[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 98 (Tuesday, July 25, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H6860-H6864]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            NATIONAL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD FREEDOM CENTER ACT

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2919) to promote preservation and public awareness of the 
history of the Underground Railroad by providing financial assistance, 
to the Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2919

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``National Underground 
     Railroad Freedom Center Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center 
     (hereinafter ``Freedom Center'') was founded in 1995;
       (2) the objectives of the Freedom Center are to interpret 
     the history of the Underground Railroad through development 
     of a national cultural institution in Cincinnati, Ohio, that 
     will house an interpretive center, including museum, 
     educational, and research facilities, all dedicated to 
     communicating to the public the importance of the quest for 
     human freedom which provided the foundation for the historic 
     and inspiring story of the Underground Railroad;
       (3) the city of Cincinnati has granted exclusive 
     development rights for a prime riverfront location to the 
     Freedom Center;
       (4) the Freedom Center will be a national center linked 
     through state-of-the-art technology to Underground Railroad 
     sites and facilities throughout the United States and to a 
     constituency that reaches across the United States, Canada, 
     Mexico, the Caribbean and beyond; and
       (5) the Freedom Center has reached an agreement with the 
     National Park Service to pursue a range of historical and 
     educational cooperative activities related to the Underground 
     Railroad, including but not limited to assisting the National 
     Park Service in the implementation of the National 
     Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act.
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
       (1) to promote preservation and public awareness of the 
     history of the Underground Railroad;
       (2) to assist the Freedom Center in the development of its 
     programs and facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio; and
       (3) to assist the National Park Service in the 
     implementation of the National Underground Railroad Network 
     to Freedom Act (16 U.S.C. 469l).

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (2) Project budget.--The term ``project budget'' means the 
     total amount of funds expended by the Freedom Center on 
     construction of its facility, development of its programs and 
     exhibits, research, collection of informative and educational 
     activities related to the history of the Underground 
     Railroad, and any administrative activities necessary to the 
     operation of the Freedom Center, prior to the opening of the 
     Freedom Center facility in Cincinnati, Ohio.
       (3) Federal share.--The term ``Federal share'' means an 
     amount not to exceed 20 percent of the project budget and 
     shall include all amounts received from the Federal 
     Government under this legislation and any other Federal 
     programs.
       (4) Non-federal share.--The term ``non-Federal share'' 
     means all amounts obtained by the Freedom Center for the 
     implementation of its facilities and programs from any source 
     other than the Federal Government, and shall not be less than 
     80 percent of the project budget.
       (5) The freedom center facility.--The term ``the Freedom 
     Center facility'' means the facility, including the building 
     and surrounding site, which will house the museum and 
     research institute to be constructed and developed in 
     Cincinnati, Ohio, on the site described in section 4(c).

     SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Program Authorized.--From sums appropriated pursuant to 
     the authority of subsection (d) in any fiscal year, the 
     Secretary is authorized and directed to provide financial 
     assistance to the Freedom Center, in order to pay the Federal 
     share of the cost of authorized activities described in 
     section 5.
       (b) Expenditure on Non-Federal Property.--The Secretary is 
     authorized to expend appropriated funds under subsection (a) 
     of this section to assist in the construction of the Freedom 
     Center facility and the development of programs and exhibits 
     for that facility which will be funded primarily through 
     private and non-Federal funds, on property owned by the city 
     of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, and the State of Ohio.
       (c) Description of the Freedom Center Facility Site.--The 
     facility referred to in subsections (a) and (b) will be 
     located on a site described as follows: a 2-block area south 
     of new South Second, west of Walnut Street, north of 
     relocated Theodore M. Berry Way, and east of Vine Street in 
     Cincinnati, Ohio.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated $16,000,000 for the 4 fiscal year period 
     beginning October 1, 1999. Funds not to exceed that total 
     amount may be appropriated in 1 or more of such fiscal years. 
     Funds shall not be disbursed until the Freedom Center has 
     commitments for a minimum of 50 percent of the non-Federal 
     share.
       (e) Availability of Funds.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, funds appropriated to carry out the 
     provisions of this Act shall remain available for obligation 
     and expenditure until the end of the fiscal year succeeding 
     the fiscal year for which the funds were appropriated.
       (f) Other Provisions.--Any grant made under this Act shall 
     provide that--
       (1) no change or alteration may be made in the Freedom 
     Center facility except with the agreement of the property 
     owner and the Secretary;
       (2) the Secretary shall have the right of access at 
     reasonable times to the public portions of the Freedom Center 
     facility for interpretive and other purposes; and
       (3) conversion, use, or disposal of the Freedom Center 
     facility for purposes contrary to the purposes of this Act, 
     as determined by the Secretary, shall result in a right of 
     the United States to compensation equal to the greater of--
       (A) all Federal funds made available to the grantee under 
     this Act; or
       (B) the proportion of the increased value of the Freedom 
     Center facility attributable to such funds, as determined at 
     the time of such conversion, use, or disposal.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.

