Steven LaTourette

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), the author and champion of the legislation and, again, in his very first year in Congress.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4470) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to extend the authorization of appropriations for the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program from fiscal year 2005 to 2010, as amended.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4470, to reauthorize the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Program. Working with the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker) and other Members, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter) developed legislation during his very first year in the Congress to authorize EPA to help people in Louisiana and Mississippi address pollution problems affecting Lake Pontchartrain. Their legislation, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Act, was enacted into law as title V of the Estuaries and Clean Water Act of 2000. Now, 4 years later, it is now time to reauthorize Lake Pontchartrain Basin Program. H.R. 4470, introduced by the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson) the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), would reauthorize the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program for an addition will 5 years. I want to commend all of the sponsors for their efforts to restore the ecological health of Lake Pontchartrain, and I urge all Members to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 1134) to reauthorize and improve the program authorized by the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, S. 1134, the Economic Development Reauthorization Act of 2004, which was passed by the Senate last night, reflects the bipartisan, bicameral work of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Environment and Public Works Committee of the Senate. This bill is virtually identical to H.R. 2535 which passed the House by a voice vote on October 21 of last year. The changes that were made to the bill in the Senate, I believe, are very straightforward, and while we may not agree with all of them, were agreed to in the spirit of compromise. This legislation will provide the important resources in these economically distressed areas to support the revitalization of communities through public works projects, creation of business incubators, support for business clusters, as well as a number of other important programs. I encourage our colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello), who was the ranking member in our subcommittee in the last Congress and is a great bipartisan partner. I want to congratulate the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for working with us on this bill. I want to thank not only our staff on the Republican side, but also the staff on the Democratic side for making this be a truly bipartisan, good piece of legislation. I want to thank Dr. Sampson who is the Assistant Secretary for shepherding this bill through both chambers and achieving a successful result. Lastly, I want to thank Danielle from the Majority Leader's office for making sure we could speak tonight and get this good piece of legislation taken care of. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, on that, I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4470, H.R. 4794, H.R. 5163, and S. 1134.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. At this point I will insert into the Record an exchange of letters between the chairman of our full committee, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) regarding H.R. 5163. Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, Committee on Government Reform, Washington, DC, October 6, 2004. Hon. Don Young, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Young: I am writing regarding H.R. 5163, ``Norman Y. Mineta Research and Special Programs Improvement Act.'' As you know, the bill includes provisions within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Government Reform. Specifically, the Committee has jurisdiction over the Executive Schedule Pay Rate in Title 5 of the U.S. Code. In the interests of moving this important legislation forward, I will agree to waive sequential consideration of this bill by the Committee on Government Reform. However, I do so only with the understanding that this procedural route should not be construed to prejudice the Committee on Government Reform's jurisdictional interest and prerogatives on this bill or other similar legislation. I respectfully request your support for the appointment of outside conferees from the Committee on Government Reform should this bill or a similar Senate bill be considered in conference with the Senate. Finally, I would ask that you include a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter in the committee report and in the Congressional Record during floor consideration. Thank you for your assistance and cooperation in this matter. Sincerely, Tom Davis Chairman.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Norman Y. Mineta Research and Special Programs Improvement Act Reorganizes the current Research and Special Programs Administration to two new administrations: the Research and Innovative Technologies Administration, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. The new Research and Innovative Technologies Administration will have the research authority currently exercised by the Research and Special Programs Administration. This includes the coordination, facilitation, and review of the department's research and development programs and activities; the advancement of innovative technologies and intelligent transportation systems; and any other research authority that the Secretary deems appropriate. The new Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration will hold the authority currently exercised by the Research and Special Programs Administration with regard to pipeline safety and will also include all current law hazardous materials authority exercised by the Office of Hazardous Materials. As the caption of the bill indicates, Mr. Speaker, I would say that, when I was first elected in 1995, Norm Mineta was the ranking Democrat on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. I found him to be, and he continues to be a wonderful, was a wonderful Member of Congress, a true leader in transportation. He is now, of course, the current Secretary of the Department of Transportation, and I can think of no more fitting honor than to name this new administration in his honor. I urge all of our colleagues to pass the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5163) to amend title 49, United States Code, to provide the Department of Transportation a more focused research organization with an emphasis on innovative technology, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), one of the champions of this legislation

