[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 172 (Wednesday, November 7, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14067-S14068]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CARDIN:
  S. 2322. A bill to amend the International Center Act to authorize 
the lease or sublease of certain property described in such Act to an 
entity other than a foreign government or international organization if 
certain conditions are met; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill to amend the 
International Center Act to make it clear that Intelsat can continue to 
lease the land on which its headquarters building is located.
  Congress created Intelsat when it passed the Communications Satellite 
Act in the 1960s, intending it to be an international organization 
charged with establishing the world's first global satellite system. In 
2000, Congress passed the ORBIT Act, which essentially mandated that 
Intelsat become a private company. The purpose of the ORBIT Act was to 
promote a fully competitive global market for satellite

[[Page S14068]]

communication services for the benefit of consumers. Congress 
inadvertently overlooked some important changes that were required to 
complete this transformation and, as a result, had to make technical 
changes to correct these oversights.
  One technical correction still needs to be made, however: the 
International Center Act, ICA, must be amended to ensure that 
Intelsat's lease of the land on which its headquarters is located 
comports with the law. The U.S. Government owns this land. The State 
Department and Intelsat entered into a long-term lease for the land on 
which Intelsat built its headquarters many years ago. Intelsat 
constructed and fully owns the building. The lease was originally 
entered into pursuant to the ICA and has been amended several times 
over the years, most recently in 2006. The ICA, however, limits leases 
of this property to foreign governments and international 
organizations. At the time Intelsat leased the property and built its 
headquarters building, it was an international organization.
  When Congress mandated in the ORBIT Act that Intelsat privatize, it 
created a problem regarding Intelsat's land lease. Once Intelsat was no 
longer an international organization, it technically no longer 
satisfied the requirements of the ICA. In other words, Congress' action 
requiring Intelsat to privatize has left the company's right to 
continue to lease the land in question. But it was never the intent of 
the ORBIT Act to create this uncertainty with respect to the legality 
of Intelsat's land lease.
  The bill I am introducing amends the ICA to eliminate this 
uncertainty that the ORBIT Act created regarding the lease. It is 
necessary to ensure that the now privatized Intelsat can continue to 
lease the land. My bill would in no way alter the rights or obligations 
of the parties or any of the lease terms or conditions. It in no way 
expands any of Intelsat's rights under the existing lease. Nor does it 
change in any way the rights or powers that the State Department 
currently has under the lease. The Secretary of State will continue to 
have the same right to prohibit any use, development, occupancy, lease, 
or sublease as is currently authorized under the existing lease. My 
bill makes no substantive change in the relationship between the State 
Department and Intelsat. It merely eliminates the inconsistency between 
the lease and the ICA that was caused by Intelsat's privatization--
which Congress required when it passed the ORBIT Act.
  The State Department has approved this legislation to amend the ICA. 
I hope my colleagues will support the bill, too, and act on it 
expeditiously.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2322

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

     SECTION 1. AMENDMENT TO THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER ACT.

       The first section of the International Center Act (Public 
     Law 90-553; 82 Stat. 958) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new sentence: ``Notwithstanding the foregoing 
     limitations, the property identified by the District of 
     Columbia as tax lots 803, 804, 805, and 806 within the area 
     described in this section may be leased or subleased to an 
     entity other than a foreign government or international 
     organization, so long as the Secretary maintains the right to 
     approve the occupant and the intended use of the property.''.

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