[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 28, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H1148-H1149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SUPREME COURT GROUNDS TRANSFER ACT OF 2005

  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 2116) to transfer jurisdiction of certain real property 
to the Supreme Court.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                S. 2116

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

     SECTION 1. TRANSFER OF JURISDICTION OVER CERTAIN REAL 
                   PROPERTY TO THE SUPREME COURT.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the 
     ``Supreme Court Grounds Transfer Act of 2005''.
       (b) Transfer of Jurisdiction.--
       (1) In general.--Jurisdiction over the parcel of Federal 
     real property described under paragraph (2) (over which 
     jurisdiction was transferred to the Architect of the Capitol 
     under section 514(b)(2)(B)(i) of the Omnibus Parks and Public 
     Lands Management Act of 1996 (40 U.S.C. 5102 note; Public Law 
     104-333; 110 Stat. 4165)) is transferred to the Supreme Court 
     of the United States, without consideration.
       (2) Parcel.--The parcel of Federal real property referred 
     to under paragraph (1) is

[[Page H1149]]

     that portion of the triangle of Federal land in Reservation 
     No. 204 in the District of Columbia under the jurisdiction of 
     the Architect of the Capitol, including any contiguous 
     sidewalks, bound by Constitution Avenue, N.E., on the north, 
     the branch of Maryland Avenue, N.E., running in a northeast 
     direction on the west, the major portion of Maryland Avenue, 
     N.E., on the south, and 2nd Street, N.E., on the east, 
     including the contiguous sidewalks.
       (c) Miscellaneous.--
       (1) Compliance with other laws.--Compliance with this 
     section shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of all 
     laws otherwise applicable to transfers of jurisdiction over 
     parcels of Federal real property.
       (2) Inclusion in supreme court grounds.--Section 6101(b)(2) 
     of title 40, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
     before the period ``and that parcel transferred under the 
     Supreme Court Grounds Transfer Act of 2005''.
       (3) United states capitol grounds.--
       (A) Definition.--Section 5102 of title 40, United States 
     Code, is amended to exclude within the definition of the 
     United States Capitol Grounds the parcel of Federal real 
     property described in subsection (b)(2).
       (B) Jurisdiction of capitol police.--The United States 
     Capitol Police shall not have jurisdiction over the parcel of 
     Federal real property described in subsection (b)(2) by 
     reason of such parcel formerly being part of the United 
     States Capitol Grounds.
       (4) Recording of map of supreme court grounds.--The 
     Architect of the Capitol shall record with the Office of the 
     Surveyor of the District of Columbia a map showing areas 
     comprising the grounds of the Supreme Court of the United 
     States that reflects--
       (A) the legal boundaries described under section 6101(b)(1) 
     of title 40, United States Code; and
       (B) any portion of the United States Capitol Grounds as 
     described under section 5102 of title 40, United States Code, 
     which is contiguous to the boundaries or property described 
     under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.
       (d) Effective Date.--This Act shall apply to fiscal year 
     2006 and each fiscal year thereafter.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) and the gentlewoman from the District of 
Columbia (Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on S. 2116.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  S. 2116 transfers jurisdiction of a small parcel of land from the 
Architect of the Capitol to the Supreme Court of the United States.
  Most of my colleagues will recognize this property as the small 
triangular piece of land between the Hart Senate Office Building and 
the Supreme Court. For the past few years it has been surrounded by 
security fencing and covered by construction trailers and equipment 
supporting the Supreme Court Modernization project.
  The small parcel of land is bordered by Constitution Avenue on the 
north, Maryland Avenue on the west and south, and by Second Street on 
the east.
  This transfer also includes realigning the jurisdictional boundaries 
of the United States Capitol Police and the United States Supreme Court 
Police to reflect this land transfer.
  The transfer will also enable the Supreme Court Police to have 
control over the grounds within the bollards that are currently under 
construction.
  The Supreme Court Land Transfer Act of 2006 is a simple and sensible 
solution that provides a more distinct boundary between the Capitol 
grounds and the Supreme Court.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation and encourage my colleagues 
to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the subcommittee with whom I 
have worked so closely for making sure that this small bill got to the 
floor and got done.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 2116 is a bill to transfer the parcel of property 
currently under the jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol to the 
jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. The parcel of land is a small 
triangle of land bounded by Constitution Avenue Northeast, Maryland 
Avenue Northeast, and Second Street Northeast.
  Once the parcel is transferred from the Architect to the Supreme 
Court, the Capitol Hill Police will no longer have the security 
responsibility for the parcel; and, further, the definition of the 
Capitol grounds will be amended to show that the parcel has been 
deleted from the definition of the Capitol grounds.
  The Supreme Court requested this transfer in order to enhance its 
perimeter security program. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill and urge 
its passage.
  Mr. Speaker, before I yield back the balance of my time I do want to 
say that this bill brings to mind, especially since it is being 
transferred for security reasons, the fact that we are operating under 
an old 19th century organization of the police that guard the complex 
of most important Federal building in the District of Columbia, the 
Supreme Court Police, the Library of Congress Police, and the Capitol 
Hill police.
  Mr. Speaker, at the moment we have some jurisdiction over this 
Federal police force. But the jurisdiction I am speaking of, which has 
already been passed by the Congress of the United States, is not under 
our jurisdiction, but because of the security which is the reason for 
the transfer, I do want to say that what we have with this complex of 
buildings that are within sight of one another, are very different 
police forces.
  We have a police force that is trained differently for the three most 
important buildings in this vicinity. The Library of Congress is 
trained differently. It is as if these were the police forces of 
Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
  Mr. Speaker, that is dangerous. That is nothing short of dangerous. 
We have so shored up the Capitol, that any terrorist on the lookout for 
something to do in this vicinity is surely going to go to places that 
she may believe is less well guarded, like the Library of Congress, and 
like, if I may so, the Supreme Court of the United States.
  I have met with the Marshal of the Supreme Court of the United States 
and the Library of Congress. I am familiar with both their police 
forces. But now that this bill has been brought to the floor, I urge 
that we all respond to what has now become public, because the Library 
of Congress Police have raised the question again.
  There was an article in Roll Call just a few days ago that there were 
real security problems with the Library of Congress and its police. I 
have not heard the same thing about the Supreme Court.
  But I do not think we should rest well knowing that we have shored up 
the Congress of the United States and we hope everything is well with 
the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress. I think it is our 
obligation to make sure that it is, in fact, the case.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to support this 
commonsense piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass Senate bill, S. 2116.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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