[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 14371-14373]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




EXCHANGE OF LETTERS REGARDING H.R. 2115, FLIGHT 100-CENTURY OF AVIATION 
                          REAUTHORIZATION ACT

  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert into the 
Record at this point an exchange of letters between the gentleman from 
Alaska (Chairman Young), the gentleman from Louisiana (Chairman 
Tauzin), the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Boehlert), and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom 
Davis) regarding H.R. 2115.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  The letters referred to follow:

                                         House of Representatives,


                             Committee on Energy and Commerce,

                                     Washington, DC, June 6, 2003.
     Hon. Don Young,
     Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
         House of Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Young: I am writing with regard to H.R. 2115, 
     the Flight 100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act, 
     which was ordered reported by the Committee on Transportation 
     and Infrastructure on May 21, 2003.
       I recognize your desire to bring this legislation before 
     the House in an expeditious manner. Accordingly, I will not 
     exercise my Committee's right to a referral. By agreeing to 
     waive its consideration of the bill, however, the Energy and 
     Commerce Committee does not waive its jurisdiction over H.R. 
     2115. In addition, the Energy and Commerce Committee reserves 
     its right to seek conferees on any provisions of the bill 
     that are within its jurisdiction during any House-Senate 
     conference that may be convened on this legislation. I ask 
     for your commitment to support any request by the Energy and 
     Commerce Committee for conferees on H.R. 2115 or similar 
     legislation.
       I request that you include this letter as part of the 
     Committee's Report on H.R. 2115 and in the Record during 
     consideration of the legislation on the House floor. Thank 
     you for your attention to these matters.
           Sincerely,
                                            W.J. ``Billy'' Tauzin,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

         House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and 
           Infrastructure,
                                     Washington, DC, June 6, 2003.
     Hon. W.J. (Billy) Tauzin,
     Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rayburn Building, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter of June 6, 
     2003 regarding H.R. 2115, the

[[Page 14372]]

     Flight 100--Century of Aviation Act and for your willingness 
     to waive consideration of provisions in the bill that falls 
     within your Committee's jurisdiction under House Rules.
       I agree that your waiving consideration of these provisions 
     of H.R. 2115 does not waive your Committee's jurisdiction 
     over the bill. I also acknowledge your right to seek 
     conferees on any provisions that are under your Committee's 
     jurisdiction during any House-Senate conference on H.R. 2115 
     or similar legislation, and will support your request for 
     conferees on such provisions.
       As you request, your letter and this response will be 
     included in the Committee report on the legislation and in 
     the Congressional Record.
       Thank you for your cooperation in moving this important 
     legislation to the House Floor.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Don Young,
                                                         Chairman.
                                         House of Representatives,


                                       Committee on Resources,

                                     Washington, DC, June 4, 2003,
     Hon. Don Young,
     Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
         Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I have reviewed the text of H.R. 2115, 
     Flight 100-Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act, as 
     ordered reported from the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure on May 21, 2003. The Committee on Resources 
     has a jurisdictional interest in Section 408, Overflights of 
     National Parks.
       Recognizing your wish that this critical bill be considered 
     by the House of Representatives as soon as possible, and 
     noting the continued strong spirit of cooperation between our 
     Committees, I will forego seeking a sequential referral of 
     H.R. 2115 for the Committee on Resources. However, waiving 
     the Committee on Resources' right to a referral in this case 
     does not waive the Committee's jurisdiction over any 
     provision in H.R. 2115 or similar provisions in other bills. 
     In addition, I ask that you support my request to have the 
     Committee on Resources represented on the conference on this 
     bill, if a conference is necessary. Finally, I ask that you 
     include this letter in the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure's bill report.
           I appreciate your leadership and cooperation on this 
     bill and I look forward to working with you to see that H.R. 
     2115 is enacted into law soon.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Richard W. Pombo,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

         House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and 
           Infrastructure,
                                     Washington, DC, June 4, 2003.
     Hon. Richard W. Pombo,
     Chairman, Committee on Resources,
     Longworth Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter of June 4, 
     2003, regarding H.R. 2115, the Flight 100--Century of 
     Aviation Reauthorization Act, and for your willingness to 
     waive consideration of the provision in the bill that falls 
     within your Committee's jurisdiction under House Rules.
       I agree that your waiving consideration of this provision 
     of H.R. 2115 does not waive your Committee's jurisdiction 
     over the bill. I also acknowledge your right to seek 
     conferees on any provisions that are under your Committee's 
     jurisdiction during any House-Senate conference on H.R. 2115 
     or similar legislation, and will support your request for 
     conferees on such provisions.
       As you request, your letter and this response will be 
     included in the Committee report on the legislation.
       Thank you for your cooperation in moving this important 
     legislation to the House Floor.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Don Young,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                         Committee on Science,

