[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 73 (Monday, June 13, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 13, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
      PANAMA CANAL COMMISSION AUTHORIZATION ACT, FISCAL YEAR 1995

  Mr. STUDDS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4246) to authorize expenditures for fiscal year 1995 for the 
operation and maintenance of the Panama Canal, and for other purposes, 
as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4246

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of 
     Representatives of the United States of America in 
     Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Panama Canal Commission 
     Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1995''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF EXPENDITURES.

       (a) Operation, Maintenance, and Improvement.--Except as 
     specified in subsection (b), the Panama Canal Commission is 
     authorized to make such expenditures within the limits of 
     funds and borrowing authority available to it in accordance 
     with law, and to make such contracts and commitments, without 
     regard to fiscal year limitations, and to be derived from the 
     Panama Canal Revolving Fund, as may be necessary under the 
     Panama Canal Act of 1979 (22 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.), for the 
     operation, maintenance, and improvement of the Panama Canal 
     for fiscal year 1995.
       (b) Administrative Expenses.--For fiscal year 1995, the 
     Panama Canal Commission is authorized to make expenditures 
     from the Panama Canal Revolving Fund for administrative 
     expenses, not to exceed $50,030,000, including--
       (1) not to exceed $11,000 for official reception and 
     representation expenses of the Board of the Commission;
       (2) not to exceed $5,000 for official reception and 
     representation expenses of the Secretary of the Commission; 
     and
       (3) not to exceed $30,000 for official reception and 
     representation expenses of the Administrator of the 
     Commission.
       (c) Motor Vehicles.--Funds available to the Panama Canal 
     Commission shall be available for the purchase of not to 
     exceed 43 passenger motor vehicles for replacement only 
     (including large heavy-duty vehicles used to transport 
     Commission personnel across the Isthmus of Panama), the 
     purchase price of which shall not exceed $19,500 per vehicle. 
     These vehicles must be manufactured in the United States.

     SEC. 3. SCHOOL REIMBURSEMENT.

       Section 1321(e)(2) of the Panama Canal Act of 1979 (22 
     U.S.C. 3731(e)(2)) is amended by inserting after ``schools in 
     the Republic of Panama'' the following: ``or in the United 
     States''.

     SEC. 4. IMMIGRATION.

       Section 101(a)(27)(F) of the Immigration and Nationality 
     Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(F)) is amended in clause (ii) by 
     inserting after ``subsequently'' the following: ``continues 
     to be so employed or''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Montgomery). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Studds] will be recognized for 20 
minutes, and the gentleman from New York [Mr. King] will be recognized 
for 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Studds].
  Mr. STUDDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4246 authorizes the Panama Canal Commission to make 
necessary expenditures from the Panama Canal Revolving Fund to 
maintain, improve, and operate the Panama Canal during fiscal year 
1995. The bill was ordered reported by the Committee on Merchant Marine 
and Fisheries on May 11, 1994, in our traditional bipartisan fashion.
  The Panama Canal Commission, an agency of the United States 
Government, was established by the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 to 
operate and maintain the canal and to provide for its smooth transition 
to the Republic of Panama on December 31, 1999.
  The Commission is a unique Government agency--it actually pays for 
itself by collecting tolls from merchant, passenger, and recreational 
vessels transiting the 51-mile-long canal. These revenues are deposited 
in a revolving fund in the Treasury and their expenditure for the 
operating and maintenance costs of the canal must be authorized by the 
Congress. That is what this bill does.
  The bill, as amended, includes a provision requested by the 
Commission to address a personnel issue. The Immigration and 
Nationality Act is amended to allow long-time employees of the canal to 
apply for U.S. immigration status prior to their retirement. This 
provision is within the jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary, 
has been reviewed by that committee, and Chairman Brooks has no 
objection to its inclusion. I wish to thank the distinguished chairman 
of the Judiciary Committee for his help and cooperation and will 
include his letter on this matter in the Record at this point.
  I urge the Members to support this utterly noncontroversial bill.
                                         House of Representatives,


