[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 137 (Wednesday, November 12, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H7914-H7915]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, FEDERAL LAND CONVEYANCE ACT OF 2013
Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (S. 898) to authorize the Administrator of General Services to
convey a parcel of real property in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the Amy
Biehl High School Foundation.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 898
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 ``Albuquerque, New Mexico,
Federal Land Conveyance Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of General Services.
(2) Federal land.--The term ``Federal land'' means the real
property located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that, as
determined by the Administrator, subject to survey, generally
consists of lots 12 through 19, and for the westerly
boundary, the portion of either lot 19 or 20 which is the
outside west wall of the basement level of the Old Post
Office building, and which has a municipal address of 123
Fourth Street, SW, in Block 18, New Mexico Town Company's
Original Townsite, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
(3) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the Amy
Biehl High School Foundation.
SEC. 3. CONVEYANCE OF REAL PROPERTY IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW
MEXICO, TO THE AMY BIEHL HIGH SCHOOL
FOUNDATION.
(a) Conveyance.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Administrator shall offer to convey to the
Foundation, by quitclaim deed, all right, title, and interest
of the United States in and to the Federal land.
(b) Consideration.--As consideration for conveyance of the
Federal land under subsection (a), the Administrator shall
require the Foundation to pay to the Administrator
consideration in an amount equal to the fair market value of
the Federal land, as determined based on an appraisal that is
acceptable to the Administrator.
(c) Costs of Conveyance.--The Foundation shall be
responsible for paying--
(1) the costs of an appraisal conducted under subsection
(b); and
(2) any other costs relating to the conveyance of the
Federal land under this Act.
(d) Proceeds.--
(1) Deposit.--Net proceeds received under subsection (b)
shall be paid into the Federal Buildings Fund established
under section 592 of title 40, United States Code.
(2) Expenditure.--Amounts paid into the Federal Buildings
Fund under paragraph (1) shall be available to the
Administrator, in amounts specified in appropriations Acts,
for expenditure for any lawful purpose consistent with
existing authorities granted to the Administrator, except
that the Administrator shall provide to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public
Works of the Senate 30 days advance written notice of any
expenditure of the proceeds.
(e) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Administrator may
require that any conveyance under subsection (a) be subject
to such additional terms and conditions as the Administrator
considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United
States.
(f) Deadline.--The conveyance of the Federal land under
this Act shall occur not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
North Carolina (Mr. Meadows) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr.
Carson) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina.
General Leave
Mr. MEADOWS. 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 materials on S. 898.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from North Carolina?
There was no objection.
Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
S. 898 would direct the GSA to convey property in New Mexico to the
Amy Biehl High School Foundation for fair market value.
The Amy Biehl High School is a public charter school that has been
using the building since 2006. While the school currently leases the
facility from the General Services Administration, the GSA only
receives a nominal rent, making it more costly to the taxpayers to
maintain the property. In fact, the Amy Biehl Foundation has invested
funds to renovate and restore the building for use as a school. The GSA
has determined that there is no Federal need for the property, and it
has concluded that the cost of managing the building exceeds any
revenue. Selling this property for fair market value will ensure that
taxpayers receive the best return on the property.
[[Page H7915]]
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise in support of S. 898.
S. 898 directs the Administrator of the GSA to transfer the old
Federal post office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the Amy Biehl High
School Foundation in exchange for its fair market value.
The Amy Biehl High School is a public charter school that is
sponsored by the foundation that was founded in 1999 and has been
residing in the Old Post Office building since 2006. Currently, the
public charter school has a long-term lease agreement with the GSA for
a nominal rent. The GSA has indicated to the committee that the agency
has no need for the facility and that this directed sale supports the
GSA's efforts to downsize and dispose of underutilized properties.
{time} 1645
My own subcommittee has approved a nearly identical bill.