       (a) In General.--The Freedom Center may engage in any 
     activity related to its objectives addressed in section 2(a), 
     including, but not limited to, construction of the Freedom 
     Center facility, development of programs and exhibits related 
     to the history of the Underground Railroad, research, 
     collection of information and artifacts and educational 
     activities related to the history of the Underground 
     Railroad, and any administrative activities necessary to the 
     operation of the Freedom Center.
       (b) Priorities.--The Freedom Center shall give priority 
     to--
       (1) construction of the Freedom Center facility;
       (2) development of programs and exhibits to be presented in 
     or from the Freedom Center facility; and
       (3) providing assistance to the National Park Service in 
     the implementation of the National Underground Railroad 
     Network to Freedom Act (16 U.S.C. 469l).

[[Page H6861]]

     SEC. 6. APPLICATION.

       (a) In General.--The Freedom Center shall submit an 
     application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 
     and containing or accompanied by such information as the 
     Secretary may reasonably require. Each application shall--
       (1) describe the activities for which assistance is sought;
       (2) provide assurances that the non-Federal share of the 
     cost of activities of the Freedom Center shall be paid from 
     non-Federal sources, together with an accounting of costs 
     expended by the Freedom Center to date, a budget of costs to 
     be incurred prior to the opening of the Freedom Center 
     facility, an accounting of funds raised to date, both Federal 
     and non-Federal, and a projection of funds to be raised 
     through the completion of the Freedom Center facility.
       (b) Approval.--The Secretary shall approve the application 
     submitted pursuant to subsection (a) unless such application 
     fails to comply with the provisions of this Act.

     SEC. 7. REPORTS.

       The Freedom Center shall submit an annual report to the 
     appropriate committees of the Congress not later than January 
     31, 2000, and each succeeding year thereafter for any fiscal 
     year in which Federal funds are expended pursuant to this 
     Act. The report shall--
       (1) include a financial statement addressing the Freedom 
     Center's costs incurred to date and projected costs, and 
     funds raised to date and projected fundraising goals;
       (2) include a comprehensive and detailed description of the 
     Freedom Center's activities for the preceding and succeeding 
     fiscal years; and
       (3) include a description of the activities taken to assure 
     compliance with this Act.

     SEC. 8. AMENDMENT TO THE NATIONAL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD 
                   NETWORK TO FREEDOM ACT OF 1998.

       The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 
     1998 (112 Stat. 679; 16 U.S.C. 4691 and following) is amended 
     by adding at the end the following:

     ``SEC. 4. PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC SITES OR STRUCTURES.

