[Senate Report 115-119]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 156
115th Congress } { Report
SENATE
1st Session } { 115-119
_______________________________________________________________________
TO DESIGNATE THE AREA BETWEEN THE
INTERSECTIONS OF WISCONSIN AVENUE,
NORTHWEST AND DAVIS STREET, NORTHWEST AND WISCONSIN AVENUE, NORTHWEST
AND EDMUNDS STREET, NORTHWEST IN WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA, AS ``BORIS NEMTSOV PLAZA'', AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
__________
R E P O R T
of the
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND
GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
to accompany
S. 459
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
June 26, 2017.--Ordered to be printed
______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
69-010 WASHINGTON : 2017
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin, Chairman
JOHN McCAIN, Arizona CLAIRE McCASKILL, Missouri
ROB PORTMAN, Ohio THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware
RAND PAUL, Kentucky JON TESTER, Montana
JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma HEIDI HEITKAMP, North Dakota
MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire
STEVE DAINES, Montana KAMALA D. HARRIS, California
Christopher R. Hixon, Staff Director
Gabrielle D'Adamo Singer, Chief Counsel
Lydia M. Westlake, Senior Policy Advisor
Patrick J. Bailey, Chief Counsel for Governmental Affairs
Margaret E. Daum, Minority Staff Director
Stacia M. Cardille, Minority Chief Counsel
Katherine C. Sybenga, Minority Counsel
Laura W. Kilbride, Chief Clerk
Calendar No. 156
115th Congress } { Report
SENATE
1st Session } { 115-119
======================================================================
TO DESIGNATE THE AREA BETWEEN THE INTERSECTIONS OF WISCONSIN AVENUE,
NORTHWEST AND DAVIS STREET, NORTHWEST AND WISCONSIN AVENUE, NORTHWEST
AND EDMUNDS STREET, NORTHWEST IN WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AS
``BORIS NEMTSOV PLAZA'', AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
_______
June 26, 2017.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Johnson, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 459]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs, to which was referred the bill (S. 459), to designate
the area between the intersections of Wisconsin Avenue,
Northwest and Davis Street, Northwest and Wisconsin Avenue,
Northwest and Edmunds Street, Northwest in Washington, District
of Columbia, as ``Boris Nemtsov Plaza'', and for other
purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon
without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
I. Purpose and Summary..............................................1
II. Background and Need for the Legislation..........................2
III. Legislative History..............................................2
IV. Section-by-Section Analysis......................................3
V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact..................................3
VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................3
VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............4
I. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
S. 459, to designate the area between the intersections of
Wisconsin Avenue, Northwest and Davis Street, Northwest and
Wisconsin Avenue, Northwest and Edmunds Street, Northwest in
Washington, District of Columbia, as ``Boris Nemtsov Plaza'',
and for other purposes, renames a section of the street in
front of the embassy of the Russian Federation to honor Boris
Nemtsov, who was a courageous advocate for the Russian people.
II. BACKGROUND AND THE NEED FOR LEGISLATION
Boris Nemtsov was a former deputy prime minister of the
Russian Federation and an opposition leader who dedicated
himself to improving the lives of the Russian people.\1\
Despite the danger that he faced for his work, he continued to
fight for individual liberty, democracy, and adherence to the
rule of law.\2\ At great personal risk, Boris Nemtsov helped to
expose pervasive Russian government corruption; he was an
advocate for transparency, freedom of speech and press, and
anti-corruption measures.\3\
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\1\Andrew E. Kramer, Boris Nemtsov, Putin Foe, Is Shot Dead in
Shadow of Kremlin, New York Times, Feb. 27, 2015, https://
www.nytimes.com/2015/02/28/world/europe/boris-nemtsov-russian-
opposition-leader-is-shot-dead.html.
\2\Id.
\3\Id; see also S. Res. 93, a resolution expressing the sense of
the Senate regarding the courageous work and life of Russian leader
Boris Nemtsov, and calling for a swift and transparent investigation
into his tragic murder in Moscow on February 27, 2015 (passed by the
Senate on March 10, 2015).
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In 2015, Boris Nemtsov was murdered in Moscow.\4\ Mr.
