[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 13 (Monday, January 28, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H464-H465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               AMENDMENT TO THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER ACT

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend 
the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3913) 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.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3913

       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.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Petri) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to 
revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on 
H.R. 3913.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  I'm pleased to support H.R. 3913, a bill to make a needed technical 
amendment to the International Center Act, P.L. 90-553.
  H.R. 3913 authorizes the Department of State to lease land to 
Intelsat at the International Center, which is located on Connecticut 
Avenue at Van Ness Street in northwest Washington.
  The amendment clarifies and ensures that Intelsat's long-term lease 
of the land, on which its headquarters is located, is consistent with 
the International Center Act.
  Intelsat was originally established in the early 1900s as an 
international organization. In 2000, Congress passed legislation which 
essentially required Intelsat to become a private company.
  Unfortunately, at that time, Congress overlooked a change in the ICA 
that would be necessary when Intelsat completed its transition to a 
private company, and this bill corrects that omission.
  I support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  The bill before us amends the International Center Act to allow the 
State Department to lease a Federal property in northwest Washington to 
nongovernmental entities. Currently, the International Center Act only 
permits the State Department, as has been said, to lease the property 
to foreign governments or international organizations.
  The site is occupied by the international satellite service provider 
Intelsat, which was privatized by an act of Congress in the year 2000. 
Prior to its privatization, Intelsat was created as an international 
organization in the 1960s to establish the world's first global 
satellite system.
  As an international organization, Intelsat leased the property for 99 
years from the State Department in accordance with the International 
Center Act. The bill before us corrects an apparent oversight when 
Intelsat was privatized by this Congress.
  The underlying statute requires a foreign government or international 
organization to occupy the property, and that was no longer consistent 
with the lease between the government and Intelsat after Intelsat was 
privatized. This bill would make the International Center Act 
consistent with the lease.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3913 amends a provision of the 
International Center Act (``ICA''), which established the authority for 
the U.S. Department of State to lease property in the District of 
Columbia to foreign governments or international organizations.

[[Page H465]]

  The ICA (P.L. 90-553), passed by Congress in 1968, authorizes the 
Secretary of State ``to sell or lease to foreign governments and 
international organizations'' Federal property located in Northwest 
Washington, DC, off of Connecticut Avenue. The 47-acre parcel of land 
authorized by the bill offers space for new embassies, consulates, and 
international organizations and is commonly referred to as the 
International Center.
  Intelsat was formed in the 1960s as an international commercial 
cooperative of 142 countries that provided global telecommunications 
including television, telephone, and data transmission. Intelsat's 
headquarters are located in the International Center.
  In 2000, an act of Congress privatized Intelsat (P.L. 106-180). Since 
the ICA does not permit the U.S. State Department to lease space within 
the International Center to a private entity, Intelsat's lease no 
longer meets the requirements of the ICA. H.R. 3913 makes technical 
amendments to the ICA to permit Intelsat to continue its tenancy.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3913.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further 
requests for time, and I yield back my time and urge passage.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3913.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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