[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 23, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H4746-H4748]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND RELATED AGENCIES ACT, 2000

  Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 218 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 218

       Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this 
     resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule 
     XVIII, declare the house resolved into the Committee of the 
     Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of 
     the bill (H.R. 2084) making appropriations for the Department 
     of Transportation and related agencies for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 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 
     clause 4(c) of rule XIII or section 401(a) 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 Appropriations. After 
     general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment 
     under the five-minute rule. Points of order against 
     provisions in the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of 
     rule XXI are waived except as follows: page 10, line 16, 
     through page 13, line 13; ``Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law,'' on page 13, line 16; ``Notwithstanding 
     any other provision of law,'' on page 15, line 20; 
     ``Notwithstanding any other provision of law,'' on page 17, 
     line 14; ``Notwithstanding any other provision of law,'' on 
     page 18, line 4; ``Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law,'' on page 19, line 5; ``Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law,'' on page 19, line 25; ``Notwithstanding 
     any other provision of law,'' on page 25, line 9; 
     ``Notwithstanding any other provision of law,'' on page 32, 
     line 8; page 50, lines 1 through 9; page 50, line 22, through 
     page 51, line 12; and page 52, lines 1 through 10. Where 
     points of order are waived against part of a paragraph, 
     points of order against a provision in another part of such 
     paragraph may be made only against such provision and not 
     against the entire paragraph. The amendment printed in the 
     report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution 
     may be offered only by a Member designated in the report and 
     only at the appropriate point in the reading of the bill, 
     shall be considered as read, and shall not be subject to 
     amendment. Points of order against the amendment printed in 
     the report for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI 
     are waived. During consideration of the bill for further 
     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 8 of rule XVIII. Amendments so printed 
     shall be considered as read. The chairman of the Committee of 
     the Whole may: (1) postpone until a time during further 
     consideration in the Committee of the Whole a request for a 
     recorded vote on any amendment; and (2) reduce to five 
     minutes the minimum time for electronic voting on any 
     postponed question that follows another electronic vote 
     without intervening business, provided that the minimum time 
     for electronic voting on the first in any series of questions 
     shall be 15 minutes. 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. 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. Hefley). The gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Reynolds) is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the 
customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall), pending 
which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration 
of this resolution, all time yielded is for purposes of debate only.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 218 is an open rule that governs the 
consideration of H.R. 2084, the Department of Transportation and 
related agencies appropriations bill for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2000.
  The rule waives clause 4(c) of rule 13 requiring a 3-day availability 
of printed hearings on a general appropriations bill, and section 
401(a) of the Congressional Budget Act prohibiting consideration of 
legislation containing contract authority not subject to appropriation 
against consideration of the bill.

                              {time}  1045

  The rule also provides for 1 hour of general debate to be equally 
divided between the chairman and the ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Appropriations.
  In addition, the rule waives clause 2 of rule XXI, prohibiting 
unauthorized or legislative provisions in an appropriations bill, 
against provisions in the bill, except as otherwise specified in the 
rule.
  The rule waives clause 2 of rule XXI against the amendment printed in 
the report accompanying this resolution, which may be offered only by a 
Member designated in the report and at the appropriate point in the 
reading of the bill, shall be considered as read, and shall not be 
subject to amendment.
  Mr. Speaker, the rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority in 
recognition to Members who have preprinted their amendments in the 
Congressional Record.
  Further, the rule allows the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole 
to postpone votes during consideration of the bill, and to reduce votes 
to 5 minutes on a postponed question if the vote follows a 15-minute 
vote.

[[Page H4747]]

  Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill provides for the appropriations for the 
Department of Transportation and related agencies for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 2000.
  The underlying legislation represents an increase in safety measures 
and resources in every area of America's transportation system, from 
our airports and roads to bridges and railroads.
  The Committee on Appropriations carefully looked into each area and 
determined how best to target our valuable transportation dollars for 
maximum efficiency and safety.
  H.R. 2084 urges our transportation agencies to set priorities for 
competing requirements and compels those agencies to select priorities 
among their vast ranges of programs.
  The bill meets the funding obligation limitations set by the 105th 
Congress in the transportation legislation known as TEA 21, which 
provides $27.7 billion in highway program obligation limitations, a 
$3.5 billion increase over last year's level.
  This much needed funding is directed to the States to construct and 
improve roads and highways. This includes the bridge replacement and 
rehabilitation program that provides assistance for bridges on public 
roads, including a discretionary set-aside for high cost bridges and 
for seismic retrofit of bridges.
  The bill also includes technical assistance to other agencies and 
organizations involved in road building activities.
  The bill provides for $5.8 billion in transit program obligations, 
the funding level guaranteed in TEA 21, an $824 million increase over 
last year's level.
  This includes Federal financial assistance programs for planning, 
developing, and improving comprehensive mass transportation systems in 
both urban and nonurban areas.
  The bill recommends $4.6 billion for air traffic services, a 7.1 
percent increase over the fiscal year 1999 level. Air traffic services 
make up an integral part of aviation safety.
  Over the past several years, the problem of runway incursion 
continues to worsen, now occurring at a rate of almost one per day.
  The bill also includes a general aviation provision to improve 
safety, including a $5 million grant for contract tower cost sharing 
and an additional $500,000 for the important aviation safety program.
  In addition, the bill provides $571 million for grants to the 
National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Amtrak, which has undergone 
remarkable rehabilitation over the past 4 years.
  This funding will cover capital expenses and preventative 
maintenance. In addition, the Federal Government will continue to work 
with Amtrak to help it reach its goal of total self-sufficiency.
  Mr. Speaker, safety should remain the Federal Government's highest 
responsibility in the transportation area. Clearly, this bill addresses 
those needs and concerns.
  In conclusion, I would like to commend the gentleman from Florida 
(Mr. Young), chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, and the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), the ranking member, for their hard 
work on this measure.
  I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Reynolds) for yielding me the time.
  This is an open rule which will allow for full consideration of the 
bill making appropriations for the Department of Transportation.
  As my colleague has described, this 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 Appropriations.
  The rule permits amendments under the 5-minute rule, which is the 
normal amending process in the House. All Members on both sides of the 
aisle will have the opportunity to offer amendments which are germane 
and which follow the rules for appropriation bills.
  Assisting transportation is one of the oldest and most important 
duties of the Federal Government. Our leaders, going back to the 
Founding Fathers, knew that transportation is the glue that holds the 
Nation together. Therefore, passage of this bill, which funds the 
Department of Transportation and related agencies, is one of the 
highest priorities of the Congress.
  The bill funds highway construction and highway safety and transit. 
It assists our Nation's air traffic control system and airport 
improvements. It makes possible Amtrak and Federal railroad programs.
  I call attention to the report of the committee, which directs the 
Federal Aviation Administration to give priority consideration of grant 
applications for the development of Dayton International Airport, in my 
district. Dayton is considering three projects, including an aircraft 
parking apron, site development work, and engineering for an aircraft 
hangar, and expansion of de-icing facilities.
  This bill was adopted by a voice vote in the Committee on 
Appropriations. It is supported on both sides of the aisle.
  I want to commend the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf), the 
chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation of the Committee on 
Appropriations, for a great job, and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. 
Sabo), the ranking minority member, for their work in bringing this 
bill to the House floor.
  The resolution was reported by a voice vote in the Committee on 
Rules. It is an open rule. I urge adoption of the rule and the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I 
move the previous question on the resolution.
  The previous question was ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hefley). The question is on the 
resolution.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground 
that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum 
is not present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Evidently a quorum is not present.
  The Sergeant at Arms will notify absent Members.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 416, 
nays 3, not voting 15, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 247]

                               YEAS--416

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Aderholt
     Allen
     Andrews
     Archer
     Armey
     Bachus
     Baird
     Baker
     Baldacci
     Ballenger
     Barcia
     Barr
     Barrett (NE)
     Barrett (WI)
     Bartlett
     Bass
     Bateman
     Becerra
     Bentsen
     Bereuter
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop
     Blagojevich
     Bliley
     Blumenauer
     Blunt
     Boehlert
     Boehner
     Bonilla
     Bonior
     Bono
     Borski
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boyd
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Brown (FL)
     Brown (OH)
     Bryant
     Burr
     Burton
     Buyer
     Callahan
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Canady
     Cannon
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardin
     Carson
     Castle
     Chabot
     Chambliss
     Chenoweth
     Clay
     Clayton
     Clement
     Clyburn
     Coble
     Coburn
     Collins
     Combest
     Condit
     Conyers
     Cook
     Cooksey
     Costello
     Cox
     Coyne
     Cramer
     Crane
     Crowley
     Cubin
     Cummings
     Cunningham
     Danner
     Davis (FL)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (VA)
     Deal
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     DeLay
     DeMint
     Deutsch
     Dickey
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Dixon
     Doggett
     Dooley
     Doolittle
     Doyle
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Edwards
     Ehlers
     Ehrlich
     Emerson
     English
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Evans
     Everett
     Ewing
     Farr
     Fattah
     Filner
     Foley
     Forbes
     Ford
     Fossella
     Fowler
     Frank (MA)
     Franks (NJ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Frost
     Gallegly
     Ganske
     Gejdenson
     Gekas
     Gephardt
     Gibbons
     Gillmor
     Gilman
     Gonzalez
     Goode
     Goodlatte
     Goodling
     Gordon
     Goss
     Graham
     Green (TX)
     Green (WI)
     Greenwood
     Gutierrez
     Gutknecht
     Hall (OH)
     Hall (TX)
     Hansen
     Hastings (FL)
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Hayworth
     Hefley
     Herger
     Hill (IN)
     Hill (MT)
     Hilleary
     Hilliard
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hobson
     Hoeffel
     Hoekstra
     Holden
     Holt
     Hooley
     Horn
     Hostettler
     Houghton
     Hoyer
     Hulshof
     Hunter
     Hutchinson
     Hyde
     Inslee
     Isakson

