[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 193 (Wednesday, December 6, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S18100-S18101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. McCAIN (for himself and Mr. Kyl):
  S. 1451. A bill to authorize an agreement between the Secretary of 
the Interior and a State providing for the continued operation by State 
employees of national parks in the State during any period in which the 
National Park Service is unable to maintain the normal level of park 
operations, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources.


                       NATIONAL PARKS LEGISLATION

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, today, I am pleased to join Senator Kyl in 
introducing legislation to ensure that Grand Canyon National Park and 
other national park units remain open during Federal budget impasses 
which result in Government closures.
  The bill would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into 
agreements allowing State and local governments to operate essential 
park facilities when Federal personnel are furloughed.
  As my colleagues are aware, during the recent budget crisis, the 
Clinton administration decided to shut visitors out of the Grand Canyon 
and other national parks. This decision hurt countless tourists, many 
of whom traveled great distances at enormous expense to experience the 
canyon. And it harmed local businesses that depend upon tourism.
  I continue to believe that the decision to close the Grand Canyon was 
unnecessary. I was interested to note that the administration did not 
restrict visitation to national forests or BLM lands, nor to the Mall 
in Washington--an area administered by the Park Service. Such 
restrictions, of course, would have been unnecessary, just as shutting 
visitors out of the Grand Canyon, while politically expedient, was 
unnecessary.
  Nevertheless, I appreciate the willingness of the administration to 
examine methods of ensuring that such park closure need not occur in 
the future. Enacting legislation empowering States to operate park 
units during temporary Federal furloughs, would help us to achieve that 
end.
  Mr. President, my fervent hope is that in the future we can avoid 
Government shutdowns which penalize not only national park visitors but 
many others seeking Government services.
  However, I trust that my colleagues and the administration will 
agree, we have an obligation to mitigate the impact on innocent people 
if and when such crises do occur. In the case of national parks, the 
State of Arizona and other States as well, are willing to offer their 
manpower and expertise to avoid the closure of these areas which are so 
essential to State and local economies. There is no reason the Federal 
Government should not take them up on that offer, even as we work to 
make sure that no vital Federal operation is cut off because of the 
failings of politicians in Washington, DC.
  Mr. President, often, our constituents are far better than we at 
expressing the real-life impact of Government decisions. During the 
park shutdown I received an open letter from Susan Morely, a 
constituent of mine from Flagstaff, AZ who relayed a very sad and 
distressing story about the impact of the closure on her family. She 
makes the case in favor of this legislation better than anyone else.
  I ask unanimous consent that a copy of Susan Morley's letter be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

     To: President Clinton, Members of Congress, Governor 
         Symington, House Speaker Mark Killian, The Media
       In 1992, my husband died of cancer at age 41, his dying 
     request was for his ashes to be distributed at Ribbon Falls 
     in the Grand Canyon. This was done shortly after his death.
       For the past three years, his brothers and sisters and I 
     and my children have planned a memorial hike so that we could 
     all visit this special site. Family members from Connecticut, 
     New Jersey and California and friends from Washington, D.C. 
     and Arizona came to join us in what was to be an important 
     part of our emotional healing.
       Instead, Congress and the President have turned this into 
     an emotional nightmare.
       My 13 year old has been crying because she was looking 
     forward to visiting Ribbon Falls with family and friends. How 
     do I explain to her what is happening in Washington?
       Family members paid hundreds of dollars for plane tickets, 
     car rentals and hiking gear. People have arranged time off 
     from work. For some, this is their only vacation this year. 
     One teacher had to get special permission from the school 
     superintendent to be here.
       We have looked forward to being together as family and 
     friends to celebrate Michael's life in a place he loved, at 
     the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
       Instead, we are stranded at the top because the President 
     and our elected representatives in Congress didn't do their 
     jobs.
       The Grand Canyon didn't have to close.
       American workers didn't have to be furloughed.
       Political agendas have brought us to this.
       It's time to stop ``playing politics'' and start running 
     the country.
                                                     Susan Morley,
                                               Flagstaff, Arizona.

  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I rise today to talk about a piece of 
legislation introduced by Senator McCain and myself. This bill is 
significant, not only for Arizona, but for every State. It would 
authorize a cooperative arrangement between the Secretary of the 
Interior and a State under which State employees would be able to 
maintain continued operation of national parks in the State during any 
period in which the National Park Service is unable to. The bill is 
intended to mitigate the effects of a Government shutdown, or any other 
situation which could prevent the national parks from continuing normal 
operations.
  The recent Government shutdown affected all of us in various ways. As 
many of you may have heard on CNN, the administration chose to close 
the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. This was the first time this 
has happened since the park opened 76 years ago. The closure had very 
significant and widespread effects, not just for Arizona businesses but 
for visitors who had come a great distance--some as far as New 
Zealand--to see this crown jewel of our National Park System.
  Governor Symington of Arizona made an offer to assist the National 

[[Page S 18101]]
  Park Service in keeping the park open. On behalf of the State, he 
offered to supply the temporary funds and make State personnel 
available to keep the park functioning and open to visitors. The 
Department of the Interior refused his offer, citing a number of legal 
impediments to the State's plan. The purpose of the legislation that 
Senator McCain and I are introducing today is to overcome these 
impediments and provide for the legal authorization for the Department 
and an interested State to enter into an intergovernmental agreement 
that would allow a State to temporarily assume operations of a national 
park.
  I hope that others will join Senator McCain and myself in sponsoring 
this legislation.
                                 ______