[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 186 (Tuesday, December 6, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H8160-H8161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT OF SOUTHWEST DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WATERFRONT

  Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 2297) to promote the development of the Southwest waterfront in 
the District of Columbia, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2297

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

     SECTION 1. PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT OF SOUTHWEST WATERFRONT.

       (a) Updated Description of Property.--Section 1 of the Act 
     entitled ``An Act to authorize the Commissioners of the 
     District of Columbia on behalf of the United States to 
     transfer from the United States to the District of Columbia 
     Redevelopment Land Agency title to certain real property in 
     said District'', approved September 8, 1960 (sec. 6-321.01, 
     D.C. Official Code), is amended by striking all that follows 
     the colon and inserting the following: ``The property located 
     within the bounds of the site the legal description of which 
     is the Southwest Waterfront Project Site (dated October 8, 
     2009) under Exhibit A of the document titled `Intent to 
     Clarify the Legal Description in Furtherance of Land 
     Disposition Agreement', as filed with the Recorder of Deeds 
     on October 27, 2009 as Instrument Number 2009116776.''.
       (b) Clarification of Method of Transfer.--Section 1 of such 
     Act (sec. 6-321.01, D.C. Official Code) is amended by 
     inserting ``by one or more quitclaim deeds'' immediately 
     after ``to transfer''.
       (c) Clarification of Relation to Master Development Plan.--
     Section 2 of such Act (sec. 6-321.02, D.C. Official Code) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``an urban renewal plan'' and inserting ``a 
     master plan''; and
       (2) by striking ``such urban renewal plan'' and inserting 
     ``such master plan''.
       (d) Expanding Permitted Dispositions and Uses of Certain 
     Property.--Section 4 of such Act (sec. 6-321.04, D.C. 
     Official Code) is amended to read as follows:
       ``Sec. 4.  The Agency is hereby authorized, in accordance 
     with the District of Columbia Redevelopment Act of 1945 and 
     section 1, to lease or sell to a redevelopment company or 
     other lessee or purchaser such real property as may be 
     transferred to the Agency under the authority of this Act.''.
       (e) Repeal of Reversion.--
       (1) Repeal.--Section 5 of such Act (sec. 6-321.05, D.C. 
     Official Code) is repealed.
       (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 3 of such Act (sec. 6-
     321.03, D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``Subject 
     to the provisions of section 5 of this Act, the'' and 
     inserting ``The''.
       (f) Clarification of Role of District of Columbia as 
     Successor in Interest.--Section 8 of such Act (sec. 6-321.08, 
     D.C. Official Code) is amended by striking ``the terms'' and 
     all that follows and inserting ``any reference to the 
     `Agency' shall be deemed to be a reference to the District of 
     Columbia as the successor in interest to the Agency.''.

     SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF PERMITTED ACTIVITIES AT MUNICIPAL 
                   FISH MARKET.

       The Act entitled ``An Act Authorizing the Commissioners of 
     the District of Columbia to make regulations respecting the 
     rights and privileges of the fish wharf'', approved March 19, 
     1906 (sec. 37-205.01, D.C. Official Code), is amended--
       (1) by striking ``operate as a municipal fish wharf and 
     market'' and inserting ``operate as a market and for such 
     other uses as the Mayor determines to be appropriate'';
       (2) by striking ``, and said wharf shall constitute the 
     sole wharf for the landing of fish and oysters for sale in 
     the District of Columbia''; and
       (3) by striking ``operation of said municipal fish wharf 
     and market'' and inserting ``operation of said market''.

     SEC. 3. MAINE LOBSTERMAN MEMORIAL.

       (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), 
     nothing in this Act or any amendment made by this Act 
     authorizes the removal, destruction, or obstruction of the 
     Maine Lobsterman Memorial which is located near Maine Avenue 
     in the District of Columbia as of the date of enactment of 
     this Act.
       (b) Movement of Memorial.--The Maine Lobsterman Memorial 
     referred to in subsection (a) may be moved from its location 
     as of the date of the enactment of this Act to another 
     location on the Southwest waterfront near Maine Avenue in the 
     District of Columbia if at that location there would be a 
     clear, unimpeded pedestrian pathway and line of sight from 
     the Memorial to the water.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from South Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Although the United States Constitution gives Congress exclusive 
legislative authority over the Federal District, in 1973 we granted the 
District of Columbia some significant autonomy by approving the Home 
Rule Act. Congress still must act, however, before the city can pursue 
certain activities. This brings us to the legislation before us today.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2297 is needed to update zoning laws to allow the 
District the flexibility to lease or sell real property on the 
Southwest waterfront to a private-sector developer. There is

[[Page H8161]]

currently a $2 billion redevelopment plan pending to renovate this 
area, which is only a short distance from the United States Capitol 
building.
  We hope this redevelopment plan will accomplish its goal of spurring 
economic development and bringing jobs to the city of Washington, D.C.
  This legislation was approved by the Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform by a voice vote. I again would like to thank my 
colleague, Ms. Holmes Norton from the District of Columbia, and Ranking 
Member Cummings for working with us on this legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1350

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to thank the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Issa and my 
good friend on the other side who is managing the bill for the 
committee, the chair of the subcommittee, Mr. Gowdy, for working 
closely with us on this bill so that we could get it to the floor 
today. I also thank the ranking member of the full committee and Mr. 
Davis, the subcommittee ranking member, for their very important 
consultation.
  H.R. 2297 will allow development of the waterfront area in Southwest 
Washington, D.C., by making technical changes concerning land owned by 
the District of Columbia. The District has owned the Southwest 
waterfront since the early 1960s, but the legislation that transferred 
the land to the District contained restraints typical of the pre-home-
rule period.
  H.R. 2297 updates that outdated legislation to allow for the highest 
and best use of the land. The limitations serve no Federal purpose, but 
the unintended effect was to make a wasted asset of land that could be 
productive and revenue- and jobs-producing. Federal agencies have been 
consulted on H.R. 2297 and raised no objections.
  The bill will allow mixed-use development on the waterfront for the 
first time and will create jobs and raise local and Federal revenue at 
a time when they are needed most. The Federal Government has no 
interest in the Southwest waterfront other than the Maine Lobsterman 
Memorial and the Titanic Memorial, which the District and the National 
Park Service have worked together to preserve.
  The bill also expands the types of goods that can be sold at the fish 
market on the waterfront--a market well known in the region. The bill 
includes language that we developed with Senator Susan Collins of Maine 
to ensure the protection of the Maine Lobsterman Memorial, which is 
located at the Southwest waterfront near Maine Avenue.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a noncontroversial bill that passed committee by 
voice vote that removes out-of-date restrictions. It involves no cost 
to the Federal Government.
  I urge passage of the bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I would once again thank our colleague Ms. 
Holmes Norton and Ranking Member Cummings. Mr. Davis, the ranking 
member of the subcommittee, as my colleague so aptly pointed out, also 
deserves credit.
  With that, I would urge all of our fellow Members to support the 
passage of H.R. 2297, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Gowdy) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2297, 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.

                          ____________________