John F. Kennedy Center Reauthorization Act of 2008

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3986) to amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and for other purposes, 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 include extraneous material therein.

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

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a national memorial to a fallen President, one of the most loved, respected, and admired Presidents of our history. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was initially proposed as a national cultural center during the tenure of President Dwight Eisenhower. It moved its way through the legislative process and took firm root and forward progress during the brief tenure of President John F. Kennedy and then sprang forward under President Lyndon Johnson. It has become an extraordinary cultural center for the Nation.

Our committee has had the good fortune to hold jurisdiction over the physical facility of the Kennedy Center and of its operations, and we have managed that responsibility very thoroughly and very effectively through the tenure of many previous Chairs of this committee. In particular, in the current context I thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), who is the Chair of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, for her leadership on this bill as well as our ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Mica, and the subcommittee ranking member, Mr. Graves, and Mr. Petri who is here today managing the bill on the Republican side, for crafting what has historically been in our committee bipartisan legislation dealing with the operations of the Kennedy Center.

Since opening its doors September 8, 1971, the Kennedy Center has continued each year to gain national and international renown for its performance arts, programming, and for the education programs at the Kennedy Center that reach out across the Nation so that high schools, colleges, and universities can participate by satellite and live performances or recorded performances at the Kennedy Center.

The center has crossed the threshold in the last couple of years by performing over 3,000 performances, hosting millions of theater-goers, visitors, tourists. But of all of those accomplishments, none matches the international outreach of the Kennedy Center under President Michael Kaiser. In the aftermath of the Iraq war, Michael Kaiser personally traveled to Iraq to meet with the musicians of the Iraqi symphony who were, in many cases, without instruments or had somehow sheltered them from the post-invasion trauma, and secured instruments for them and secured funding to travel the Iraqi symphony to the Kennedy Center to perform jointly with the National Symphony Orchestra, an extraordinary gesture of international brotherhood and sisterhood of the arts.

President Kaiser has traveled to Africa, to the Far East, Japan, China to mobilize interest in the arts, joint initiatives with the Kennedy Center, and has actually established programs of arts management in countries well beyond our shores to help particularly Third World countries where arts have fallen well below the threshold of national concerns where people are more concerned about starvation and disease than they are about the arts. President Michael Kaiser has raised the threshold, raised the vision of arts managers in other countries, and created a great future for the arts wherever he has traveled.

Over the past decade, a great deal of work at the Kennedy Center has focused on life safety and accessibility projects. Many of those are completed. The Kennedy Center's capital building plan, which was updated earlier this year, emphasizes facility infrastructure. Over the next several years, the Kennedy Center will focus on replacing mechanical and electrical systems that consist of original equipment that is well beyond its useful life or should be replaced by more efficient equipment, and we provide authority for that work to continue to prevent failure or breakdown of essential equipment.

The bill before us today authorizes appropriations for maintenance and capital projects of the Kennedy Center for fiscal years 2008 to 2010. For maintenance, repair, and security, the bill authorizes $64.5 million over 3 years. For capital projects, the bill authorizes $56.2 million through 2010. Those are numbers derived from the Kennedy

Center's 2006-2007 Comprehensive Building Plan, which has worked its way through the administrative review process within the administration and the Office of Management and Budget.

The bill also authorizes the center to study, plan, design and build a photovoltaic system on the four-acre main roof of the Kennedy Center. That is 140,000 square feet of roof space. A preliminary estimate shows that a photovoltaic system would cost $6 million to build, but would save $10 million over the next 25 years. It is part of the plan of this committee to redirect the energy consumption of our portfolio of Federal civilian office space, for which this committee has responsibility of some 367 million square feet of Federal civilian office space that we can cut down on the electricity bill of $5.8 billion a year at those facilities. We could save the taxpayers a lot of money, and we could save the environment an awful lot of damage by converting to photovoltaic use. A good place to start is with the arts and with the Kennedy Center and with the Department of Energy building in the recently House-passed version of the energy conservation bill.

So this initiative that we require would in itself be a tribute to President Kennedy's longstanding well-known views of environmental protection.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is my earnest hope that the other body will act promptly on this legislation. We would certainly like to get the bill enacted before the close of this session of Congress. We intend to pass this bill and send it over to the other body in the hopes that they will simply accept or make such technical or minimal changes as we can accept without the need for a conference with the other body, and send this bill on to the President to get the authorization in place in time for the upcoming budget cycle.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 3986, the John F. Kennedy Center Reauthorization Act, will authorize much-needed funds for the continued operation of the John F. Kennedy Center, which was established to celebrate the arts and honor of the memory of President John F. Kennedy.