                                   Committee on the Judiciary,

                                     Washington, DC, May 19, 1994.
     Hon. Billy Tauzin,
     Chairman, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Navigation, 
         Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Longworth 
         House Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Billy: Thank you for your correspondence regarding a 
     provision you wish to add to H.R. 4246, the Panama Canal 
     Commission's Fiscal Year 1995 Reauthorization Act. The 
     provision relates to the time of eligibility of certain 
     Commission employees for special immigration benefits.
       As you know, this is a matter within the jurisdiction of 
     the Committee on the Judiciary, through its jurisdiction over 
     the Immigration and Nationality Act. However, because of the 
     narrowly-tailored nature of the provision which affects the 
     timing of benefits and not the class of persons eligible for 
     immigration benefits, I would have no objection to the 
     inclusion of this provision in H.R. 4246 on the House floor.
       I am glad I could be of assistance in this matter. With 
     every good wish, I am
           Sincerely,
                                                      Jack Brooks,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. KING asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4246, the Panama 
Canal Commission Authorization Act for fiscal year 1995.
  Mr. Speaker, the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee reported 
this bill unanimously on May 11 of this year. The bill is 
noncontroversial and deserving of the support of the House.
  The Panama Canal Commission is an independent agency which relies on 
revenues generated by the Canal's users, not by taxpayer funds. The 
Commission is required to run on a break-even basis and once again has 
presented a budget which will ensure that it does so.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation makes two other minor changes which 
will help the Commission retain its valuable workers. The first will 
allow employees to use their educational assistance funding outside of 
Panama should the Department of Defense Dependent Schools [DODDS] close 
its doors in Panama.
  The second change will allow certain eligible employees to start 
processing their immigration paperwork before their actual retirement 
date. This provision has been cleared by the Judiciary Committee and by 
the minority.
  Mr. Speaker, the Panama Canal Commission should be commended for 
continuing to submit budgets which require no U.S. taxpayer funding.
  Mr. FIELDS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 
4246, a bill to authorize appropriations for the Panama Canal 
Commission for fiscal year 1995.
  The Panama Canal Commission is a unique Federal agency--its ability 
to balance its expenditures and revenues is truly remarkable. The 
Commission and its work force should be commended for operating this 
major international transportation entity without the use of U.S. tax 
dollars.
  H.R. 4246 is a noncontroversial and straightforward authorization, 
which simply allows the Commission to spend the funds it collects from 
the users of the Panama Canal. By approving this measure, we will 
ensure that the Panama Canal will function safely and efficiently 
during the next fiscal year.
  While section 3 of the Committee substitute makes a substantive 
change in Public Law 96-70, the language is budget neutral because the 
amount of educational assistance is capped at the same level now 
received by children of Commission employees who attend Department of 
Defense Dependent Schools [DODDS] in Panama. This change is necessary 
because of the downsizing of our military presence in Panama and the 
likelihood that some, if not all, DODDS schools will be closed in the 
near future.
  Furthermore, the Committee substitute would amend the Immigration and 
Naturalization Act to allow long-term employees of the Panama Canal 
Commission to apply for U.S. immigration status prior to their 
retirement. This provision has been worked out with, and approved by, 
the House Judiciary Committee.
  Finally, I am pleased that the President has submitted a series of 
recommended changes to the Panama Canal Act of 1979, which are designed 
to improve the administrative and financial structure of the Panama 
Canal Commission. These changes are the result of extensive interagency 
discussion and a report issued by the General Accounting Office, which 
were mandated in legislation I sponsored in the last Congress. During 
the next several months, I intend to carefully study these proposed 
modifications and to introduce legislation to incorporate those ideas 
which I believe are beneficial to the future operation of the Panama 
Canal.
  I compliment the chairman and the ranking Republican member of the 
Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Navigation, my good friends, Billy 
Tauzin and Howard Coble, for their leadership in moving this important 
legislation forward.
  Mr. Speaker, again, I urge my colleagues to vote ``aye'' on H.R. 
4246.
  Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill and to 
suggest to my colleagues that further action may be necessary on their 
part if its full potential is to be realized. As reported, H.R. 4246 
authorizes improvements to the Panama Canal, as well as expenditures 
for its operation and maintenance. Which is as it should be given the 
fact that 15 percent of America's trade, and 5 percent of the world's, 
transits that 51-mile-long waterway. However, for the full benefit of 
those improvements to be obtained, adequate provision for the long-term 
defense of the canal is a must.
  Right now, defense of the canal is largely in the hands of the U.S. 
military, which maintains bases and troops nearby. But, under the terms 
of the 1977 Panama Canal Treaty, of all those bases are to be turned 
over to the Republic of Panama by noon on December 31, 1999, and our 
armed forces are to be out of the country by that time--unless, of 
course, a new agreement can be reached which will enable us to maintain 
a military presence in Panama after the turn of the century.
  Polls taken in both the United States and Panama indicate there is 
substantial public support in both nations for reaching such an 
understanding. However, it has not yet been possible to negotiate one 
since the Endara regime in Panama felt that the matter should be left 
to the government resulting from the elections in Panama last month. 
But now that those elections are history, the time has come to take the 
initiative and bring the matter of negotiations to the fore. To that 
end, I have introduced a sense of Congress resolution, House 
Congressional Resolution 17, calling upon the President to negotiate a 
21st century military base rights agreement with Panama. So far, 83 
Members have cosponsored and I urge those who have not to consider 
doing so at this time. Such a step would be a logical and important 
complement to the Panama Canal Commission authorization legislation we 
are appropriately considering here today.
  Mr. STUDDS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance to my time.
  Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Studds] that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4246, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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