       ``(a) Authority to Make Grants.--The Secretary of the 
     Interior may make grants in accordance with this section for 
     the preservation and restoration of historic buildings or 
     structures associated with the Underground Railroad, and for 
     related research and documentation to sites, programs, or 
     facilities that have been included in the national network.
       ``(b) Grant Conditions.--Any grant made under this section 
     shall provide that--
       ``(1) no change or alteration may be made in property for 
     which the grant is used except with the agreement of the 
     property owner and the Secretary;
       ``(2) the Secretary shall have the right of access at 
     reasonable times to the public portions of such property for 
     interpretive and other purposes; and
       ``(3) conversion, use, or disposal of such property for 
     purposes contrary to the purposes of this Act, as determined 
     by the Secretary, shall result in a right of the United 
     States to compensation equal to all Federal funds made 
     available to the grantee under this Act.
       (e) Matching Requirement.--The Secretary may obligate funds 
     made available for a grant under this section 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 
     to or greater than the grant. The Secretary may waive the 
     requirement of the preceding sentence with respect to a grant 
     if the Secretary determines 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.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Secretary for purposes of this section $2,500,000 for 
     fiscal year 2001 and each subsequent fiscal year. Amounts 
     authorized but not appropriated in a fiscal year shall be 
     available for appropriation in subsequent fiscal years.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) 
each will 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. 2919 sponsored by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Portman) would bring financial assistance to the Freedom Center in 
Cincinnati, Ohio in order to promote preservation and public awareness 
of the history of the Underground Railroad. The gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Portman) is to be commended for working very hard to bring all the 
parties together in order to move this measure forward.
  The Freedom Center would interpret the history of the Underground 
Railroad and link the many Underground Railroad sites to a national 
center in keeping with the National Underground Railroad Network to 
Freedom Act.
  From the end of the 18th century to the end of the civil war, the 
Underground Railroad flourished, symbolizing the ideal of freedom. In 
1995, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center was founded in 
Cincinnati to interpret the history of the Underground Railroad by 
bringing together exhibits that linked the scattered Underground 
Railroad sites through state-of-the-art technology.
  The Freedom Center is the first public-private partnership with the 
National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act to coordinate the 
sites and activities within the National Park Service. This bill helps 
to complete the network of the various network sites of the Underground 
Railroad.
  I would like to commend again the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman) 
for his efforts to ensure that the Underground Railroad's legacy is 
preserved and enhanced for all Americans to study and draw inspiration 
from.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2919, as amended.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  (Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California asked and was given permission to 
revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of 
this legislation by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman). This is 
follow-on legislation to the legislation that we passed to establish a 
National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program and will 
provide for the construction of a facility known as the Freedom Center 
in Cincinnati, Ohio.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Portman), and I would just like to add that the gentleman worked 
extremely hard on this bill, and through his good works, we now have 
this legislation ready to be passed.
  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. 
Hansen) for yielding this time to me to speak about H.R. 2919. I want 
to thank him personally for the effort he has put into this. Simply 
put, we would not have been on the floor today without his help in the 
subcommittee and the full committee, and over the last 2 years giving 
me guidance and support.
  I also want to commend the gentlewoman from Cleveland, Ohio (Mrs. 
Jones), my colleague on the other side of the aisle, who is an original 
cosponsor of this bill and who has put in a lot of hard work and has a 
real personal commitment to commemorating the Underground Railroad 
history.
  I also want to thank, of course, the chairman of the Committee on 
Resources, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young); and the ranking 
member, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller); as well as 
the ranking member of the Subcommittee on National Parks and Public 
Lands, the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Romero-Barcelo); and the 
subcommittee staff and committee staff who worked with us diligently 
over the last couple of years on this project.
  What has become known, Mr. Speaker, as the Underground Railroad was a 
system of cooperation among African-American slaves, freed slaves, 
abolitionists, and other sympathetic whites to help slaves escape 
bondage and obtain freedom. Two years ago, this Congress overwhelmingly 
approved the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act, 
legislation that joined together for the first time the historic sites 
all around the country in a network administered by the National Park 
Service. That legislation was a start in promoting the preservation of 
historic sites and increased public awareness of this remarkable 
chapter in our Nation's history.
  Now, before us today, Congress has the opportunity to build on that 
start and to do more, to take the next step toward preserving 
endangered Underground Railroad sites and toward educating future 
generations of Americans about this remarkable story of cooperation and 
reconciliation.
  The legislation takes two important steps: first, it authorizes 
limited Federal matching funds for the National Underground Railroad 
Freedom Center, the National Interpretive Museum, which is being 
developed on the river front in Cincinnati, Ohio. This is a very

[[Page H6862]]