Nemtsov was shot multiple times in the back while he was
walking on a bridge within view of the Kremlin.\5\ His death
was a great loss to the Russian people.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\Andrew E. Kramer, Boris Nemtsov, Putin Foe, Is Shot Dead in
Shadow of Kremlin, New York Times, Feb. 27, 2015, https://
www.nytimes.com/2015/02/28/world/europe/boris-nemtsov-russian-
opposition-leader-is-shot-dead.html; Russia opposition politician Boris
Nemtsov shot dead, BBC News, Feb. 28, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/
world-europe-31669061.
\5\Id.
\6\Neil MacFarquhar and Andrew E. Kramer, Memorial for Nemtsov,
Assassinated Critic of Putin, Draws Thousands, New York Times, Mar. 3,
2015, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/04/world/europe/thousands-honor-
boris-nemtsov-opposition-leader-killed-in-russia.html?_r=0.
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S. 459 would rename a portion of the street outside the
Russian embassy in honor of Boris Nemtsov. It will serve as a
reminder that Americans will not forget Boris Nemtsov's
courage, his murder, or the values for which he fought. The
plaza will be a symbol of American support for the many brave
Russians who continue the fight against corruption and for the
cause of freedom.
The Constitution gives Congress exclusive authority to
exercise legislation over the District of Columbia.\7\
Nevertheless, some of that authority has been delegated under
the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973,\8\ and the
Committee recognizes that the city has its own street naming
process and encourages its use for this and other efforts to
rename streets in the District.
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\7\The U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 17.
\8\Pub. L. No. 93-198.
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III. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Senator Rubio (R-FL) introduced S. 459 on February 27,
2017. The bill was referred to the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs. Senators Ron Johnson (R-WI),
Christopher Coons (D-DE), Richard Durbin (D-IL), John McCain
(R-AZ), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and
Roger Wicker (R-MS) subsequently joined as cosponsors.
The Committee considered S. 459 at a business meeting on
May 17, 2017. The bill, without amendment, was ordered reported
favorably by voice vote. Senator present for the vote were
Johnson, McCain, Portman, Paul, Lankford, Enzi, Hoeven, Daines,
McCaskill, Tester, Heitkamp, Peters, Hassan, and Harris.
IV. SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE BILL, AS REPORTED
Section 1. Boris Nemtsov Plaza
Subsections (a), (b), and (c) designate the plaza name, the
street address, and the signage, respectively, for Boris
Nemtsov Plaza.
V. EVALUATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT
Pursuant to the requirements of paragraph 11(b) of rule
XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee has
considered the regulatory impact of this bill and determined
that the bill will have no regulatory impact within the meaning
of the rules. The Committee agrees with the Congressional
Budget Office's statement that the bill contains no
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would impose no costs
on state, local, or tribal governments.
VI. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
June 13, 2017.
Hon. Ron Johnson,
Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S.
Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 459, a bill to
designate the area between the intersections of Wisconsin
Avenue, Northwest and Davis Street, Northwest and Wisconsin
Avenue, Northwest and Edmunds Street, Northwest in Washington,
District of Columbia, as ``Boris Nemtsov Plaza'', and for other
purposes.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew
Pickford.
Sincerely,
Keith Hall.
Enclosure.
S. 459--A bill to designate the area between the intersections of
Wisconsin Avenue, Northwest and Davis Street, Northwest and
Wisconsin Avenue, Northwest and Edmunds Street, Northwest in
Washington, District of Columbia, as ``Boris Nemtsov Plaza'',
and for other purposes
S. 459 would designate the address of the Embassy of the
Russian Federation at 2650 Wisconsin Avenue, Northwest in the
District of Columbia as ``1 Boris Nemtsov Plaza''. The bill
also would authorize the General Services Administration (GSA)
to post signs indicating the new address on streets near the
new address.
Based on information from GSA and the costs for similar
tasks, CBO estimates that placing signs around the new address
would cost less than $500,000; such spending would be subject
to the availability of appropriated funds.
Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO
estimates that enacting S. 459 would not increase net direct
spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive
10-year periods beginning in 2028.
S. 459 would impose an intergovernmental mandate as defined
in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) by changing the
address name of a property in Washington, D.C. and effectively
preempting the authority of the District of Columbia to name
its own street in this case. CBO estimates that any costs
incurred by the government of the District of Columbia as a
result of renaming the street would be negligible.
S. 459 contains no private-sector mandates as defined in
UMRA.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew
Pickford. The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss,
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
VII. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED
Because S. 459 would not repeal or amend any provision of
current law, it would make no changes in existing law within
the meaning of clauses (a) and (b) of paragraph 12 of rule XXVI
of the Standing Rules of the Senate.
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