H.R. 3986, as amended by the Senate, authorizes the Kennedy Center for a 5-year period consistent with the center's facilities management plan. The 5-year authorization will allow the Kennedy Center to manage the center in a responsible manner.

The House passed the version of this legislation in December of last year that included a 3-year authorization for the Kennedy Center. The Senate amendment provides a 5-year authorization to allow for a longer- term plan

for the management of that center. With this longer authorization, the Kennedy Center can upgrade and maintain the facility, using a renovation schedule that is both realistic and responsible.

While the center has had financial management problems in the past, the management of projects shows great success in facilities management policy. The master plan for the facility provides an aggressive plan for care and repair of the facilities. I believe that the long-term master plan presented by the board of directors lays out a responsible vision for the center.

Many of the projects in the center's budget will repair and renovate capital assets and keep the center in good condition. Planned upgrades will make the facility safer and more welcoming to those who visit. Other projects will help maintain the Kennedy Center's unique structure.

The legislation also authorizes the Kennedy Center Board of Directors to study the usefulness of a solar panel system for the main roof of the memorial. Before the center can begin construction of a system, the board would be required to report to Congress information about the system.

I am very encouraged by the steps that the board of directors has taken to make the Kennedy Center more fiscally responsible. This authorization will give the center the resources necessary to carry out a well thought-out plan for the arts center that honors and remembers President Kennedy.

I support the legislation, and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica), the ranking member of the overall Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which has oversight over the Kennedy Center.

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

As was pointed out, they are embarking down at the Kennedy Center on a renovation plan, and one of the things they are looking at and one of the things we talked about in committee on various occasions is the photovoltaic plan that is going to be implemented on a lot of buildings around Washington, D.C., government buildings. It is fascinating technology. In fact, it has come light-years from where it was just a couple of decades ago, and I am very confident we are going to see some very interesting things come out of this as we move forward. Obviously, that is a big part of it.

Alternative energy sources is a very big part of what needs to be done in this country, whether it is wind power, photovoltaic, hydropower, obviously very, very important, as well as everything else out there that we need to do, which is clean burning coal technology, which is more drilling in the United States to utilize those resources we have right here in the United States, instead of doing what happened last night, which is locking away the vast majority of those resources in this country, at least when it comes to drilling off the Outer Continental Shelf, and not being allowed to drill between 50 and 0 miles of the coast.

That is unfortunate, because it is going to take all of the above. It is going to take solar power and wind power. It is going to take turning coal into fuel. It is going to take burning coal in a very clean way. It is going to take drilling for oil in the United States. It is going to take conservation, which is obviously a very big part of this. It is going to take all of those things.

What we need in this country is a real energy plan that does just that and that uses all of the above; not just a little bit of the above, but all of the above.

So I applaud the Kennedy Center and their plan, and I am looking forward to seeing how photovoltaic moves forward in this. I am very tickled to support this bill, H.R. 3986, and urge my colleagues to do the same.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 3986) to amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and for other purposes.

Madam 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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Senate amendment to H.R. 3986. The bill will authorize the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for 5 years, from fiscal year 2008 through fiscal year 2012. The House passed this bill on December 7, 2007, and the Senate amended the bill to extend the authorization period from 3 years to 5 years. I support the amendment.

The building's 1.5 million square feet on 17 acres have been upgraded, refigured and transformed to more easily and graciously accommodate the center's 2 million annual visitors and patrons. The center is to be commended for giving a commitment not only to the center's programmatic side, but also the more mundane bricks and mortar side that makes up the presidential memorial. The fact is that, first and foremost, this building is a memorial to President John F. Kennedy.

I am pleased to support the amended bill, and urge the passage of H.R. 3986 with the Senate amendment.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve my time.

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

I just want to comment a bit on his closing statement. The Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act underscores real differences between really the Democrats and Republicans when it comes to energy.

The comprehensive Democratic plan is America's own 21st century energy policy that the country has been waiting for. It lowers prices for consumers and protects taxpayers, it expands domestic drilling offshore and on land, it expands renewable sources of energy, increases our security by freeing America from the grip of foreign oil, requires big oil to pay what it owes to the taxpayers, ends the subsidies for the big oil companies and creates good-paying jobs here in America.