exciting undertaking that takes the best thinking nationally, including 
working with the National Park Service and working with the 
Smithsonian, and also uses state-of-the-art technology and private 
sector creative resources to communicate real uplifting Underground 
Railroad stories to underscore the value of freedom and the importance 
of cooperation.
  Second, this legislation authorizes the Department of the Interior to 
provide funds directly to endangered or threatened Underground Railroad 
sites nationwide, to ensure that these vital historic sites will be 
preserved for future generations.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that preserving these sites and telling the 
story of the Underground Railroad is a noble and very important 
mission. At a time when the news is all too often filled with stories 
of racial tension and misunderstanding, we need positive examples and 
hopeful role models that encourage understanding, cooperation, respect, 
and reconciliation. I urge my colleagues to reaffirm their support 
today and to commemorate this important part of our Nation's heritage 
by passing the bill before us.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2919, the National 
Underground Railroad Freedom Center Act. And I'd like to commend my 
colleague from Ohio and the original cosponsor of this bill--Stephanie 
Tubbs Jones--for her hard work on this bill and her personal commitment 
to commemorating the history of the Underground Railroad movement. I'd 
also like to thank House Resources Chairman Don Young and Ranking 
Member George Miller--along with Parks Subcommittee Chairman Jim Hansen 
and Ranking Member Carlos Romero-Barcelo, and the subcommittee and 
committee staff--for their support.
  Mr. Speaker, the Underground Railroad was a system of cooperation 
among African-American slaves, free African-Americans, abolitionists 
and other sympathetic whites to help slaves escape their bonds and 
obtain freedom. Two years ago, Congress overwhelmingly approved the 
National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act, legislation that 
joined together, for the first time, the historic sites of the 
Underground Railroad in a network administered by the National Park 
Service. That legislation was a start in promoting the preservation of 
historic sites and increased public awareness of this remarkable 
chapter in our nation's history.
  Now, Congress has the opportunity to build on the Network to Freedom 
Act--to take the next step toward preserving endangered Underground 
Railroad sites and educating future generations of Americans about this 
remarkable story of cooperation and reconciliation.
  This legislation takes two important steps. First, it authorizes 
limited matching Federal funding for the National Underground Railroad 
Freedom Center--the national museum being developed on the riverfront 
in Cincinnati, Ohio.
  Second, it authorizes the Interior Department to provide funds 
directly to endangered or threatened Underground Railroad sites 
nationwide-to ensure that these vital historic sites will be preserved 
for future generations. Let me talk briefly about each of those 
components of the bill.


                         freedom center funding

  The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will be a national 
education and distributive museum center located on the Ohio River, 
scheduled to open in 2003. The mission of the Freedom Center will be to 
dramatize the Underground Railroad's stories of cooperation and courage 
to better educate and inspire us in our lives today.
  It is an exciting undertaking that is taking the best thinking 
nationally and using state of the art technology and private sector 
creative resources to communicate real, uplifting Underground Railroad 
stories to underscore the value of freedom and the importance of 
cooperation. Importantly, the Freedom Center is working closely with 
the National Park Service as well as the Smithsonian in developing the 
project.
  As a distributive educational museum, the Freedom Center will also 
establish regional centers, or ``freedom stations,'' in other areas of 
the country, especially those that are significant to the Underground 
Railroad, both in the North and the South. Many of these regional 
centers will partner with local Underground Railroad sites, linking 
them with other sites across the country and disseminating information.
  Last year, under the able leadership of subcommittee chairman Ralph 
Regula of Ohio, Congress appropriated $1 million in initial 
construction funding for the Freedom Center. The legislation we are 
considering today authorizes $16 million over 4 years for construction 
of the Freedom Center. I want to make it clear that this federal role 
is a relatively small part of the overall funding, and all of it is 
subject to non-Federal funds being raised. In fact, because the Freedom 
Center has created an innovative public/private partnership, the 
funding for this initiative involves the lowest percentage of federal 
matching funds of any of the national museums.
  Most other national museums have raised only one-third to one-half of 
construction and/or operating from non-Federal sources. However, the 
non-Federal role in the Freedom Center would exceed 80 percent. But I 
want to make the point that, though limited, these federal funds are 
extremely important because they are used to leverage additional funds 
from the private sector.
  The Freedom Center has already raised $36 million toward its goal of 
$90 million. And, an aggressive private sector funding campaign will 
provide a significant portion of the remaining $54 million. 
Incidentally, in addition to funding for construction, technology, and 
exhibit design and installation, the goal of $90 million includes an 
operating endowment of $10 million.


