[House Report 112-613] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] 112th Congress Report HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 112-613 ====================================================================== EDWIN L. MECHEM UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE _______ July 19, 2012.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed _______ Mr. Mica, from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, submitted the following R E P O R T [To accompany H.R. 3742] [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 3742) to designate the United States courthouse located at 100 North Church Street in Las Cruces, New Mexico, as the ``Edwin L. Mechem United States Courthouse'', having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. CONTENTS Page Purpose of the Legislation....................................... 1 Background and Need for Legislation.............................. 2 Hearings......................................................... 2 Legislative History and Consideration............................ 2 Committee Votes.................................................. 2 Committee Oversight Findings..................................... 2 New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures........................ 2 Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................ 3 Performance Goals and Objectives................................. 3 Advisory of Earmarks............................................. 3 Federal Mandate Statement........................................ 4 Preemption Clarification......................................... 4 Advisory Committee Statement..................................... 4 Applicability to the Legislative Branch.......................... 4 Section-by-Section Analysis of Legislation....................... 4 Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 4 PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION H.R. 3742 would designate the United States courthouse located at 100 North Church Street in Las Cruces, New Mexico, as the ``Edwin L. Mechem United States Courthouse''. BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION H.R. 3742 would designate the United States courthouse located at 100 North Church Street in Las Cruces, New Mexico, as the ``Edwin L. Mechem United States Courthouse''. Born in Alamogordo, New Mexico in 1912, Judge Mechem attended local schools until transferring to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he received a degree in law. He then returned to New Mexico to practice in Las Cruces and Albuquerque. From 1942 to 1945, he served as an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and from 1947 to 1948, he served as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives. Judge Mechem was elected Governor of New Mexico four times: in 1950, 1952, 1956, and 1960. Upon the death of United States Senator Dennis Chavez, Judge Mechem was appointed United States Senator to serve out the remainder of Senator Chavez's term until November 1964. And, in 1970, he was appointed by President Richard Nixon as a federal judge for the U.S. District Court of New Mexico. He served from 1970 to 1982 and took senior status from 1982 until his death in 2002. HEARINGS No hearings were held on H.R. 3742. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND CONSIDERATION On December 20, 2011, Representative Stevan Pearce introduced H.R. 3742, a bill to designate the United States courthouse located at 100 North Church Street in Las Cruces, New Mexico, as the ``Edwin L. Mechem United States Courthouse''. On June 7, 2012, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure met in open session, and ordered the bill reported favorably to the House by voice vote with a quorum present. COMMITTEE 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 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 record votes taken in connection with consideration of H.R. 3742, or ordering the bill reported. A motion to order H.R. 3742 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. NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES 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. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE 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. 3742 from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office: U.S. Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC, June 11, 2012. Hon. John L. Mica, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has reviewed the following legislation ordered reported by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on June 7, 2012:H.R. 3742, a bill to designate the United States courthouse located at 100 North Church Street in Las Cruces, New Mexico, as the ``Edwin L. Mechem United Courthouse'' and H.R. 4347, a bill to designate the United States courthouse located at 709 West 9th Street in Juneau, Alaska, as the ``Robert Boochever United States Courthouse.'' CBO estimates that enacting those pieces of legislation would have no significant impact on the federal budget and would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay- as-you-go procedures do 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 Matthew Pickford. Sincerely, Douglas W. Elmendorf, Director. PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the performance goal and objective of this legislation is to designate the United States courthouse located at 100 North Church Street in Las Cruces, New Mexico, as the ``Edwin L. Mechem United States Courthouse''. ADVISORY OF EARMARKS Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee is required to include a list of congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. No provision in the bill includes an earmark, limited tax benefit, or limited tariff benefit under clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of rule XXI. FEDERAL MANDATE 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'' (P.L. 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. 3742 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 (P.L. 104-1). SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF LEGISLATION Section 1. Findings Section 1 states the findings of the legislation. Section 2. Designation Section 2 designates the United States courthouse located at 100 North Church Street in Las Cruces, New Mexico, as the ``Edwin L. Mechem United States Courthouse''. 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 courthouse referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``Edwin L. Mechem United States Courthouse''. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED H.R. 3742 makes no changes in existing law.