Establishing An Expiration Date of Certain Committee Resolutions with Respect to Leases or Projects

Floor Speech

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Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6316) to amend title 40, United States Code, to establish an expiration date of certain committee resolutions with respect to leases or projects, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 6316

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. LIMITATION ON AUTHORIZATIONS.

Section 3307 of title 40, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

``(i) Expiration of Committee Resolutions.--

``(1) In general.--Unless a lease is awarded or a construction, alteration, repair, design, or acquisition project is initiated not later than 5 years after the resolution approvals adopted by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives or the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate pursuant to subsection (a), such resolutions shall be deemed expired.

``(2) Application.--This subsection shall only apply to resolutions approved after the date of enactment of this subsection.''.

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Mr. PERRY. 6316.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 6316 sets an expiration date for committee resolutions for the General Services Administration's capital leasing and improvements program.

If the GSA fails to proceed with a project that has been approved by both the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works within 5 years, the bill would require that the authorization expires and the GSA would then return to the committees for a new approval.

I thank my good friend, Ranking Member Titus of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, for her leadership and work on H.R. 6316 and for working with me and the whole committee on this piece of legislation, which I am proud to cosponsor.

Madam Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

I agree with the gentlewoman from Nevada that maybe it is not going to get a lot of press, but I think we both agree that it is simply good governing. Project proposals can grow stale, and if GSA fails to proceed on the authorization within 5 years, the agency should be required to resubmit the proposal. A lot of things can change in 5 years, and we have seen that.

H.R. 6316 would increase GSA's accountability to Congress and, more importantly, to the American people, ultimately aiding in our ability to conduct appropriate oversight of these leases and these projects.

Madam Speaker, I urge support of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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