[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 26 (Thursday, March 9, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H762-H764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1695, IVANPAH VALLEY AIRPORT PUBLIC 
                           LANDS TRANSFER ACT

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the 
Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 433 and ask for its 
immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 433

       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. 1695) to provide for the conveyance of certain 
     Federal

[[Page H763]]

     public lands in the Ivanpah Valley, Nevada, to Clark County, 
     Nevada, for the development of an airport facility, and for 
     other purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be 
     dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of 
     the bill 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 Resources. 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 
     Resources now printed in the bill. The committee amendment in 
     the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read. All 
     points of order against the committee amendment in the nature 
     of a substitute are waived. The amendment printed in the 
     report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution 
     shall be considered as read and shall not be subject to a 
     demand for division of the question in the House or in the 
     Committee of the Whole. 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 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. 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. The gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) 
is recognized for 1 hour.

                              {time}  1030

  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, 
I yield the customary 30 minutes to the distinguished 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 the purpose of debate only.
  (Mr. HASTINGS of Washington asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 433 would grant H.R. 
1695, the Ivanpah Valley Public Lands Transfer Act, an open rule. The 
rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill and 
provides 1 hour of general debate, equally divided between the chairman 
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Resources.
  The rule makes in order the Committee on Resources amendment in the 
nature of a substitute now printed in the bill as an original bill for 
the purpose of amendment, which shall be open for debate at any point. 
The rule also waives all points of order against the committee 
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  The rule further provides that the amendment printed in the report of 
the Committee on Rules accompanying the resolution shall be considered 
as read and shall not be subject to a demand for a division of the 
question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole.
  The rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority and recognition to 
Members who have preprinted their amendments in the Congressional 
Record. It allows the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to 
postpone votes during consideration of the bill and to reduce voting 
time to 5 minutes on a postponed question if the vote follows a 15 
minute vote.
  Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1695 has been introduced by the gentleman from 
Nevada (Mr. Gibbons) in order to address a problem of increasing 
concern in his district. Southern Nevada is the fastest growing area in 
the United States. Both the rapidly expanding population and the area's 
growing popularity as a destination for travel and tourism have placed 
great strain on its existing commercial airport.
  This bill would make available land currently in Federal ownership 
for the construction of a second major airport to be known as the 
Ivanpah Valley Airport, which would serve as an alternative for cargo 
and charter flight operations. The site is in an ideal location for 
such a facility and is on land that is no longer needed by the Interior 
Department's Bureau of Land Management. The bill requires the county to 
pay fair market value for this land.
  Because the Congressional Budget Office estimates that implementing 
H.R. 1695 would result in a net increase in spending of approximately 
$1 million over the years 2001 to 2004, pay-as-you-go procedures would 
apply.
  Those of us who represent districts in the West where so much of our 
land is owned by the Federal Government and that is not on the local 
tax rolls tend to be very supportive of proposals that move unneeded 
land out of Federal ownership, especially when it can be put to the 
kind of high-priority use as envisioned by the legislation of the 
gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons). Members who have concerns about 
the provisions of this bill will be pleased that the Committee on Rules 
has reported an open rule so that any proposed amendments to H.R. 1695 
that are consistent with House rules may be fully considered and 
debated.
  Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the open 
rule for H.R. 1695.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me 
this time. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this is an open rule. It will allow for full 
consideration of a bill to transfer land in Nevada to construct an 
airport which will serve Las Vegas.
  As the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) has described, the 
rule for the debate time provides that the bill be equally divided and 
controlled by the Chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee 
on Resources.
  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 an opportunity to offer germane amendments.
  The rule also makes in order an amendment that is expected to be 
offered by the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) that addresses several 
concerns in the bill.
  Southern Nevada is one of the fastest growing areas in the country, 
which has placed increasing demands on Las Vegas's McCarran 
International Airport. Because so much of Nevada is owned by the 
Federal Government, the land transfer is necessary to satisfy the 
region's growing need for air service.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation brings to mind a related issue that is 
very important to me, and that is the need for regional cooperation and 
broad citizen support for airport expansion. In my own community in the 
Miami Valley of Ohio, the City of Dayton is proposing a major expansion 
that attempts to address the region's future air travel needs. It is 
important to the citizens of the area to have sufficient opportunity to 
contribute to the planning process and for key segments of the 
community to reach a mutually acceptable agreement. The process can be 
long and frustrating, but there is no other way to advance public 
cause, even one that has the potential to provide long-term benefits to 
the region.
  The House Committee on Rules has permitted a compromise measure to 
come before the House that is acceptable to both sides of the aisle. It 
is this kind of creative problem-solving and a willingness to 
compromise that will advance the project and serve the Las Vegas area.
  Mr. Speaker, this open rule was approved by a voice vote by the 
Committee on Rules, and I urge its adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaHood). Without objection, the previous 
question is ordered on the resolution.

