[House Report 111-31]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
111th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 111-31
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JAMES A. LEACH UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE
_______
March 10, 2009.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be
printed
_______
Mr. Oberstar, from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H. R. 887]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom
was referred the bill (H.R. 887) to designate the United States
courthouse located at 131 East 4th Street in Davenport, Iowa,
as the ``James A. Leach United States Courthouse'', having
considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment
and recommend that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION
H.R. 887 designates the United States courthouse located at
131 East 4th Street in Davenport, Iowa, as the ``James A. Leach
United States Courthouse''.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
James Albert Smith Leach was born in Davenport, Iowa, on
October 15, 1942. Leach attended the public schools of
Davenport, Iowa, and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from
Princeton University in 1964. Leach later received a Master of
Arts degree in Soviet Politics from the School of Advanced
International Studies of Johns Hopkins University in 1966, and
subsequently attended the London School of Economics.
Former Representative Leach began his public service career
in 1965 as a staff person to then-Congressman Donald Rumsfeld.
In 1968, Leach joined the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign
Service Officer and subsequently served as special assistant to
director at the Office of Economic Opportunity. In the 1970s,
Rep. Leach served in various capacities with the United
Nations, the United States Advisory Commission on International
Education and Cultural Affairs, and the Federal Home Loan Bank
Board.
In 1976, Rep. Leach was elected to Congress. Rep. Leach
represented the 2nd District of Iowa in the United States House
of Representatives for 30 years (1977-2007). A career public
servant, Rep. Leach chaired the Committee on Banking and
Financial Services, the Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific
Affairs, and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.
He holds eight honorary degrees, has received decorations from
two foreign governments, and is the recipient of the Wayne
Morse Integrity in Politics Award, the Woodrow Wilson Award
from Johns Hopkins University, the Adlai Stevenson Award from
the United Nations Association, and the Edgar Wayburn Award
from the Sierra Club.
In February 2007, former Rep. Leach joined the faculty of
Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International
Affairs as a visiting professor.
In honor of Representative James A. Leach's outstanding
public service and his exemplary professional career, it is
both fitting and proper to designate the U.S. courthouse
located on 131 East 4th Street in Davenport, Iowa, as the
``James A. Leach United States Courthouse''.
SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATION
Section 1. Designation
Section 1 designates the Federal building located at 131
East 4th Street in Davenport, Iowa, as the ``James A. Leach
United States Courthouse''.
Section 2. References
Section 2 declares that any reference in law, map,
regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United
States to the United States courthouse referred to in Section 1
shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``James A. Leach
United States Courthouse''.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
In the 110th Congress, Representative David Loebsack
introduced H.R. 1505 on March 13, 2007. This bill has not been
introduced in a previous Congress. On May 2, 2007, the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure met in open
session to consider H.R. 1505. Subcommittee on Economic
Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management
Chairwoman Norton offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute to make a technical correction to the bill. The
amendment designates the facility as the ``James A. Leach
United States Courthouse''. The amendment was agreed to by
voice vote. The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
ordered the bill reported favorably to the House by voice vote.
On May 8, 2007, the Committee reported the bill to the House.
H. Rept. 110-132. On May 15, 2007, the House passed H.R. 1505
by voice vote. No further action was taken on the bill.
In the 111th Congress, Representative Loebsack introduced
H.R. 887 on February 4, 2009. On February 12, 2009, the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure met in open
session, and ordered the bill reported favorably to the House
by voice vote with a quorum present.
RECORD VOTES
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the House of Representatives
requires each committee report to include the total number of
votes cast for and against on each record vote on a motion to
report and on any amendment offered to the measure or matter,
and the names of those members voting for and against. There
were no recorded votes taken in connection with consideration
of H.R. 887. A motion to order H.R. 887 reported favorably to
the House was agreed to by voice vote with a quorum present.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(I) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee's oversight findings and recommendations are
reflected in this report.
COST OF LEGISLATION
Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives does not apply where a cost estimate and
comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974 has been timely submitted prior to the filing of the
report and is included in the report. Such a cost estimate is
included in this report.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII
1. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(2) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, and
308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee
references the report of the Congressional Budget Office
included in the report.
2. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
performance goals and objectives of this legislation are to
designate the United States courthouse located at 131 East 4th
Street in Davenport, Iowa, as the ``James A. Leach United
States Courthouse''.
3. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the
Committee has received the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 887
from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, February 17, 2009.
Hon. James L. Oberstar,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
reviewed the following legislation as ordered reported by the
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on
February 12, 2009:
H.R. 887, a bill to designate the United
States courthouse located at 131 East 4th Street in
Davenport, Iowa, as the ``James A. Leach United States
Courthouse'';
H.R. 869, a bill to designate the federal
building and United States courthouse located at 101
Barr Street in Lexington, Kentucky, as the ``Scott Reed
Federal Building and United States Courthouse'';
H.R. 842, a bill to designate the United
States courthouse to be constructed in Jackson,
Mississippi, as the ``R. Jess Brown United States
Courthouse'';
H.R. 837, a bill to designate the federal
building located at 799 United Nations Plaza in New
York, New York, as the ``Ronald H. Brown United States
Mission to the United Nations Building''; and
H.R. 813, a bill to designate the federal
building and United States courthouse located at 306
East Main Street in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as
the ``J. Herbert W. Small Federal Building and United
States Courthouse.''
CBO estimates that enacting those pieces of legislation
would have no significant impact on the federal budget and
would not affect direct spending or revenues. The bills contain
no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in
the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on
state, local, or tribal governments.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew
Pickford.
Sincerely,
Douglas W. Elmendorf,
Director.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XXI
Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House
of Representatives, H.R. 887, does not contain any
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff
benefits as defined in clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of rule XXI
of the Rules of the House of Representatives.
CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT
Pursuant to clause (3)(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, committee reports on a bill or
joint resolution of a public character shall include a
statement citing the specific powers granted to the Congress in
the Constitution to enact the measure. The Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure finds that Congress has the
authority to enact this measure pursuant to its powers granted
under article I, section 8 of the Constitution.
FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act (Public Law 104-4).
PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION
Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974
requires the report of any Committee on a bill or joint
resolution to include a statement on the extent to which the
bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt state, local,
or tribal law. The Committee states that H.R. 887 does not
preempt any state, local, or tribal law.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT
No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b)
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act are created by this
legislation.
APPLICABILITY TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law
104-1).
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED
H.R. 887 makes no changes in existing law.