[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 120 (Tuesday, July 22, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H6786-H6788]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RONALD REAGAN CENTENNIAL COMMISSION ACT

  Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5235) to establish the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission, 
as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5235

       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 ``Ronald Reagan Centennial 
     Commission Act''.

     SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

       There is established a commission to be known as the 
     ``Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission'' (in this Act referred 
     to as the ``Commission'').

     SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.

       The Commission shall--
       (1) plan, develop, and carry out such activities as the 
     Commission considers fitting and proper to honor Ronald 
     Reagan on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth;
       (2) provide advice and assistance to Federal, State, and 
     local governmental agencies, as well as civic groups to carry 
     out activities to honor Ronald Reagan on the occasion of the 
     100th anniversary of his birth;
       (3) develop activities that may be carried out by the 
     Federal Government to determine whether the activities are 
     fitting and proper to honor Ronald Reagan on the occasion of 
     the 100th anniversary of his birth; and
       (4) submit to the President and Congress reports pursuant 
     to section 7.

     SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

       (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be 
     composed of 11 members as follows:
       (1) The Secretary of the Interior.
       (2) Four members appointed by the President after 
     considering the recommendations of the Board of Trustees of 
     the Ronald Reagan Foundation.
       (3) Two Members of the House of Representatives appointed 
     by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
       (4) One Member of the House of Representatives appointed by 
     the minority leader of the House of Representatives.
       (5) Two Members of the Senate appointed by the majority 
     leader of the Senate.
       (6) One Member of the Senate appointed by the minority 
     leader of the Senate.
       (b) Ex Officio Member.--The Archivist of the United States 
     shall serve in an ex officio capacity on the Commission to 
     provide advice and information to the Commission.
       (c) Terms.--Each member shall be appointed for the life of 
     the Commission.
       (d) Deadline for Appointment.--All members of the 
     Commission shall be appointed not later than 90 days after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (e) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Commission shall--
       (1) not affect the powers of the Commission; and
       (2) be filled in the manner in which the original 
     appointment was made.
       (f) Rates of Pay.--Members shall serve without pay.
       (g) Travel Expenses.--Each member of the Commission shall 
     be reimbursed for travel and per diem in lieu of subsistence 
     expenses during the performance of duties of the Commission 
     while away from home or his or her regular place of business, 
     in accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I 
     of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
       (h) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission 
     shall constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold 
     hearings.
       (i) Chairperson.--The chairperson of the Commission shall 
     be elected by a majority vote of the members of the 
     Commission.

     SEC. 5. DIRECTOR AND STAFF OF COMMISSION.

       (a) Director.--The Commission may appoint an executive 
     director. The executive director may be paid at a rate not to 
     exceed the maximum rate of basic pay for GS-15 of the General 
     Schedule.
       (b) Staff.--The Commission may appoint and fix the pay of 
     additional personnel as it considers appropriate except that 
     an individual so appointed may not receive pay in excess of 
     the maximum rate of basic pay for GS-13 of the General 
     Schedule.
       (c) Applicability of Certain Civil Service Laws.--The 
     executive director and staff of the Commission may be 
     appointed without regard to the provisions of title 5, United 
     States Code, governing appointments in the competitive 
     service, and may be paid without regard to the provisions of 
     chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title 
     relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, 
     except as provided in subsections (a) and (b).
       (d) Detail of Federal Employees.--Upon request of the 
     Commission, the Secretary of the Interior or the Archivist of 
     the United States may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of 
     the personnel of that department or agency to the Commission 
     to assist it in carrying out its duties under this Act.
       (e) Experts and Consultants.--The Commission may procure 
     temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of 
     title 5, United States Code, but at rates for individuals not 
     to exceed the daily equivalent of the maximum annual rate of 
     basic pay for GS-14 of the General Schedule.
       (f) Volunteer and Uncompensated Services.--Notwithstanding 
     section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Commission 
     may accept and use voluntary and uncompensated services as 
     the Commission determines necessary.

     SEC. 6. POWERS OF COMMISSION.