[[Page H764]]

  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. 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 Chair will reduce to 5 minutes the time for a record vote, if 
ordered, on the Speaker's approval of the Journal following this vote.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 406, 
nays 0, not voting 28, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 34]

                               YEAS--406

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Aderholt
     Allen
     Andrews
     Archer
     Armey
     Baca
     Bachus
     Baird
     Baker
     Baldacci
     Baldwin
     Ballenger
     Barcia
     Barrett (NE)
     Barrett (WI)
     Bartlett
     Barton
     Bass
     Bateman
     Becerra
     Bentsen
     Bereuter
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop
     Blagojevich
     Bliley
     Blumenauer
     Blunt
     Boehlert
     Boehner
     Bonilla
     Bonior
     Bono
     Borski
     Boucher
     Boyd
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Brown (FL)
     Bryant
     Burr
     Burton
     Buyer
     Callahan
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Canady
     Cannon
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardin
     Carson
     Castle
     Chabot
     Chambliss
     Chenoweth-Hage
     Clay
     Clayton
     Clyburn
     Coble
     Coburn
     Collins
     Combest
     Condit
     Conyers
     Cook
     Costello
     Cox
     Coyne
     Cramer
     Crane
     Crowley
     Cubin
     Cummings
     Cunningham
     Danner
     Davis (FL)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (VA)
     Deal
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     DeLay
     DeMint
     Deutsch
     Diaz-Balart
     Dickey
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Dooley
     Doolittle
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Edwards
     Ehlers
     Ehrlich
     Emerson
     Engel
     English
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Evans
     Everett
     Ewing
     Farr
     Fattah
     Filner
     Fletcher
     Foley
     Forbes
     Ford
     Fossella
     Fowler
     Frank (MA)
     Franks (NJ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Gallegly
     Ganske
     Gejdenson
     Gekas
     Gephardt
     Gibbons
     Gilchrest
     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
     Hill (IN)
     Hill (MT)
     Hilleary
     Hilliard
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hobson
     Hoeffel
     Hoekstra
     Holden
     Holt
     Hooley
     Horn
     Hostettler
     Houghton
     Hoyer
     Hulshof
     Hunter
     Hutchinson
     Hyde
     Inslee
     Isakson
     Istook
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     Jenkins
     John
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones (NC)
     Jones (OH)
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kasich
     Kelly
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kind (WI)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Klink
     Knollenberg
     Kolbe
     Kucinich
     Kuykendall
     LaFalce
     LaHood
     Lampson
     Lantos
     Largent
     Latham
     Lazio
     Leach
     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)
     McCrery
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McHugh
     McInnis
     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)
     Morella
     Murtha
     Myrick
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Nethercutt
     Ney
     Northup
     Norwood
     Nussle
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Ose
     Owens
     Oxley
     Packard
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Paul
     Pease
     Pelosi
     Peterson (MN)
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Phelps
     Pickett
     Pitts
     Pombo
     Pomeroy
     Porter
     Portman
     Price (NC)
     Pryce (OH)
     Quinn
     Radanovich
     Rahall
     Ramstad
     Rangel
     Regula
     Reyes
     Reynolds
     Riley
     Rivers
     Rodriguez
     Roemer
     Rogan
     Rogers
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Rothman
     Roukema
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Rush
     Ryan (WI)
     Ryun (KS)
     Sabo
     Sanders
     Sandlin
     Sanford
     Sawyer
     Saxton
     Schakowsky
     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
     Spratt
     Stabenow
     Stark
     Stearns
     Stenholm
     Strickland
     Stump
     Sununu
     Sweeney
     Talent
     Tancredo
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Tauzin
     Taylor (MS)
     Taylor (NC)
     Terry
     Thomas
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thornberry
     Thune
     Thurman
     Tiahrt
     Tierney
     Toomey
     Towns
     Traficant
     Turner
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Upton
     Velazquez
     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
     Wu
     Wynn
     Young (FL)

                             NOT VOTING--28

     Barr
     Boswell
     Brown (OH)
     Clement
     Cooksey
     Dixon
     Doyle
     Dunn
     Frost
     Granger
     Herger
     Kleczka
     Larson
     LaTourette
     McCollum
     McIntosh
     Moran (VA)
     Payne
     Pickering
     Salmon
     Sanchez
     Scarborough
     Schaffer
     Scott
     Spence
     Stupak
     Vento
     Young (AK)

                              {time}  1058

  Messrs. MALONEY of Connecticut, KLINK and KANJORSKI changed their 
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:
  Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 34 on March 9, 
2000, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have 
voted ``aye.''

                          ____________________