[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 154 (Thursday, November 4, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13922-S13923]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             JOHN H. CHAFEE

  Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, on the day that his son, Lincoln, 
succeeds him in the Senate I would ask to have printed in the Record 
what I believe to be John H. Chafee's last formal address. It was given 
at the National Cathedral on the occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary 
Celebration of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. They 
reflect the great beauty of the man, who loved his country so, and gave 
so much to it.
  I ask unanimous consent the address be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

Remarks of Senator John H. Chafee for Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration 
   of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, October 21, 1999

       Thank you, Dick, for your generous introduction. Secretary 
     Babbitt, Mayor Williams, Commissioner Peck and friends, it is 
     an honor to join you today.
       Every so often there occurs an event so cataclysmic, so 
     egregious, that it sparks a demand for national action. For 
     example, in the 60's and early 70's, many in our nation were 
     disturbed about the foul condition of our natural waters--our 
     lakes, streams, and rivers--where fish could no longer 
     survive and filth was obvious to all who would look.
       There were those who said a national response was required, 
     but other demands on the federal treasury took precedence. 
     Until one day the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, polluted with 
     oil and grease, caught fire. That's right--a river burst into 
     flames in 1969.
       That was the final indignity--that was what brought about 
     the Clean Water Act of 1972. This led to an eventual 
     expenditure of $70 billion by the federal government for 
     waste water treatment plants and an even greater outlay by 
     private industry and local communities to comply with new 
     discharge standards.
       A desperate call for national action to preserve the 
     historically and architecturally important buildings across 
     our land was heard in 1963. Out of a single event--the 
     destruction of magnificent Penn Station in New York City--
     arose a national outcry.
       Modeled in part after the Baths of Caracalla, Penn Station 
     was an awe inspiring building the likes of which will never 
     again be built.
       A line from an editorial in the New York Times, published 
     soon after the commencement of the station's demolition, 
     expressed the sentiment of the day. It read:
       ``We will probably be judged not by the monuments we build 
     but by those we have destroyed.''
       Fortunately, there was in existence an organization--The 
     National Trust for Historic Preservation--that was trying to 
     sound the alarm to our nation that we must save the Penn 
     Stations and other grand buildings. And that organization is 
     doing a superb job and we are fortunate it exists on this, 
     its 50th birthday.
       There are three points I'd like to leave with you today. 
     They are:
       First, as supporters of the National Trust, you are engaged 
     in extremely important work for our country.
       Second, you are on the cutting edge of the environmental 
     movement.
       Third, some suggestions I have that could make your efforts 
     even more effective.
       Let me exemplify point one. You are engaged--as supporters 
     of the National Trust for Historic Preservation--in work that 
     is extremely important to our country. You are preserving 
     what British novelist D.H. Lawrence once referred to as the 
     ``spirit of place.'' Expressing his anxiety about the quiet 
     exchange of quaint English hamlets for the faceless 
     infrastructure of the industrial age, he wrote:
       ``Different places on the face of the earth have different 
     vital effluence, different vibration, different chemical 
     exhalation, different polarity with different stars: call it 
     what you like. But the spirit of place is a great reality.''
       All across our land, your actions are preserving that 
     spirit of place.
       You are doing far more than trying to save the Penn 
     Stations of our land. You are fostering an urban 
     revitalization of whole sections of some of our older cities. 
     By encouraging tax credits for rehabilitation of older 
     buildings, by promoting smart-growth initiatives, and the 
     conservation of open space, you are making whole sections of 
     our older cities more livable, more attractive to home 
     buyers.
       This all makes such sense. By promoting city dwelling we 
     reduce expenditures on brand new roads, sewer pipelines, gas, 
     electric, and phone lines, thus assisting our town and 
     country treasuries. For within historic districts exists the 
     needed infrastructure.

[[Page S13923]]

