Smithsonian Facilities Authorization Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2195) to provide for additional space and resources for national collections held by the Smithsonian Institution, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2195 authorizes the Smithsonian Institution to undertake several important activities important to their operations. The legislation authorizes construction at the Patent Office Building, as well as construction of a storage facility that is needed for storing items from the National Museum of Natural History.

Additionally, the bill provides for employee buyout authority as a necessary tool to meet budgetary constraints; and, finally, there is language recognizing the contributions of jazz music in our culture.

H.R. 2195 authorizes the Smithsonian Institution to use their trust funds to plan, design, and construct improvements to the interior and exterior of the Patent Office Building.

The Smithsonian requires this authorization to design and build a cover over the courtyard in the center of the Patent Office Building, which houses the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.

Executive branch agencies benefit from the savings and flexibility from the multi-year contracts for their construction and services projects. The bill provides these same advantages to the Smithsonian.

The Smithsonian also wants to clarify its relationships with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the National Capital Planning Commission, and this bill achieves that goal.

With regard to the Institution's future budgetary constraints, the Smithsonian Institution will need to realign its workforce in the coming years. They seek authority to offer incentives for the departure of Federal personnel eligible for retirement or early retirement.

H.R. 2195 also provides for a new storage facility. The Natural History Museum on the Mall stores the National Collections biological specimens, which require an off-site storage facility that would be authorized in this bill. This new facility will be built in Suitland, Maryland, where the collections would be moved.

Finally, the bill commends the National Museum of American History for establishing Jazz Appreciation Month, a time for educational events and celebrations in honor of this uniquely American art form.

This bill was introduced by our Member Regents, who serve on the Smithsonian's governing board; and I want to thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) and members of the committee for expediting this bill to the floor today.

I also want to conclude my remarks by saying this is a bill that has no objection. I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio, my colleague (Mr. Regula), who actually has a district that joins mine. He has been an absolutely tremendous Member of Congress who has looked out over the Smithsonian, the great important Smithsonian, and has always risen to the occasion to make sure that our national treasure has always done the best it can do; and this bill will take care of a few issues that I think are of critical importance. I want to conclude by saying we thank, on behalf of the entire country, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula).

Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record two letters regarding H.R. 2195, a bill to provide for additional space and resources for national collections held by the Smithsonian Institution. The letter references a dialogue between Chairman Tom Davis and myself in response to a jurisdictional claim in relation to H.R. 2195.

House of Representatives,

Committee on House Administration,

Washington, DC, July 14, 2003.

Hon. Tom Davis,

Chairman, Committee on Government Reform, Rayburn House

Office Building, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Davis: I am writing in response to your

jurisdictional assertions concerning H.R. 2195, the

Smithsonian Facilities Authorization Act. We agree with your

jurisdictional claim on sec. 4, regarding the contracting

authority of the Secretary, and we appreciate your agreement

to move forward on this important legislation.

Sincerely,

Bob Ney,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I associate myself with the distinguished chairman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) and his remarks. I would like to commend as well the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Matsui) for all their efforts and hard work with respect to this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation enhances the ability of the Smithsonian to modernize its operations and to improve the level of services it provides for the American people. The Smithsonian clearly is a national treasure, and this simply will enhance its opportunity and its capability to continue to provide the American people with the greatest treasures on Earth.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 2195, the Smithsonian Facilities Authorization Act, which authorizes a number of Smithsonian construction projects, and provides authority to the Secretary of the Smithsonian to make management improvements through more effective use of contracts and buy-out authority. The bill was introduced by Representative Regula and cosponsored by Representatives Sam Johnson of Texas and Matsui, our three members of the Smithsonian Board of Regents from the House of Representatives.

This legislation is very similar to a bill scheduled for passage at the end of the 107th Congress, but which was pulled back because of some last-minute confusion as the House was considering dozens of bills by unanimous consent. There was no opposition and it should have been enacted into law at that time. The legislation is not controversial and I urge speedy passage without amendments.

H.R. 2195 was referred to the House Administration Committee as the primary committee, with an additional referral to Transportation and Infrastructure, which also supports the bill. It is my understanding that the Senate is prepared to take up this legislation promptly if the House acts favorably here today.

