To amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize additional appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for fiscal year 2007.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 13, 2006, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on ``The Housing Bubble and its Implications for the Economy.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, September 13 at 11:30 a.m.

The purpose of this meeting is to consider the nominations of John Ray Correll to be director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Mark Myers to be director of the United States Geological Survey, and David Longly Bernhardt to be solicitor of the Department of the Interior.

President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to hold a Business Meeting on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. to consider the following agenda:

Legislation: H.R. 5689, To amend the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users to make technical corrections, and for other purposes; S.1848, Cleanup of Inactive and Abandoned Mines Act; S. 3630, To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize a program relating to the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, and for other purposes; H.R. 3929, Dana Point Desalination Project Authorization Act; S. 3617, North American Wetlands Conservation Reauthoriiation Act of 2006; H.R. 5061, Paint Bank and Wytheville National Fish Hatcheries Conveyance Act; S. 3551, Tylersville Fish Hatchery Conveyance Act; S. 3867, To Designate the Federal Courthouse at 555 Independence Street, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, as the ``Rush H. Limbaugh Sr., Federal Courthouse''; H.R. 5187, To Amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize additional appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for fiscal year 2007; S. 3879 ``Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage Contingent Cost Allocation Act''; S. 2348, Nuclear Release Notice Act of 2006; and S. 3591, High-Performance Green Buildings Act of 2006.

Nominees: William B. Wark to be a Member of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board; William E.

Wright to be a Member of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board; Stephen M. Prescott to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation; Anne Jeannette Udall to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation; Brigadier General Bruce Arlan Berwick to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission; Colonel Gregg F. Martin to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission; Brigadier General Robert Crear to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission; and Rear Admiral Samuel P. DeBow, Jr. to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission.

Resolutions: Committee Resolution for the Republican River Basin-- Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas; Committee Resolution for Beverly Hills, New Haven, Connecticut; Committee Resolution for Hanover Pond; Holly Pond; and Eisenhower Park--Connecticut; Committee Resolution for Mystic Harbor Water Resources Development--Mystic, Connecticut; Committee Resolution for the Burns Waterway Harbor--Indiana; Committee Resolution for Jefferson Parish Flood Control, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; Committee Resolution for the Blackstone River Watershed--Massachusetts, Rhode Island; Committee Resolution for the St. Clair River, Lake Level Study--Michigan; Committee Resolution for the Crow Creek Watershed-- Cheyenne, Wyoming; Committee Resolution to direct GSA to prepare a Report of Building Project Survey; 12 resolutions to authorize the majority of the remainder of the General Services Administration's FY 2007 Capital Investment and Leasing Program; and 8 resolutions authorizing courthouse projects.

Mr. President: I ask unanimous consent that on Wednesday, September 13, immediately following the 9:30 a.m. Business Meeting the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to hold a hearing to consider the following pending nominations:

Roger Romulus Martella, Jr., to be Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;

Alex A. Beehler to be Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; and

William H. Graves to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, at 10 a.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to hear testimony on ``Taking the Pulse of Charitable Care and Community Benefits at Nonprofit Hospitals.''

THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

committee on foreign relations

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. to hold a hearing on Lebanon.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. to consider the nominations of Wayne C. Beyer to be Member, Federal Labor Relations Authority, and Stephen T. Conboy to be U.S. Marshal, Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. in the Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226.

Agenda

I. Bills: S. 2453, National Security Surveillance Act of 2006, Specter; S. 2455, Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006, DeWine, Graham; S. 2468, A bill to provide standing for civil actions for declaratory and injunctive relief to persons who refrain from electronic communications through fear of being subject to warrantless electronic surveillance for foreign intelligence purposes, and for other purposes, Schumer; S. 3001, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Improvement and Enhancement Act of 2006, Specter, Feinstein.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 13, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed briefing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Committee on Aging be authorized to meet Wednesday, September 13, 2006 from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. in Dirksen 562 for the purpose of conducting meeting.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on ``Challenges Facing Today's Federal Prosecutors,'' on Wednesday, September 13, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. in SD226.

Witness list

Panel I: Mike Battle, Director, Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC; Susan Brooks, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Indiana, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC.

Panel II: William Shockley, Former President, National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Lake Ridge, VA.

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Pennsylvania has indeed explained the principal provisions

of the bill. We did here increase the capital program authorization to $20 million for fiscal 2007 from the current $18 million. And we increase the maintenance, repair and security authorization to $19.1 million, from the previous level of 18 million. That will allow the Center to proceed with renovation of the Eisenhower theater, and life safety projects associated with the roof terrace.

A major assessment of the Center indicated needs to enhance safety, and these are costs in addition to what the Center is capable of providing, so the authorization level will be consistent with those recommendations.

And the bill is also consistent with the administration's budget request to provide funding, and for the appropriation amounts included in the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriation bill.

The Kennedy Center is the Nation's outstanding center for the performing arts. It is a world renowned center for the performing arts, and is a national treasure. It is, in fact, a national historic site. It is under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. We treat it as a national treasure.

These are investments in the future well-being of that structure. And the investments that we have made through this committee over many years at the time that the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Shuster, and the previous chairman of the full committee, Mr. Shuster, has seen to the needs, the investment that keep this Center for the Performing Arts a world premiere facility.

As President John F. Kennedy said, ``a Nation without the arts has nothing to look backward to with pride, nor forward to with hope.''

The investment that we make in the facility of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts allows us to look forward with hope to the grandeur and the joy of the spirit, the human spirit that is provided by the performing arts.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5187) to amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize additional appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for fiscal year 2007.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5187.

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

H.R. 5187 was introduced by Chairman Young and Ranking Member Oberstar on April 25, 2006. The bill amends the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize additional appropriations for the Kennedy Center for fiscal year 2007.

The current authorization for fiscal year 2007 is $36 million for the capital projects and the maintenance, repair and security accounts. H.R. 5187 raises the previously authorized level for fiscal year 2007 from $36 million to $39.1 million to align the authorized level with that requested in the President's budget.

The slight increase in authorization will allow the Kennedy Center to proceed with the scheduled renovation of the Eisenhower Theater. Programing for the theater has been cancelled because of the renovation. It is critical that renovation proceed as scheduled to minimize the time the theater is offline. The additional authorization will also allow the Kennedy Center to continue necessary operations, maintenance requirements, including many life safety upgrades.

H.R. 5187 will help ensure that the Kennedy Center is authorized to use all funds appropriated in support of the President's budget for fiscal year 2007.

I support this measure, and urge my colleagues to do the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 627, H.R. 5187.

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