Steven LaTourette

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. 1572 and H.R. 1668.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1668) to designate the United States courthouse located at 101 North Fifth Street in Muskogee, Oklahoma, as the ``Ed Edmondson United States Courthouse''.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1668, introduced by the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Carson), designates the building located at 101 North Fifth Street in Muskogee, Oklahoma, as the Ed Edmondson United States Courthouse. Ed Edmondson was a life-long resident of Oklahoma. He attended the public schools of Muskogee, Muskogee Junior College, and the University of Oklahoma where he graduated in 1940. Following graduation, Congressman Edmondson joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation after 3 years with the FBI. He served in the Navy for 3 years and then 24 years in the Naval Reserve. During his service, Congressman Edmondson attended law school at Georgetown University. Upon his discharge from active duty and graduation from law school, Congressman Edmondson was admitted to the Washington, D.C. Bar Association. He then returned to Oklahoma to work in private practice and then as county attorney of Muskogee County. In 1952, Congressman Edmondson was elected to the 83rd Congress and was reelected nine times, representing his home State for 20 years. After his service in the House, Congressman Edmondson returned to his native State and lived out his life in Muskogee where he passed away in 1990. This is a fitting tribute to a dedicated public servant. I urge my colleagues in supporting passage. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to welcome everybody back after our recess, and I have to confess a little bit of disorientation. As I walked into the Chamber today, I thought for a moment I was in the Committee on Financial Services when I see Mrs. Cole, now a member of the Clerk's office, and I congratulate the Clerk on that hire; and further I am confused by the whiskers growing on the Parliamentarian's chin. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1527, as amended, was introduced by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller) and it designates the historic building located at 100 North Palafox Street as the Winston E. Arnow Federal Building. This bill was amended during subcommittee markup to make some minor technical changes relating to the designation of the building. These changes were made with the full support of the bill's sponsor, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller). Judge Arnow was born in 1911 in Micanopy, Florida. He attended the University of Florida, where he received a bachelor's degree in 1932 and his law degree in 1933. He was admitted to the bar, and for 2 years served as a research clerk for the Florida Supreme Court, the first person to hold such a position. From 1935 to 1942, he worked in private practice, when he was called to serve in the Army infantry for a year before being transferred to the Judge Advocate General Corps, wherein he was discharged as a major in 1945. From 1946 until 1967, Judge Arnow practiced law as a partner in the firm of Clayton and Arnow. While in private practice, Judge Arnow served as a member and as chairman of the numerous bar committees, including the Steering Committee for Florida Civil Practices Before Trial and Committees on Continuing Legal Education and Rules of Civil Practice. He was a member of the Florida Bar Committee that wrote the 1954 Consolidated Rules of Civil Procedure, in addition to authoring or coauthoring several other books and articles on the topic. In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson appointed Bo Arnow to serve as a judge for the United States District Court, Northern District of Florida. During his tenure, he served first as a Judge, then as chief judge from 1969 until he took senior status in 1981. Judge Arnow has been recognized for his achievements by the University of Florida, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Order of the Coif, an important legal honor society, as well as by the Judicial Conference for the 11th Circuit. Mr. Speaker, this is a fitting tribute to a 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 move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1572) to designate the historic Federal District Court Building located at 100 North Palafox Street in Pensacola, Florida, as the ``Winston E. Arnow Federal Building,'' as amended.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller), the author of this legislation, and to congratulate him for shepherding this legislation to the floor today.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume simply to correct the record earlier so we do not get inundated with phone calls relative to the aforementioned whiskers not belonging to Mr. Johnson, the Parliamentarian, but to his distinguished colleague, Mr. Sullivan. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and urge passage of the bill.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

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

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, it is also my understanding that the facilities authority granted to the Secretary of HHS and the Director of the Institute of Diseases is intended only for special use facilities, which do not meet the definition of a public building under the Public Buildings Act. Is that also correct?

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, lastly, it is my understanding that the march in authority granted the Secretary of HHS is intended to give the Secretary control of these facilities for a limited period of time only. Is that also correct?

