer. Depository institution securities activities under the committee's jurisdiction would include any activity involving bank-eligible securities as described in section 5136 of the Revised Statutes (12 U.S.C. 24) and any securities activity incidental to carrying on the business of banking. It would also include any activities by depository institutions, their holding companies, and any affiliates to: First, underwrite, deal in, broker, or distribute securities of any type, and engage in other securities activities as permitted by the appropriate federal banking agencies; Second, sponsor, organize, control, manage, and act as investment adviser to an investment company; Third, engage in, or acquire the shares of any company engaged in any securities activity so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident thereto. A list of current securities-related activities under the committee's jurisdiction that have been determined to be so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident thereto is described in Federal Reserve Board Regulation Y (12 CFR 225.25). Any securities activity conducted by a depository institution, its holding company, or any affiliate in a registered broker-dealer should be functionally regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under applicable securities laws and the appropriate Federal banking agency jointly. The SEC would functionally regulate a registered broker-dealer affiliated with a depository institution for purposes of compliance with the legal and regulatory framework generally established for registered broker-dealers under the securities laws. SEC functional regulation under applicable securities laws will not be included in the committee's jurisdiction. Registered broker-dealers affiliated with insured institutions will also be supervised by the appropriate Federal banking agency, most likely the Federal Reserve Board, for compliance with applicable Federal banking laws and for purposes of protecting the safety and soundness of affiliated insured institutions. Supervision for safety and soundness purposes institution by the appropriate Federal banking agency is maintained within the committee's jurisdiction. Several significant changes are made to the jurisdiction of the Committee on Commerce formerly the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Those changes include the transfer of jurisdiction over the inspection programs of the Food and Drug Administration to the Committee on Agriculture. The current jurisdictional arrangement with respect to food safety activities would remain in the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities will retain the jurisdictional authority of the Committee on Education and Labor from the 103d Congress. The Committee on Government Reform and Oversight combines the jurisdiction of the former 103d Congress committees on the District of Columbia, Government Operations, and Post Office and Civil Service. The resolution clarifies the committee's jurisdiction over the Federal Paperwork Reduction Act. It also clarifies the committee's jurisdiction over public information and records as they pertain to the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act. This should not be construed to affect the jurisdiction of the Committee on House Oversight with respect to the Government Printing Office, or the Library of Congress, or House Information Systems, or the dissemination of such government information to the public. The Committee on House Oversight retains the jurisdictional authority of the Committee on House Administration from the 103d Congress, with the addition of jurisdiction over the Franking Commission. Jurisdiction over measures relating to the erection of monuments to the memory of individuals is transferred to the Committee on Resources. The Committee on International Relations retains the jurisdictional authority of the Committee on Foreign Affairs from the 103d Congress. The jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary is amended to include administrative practice and procedure. This is added to reinforce the fact that, since 1946, the committee has had jurisdiction over the Administrative Procedures Act and the rights and remedies under administrative law. The Committee on National Security retains the jurisdictional authority of the Committee on Armed Services from the 103d Congress. Jurisdiction added to the committee includes tactical intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the Department of Defense. This clarifies the existing relationship between the committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The Committee on Resources retains the authority of the Committee on Natural Resources from the 103d Congress, with the addition of some jurisdictions formerly vested in the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, the Committee on House Administration, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce from the 103d Congress. The jurisdiction of the Committee on Small Business is amended to include measures relating to the Regulatory Flexibility Act and the Paperwork Reduction Act as they affect small business. The Committee on Science retains the jurisdictional authority of the Committee on Science, Space and Technology from the 103d Congress. Jurisdiction added to the committee includes marine research, which was formerly vested in the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries from the 103d Congress. This jurisdiction includes, but is not limited to, Coast and Geodetic Survey, Regional Marine Research Programs, Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, Global Climate Change, Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment, National Undersea Research Program, NOAA Corps, and NOAA fleet; and The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure retains the jurisdictional authority of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation from the 103d Congress. Jurisdiction added to the Committee includes Federal management of emergencies and natural disasters. This language is added to reflect an agreement reached in the 103d Congress between the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Public Works and Transportation. It transfers nearly all of the responsibility for the authorization and oversight of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Additionally, it is my understanding that, based on an agreement with the Office of Management and Budget, programs related to this jurisdictional transfer will be moved out of budget function 050 to the budget function dealing with public works. Jurisdiction over measures relating to merchant marine, except for national security aspects of merchant marine will be further clarified by a memorandum of understanding between the National Security Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. In addition, the committee is granted jurisdiction over marine affairs, including coastal zone management, as they related to oil and other pollution of navigable waters. This vests the committee with primary jurisdiction over all aspects of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, and the coastal nonpoint pollution program established in section 6217 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to our new colleague, the gentleman from Friendswood, TX [Mr. Stockman]. (Mr. STOCKMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend, the gentleman from Long Beach, CA [Mr. Horn].