       (a) Hearings.--The Commission may, for the purpose of 
     carrying out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at times 
     and places, take testimony, and receive evidence as the 
     Commission considers appropriate.
       (b) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails 
     in the same manner and under the same conditions as other 
     departments and agencies of the United States.
       (c) Obtaining Official Data.--The Commission may secure 
     directly from any department or agency of the United States 
     information necessary to enable it to carry out

[[Page H6787]]

     its duties under this Act. Upon request of the chairperson of 
     the Commission, the head of that department or agency shall 
     furnish that information to the Commission.
       (d) Gifts, Bequests, Devises.--The Commission may solicit, 
     accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of 
     money, services, or property, both real and personal, for the 
     purpose of aiding or facilitating its work.
       (e) Available Space.--Upon the request of the Commission, 
     the Administrator of General Services shall make available 
     nationwide to the Commission, at a normal rental rate for 
     Federal agencies, such assistance and facilities as may be 
     necessary for the Commission to carry out its duties under 
     this Act.
       (f) Contract Authority.--To the extent or in the amounts 
     provided in advance in appropriations Acts, the Commission 
     may enter into contracts with and compensate government and 
     private agencies or persons to enable the Commission to 
     discharge its duties under this Act, without regard to 
     section 3709 of the Revised Statutes (41 U.S.C. 5).

     SEC. 7. REPORTS.

       (a) Annual Reports.--The Commission shall submit to the 
     President and the Congress annual reports on the revenue and 
     expenditures of the Commission, including a list of each 
     gift, bequest, or devise to the Commission with a value of 
     more than $250, together with the identity of the donor of 
     each gift, bequest, or devise.
       (b) Interim Reports.--The Commission may submit to the 
     President and Congress interim reports as the Commission 
     considers appropriate.
       (c) Final Report.--Not later than April 30, 2011, the 
     Commission shall submit a final report to the President and 
     the Congress containing--
       (1) a summary of the activities of the Commission;
       (2) a final accounting of funds received and expended by 
     the Commission; and
       (3) the findings, conclusions, and final recommendations of 
     the Commission.

     SEC. 8. TERMINATION.

       (a) In General.--The Commission may terminate on such date 
     as the Commission may determine after it submits its final 
     report pursuant to section 7(c), but not later than May 30, 
     2011.
       (b) FACA Nonapplicability.--Section 14(b) of the Federal 
     Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2) shall not apply to 
     the Commission.

     SEC. 9. ANNUAL AUDIT AND AUTHORIZATION AND AVAILABILITY OF 
                   APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Authorization.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
     $1,000,000 to carry out this Act for the period encompassing 
     fiscal years 2009 through 2011, but not to exceed $500,000 in 
     any fiscal year.
       (b) Availability.--
       (1) Amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (a) are 
     authorized to remain available until expended.
       (2) Amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (a) in 
     excess of $500,000 shall be available for obligation only to 
     the extent matched by an equal amount of nongovernmental 
     contributions.
       (c) Annual Audit.--For any fiscal year for which the 
     Commission receives an appropriation of funds authorized 
     under this section, the Inspector General of the Department 
     of the Interior shall perform an audit of the Commission, 
     shall make the results of the audit available to the public, 
     and shall transmit such results to the Committee on Oversight 
     and Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of 
     the Senate.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Higgins) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to Representative 
Foster from the State of Illinois.
  Mr. FOSTER. Madam Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H.R. 
5235, the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act.
  This bill is especially significant for myself and for my 
constituents, because Ronald Reagan was a native son of my district. 
Born in Tampico, Illinois, and raised in Dixon, Ronald Reagan spent his 
life upholding the strong values of small-town America.
  Whatever your political philosophy, there is no doubt that Ronald 
Reagan left an indelible imprint on the fabric of America. The Great 
Communicator, he had an emotional connection with the American people 
that was sustained through good times and bad.
  As a physicist, I want to pay particular tribute to President 
Reagan's rock-solid belief that the world should be rid of nuclear 
weapons. That moment in Reykjavik, in 1986, when Mikhail Gorbachev and 
Ronald Reagan reached an agreement in principle to rid the world of 
nuclear weapons, is a moment and an opportunity that we should not have 
let slip between our fingers, and we should grasp and seize in the 
future.
  While we all recognize that we live in a dangerous world, 
nonetheless, nuclear disarmament is an aspirational goal that world 
leaders should strive to achieve.
  I would also like to take this time to commend Nancy Reagan for her 
strength during her husband's illness and her steadfast devotion to 
President Reagan during his last days. Her work since his death has 
been essential in preserving his legacy, and we should pass this bill 
to honor her efforts.
  This bill, if passed, would establish the Ronald Reagan Centennial 
Commission in order to honor the 100th anniversary of Reagan's birth 
with activities, a postal stamp and a $1 coin.
  I urge my fellow representatives to vote in favor of this bill so 
that we may properly celebrate the life, legacy, and hometown of this 
consequential President. He was loved by his country and he is 
deserving of this honor.
  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I would yield to the author of 
this resolution, Mr. Gallegly, the gentleman from California, as much 
time as he may consume.
  (Mr. GALLEGLY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GALLEGLY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5235, the Ronald 
Reagan Centennial Commission Act.

