Thomas Reynolds

Mr. REYNOLDS

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella). (Mr. FOSSELLA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Roukema).

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bonilla). (Mr. BONILLA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella).

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this fair rule and the underlying bill. 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. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson).

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, in closing, as an up-through-the-ranks legislator of town, county and State before getting elected to Congress, and as a small businessman, I have watched small businesses, I have watched farmers, I have watched local volunteer fire companies, and I have watched local municipalities hindered by OSHA when they were asked to enforce regulations that were sometimes hastily written and created by Federal bureaucrats. ] Mr. Speaker, this body has long been concerned about the issue of sound scientific definitions of these types of workplace injuries. The bill merely requires OSHA to base their definitions on sound scientific data. Last year the Congress authorized and American taxpayers paid almost $1 million for the nonpartisan National Academy of Sciences to conduct a comprehensive study of all the available scientific literature, examining the cause and effect relationship between repetitive tasks in the workplace. The study is currently under way. It is expected to be completed within a 2-year time frame, and would be ready by 2001. As my colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bonilla) said, we should make sure that OSHA bases its regulations on sound science, not political science. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this fair rule and the underlying bill. 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 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin). (Mr. TAUZIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) the Chairman of the Committee on Rules. (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks and include extraneous material.)

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham). (Mr. CUNNINGHAM asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume just to make out a simple point that House Resolution 271 is a modified and open, fair rule for consideration of H.R. 987. The rule provides for the debate and amendments on this measure to consume up to three full hours. It is an extremely fair rule, and given the amount of work that Congress is needed to do to complete its work this week, there will be ample time to have great debate on the merits of the legislation. But I remind my colleagues my view is we have a fair and open rule. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling), the chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. (Mr. GOODLING asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson).

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bonilla). (Mr. BONILLA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes). (Mr. HAYES asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Ballenger.)

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost), 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. House Resolution 271 is a modified open rule, providing for the consideration of H.R. 987, the Workplace Preservation Act. The purpose of this legislation is to ensure that the National Academy of Sciences completes and submits to Congress its study of a cause-and-effect relationship between repetitive tasks in the workplace and physical disorders or repetitive stress injuries before issuing standards or guidelines on ergonomics. The rule provides for 1 hour of general debate, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and the ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. The rule also provides that the bill shall be open for amendment at any point and limits the amendment process to 2 hours. The rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority in recognition to Members who have preprinted their amendments in the Congressional Record. Additionally, the rule allows the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to postpone votes during consideration of the bill, and to reduce voting time to 5 minutes on a postponed question if the vote follows a 15-minute vote. Finally, the rule provides for 1 motion to recommit with or without instructions. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 271 is a modified open and fair rule for consideration of H.R. 987. The rule provides for debate and amendments on this measure to consume up to 3 full hours. This is an extremely fair rule, given the amount of work Congress must complete this week. The Workforce Preservation Act is a brief and simple measure that prohibits OSHA from promulgating an ergonomics standard until the National Academy of Sciences completes its study and reports the results to Congress. Mr. Speaker, this body has long been concerned with the issue of sound scientific definitions of these types of workplace injuries. This bill merely requires OSHA to base their definitions on sound, scientific data. Last year, Congress authorized and American taxpayers paid almost $1 million for the nonpartisan National Academy of Sciences to conduct a comprehensive study of all the available scientific literature examining the cause-and-effect relationship between repetitive tasks in the workplace. The study is currently underway and is expected to be completed within a 2-year time frame, and would be ready by mid-2001. Mr. Speaker, the study of ergonomics is one of OSHA's top priorities. This bill recognizes the importance of this study and requires that the most up-to-date scientific information is analyzed and included. This bill will in no way prohibit or deny OSHA the opportunity to create these standards. Rather, it will make sure that we get the most accurate information based on sound science. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the sponsor of this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support both this rule and the underlying bill. 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 271 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. REYNOLDS

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, a ``Dear Colleague'' letter will be sent to all Members informing them that the Committee on Rules is planning to meet this week to grant a rule which may limit the amendment process for floor consideration of H.R. 417, the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1999. The Committee on House Administration ordered H.R. 417 reported this evening, and is expected to file its committee report on Wednesday, August 4. Any Member wishing to offer an amendment should submit 55 copies and a brief explanation of the amendment to the Committee on Rules in room H-312 of the Capitol by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, August 4. Amendments should be drafted to the bill as ordered reported by the Committee on House Administration. Copies of the bill may be obtained from the Committee on House Administration, and is also expected to be posted on that committee's web site. Members should use the Office of Legislative Counsel to ensure that their amendments are properly drafted, and should check with the Office of the Parliamentarian to be certain their amendments comply with the rules of the House.

Mr. REYNOLDS

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 250 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), chairman of the Committee on Rules and one of my mentors on free trade.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne).

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson).

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), chairman of the subcommittee on Africa.

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

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Burr). (Mr. BURR of North Carolina asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)