[DOCID: f:hr674.110]
From the House Reports Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
110th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 110-674
======================================================================
THOMAS JEFFERSON CENSUS BUREAU HEADQUARTERS BUILDING
_______
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.R. 5599]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom
was referred the bill (H.R. 5599) to designate the Federal
building located at 4600 Silver Hill Road in Suitland,
Maryland, as the ``Thomas Jefferson Census Bureau Headquarters
Building'', having considered the same, report favorably
thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION
H.R. 5599 designates the Federal building located at 4600
Silver Hill Road in Suitland, Maryland, as the ``Thomas
Jefferson Census Bureau Headquarters Building''.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The United States census takes place every ten years and is
an important tool used by the Federal Government to allocate
resources across the United States. Article 1, section 2 of the
U.S. Constitution requires the enumeration of citizens. It also
requires that, after the initial census, the census takes place
every ten years thereafter.
Today, the results of the census are used to determine the
size of Congressional districts, the allocation of seats
allotted to each state in the U.S. House of Representatives, as
a factor in the allocation of federal resources, and as a
research tool to track economic and population trends in the
United States. In 1790, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson
supervised the very first U.S. census. He was responsible for
overseeing the collection of data and certifying the local
census results that were collected by judicial-district
marshals on horseback. Although Thomas Jefferson is perhaps
best remembered as the third president of the United States and
as the author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson is
also considered by some to be the first director of the U.S.
Census. Although the practice of performing a census has been
in practice for thousands of years, the U.S. census is
considered to be the first modern periodic census. Several
European countries adopted similar census requirements in the
early 19th century.
The U.S. Census Bureau continued to operate as a temporary
agency until 1902. In 1902, after the 1900 census, the U.S.
Census Bureau was made a permanent agency. Today the U.S.
Census Bureau employs thousands of federal workers and is
currently preparing for the next census in 2010. In the 2000
census, the Government Accountability Office estimated that the
U.S. Census Bureau would need 860,000 workers at its peak field
operations to meet its goal of completing a census of the
United States population. As the census has grown more complex
in its almost 220-year history, the need for a permanent
headquarters has consistently been a challenge. At various
times, the U.S. Census Bureau has been headquartered in New
York, New York, Washington, DC, and Suitland, Maryland.
Since 1941, the U.S. Census has been headquartered in
Suitland, Maryland. In 2007, the General Services
Administration completed construction of a state-of-the-art
U.S. Census Bureau headquarters building. Given the role played
by Thomas Jefferson in overseeing the first U.S. census and his
contribution to the history of the United States, it is fitting
and proper to designate the Federal building located at 4600
Silver Hill Road in Suitland, Maryland, as the ``Thomas
Jefferson Census Bureau Headquarters Building''.
SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATION
Section 1. Findings
Section 1 contains Congressional findings on the United
States Census and the role of Thomas Jefferson in the United
States Census.
Section 2. Designation
Section 2 designates the Federal building located at 4600
Silver Hill Road in Suitland, Maryland, as the ``Thomas
Jefferson Census Bureau Headquarters Building''.
Section 3. References
Section 3 indicates that any reference in a law, map,
regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United
States to the Federal building referred to in section 2 shall
be deemed to be a reference to the ``Thomas Jefferson Census
Bureau Headquarters Building''.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
On March 12, 2008, Representative Carolyn Maloney
introduced H.R. 5599.
On May 15, 2008, the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure met in open session and ordered H.R. 5599
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.R. 5599 reported. A motion to order H.R. 5599
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 are to
designate the Federal building located at 4600 Silver Hill Road
in Suitland, Maryland, as the ``Thomas Jefferson Census Bureau
Headquarters Building''.
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. 5599
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
reviewed H.R. 5599, a bill to designate the federal building
located at 4600 Silver Hill Road in Suitland, Maryland, as the
``Thomas Jefferson Census Bureau Headquarters Building,'' as
ordered reported by the House Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure on May 15, 2008.
CBO estimates that enactment of this legislation would have
no significant impact on the federal budget and would not
affect direct spending or revenues. The bill contains 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,
Robert A. Sunshine
(For Peter R. Orszag, Director).
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XXI
Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House
of Representatives, H.R. 5599 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. 5599 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. 5599 makes no changes in existing law.
<all>