[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 50 (Thursday, April 24, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H1801-H1802]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1274, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF 
           STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1997

  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, 
I call up House Resolution 127 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 127

       Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this 
     resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 1(b) of rule 
     XXIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the 
     Whole House on the State of the Union for consideration of 
     the bill (H.R. 1274) to authorize appropriations for the 
     National Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal 
     years 1998 and 1999, and for other purposes. The first 
     reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. Points of order 
     against consideration of the bill for failure to comply with 
     clause 2(l)(6) of rule XI are waived. General debate shall be 
     confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally 
     divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority 
     member of the Committee on Science. After general debate the 
     bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute 
     rule. It shall be in order to consider as an original bill 
     for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule the 
     amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the 
     Committee on Science now printed in the bill. Each section of 
     the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute shall 
     be considered as read. During consideration of the bill for 
     amendment, the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may 
     accord priority in recognition on the basis of whether the 
     Member offering an amendment has caused it to be printed in 
     the portion of the Congressional Record designated for that 
     purpose in clause 6 of rule XXIII. Amendments so printed 
     shall be considered as read. At the conclusion of 
     consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall 
     rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as 
     may have been adopted. Any Member may demand a separate vote 
     in the House on any amendment adopted in the Committee of the 
     Whole to the bill or to the committee amendment in the nature 
     of a substitute. The previous question shall be considered as 
     ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage 
     without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with 
     or without instructions.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. (Mr. Burton of Indiana). The gentleman from 
Florida [Mr. Diaz-Balart] is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, for the purposes 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 this resolution, Mr. Speaker, all time yielded 
is for the purpose of debate only.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 127 is an open rule providing for the 
consideration of H.R. 1274, the National Institute of Standards 
Technology Authorization Act of 1997. The purpose of the legislation is 
to authorize appropriations for the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology for fiscal years 1998 and 1999. House Resolution 127 waives 
points of order against the consideration of the bill for failure to 
comply with the 3 day availability of committee reports rule. In 
addition the rule provides for 1 hour of general debate, to be equally 
divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of 
the Committee on Science.
  After general debate, it shall be in order to consider as an original 
bill for the purpose of amendment under the 5-minute rule the amendment 
in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Science 
now printed in the bill. Each section shall be considered as read. 
Further, the Chair would be authorized to grant priority in recognition 
to Members who have preprinted their amendments in the Congressional 
Record, and the rule provides for one motion to recommit, with or 
without instructions.
  Mr. Speaker, the National Institute of Standards and Technology is 
the Nation's oldest Federal laboratory, serving as the Nation's dispute 
arbiter of standards in complex technologies. I look forward to an open 
and full debate and will defer to the Committee on Science for an 
indepth explanation as to the bill's merits and complexities. The 
Committee on Rules' hearing on this bill was extremely cordial and 
bipartisan, which I believe is an accurate reflection of the manner in 
which the Committee on Science handled this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, the rule before us, I believe, is an exemplary rule, it 
is fair, it is completely open, and I would urge its adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding the 
customary 30 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this open rule which will allow us to consider 
H.R. 1247, the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act. 
NIST, as it is called is an essential institution because it works with 
the U.S. industries to develop and implement innovative technologies 
and electronics, supercomputers, and microwave communications for other 
agencies and private business.
  H.R. 1274 includes two important programs which are not funded in 
last year's bill: the advanced technology program, ATP, and the 
manufacturing extension partnership. ATP encourages public-private 
cooperation in the development of technologies with broad application 
across industries. In my own district in upstate New York, ATP funds 
allow businesses like TROPEL Corp. and Eastman Kodak to produce new 
technologies that benefit our entire Nation. While I might have hoped 
for an authorization level closer to the President's request, I am 
encouraged that this year's bill does authorize ATP.
  High technology of Rochester and another countless projects benefit 
from NIST's manufacturing extension program. This program helps small- 
and medium-sized manufacturing companies to utilize the technologies 
developed under the auspices of NIST. Manufacturing extension 
partnerships benefit all 50 States and Puerto Rico.
  I encourage my colleagues to support this bill which will continue 
authorization for the NIST, the Nation's oldest Federal laboratory. I 
hope they will join me in supporting this open rule.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on the rule.
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I have no speakers, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, 
and

[[Page H1802]]

I move the previous question on the resolution.
  The previous question was ordered.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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