[House Report 111-592]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


111th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     111-592

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



 
                    ROBERT M. BALL FEDERAL BUILDING

                                _______
                                

 September 14, 2010.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be 
                                printed

                                _______
                                

Mr. Oberstar, from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 5773]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom 
was referred the bill (H.R. 5773) to designate the Federal 
building located at 6401 Security Boulevard in Baltimore, 
Maryland, as the ``Robert M. Ball Federal Building'', having 
considered the same, report favorably thereon with amendments 
and recommend that the bill as amended do pass.
  The amendments are as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

  The Federal building located at 6401 Security Boulevard in Baltimore, 
Maryland, commonly known as the Social Security Administration 
Operations Building, shall be known and designated as the ``Robert M. 
Ball Federal Building''.

SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

  Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other 
record of the United States to the Federal building referred to in 
section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``Robert M. Ball 
Federal Building''.

  Amend the title so as to read:

    A bill to designate the Federal building located at 6401 
Security Boulevard in Baltimore, Maryland, commonly known as 
the Social Security Administration Operations Building, as the 
``Robert M. Ball Federal Building''.

                       PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION

    H.R. 5773, as amended, designates the Federal building 
located at 6401 Security Boulevard in Baltimore, Maryland, as 
the ``Robert M. Ball Federal Building''.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    H.R. 5773, as amended, designates the Federal building 
located at 6401 Security Boulevard in Baltimore, Maryland, as 
the ``Robert M. Ball Federal Building''. Commissioner Robert M. 
Ball was the longest-serving head of the Social Security 
Administration (SSA) and one of its staunchest supporters 
throughout the Administration's long history. Commissioner Ball 
was often described in press accounts as not only the longest-
serving Social Security Commissioner, but also as chief 
advocate and defender of the SSA through the years. 
Commissioner Ball joined the Social Security Administration 
just four years after it was created by President Franklin D. 
Roosevelt.
    Robert M. Ball was born in New York, New York, on March 28, 
1914. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1935 with a B.A. 
in English and in 1936 obtained a Masters degree in Economics. 
Commissioner Ball got his start with the SSA as a field 
assistant in New Jersey in 1939. He then began his rise through 
the ranks at SSA by helping to implement the disability 
insurance program beginning in 1956, orchestrating the 
developments that produced the 1972 amendments to link benefits 
to inflation, and helping to develop and implement Medicare. 
From 1947 to 1948, he served as Staff Director for the Senate 
Finance Committee's Advisory Council. After his time on Capitol 
Hill, Commissioner Ball returned to the SSA and served in 
several positions before he was appointed as Commissioner by 
President John F. Kennedy in 1962.
    Commissioner Ball also served as Commissioner under 
President Lyndon B. Johnson and President Richard M. Nixon. 
After Commissioner Ball left the Social Security 
Administration, he continued to have a significant role in 
shaping the program. In 1981, he served as a Member of the 
National Commission on Social Security Reform. Commissioner 
Ball remained an outspoken opponent of any attempts to 
dismantle Social Security or privatize Social Security 
throughout the 1990s. Commissioner Robert M. Ball passed away 
on January 29, 2008, and is survived by his wife of 71 years, 
Doris McCord Ball.

                       SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Designation

    Section 1 designates the Federal building located at 6401 
Security Boulevard in Baltimore, Maryland, as the ``Robert M. 
Ball Federal Building''.

Sec. 2. References

    Section 2 indicates that any reference in a law, map, 
regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United 
States to the Federal building referred to in section 1 shall 
be deemed to be a reference to the ``Robert M. Ball Federal 
Building''.

            LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

    On July 19, 2010, Representative Elijah E. Cummings 
introduced H.R. 5773. This bill has not been introduced in a 
previous Congress. On July 29, 2010, the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure met in open session to 
consider H.R. 5773. The Committee adopted by voice vote an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute. The Committee ordered 
the bill, as amended, reported favorably to the House by voice 
vote with a quorum present.

                              RECORD VOTES

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires each committee report to include the 
total number of votes cast for and against on each record 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 recorded votes taken in connection 
with consideration of H.R. 5773 or ordering the bill reported. 
A motion to order H.R. 5773, as amended, reported favorably to 
the House was agreed to by voice vote with a quorum present.

                      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 
section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the 
Committee references the report of the Congressional Budget 
Office included in the report.
    2. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
performance goals and objectives of this legislation are to 
designate the Federal building located at 6401 Security 
Boulevard in Baltimore, Maryland, as the ``Robert M. Ball 
Federal Building''.
    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 enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 
5773, as amended, from the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                    Washington, DC, August 3, 2010.
Hon. James L. Oberstar,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
reviewed the following legislation ordered reported by the 
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on July 
29, 2010:
           H.R. 4387, a bill to designate the federal 
        building located at 100 North Palafox Street in 
        Pensacola, Florida, as the ``Winston E. Arnow Federal 
        Building'';
           H.R. 5651, a bill to designate the federal 
        building and United States courthouse located at 515 
        9th Street in Rapid City, South Dakota, as the ``Andrew 
        W. Bogue Federal Building and United States 
        Courthouse'';
           H.R. 5706, a bill to designate the building 
        occupied by the Government Printing Office located at 
        31451 East United Avenue in Pueblo, Colorado, as the 
        ``Frank Evans Government Printing Office Building'';
           H.R. 5773, a bill to redesignate the federal 
        building located at 6401 Security Boulevard in 
        Baltimore, Maryland, commonly known as the Social 
        Security Operations Building, as the ``Robert M. Ball 
        Federal Building''; and
           H.R. 5591, a bill to designate the airport 
        traffic control tower located at Spokane International 
        Airport in Spokane, Washington, as the ``Ray Daves 
        Airport Traffic Control Tower.''
    CBO estimates that enacting those pieces of legislation 
would have no significant impact on the federal budget and 
would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-
as-you-go procedures would not apply. The 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,
                                         Robert A. Sunshine
                              (For Douglas W. Elmendorf, Director).

                     COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XXI

    Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House 
of Representatives, the Committee is required to include a list 
of congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited 
tariff benefits, as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of 
rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. H.R. 
5773, as amended, does not contain any earmarks, limited tax 
benefits, or limited tariff benefits under clause 9(e), 9(f), 
or 9(g) of rule XXI.

                   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 (P.L. 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. 5773, as amended, 
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 (P.L. 104-1).

         CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

    H.R. 5773, as amended, makes no changes in existing law.

                                  
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