The Republican bill presented was nothing more than the same Bush- Cheney energy policy, written by and for the energy companies. Big oil gets more land, more oil, more taxpayer dollars and all the record profits, while American families suffer because of the big prices.

Members of Congress made a clear choice last night. Some Republicans joined with the Democrats in siding with the American taxpayers and consumers struggling with these energy costs. I am puzzled how any Republican can oppose a policy that will create good-paying American jobs and increase the Nation's security, while it lowers the price for gas for our consumers.

Madam Speaker, I would urge the passage of the John F. Kennedy Center reauthorization bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3986, as amended, the ``John F. Kennedy Center Reauthorization Act of 2008''.

The Kennedy Center is one of the world's preeminent cultural centers. More than a physical memorial, the Kennedy Center acts as a

living memorial for performance arts programming and education. The Kennedy Center is the Nation's busiest arts facility, presenting more than 3,000 performances in 2006 and hosting millions of theater goers, visitors, and tourists. The Kennedy Center also provides educational programs for teachers and students from pre-kindergarten through college across the United States.

H.R. 3986, as amended, authorizes the Kennedy Center's capital and maintenance program for the next 5 years. The bill authorizes a total of $112.5 million for fiscal years 2008 through 2012 for maintenance, repair, and security projects for the Kennedy Center. The bill also authorizes a total of $91.7 million for capital projects for the Kennedy Center during this period. These authorization levels are derived from the Kennedy Center's 2006/2007 Comprehensive Building Plan.

Over the past 10 years, the priorities for Kennedy Center capital improvements were life safety and accessibility projects. With the pending completion of these projects, the current Comprehensive Building Plan emphasizes facility infrastructure. In some past projects, such as theater renovations, the mechanical and electrical infrastructure scope has been limited to replacement of renovated space. The primary building mechanical and electrical systems consist of original equipment and those elements not previously replaced are reaching the end of normative service life, are showing signs of failure or impending breakdown, or are deteriorating. The bill authorizes systematic rehabilitation of these primary mechanical and electrical systems.

In addition, the bill authorizes the Kennedy Center to study, plan, design, and construct a photovoltaic system on the 4-acre (140,000 square foot) main roof of the Kennedy Center. According to a preliminary estimate by the Kennedy Center, a photovoltaic system would cost approximately $6 million to construct and would yield savings of approximately $10.2 million over the next 25 years.

I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3986, as amended, the ``John F. Kennedy Center Reauthorization Act of 2008''.

Madam Speaker, first of all, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding me time, and also recognize the efforts of our Subcommittee on Public Buildings of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Also we have Ms. Johnson here and Mr. Graves for this reauthorization bill on the Kennedy Center.

I just wanted to add my congratulations for the incredible work that this national cultural center does provide, not only to the District of Columbia and the northeast United States, but the entire country.

Mr. Oberstar, our chairman, and myself as ranking member, get to serve as honorary trustees on the Kennedy Center Board, and I had the honor and privilege of attending the reopening of the Eisenhower Theater.

Now, folks don't realize that the Kennedy Center was opened in 1971, and, of course, some of the facility does need rehabilitation. The Eisenhower Theater, one of the most prominent theaters, named after President Eisenhower, was closed for several years and underwent a complete renovation, and now is open.

But I had the opportunity to attend the little ceremony and dinner commemorating the reopening, and the Rogers family and others who have helped lead that effort are also to be commended in this commentary this afternoon.

Most folks don't know this now, and I really wasn't aware of it until this dinner, but the Kennedy Center was actually the idea and one of the primary projects of Dwight David Eisenhower. President Eisenhower actually was the author of creating a national cultural center, and it was during his administration and it was a bipartisan effort in 1958 that they authorized a national cultural center to be located in our Nation's Capital here, and it did open in 1971.

Now, it was interesting also to see the plans and vision that President Eisenhower had for a national cultural center back then. Of course, it was named for our slain and lost most distinguished President, John F. Kennedy, but the Eisenhower Theater within that complex still bears the visionary's name for this center.

So as you undertake this act today, and I commend again the committee members and staff who have worked on this and all those who do make the Kennedy Center one of the richest national cultural centers and facilities, not only in the United States, but the world, I just wanted to add that commentary for the record.