[House Report 106-109]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
106th Congress Report
1st Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 106-109
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GARZA-VELA UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE
_______
April 27, 1999.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be
printed
_______
Mr. Shuster, from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 686]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom
was referred the bill (H.R. 686) to designate a United States
courthouse in Brownsville, Texas, as the ``Garza-Vela United
States Courthouse'', having considered the same, report
favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill
do pass.
Reynaldo Garza and Filemon Vela are two distinguished
judges who sit on the Federal bench in Brownsville, Texas.
Judge Garza was born in Brownsville, Texas and attended
local public schools. After graduating from Brownsville Junior
College, he went on to earn the combined degree of Bachelor of
Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Texas. After
graduating from the University of Texas Judge Garza went into
private practice, until he entered the Air Force during World
War II. Upon his return from the war, Judge Garza returned to
private practice until 1961, when President Kennedy appointed
him to the United States District Court for the Southern
District of Texas. In 1974, he became the Chief Judge for the
Southern District in Texas, until he was appointed by President
Carter to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth
Circuit. In April of 1997, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist
appointed him Chief Judge of the Temporary Emergency Court of
Appeals of the United States.
Judge Vela was born in Harlingen, Texas and attended
Harlingen local public schools. He went on to attend Texas
Southmost College, the University of Texas, and St. Mary's
School of Law in San Antonio, Texas where he graduated with his
Juris Doctor in 1962. Previous to being appointed to the
Federal bench, Judge Vela was in the United States Army. He
also was the Commissioner for the City of Brownsville, and a
Judge on the 107th Judicial District, Cameron-Willacy County
Texas.
Judge Vela was a member of the Judicial Conference
Committee on the Administration of the Magistrate Judges System
until 1991, a member of the Judges Advisory Committee to the
United States Sentencing Commission, and active in a number of
local and state associations associated with civic and
community activities.
This is a fitting way to honor two Judges who have
dedicated their lives to serving their community and their
country.
Hearings and Legislative History
No hearings were held on H.R. 686.
Committee Consideration
On April 22, 1999, the Full Committee met in open session
and ordered reported H.R. 686, to designate the United States
courthouse located in Brownsville, Texas as the ``Garza-Vela
United States Courthouse,'' approved April 21, 1999 by the
Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings,
Hazardous Materials and Pipeline Transportation, by voice vote
with a quorum present. There were no recorded votes taken
during Committee consideration of H.R. 686.
Rollcall 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 rollcall 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.R.
686 favorably reported. A motion by Mr. Franks to order H.R.
686 favorably reported to the House was agreed to by voice
vote, a quorum being 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(d)(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 below.
2. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee has received no report of oversight findings and
recommendations from the Committee on Government Reform on the
subject of H.R. 686.
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 following cost estimate for H.R. 686
from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, April 26, 1999.
Hon. Bud Shuster,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
reviewed the following bills, which were ordered reported by
the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on
April 22, 1999. CBO estimates that their enactment would have
no significant impact on the federal budget, and would not
affect direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go
procedures would not apply. 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. The bills reviewed are:
H.R. 118, a bill to designate the federal building
located at 300 East 8th Street in Austin, Texas, as the
``J.J. `Jake' Pickle Federal Building;''
H.R. 560, a bill to designate the federal building
and United States courthouse located at the
intersection of Comercio and San Justo Streets in San
Juan, Puerto Rico, as the ``Jose V. Toledo Federal
Building and United States Courthouse;''
H.R. 686, a bill to designate a United States
courthouse in Brownsville, Texas, as the ``Garza-Vela
United States Courthouse;''
H.R. 1121, a bill to designate the federal building
and United States courthouse located at 18 Greenville
Street in Newnan, Georgia, as the ``Lewis R. Morgan
Federal Building and United States Courthouse;''
S. 437, an act to designate the United States
courthouse under construction at 333 Las Vegas
Boulevard South in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the ``Lloyd D.
George United States Courthouse;'' and
S. 460, an act to designate the United States
courthouse located at 401 South Michigan Street in
South Bend, Indiana, as the ``Robert K. Rodibaugh
United States Bankruptcy Courthouse.''
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is John R.
Righter.
Sincerely,
Barry B. Anderson
(For Dan L. Crippen, Director).
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.)
Advisory Committee Statement
No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b)
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were 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.)