[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 44 (Monday, April 10, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H1963-H1965]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AUTHORIZING USE OF CAPITOL GROUNDS FOR GREATER WASHINGTON SOAP BOX
DERBY
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 277) authorizing the use of the
Capitol grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 277
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring),
SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF SOAP BOX DERBY RACES ON CAPITOL
GROUNDS.
The Greater Washington Soap Box Derby Association (in this
resolution referred to as the ``Association'') shall be
permitted to sponsor a public event, soap box derby races, on
the Capitol Grounds on June 24, 2000, or on such other date
as the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate may
jointly designate.
SEC. 2. CONDITIONS.
The event to be carried out under this resolution shall be
free of admission charge to the public and arranged not to
interfere with the needs of Congress, under conditions to be
prescribed by the Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol
Police Board; except that the Association shall assume full
responsibility for all expenses and liabilities incident to
all activities associated with the event.
SEC. 3. STRUCTURES AND EQUIPMENT.
For the purposes of this resolution, the Association is
authorized to erect upon the Capitol Grounds, subject to the
approval of the Architect of the Capitol, such stage, sound
amplification devices, and other related structures and
equipment as may be required for the event to be carried out
under this resolution.
SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS.
The Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol Police Board
are authorized to make any such additional arrangements that
may be required to carry out the event under this resolution.
SEC. 5. ENFORCEMENT OF RESTRICTIONS.
The Capitol Police Board shall provide for enforcement of
the restrictions contained in section 4 of the Act of July
31, 1946 (40 U.S.C. 193d; 60 Stat. 718), concerning sales,
displays, and solicitations on the Capitol Grounds, as well
as other restrictions applicable to the Capitol Grounds, with
respect to the event to be carried out under this resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 277, as amended, authorizes
the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box
Derby qualifying races to be held on June 24, 2000, or on such date as
the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate Committee on
Rules and Administration jointly designate. The resolution also
authorizes the Architect of the Capitol, the Capitol Police Board, and
the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby Association, which is the sponsor
of the event, to negotiate the necessary arrangements for carrying out
the event in complete compliance with the rules and regulations
governing the use of the Capitol Grounds.
{time} 1415
The event is open to the public and free of charge, and the sponsor
will assume responsibility for all experiences and liabilities related
to the event. In addition, sales, advertisements, and solicitations are
explicitly prohibited on the Capitol Grounds in this event.
The races are going to take place on Constitution Avenue between
Delaware Avenue and Third Street, N.W. The participants are residents
of the Washington Metropolitan area and range in age from 9 to 16. This
event is currently one of the largest races in the country, and the
winners of these races will represent the Washington metropolitan area
in the national finals to be held in Akron, Ohio.
I support this resolution. I urge my colleagues' support.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs.
Morella), as well as the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Wynn), the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis), the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Moran), and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton),
and certainly the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the sponsor, for
working together. Certainly there is some bipartisanship on this
committee for sure.
But I want to take a couple minutes to filibuster, hopefully, so that
the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), who would like to speak, might
make it here. But if he does not, then he can speak on the next one.
So taking that minute, I would like to thank Mr. Rick Barnett and Ms.
Susan Brita of the staff. They probably do more work in the Congress
than any other committee. This little subcommittee passes more
legislation
[[Page H1964]]
than anybody. They laugh when I say that, but there is an awful lot of
work attached to it.
But I would like to talk about the efforts of the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer). For years, he has taken this upon himself to make
sure that that soap box derby is conducted, and he does it with a
passion. As my colleagues can see, the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs.
Morella), she was right there, and there are other Members probably who
want to speak on it, too.
But I want to just say that the heavy hitter has come in, and I want
to personally pay him that respect, because he has made it a personal
issue. Everybody joins together with him.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to
the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella).
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for
yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support this resolution. I am delighted
to join the sponsors of this resolution, the gentleman from Maryland
(Mr. Hoyer), the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Wynn), the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Moran), the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis), and the
gentlewoman from the District of Colombia (Ms. Norton), in supporting
House Concurrent Resolution 277; and that, as we have heard, allows for
participants in the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby to use the
Capitol grounds and race along Constitution Avenue on June 24.
For the past 8 years, I have cosponsored this resolution, and it has
gotten the almost unanimous support of this House, along with the rest
of the Greater Washington Metropolitan Delegation, to promote this
annual community service, which is now in its 63rd year of running.
From 1992 to 1999, the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby has been
considered one of the largest races in the Nation, averaging over 40
contestants each year.
This year, the first Greater Washington Soap Box Derby of the new
millennium expects to top previous enrollment numbers with 50 cars.
Participants in the derby, ranging from ages from 9 to 16, live in
communities in the great State of Maryland, the District of Columbia,
and Virginia. The winners of the local events in June will have the
honor of representing the Washington metropolitan area at the National
Derby Race in Akron, Ohio on July 22.
The derby truly is a community event, with scores of children,
parents, and volunteers working tirelessly to construct and operate the
soap boxes. The region's youth have the opportunity to learn the
lessons of teamwork, competition, and sportsman and sportswomanship, as
well as the physics and mechanics that are involved in building an
aerodynamically-shaped soap box car.