Mr. DREIER

Mr. DREIER. I thank my friend, the gentleman from Glens Falls, the soon to be chairman of the Committee on Rules, for yielding me this time, Mr. Speaker. Let me just say that as I have listened to the words from my very dear friend, the gentleman from Mount Clemens, MI [Mr. Bonior], who has described this as a closed rule, I have to say that it is absolutely preposterous to claim that what is clearly the most open rule on an opening day in recent congressional history is closed. Now, in the past we have regularly seen basically a single up-or-down vote, but as Speaker Gingrich said in his remarks earlier, we are going to be today casting votes on eight different provisions, providing Members with the opportunity to look at virtually every aspect of the preamble of our contract with America. As I listen to the arguments about a closed rule here, I cannot help but think about the fact that nearly every single week during the second session of the 103d Congress I stood right there at that desk and asked the majority leader, the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Gephardt], or his representative, the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Bonior], or the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Hoyer], or another Member when we could expect the congressional reform package to get to the House floor. Mr. Speaker, the response was regularly ``Well, we are hoping that we will be able to get it up first in early spring of 1994.'' Then it was late spring, then early summer, then midsummer then before we adjourned for August, and then after August it was before we adjourned. As we all know very well, at the end of the 103d Congress, we got a little speck and nothing more than that when we passed this rule calling for congressional compliance. It seems to me that as we look at this issue, this issue is a very important one which we have struggled to get our friends who were formerly in the majority to bring to the House floor, and because of their recalcitrance on the issue of congressional reform over the past 2 years, we are on the opening day bringing these reforms as expeditiously as we possibly can. Why? Because we have debated these throughout virtually every campaign. On every measure that dealt with the issue of congressional reform, I attempted to defeat the previous question, to make in order our congressional reform package, which again had been promised for consideration by the leadership in the past. I believe very strongly that this rule is going to allow us to have free, fair, and open debate on this extraordinarily important issue, on this extraordinarily important day. I say we have got to get the job of congressional reform completed and completed today, so that we can do what the American people are anticipating from us in the next 100 days.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, as we proceed with the most open debate in congressional history, I would like to yield 1 minute to my friend, the gentleman from Ocala, FL [Mr. Stearns].

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, as we continue debate under the most open process in congressional history, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to my friend, the gentleman from Roanoke, VA [Mr. Goodlatte].

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, as we continue with debate on the most open, open reform package that has come to this floor on an opening day, I yield 30 seconds to a very hard-working member of the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress, my friend and classmate, the gentleman from Cape Girardeau, MO [Mr. Emerson]. (Mr. EMERSON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, as we continue with the most open and free debate in the history of congressional history on any opening day, I yield 2 minutes to my very good friend, the gentleman from Glenwood Springs, CO [Mr. McInnis], a new member of the Committee on Rules.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, as we continue with this freest and most open debate in congressional history, I yield 2 minutes to my friend, the gentleman from Greensboro, NC [Mr. Coble].

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 seconds to the gentlewoman from North Carolina [Mrs. Clayton].

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my friend, the gentleman from Cleveland, OH [Mr. Hoke].

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield 1 minute to a very distinguished new Member, the gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. Graham]. (Mr. GRAHAM asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, as we continue with the most open debate in congressional history on opening day, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the chairman emeritus of the Committee on Rules, my friend the gentleman from Kingsport, TN [Mr. Quillen]. (Mr. QUILLEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Omaha, NE [Mr. Christensen], a new Member who has joined us. (Mr. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Miami, FL [Mr. Diaz-Balart], a new member of the Committee on Rules. great parliamentary debaters on the other side of the aisle. Accordingly, I submit that they must do much better than this, to divert the attention of the American people from what we are doing today. What we are doing today is requiring all laws that apply to the rest of the country to apply to Congress. We are cutting the number of committee staff by a third. We are limiting the terms of committee chairs and subcommittee chairmanships to 6 years. We are banning the scandalous practice, scandalous practice, called proxy voting where Members did not have to go to a committee, and then the chairman, even if they did not have anybody there, did not have any of the Democrats there, they would ultimately win because he had the proxies of all the Members here, truly scandalous, profoundly undemocratic, conduct. That is what we are banning today. That is what we are doing in these rules. And what the Democrats now are saying is, ``Ah.'' They are using the parliamentary tactic of there is the Christmas gift for all children in the world is missing from this rules package. It is not going to work. That is not going to divert the attention of the American people from what we are doing today, and they are going to know what we are doing, they deserve what we are doing, and we are going to do it today.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, let me say with all due respect to my colleagues that I have never heard such preposterous arguments in my entire 14 years as a Member of this House, and let me say that this clearly is the most open debate that we have ever experienced on opening day in the history of the U.S. Congress. It is exactly what Speaker Gingrich has called for, and it is exactly what we are creating. Now, over the past 2 years I had the privilege, mostly during calendar year 1993, to work with my friends, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon], the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Walker], the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Emerson], the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. Allard], the gentlewoman from Washington [Ms. Dunn] as Republican members of the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress. We were charged with dealing with major reform in this institution. Reform in this institution is going to help working Americans because we are, by nearly 25 percent, reducing the number of committees in this place so we do not have 109 committees and subcommittees with jurisdiction over the Pentagon, 52 subcommittees and full committees with jurisdiction over programs dealing with children and families, and 92 subcommittees and committees dealing with the Environmental Protection Agency. We are creating an institution that is more accountable. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, the majority in years past has prevented us from having the opportunity to even consider those things. On this opening day we are doing it. We are doing it under the most open process in the history of this institution, and I thank my friends for joining with us. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.