[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 100 (Thursday, July 27, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1374]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        TREASURY AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 20, 2000

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4871) making 
     appropriations for the Treasury Department, the United States 
     Postal Service, the Executive Office of the President, and 
     certain Independent Agencies, for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2001, and for other purposes.

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Chairman, I want to support the efforts of 
Congressman Wynn and his desire to provide funding for FDA 
consolidation in Montgomery County, Maryland. In last week's Treasury 
Postal Appropriations bill, no funding was made available for the 
consolidation project. I wholeheartedly agree with Rep. Wynn's request 
that greater consideration for the project be made in conference.
  Presently, the FDA has approximately 39 different buildings in 21 
different locations and 6,000 employees throughout the Washington, DC 
metropolitan area. The purpose of the consolidation project was to 
condense those buildings, employees, and locations into one site, the 
former Naval Surface Warfare Center in White Oak Maryland. There are 
several benefits of this consolidation: one, it would allow for the 
design and construction of a Center for Drug Evaluation and Research 
Laboratory (CDER). Two, there would be a savings of more than $200 
million in lease costs over a ten year term. Three, it would help fill 
the void left by the closure of the 700 acre White Oak Naval Surface 
Warfare Center.
  I am aware that no construction projects were funded by the Treasury/
Postal subcommittee; however, this project benefits the nation by 
establishing a much needed drug evaluation and research laboratory 
while reducing costs for taxpayers.
  I urge the conferees to restore the funding that was part of the 
President's proposed FY 2001 budget.

                          ____________________