To amend the International Center Act to authorize the lease or sublease of certain property described in such Act to an entity other than a foreign government or international organization if certain conditions are met.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3913) to amend the International Center Act to authorize the lease or sublease of certain property described in such Act to an entity other than a foreign government or international organization if certain conditions are met.

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 material on

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

I'm pleased to support H.R. 3913, a bill to make a needed technical amendment to the International Center Act, P.L. 90-553.

H.R. 3913 authorizes the Department of State to lease land to Intelsat at the International Center, which is located on Connecticut Avenue at Van Ness Street in northwest Washington.

The amendment clarifies and ensures that Intelsat's long-term lease of the land, on which its headquarters is located, is consistent with the International Center Act.

Intelsat was originally established in the early 1900s as an international organization. In 2000, Congress passed legislation which essentially required Intelsat to become a private company.

Unfortunately, at that time, Congress overlooked a change in the ICA that would be necessary when Intelsat completed its transition to a private company, and this bill corrects that omission.

I support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back my time and urge passage.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3913 amends a provision of the International Center Act (``ICA''), which established the authority for the U.S. Department of State to lease property in the District of Columbia to foreign governments or international organizations.

The ICA (P.L. 90-553), passed by Congress in 1968, authorizes the Secretary of State ``to sell or lease to foreign governments and international organizations'' Federal property located in Northwest Washington, DC, off of Connecticut Avenue. The 47-acre parcel of land authorized by the bill offers space for new embassies, consulates, and international organizations and is commonly referred to as the International Center.

Intelsat was formed in the 1960s as an international commercial cooperative of 142 countries that provided global telecommunications including television, telephone, and data transmission. Intelsat's headquarters are located in the International Center.

In 2000, an act of Congress privatized Intelsat (P.L. 106-180). Since the ICA does not permit the U.S. State Department to lease space within the International Center to a private entity, Intelsat's lease no longer meets the requirements of the ICA. H.R. 3913 makes technical amendments to the ICA to permit Intelsat to continue its tenancy.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3913.

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

The bill before us amends the International Center Act to allow the State Department to lease a Federal property in northwest Washington to nongovernmental entities. Currently, the International Center Act only permits the State Department, as has been said, to lease the property to foreign governments or international organizations.

The site is occupied by the international satellite service provider Intelsat, which was privatized by an act of Congress in the year 2000. Prior to its privatization, Intelsat was created as an international organization in the 1960s to establish the world's first global satellite system.

As an international organization, Intelsat leased the property for 99 years from the State Department in accordance with the International Center Act. The bill before us corrects an apparent oversight when Intelsat was privatized by this Congress.

The underlying statute requires a foreign government or international organization to occupy the property, and that was no longer consistent with the lease between the government and Intelsat after Intelsat was privatized. This bill would make the International Center Act consistent with the lease.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 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. 755, H.R. 3913.

Mr. President, I further ask that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to the measure be printed in the Record.