[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 207 (Tuesday, December 8, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H6984-H6987]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   ROUTE 66 CENTENNIAL COMMISSION ACT

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 1014) to establish the Route 66 Centennial Commission, and for 
other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 1014

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

[[Page H6985]]

  


     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Route 66 Centennial 
     Commission Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) Route 66 was the first all-weather highway in the 
     United States connecting the Midwest to California, and has 
     played a major role in the history of the United States;
       (2) Route 66 has become a symbol of the heritage of travel 
     and the legacy of seeking a better life shared by the people 
     of the United States, and has been enshrined in the popular 
     culture of the United States; and
       (3) the year 2026 will be the centennial anniversary of 
     Route 66, and a commission should be established to study and 
     recommend in a report to Congress activities that are fitting 
     and proper to celebrate that anniversary in a manner that 
     appropriately honors the Mother Road of the United States.

     SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.

       There is established a commission to be known as the 
     ``Route 66 Centennial Commission'' (referred to in this Act 
     as the ``Commission'').

     SEC. 4. DUTIES.

       The Commission shall--
       (1) study activities that may be carried out by the Federal 
     Government to determine whether the activities are fitting 
     and proper to honor Route 66 on the occasion of the 
     centennial anniversary of Route 66, including activities such 
     as--
       (A) the issuance of commemorative coins, medals, 
     certificates of recognition, and postage stamps;
       (B) ceremonies and celebrations commemorating specific 
     events; and
       (C) the production, publication, and distribution of books, 
     pamphlets, films, electronic publications, and other 
     educational materials; and
       (2) recommend to Congress--
       (A) the activities that the Commission considers most 
     fitting and proper to honor Route 66 on the occasion 
     described in paragraph (1); and
       (B) 1 or more entities in the Federal Government that the 
     Commission considers most appropriate to carry out those 
     activities.

     SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP.

       (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be 
     composed of 15 members appointed as follows:
       (1) 3 members, each of whom shall be an eligible individual 
     described in subsection (b), appointed by the President based 
     on the recommendation of the Secretary of Transportation.
       (2) 1 member, who shall be an eligible individual described 
     in subsection (b), appointed by the President based on the 
     recommendation of the Governor of Illinois.
       (3) 1 member, who shall be an eligible individual described 
     in subsection (b), appointed by the President based on the 
     recommendation of the Governor of Missouri.
       (4) 1 member, who shall be an eligible individual described 
     in subsection (b), appointed by the President based on the 
     recommendation of the Governor of Kansas.
       (5) 1 member, who shall be an eligible individual described 
     in subsection (b), appointed by the President based on the 
     recommendation of the Governor of Oklahoma.
       (6) 1 member, who shall be an eligible individual described 
     in subsection (b), appointed by the President based on the 
     recommendation of the Governor of Texas.
       (7) 1 member, who shall be an eligible individual described 
     in subsection (b), appointed by the President based on the 
     recommendation of the Governor of New Mexico.
       (8) 1 member, who shall be an eligible individual described 
     in subsection (b), appointed by the President based on the 
     recommendation of the Governor of Arizona.
       (9) 1 member, who shall be an eligible individual described 
     in subsection (b), appointed by the President based on the 
     recommendation of the Governor of California.
       (10) 1 member, who shall be an eligible individual 
     described in subsection (b), appointed by the President based 
     on the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (11) 1 member, who shall be an eligible individual 
     described in subsection (b), appointed by the President based 
     on the recommendation of the Minority Leader of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (12) 1 member, who shall be an eligible individual 
     described in subsection (b), appointed by the President based 
     on the recommendation of the Majority Leader of the Senate.
       (13) 1 member, who shall be an eligible individual 
     described in subsection (b), appointed by the President based 
     on the recommendation of the Minority Leader of the Senate.
       (b) Eligible Individual.--An eligible individual referred 
     to in subsection (a) is an individual with--
       (1) a demonstrated dedication to educating others about the 
     importance of historical figures and events; and
       (2) substantial knowledge and appreciation of Route 66.
       (c) Time of Appointment.--Each initial appointment of a 
     member of the Commission shall be made before the expiration 
     of the 120-day period beginning on the date of enactment of 
     this Act.
       (d) Terms.--Each member shall be appointed for the life of 
     the Commission.
       (e) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall not 
     affect the powers of the Commission but shall be filled in 
     the manner in which the original appointment was made.
       (f) Basic Pay.--Members shall serve on the Commission 
     without pay.
       (g) Travel Expenses.--Each member shall receive travel 
     expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
     accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United 
     States Code.
       (h) Quorum.--7 members of the Commission shall constitute a 
     quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings.
       (i) Chair and Vice Chair.--The Commission shall select a 
     Chair and Vice Chair from among the members of the 
     Commission.
       (j) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the 
     Chair.

     SEC. 6. DIRECTOR AND STAFF.

