[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 127 (Friday, October 8, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H9026-H9027]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2004

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure be discharged from 
further consideration of the bill (H.R. 5294) to amend the John F. 
Kennedy Center Act to authorize appropriations for the John F. Kennedy 
Center for the Performing Arts, and for other purposes, and ask for its 
immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I yield to 
the chairman of the subcommittee for an explanation of the measure 
before us.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. I thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) 
for yielding under his reservation.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5294 is virtually identical to H.R. 3198, the John 
F. Kennedy Center Reauthorization Act of 2003, which passed the House 
of Representatives on November 17, 2003.
  The legislation reauthorizes the programs of the Kennedy Center for 4 
years. This is a bipartisan bill. I urge our colleagues to support the 
bill.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the 
distinguished ranking member of the full Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure, for his work; also the gentlewoman from the 
District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), the ranking member of our 
subcommittee, for the outstanding work on this bill and so many others 
during the 108th Congress.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Further reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, I 
compliment the chairman of the subcommittee for his diligent work in 
shepherding this bill through this historic moment.
  He has been a dedicated and informed and forthright leader of the 
subcommittee and on the issues under its jurisdiction, particularly 
those relating to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
  For the last decade, as a member of the Board of Trustees, I have 
watched firsthand the center undertake major capital projects, 
renovating the theaters, creating state-of-the-art concert halls, the 
Opera House, replacing a badly deteriorated roof.
  Throughout all these major capital maintenance renovation 
construction projects, the center opened every day of the year and 
welcomed over 5 million visitors and has stayed true to its mission as 
a national cultural arts center and a living memorial to our 35th 
President.
  The chairman has described the principal features of the bill. What I 
want to emphasize, however, is the great difficulty of running this 
incredible living memorial and arts center while managing the major 
construction initiatives. The Kennedy Center, in doing so, and the 
chairman I know agrees with this position, must improve its 
construction management.

                              {time}  2300

  The General Accounting Office reviewed the Kennedy Center's operation 
and found that the Center needs, one, to develop policy and procedures 
to guide the plans and management of its construction projects; two, 
ensure that its construction contractors provide schedule and cost 
information in a timely fashion; and three, invest in the key human 
capital resources and the expertise to manage better its construction 
projects.
  The Center has made progress. The chairman has held hearings on this 
matter, and we greatly appreciate those hearings. They reveal that the 
Center needs to do much better.
  Just last month, GAO reported that the Center has not updated its 
building plan each year as the law requires. The building plan does not 
explain how the Kennedy Center prioritizes its capital projects. It 
fails to provide adequate information on project-specific status, 
updates and budgets so that we in the Congress and the board of 
trustees will have the information necessary to ensure that the 
Center's capital projects are well managed.
  I think this legislation, by requiring further steps to strengthen 
the construction management process, will move the Kennedy Center 
forward in directions that we feel are important, and for that, I thank 
the chairman for his vigilance and greatly appreciate the partnership.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the bill, as follows:

                               H.R. 5294

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``John F. Kennedy Center 
     Reauthorization Act of 2004''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 13 of the John F. Kennedy Center Act (20 U.S.C. 
     76r) is amended by striking subsections (a) and (b) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(a) Maintenance, Repair, and Security.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to the Board to carry out 
     section 4(a)(1)(H)--
       ``(1) $17,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and
       ``(2) $18,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005, 2006, and 
     2007.
       ``(b) Capital Projects.--There are authorized to be 
     appropriated to the Board to carry out subparagraphs (F) and 
     (G) of section 4(a)(1)--
       ``(1) $16,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and
       ``(2) $18,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005, 2006, and 
     2007.''.

     SEC. 3. JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER PLAZA.

       (a) Responsibilities of the Secretary.--Section 12(b) of 
     the John F. Kennedy Center Act (20 U.S.C. 76q-1(b)) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(6) Project team.--
       ``(A) Establishment.--To further construction of the 
     Project, the Secretary shall establish a Project Team.
       ``(B) Membership.--The Project Team shall be composed of 
     the following members:
       ``(i) The Secretary (or the Secretary's designee).
       ``(ii) The Administrator of General Services (or the 
     Administrator's designee).
       ``(iii) The Chairman of the Board (or the Chairman's 
     designee).
       ``(iv) Such other individuals as the Project Team considers 
     appropriate.
       ``(C) Project director.--The Project Team shall have a 
     Project Director who shall be appointed by the Secretary, in 
     consultation with the Administrator of General Services and 
     the Chairman of the Board. The Project Director shall report 
     directly to the Project Team.''.
       (b) Responsibilities of the Board.--
       (1) In general.--Section 12(c)(1) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 
     76q-1(c)(1)) is amended by inserting ``, in consultation with 
     the Project Team,'' after ``The Board''.
       (2) Construction of buildings.--Section 12(c)(3) of such 
     Act (20 U.S.C. 76q-1(c)(3)) is amended by inserting ``, in 
     consultation with the Project Team,'' after ``The Board''.
       (3) Approval by project team.--Section 12(c) of such Act 
     (20 U.S.C. 76q-1(c)) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(5) Approval by project team.--Notwithstanding section 
     5(e), any decision by the Board that will significantly 
     affect, as determined by the Project Team in consultation 
     with the Board, the scope, cost, schedule, or engineering 
     feasibility of any element of the Project, other than 
     buildings to be constructed on the Plaza, shall be subject to 
     the approval of the Project Team.''.
       (c) GAO Review.--Section 12 of such Act (20 U.S.C. 76q-1) 
     is amended by adding at the end the following:

[[Page H9027]]

       ``(g) GAO Review.--Until completion of the Project, the 
     Comptroller General shall review the management and oversight 
     of construction of the Project by the Board and report 
     periodically on the results of the review to the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public 
     Works of the Senate.''.

  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read 
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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