I also want to applaud one of my constituents, George Weissgerber of
Rockville, Maryland, for his work this year as the derby director. I
invite the Members of the House to, not only support this resolution
today, but also to attend the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby on June
24.
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, let me say this before I introduce my only speaker, from
what I understand, there are many volunteers involved in this derby
that give of their time, and time is money. I think the entire
delegation has worked to really bring in those types of volunteers. I
think that is where they deserve a lot of credit.
I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for his efforts for
all of the young people who are involved in this.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he consume to the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, timing is important, and I had the
opportunity to come into the room just as the distinguished gentleman
from Ohio (Mr. Traficant) was talking about my efforts on this matter.
But I would like to mention as well one additional person who sits to
the chairman's right, or to the ranking member's right, chairman-in-
exile, as I call him, Susan Brita, who has been an extraordinary asset
to the House and, frankly, to the committee, the full Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure, for an awful lot of years.
She probably knows as much about these matters, about construction
matters and the General Services Administration and so many other
matters related to our infrastructure as any staffer on this Hill. I
want to thank her for all the efforts she has made. I thank the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant), the ranking member, too, for
working very closely with her so he does not make mistakes. It is
always a good judgment that all of us make to have good staff.
Also, I want to thank the chairman, who is not in exile, but who is
on the job, for his efforts and my colleague from Montgomery County,
Mrs. Morella, for rising in support of this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, we have obviously, as the House of Representatives,
responsibility for this hallowed Hill, this center of democracy in the
world. It is, I think, extraordinarily appropriate that, for the last
few number of years, we have made available a part of this Hill over
which we have authority for an enterprise that has literally taught
thousands and thousands of young people, entrepreneurial spirit,
competitive spirit, family working together, because, although those
young people are responsible for building their carts, they do get some
advice from and counsel from dad and mom and brothers and sisters from
time to time, I know.
But this is truly an American enterprise. The Soap Box Derby is
something that I think all of us have known about for almost all of our
lives. It is an enterprise that takes the contributions of American
business, of American volunteers, and certainly of the young people and
their families.
This will be the 63rd running of the greater Washington Soap Box
Derby, and it will take place as my colleagues have heard, Mr. Speaker,
on June 24 of this year.
This resolution authorizes the Architect of the Capitol, as is
necessary, as I have said, as well as the Capitol Police Board and the
Greater Washington Soap Box Derby Association to negotiate the
necessary arrangements for carrying out the running.
That obviously will not be, I think, a difficult job, although the
concerns of the Capitol Police and the Architect must be met and, in
fact, are met. In the past, the full House has supported this
resolution, of course, unanimously.
But I do want to thank all of those in the Washington metropolitan
area. This is not a partisan issue, obviously. The gentlewoman from
Maryland (Mrs. Morella) who has spoken, the gentleman from Maryland
(Mr. Wynn), the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Davis), the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia
(Ms. Norton), the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf), and others spoke
supporting this resolution.
From 1992 to 1999, the greater Washington Soap Box Derby welcomed
over 40 contestants per year which made the Washington, D.C. race one
of the largest in the country. Participants, as my colleagues have been
told, I am sure, range from approximately 9 years of age to 16 years of
age and come from communities in Maryland, the District of Columbia,
and Virginia.
The winners of this local event will represent the Washington
metropolitan area in the national race which will be held, as it has
been through history, in Akron, Ohio on July 22 of this year.
The derby provides our young people with an opportunity to gain
valuable skills, not only in those that I mentioned, but in practical
skills of engineering, aerodynamics, and other skills necessary to make
that go-cart go faster than any other go-cart down that hill. Of course
this is a beautiful Hill, Capitol Hill, to use as they go down on the
west side of our Capitol.
Furthermore, the derby promotes teamwork, a sense of accomplishment,
sportsmanship, leadership, and responsibilities. These are attributes
that we should encourage our young people to carry into adulthood. That
is why this enterprise, like so many others, is critically important.
I, Mr. Speaker, like so many in this Chamber, have the opportunity to
be
[[Page H1965]]
very much involved in the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. They have a
national charter from this Congress, and they report to us annually.
Like the Boys and Girls Club, this enterprise gives young people a
positive focus and positive way to participate in directing their
energy in ways that will result in benefits to themselves and to our
community.
Mr. Speaker, I am more than honored to have been involved in this
effort and thank all of the corporate sponsors, all of the volunteers,
all of the parents, and, yes, certainly all of the young people who
participate in this event. It is right that we give them the
opportunity to do so on this historic Hill. I rise in strong support of
the resolution.
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the efforts of the gentleman from Maryland
(Mr. Hoyer) and the entire delegation. I urge an ``aye'' vote.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, as the great chairman of our committee says, there is no
such thing as a Republican soap box and no such thing as a Democratic
derby. I urge passage of the resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Nethercutt). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) that the
House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con.
Res. 277, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as
amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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