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, the guest chaplain today is the Reverend William Alvey from the Park United Methodist Church in Madison, Ohio. His appearance here today started out last Memorial Day. He was giving the invocation at the J. Wilson VFW Post on Memorial Day and indicated that he was thinking about retiring in the near future, and one of the things that he would like to do was give the opening prayer at the House of Representatives. I am honored to have known Reverend Alvey for nearly a decade, I want to welcome him and 47 people who rode up on a bus from Madison, Ohio, to be with Reverend Alvey today and who have joined us this morning. Reverend Alvey is in his 41st year with the United Methodist Church, and has been at the Madison Park United Methodist Church since 1995. Reverend Alvey is a fixture in the Madison community, and I want to thank him for his distinguished service to the church and to our community, and it is my pleasure to welcome him here this morning.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to support passage of the bill. I again want to congratulate the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), and look forward to sporting a new Washington Delegates baseball cap in the near future. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1402) to designate a United States courthouse in Brownsville, Texas, as the ``Garza-Vela United States Courthouse,'' as amended.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1402 introduced by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz) designates the United States courthouse located in Brownsville, Texas, as the Reynaldo G. Garza and Filemon B. Vela United States Courthouse. This legislation honors two men who were pioneers, as well as judicial giants, yet at the same time two men who made time for family and community. Reynaldo Guerra Garza was born in Brownsville, Texas in 1915 and spent his lifetime working in and serving that community as an attorney in the Army Air Corps and as a Federal judge committed to protecting the rights of legal immigrants. President Kennedy appointed Judge Garza to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in 1961. At that time, Judge Garza became the first Mexican American on any U.S. District Court. In 1979, when President Jimmy Carter appointed Judge Garza to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, he became the first Mexican American to gain that honor as well. Filemon Bartolome Vela was born in Arlington, Texas in 1936 and attended the Harlingen public schools. Like Judge Garza, he dedicated his life to South Texas, first as a State judge, and then as a Federal judge, taking over the seat vacated by Judge Garza upon his appointment to the circuit court of appeals. Judge Vela is perhaps best known in the community for his work with the schools, speaking to children on career days and encouraging youth to get an education by supporting literacy programs. Each of these gentleman succumbed to their illnesses in the past year. This naming is a fitting tribute to their dedicated service. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I also want to recognize my colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz), for his dedication in bringing this legislation to the floor. I thank him for ensuring that these men are recognized for their service. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5105) to authorize the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to carry out construction and related activities in support of the collaborative Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) project on Kitt Peak near Tucson, Arizona.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to begin this evening by congratulating the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia on the impending return of Major League Baseball to the Washington, D.C., area. I would only ask if she could use her considerable clout to get the new team located in the American League, and I could watch the Cleveland Indians play here in the Nation's Capital. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5105, introduced by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney), my good friend, authorizes site development and construction of support facilities for the VERITAS project at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona. I want to pause for a minute because this particular piece of legislation has been sort of a tug of war with our good friends in the Parliamentarian's Office and our good friends in the Committee on House Administration, together with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. And I want to commend the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney), chairman of the Committee on House Administration, for working with us. Those of us who love and enjoy the jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure believe that this is a piece of legislation and this is a project that belongs solely within our jurisdiction. We have an artistic difference with some of our friends, and we have worked through that. So, again, I want to thank the parliamentarians and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) for getting us to this point this evening. This project, carried out by the Smithsonian Institution in conjunction with nearly a dozen universities from the United States, U.K., Canada, and Ireland, the new telescopic array will be able to see gamma rays, which are not visible from traditional earth-based telescopes. The ability to view gamma-ray radiation will allow scientists to learn new things about the universe including shedding light on previously unseen parts of the universe. Gamma rays are only produced with high-energy galactic events such as exploding stars, pulsars, quasars and black holes. The new telescopic array will be able to view these gamma rays by observing the secondary radiation created when the gamma rays hit the earth's atmosphere. The VERITAS telescope will increase the viewable power by a factor of ten, making it one of the most powerful gamma-ray telescopes on the planet. This is an important scientific project, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3124) to designate the facility of the United States Geological Survey and the United States Bureau of Reclamation located at 230 Collins Road, Boise, Idaho, as the ``F.H. Newell Building''.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 3124, introduced by the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Otter), designates the facility of the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation located in Boise, Idaho, as the ``F.H. Newell Building.'' Fredrick Haynes Newell was born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, on March 5, 1862. He attended MIT where he studied mining engineering. Upon his graduation he went to work for the U.S. Geological Service, when he was tapped to head an irrigation survey team mapping sites of potential dams in the American West. While doing his work, F.H. Newell developed several stream-gauging techniques and invented the instruments that are still in use today by the Geological Survey. Upon passage of the Reclamation Act of 1902, F.H. Newell was appointed as the first chief engineer and later the second director of what has now become the Bureau of Reclamation. In his autobiography, President Teddy Roosevelt praised Newell for his ``constructive imagination,'' leadership, and high character. After leaving federal service, F.H. Newell became an educator, being named head of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois. He was also the author or co-author of seven books and a number of articles on engineering techniques. This is a fitting tribute to a creative and dedicated public servant. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5105, H.R. 3124 and H.R. 1402.