Thomas Reynolds

Mr. REYNOLDS

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon).

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon), who I have had the occasion to recognize as one of the leading experts on missiles.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier). (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 120 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I inquire of the Chair how much time is remaining on both sides.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), one of the leading experts on our Nation's defense.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green).

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my Democratic colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews) in the House Republican majority's continued spirit of bipartisanship. (Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. REYNOLDS

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, the Committee on Rules is planning to meet the week of March 22 to grant a rule which will limit the amendment process for floor consideration of the budget resolution for fiscal year 2000. The Committee on the Budget ordered the budget resolution reported last night and is expected to file its committee report sometime over the next few days. 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 Tuesday, March 23. As it has done in recent years, the Committee on Rules strongly suggests that Members wishing to offer amendments offer complete substitute amendments. Members should also use the Office of Legislative Counsel and the Congressional Budget Office to ensure that their amendments are properly drafted and scored, 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, I rise in support of House concurrent resolution 24 expressing this Congress's opposition to a unilateral declaration of an independent Palestinian state. Mr. Speaker, peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved through unilateral declarations. A lasting peace can and will only be achieved at the bargaining table, through the give and take of diplomacy and negotiation. PLO leader Yasser Arafat's repeated assertions that he would declare a Palestinian state on or after May 4, 1999, are both an affront to and a violation of the spirit of the Oslo Accords, threatening not only a delicate peace process, but an escalation of violence and bloodshed. Palestinian statehood is a fundamental issue in the Arab-Israeli negotiations and one that needs to be addressed through deliberation and consensus, not posturing and proclamation. America's response to these declarations must be certain and unambiguous: That we oppose any and all arbitrary declarations of statehood, and would not under any circumstances recognize a unilaterally declared Palestinian state. When President Clinton meets next week with Yasser Arafat, he must repeat this Congress's and this Nation's resolve that any Palestinian state must be created at the bargaining table.

Mr. REYNOLDS

Mr. REYNOLDS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I would like to point out that a paperwork violation in the area of health and safety would not receive a first-time exemption, and certainly that would apply to firefighter safety as well. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings).

Mr. REYNOLDS. Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of the resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Madam Speaker, House Resolution 42 is an open rule, providing for the consideration of H.R. 391, the Small Business Paperwork Reduction Act Amendments of 1999. The purpose of this legislation is to reduce the burden of Federal paperwork on small businesses. The rule waives section 303 of the Congressional Budget Act, prohibiting consideration of legislation providing new budget authority or contract authority for a fiscal year until the budget resolution for that fiscal year has been agreed to, against consideration of the bill. The rule provides for one hour of general debate, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and the ranking minority member of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. The rule further provides that the bill shall be considered as read. The Chair is authorized by the rule to grant priority in recognition to Members who have preprinted their amendments in the Congressional Record prior to their consideration. The rule allows for the chairman of the Committee of the Whole to postpone votes during consideration of the bill and to reduce votes to 5 minutes on a postponed question if the vote follows a 15-minute vote. Finally, the rule provides for one motion to recommit, with or without instructions. Madam Speaker, I believe House Resolution 42 is a fair rule. It is an open rule for the consideration of H.R. 391, the Small Business Paperwork Reduction Act Amendments of 1999. It is my understanding that some Members may wish to offer germane amendments to this bill and, under this open rule, they will have every opportunity to do so. H.R. 391 is a step in the right direction in relieving our Nation's small businesses from an overwhelming paperwork burden that threatens to bury them. Time and money required to keep up with government paperwork prevents small businesses from growing and creating new jobs. H.R. 391 gives small businesses the relief they need from paperwork burdens created by the Federal bureaucracy. It has been reported that last year it took seven billion man hours to complete government paperwork. Seven billion man hours that could have been spent finding new job markets, expanding business or creating jobs, were instead spent on nothing more than dotting I's and crossing T's in duplicate and triplicate. Madam Speaker, as a longtime small businessman myself, I know the hurdles that our entrepreneurs face: Strangling red tape, burdensome regulations and mountains of paperwork. Just a few days ago our Nation marked President Ronald Reagan's 88th birthday, and I am reminded of what President Reagan said in his first inaugural address: that the Federal Government's role is to work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it. H.R. 391 recognizes the challenging legacy that President Reagan handed us: to make the Federal Government a catalyst for opportunity rather than an obstacle for growth by fostering communication between Federal agencies and small businesses; helping small businesses come into compliance on civil paperwork mistakes; and making sure all information regarding paperwork requirements is readily available to small businesses. What the bill does not do is create a threat to public safety and health. H.R. 391 specifically suspends fines only for small businesses on first-time paperwork violations; and only, and I repeat, and only when those violations are not covered by several exemptions, including an exemption for violations that result in actual harm, violate Internal Revenue Service laws, and present an imminent threat to public safety and health. I would like to commend the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. McIntosh) and the chairman, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) for their hard work on H.R. 391. I would urge my colleagues to support this open rule and the underlying bill. In conclusion, Madam Speaker, House Resolution 42 is a fair, completely open rule, and I urge its adoption. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 42, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. REYNOLDS. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney).

Mr. REYNOLDS. Madam Speaker, this bill just simply helps small business. Madam 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. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. McIntosh) as the sponsor of the legislation.

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

Mr. REYNOLDS

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 13, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. REYNOLDS

Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 350, the Mandates Information Act of 1999. Building on a very successful Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, H.R. 350 extends to small businesses the same protections Congress offers to State and local governments, that if the Federal Government mandates it, the Federal Government should pay for it. Throughout my career, I have been somewhat of a crusader against unfunded government mandates. As a former county and State legislator, I know too well the hidden and high costs that mandates impose on our Nation's local governments. Small businesses as well have been impacted by mandates that do not just increase the cost of doing business. Consumers pay a price through higher retail prices, hinder production, and reduce job opportunities. Mr. Chairman, our Nation's small businesses and farmers need this bill. We have heard from the Mom and Pop and Main Street businesses who have pleaded with Congress to relieve them from the burden of unfunded mandates, to give them the opportunity to survive, grow, and create jobs and opportunity for the American people. Mr. Chairman, I support this bill and urge my colleagues to support our businesses, our workers and our consumers by passing this legislation.