                    preserving threatened urr sites

  The second key component of this legislation is an authorization for 
the Secretary of the Interior, through the Park Service, to provide 
$2.5 million annually for the preservation of historic Underground 
Railroad sites nationwide--particularly endangered or threatened sites 
that might otherwise be lost.
  These grants would be available to any historical site that meets the 
criteria for inclusion on the National Underground Railroad Network to 
Freedom that Congress established two years ago.
  Unfortunately, as community groups around the country will tell you, 
many Underground Railroad sites have already been lost. And, many other 
sites do not qualify for inclusion on the National Register of Historic 
Places because the structures have been altered or may have 
deteriorated over time.
  We can't afford to lose any more of these historic sites. And this 
grant money is key to proper recognition and preservation of the 
Underground Railroad.
  I believe preserving these sites and telling the story of the 
Underground Railroad is a noble and important mission. At a time when 
the news is too often filled with stories of racial tension and 
misunderstanding, we need positive examples and hopeful role models 
that encourage understanding, cooperation, respect and reconciliation. 
I urge my colleagues to reaffirm their support for commemorating this 
important part of our nation's heritage by passing H.R. 2919 today.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Crowley).
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2919, the 
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Act.
  This bipartisan legislation, offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Portman) and the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones), will accomplish 
two important goals in the preservation and commemoration of the 
Underground Railroad.
  I would also like to thank the chairman of the Committee on 
Resources, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young); and the ranking 
member, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller); for working 
together to forge a compromise and bring this bill to the floor, a bill 
that meets the needs of protecting and enshrining the history of the 
Underground Railroad. I was happy to play a minor role in moving this 
bill through committee.
  This legislation will allow the creation of the National Underground 
Railroad Freedom Center in Ohio. The center will be dedicated to 
communicating to the public the importance of the quest for human 
freedom that provided the foundation for the historic and inspiring 
story of the Underground Railroad.
  Additionally, this legislation will create a $2.5 million annual 
program to preserve and restore historic properties associated with the 
Underground Railroad throughout our Nation. The Underground Railroad, 
which consisted of a number of routes leading from deep Southern 
States, like Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, to free States in the 
North, like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and my home State of New York, was made 
up of safe houses where slaves who escaped could rest, get fed, and hid 
from those people who were seeking to return them to a life of slavery.
  The creation of the Freedom Center, as well as the new Federal 
investment in other sites involved in the history of the Underground 
Railroad, will play a key role in educating our diverse society about 
slavery, the origins of the abolitionist movement, and the story of 
African Americans in the early years of our Republic.

[[Page H6863]]