Now, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to acknowledge the memory of Amy
Biehl. Ms. Biehl was a 26-year-old Fulbright Scholar working in South
Africa when she was tragically attacked and killed in 1993. In the
aftermath, Amy's parents, Linda and Peter Biehl, started a foundation
to build on their daughter's work toward peace, reconciliation, and
multiculturalism in South Africa. The new school, which is located in
New Mexico, builds on this great work.
Now, approving this bill to transfer the building at its fair market
value will promote Amy's legacy and benefit the taxpayers. I will
continue to support efforts by both the committee and the
administration to reduce our Federal footprint.
I support this bill, Mr. Speaker, and I urge my colleagues to approve
it.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman for his
support in a bipartisan manner and for reminding us all of the
importance of this legacy, not only the vision of why this school was
created but the importance of that mission. It is certainly a pleasure
to work in a bipartisan way with the gentleman.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the
gentlelady from New Mexico, Madam Lujan Grisham.
Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I would like
to thank my colleagues, both Representative Carson from Indiana and my
colleague from North Carolina (Mr. Meadows), for their support on S.
898. As you have just heard, this is a companion bill to a nearly
identical bill, my bill H.R. 3998, which passed this body on June 17.
Now, we have also heard that this bill is to sell a Federal building
at fair market value which costs more in its current lease arrangement
than it does in this transaction and arrangement. You have also heard
that this is an incredible school, memorializing an incredible legacy.
But what you haven't heard today is that the foundation has raised
more than $3 million to continue to invest not only in the purchase of
the building but to expand their educational footprint in New Mexico.
In my district in Albuquerque, we have difficulties reaching out to a
high-poverty, high at-risk high school group. This school has
incredible outcomes. They are seeing a 100 percent graduation rate, 80
percent graduation rates out of college; and of that 80 percent, nearly
all of those students continue a very aggressive community
relationship. Part of this school's requirement is that not only do you
meet your basic high school curriculum but you have to invest
considerably in community work in a variety of nonprofit and charitable
work.
I want to also give a special thanks and extend my gratitude to
Senator Tom Udall for working with me on this bill and to Chairman
Shuster and Ranking Member Rahall for their help in bringing the
legislation to the floor.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill
that helps the Amy Biehl High School to continue to provide Albuquerque
students with a first-rate education while also preserving a historic
piece of downtown Albuquerque.
Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I will continue to reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to my good
friend from Florida, Representative Murphy.
Mr. MURPHY of Florida. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I support the bill before us and appreciate the hard
work of my colleagues to bring it to the floor.
Today I join my colleagues in speaking in support of reauthorizing
the National Estuary Program because our local economy on the Treasure
Coast and Palm Beaches rely on healthy water.
This important program helps protect and improve some of our Nation's
most at-risk waterways, including the Indian River Lagoon located in
the district I am proud to represent, which has been devastated by
toxic algae in recent years, negatively impacting not only the health
of this unique ecosystem but also our local economy.
The National Estuary Program funds local projects that help improve
water quality, protect threatened species, and coordinate local
agencies to respond to other urgent needs.
In our own backyard, these projects include wetland restoration,
shellfish rehabilitation, freshwater discharge management, and other
approaches that benefit the health of our local waterways on the
Treasure Coast and across the Nation.
I am very pleased to see a competitive award program included in this
bill that I proposed, along with the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Posey), to help estuaries most at risk where reoccurring harmful algal
blooms, sea grass loss, and invasive species are threatening the
fragile ecology of these important water systems.
I hope my colleagues will continue to support this effective program
not only because of its benefits to sustaining important estuaries
across the country but also due to the urgent need to address the
serious problems facing many of these waterways, including the Indian
River Lagoon, the most diverse estuary in the United States.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the House for coming together and acting so
swiftly to reauthorize this bipartisan and cost-effective bill that is
necessary for our country's coastal ecosystems and the economies that
rely on their well-being. I hope the Senate will act expeditiously to
do the same.
Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time at this
point, and I am prepared to close.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. MEADOWS. I thank the gentleman for his bipartisan effort to make
sure that this important piece of legislation gets passed, and I urge
all of my colleagues to support it.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Meadows) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, S. 898.
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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