[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 15, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H5581-H5582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        STEVE SCHIFF AUDITORIUM

  Mr. REDMOND. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on National Security be discharged from further consideration of the 
bill (H.R. 3731) to designate the auditorium located within the Sandia 
Technology Transfer Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the ``Steve 
Schiff Auditorium'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the 
House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.


                             General Leave

  Mr. REDMOND. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
on H.R. 3731.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gilchrest). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from New Mexico?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the initial request of 
the gentleman from New Mexico?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the bill, as follows:

                               H.R. 3731

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

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       The Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Congressman Steve Schiff represented the First 
     Congressional District of New Mexico in Congress from 1988 to 
     1998 with honor and distinction.
       (2) Mr. Schiff chaired the Subcommittee on Basic Research 
     of the Committee on Science emphasizing protection and 
     improvement of America's economic and military strength into 
     the 21st century through the support of a robust national 
     science and technology infrastructure.
       (3) Mr. Schiff was a tireless advocate of facilitating the 
     transfer of technologies developed at federally supported 
     institutions into the commercial sector.
       (4) Mr. Schiff supported technology transfer efforts at 
     Sandia National Laboratory, located in the First 
     Congressional District of New Mexico, including its 
     cooperative research and development programs, which have 
     benefited the people of New Mexico and the Nation as a whole.
       (5) Mr. Schiff's contributions should be acknowledged with 
     a fitting tribute within the district he so selflessly 
     served.

     SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.

       The auditorium located within the Sandia Technology 
     Transfer Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and known as 
     Building 825, shall be known and designated as the ``Steve 
     Schiff Auditorium''.

     SEC. 3. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the auditorium 
     referred to in section 2 shall be deemed to be a reference to 
     the ``Steve Schiff Auditorium''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Redmond) 
is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. REDMOND. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 3731, a bill to designate the 
auditorium located within the Sandia Technology Transfer Center in 
Albuquerque, New Mexico as the ``Steve Schiff Auditorium.''
  It is a privilege to bring this bill to the floor today. This bill is 
a fitting tribute to the late Steve Schiff, who represented New 
Mexico's first congressional district, which includes Sandia National 
Laboratory, for nearly 10 years.
  As chairman of the Subcommittee on Basic Research, Steve Schiff set a 
standard of commitment, furthering

[[Page H5582]]

national science and technology. Naming the auditorium for Mr. Schiff 
memorializes Steve and his legacy of support for the scientific 
community of New Mexico and the United States. Steve Schiff lived a 
full life of achievement that epitomized service to the local community 
and to the Nation at large.
  As a young man, Steve enlisted in the Air Force and eventually became 
a full colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
  As a young attorney, he worked as an assistant district attorney for 
Bernalillo County and ultimately rose to become the district attorney.
  Mr. Speaker, Steve Schiff had a long and admirable career in public 
service, and we have a number of our distinguished colleagues who would 
like to speak in tribute to Mr. Schiff.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from 
New Mexico (Mr. Skeen), our senior Representative.
  (Mr. SKEEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. SKEEN. Mr. Speaker, as Members know, our citizens of the great 
State of New Mexico mourned the death of Congressman Steve Schiff 
earlier this year. Steve was one of the most distinguished colleagues 
of this honorable body we proudly call the ``people's'' House of 
Representatives.
  Changing the name of the auditorium at Sandia Technology Transfer 
Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico to the Steve Schiff Auditorium will 
provide New Mexicans and all who visit the center with a continuing 
tribute to this great Congressman, Steve Schiff.
  Steve was dedicated to his constituents, and he worked hard to 
represent their interests in Congress. All of us remember Steve Schiff 
for caring so much, for trying so hard and for doing so much for his 
district, our State and country.
  As chairman of the House Committee on Science Subcommittee on Basic 
Research, Steve led efforts to improve the Nation's economic and 
military strength into the 21s century through the support of robust 
national science and technology infrastructure.
  Steve represented the first congressional district of New Mexico, 
which includes Sandia Laboratory. And as many of my colleagues know, 
Steve was a leading advocate for the use and transfer of technology 
developed at federally supported institutions for use in the private 
sector.
  Naming this building in Steve Schiff's honor is most appropriate to 
recognize the memory of Steve and his contribution toward the 
enhancement of our quality of life through his support of technology 
transfer.
  I ask my colleagues to strongly support this bill.

                              {time}  2245

  Mr. REDMOND. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
the first Congressional District of New Mexico (Ms. Wilson).
  (Ms. WILSON asked and was given permission to revise and extend her 
remarks.)
  Ms. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, it is a real pleasure to rise in support of 
this bill to rename the auditorium at the Technology Transfer Center of 
the Sandia National Laboratories the Steve Schiff Auditorium.
  The first time I met Steve Schiff was about 3 weeks after I moved to 
New Mexico. We had a little reception at our home for our wedding, and 
my husband invited a friend of his from the Air National Guard named 
Steve Schiff. He was humble, he was focused on public service, he was a 
good and a great man, and it is often harder to be a good man than to 
be a great man.
  In 1994, when he was up for reelection, he asked me to chair, or co-
chair, his finance committee, and I quickly understood that his asking 
me to chair his finance committee had less to do with his needing my 
help than my needing his and his belief in stewardship of young people 
in this country and in the Republican Party in New Mexico.
  At that time, I went into his campaign headquarters and was signing 
hundreds of letters to people who might donate to his campaign; and he 
walked in and he said, ``Well, Heather, you know, you don't need to 
sign all those letters yourself. If you hadn't noticed, there are a lot 
of Steves around here.'' Well, the truth is that we all know that there 
are not many Steves around here. He was a unique and valued individual, 
an honored Member, former Member, of this body, and I know all of us 
miss him dearly.
  He was known for his humility and also for his humor. He told many, 
many stories about service in the public interest; and he gave a good 
name to being a public servant. It is more difficult to be good than to 
be great, and Steve Schiff was an example to us all.
  I would urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. REDMOND. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gilchrest). Without objection, the 
previous question is ordered.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on engrossment and third 
reading of the bill.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was 
read the third time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the yeas appeared to have it.
  Mr. REDMOND. Mr. Speaker, on that, I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5, rule 1, further 
proceedings on this matter are postponed.

                          ____________________