[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5273-5275]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  AUTHORIZING USE OF CAPITOL GROUNDS FOR GREATER WASHINGTON SOAP BOX 
                                 DERBY

  Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 21) authorizing the use of the 
Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 21

       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),

     SECTION 1. USE OF CAPITOL GROUNDS FOR SOAP BOX DERBY RACES.

       (a) In General.--The Greater Washington Soap Box Derby 
     Association (in this resolution referred to as the 
     ``sponsor'') shall be permitted to sponsor a public event, 
     soap box derby races (in this resolution referred to as the 
     ``event''), on the Capitol Grounds.
       (b) Date of Event.--The event shall be held on June 20, 
     2015, or on such other date as the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Administration 
     of the Senate jointly designate.

     SEC. 2. TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

       (a) In General.--Under conditions to be prescribed by the 
     Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol Police Board, the 
     event shall be--
       (1) free of admission charge and open to the public; and
       (2) arranged not to interfere with the needs of Congress.
       (b) Expenses and Liabilities.--The sponsor shall assume 
     full responsibility for all expenses and liabilities incident 
     to all activities associated with the event.

[[Page 5274]]



     SEC. 3. EVENT PREPARATIONS.

       Subject to the approval of the Architect of the Capitol, 
     the sponsor is authorized to erect upon the Capitol Grounds 
     such stage, sound amplification devices, and other related 
     structures and equipment as may be required for the event.

     SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS.

       The Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol Police Board 
     are authorized to make such additional arrangements as may be 
     required to carry out the event.

     SEC. 5. ENFORCEMENT OF RESTRICTIONS.

       The Capitol Police Board shall provide for enforcement of 
     the restrictions contained in section 5104(c) of title 40, 
     United States Code, concerning sales, advertisements, 
     displays, and solicitations on the Capitol Grounds, as well 
     as other restrictions applicable to the Capitol Grounds, with 
     respect to the event.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Barletta) and the gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. 
Edwards) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BARLETTA. 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 H. Con. Res. 21.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H. Con. Res. 21 authorizes the use of the Capitol Grounds for the 
annual Greater Washington Soap Box Derby on June 20.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for 
introducing this resolution. He has been a longtime supporter of this 
event and the children involved each year.
  This event occurs annually on the Capitol Grounds. The soapbox derby 
encourages children to show off their dedication, work, and creativity 
as they compete for trophies. The winners of each division are 
qualified to compete in the national All-American Soap Box Derby held 
in Ohio.
  I support passage of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Representative Hoyer for, every year, 
introducing this resolution on behalf of the Washington regional 
delegation, and I rise as an original cosponsor.
  This annual competitive event encourages boys and girls, ages 9 
through 16, to construct and operate their own soapbox vehicles. The 
children that participate in these races come from all over the 
national capital region to participate in this really fun event.
  The derby has become quite a tradition in Washington. The D.C. 
metropolitan area has hosted this tradition for over the last 20 years. 
It provides a terrific opportunity for children to appreciate the 
workmanship necessary to build the vehicles and for the thrill of 
competition.
  Winners of this event go on to compete in the national competition in 
Akron, Ohio, where they compete against children from all over the 
world. On race day, every Greater Washington Soap Box Derby participant 
starts the race day with a chance to become a world champion.
  The Greater Washington Soap Box Derby organizers will work with the 
Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol Police to ensure the 
appropriate rules and regulations are in place and that the event 
remains free to the public.
  I support this terrific opportunity for the children of the 
Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and I urge my colleagues to 
support the passage of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I may have one additional speaker, but I would like to 
say that the children who participate in this event do so with a lot of 
creativity and ingenuity. They spend an entire year designing their 
vehicles, then they test their vehicles; they experiment with their 
friends, and then they put them out on race day for the soapbox derby.
  Now, I haven't had the privilege, Mr. Speaker, of participating in a 
soapbox derby, but they sure are fun to watch. Each year, 
Representative Hoyer makes sure that all of our delegation in the 
Metropolitan Washington region gathers to organize to make certain that 
children, from ages 9 through 16, are able to construct those vehicles, 
operate them themselves, and compete in the competition.
  As I have said before, Mr. Speaker, the great challenge is that, on 
race day, in the morning, all of the young people participating in the 
soapbox derby get up; and on that day, first thing in the morning, 
every single one of them is a champion, right up until the finish line. 
It is an exciting time for these young people.
  Of course, they go on to compete in a competition in Akron, Ohio, 
where there are kids gathered from all over the world who also do the 
same thing: build those soapboxes and participate.
  The Washington metropolitan region is really grateful to be able to 
host this soapbox derby and, of course, with the good graces of this 
Congress, to be able to do that on the Capitol Grounds with the 
cooperation of the Architect.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), our whip.
  Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I thank her for 
using some of the time so I could get up to the floor. I appreciate 
that very much. I also thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for his 
leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution, which I have 
sponsored for many Congresses, to permit the Greater Washington Soap 
Box Derby Association to hold its annual race on the grounds of the 
United States Capitol. I am sure that both the chairman and the ranking 
member, Ms. Edwards, have already said that.
  This year will be the 74th soapbox derby, held on June 20. On that 
day, young people from around Washington, D.C., will gather at the 
Capitol for an event that is both fun, educational, and a teacher of 
responsibility and making things in America.
  The Greater Washington Soap Box Derby began in 1938 with Norman Rocca 
outmaneuvering 223 other racers to win the inaugural race. Each year 
since, dozens of boys and girls, ranging in age from 8 to 17, have 
competed in three divisions: stock, super stock, and masters. The 
winner in each will qualify to compete with racers from across the 
country in the All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio.
  Called ``the greatest amateur racing event in the world,'' America's 
soapbox derbies bring parents, children, and friends and neighbors 
together. They teach hard work, leadership, sportsmanship, and pride of 
achievement.
  These values not only make great soapbox racers, but great American 
innovators and leaders in business, government, science, and the arts. 
Participants are often sponsored by community groups, police 
departments, fire departments, service organizations, and others who 
see future great promise in these children and teenagers.
  Mr. Speaker, I have been sponsoring this resolution for 24 years 
because I am so proud of America's soapbox derby tradition and proud of 
those from Maryland's Fifth District who participate.
  My district has celebrated a number of derby champions, including the 
winners from 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, and 2014. My district is 
sort of like John Wooden's UCLA or the Duke Blue Devils, maybe, or the 
Maryland Terrapins. The young Marylanders who won the Greater 
Washington race in 2007 and 2008 went on to win the national 
championship.
  I want to thank my colleagues who have cosponsored this resolution: 
Representatives Chris Van Hollen; Gerry Connolly; Don Beyer; John 
Delaney; Eleanor Holmes Norton; Donna Edwards, who has brought this to 
the floor with the chair; and Barbara Comstock.
  I hope all Members of this House will join in supporting our 
resolution, and they will come to watch the soapbox derby in action on 
June 20.
  Again, I thank my colleague from Maryland (Ms. Edwards), for making 
sure that I got here so that I could, once again, say how proud I am of

[[Page 5275]]

those who participate in the soapbox derby.
  Good luck to all of them.
  Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I just want to, once again, thank the gentleman from 
Maryland for his commitment to our youth and for, once again, 
introducing this great piece of legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Barletta) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 21.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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