Among its key provisions, section 2 of the bill would authorize $2 million in FY 2003, $10 million in FY 2004, and necessary sums in fiscal years 2005 through 2008 for the planning, design and construction of ``Pod 5'' at the Museum Support Center in Suitland, Maryland, to house the National Collections, which are biological specimens currently stored in approximately 365,000 gallons of alcohol in the National Museum of Natural History on the National Mall. It is estimated that it will take roughly three years to build Pod 5, of which 20 months would be actual construction.

Section 3 would authorize the Smithsonian to use private funds to construct improvements, including a new roof, for the courtyard of the Patent Office Building. The building houses the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. The Smithsonian will organize a national design competition using trust funds under its control, to plan and design the new roof. The building itself is expected to reopen in 2006.

Section 4 would authorize the secretary to enter into contracts for the acquisition of property and services pursuant to the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949. Section 5 would authorize the Secretary to establish a program for making voluntary separation incentive payments for employees, to better manage its workforce.

Section 6 is sense of Congress language commending the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History for establishing the month of April as Jazz Appreciation Month.

I urge an ``aye'' vote on this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

I am here on behalf of myself, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Matsui). The three of us represent the House on the Board of Regents the governing body of the Smithsonian; it is a great institution, something that has won worldwide acclaim for the collections, for the way in which it interprets the history of the United States as well as other parts of the world.

I rise today in support of H.R. 2195, the Smithsonian Facilities Authorization Act. As a member of the Board of Regents, I am pleased to see this bill brought to the floor today; and I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney), and also the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for recognizing the importance of a timely passage of this bill and for their efforts to expedite the bill through the Committee on House Administration.

H.R. 2195 authorizes a trust fund improvement to the Patent Office Building, most notably the courtyard enclosure. These improvements are critical steps in the renovation of the Old Patent Office Building and to reopening the historic building for the public to enjoy. And certainly ``for the public to enjoy'' is a true statement, because people coming to visit the Nation's capital put a visit to the Smithsonian on a high priority on their list of places to see.

Additionally, the bill authorizes funding for planning, design, and construction of the Pod 5 facility at Suitland. This authorization will facilitate the evolving needs of the biological research community at large.

One of the lesser-known functions of the Smithsonian is the preservation of all kind of things that are valuable to research people. We have no idea how much how much their collections are used by the research community; and, therefore, it is important that we have adequate facilities to take care of these.

H.R. 2195 provides the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution with continuous contracting authority for the Pod 5 project which will make future phasing more efficient and economically sound.

Finally, the bill recognizes the efforts of the National Museum of American History to establish Jazz Appreciation Month. Acknowledging the Smithsonian's jazz collections is important to bringing attention to our Nation's oldest and most comprehensive program in this inherently American art form.

Again, I would like to express my appreciation to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) for promptly seeing this bill through the Committee on House Administration, and I look forward to having it passed by this body.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2195, a bill to provide additional space and resources for the national collections held by the Smithsonian Institute. I commend the Gentleman from Ohio, Congressman Regula, for introducing the bill, which is co-sponsored by two of our colleagues, Congressmen Johnson and Matsui, who also serve on the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents.

The bill authorizes the Smithsonian's Board of Regents to plan, design, construct, and equip additional special use storage and laboratory space for the museum support facility in Suitland, Maryland. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, on which I serve as Ranking Member, has jurisdiction over these activities of the Smithsonian, and the Committee will review and approve any design plans for this facility once they are completed.

The bill also clarifies and refines the role of the Smithsonian in the renovation of the Patent Office Building, while retaining the appropriate roles of the National Capitol Planning Commission and the Commission on Fine Arts. This building houses the Smithsonian's American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery and is currently closed for extensive renovation. It is scheduled to reopen in 2006. In addition, the bill brings the Smithsonian into line with other executive branch agencies regarding competitive procedures for awarding contracts.

As is current practice, the Smithsonian will continue to submit its construction projects to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for approval buy Committee resolution.

I support H.R. 2195 and again thank the bill's sponsors for their attention to these matters.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate

proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 2195.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements regarding this matter be printed in the Record.