[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 17, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H3818-H3819]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


         JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER PARKING IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1997

  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 1747) to amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize the 
design and construction of additions to the parking garage and certain 
site improvements, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1747

       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 ``John F. Kennedy Center 
     Parking Improvement Act of 1997''.

     SEC. 2. PARKING GARAGE ADDITIONS AND SITE IMPROVEMENTS.

       Section 3 of the John F. Kennedy Center Act (20 U.S.C. 76i) 
     is amended--
       (1) by striking the section heading and all that follows 
     through ``The Board'' and inserting the following:

     ``SEC. 3. JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS.

       ``(a) In General.--The Board''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(b) Parking Garage Additions and Site Improvements.--
       ``(1) In general.--Substantially in accordance with the 
     plan entitled `Site Master Plan--Drawing Number 1997-2 April 
     29, 1997,' and map number NCR 844/82571, the Board may design 
     and construct--
       ``(A) an addition to the parking garage at each of the 
     north and south ends of the John F. Kennedy Center for the 
     Performing Arts; and
       ``(B) site improvement and modifications.
       ``(2) Availability.--The plan shall be on file and 
     available for public inspection in the office of the 
     Secretary of the Center.
       ``(3) Limitation on use of appropriated funds.--No 
     appropriated funds may be used to pay the costs (including 
     the repayment of obligations incurred to finance costs) of--
       ``(A) the design and construction of an addition to the 
     parking garage authorized under paragraph (1)(A);
       ``(B) the design and construction of site improvements and 
     modifications authorized under paragraph (1)(B) that the 
     Board specifically designates will be financed using sources 
     other than appropriated funds; or
       ``(C) any project to acquire large screen format equipment 
     for an interpretive theater, or to produce an interpretive 
     film, that the Board specifically designates will be financed 
     using sources other than appropriated funds.''.

     SEC. 3. PEDESTRIAN AND VEHICULAR ACCESS.

       (a) Duties of the Board.--Section 4(a)(1) of the John F. 
     Kennedy Center Act (20 U.S.C. 76j(a)(1)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (G);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (H) 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(I) ensure that safe and convenient access to the site of 
     the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is 
     provided for pedestrians and vehicles.''.
       (b) Powers of the Board.--Section 5 of such Act (20 U.S.C. 
     76k) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(g) Pedestrian and Vehicular Access.--Subject to approval 
     of the Secretary of the Interior under section 4(a)(2)(F), 
     the Board shall develop plans and carry out projects to 
     improve pedestrian and vehicular access to the John F. 
     Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.''.

     SEC. 4. DEFINITION OF BUILDING AND SITE.

       Section 13 of the John F. Kennedy Center Act (20 U.S.C. 
     76s) and section 9(3) of the Act of October 24, 1951 (40 
     U.S.C. 193v), are each amended by inserting after ``numbered 
     844/82563, and dated April 20, 1994'' the following: ``(as 
     amended by the map entitled ``Transfer of John F. Kennedy 
     Center for the Performing Arts', numbered 844/82563A and 
     dated May 22, 1997)''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California [Mr. Kim] and the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Traficant] each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California [Mr. Kim].
  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1747, as amended, the John F. Kennedy Center 
Parking Improvement Act of 1997, authorizes the design and construction 
of additions to the parking garage, site improvements and certain 
improvements to the interpretive film theater at the Kennedy Center.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill is unique in that the language prohibits the 
use of appropriated funds for the garage expansion, and for projects 
that involve the purchase of large-screen format equipment and the 
production of an interpretive film, as the Board of Trustees 
designates. The Subcommittee on Public Buildings amended the bill to 
clarify the language on the theatre project to insure that no 
appropriated funds would be used for this project, as designated by the 
Board again, and the garage expansion and this theater projects will be 
financed through the assurance of industrial revenue bonds. The Board 
expects to issue bonds in a manner of approximately $40 million for 
these projects. Proceeds from garage operation and the film 
presentation will be used to pay the bonds.

