[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 10, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H3121-H3122]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  AUTHORIZING USE OF CAPITOL GROUNDS FOR GREATER WASHINGTON SOAP BOX 
                                 DERBY

  Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 37) authorizing the 
use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 37

       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),

     SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF SOAP BOX DERBY RACES ON CAPITOL 
                   GROUNDS.

       The Greater Washington Soap Box Derby Association (in this 
     resolution referred to as the ``Association'') shall be 
     permitted to sponsor a public event, soap box derby races, on 
     the Capitol Grounds on June 20, 2009, or on such other date 
     as the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate may 
     jointly designate.

     SEC. 2. CONDITIONS.

       The event to be carried out under this resolution shall be 
     free of admission charge to the public and arranged not to 
     interfere with the needs of Congress, under conditions to be 
     prescribed by the Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol 
     Police Board; except that the Association shall assume full 
     responsibility for all expenses and liabilities incident to 
     all activities associated with the event.

     SEC. 3. STRUCTURES AND EQUIPMENT.

       For the purposes of this resolution, the Association is 
     authorized to erect upon the Capitol Grounds, subject to the 
     approval of the Architect of the Capitol, such stage, sound 
     amplification devices, and other related structures and 
     equipment as may be required for the event to be carried out 
     under this resolution.

     SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS.

       The Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol Police Board 
     are authorized to make any such additional arrangements that 
     may be required to carry out the event under this resolution.

     SEC. 5. ENFORCEMENT OF RESTRICTIONS.

       The Capitol Police Board shall provide for enforcement of 
     the restrictions contained in section 5104(c) of title 40, 
     United Stats Code, concerning sales, advertisements, 
     displays, and solicitations on the Capitol Grounds, as well 
     as other restrictions applicable to the Capitol Grounds, with 
     respect to the event to be carried out under this resolution.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Maryland (Ms. Edwards) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-
Balart) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Maryland.


                             General Leave

  Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. 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 House 
Concurrent Resolution 37.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 37 authorizes the use of the 
Capitol grounds for the annual Soapbox Derby. As Members are aware, the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure authorizes use of the 
Capitol grounds each year for this worthwhile event.
  The 2009 Greater Washington Soapbox Derby will take place on 
Constitution Avenue between Delaware Avenue and Second Street Northwest 
on June 22, 2009. The Greater Washington Soapbox Derby has been held on 
the U.S. Capitol grounds since 1991. It has attracted more than 60 
youth participants in each of those years.
  The D.C. metropolitan race winners from each of the stock, super 
stock, and master's division soapbox derby races throughout the world 
will compete in Akron, Ohio for scholarships and other prizes in the 
All-American Soapbox Derby.
  The All-American Soapbox Derby Youth Program is administered by 
International Soapbox Derby, Incorporated, an Akron-based nonprofit 
corporation. Activities planned for this event will be coordinated with 
the Office of the Architect of the Capitol and, like all events on 
Capitol Hill grounds, will be free and open to the public.
  I extend my thanks to Majority Leader Hoyer, who is and has been such 
a steadfast supporter of this event, and I urge passage of the 
resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to 
the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King).
  Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida. 
The timing around this place being such as it is, I appreciate a chance 
to speak to the Jim Leach Resolution, the resolution that names the 
United States Courthouse at 131 East 4th Street in Davenport, Iowa, as 
the James A. Leach United States Courthouse.
  Jim Leach served in this Congress for over a quarter of a century and 
he had friends on both sides of the aisle. If you know Jim Leach, you 
know that he is an intellectual. He is an individual that his cerebrum, 
his cerebellum, and medulla oblongata were all connected and all 
functioning. And I say that because he has a significant ability to 
retain in his memory and manipulate the information.
  He also is a champion wrestler. So his athletic and intellectual 
capabilities that he demonstrated here, mostly his intellectual 
capabilities on the floor of this House. Although I have felt that 
temptation on the athletic from time to time, not Jim Leach. Jim Leach 
was a consummate statesman, someone who could work with Democrats and 
the Republicans, and is an individual who was the epitome of the 
balance between the two as he served here in Congress and today 
contributes to our overall broader society.
  So I am very pleased to rise in support of the resolution naming the 
Federal Courthouse in Davenport, Iowa, the James A. Leach Courthouse. 
And I am happy to call him a friend, a former colleague, and someone 
who has brought honor upon this institution every day of his service 
here in the United States House of Representatives. I thank the 
gentleman for yielding.
  Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity 
to say that the soapbox derby on Capitol Hill is a way that young 
people are fully engaged, they are creative, in building their 
participant vehicles. And it is an excellent opportunity for parents to 
have a direct involvement in their children's activities right here on 
the Capitol grounds.
  The Derby's mission is to provide children with an activity that 
promotes technical and social skills that will serve them throughout 
their lives. And the Derby organizers of course work with the Architect 
of the Capitol to make sure that the appropriate rules and regulations 
are in place during the event. I am confident that, once again, the 
event this year will be a huge success.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the 
gentlewoman from Maryland for her description of this bill. This is 
something that this House has done for many, many years. And for many 
years the distinguished majority leader, Mr. Hoyer, has sponsored a 
resolution to authorize the use of the Capitol grounds for this event, 
and Congress has clearly supported it. It provides children a fun way 
to allow children to show off their dedication, their work, and 
creativity as they compete for trophies and the opportunity to race in 
other competitions.
  Girls and boys between 8 and 17 will race down the Capitol Hill in 
their home-made cars. We are all looking forward to that. The winner of 
each division will then be qualified to compete in the National Soapbox 
Derby. I support this resolution and encourage my colleagues to do the 
same.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent 
Resolution 37, to authorize the use of the Capitol Grounds for the 
Greater Washington Soap Box Derby.
  I especially want to acknowledge the dedication of our distinguished 
Majority Leader

