Steven LaTourette

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, S. 1459 designates the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 550 West Fort Street in Boise, Idaho, as the James A. McClure Federal Building and United States Courthouse. I would like to commend my colleague the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Otter), a colleague on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for introducing H.R. 2972, which was the House companion naming bill that we are considering today. With the hard work and diligence of the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Otter), the committee reported H.R. 2972. We are considering the Senate version today to clear the way to get this piece of legislation to the President's desk for his signature. James A. McClure was born in Payette, Idaho, on December 27, 1924. He attended public schools in Payette and went on to serve in the United States Navy from 1942 to 1946. Following his tour with the Navy, he earned his J.D. degree from the University of Idaho College of law in 1950 and was admitted to the Idaho bar that same year. He commenced private practice in Payette before serving as prosecuting attorney of Payette County in 1956. During that time, he served as City Attorney from 1953 until 1966 and in the Idaho State Senate from 1961 until 1966, as well as being a member of the Payette County Central Committee for 15 years. Senator McClure was elected to the United States House of Representatives to serve in the 90th Congress. He served for three succeeding terms until being elected to the United States Senate in 1972. Senator McClure served succeeding terms in the Senate until his retirement in 1991. While in the Senate, Senator McClure was Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources from 1981 until 1987 and also the Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference from 1981 until 1985. This bill naming the Federal building and courthouse in Boise, Idaho, honors a dedicated public servant. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate Bill (S. 1459) to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 550 West Fort Street in Boise, Idaho, as the ``James A. McClure Federal Building and United States Courthouse.''

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume simply to congratulate the gentleman from Utah and all the people of Salt Lake City, Utah, for the opportunity to host the 19th Winter Olympic Games. I had the opportunity a couple of years ago to be in Salt Lake City and saw the preparations under way, the light rail system being constructed with the assistance of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure here in the United States Congress, and it promises to be quite an event. I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Senate Concurrent Resolution 82 authorizes the 2002 Winter Olympics Torch Relay to come on the Capitol grounds as part of the ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympic games. The Torch Relay will cross the grounds on December 21, 2001, or on such date as the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration designate. The resolution also authorizes the Architect of the Capitol, the Capitol Police Board, and the sponsor of the event to negotiate the necessary arrangements for carrying out the event in complete compliance with the rules and regulations governing the use of the Capitol grounds. The sponsor of the event will assume all expenses and liabilities in connection with the event, and all sales, advertisements and solicitations are prohibited. The 2002 Winter Olympic Games will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, beginning on February 8 and concluding on February 24, 2002. Competition is scheduled for seven sports in 78 medal events at the games. An estimated 3,500 athletes and officials from 80 countries are expected to participate. In addition, 18,000 volunteers will help stage the games. It will be an honor to have the Winter Olympic Torch Relay pass through the Capitol Grounds on December 21 and for the United States to host the 19th Olympic Winter Games. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 272 expresses the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the tragic crash of American Airlines Flight 587. Specifically, the resolution before the body sends its heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims of that crash; sends its sympathies to the people of both the Dominican Republic and the Dominican community of New York City; sends its sympathies to the people of the Rockaways; and lastly, commends the heroic action of the rescue workers, volunteers, and State and local officials who responded to that crash scene. Mr. Speaker, New York City has certainly suffered greatly since September 11. I know everyone in this body was horrified on November 12 to see on our television screens the crash of American Airlines Flight 587. But as one Member, I was heartened as I was watching television to see that the news was reporting that the sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Weiner), who represents this portion of New York City, was on the ground providing comfort and consolation to those affected among his constituents in what was, at least in my mind, one of the quickest responses by a Member of Congress that I have had the honor of witnessing in 7 years. I commend the gentleman for his foresight and wisdom in submitting this resolution.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 272) expressing the sense of Congress regarding the crash of American Airlines Flight 587, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

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

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. H.R. 3093 designates the Federal Building and the United States Courthouse in Alton, Illinois as the William L. Beatty Federal Building and United States Courthouse. William L. Beatty was born in Mendota, Illinois, in 1925. He grew up in east St. Louis and graduated from Central Catholic High School. He served in the United States Army's 394th Field Artillery Batallion in Europe during the Second World War. After returning from the war, he attended Washington University for undergraduate studies, and graduated from St. Louis University Law School in 1950. Upon graduating from law school, he passed the Illinois and Missouri bar and entered a private law practice for 18 years, including serving as municipal attorney for Granite City, and as an Assistant State's Attorney. Judge Beatty was elected Illinois State Circuit Judge in Madison County in 1968. He served on the State Circuit Court until 1979, when President Carter appointed him to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. While sitting on the bench, Judge Beatty was always known for crafting fair and creative sentences. He was eligible to retire from the bench in the 1992, but instead, continued to maintain a busy workload as a senior judge. Judge Beatty had a distinguished 50-year law career. I want to commend and congratulate my colleague and the ranking member of our subcommittee, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello), for bringing this important legislation forward.

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

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 in the Record on H. Con. Res. 272 and H.R. 3093, the matters just considered by the House.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2841) to designate the building located at 1 Federal Plaza in New York, New York, as the ``James L. Watson United States Court of International Trade Building.''