       None of it has to be built--it is already in place because 
     of the past exodus of residents. Washington, DC is typical of 
     our older cities where the population has gone from 800,000 
     in 1950 to 540,000 today--a 32 percent drop.
       And, there are tremendous economic benefits to what you are 
     doing. Studies have shown that dollar for dollar, historic 
     preservation is one of the highest job-generating economic 
     development options available. In other words, one million 
     dollars spent on rehabilitation creates more permanent jobs, 
     does more for retail sales, and does more for family incomes 
     in a community than a like amount spent on new construction.
       Because of efforts of the members of the National Trust 
     over the years, and the leadership it has given, my state is 
     a microcosm of what is taking place across our nation. Many 
     of our magnificent marble palaces in Newport were saved from 
     being subdivided into a series of apartments and instead were 
     preserved as originally built. Now, they are by far the 
     largest tourist attractions in our state, and extremely 
     important to the economy of Newport.
       Likewise, historic districts are flourishing and home 
     owners are eager to buy turn of the century homes that were 
     so soundly built.
       This didn't just happen. It came about with the consent 
     inspiration and guidance from the National Trust.
       Let me move to point two. You are on the cutting edge of 
     the environmental movement.
       Why do I say that? If we can be successful in enticing a 
     goodly portion of our citizens to live within our cities, we 
     have helped stanch the flow of what we've come to know as 
     urban sprawl. We are losing our farmland at a frightening 
     rate--two acres every minute of every day, according to 
     estimates of the American Farmland Trust.
       There is no question that every new home that is built in 
     our suburbs or every new housing development that is created, 
     affects some creature's habitat. I have long held that if we 
     give nature half a chance, it will rebound. But we must give 
     it that half a chance. Regrettably, in too few areas are we 
     doing that. The National Trust is at the forefront of 
     environmental action by making our cities more attractive, 
     thus reducing the paving and development of our countryside.
       Few environmental challenges equal that of global warming, 
     and the principal culprit in that area is the automobile. If 
     people remain within cities, there are indeed fewer autos on 
     the road, which means less pollution, less global warming.
       Now for point three: some suggestions to make your efforts 
     even more effective.
       Do all you can to make the federal government a leader in 
     historic preservation. When we do something really good, 
     cheer us on. For example, we can all be delighted and 
     encouraged by the inclusion of large sums of money in 
     transportation legislation for so-called enhancements. These 
     substantial moneys can be used, among other things, to 
     restore historic buildings. Senator Pat Moynihan deserves the 
     principal credit for the Enhancement Program, which we first 
     did in the 1991 Highway Bill and continued in the 1998 
     Transportation Bill known as TEA-21. This was a radical 
     departure from previous highway bills and Senator Moynihan 
     deserves tremendous credit.
       We in the federal government can also lead by example by 
     restoring post offices and courthouses rather than abandoning 
     them and moving their activities to the suburbs.
       Let me give you an example of a courthouse we managed to 
     save that was historically and architecturally important. 
     Almost a decade ago, I visited the traditional home of the 
     federal judiciary in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico--a court house 
     that had fallen into disrepair. It was a shambles, and there 
     was a movement underway to abandon the structure in favor of 
     constructing a new one in the suburbs. But the building's 
     historic significance coupled with such architectural 
     flourishes as a beautiful two-story loggia overlooking the 
     harbor, warranted its preservation.
       Thanks to the General Services Administration's 
     preservation efforts, and a $35 million restoration, this 
     beautiful courthouse has been saved and will be dedicated 
     next spring.
       The restoration of the Courthouse should spur a renaissance 
     in San Juan's historic quarter. Lawyers doing business at 
     court will frequent nearby restaurants and shops. Hotels and 
     other businesses may spring up as more people visit the area.
       We can create incentives in the tax code to promote 
     restoration. As many of you know, those who restore historic 
     buildings for commercial purposes re already eligible for tax 
     credits. Since these provisions have been in place, $18 
     billion dollars have been generated in private investment. 
     You should be proud of these numbers, for they didn't 
     happen of their own accord. They came about with the 
     constant inspiration and guidance from the National Trust.
       I have long hoped to extend these credits to homeowners 
     through legislation called the Historic Homeownership Act. It 
     would allow homeowners who rehabilitate homes in historic 
     areas to take a tax credit equal to 20 percent of the 
     project's cost. This credit could be used toward one's tax 
     liability or in the form of a mortgage credit certificate. 
     Because of this flexibility, these provisions would be 
     attractive to low and middle income homeowners, not just 
     those in the top tax brackets.
       There has been overwhelming support for this legislation 
     across the political spectrum. Earlier this year, we enacted 
     a version of it as part of the tax bill approved by Congress. 
     That was the bill the President subsequently vetoed. The 
     prospects for enacting that homeownership tax credit bill 
     this year are dim. Hopefully, next year we can do it. Before 
     I go, I want to get this done! You can help by pestering your 
     Senators and Representatives to support the Historic 
     Homeownership Act.
       Another major way you can lend a hand is by giving vocal 
     support to efforts states, counties, and towns are making to 
     preserve open spaces. If the land is going to be saved, then 
     homes are not going to be built there.
       Clearly, open space conservation and historic preservation 
     go hand in hand. In fact, Senator Joe Lieberman and I are 
     pressing for legislation that would accomplish both goals. It 
     is called the Natural Resources Reinvestment Act. It would 
     fully fund the Historic Preservation Fund at 150 million 
     dollars per year and encourage states to set aside open 
     space. While we may be addressing these concerns at the 
     federal level, the time is ripe to promote ballot initiatives 
     in your own towns and counties.
       Last year, voters approved the vast majority of the 200 
     ballot initiatives for open space purchases to curb urban 
     sprawl at state and local levels.
       With such wide-ranging support, evidently these measures 
     are not just the province of the elite. No, the rich and poor 
     alike support them, because they benefit everyone.
       One of the biggest successes occurred in New Jersey where 
     voters, in 1998, set aside $98 million to buy open space.
       And, just last week, two local anti-sprawl initiatives made 
     news in the Washington area. In Montgomery County, planners 
     proposed to spend $100 million over the next decade to 
     preserve historic properties and undeveloped land. In 
     addition, the city council in Rockville, Maryland approved a 
     six-month development moratorium on single-use retail stores 
     of 60,000 square feet or more.
       There are many ways that we can encourage historic 
     preservation at the federal level. But absent your 
     cooperation, none of the preservation work would get done. So 
     the rest is up to all of you. And I trust that you will carry 
     out these initiatives with purpose and enthusiasm. Do what 
     you can to recruit others to join your ranks.
       Naysayers may ask: What difference does saving one train 
     station or post office truly make in the future of America? 
     My response is this: preservation is not just about 
     conserving brick and mortar, lintel and beam. It is about the 
     quality of life, and the possibility of a bright future. Carl 
     Sandburg expressed the danger of losing touch with our past 
     when he said:
       ``If America forgets where she came from, if people lose 
     sight of what brought them along, . . . then will begin the 
     rot and dissolution.''
       Who could say it better!
       On behalf of the city of Providence and Rhode Island, we 
     look forward to sharing our historic treasures with you 
     during your 2001 conference. Keep up the good work. Thank 
     you.

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