                                     Washington, DC, June 6, 2003.
     Hon. Don Young
     Chairman, House Committee on Transportation and 
         Infrastructure, Rayburn House Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Young: I have reviewed H.R. 2115, Flight 
     100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act. The bill 
     authorizes research and development (R&D) programs that fall 
     within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science.
       In deference to your desire to bring this legislation 
     before the House in an expeditious manner, I will not 
     exercise this Committee's right to consider H.R. 2115--
     provided that your Committee acknowledges the jurisdiction of 
     the Committee on Science over R&D programs regardless of the 
     account from which they are funded. Further, the Committee on 
     Science reserves its right to seek conferees on any 
     provisions that are within this Committee's jurisdiction 
     during any House-Senate conference that may be convened on 
     this legislation and a corresponding Senate bill.
       Specifically, the Committee on Science has jurisdiction 
     over portions of section 102. That section authorizes, among 
     other things, R&D programs within the Facilities & Equipment 
     Account. This includes programs that the Committee on 
     Appropriations transferred to the Facilities & Equipment 
     Account in 1999. The Committee retains its right to such 
     conferees on other portions of this bill related to R&D.
       I request that you include this letter as part of the 
     Congressional Record during consideration of the legislation 
     on the House floor.
           Sincerely,
                                                Sherwood Boehlert,
                                                         Chairman.
                                  ____
                                  
         House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and 
           Infrastructure,
                                     Washington, DC, June 6, 2003.
     Hon. Sherwood Boehlert,
     Chairman, Committee on Science, Rayburn House Office 
         Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter concerning 
     H.R. 2115, the Flight 100--Century of Aviation 
     Reauthorization Act. I appreciate your offer to waive 
     consideration of the bill.
       Traditionally, the Transportation Committee has authorized 
     the equipment deployment functions from the Federal Aviation 
     Administration Facilities and Equipment (F&E) account. I 
     recognize that in certain years functions under the 
     jurisdiction of the Science Committee were moved from the FAA 
     Research, Engineering and Development (RED) account to the 
     F&E account through the annual appropriations process. While 
     I believe that these unauthorized appropriations do not have 
     any bearing on committee jurisdiction, I prefer that the 
     Appropriations Committee adhere to the authorizing language 
     and refrain from moving functions from the RED account to the 
     F&E account in order to benefit from a slower spend-out rate. 
     For example, I would prefer that the Advanced Technology 
     Development and Prototyping program remain in the RED 
     account.
       Historically, the Science Committee has had oversight and 
     authorization responsibility over the RED account while the 
     Transportation Committee has had exclusive jurisdiction over 
     the F&E account. I believe that continuing this practice is 
     the best way to preserve the jurisdiction of both committees.
       I thank you for your attention to this matter and look 
     forward to working with you and your staff. As you request, a 
     copy of your letter and my response will be placed in the 
     Record.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Don Young,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                               Committee on Government Reform,

                                    Washington, DC, June 11, 2003.
     Hon. Don Young,
     Chairman, Committee on transportation and Infrastructure, 
         House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Young: I am writing regarding H.R. 2115, ``the 
     Flight 100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act.'' As you 
     know, the bill includes provisions within the jurisdiction of 
     the Committee on Government Reform. Section 404, 
     Clarifications to procurement authority and Section 438 
     Definition of air traffic each contain provisions within the 
     jurisdiction of the Committee on Government Reform.
       In the interests of moving this important legislation 
     forward, I have not asked for a sequential referral of this 
     bill. However, the Committee does hold an interest in 
     preserving its future jurisdiction with respect to issues 
     raised in the aforementioned provisions, and its 
     jurisdictional prerogatives should the provisions of this 
     bill or any Senate amendments thereto be considered in a 
     conference with the Senate. I respectfully request your 
     support for the appropriate appointment of Members of the 
     Committee should such a conference arise.
       Finally, I would ask that you include a copy of our 
     exchange of letters on this matter in the Congressional 
     Record during floor consideration. Thank you for your 
     assistance and cooperation in this matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Tom Davis,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

         House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and 
           Infrastructure,
                                    Washington, DC, June 11, 2003.
     Hon. Tom Davis,
     Chairman, Committee on Government Reform,
     Rayburn Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter of June 11, 
     2003 regarding H.R. 2115, the Flight 100--Century of Aviation 
     Act, and for your willingness to waive consideration of 
     provisions in the bill that falls within your Committee's 
     jurisdiction under House Rules.
       I agree that your waiving consideration of these provisions 
     of H.R. 2115 does not waive your Committee's jurisdiction 
     over the bill. I also acknowledge your right to seek 
     conferees on any provisions that are under your Committee's 
     jurisdiction during any House-Senate conference on H.R. 2115 
     or similar legislation, and will support your request for 
     conferees on such provisions.

[[Page 14373]]

       As you request, your letter and this response will be in 
     the Congressional Record.
       Thank you for your cooperation in moving this important 
     legislation to the House Floor.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Don Young,
     Chairman.

                          ____________________