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 2841 designates the building located at 1 Federal Plaza in New York as the ``James L. Watson United States Court of International Trade Building.'' I thank the ranking member and senior member of the Committee on Ways and Means, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), for bringing this legislation to the attention of the committee and urging that we move on it in an expeditious fashion. Judge Watson was born in Harlem, New York. He was the son of parents that had both been born in Jamaica, and his father served as a municipal court judge for 18 years. Judge Watson served with the Buffalo Soldiers in the 371st Infantry Regiment, 92nd Division, in World War II. He was wounded in Italy and returned to the United States decorated with a Purple Heart and the Infantry Combat Badge. After returning from the war, he graduated from New York University in 1947 and Brooklyn Law School in 1951. Judge Watson was elected to the New York State Senate in 1954. While serving in the State Senate, in 1962 President John Kennedy chose him to accompany Vice President Johnson to the Jamaican Independence celebration. In 1963, Judge Watson was elected to the New York City Civil Court. He served on the City Civil Court until President Johnson appointed him to what was known as the United States Customs Court and that is now known as the United States Court of International Trade in 1966. The nine members of the United States Customs Court could be assigned to sit in any Federal District Court in the Nation. Because of his previous experience in the City Civil Court, in his first year on the Federal bench, Judge Watson was assigned to hear cases in California, Oregon, Washington, Atlanta, Tampa, Houston, El Paso, San Antonio and Dallas on civil and criminal matters. He was the first African American to sit on the Federal bench in the deep South. Judge Watson 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. He passed away in Harlem earlier this year. Madam Speaker, Judge Watson was a dedicated Federal judge and an exemplary public servant. This action is fitting to designate the Court of International Trade Building in his honor. I support the bill and urge my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I again thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) for bringing this matter to our attention. I thank the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), and the distinguished ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), as well as my good friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell). I urge all Members to support this legislation.

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

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this good piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I enter into the Record an exchange of letters between the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Commerce and Energy on the bill under consideration, H.R. 2546. The letters referred to are as follows: House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, November 13, 2001. Hon. Don Young, Chairman, Committee on Transportation, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Young: I am writing with regard to H.R. 2546, the Real Interstate Driver Equity Act of 2001. As you know, Rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives grants the Committee on Energy and Committee jurisdiction over interstate commerce. H.R. 2546 deals in significant part within such matters, and is therefore within the jurisdiction of my Committee. I recognize your desire to bring this legislation before the House in an expeditious manner. Accordingly, I will not exercise my Committee's right to a referral. By agreeing to waive its consideration of the bill, however, the Energy and Commerce Committee does not waive its jurisdiction over H.R. 2546. In addition, the Energy and Commerce Committee reserves its authority to seek conferees on any provisions of the bill that are within its jurisdiction during any House-Senate conference that may be convened on this legislation. I ask for your commitment to support any request by the Commerce Committee for conferees on H.R. 2546 or similar legislation. I request that you include this letter as a part of the Committee's report on H.R. 2546 and as part of the Record during consideration of the legislation on the House floor. Thank you for your attention to these matters. Sincerely, W.J. ``Billy'' Tauzin, Chairman.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume, and I just want to emphasize a point that our colleague and the author of the bill, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), made during his remarks, and that is, during the full committee markup of this legislation, there was some concern expressed by principally the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley) and the concern of some cities that a car would come into town on a 2-day trip, perhaps, and while waiting for their fare to take them back to Los Angeles or wherever, they came in, would engage in transporting others to different places within Las Vegas to the detriment of locally licensed vendors. The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt) and his co-sponsors have very carefully crafted the bill to ensure that that fear is not realized, and I commend him for making that change and being sensitive to some of the concerns raised and, as a matter of fact, the only concerns raised in the committee about the bill; and as I say, it passed the committee by voice vote. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The Real Interstate Driver Equity Act of 2001, H.R. 2546, was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt). This legislation is needed to solve a problem that arises when a for- hire motor carrier travels across a State line in interstate commerce. During testimony before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, sort of an anomaly presented itself where if someone wanted to hire a car in Cleveland, Ohio, for instance, and take it over to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to watch the Browns beat up on the Pittsburgh Steelers, as we hope will happen next month, the car for- hire could drop the person at the stadium in Pittsburgh but could not pick them back up and bring them back to Ohio without a dual licensure. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Blunt) and his co-sponsors, I know the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews), have put their finger right on the pulse of what we need to do to solve this problem and hence have introduced H.R. 2546. On November 7 of this year, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure ordered by a voice vote that this bill be reported with one amendment. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the primary author of the legislation.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2546) to amend title 49, United States Code, to prohibit States from requiring a license or fee on account of the fact that a motor vehicle is providing interstate pre-arranged ground transportation service, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam 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.R. 2841 and H.R. 2546, the measures just considered by the House.

Mr. LaTOURETTE

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watts), the author of House Concurrent Resolution 233.

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest).

Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, to briefly close, we want to thank on the subcommittee and the full committee the work of the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watts) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) for bringing this important piece of legislation to our attention. We want to thank the leadership of our committee, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) and the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), for making sure it is being expeditiously considered. Madam Speaker, there are some things that you do not think you are going to see in life. Many in this Chamber and have had the opportunity to visit the carnage at the Pentagon and what was the World Trade Center, what is known as ground zero, but no one in this Chamber was there as it was occurring. But the men and women that we honor with H. Con. Res. 233 were in fact there. I was struck, I come from a small town, I know my ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello), does not come from a big area like the gentleman from New York City (Mr. Engel), but from time to time in our local newspapers we will see a display such as it this, and it will be the smiling graduating class of a police or fire academy. On September 23, this ran in The New York Times. Madam Speaker, these faces are the faces of those who died in an attempt to save others, not just an attempt, they saved countless others on the morning of September 11. It is not until that we can look at two full pages in the newspaper of lives that were full and vibrant prior to that morning of September 11 that we recognize again not only the gravity of what these terrorists have done to our country, but the raw courage of the first responders and the fire, the police and the Port Authority of New York City and in Washington, D.C. as well. So I am certain that every one of our colleagues will support this legislation, and I urge them to do that.

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