       (a) Director.--The Commission may appoint and fix the pay 
     of a Director and such additional personnel as the Commission 
     considers to be appropriate.
       (b) Applicability of Certain Civil Service Laws.--
       (1) Director.--The Director of the Commission shall--
       (A) be appointed without regard to the provisions of title 
     5, United States Code, governing appointments in the 
     competitive service; and
       (B) be paid without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 
     and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States 
     Code, relating to classification and General Schedule pay 
     rates, except that the rate of pay for the Director may not 
     exceed the rate payable for level IV of the Executive 
     Schedule under section 5315 of that title.
       (2) Staff.--The staff of the Commission shall--
       (A) be appointed without regard to the provisions of title 
     5, United States Code, governing appointments in the 
     competitive service; and
       (B) be paid without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 
     and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States 
     Code, relating to classification and General Schedule pay 
     rates.
       (c) Source of Compensation.--In accordance with section 
     10--
       (1) no Federal funds may be expended to compensate a 
     Director or staff member of the Commission under this 
     section; and
       (2) any compensation paid to a Director or any staff of the 
     Commission appointed under this section shall be derived 
     solely from donated funds.

     SEC. 7. POWERS.

       (a) Hearings and Sessions.--The Commission may hold such 
     hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such 
     testimony, and receive such evidence as the Commission 
     considers to be appropriate to carry out this Act.
       (b) Powers of Members and Agents.--Any member or agent of 
     the Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any 
     action that the Commission is authorized to take under this 
     Act.
       (c) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails 
     in the same manner and under the same conditions as other 
     Federal departments and agencies.
       (d) Administrative Support Services.--
       (1) In general.--On the request of the Commission, the 
     Administrator of General Services shall provide to the 
     Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative 
     support services necessary for the Commission to carry out 
     this Act.
       (2) Detailees.--
       (A) Federal employees.--
       (i) In general.--At the request of the Commission, the head 
     of any Federal agency or department may detail to the 
     Commission, on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis, any 
     employee of the agency or department.
       (ii) Civil service status.--The detail of an employee under 
     clause (i) shall be without interruption or loss of civil 
     service status or privilege.
       (iii) No additional compensation.--A Federal employee who 
     is detailed to the Commission under this subparagraph may not 
     receive any additional pay, allowances, benefits, or other 
     compensation by reason of the detail of the employee to the 
     Commission or any services performed by the employee for the 
     Commission.
       (B) State employees.--The Commission may--
       (i) accept the services of personnel detailed from a State; 
     and
       (ii) reimburse the State for the services of the detailed 
     personnel.
       (e) Volunteer and Uncompensated Services.--Notwithstanding 
     section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Commission 
     may accept and use such voluntary and uncompensated services 
     as the Commission determines to be necessary.
       (f) Gifts.--The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of 
     gifts, grants, bequests, or devises of money, services, or 
     property from any public or private source for the purpose of 
     covering the costs incurred by the Commission in carrying out 
     this Act.

     SEC. 8. REPORTS.

       (a) Interim Reports.--The Commission may submit to Congress 
     such interim reports as the Commission considers to be 
     appropriate.
       (b) Final Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date on 
     which all members of the Commission are appointed, the 
     Commission shall submit to Congress a final report 
     containing--
       (1) a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions of 
     the Commission;

[[Page H6986]]

       (2) the recommendations of the Commission; and
       (3) any other information that the Commission considers to 
     be appropriate.

     SEC. 9. TERMINATION.

       The Commission shall terminate on December 31, 2026.

     SEC. 10. EXPENDITURES OF COMMISSION.

