[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 142 (Wednesday, November 19, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H8080-H8081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2014

  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 5448) to amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize 
appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5448

       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 ``John F. Kennedy Center 
     Reauthorization Act of 2014''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 13 of the John F. Kennedy Center Act (20 U.S.C. 
     76r) is amended by striking subsections (a) and (b) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(a) Maintenance, Repair, and Security.--There is 
     authorized to be appropriated to the Board to carry out 
     section 4(a)(1)(H)--
       ``(1) $22,200,000 for fiscal year 2015;
       ``(2) $23,000,000 for fiscal year 2016;
       ``(3) $24,000,000 for fiscal year 2017;
       ``(4) $26,000,000 for fiscal year 2018; and
       ``(5) $27,000,000 for fiscal year 2019.
       ``(b) Capital Projects.--There is authorized to be 
     appropriated to the Board to carry out subparagraphs (F) and 
     (G) of section 4(a)(1)--
       ``(1) $12,200,000 for fiscal year 2015;
       ``(2) $16,000,000 for fiscal year 2016;
       ``(3) $13,000,000 for fiscal year 2017;
       ``(4) $13,000,000 for fiscal year 2018; and
       ``(5) $14,000,000 for fiscal year 2019.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Mica) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Carson) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MICA. 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 H.R. 5448.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, I bring up a bill which is a simple 
reauthorization bill, and I am very pleased to be here actually on 
behalf of the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Barletta), and we wish 
him well. He has had some medical issues. He chairs the Subcommittee on 
Transportation.
  He actually has a cosponsorship with the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. 
Carson), who you will be hearing from in a

[[Page H8081]]

minute, but this is a bill to reauthorize the capital repair and 
maintenance programs at the Kennedy Center.
  In 2012, I helped introduce and Congress passed the last 
reauthorization for the Kennedy Center, and I want to thank again the 
current leader of the Transportation Committee, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), for his leadership on this issue and for 
also moving this legislation forward, and as I said, Mr. Barletta and 
Mr. Carson from Indiana have also taken the lead on this measure.
  The building, of course, is a national monument. It is our national 
cultural center. In fact, it is owned and maintained by the Federal 
Government, and it is a memorial to the late John F. Kennedy.
  Now, I want to cite in the Record, to let folks know this because 
most people don't know this, that the idea that came forth for the 
Kennedy Center was not so much by President Kennedy, but it was the 
foresight and vision of President Eisenhower. President Eisenhower 
actually proposed a national cultural center when he was President.
  When they renovated the Eisenhower Theater several years ago, some of 
the Eisenhower family was there, and they actually showed clips of 
President Eisenhower proposing a national cultural center, so it was 
his idea and his vision.
  It was named for our slain and great President Kennedy, but the 
vision for the national cultural center again came from Dwight David 
Eisenhower, our President. I actually saw an old film of him describing 
his vision for what we have.
  The other thing I wanted to say is, since we built the Kennedy 
Center--and this is a reauthorization. Some several years ago, I had 
the opportunity to introduce legislation for the first real expansion, 
which I understand is now underway, the plans and some of the 
preliminary design.
  When they built the Kennedy Center, it was a performing arts center, 
but it never had an educational component. It never had the space that 
they need. So of all the legislation I have participated in, I couldn't 
be more proud than helping to author the first expansion since we 
constructed that building.
  This measure, however, is a reauthorization for some of their 
operations and their capital repairs which is part of our 
responsibility as the Federal Government, so capital programs are 
critical.
  I might say that in the expansion there is no Federal public money, 
that it is all money that is raised privately. It is also important 
that we pass this legislation because it provides effective and 
efficient building operations for the next 5 years.
  The amounts authorized in the legislation will help address building 
inefficiencies that we currently have. It will assure that the building 
can continue to operate cost-effectively and will also reduce costs for 
the taxpayers, so those are some of the points that I would like to 
make.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. CARSON of Indiana asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank my very esteemed 
colleague from Florida, Chairman Mica.
  Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 
5448, which reauthorizes the Kennedy Center through fiscal year 2019 
for operations, repairs, and capital projects. The authorization levels 
in this bill are derived from the Kennedy Center's 2014 comprehensive 
building plan and are supported by the Kennedy Center.
  The Kennedy Center is, first and foremost, a Presidential memorial. 
We have a responsibility to fund its maintenance, consistent with the 
dignity of a memorial to the 35th President of the United States of 
America.
  Now, I strongly believe, Mr. Speaker, that allocating funding for 
proactive maintenance and repairs is in the best interest of our 
taxpayers. The Kennedy Center is one of the Nation's busiest arts 
facilities. It presents more than 2,000 performances annually and hosts 
thousands of theatergoers, visitors, and tourists.
  To Chairman Mica's point, the Kennedy Center also provides 
educational programs for teachers and students from prekindergarten 
through college across the U.S. This includes a variety of events and 
activities across the great Hoosier State of Indiana.
  These programs are supported by performance fees and donations and 
include professional development for arts, teachers, specially-designed 
concerts, phenomenal training programs for talented young musicians, 
and other outreach projects.
  The Kennedy Center is providing tremendous value to taxpayers through 
educational opportunities and performances, promoting their mission of 
being a national cultural center.
  President Kennedy once said, ``After the dust of centuries has passed 
over our cities, we will be remembered not for our victories or defeats 
in battle or in politics, but for our contributions to the human 
spirit.''
  In conclusion, I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting the John 
F. Kennedy Reauthorization Act of 2014, so we can continue this 
phenomenal work.
  I yield back the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. MICA. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I ask for my colleagues to join 
us in the approval of a bipartisan piece of legislation that again 
authorizes the capital repair costs and maintenance for the John F. 
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
  I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 5448.
  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.

                          ____________________