[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 50 (Thursday, April 24, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H1803-H1804]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1271, FAA RESEARCH, ENGINEERING, 
               AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1997

  Mr. LINDER. Madam Speaker, by the direction of the Committee on 
Rules, I call up House Resolution 125 and ask for its immediate 
consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 125

       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. 1271) to authorize the Federal Aviation 
     Administration's research, engineering, and development 
     programs for fiscal years 1998 through 2000, 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 section 306 of the Congressional 
     Budget Act of 1974 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. Points of order against the committee 
     amendment in the nature of a substitute for failure to comply 
     with section 306 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 are 
     waived. 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 (Mrs. Morella). The gentleman from Georgia 
[Mr. Linder] is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. LINDER. Madam Speaker, for the 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.
  Madam Speaker, House Resolution 125 is an open rule providing for 
consideration of H.R. 1271, the Federal Aviation Administration 
Research Engineering and Development Authorization Act of 1997. This 
rule provides for 1 hour of general debate, divided equally between the 
chairman and the ranking minority of the Committee on Science. The rule 
also waives points of order against consideration of the bill for 
failure to comply with section 306 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1997.
  Madam Speaker, House Resolution 125 makes in order the Committee on 
Science amendment in the nature of a substitute as an original bill for 
the purpose of amendment, with each section being considered as read. 
The rule waives points of order against the committee amendment in the 
nature of a substitute for failure to comply with section 306 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
  Madam Speaker, this rule continues an approach that has been used 
effectively in recent Congresses by according priority and recognition 
to Members who have preprinted their amendments in the Congressional 
Record. The rule does not require preprinting but simply encourages 
Members to take advantage of the option in order to facilitate 
consideration of amendments on the floor and to inform Members of the 
details of pending amendments.
  Finally, House Resolution 125 provides for one motion to recommit, 
with or without instructions, as is the right of the minority Members 
of the House.
  Madam Speaker, this is a standard open rule, and the Committee on 
Rules has assured all Members who wish to modify the bill through the 
amendment process that they have every opportunity to offer their 
amendments.
  Briefly, this legislation authorizes the Federal Aviation 
Administration's research, engineering and development programs for 
fiscal years 1998 through 2000. The bill provides important funding to 
enhance computer and information systems security for air traffic 
management to prioritize weather research projects and reduce delays in 
aircraft accidents and to develop new technologies that will ensure air 
safety.
  I want to commend the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Sensenbrenner], 
the chairman of the Committee on

[[Page H1804]]

Science, for crafting legislation that will ensure the preservation and 
security of the national aerospace system as we work to meet the 
increased air traffic demands that are expected in the next century.
  H.R. 1271 was favorably reported out of the Committee on Science, as 
was the open rule by the Committee on Rules. I urge my colleagues to 
support the rule so that we may proceed with general debate in 
consideration of the merits of this very important bill.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FROST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this open rule and I rise in 
support of H.R. 1271, the Federal Aviation Administration Research, 
Engineering and Development Authorization.
  Madam Speaker, the Committee on Science is to be commended for 
sending this legislation to the full House for its consideration. This 
bill, along with the others the House will consider today, are examples 
of what can happen when a committee sits down to do its work and 
includes all of its members, majority as well as minority, in its 
deliberations. Reauthorization of the research and engineering 
activities of the Federal Aviation Administration is an important 
matter to all Americans and especially to the flying public.
  This legislation enhances the activities of the FAA in four important 
areas: Capacity and air traffic management, weather, environment and 
energy, and innovation and cooperative research. The Science Committee 
has recommended funding priorities for the FAA in the next 2 fiscal 
years, and the open rule recommended by the Committee on Rules will 
allow the House to fully debate these priorities and the appropriate 
levels of funding.
  Madam Speaker, this legislation reflects what the real work of the 
Congress is all about: Taking care of the Nation's business. H.R. 1271 
is not a bill which will grab headlines or make bold political 
statements. Instead, it is legislation which reviews and renews the 
activities of the Federal Government, upon which the people of this 
country depend to ensure their safety.
  The committee system has been used to its best advantage because of 
the cooperative spirit demonstrated by the gentleman from Wisconsin 
[Mr. Sensenbrenner], the chairman, and by the gentleman from California 
[Mr. Brown], his ranking member. I commend them as well as the other 
members of the Committee on Science.

                              {time}  1100

  Mr. FROST. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LINDER. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and 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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