[House Report 108-596]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



108th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     108-596

======================================================================



 
                       JOE SKEEN FEDERAL BUILDING

                                _______
                                

   July 12, 2004.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be 
                                printed

                                _______
                                

     Mr. Young of Alaska, from the Committee on Transportation and 
                Infrastructure, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 3734]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom 
was referred the bill (H.R. 3734) to designate the Federal 
building located at Fifth and Richardson Avenues in Roswell, 
New Mexico, as the ``Joe Skeen Federal Building'', having 
considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment 
and recommend that the bill do pass.

                       PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION

    The purpose of H.R. 3734 is to provide for the designation 
of the Federal building located at Fifth and Richardson Avenues 
in Roswell, New Mexico, as the ``Joe Skeen Federal Building''.

                BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR THE LEGISLATION

    Congressman Skeen was born in Roswell, New Mexico. He 
served in the United States Navy for a one-year enlistment and 
later in the United States Air Force Reserves from 1949 until 
1952. Congressman Skeen graduated from Texas A&M University 
with his Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Engineering 
in 1950.
    After graduation he worked as a soil and water engineer for 
the Zuni and Ramah Navajo Indians. After purchasing the family 
sheep ranch, Joe Skeen worked on the boards of the New Mexico 
Cattle Growers Association and the New Mexico Wool Growers 
Association; he was also President of the Lincoln County Farm 
Bureau.
    He was first elected to public office in 1960 when he 
served in the New Mexico State Senate until 1970. For the last 
six years of his time in the State Senate he served as Minority 
Leader. He also served as Chairman of the New Mexico Republican 
Party from 1963 to 1965 and as a delegate to the 1964 
Republican National Convention.
    In 1980, Congressman Skeen was elected to serve New 
Mexico's 2nd district in the United States House of 
Representatives. He was first elected as a write-in candidate 
and served for 11 succeeding Congresses. He served as Chairman 
of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture enhancing the 
agriculture viability in New Mexico and as Chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Interior dealing with natural resources and 
public land use.
    While serving in the House, Congressman Skeen was known for 
his commitment to property rights, balancing the federal budget 
and increased tax relief. He passed away in December of 2003 
from complications of Parkinson's disease.

                       SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Designation

    This section designates the Federal building located at 
Fifth and Richardson Avenues in Roswell, New Mexico, as the 
``Joe Skeen Federal Building''.

Section 2. References

    This section clarifies that any reference in a law, map, 
regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United 
States to the building located at Fifth and Richardson Avenues 
in Roswell, New Mexico be deemed a reference to the ``Joe Skeen 
Federal Building''.

            LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

    H.R. 3734 was introduced by Representative Heather Wilson 
(R-NM) on January 27, 2004. The legislation is identical to 
H.R. 5427 from the 107th Congress, which was reported by the 
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee but never adopted 
by the Full House.
    On May 12, 2004, the Full Committee met in open session and 
discharged the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public 
Buildings and Emergency Management from further consideration. 
The Full Committee then considered H.R. 3734. A motion by Mr. 
LaTourette, to order H.R. 3734 favorably reported to the House 
was agreed to by the Full Committee unanimously, by voice vote, 
with a quorum present. There were no recorded votes taken 
during Committee consideration of H.R. 3734.

                             ROLLCALL VOTES

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the House of Representatives 
requires each committee report to include the total number of 
votes cast for and against on each roll call vote on a motion 
to report and on any amendment offered to the measure or 
matter, and the names of those members voting for and against. 
There were no roll call votes taken in conjunction with 
ordering H.R. 3734 favorably reported to the House.

                      COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

    With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee's oversight findings and recommendations are 
reflected in this report.

                          COST OF LEGISLATION

    Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives does not apply where a cost estimate and 
comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974 has been timely submitted prior to the filing of the 
report and is included in the report. Such a cost estimate is 
included in this report.

                    COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

    1. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(2) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, and 
308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee 
references the report of the Congressional Budget Office 
included below.
    2. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, no 
statement of performance goals and objectives are required for 
this legislation.
    3. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 
section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the 
Committee has received the following cost estimate for H.R. 
3734 from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                      Washington, DC, May 13, 2004.
Hon. Don Young,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
reviewed the following legislation as ordered reported by the 
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on May 12, 
2004:
           H.R. 3428, a bill to designate a portion of 
        the United States courthouse located at 2100 Jamieson 
        Avenue in Alexandria, Virginia, as the ``Justin W. 
        Williams United States Attorney's Building'';
           H.R. 3734, a bill to designate the federal 
        building located at Fifth and Richardson Avenues in 
        Roswell, New Mexico, as the ``Joe Skeen Federal 
        Building'';
           H.R. 3742, a bill to designate the United 
        States courthouse and post office building located at 
        93 Atocha Street in Ponce, Puerto Rico, as the ``Luis 
        A. Ferre United States Courthouse and Post Office 
        Building''; and
           H.R. 3884, a bill to designate the federal 
        building and United States courthouse located at 615 
        East Houston Street in San Antonio, Texas, as the 
        ``Hipolito F. Garcia Federal Building and United States 
        Courthouse.''
    CBO estimates that enactment of these bills would have no 
significant impact on the federal budget and would not affect 
direct spending or revenues. These bills contain no 
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on 
state, local, or tribal governments.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew 
Pickford.
            Sincerely,
                                      Elizabeth M. Robinson
                               (For Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director).

                   CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

    Pursuant to clause (3)(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, committee reports on a bill or 
joint resolution of a public character shall include a 
statement citing the specific powers granted to the Congress in 
the Constitution to enact the measure. The Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure finds that Congress has the 
authority to enact this measure pursuant to its powers granted 
under article I, section 8 of the Constitution.

                       FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

    The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act. (Public Law 104-4).

                        PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION

    Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 
requires the report of any Committee on a bill or joint 
resolution to include a statement on the extent to which the 
bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt state, local or 
tribal law. The Committee states that H.R. 3734 does not 
preempt any state, local, or tribal law.

                      ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

    No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) 
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act are created by this 
legislation.

                APPLICABILITY TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act. (Public Law 
104-1).

         CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

    H.R. 3734 makes no changes in existing law.

                                  
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