[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 147 (Thursday, October 15, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H10944-H10945]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
 AUTHORIZING LAND TRANSFER FOR CONSTRUCTION OF VISITOR CENTER FOR HOME 
            OF FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4829) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to transfer 
administrative jurisdiction over land within the boundaries of the Home 
of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site to the Archivist of the 
United States for the construction of a visitor center, and for other 
purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4829

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

     SECTION 1. VISITOR CENTER FOR HOME OF FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT 
                   NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.

       (a) Transfer of Administrative Jurisdiction.--The Secretary 
     of the Interior may transfer to the Archivist of the United 
     States administrative jurisdiction over land located in the 
     Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, for use 
     by the Archivist for the construction of a visitor center 
     facility to jointly serve the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt 
     National Historic Site and the Franklin D. Roosevelt 
     Presidential Library, located in Hyde Park, New York.
       (b) Conditions of Transfer.--
       (1) Protection of the site.--The transfer authorized in 
     subsection (a) shall be subject to an agreement between the 
     Secretary and the Archivist that shall include such 
     provisions for the protection of the Home of Franklin D. 
     Roosevelt National Historic Site and the joint use of the 
     facility to be constructed as the Secretary and the Archivist 
     may consider necessary.
       (2) Consideration.--A transfer made pursuant to subsection 
     (a) shall be made without consideration or reimbursement.
       (3) Termination.--If use by the Archivist of the land 
     referred to in subsection (a) is terminated by the Archivist 
     at any time, administrative jurisdiction over the land shall 
     automatically revert to the Department of the Interior.
       (c) Description of Land.--The land referred to in 
     subsection (a) shall consist of not more than 1 acre of land 
     as may be mutually agreed to by the Secretary and the 
     Archivist and more particularly described in the agreement 
     required under subsection (b)(1).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ballenger). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Miller) will each control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen).
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4829 is a bill introduced by my colleague, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Jerry Solomon). The gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Solomon) deserves a great amount of credit for working out a 
bill which responds to a need for improving the management of a site 
honoring one of our country's great leaders, Franklin D. Roosevelt.
  I also want to say the bill's sponsor, the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Solomon), the chairman of the Committee on Rules, has been a great 
leader here. He will be remembered as a distinguished colleague and 
friend, and we all wish him well in his future pursuits.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4829 authorized the Secretary of the Interior to 
transfer administrative jurisdiction over land within the boundaries of 
the home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site from the North 
Carolina Park Service to the Archivist of the United States.
  The land transfer is needed so the Archivist can construct a joint 
library and visitors' center on one acre of land, which will be 
mutually agreed upon. The transfer of jurisdiction and subsequent 
construction of the facility will help visitors enjoy the life and 
story of one of our great presidents. I urge my colleagues to support 
H.R. 4829.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  (Mr. MILLER of California asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, this bill was introduced 
yesterday by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Solomon) and the National 
Park Service to transfer not one more than one acre of land within the 
Franklin D. Roosevelt memorial site to the Archivist of the United 
States to build a joint archival/visitor center.
  The NPS supports this initiative. However, there also is a Senate-
passed bill here in the House which also deals with the FDR Historic 
Site. This bill, which the National Park Service wants, simply would 
allow the National Park Service to acquire lands within the boundaries 
of the Historic Site using appropriated funds. Currently the NPS can 
only acquire by donation. We would urge that that bill be put up for 
consideration.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield such time as he may 
consume to my colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Solomon), the 
sponsor of the bill.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I certainly thank the gentleman from Utah 
(Mr. Hansen), as well as the gentleman from California (Mr. Miller), 
for their help in bringing this bill to the floor on perhaps the last 
day, the next-to-the-last, or the next-to-the-next-to-the-last-day, but 
certainly it will be one of those days.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill, which I introduced just yesterday, was 
inadvertently left out of the Interior appropriation bill. That is why 
it was introduced as late as yesterday.
  The bill, authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to transfer 
administrative jurisdiction over land within the boundaries of the home 
of Franklin Delano Roosevelt National Historic Site in Hyde Park, New 
York, transfers jurisdiction to the Archivist of the United States for 
the construction of a visitors' center and library.
  In the past few years I have made it my personal challenge to return 
the home of our 32nd president to a place of honor in the national park 
system. As part of meeting this goal, I was pleased to help the FDR 
Library, with the help of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ralph Regula), 
the gentleman in well. It received $4 million in Federal funds in last 
year's Treasury-Postal appropriations for the construction of a new 
library/visitors' center.
  This money, along with the private funds, will build a new center 
that will provide a comprehensive orientation to this site, as well as 
contribute to the economic growth of the Hudson Valley.
  Mr. Speaker, in creating this visitors' center and library, we can 
significantly upgrade visitors' services at the FDR site, and welcome 
visitors to spend a moment in this important period of American 
history.
  Following this appropriation, the National Park Service and the 
National

[[Page H10945]]

Archives extensively discussed the best location for the library and 
visitors' center, finally agreeing that the plot of land within the 
park would be the most acceptable for the center. However, to build the 
library there, the National Park Service must transfer authority to the 
National Archives.
  My bill sets forth the legislative language necessary to transfer 
that authority, and will allow this important project to go forward. 
This bill has the full support of the National Park Service and the 
National Archives, and in fact, was written with their complete 
authorization.
  I might also add that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Sid Yates), 
who I do not think is on the floor right now, who will be retiring 
along with me, has been a great friend of the Franklin D. Roosevelt and 
Eleanor Roosevelt national park system, and has helped me for many 
years now to make sure that that is going to be preserved.
  This site, as I said before, is located in my district in the town of 
Hyde Park, the gentleman from Illinois was immensely helpful when he 
was chairman, as of course was the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ralph 
Regula), who I mentioned before. He has been extremely helpful in 
preserving the historic site.
  Mr. Speaker, I just want to commend the gentleman from Utah (Chairman 
Hansen), the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young), and their staffs. 
They have one of the best staffs in this entire Congress, Mr. Speaker, 
and we thank them for allowing this measure to come to the floor today.
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 4829.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the 
ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a 
quorum is not present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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