Steven LaTourette

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 647, H.R. 3884 and H.R. 4294, the matters that we have just been discussing.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 647) supporting the goals of National Marina Day and urging marinas to continue providing environmentally friendly gateways to boating.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 647, which was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal), proclaims the House of Representatives' support for the goals and ideals of National Marina Day and urges marina owners and operators to continue their strong stewardship of the marine environment so that this Nation's waters may be enjoyed by recreational boaters for generations to come. August 14 is National Marina Day, and this is a perfect resolution to be considering in the week prior to the August recess. Throughout the country, Americans of every economic class are using their summer vacations to enjoy their own recreational boats or to charter time on professionally operated vessels. The vast majority of boat owners do not have their own docks, and many boaters hire vessels rather than owning their own vessels. Therefore, without the Nation's 12,000 marinas and the services they provide, many of these boaters would be unable to maintain, operate, and enjoy their recreational boating. In turn, by providing dock space and services to the Nation's boat owners and operators, marinas provide 140,000 jobs and generate significant tax revenue. As the resolution states, marinas are places where friends and families, united by a passion for the water, can come together for recreation, rest, and relaxation. Certainly in this summer season, we should support the goals and ideals of such places. I want to commend our colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal), for introducing this resolution. I urge our colleagues to cast an ``aye'' vote to support the goals and ideals of National Marina Day. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, in Ohio we always had trouble finding the little saddles necessary to accommodate the fish rodeos. They are very popular in Ohio as well.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he might consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal), the author of this resolution.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the resolution, 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. 3884) to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 615 East Houston Street in San Antonio, Texas, as the ``Hipolito F. Garcia Federal Building and United States Courthouse''.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3884, introduced by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez), designates the Federal Building and United States Courthouse located at 615 East Houston Street, San Antonio, Texas, as the Hipolito F. Garcia Federal Building and United States Courthouse. Judge Garcia was born in San Antonio, Texas, on December 4, 1925, and grew up in a neighborhood a few blocks from the very courthouse that will now bear his name. After serving his country in the Army from 1943 to 1945, Judge Garcia attended St. Mary's University School of Law. He graduated in 1951 and began working for Bexar County, Texas, as the Assistant Criminal Attorney, a position he held until 1963. After a short time practicing law privately, Judge Garcia served as Judge to the county court in 1964 and State district court until 1974. Judge Garcia's career culminated in 1981 when President Carter appointed him to the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. He sadly passed away on January 16, 2002. Judge Garcia is remembered as a man who treated everyone with respect and remained humble despite his high position. He served his country in arms and in justice, and he was the first Mexican American to serve as a United States District Judge in the Western District of Texas. This is a fitting tribute to a dedicated public servant. I support this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. 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. 4294) to designate the annex to the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Building and United States Courthouse located at 333 Constitution Ave. Northwest in Washington, District of Columbia, as the ``Judge William B. Bryant Annex to the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Building and United States Courthouse,'' as amended.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4294, introduced by the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) designates the annex to the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Building and United States Courthouse as the William B. Bryant Annex to the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Building and United States Courthouse. Judge Bryant was born in Alabama, but raised in Washington, D.C. He attended public schools here in the District, and graduated from Dunbar High School. He received both his bachelor and law degrees from Howard University. In 1943, like many of his generation, he entered the United States Army receiving a commission as a first lieutenant. He was honorably discharged in 1947, having attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. After 18 years in private practice, marked by a brief period with the Department of Justice, William Bryant was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in 1965. In 1977, Judge Bryant became the first African American to serve as the Chief Judge for the D.C. District Court. Judge Bryant took senior status in 1982 although he continued to hear cases long after many others would have retired. I would like to commend the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for being persistent in bringing this bill to the floor to honor a distinguished jurist. This is a fitting tribute to a respected judge. I urge my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2017) to designate the United States courthouse and post office building located at 93 Atocha Street in Ponce, Puerto Rico, as the ``Luis A. Ferre United States Courthouse and Post Office Building''.