[[Page H3122]]

(Mr. Hoyer), who annually introduces this resolution to authorize use 
of the Capitol Grounds for such a worthwhile event.
  This year's Greater Washington Soap Box Derby is scheduled to take 
place on Constitution Avenue between Delaware Avenue and Third Street, 
N.W., in Washington, DC, on June 20, 2009. This will be the 68th 
running of the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby.
  This annual event encourages all boys and girls, ages nine through 
16, to construct and operate their own soap box vehicles. The event is 
supported by hundreds of volunteers and parents.
  It is an excellent opportunity for parents to have direct involvement 
in their children's activities. The derby's mission is to provide 
children with an activity that promotes technical and social skills 
that will serve them throughout their lives.
  The derby organizers will work with the Architect of the Capitol and 
the Capitol Police to ensure the appropriate rules and regulations are 
in place during the event. I am confident that this year's event will 
once again be a huge success.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in agreeing to H. Con. Res. 37.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise as a proud sponsor of House 
Concurrent Resolution 37, legislation which will allow the Greater 
Washington Soap Box Derby Association to hold the 68th Annual Greater 
Washington Soap Box Derby on the grounds of the United States Capitol 
on Saturday, June 20.
  Since 1938, when 223 racers descended on Washington, DC, soap box 
derby racing has had a long and rich tradition in our Nation's Capital.
  Although the race location has moved from the original site on New 
Hampshire Avenue to Capitol Hill, with stops on Massachusetts Avenue, 
Pennsylvania Avenue, and Eastern Avenue along the way, the ingredients 
of the race remain the same: home-made engine-less, gravity-powered 
cars, the spirit of competition, and the pure exhilaration of racing.
  The soap box derby consists of dozens of drivers, boys and girls 
ranging in age from 8 to 17, who have designed and built the cars they 
race.
  These racers are divided into three divisions: stock, super stock, 
and masters. The local winner of each division will automatically 
qualify to compete with racers from around the country in the 72nd All-
American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio on July 25.
  Community groups, police departments, fire departments, and others 
sponsor children each year, children who may not otherwise be able to 
participate.
  Over the years thousands of the region's young people have 
participated in this great race. I am proud to report that the last two 
winners of the Soap Box Derby competition have been neighbors of mine 
and constituents of the Fifth District of Maryland.
  In 2007 Miss Kacie Rader, a neighbor of mine from Mechanicsville, 
Maryland, and a rising senior in high school at the time, won in the 
masters division of the 66th Greater Washington Soap Box Derby. Kacie 
then went on to become the first Marylander to win the national soap 
box derby title, after competing against 550 other soap box champions.
  Kacie's great success was followed last year by another winner, Miss 
Courtney Rayle. Sixteen years old and also a neighbor from 
Mechanicsville, Maryland, Courtney won the Greater Washington Soap Box 
Derby in June 2008. She became the seventh person in her family to do 
so.
  Mr. Speaker, this event has been called ``the greatest amateur racing 
event in the world'' and it is an excellent opportunity for the 
contestants from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia to 
learn basic building skills while gaining a real sense of 
accomplishment.
  The soap box derby is not just a race. It is an enriching way to 
engage our youth, and teach them the importance of ingenuity, 
commitment, and hard work.
  I strongly encourage my colleagues to join with me and the other 
original cosponsors, Representatives Chris Van Hollen, Frank Wolf, 
James Moran, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Donna Edwards, and Gerry Connolly, 
in supporting this resolution.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Edwards) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 37.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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