69–009 

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 culVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:27 Jun 04, 2008 Jkt 069009 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR676.XXX HR676

erowe on PROD1PC71 with HOUSE
2 

tural 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 JohnsonSirleaf, 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. 


erowe on PROD1PC71 with HOUSE
3 

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: 


erowe on PROD1PC71 with HOUSE
4 

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). 


erowe on PROD1PC71 with HOUSE
5 

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. 

fi 


erowe on PROD1PC71 with HOUSE