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

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, S. 2017, which is identical to a bill that was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Acevedo-Vila), designates the building located at 93 Atocha Street in Ponce, Puerto Rico, as the Luis A. Ferre United States Courthouse and Post Office Building. Luis Ferre was born in 1904 in the town of Ponce, Puerto Rico, just after the transition from Spanish to American control. In 1917 at the age of 13, Luis Ferre and the people of Puerto Rico received citizenship from the United States. Leveraging this advantage, Luis Ferre attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated with a bachelor's degree in engineering in 1924. Upon graduation, Luis Ferre returned to his native Puerto Rico to work in his family business, the Puerto Rican Cement and Iron Works. He eventually took over and built the business into a hugely successful enterprise. Having made his mark in business, the ever-ambitious Ferre attempted to conquer politics. His first experience was as a mayoral candidate for his home city of Ponce in 1940. However, he quickly set his sights higher. In 1952, the year before Puerto Rico achieved commonwealth status, he won a seat in the Puerto Rican House of Representatives. Using this new political independence, and driven by his love for Puerto Rico and his experiences in the United States, he began to mobilize his resources in the cause of statehood. In 1967 he founded the New Progressive Party. The next year he ran and won the gubernatorial election, a position he held for one term, from 1969 to 1973. In that position he was a champion for the statehood movement and is still remembered for his efforts. In addition to his business in political activities, Luis Ferre was an avid supporter of the arts. In 1965, he founded the Museo de Arte de Ponce. The museum houses an impressive collection of art from the medieval times to the present. It has become a major cultural attraction in his home city. Luis Ferre was a dedicated scholar, entrepreneur, statesman, and humanitarian. He passed away in October 2003 and is buried in his hometown of Ponce. This is a fitting tribute to a dedicated Puerto Rican, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting passage of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve 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 materials on S. 2017 and H. Con. Res. 56, the measures just considered by the House.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I will yield myself the remainder of our time. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) for drafting this concurrent resolution. It is a good idea. I think it is sound policy and urge our colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 56 expresses the sense of Congress that States should require candidates for driver's licenses to demonstrate an ability to exercise greatly increased caution when driving in the proximity of a potentially visually impaired individual. Hundreds of visually impaired individuals have had their white canes and guide dogs run over by motor vehicles, have been struck by the sideview mirrors of motor vehicles, and have suffered serious personal injury and death as a result of being hit by cars. Unfortunately, many States do not require candidates for driver's licenses to associate the use of the white cane or guide dog with potentially visually impaired individuals. With a little education by the States, and some extra attention paid by drivers, we can greatly improve the safety along our surface streets for those individuals who are visually impaired. Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H. Con. Res. 56. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 56) expressing the sense of the Congress that States should require candidates for driver's licenses to demonstrate an ability to exercise greatly increased caution when driving in the proximity of a potentially visually impaired individual.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Chairman, I make a point of order.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman of the subcommittee for yielding time to me. I was in my office listening to this debate and came rushing over because I heard a couple of things during the debate that disturbed me. One was from the gentleman from Connecticut, who, in response to an observation by the chairman, said he does not believe that the technology does not exist today to do what their amendment seeks to do. I believe that and I believe that to be true. The other observation was there was reference made to the folks in the gallery who came here, and the observation was they probably do not know that the cargo that goes into the belly of their passenger plane is not screened. I would venture to say that most people that get on passenger planes do not even know that they are carrying cargo. Most people that get on passenger planes, however, also do not know that it is the cost of the cargo, the money that the airlines make relative to the cargo shipments, that enable them not only to have cheaper fares but also enable them to fly to small areas. Just citing one airline that is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, an area that is near and dear to my heart, if this amendment were to pass, I have been advised 67 jobs would be lost at that one airport by that one airline. For that one airline, $325 million in revenue would have to be made up in higher and additional fares. And service to smaller communities, again the folks in the gallery, if they live in New York or Chicago or Los Angeles, they can get home, but if they live in some of the smaller hubs, they are not getting home because there will be no service to those areas because their fares are subsidized by the revenues made up as a result of cargo shipments. I have to say, Mr. Chairman, that, again, the chairman has done a good job in this bill. He has doubled the amount of belly cargo that is being inspected. From where we are today, 100 new inspectors are being added, research and development so that pilot programs going on down in Houston and other areas can continue to go. This is a well-intended amendment. I think we all want to get to 100 percent, but it is a wrong-headed amendment because the technology that they seek to impose does not exist today.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Chairman, I make a point of order against Page 31, Line 11, beginning with the words ``provided further'' through the word ``funds'' on Line 15. This section violates clause 2 of rule XXI. It changes existing law, therefore constitutes legislating on an appropriations bill in violation of the House rules.