[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 203 (Monday, December 18, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H14979-H14980]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RONALD REAGAN BUILDING AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTER

  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill, H.R. 2481, to designate the Federal Triangle Project under 
construction at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., in the 
District of Columbia, as the ``Ronald Reagan Building and International 
Trade Center.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2481

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The Federal Triangle Project under construction at 14th 
     Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, in the District of 
     Columbia, shall be known and designated as the ``Ronald 
     Reagan Building and International Trade Center.''

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the building referred 
     to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to 

[[Page H14980]]
     the ``Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest] and the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Traficant] 
will each be recognized for 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest].
  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to 
the gentlewoman from California [Mrs. Seastrand].
  Mrs. SEASTRAND. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2481, a bill to 
designate the Federal Triangle building as ``the Ronald Reagan Building 
and International Trade Center.'' First, I would like to thank Chairman 
Gilchrest and Ranking Minority Member Traficant for bringing this 
designation bill to the floor of the House for consideration.
  It is a proud moment for me to be able to honor one of our country's 
most famous citizens and clearly my most famous constituent in this 
manner.
  Ronald Reagan is a true optimist. He brought to our country a new way 
to see events, our Nation and ourselves. He lives a life of example 
that we can show our children and our children's children--an example 
that through commitment and perseverance we can accomplish anything--
and we now have the opportunity to honor him in a very small way.
  Ronald Reagan spoke of Main Street America as the ``millions who work 
so hard to support their families and keep our country together.'' He 
often talked of the rising tide of optimism in Main Street American and 
that is why it is fitting that we name this Federal building located on 
America's Main Street--Pennsylvania Avenue--the Ronald Reagan Building 
and International Trade Center.
  This newest constructed Federal building located on the last 
undeveloped stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue between the Capitol and the 
White House is the largest Federal building since the Pentagon was 
built. The structure is designed by James Ingo Freed of Pei Cobb Freed 
& Partners; I.M. Pei designed the East Wing of the National Gallery of 
Art and Freed designed the Holocaust Museum on 14th Street and will be 
the centerpiece of downtown Washington. The building will dedicate 
500,000 square feet for an international trade center and will attract 
additional business and tourism to our Nation's Capital. It seems 
fitting that this building that will feature free trade should bear 
Ronald Reagan's name.
  The bill to name this building the Ronald Reagan Building and 
International Trade Center was introduced by myself, Chairman Gilchrest 
and Congressman Christopher Cox from California in October of this 
year. The bill has a bipartisan array of 42 cosponsors and its 
companion in the Senate was introduced by Senator Bob Dole on the same 
day with a bipartisan array of 12 cosponsors, including Senator 
Moynihan from New York who authored the original act authorizing the 
building's construction. The designation bill has been received with an 
appreciative response from the Reagan family and to paraphrase from a 
note I received from former First Lady Nancy Reagan she and the former 
President are truly grateful for all that is being done on this 
designation bill to honor the Reagan name.
  The Federal Triangle building is being constructed to meet Federal 
specifications and will have a lifespan of 150 to 200 years; it will be 
one of the most stately Federal buildings on our nation's mainstreet; 
the building will be another architectural landmark for our Nation's 
Capital. What could be more fitting than to name a building that will 
house an International Trade Center after a President who stood so 
strongly for free and fair trade. A building with such a dignified 
architectural presence, centered in such a prominent location within 
our Nation's Capital should be named after such a dignified and 
prominent former President Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  Again, I thank the House for considering this designation bill which 
preserves the optimism contained within the Reagan legacy on our 
Nation's mainstreet--Pennsylvania Avenue--for centuries to come.
  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  This is one time that we just do not want to say no. The former First 
Lady's just say no. Not this time. I think if there is one change I 
would like to make in the bill, I did not really look at it that much, 
but it is the Ronald Reagan bill and International Trade Center, and I 
would like to have seen it named the Ronald Reagan International Trade 
Center.
  One little thing maybe also off-cuff. One thing the former President 
stated that I always, always thought made a lot of sense, and it has 
been so prophetic and been such a great service to this Nation, he said 
we should always negotiate from a position of strength, and how true it 
is and I want to commend the former President on that. I think that has 
helped our Nation greatly, and his son, Michael, by the way, who had 
done much to make free trade fairer trade, and I think that is 
important here.
  So I want to join forces with the gentlewoman from California [Mrs. 
Seastrand] in honoring our former President by designating this 
landmark building in our Nation's Capital in his honor. Negotiate from 
a position of strength. And ladies and gentlemen, I think the Gipper's 
comments should be analyzed now in our trade dilemma, and maybe we 
should be listening to young Michael Reagan, who has analyzed this 
quite strongly.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I join forces on the bill. I know there are some 
technical reasons for the naming of it, but I hate to see the name 
diluted, but, nevertheless, I know there are strategic reasons for 
that. I wholeheartedly support this bill and join the gentlewoman from 
California [Mrs. Seastrand] and the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. 
Gilchrest] in passing this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
to thank the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Traficant] for his words. I thank 
the gentlewoman from California [Mrs. Seastrand] for her initiative, 
and I think all of us joining hands to thank Mr. Ronald Reagan for 
being a visionary, an optimistic President of the United States that 
preserved our idealistic fundamental freedoms.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest] that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2481.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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