[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 119 (Wednesday, September 4, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H9972-H9974]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES RESTORATION AND 
                            PRESERVATION ACT

  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1179) to authorize appropriations for the preservation and 
restoration of historic buildings at historically black colleges and 
universities, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1179

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES 
                   HISTORIC BUILDING RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION.

       (a) Authority To Make Grants.--From the amounts made 
     available to carry out the National Historic Preservation 
     Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall make grants in 
     accordance with this section to eligible historically black 
     colleges and universities for the preservation and 
     restoration of historic buildings and structures on the 
     campus of these institutions.
       (b) Grant Conditions.--Grants made under subsection (a) 
     shall be subject to the conditions that the grantee 
     covenants, for the period of time specified by the Secretary 
     that--
       (1) no alteration will be made in the property with respect 
     to which the grant is made without the concurrence of the 
     Secretary; and
       (2) reasonable public access to the property with respect 
     to which the grant is made will be permitted by the grantee 
     for interpretive and educational purposes.
       (c) Matching Requirement for Buildings and Structures 
     Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.--(1) 
     Except as provided by paragraph (2), the Secretary may 
     obligate funds made available under this section for a grant 
     with respect to a building or structure listed on, or 
     eligible for listing on, the National Register of Historic 
     Places only if the grantee agrees to match from funds derived 
     from non-Federal sources, the amount of the grant with an 
     amount that is equal or greater than the grant.
       (2) The Secretary may waive paragraph (1) with respect to a 
     grant if the Secretary determines from circumstances that an 
     extreme emergency exists or that such a waiver is in the 
     public interest to assure the preservation of historically 
     significant resources.
       (d) Funding Provision.--Pursuant to section 108 of the 
     National Historic Preservation Act, $29,000,000 shall be made 
     available to carry out the purposes of this section. Of 
     amounts made available pursuant to this section, $5,000,000 
     shall be available for grants to Fisk University, $2,500,000 
     shall be available for grants to Knoxville College, 
     $2,000,000 shall be available for grants to Miles College, 
     Alabama, $1,500,000 shall be available for grants to 
     Talladega College, Alabama, $1,550,000 shall be available for 
     grants to Selma University, Alabama, $250,000 shall be 
     available for grants to Stillman College, Alabama, $200,000 
     shall be available for grants to Concordia College, Alabama 
     $2,900,000 shall be available for grants to Allen University, 
     South Carolina, $1,000,000 shall be available for grants to 
     Claflin College, South Carolina, $2,000,000 shall be 
     available for grants to Voorhees College, South Carolina, 
     $1,000,000 shall be available for grants to Rust College, 
     Mississippi, and $3,000,000 shall be available for grants to 
     Tougaloo University, Mississippi.
       (e) Regulations.--The Secretary shall develop such 
     guidelines as may be necessary to carry out this section.

[[Page H9973]]