       (a) In General.--All expenditures of the Commission, 
     including any reimbursement required under this Act, shall be 
     made solely from donated funds.
       (b) No Additional Funds Authorized.--No additional funds 
     are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on S. 1014.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Oregon?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1014. The bill establishes the 
Route 66 Centennial Commission, with the charge of developing and 
planning a celebration for 2026 for the 100th anniversary of America's 
``Mother Road.''
  Route 66 was established November 11, 1926. It was a 2,448-mile-long 
highway that originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, 
California, and passed between numerous States in between.
  This historic route has been traversed by Americans through the years 
for many reasons, from hundreds of thousands of migrants escaping the 
Dust Bowl in the 1930s to more recent road-trippers following in the 
footsteps of Jack Kerouac.
  A precursor to the interstate system, Route 66, was created out of 
the need for greater connectivity after the rise in automobile 
ownership. Disparate segments of roads and paths were woven into a 
cohesive highway that offered unparalleled ease of mobility.
  While Route 66 became largely obsolete after the completion of the 
interstate system, it holds a unique place in our Nation's surface 
transportation history. The story of Route 66 serves as an important 
reminder of why an interconnected transportation system is vital and 
why we must not devolve to a piecemeal approach to surface 
transportation, as some have advocated--the first surface 
transportation advisor to President Trump most notably among them--
saying we should go back to the good old days when this was done by all 
the States individually, even if the roads didn't sometimes connect or 
meet national needs.
  For years, I carried around a poster of the interstate. It was a 
turnpike at the time between Kansas and Oklahoma. Kansas built their 
section.
  It is an aerial photograph from Life magazine, and if you look down, 
you would say: Boy, that is really odd looking. There is this big 
ribbon of concrete, four lanes, two on each side, and then there are 
all these kinds of angular black lines.
  Then you go: What is that?
  Well, that is the Oklahoma State line, and that is Amos Schweitzer's 
farm field.
  Until we had the Eisenhower plan and until we had a national highway 
program, until we had a user fee, the State of Oklahoma said: We can't 
afford to do our section, even though we said we would do it.
  It was completed a number of years later with a Federal share from 
the Eisenhower plan.
  This kind of connectivity is critical. I have had some 
environmentalists say: Why do you want to rebuild the highway system 
with climate change?
  Well, we are going to rebuild it in a resilient way. We are going to 
build it with new materials and more climate friendly, and we are going 
to electrify it.
  We cannot possibly move the amount of freight necessary in this 
country to feed the American people and serve myriad other needs with 
our rail system. It just could not meet that task.
  We have to rebuild the 47,000 bridges that are in need of replacement 
or significant structural repair. We have to repair the sections of 40 
percent of the national highway systems that are deteriorated to the 
point where you have to rebuild it, not just resurface it. And we have 
to invest in the $100 billion backlog in our transit systems.
  Hopefully, under President Biden, we will have no more fake 
Infrastructure Weeks, and we will move forward with an actual, real 
Infrastructure Week with investment and spending.
  Madam Speaker, this bill is a reminder of the past and the need for 
interconnection to serve the American people, which we are going to 
need again in the future.
  I support S. 1014 and urge my colleagues to join me in passing this 
legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman DeFazio and Ranking Member Graves for 
allowing this bill to come to the floor today.
  I also want to give a heartfelt thanks to my colleague from the great 
State of California, Grace Napolitano. Grace and I cosponsored together 
H.R. 66, which is the House companion bill to this legislation.
  I also want to thank, since we are taking up the Senate bill, the 
Senate version of this bill, I really want to thank my colleague from 
my home State of Illinois, Senator Tammy Duckworth, for her work in 
making sure that this bicameral, bipartisan compromise comes to the 
floor today.
  I am proud to have Route 66 run through the middle of my district, 
and I do believe that it is important to celebrate its history.
  In 1926, Route 66 became the Nation's first all-paved highway under 
the U.S. Highway System. As Chairman DeFazio stated earlier, it 
connects Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California.
  Early on, the road was used by thousands of Americans seeking escape 
from the Dust Bowl, and it provided critical employment opportunities 
for road crews paving the road during the Great Depression.
  During World War II, the highway transported troops, equipment, and 
supplies to military bases across our country and was used after the 
war by thousands of troops who were gladly returning home to see their 
families.
  By the 1950s, Route 66 began to see a rise in tourism and really 
became the true symbol of American freedom and independence that we all 
know today.
  In April of 2017, I went on an extended tour of Illinois' stretch of 
the highway with my colleague and good friend, Congressman Darin 
LaHood, and also my good friend and former district director, who is 
now a State legislator, Representative Tim Butler, and other local 
leaders. We had the opportunity to see the impact that the ``Mother 
Road'' brings to our home State of Illinois.

                              {time}  1445

  It supports many jobs, key economic activity in small towns, and it 
helps generate the important local sales tax revenue to our communities 
that line Route 66.
  If you want to come to that stretch of Illinois, travelers along 
Route 66 can see a giant pink elephant. That is right, Madam Speaker, a 
giant pink elephant right outside the Pink Elephant Antique Mall in 
Livingston, Illinois, right at the southwestern part of the 13th 
District of Illinois.
  They can go see a movie at the Wildey Theater in Edwardsville, 
Illinois, in my district that originally opened in 1909.
  They can stop for an all-day breakfast at Jungle Jim's Cafe, a 
quintessential roadside diner in Springfield. They have great pancakes, 
too. Don't eat too many of them. The omelets are great. It is a 
wonderful place to stop.
  These are just a few of the thousands of local businesses along Route 
66 whose livelihood depends on the historic highway. You don't even 
have to be in a car to ride along Route 66. The Illinois Route 66 Trail 
is a system of off-road paths for bikes, hikers, or anyone else looking 
to see the Mother Road in a different way.
  The centennial of Route 66 will be an international celebration, and 
the State of Illinois will be ready to welcome travelers from around 
the world who want to experience the history and magic of this scenic 
byway.

[[Page H6987]]

  For this reason, one of the important aspects of this bill is its 
creation of a commission to recommend activities to honor the 100th 
anniversary of Route 66 in the year 2026.
  Additionally, the bill directs the U.S. Department of Transportation 
to work with certain governors to develop a plan to preserve the first 
all-paved U.S. highway connecting the Midwest to the West Coast in 
California. It is important to retain the legacy of this great road.
  Throughout its history, Route 66 has been more than just a way to get 
from point A to point B. It has evolved in a symbol of American 
independence and prosperity.
  I am proud to help continue the legacy of Route 66. H.R. 66 passed 
the House last year by a voice vote, and I urge my colleagues to vote 
``yes'' on S. 1014.
  I don't believe that I have anybody else here to speak on this bill, 
unless I surprise any of my colleagues by yielding them time. So, Madam 
Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, although I do want to visit the Pink 
Elephant Antique Mall, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 1014.
  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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