                              {time}  1745

  To prepare for the upcoming anniversary of his 100th birthday on 
February 6, 2011, Mr. Blunt and I, along with 160 cosponsors from both 
parties, introduced this legislation creating the Ronald Reagan 
Centennial Commission to pay tribute to our 40th President.
  This 11-member bipartisan commission is similar to the others created 
for Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano 
Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower. This commission will 
develop plans and memorials to honor President Ronald Reagan. These 
events will take place all over the country, from here in Washington, 
DC to his birthplace in Illinois, to California, where he lived most of 
his life.
  As a fellow Californian, I had the great pleasure of spending time 
with him when I first came to the House of Representatives in 1986. And 
as a matter of fact, his Presidential Library and burial place is only 
a few blocks from my own home in Simi Valley, California.
  ``The Great Communicator'' spoke for the American people, capturing 
the hearts of small-town citizens and world leaders alike. His 
remarkable career and public life spanned over 50 years. It began as a 
student leader, sports broadcaster in Illinois and Iowa, then to 
Hollywood as an actor and long-time president of the Screen Actors 
Guild.
  California enjoyed an economic resurgence during his terms as 
Governor, and as President of the United States, his legacy is 
extraordinary. In 8 short years as President, Ronald Reagan presided 
over international changes and ushered in unparalleled peace and 
prosperity, not only for our Nation, but for the entire world.
  I want to thank my good friend, Roy Blunt and his staff for 
supporting, as well as Chairman Waxman and the ranking member, Tom 
Davis, and their staffs for their assistance in putting this bill 
together.
  I also want to express my appreciation to our Majority Leader, Steny 
Hoyer, for bringing this bill to the floor today.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in strongly supporting H.R. 5235, the 
Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act.
  Mr. HIGGINS. We have no more speakers, but I will continue to 
reserve.
  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I again want to thank Mr. Gallegly and Mr. Blunt for their work and 
leadership on this bill, and for Mr. Waxman, the chairman of the 
committee,

[[Page H6788]]

for enabling this to move forward in such an expeditious manner.
  On 9 separate occasions, Congress has established a commission or a 
joint committee to celebrate the life and accomplishments of one of our 
Nation's Presidents or First Ladies. To date, we have honored James 
Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow 
Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, his wife, Eleanor, Harry Truman and Dwight 
Eisenhower.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 5235, The Reagan Centennial Commission Act, would 
create a commission to add Ronald Reagan to that list. Like previous 
commissions, the Reagan Commission will use the occasion of what would 
have been President Reagan's 100th birthday in 2011 to call attention 
to his life and his numerous accomplishments.
  The commission will plan activities for the year leading up to the 
President's birthday. In the past, activities have included essay 
contests for students, research papers, symposiums, events at 
particular historical sites, and even joint sessions of Congress.
  The commission will be composed of Members of Congress and 
individuals who have a knowledge or other expertise concerning the life 
of President Reagan, including his childhood, his career in Hollywood 
and his political career and legacy. Given the impact of President 
Reagan on his beloved California, the United States and the world, this 
is a fitting and a proper tribute.
  Madam Speaker, Ronald Reagan transformed our Nation. He spoke of 
limited government, commonsense values, and the bedrock notion of 
democracy which built this country. He embodied the optimism, the 
principles and the determination of our citizens and our Nation. The 
American people responded to his call, and he led this country back 
from a decade of decline, transforming politics forever.
  As a broadcaster, as an actor, as Governor and as President, he gave 
voice to America.
  I am pleased to support this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to 
join me.
  Madam Speaker, I yield the balance of my time.
  Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for 
introducing this measure. I urge its passage, and I yield back.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Higgins) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5235, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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