       (f) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section:
       (1) Historically black colleges.--The term ``historically 
     black colleges and universities'' has the same meaning given 
     the term ``part B institution'' by section 322 of the Higher 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
       (2) Historic building and structures.--The term ``historic 
     building and structures'' means a building or structure 
     listed on, or eligible for listing on, the National Register 
     of Historic Places or designated a National Historic 
     Landmark.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California [Mr. Doolittle] and the gentleman from Hawaii [Mr. 
Abercrombie] each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California [Mr. Doolittle].
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. DOOLITTLE asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1179, a bill 
authored by Mr. Clement to authorize appropriations for preservation of 
significant historic buildings on the campuses of black colleges and 
universities.
  This authorization provides statutory authorization of an initiative 
begun during the Bush administration by former Secretary of the 
Interior Manuel Lujan under which funding is provided from the historic 
preservation fund to preserve important historic buildings on the 
campuses of historically black colleges and universities. This program 
has been supported by Congress over the last few years through the 
appropriation process, where several million dollars has been provided 
annually.
  Mr. Speaker, there are now over 800,000 buildings, sites, and objects 
on the National Register of Historic Places. Each year Congress 
appropriates $30-$40 million for historic preservation purposes; yet, 
unbelievably, virtually none of this money goes to fix up the many 
historically significant buildings around the country. Instead, these 
Federal funds go almost exclusively to studies, planning, and 
permitting. With this legislation, we are saying that some Federal 
funds will be directed to the bricks and mortar work of actually fixing 
up important historic buildings.
  I commend the bill's authors, Mr. Clement and Mr. Duncan for bringing 
this important bill forward, and urge all my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1179, as introduced by the 
gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Clement], authorizes appropriations for 
the preservation and restoration of historic buildings at historically 
black colleges and universities [HBCU's]. This is a worthy endeavor. 
Many of us supported similar legislation in the 103d Congress.
  Many of the historic structures located on historically black 
colleges are threatened, and a significant effort is needed to preserve 
and protect them. The Department of the Interior, in cooperation with 
the United Negro College Fund has launched a project to preserve these 
structures. H.R. 1179 provides the necessary legislative authorization 
to carry out these important projects.
  The Committee on Resources has held hearings in each of the last two 
Congresses on this legislative proposal. Each time we have heard moving 
testimony on the historic importance of many of these structures in 
furthering educational opportunities. Several of these historic 
buildings were constructed by the students themselves.

  H.R. 1179 differs slightly from what we passed in the 103d Congress 
with several changes made to the bill during committee consideration. 
However, as indicated by the gentleman from California [Mr. Doolittle], 
Members on both sides have worked to maintain broad bipartisan support 
for the legislation, and I think and I trust that all parties can be 
satisfied with the final product, and I urge approval of the bill at 
this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Tennessee [Mr. Clement].
  Mr. CLEMENT. Mr. Speaker, I thank our fine gentleman from Hawaii [Mr. 
Abercrombie], who does such a wonderful job for all of us representing 
this country and his State and district for yielding.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I did say 
that the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Clement] could have such time as 
he wanted to consume; if he wants to pursue that particular line, he is 
allowed to do that.
  Mr. CLEMENT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1179. This 
legislation authorizes appropriations for the preservation and 
restoration of historic buildings of our Nation's historically black 
colleges and universities.
  I wish to thank the Committee on Resources chairman, the gentleman 
from Alaska [Mr. Young], and ranking member, the gentleman from 
California [Mr. Miller], for facilitating this bill's arrival onto the 
House floor. In addition, I wish to thank my good friend and colleague, 
the honorable gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Duncan] for his dedicated 
assistance in moving this legislation forward every step of the way.
  In March 1995, I introduced H.R. 1179 with broad bipartisan support. 
It is a modest bill designed to help our historically black colleges 
and universities repair and preserve the history represented by the 
buildings on their campuses.
  We have taken a fiscally responsible approach in this measure, 
significantly cutting back on our original monetary request to $29 
million today.
  As a former college president, I have a somewhat unique perspective 
on the needs of our schools. I understand how vanquishing these needs 
can strengthen our schools. I appreciate how restoring a school's vigor 
can revitalize the students, the faculty, the collective whole of the 
academic community.
  Damage to our Nation's educational facilities should no more be 
tolerated than damage to our students who learn there. Did my 
colleagues ever live in a dorm room where moisture seeped through walls 
and ceiling? Did my colleagues ever attempt to learn a lesson in a 
classroom with faulty wiring, where sufficient lighting cannot be 
guaranteed?
  Educators and students continually endure these conditions all around 
the country. Mostly, they deal with these crises on their own. But with 
limited resources, most institutions cannot hope to meet every demand.
  Some of my colleagues may wonder why H.R. 1179 limits its scope to 
historically black colleges and universities.
  As my colleagues know, our historically black colleges and 
universities have had a unique role in educating African-Americans. 
Racism in the mid-19th and early 20th centuries barred African-
Americans from most higher education opportunities.
  As a result, many colleges and universities devoted to educating 
African-Americans were established, predominantly in the South. 
Notwithstanding the creation of land-grant colleges under the 1890 
Second Morrill Act, State and Federal Governments did not allocate 
sufficient land and financial resources to support these institutions.
  Therefore, many of the schools came to rely on the generous support 
of private benefactors and charitable organizations. Many also came to 
rely on the sweat and tears of their own facility and students.
  That is why H.R. 1179 is so necessary. We owe it to our historic 
institutions to provide a helping hand for their celebrated landmarks. 
We owe it to our students to help provide them with conditions most 
conducive to learning. We owe it to our country to ensure that we do 
not fail our children.
  Mr. Speaker, when one walks on a college or university campus and it 
is run down, it is not up to par, they know that is a reflection on the 
institution. It keeps them from increasing the enrollment, and it also 
keeps a lot of people from contributing to those universities. But if 
one walks on a college campus, and it is an uplifting feeling to see 
that that physical, the physical structure, is in good shape and good 
condition, that is what we are trying to do. It will help raise private 
dollars where it will be a public/private venture for the future to 
help educate our people.
  If we want to solve these problems in this country, I do not know of 
a better, easier way than to invest in education. If we do that, we can 
solve many of these problems that exist today and build and keep a 
strong middle class, which has been the backbone of the United States 
of America.

