[House Report 110-676]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
110th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 110-676
======================================================================
AUTHORIZING THE USE OF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS FOR A CELEBRATION OF THE
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED
_______
June 3, 2008.--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. Con. Res. 335]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom
was referred the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 335)
authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for a celebration of
the 100th anniversary of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,
Incorporated, having considered the same, report favorably
thereon without amendment and recommend that the concurrent
resolution be agreed to.
PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION
House Concurrent Resolution 335 authorizes the use of the
Capitol Grounds for a celebration of the 100th anniversary of
the founding of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
Alpha Kappa Alpha (``AKA'') Sorority, Incorporated was
founded on January 15, 1908, on Howard University's Washington,
DC campus as the first sorority by and for African American
women. It was founded by nine Howard University students, who
then initiated several other women into the sorority who later
became known as the Twenty Pearls of Alpha Kappa Alpha. The
sorority incorporated on January 29, 1913, in Washington, DC.
The motto of the sorority is ``By Culture and By Merit''.
Alpha Kappa Alpha women have a long commitment to public
service and encouraging excellence through scholarship. The
sorority has evolved over its 100-year history from a college-
based organization in support of young women in their
intellectual and cultural development to an organization that
dedicates itself to a variety of humanitarian programs. These
programs include the Mississippi Health Project, which is an
outgrowth of the desire to improve educational conditions among
children in rural Mississippi and was designed to bring
desperately needed medical care to rural Mississippi; the
Educational Advancement Foundation, which provides
scholarships, fellowships, and community grants; and the IVY
AKAdemy, which promotes early learning and mastery of basic
reading skills, enhances the school experience of children and
young people through hundreds of local programs around the
country and in South Africa. For members of AKA, community
service and sisterhood are life-long commitments. Many members
of Alpha Kappa Alpha stay active in the organization for more
than 50 years.
Alpha Kappa Alpha has had many prominent members in several
different sectors of American culture. Members of Alpha Kappa
Alpha hold leadership roles in politics, sports, entertainment,
business, academia, and many other fields. These leaders
include civil rights activist Coretta Scott King, professional
tennis player Zina Garrison, Nobel Prize-winning author Toni
Morrison, Tony Award-winning actress Phylicia Rashad, and Brown
University President Ruth Simmons, President of Liberia Ellen
Johnson-Sirleaf, and several current Members of Congress.
Today, Alpha Kappa Alpha is an international organization
that includes more than 200,000 members and has 975 chapters
around the world. From July 11-18, 2008, more than 20,000
members of Alpha Kappa Alpha are expected to convene in
Washington, DC, where the sorority was founded, for their
Centennial convention to honor their foremothers and renew
their unwavering commitment to community service and their
loyal dedication to sisterhood.
SUMMARY OF LEGISLATION
Section 1. Use of Capitol Grounds for 100th anniversary celebration of
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated
Section 1 authorizes the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,
Incorporated to hold a public event on the Capitol Grounds on
July 17, 2008, or on a date agreed to by Speaker of the House
and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate.
Section 2. Terms and conditions
Section 2 dictates that the event will be free of charge,
open to the public, and arranged not to interfere with the
needs of Congress.
Section 3. Event preparations
Section 3 authorizes Alpha Kappa Alpha, Incorporated to
erect upon the Capitol Grounds, subject to the approval of the
Architect of the Capitol, stage, sound amplification devices,
and other related structures and equipment to carry out the
event.
Section 4. Enforcement of restrictions
Section 4 requires the Capitol Police Board to enforce all
applicable restrictions on the use of the Capitol Grounds,
including those relating to sales, advertisements, displays,
and solicitations.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
On February 26, 2008, Representative Diane E. Watson
introduced H. Con. Res. 335.
On May 15, 2008 the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure met in open session to consider H. Con. Res.
335. The Committee agreed to H. Con. Res. 335 and ordered it
reported favorably to the House by voice vote with a quorum
present.
RECORD VOTES
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules 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 ordering H. Con. Res. 335 reported. A motion to order H.
Con. Res. 335 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)(1) 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
clause 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 objective of this legislation is to
authorize the use of the Capitol Grounds for a celebration of
the 100th anniversary of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,
Incorporated.
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. Con.
Res. 335 from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, May 16, 2008.
Hon. James L. Oberstar,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H. Con. Res. 335,
authorizing the use of the Capitol grounds for a celebration of
the 100th anniversary of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,
Incorporated.
If you wish further details on these estimates, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew
Pickford.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Sunshine
(For Peter R. Orzsag, Director).
H. Con. Res. 335--Authorizing the use of the Capitol grounds for a
celebration of the 100th anniversary of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, Incorporated
H. Con. Res. 335 would authorize the Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, Incorporated, to use the Capitol grounds on July 17,
2008, or on such other date as the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the Senate Committee on Rules and
Administration may jointly designate. Because the group would
assume responsibility for all expenses and liabilities
associated with the event, CBO estimates that adopting H. Con.
Res. 335 would result in no significant cost to the federal
government.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew
Pickford. The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine,
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XXI
Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House
of Representatives, H. Con. Res. 335, 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. Con. Res. 335 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 OF 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. Con. Res. 335 makes no changes in existing law.