  Again, I am pleased that the committee has been able to work out a 
compromise that will benefit our Nation's history and allow for the 
protection and preservation of many more Underground Railroad sites. I 
ask all Members to support this legislation.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as 
she may consume to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones).
  (Mrs. JONES of Ohio asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2919. This 
opportunity is of particular significance because today one of the 
finest gentlemen of the House, a true statesman, my predecessor, the 
gentleman from Ohio, the Honorable Louis Stokes, is on the floor. And 
it is significant that I have the opportunity to continue his legacy by 
having an opportunity to speak on legislation that was part of his 
original work here in the House of Representatives, the underground 
railroad.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), the gentleman 
from California (Mr. George Miller), and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Portman) for their hard work and dedication. The Freedom Center Act 
will help establish the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in 
Cincinnati, Ohio. The goal of the center is to preserve and promote the 
legacy of the underground railroad. The core feature will be its 
preservation of stories of the underground railroad in an interactive 
state of the art technology link to existing underground railroad 
sites.
  The freedom center's mission is to educate the public about the 
historic struggle to abolish human slavery and secure freedom for all 
people. The museum will be the first of its kind in the Nation and 
Cincinnati is an ideal location because of its prominence in the 
underground railroad movement.
  To preserve the legacy of the underground railroad, it is important 
that we think back, that some estimates say 40,000 slaves escaped via 
the railroad system in 22 States. According to the Ohio Humanities 
Council, Ohio has more underground railroad lines than any other State, 
numbering almost 150 sites.
  H.R. 2919 supports this collaborative by, among other things, making 
grants for the preservation and restoration of historic buildings or 
structures associated with the underground railroad across this Nation.
  I rise today to build upon the work of the Honorable Louis Stokes and 
the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman) and I thank my colleagues for 
this opportunity to be heard.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2919, the 
National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. As we all know and as 
has been discussed previously, this is a way to preserve and link the 
underground railroad sites nationwide for the first time within the 
National Park Service.
  I am a member of the Subcommittee on Interior of the Committee on 
Appropriations, and this is something that we do have concern about.
  This bill is designed to protect and preserve the stories and the 
tales and the reality of the endangered sites of the underground 
railroad for future generations, and we believe that it is a story that 
should be told for future generations.
  Last week, I joined Mr. Davis and Mr. Lewis and the gentleman from 
Oklahoma (Mr. Watts) to make an announcement about a resolution that we 
have urging the Speaker of the House to name a study committee to make 
recommendations on how this House can commemorate the fact that the 
United States Capitol was partially built with slave labor, 400 slaves 
to be exact.
  As we in this country get together to reconcile racial differences, I 
believe an important component is to talk about our mutual history. It 
does seem like we have carefully, for many years, many decades, side 
stepped the issue of slavery in the construction of this great country. 
In Georgia, for example, where I am from, Savannah, Georgia, 1733, when 
it was founded, slavery was against the law, but as time progressed, 
economic pressure brought in slavery. Yet, as I look back to the 
history of my great State and the other States, certainly along the 
East Coast and then many as we expanded West, slaves were there helping 
build our country, all the way.
  So I do not think we should be afraid to discuss this. I do not think 
it should be side stepped. I think we owe it to Americans, African 
Americans, Native Americans, Asian, Hispanic, white and black together 
to discuss this. I think it is something that we owe to our society.
  So I am a supporter of this legislation, because it is long since 
that we are saying let us go back and honor the social and humanitarian 
movement to resist slavery in the United States prior to the Civil War 
and this, of course, was not something that just happened for a short 
period of time but went on for many years from about the 1830's to 
1865.
  It spanned more than 22 States and crossed all the way into the 
Mexican and Canadian borders.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that if we have a National Underground 
Railroad Freedom Center, it will help educate the public about the 
human struggle to abolish slavery and secure the freedom of all people. 
So I am a supporter of it and I urge Members of the House to vote for 
it.
  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge support for this bill 
sponsored by my friend, the gentleman from Ohio. I believe the bill he 
has worked so diligently on is fundamental to re-discovering, 
preserving, and trumpeting the important contribution of the 
Underground Railroad in chipping away at the institution of slavery.
  I am a cosponsor of this bill, which will provide funding to 
establish the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in 
Cincinnati, Ohio. It is important to keep in mind that only 20 percent 
of total funding for the Freedom Center will come from the Federal 
Government--the lion's share of funding will be from private and local 
sources.
  This important Center--the first of its kind in the nation--will be a 
clearinghouse for the education, collection, and dissemination of 
information on the Underground Railroad.
  The Underground Railroad spanned 29 states, and is known for its role 
in the mid-1800s movement of enslaved African Americans seeking freedom 
from bondage in the South. For the slaves who had the courage and 
determination to free themselves, the Underground Railroad network 
provided shelter, food, supplies, transport, and discretion, which was 
invaluable during the dangerous journey to freedom.
  The history of the Underground Railroad tells a story of strong 
determination of those who were dedicated to the freedom of a people.
  It also tells a story of very special collaborations between people 
of diverse racial, cultural, and religious backgrounds. Without modern 
methods of communication--telephones, faxes, or the Internet--many 
people--Africans, Caucasians, Native Americans, and Quakers--banded 
together for a greater good: to provide freedom to some, and to end the 
abomination of slavery for all.
  These people risked their lives on a daily basis to seek freedom or 
assist in helping others find it. It is estimated that in the 20 years 
prior to the Civil War, upwards of 40,000 slaves escaped bondage via 
the Underground Railroad.
  Because of the nearly silent legacy of the people who passed through 
the Underground Railroad and provided assistance to freedom-seeking 
slaves, this Center is vital to reconstructing and communicating the 
significance of the Underground Railroad.
  As a ``distributive educational museum,'' an additional mission of 
the Freedom Center will be to establish regional centers, or ``freedom 
stations.''
  In my district in northeast Indiana, we have been working to identify 
and protect numerous sites in Steuben, Allen and Noble Counties.
  Carl Wilson has been working with a regional group in Ft. Wayne for 
two years. Carl and I have also worked with the Steuben County group as 
well. A key stop on the Underground Railroad may become a key point of 
a new bike trail in Angola, Indiana. We have been pleased to work with 
the Cincinnati museum in these efforts.
  I believe one of the greatest challenges will be to distinguish 
between alleged and genuine Underground Railroad sites. Many of these 
alleged sites have been identified through the decades by local 
folklore--oral histories, notes found in family Bibles, and other 
unofficial documentation.
  To complicate the identification process, many of these sites are in 
significant decay or are no longer known as part of Underground 
Railroad network.

[[Page H6864]]

  These sites will need to be systematically reviewed and 
scientifically established.
  Then, these sites should be linked together to provide Americans with 
a ``holistic'' approach to visiting and studying Underground Railroad 
locations. It is my understanding that the Freedom Center will assist 
in identifying nearly 60 Freedom Stations across America by 2003.
  The history of the Underground Railroad is not only fundamental to 
understand the history of African Americans in this nation, the anti-
slavery movement, and the Civil War, it is also fundamental to truly 
understand the significance of the cornerstone tenant of this nation: 
freedom.
  This Center will educate and remind all of us about the long and 
winding path we have taken in America to achieve the goal of freedom 
for all.
  I urge my colleagues to support this very important bill to provide 
funding for the Freedom Center in Cincinnati. Thank you.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, 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. 2919, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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