John Linder

Mr. LINDER

Mr. LINDER. Regular order.

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I reassert my same point of order. The gentleman is referring to matters before the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

Mr. LINDER. Point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, point of order.

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to a point of order.

Mr. LINDER. The gentleman is referring to matters appropriately before the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, and he is explicitly out of order.

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to a point of order.

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman is referring to matters before the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, and she is specifically ignoring the rules of the House.

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, further point of order. The gentlewoman is now referring to matters before the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct with respect to the outside council and she is explicitly ignoring the rules of the House.

Mr. LINDER. Point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. LINDER. The gentleman is referring to matters before the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. He is ignoring the House rules one more time. At what point, Mr. Speaker, do we go back to regular order, to obeying the House rules so we can conduct our business?

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman is referring to matters before the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct one more time. This is the third or fourth admonition by the Chair. Apparently, he does not understand the rules. Would you please explain them one more time?

Mr. LINDER. Point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. LINDER. Point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, point of order.

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman is referring to matters before the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, which is explicitly forbidden by House rules.

Mr. LINDER. Point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. LINDER. The gentleman is continuing to refer to matters in spite of recent admonitions by the Chair that he is not complying with the House rules. He continues to abuse the House rules referring to matters before the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

Mr. LINDER. The gentleman in the well is making characterizations of allegations that are nowhere in any reports that anyone knows of. He is characterizing the Speaker and he is out of order.

Mr. LINDER

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, it is always humorous to listen to the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Klink] stand here and complain about this Congress. The gentleman said that the Accountability Act was one that he introduced in the 103d Congress. That was a Democrat Congress with a Democrat President, and he could not get it passed. We have heard that the minimum wage was a Democratic initiative, but they had a Democrat Congress and a Democrat President in the 103d and they could not get it passed. This Congress has also imposed congressional reforms and the line- item veto. Indeed, 7 of the 14 accomplishments listed by the President in his acceptance speech in Chicago were items in the Contract With America that he signed. Seventy percent of that contract is signed into law and the President is proudly taking credit for it. This has been a successful Congress. We have achieved much telecommunications reform, welfare reform, the Farm Act. We have achieved much, but we have much left to do, and we intend to be back here in the majority in January, completing our work.

Mr. LINDER

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Moakley], pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. LINDER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks and to include extraneous material) Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 540 provides for the consideration of the conference report for H.R. 3539, Federal Aviation Reauthorization. House Resolution 540 is a typical House rule for a conference report. The rule waives all points of order against the conference report and against its consideration, and the conference report shall be considered as read. The House understands the importance of the timely consideration of this bill, and the Rules Committee favorably approved this rule yesterday. It is imperative that this bill be enacted into law soon so that airport improvement funds can be released across the country by the end of the month. We are close to completing the work of the 104th Congress, and the House cannot delay sending the President this legislation for his signature; therefore, I urge adoption of this rule so that we can get on with debate and passage of this essential legislation. As a conferee on the section of this legislation under the jurisdiction of the Rules Committee, I want to commend Chairman Bud Shuster, and Bill Clinger, and John Duncan for their hard work in resolving the differences that remained between the House and the Senate legislation. The conferees had to balance an assortment of concerns, and the resulting product closely resembles the FAA reauthorization bill that passed the House. The conference report authorizes the Federal Aviation Administration's major program for 2 years and provides about $19 billion dollars for FAA operations, airport grants, and FAA facilities, equipment, and research. This legislation reforms the FAA, authorizes the necessary funding to increase aviation safety and security, and assures expanded aircraft inspection. These are provisions that are vital to provide the effective services and protection that the American public deserves. I also want to comment on a number of notable items in the bill. First, the conference report authorizes an airport privatization pilot program that will allow five airports to be either sold or to enter into long term leases. The pilot program gives us an opportunity to observe the ability of the private sector to introduce the necessary capital and efficiencies that may help to advance our current airport system into the 21st century. Another significant provision in the conference report is a requirement that the National Transportation Safety Board serve as the responsible contact following an accident. Under these requirements, the NTSB would designate an independent, non-profit entity to provide emotional care and support for the families of any passenger involved in an accident. It is crucial that we provide family members with information about their loved ones, and this provision helps provide the care that is needed under the most horrible of circumstances. Finally, this Nation has seen a disturbing rise in the practice of lawyers immediately harassing the grieving families of victims following an accident. I am particularly pleased this bill protects passengers and family members by prohibiting unsolicited contacts from lawyers until 30 days after an accident. It is a compassionate provision that deserves our support. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the rule so that we may proceed with the debate and consideration of a conference report that contains these meaningful FAA reforms, vital transportation resources and significant safety and security protections for American families across the nation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Shuster], chairman of the Committee on Transportation.

Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.