  Additionally, the bill authorizes the Board to develop and execute 
plans to improve pedestrian and vehicle access to the Kennedy Center. 
In addition to improving the public access, this enhancement will 
improve security of the site and some other improvement. Previously 
appropriated funds will be used to finance these projects, by the way.
  Mr. Speaker, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a 
national Presidential monument and a living memorial. It receives over 
4 million visitors annually. These improvements to the Kennedy Center 
are needed and long overdue. They will not only enhance the appeal of 
the Kennedy Center, but also improve this accessibility and security 
for the visitors. Most importantly, the garage enlargement project will 
not be, will not be at the taxpayers' expense.
  I support H.R. 1748 and urge my colleagues to pass the measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Oberstar], our ranking member and an 
individual who has helped the Kennedy Center as much as anybody in the 
history of this Congress.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. 
Traficant] for yielding this time to me, and I want to compliment him 
and the gentleman from California [Mr. Kim] on moving this legislation 
forward expeditiously and especially the chairman of the full 
committee, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Shuster] for moving the 
bill to the floor, actually, moving it through full committee and then 
to the floor very expeditiously, recognizing the need that the John F. 
Kennedy Center has to proceed with the improvements that will be made 
possible by this legislation.
  The John F. Kennedy Center is America's national cultural center. It 
is a performing arts center, it is a world class cultural center, it is 
also a Presidential memorial. It stands out as America's tribute to the 
arts which the late President Kennedy featured so prominently in his 
years as President of the United States. It was during his tenure that 
I think the arts really got the national recognition and were paid the 
tribute that the arts deserve in a democratic society.
  The Kennedy Center itself has achieved national and international 
stature and acclaim. Every year the Kennedy Center honors program is 
watched on television nationwide, and, with a full house, the honors 
program attracts the President, the Cabinet, the leadership of both the 
House and Senate because it pays such justly deserved tribute to those 
who have made their mark for all time in our society in the performing 
arts.
  But enjoying the Kennedy Center has become more a travail than an 
enjoyment. The most often voiced complaint about attendance at Kennedy 
Center events is inability to get from parking to one's seat in time 
for the start of the performance. This legislation will make it 
possible for the Kennedy Center, without use of public funds, to 
undertake the renovations, add the parking, and make the traffic 
pattern changes necessary to move people expeditiously from parking to 
their seats before the performance begins. In addition, this 
legislation, with other funds that the Congress authorized and 
appropriated in the 104th Congress, will make the necessary changes to 
provide security that all realized the Center needs, as expressed in 
the counterterrorism legislation that we enacted in the 104th Congress. 
Those counterterrorism funds will enable the Kennedy Center to change 
traffic circulation in ways that will make it possible for the Center 
to be more secure and to greatly minimize the possibility which exists, 
tragically, in our society, of a terrorist attack. That, of course, is 
a matter that must be high on the minds of all of the security entities 
in the Federal Government during the Kennedy Center honors performance 
when the President, the Vice President, the Speaker, the majority 
leader

[[Page H3819]]

of the Senate are all present, as are numerous Members of both the 
House and Senate and Cabinet officers, as well as members of the 
Supreme Court.
  So these changes will greatly improve the security of the Kennedy 
Center, but most important improve access to circulation around and 
parking for patrons of the Kennedy Center.
  Again I want to emphasize that the cost of construction will be 
financed by industrial revenue bonds repaid by charges upon those using 
the Kennedy Center; the construction will not be done at public cost, 
but this authorization will give the Kennedy Center the means that an 
entity of this national and international stature requires to continue 
to be accessible by people of all walks of life to this national center 
for the performing arts.
  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I have no other requests for time, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation, and I would like 
to commend the Chairman of the Board of the Kennedy Center, Jim 
Johnson; the President of the Kennedy Center, Larry Wilker, and I want 
to commend them because no taxpayer money will be used in the 
innovative financing scheme that will, in fact, provide for adequate 
parking and reasonable traffic flow that is so very much needed there, 
and similar to most urban entities, our National Center for the 
Performing Arts at Kennedy Center needs adequate parking to continue to 
attract and to serve the many patrons that attend to enjoy their 
outstanding performances.
  So I think it is important to note that the cost of the construction 
will not be borne again, to state that, by the taxpayer, but financed 
through privately placed bonds.
  So with that I would like to also thank Rick Barnett and Susan 
Britta, the staffs of both the Democrats and Republicans, for helping 
us with this matter, and I believe that this will be a great help to 
the Kennedy Center.
  Mr. Speaker, having no other requests for time, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Kim] that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1747, 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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