To authorize the Administrator of General Services to convey a parcel of real property to the Alaska Railroad Corporation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1036) to authorize the Administrator of General Services to convey a parcel of real property to the Alaska Railroad Corporation, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1036 authorizes the Administrator of General Services to convey a parcel of real property to the Alaska Railroad Corporation. Subject to certain requirements, but not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the bill, the Administrator shall convey to the Alaska Railroad Corporation a parcel of real property known as GSA Fleet Management Center.

The GSA Fleet Management Center is a parcel located at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Christensen Avenue in Anchorage, Alaska, consisting of approximately 78,000 square feet of land. The Alaska Railroad Corporation, in exchange for the land, will either provide a replacement facility for the GSA Fleet Management Center to be conveyed or the Alaska Railroad Corporation will pay the Administrator for the fair market value of the GSA Fleet Management Center based on its highest and best use as determined by an independent appraisal commissioned by the Administrator and paid by the Alaska Railroad Corporation. All proceeds derived from the possible sale of the GSA Fleet Management Center would be deposited in the Federal Buildings Fund.

I support this bill to transfer this property, Mr. Speaker, from the GSA inventory to the Alaska Railroad Corporation and particularly want to note, consistent with Transportation and Infrastructure Committee policy and guidance on these transfer matters, that the bill protects the Federal interest.

H.R. 1036 requires either the GSA is provided with a replacement facility or the railroad corporation will pay the fair market value for the building based on an appraisal of the highest and best use. Further, if the building is bought by the railroad, the proceeds will be deposited into the Federal Buildings Fund.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the chairman of the committee, Mr. Oberstar.

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

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

It is very important to move this legislation. The former chairman of our committee, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), introduced this legislation in the 109th Congress, but for various reasons of logjams, legislative logjams, it just didn't make it to the House floor because of scheduling problems of the House. But it is very important for the Alaska Railroad, which is an entity of the State of Alaska, and the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) has several times talked to me about the need to move this bill. We had it all ready to go in the last Congress, as I said, and I am very happy we are able to bring it up early on in this session of the 110th Congress.

If looked at on its face, it would be a very simple matter to do, a 78,000 square foot parcel of real property in Anchorage, Alaska, needed for the Alaska Railroad's operations. But as we got into it, the Office of Management and Budget and the Congressional Budget Office raised some scoring issues. So in further review of the matter, we found a way to subject the transfer and the transfer of funds to the appropriation process. That removes the scoring issue. The Administrator of GSA will require the Administrator of the Railroad Corporation to pay fair market value of the property based on highest and best use by an independent appraisal, and that independent appraisal will be commissioned by the Administrator of GSA and will be paid for by the Alaska Railroad Corporation. Then that money will be deposited into the Federal Buildings Fund and the whole exercise will be subject to the appropriation process. That way the interests of the Federal Government are fully protected and the entire transaction will be totally transparent. It is a very good outcome. It benefits the GSA. It benefits the Public Buildings Fund of the Federal Government, and it benefits the Alaska Railroad and the State of Alaska.

I know that the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) is very pleased with the outcome, and I want to thank the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management for his participation through this process and bringing it to a successful conclusion and also the Chair of our subcommittee, Chairwoman Norton.

With that, I urge passage of this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1036, as amended, was introduced by Representative Don Young from Alaska on February 13, and it requires the Administrator of General Services to convey a small GSA property to the publicly owned Alaska Railroad.

The parcel of property is known as the Fleet Management Center. It is located in Anchorage, Alaska. It is currently being utilized as a GSA motor pool, but it is necessary for the planned expansion of the rail yard there in Anchorage.

H.R. 1036 requires the Administrator to sell the property at either fair market value or to exchange the property for a like valued piece of real estate. The value of the property will be determined by an independent appraisal commissioned by the GSA and paid for by the Alaska Railroad Corporation. This bill requires that all the proceeds from the sale be deposited into the Federal Buildings Fund.

Mr. Speaker, I support this measure, and I urge my colleagues to do so.

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

Mr. Speaker, I think the gentleman from Minnesota said it all.

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