69–006

106TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 106–112

WILLIAM H. NATCHER BRIDGE

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

REPORT

[To accompany H.R. 1162]

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom

was referred the bill (H.R. 1162) to designate the bridge on United

States Route 231 that crosses the Ohio River between Maceo, Kentucky, and Rockport, Indiana, as the ‘‘William H. Natcher Bridge’’,

having considered the same, report favorably thereon without

amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.

HEARINGS AND LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

H.R. 1162 would designate the bridge currently under construction on United States Route 231 near Owensboro, Kentucky, in

honor of the late William H. Natcher, who served as a Representative from the Commonwealth of Kentucky for over 40 years.

Congressman William H. Natcher was born in Bowling Green,

Kentucky, on September 11, 1909. He graduated from Western

Kentucky State College in 1930 and from Ohio State University’s

law school in 1933. During World War II, Mr. Natcher served in

the U.S. Navy from 1942–1945. He began his many years of public

service serving as Federal Conciliation Commissioner for the Western District of Kentucky, County Attorney of Warren County, and

Commonwealth Attorney before being elected to Congress in a special election in 1953. Mr. Natcher was a member of the House

Committee on Appropriations, serving as chairman of two different

subcommittees and then rising to assume chairmanship of the full

Committee in 1993. While in Congress, Mr. Natcher cast a record

18,401 consecutive votes—not missing 14,161 roll call votes and

4,240 quorum calls over a 40-year period. Each year he issued only
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one press release, and that was to announce his voting record. Mr.

Natcher died in office on March 29, 1994.

It is particularly fitting that this bridge be named in honor of

Mr. Natcher since construction of this bridge was one of his top legislative priorities. He has been credited with being responsible for

laying the groundwork for the bridge and securing Congressional

support for its construction.

Mr. Natcher’s many years of dedicated public service to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and to the House of Representatives are

truly deserving of being recognized through the naming of this

bridge as the ‘‘William H. Natcher Bridge.’’

COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

On April 22, 1999, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure met to consider H.R. 1162. Mr. Petri asked unanimous

consent that the Subcommittee on Ground Transportation be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 1162. The Subcommittee was discharged from consideration of the bill without objection.

H.R. 1162 was ordered reported by voice vote, without amendment,

with a quorum present. In the 104th Congress and the 103rd Congress, the House passed identical legislation on June 18, 1996 and

on September 22, 1994, respectively.

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. This measure passed by

voice vote.

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of

the Rules of the House of Representatives, no oversight findings

and recommendations are included 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
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the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight on the subject of H.R. 1162.

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. 1162 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 H.R. 1162, a bill to designate the bridge on United States

route 231 that crosses the Ohio River between Maceo, Kentucky,

and Rockport, Indiana, as the ‘‘William H. Natcher Bridge,’’ as ordered reported by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on April 22, 1999. CBO estimates that its 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.

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is James O’Keefe.

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.
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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.)

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