[[Page H9974]]

  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe that there are any 
further statements from this side, so I will reserve the balance of my 
time at this time in case a Member comes.
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Duncan], a cosponsor of the bill.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California [Mr. 
Doolittle] for yielding this time to me, and I rise in support of H.R. 
1179, which was introduced originally by my colleague, the gentleman 
from Tennessee [Mr. Clement], and I certainly commend him for his work 
on this project. The chairman and ranking member of the committee have 
been recognized, and I appreciate their support, but I also appreciate 
the support of the gentleman from Utah [Mr. Hansen], chairman of the 
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Lands, who was also 
instrumental in this bill.
  I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill, and I am proud 
of the work that we have done on it in the Committee on Resources. I 
supported this legislation because it benefits one of this Nation's 
most important resources, our historically black colleges and 
universities.
  H.R. 1179 will provide matching grants for restoration and 
preservation of historic buildings on campuses of historically black 
colleges and universities.
  During the 103d Congress almost identical legislation passed the 
House by a voice vote. Unfortunately, the bill did not make it to the 
President before the 103d Congress adjourned.
  The major difference in this bill and the one passed in the 103d 
Congress is the cost. Mr. Speaker, we have reduced the cost of this 
legislation by $35 million over the legislation passed in the last 
Congress.
  My family and I have been especially close to one historical black 
college which is specifically mentioned in this bill, Knoxville 
College. My father was a member of the Knoxville College board of 
trustees for many years, as was my mother. Knoxville College, along 
with other historical black colleges and black universities, has 
produced some of the best leaders, some of the finest leaders, we have 
in this Nation today. In fact, some of our past and present colleagues 
in the House have attended and graduated from historically black 
colleges and universities.
  Mr. Speaker, if we want to ensure that minority individuals are 
trained and educated to make the maximum contribution to American 
society, it is in our self-interest to invest in institutions which 
prepare them for tomorrow's technological, educational, and commercial 
challenges.
  This Nation needs black colleges and universities because they have 
produced and do produce some of the best and brightest in every field 
of endeavor. The investment called for in this bill is a very modest 
one, but a very wise one.
  Most of our Federal money, Mr. Speaker, goes to our largest 
universities, most often State universities. The colleges that are 
helped by this bill are usually, for the most part, very small 
colleges, but not everyone in this country, not every student, belongs 
in a gigantic State university. Some students, many students, need the 
environment that a small college offers them, and I think this is very 
good legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation, and I urge my 
colleagues to support this legislation, and I urge that it be passed.
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
although I imagine, because of today's schedule, some who might have 
wanted to speak were not able to be here, and I presume their 
statements will be made at another point in the Record.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time on this bill.
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Doolittle] that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1179, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________