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for the clarification.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding to me for the purpose of a colloquy in order to clarify the intent of two provisions. This legislation authorizes the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases to issue grants to non-Federal entities for the construction and operation of specialized research facilities. A second provision of the bill authorizes the Secretary of HHS to take control of these facilities in the event or threat of bioterror emergency. As you know, the Public Buildings Act of 1959, which is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, governs the construction, acquisitions, repair and alteration of public buildings, including many laboratories and research facilities. Mr. Chairman, am I correct that nothing in this legislation exempts the Secretary of HHS or the director of the institute from the requirements of the Public Buildings Act?

Mr. LaTOURETTE

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

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I simply want to say, I will not choose to characterize a sitting Member of the United States Senate favorably or unfavorably. I would note historically that Senator Bayh did vote in favor of the tax package which has been discussed here today.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton).

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

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, is the Chair aware of any rule of the House which would provide a nexus between this legislation and the tax bill except for the fact that Birch Bayh at one time was a child?

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to make a parliamentary inquiry of the Chair.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, S. 763, which is identical to H.R. 1082 which was introduced by the gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms. Carson), designates the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 46 East Ohio Street, in Indianapolis, Indiana, as the Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse. This bill has the bipartisan support of the entire Indiana delegation, and I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms. Carson) for agreeing to bring S. 763 to the floor in lieu of her bill, which the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure favorably reported out on May 21, 2003. I would like to have inserted into the Record that the gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms. Carson) has been diligent not only in this Congress, but in the last Congress, in attempting to achieve passage of this legislation, not only in this body, but in the other body; and the Bayh family has a great champion on their side when it comes to the gentlewoman. Senator Bayh was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1928 to school teachers, and it is from them he inherited an ethic of public service. Upon graduation from high school, Senator Bayh volunteered for and served in the United States Army from 1946 to 1948. Upon his return, he attended and graduated from the Purdue University School of Agriculture at Lafayette in 1951. This education served him well, since throughout his long career, he always found time to work on and oversee the family farm, growing corn and soybeans for more than four decades. Senator Bayh's political career began in 1954, when, at the age of 26, he was elected to serve in the Indiana House of Representatives. While serving in that body, he served as speaker in 1959 and as the Democratic floor leader in 1957 and 1961. Despite these responsibilities, he also found time to attend and graduate from Indiana University School of Law in 1960, and was admitted to the bar in 1961. In 1962, at the age of 34, Senator Bayh entered the United States Senate where he served three terms from 1963 until 1981. While in the Senate, he served as chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, working with the CIA, the National Security Agency and the FBI. He also was a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation where he called for and funded efforts to build the District of Columbia's Metro subway system which so many of us enjoy, and to modernize the Amtrak rail system. Senator Bayh is best known as chairman of the Constitution Subcommittee where he authored two amendments to the Constitution, something we will not see any time soon in subsequent Congresses, the 25th Amendment on Presidential and Vice Presidential succession, and the 26th Amendment which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. This is a fitting tribute to a dedicated public servant. I support this legislation and encourage Members to do the same. Parliamentary Inquiry

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 763) to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 46 East Ohio Street in Indianapolis, Indiana, as the ``Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse.''

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, 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 in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 763, the matter just considered by the House.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1018, introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) designates the building located at 1 Federal Plaza in New York City, New York, as the James L. Watson Court of International Trade Building. Judge Watson was born in Harlem, New York, the son of Jamaican immigrants in 1922. During the Second World War, Judge Watson served with the famous Buffalo Soldiers Regiment in Italy where he was wounded and returned to the United States decorated with a Purple Heart and the Combat Infantry Badge. He graduated from New York University in 1947 and the Brooklyn Law School in 1951. In 1954, Judge Watson was elected to the New York State Senate. In 1963, Judge Watson was elected to New York City Civil Court, a position he held until President Johnson appointed him to what was then known as the United States Customs Court and is now known as the United States Court of International Trade. During his 25-year tenure on the bench, Judge Watson heard cases in California, Oregon, Washington, Atlanta, Tampa, Houston, El Paso, San Antonio, and Dallas on civil and criminal matters. Judge Watson also worked to help modernize his court under the Customs Court Act of 1970. As chairman of the court's Rules and Practices Committee, he reworked the rules and facilitated the modernization of the court with the introduction of computers. He took senior status in 1991, and passed away in 2001. I would like to note that the House passed by a voice vote similar legislation during the previous Congress. However, due to technical differences with the version in the Senate, it was never enacted. I trust our consideration this year will result in a more favorable outcome. I support the legislation, and encourage my colleagues to do the same. 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.