[[Page H4748]]


     Istook
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     Jenkins
     John
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson, E.B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones (NC)
     Jones (OH)
     Kanjorski
     Kasich
     Kelly
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kind (WI)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kleczka
     Klink
     Knollenberg
     Kucinich
     LaFalce
     LaHood
     Lampson
     Lantos
     Largent
     Larson
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Lazio
     Lee
     Levin
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (GA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Linder
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Lofgren
     Lowey
     Lucas (KY)
     Lucas (OK)
     Luther
     Maloney (CT)
     Maloney (NY)
     Manzullo
     Markey
     Martinez
     Mascara
     Matsui
     McCarthy (MO)
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCollum
     McCrery
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McHugh
     McInnis
     McIntosh
     McIntyre
     McKeon
     McKinney
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Menendez
     Metcalf
     Mica
     Millender-McDonald
     Miller (FL)
     Miller, Gary
     Miller, George
     Minge
     Mink
     Moakley
     Mollohan
     Moore
     Moran (KS)
     Moran (VA)
     Morella
     Murtha
     Myrick
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Nethercutt
     Ney
     Northup
     Norwood
     Nussle
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Ortiz
     Ose
     Owens
     Oxley
     Packard
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Paul
     Payne
     Pease
     Pelosi
     Peterson (MN)
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Phelps
     Pickering
     Pickett
     Pitts
     Pombo
     Pomeroy
     Porter
     Price (NC)
     Pryce (OH)
     Quinn
     Radanovich
     Rahall
     Ramstad
     Rangel
     Regula
     Reyes
     Reynolds
     Riley
     Rivers
     Rodriguez
     Roemer
     Rogan
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Rothman
     Roukema
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Rush
     Ryan (WI)
     Ryun (KS)
     Sabo
     Salmon
     Sanchez
     Sanders
     Sandlin
     Sanford
     Sawyer
     Saxton
     Scarborough
     Schaffer
     Schakowsky
     Scott
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Shadegg
     Shaw
     Shays
     Sherman
     Sherwood
     Shimkus
     Shows
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sisisky
     Skeen
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (MI)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Souder
     Spence
     Spratt
     Stabenow
     Stark
     Stearns
     Stenholm
     Strickland
     Stump
     Stupak
     Sununu
     Sweeney
     Talent
     Tancredo
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Tauzin
     Taylor (MS)
     Taylor (NC)
     Terry
     Thomas
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thornberry
     Thune
     Thurman
     Tiahrt
     Tierney
     Toomey
     Traficant
     Turner
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Upton
     Velazquez
     Vento
     Visclosky
     Vitter
     Walden
     Walsh
     Wamp
     Waters
     Watkins
     Watt (NC)
     Watts (OK)
     Waxman
     Weiner
     Weldon (FL)
     Weldon (PA)
     Weller
     Wexler
     Weygand
     Whitfield
     Wicker
     Wilson
     Wise
     Wolf
     Woolsey
     Wynn
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

                                NAYS--3

     Baldwin
     Kolbe
     Wu

                             NOT VOTING--15

     Barton
     Brown (CA)
     DeFazio
     Diaz-Balart
     Engel
     Fletcher
     Gilchrest
     Granger
     Kaptur
     Kuykendall
     Leach
     Olver
     Portman
     Rogers
     Towns

                              {time}  1113

  Mr. INSLEE changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
  So the resolution was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
  Stated for:
  Mr. KUYKENDALL. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 247, I was inadvertently 
detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

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