Thomas Reynolds

Mr. REYNOLDS

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 450 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, for the purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) 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. REYNOLDS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, the committee that has jurisdiction on trade matters.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is an honor and privilege for me to serve on the Committee on Rules, as I think it is on both sides of the aisle. Just because the House has not done something exactly like this before does not mean it should never be done. The rules of this House are deliberately crafted to permit flexibility for unique instances such as this. Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier, but its importance bears repeating, so I am going to say it again: the House would not be in this position had the Senate not taken up the Andean trade bill, stripped out all of the House-passed provisions and added countless other trade items, leaving the House with no position in the conference on all these measures. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYNOLDS

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, is there any further time on the minority side?

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Pickering) for the purposes of entertaining a colloquy.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. While the rest of the world speeds ahead when it comes to free trade, the United States desperately needs to get back on track. Trade promotion authority is the most effective way to accomplish that, and this rule simply allows the process to move forward so we can get one step closer to retaining and regaining America's global trade pre- eminence. I ask my colleagues to join me in freeing the hands of our conferees and not restrict our ability to negotiate before they even get to the table. That is why I have urged a yes for this resolution; and when the end of the day comes for a vote in moments, it is going to come down to either my colleagues supported free trade and they have sent that message back to their district and across America or they rejected it. That is what this comes down to, an up or down, yes or no, free trade or no. My colleagues are not going to continue it. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), who is the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and an expert on trade.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the resolution, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas).

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, for the gentleman who is managing the minority side of the rule, I intend to have him speak. I then intend to have the Chairman of the Committee on Rules close. There will be no further speakers other than I as the manager of the rule.

Mr. REYNOLDS

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. REYNOLDS

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Since the dawn of man, the human race has been ingrained with a fascination and need to slip beyond its boundaries and explore the unknown. From across the continents to the depths of the ocean and to the far reaches of space, that pioneer spirit continues to this day. The National Science Foundation embraces that spirit with its record of excellence in research, education, technological advancement, and discovery. They make possible the pioneer spirit within us all. I ask my colleagues to join me in supplying the necessary tools to the National Science Foundation so they can continue along the path of important contributions to America and to mankind. Their programs are an important demonstration of how efficient government investment can return great dividends to society. There is no better time to invest in America's future. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Smith), the sponsor of this important legislation.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, for the purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purposes of debate only. (Mr. REYNOLDS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 432 is a fair, open rule providing for consideration of H.R. 4664, the Investing of America's Future Act. The purpose of this legislation is to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2003, 2004 and 2005 for the National Science Foundation. The rule provides for 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Science. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. Additionally, the rule provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Science now printed in the bill be considered as an original bill for the purpose of amendment, and provides that the bill shall be considered for amendment by section. The Chairman of the Committee of the Whole has the authority to accord priority in recognition of Members who have preprinted their amendments in the Congressional Record. Finally, the rule provides for one motion to recommit, with or without instructions. As an independent Federal agency, the National Science Foundation's mission is to support science and engineering among all disciplines. Currently, the NSF funds research and education activities at more than 2,000 universities, colleges, schools, businesses and other research institutions throughout the United States. Federal investment in educating America's youth in the foundation areas of math, science and technology is the only way to maintain our competitive edge in a global economy and to create economic prosperity here at home. The ever changing world of science demands that the research behind it keep pace with the times. This legislation will provide a 15 percent annual increase for NSF through fiscal year 2005, providing critical financial support that will ensure our Nation's continued advancement in science, education and research. Much like this Republican-led Congress has kept its commitment to double funding for the National Institutes of Health, this legislation will initiate a plan to double NSF moneys over a 5- year period. This kind of increase is consistent with President Bush's focus on education improvements, such as the Math and Science Partnership Act and the Undergraduate Math and Science Education Improvement Act. This increase will also supply dollars for the countless major research equipment projects that have been approved but simply await funding. Technology, science and research are powerful components in our development of society. Continually advancing science and research will discover new cures for diseases, improve our quality of life and create jobs and economic growth across America. As someone who hails from a State and region that has fully embraced the value and potential this type of scientific research offers, I can attest to how important this investment is to our future. NSF-funded projects often bring national and even international attention to towns and cities across America, and sustained research efforts and collaborations have meant growth and new employment opportunities in those areas. This ripple effect energizes communities and attracts young Americans to fields and job markets like science and engineering, areas that are key to making American industry more competitive across the globe. The long-time president of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, physicist Karl Taylor Compton, once said, ``Modern science has developed to give mankind a way of securing a more abundant life.'' Through this important investment in science, technology and research, this Congress can help ensure for the American people and communities across our Nation a more abundant life. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this fair and open rule and the underlying legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 432 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. REYNOLDS

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. REYNOLDS

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula). (Mr. REGULA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. REYNOLDS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have worked on this rule with the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern). This is his first rule as a member of the Committee on Rules, but all remember his years of service to Joe Moakley when he was a staffer before being elected to his seat. It is an honor to serve with the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) now as a member of the Committee on Rules. House Resolution 414 is a unique rule providing for the disposition of House Joint Resolution 84, a resolution of disapproval. Under this rule, H.J. Res. 84 would be automatically tabled. H.J. Res. 84 disapproves the action taken by President Bush to impose temporary tariffs on some types of steel products. Under the Trade Act, Congress has the authority to disapprove of such actions within 90 days. Such a disapproval resolution is highly privileged, not amendable, and floor debate is limited to 20 hours. To put it simply, a vote in favor of this rule will lay on the table the disapproval resolution and conclude further deliberations. While congressional disapproval is certainly allowed under the statute, this rule recognizes that the circumstances in this case simply do not warrant such action. Laying this resolution on the table does not hurt the steel industry, as we have heard from so many Members on a bipartisan basis from the Steel Caucus. In fact, it will keep intact the President's remedy that the industry favors. The disapproval resolution could potentially be even more harmful to the industry. This disapproval resolution does not eliminate tariffs on steel imports either. It merely replaces one set of tariffs with another. Madam Speaker, let me reiterate that a vote in favor of this rule will table the disapproval resolution, keep intact the President's current remedy, and conclude debate on this issue. I urge an aye vote. I urge my colleagues to table the resolution by voting aye.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter).

Mr. REYNOLDS. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.