[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 156 (Tuesday, November 13, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H8061-H8064]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RONALD REAGAN BOYHOOD HOME NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 400) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish
the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 400
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. RONALD REAGAN BOYHOOD HOME NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.
(a) Acquisition of Property.--As soon as practicable after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
purchase with donated or appropriated funds, at fair market
value and from a willing owner only, fee simple, unencumbered
title to the Property and to any personal property related to
the Property which the Secretary determines to be appropriate
for the purposes of this Act.
(b) Establishment of Historic Site.--After the Property is
acquired by the Secretary, the Secretary shall designate the
Property as the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic
Site.
(c) Land Description.--The Secretary shall ensure that a
copy of the land description referred to in subsection (f)(2)
is on file and available for public inspection in the
appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
(d) Management of Historic Site.--
(1) Cooperative agreement.--The Secretary shall enter into
a cooperative agreement with the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home
Foundation for the management, operation, and use of the
Historic Site. The cooperative agreement shall provide for
the preservation of the Property in a manner that preserves
the historical significance thereof and upon such terms and
conditions as the Secretary considers necessary to protect
the interests of the United States.
(2) General management plan.--Not later than 2 years after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in
consultation with the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home Foundation,
shall complete a general management plan for the Historic
Site that defines the role and responsibility of the
Secretary with regard to the interpretation and the
preservation of the Historic Site.
(e) Applicability of Other Laws.--The Secretary shall
administer the Historic Site in accordance with the
provisions of this Act and the provisions of laws generally
applicable to national historic sites, including the Act
entitled ``An Act to establish a National Park Service, and
for other purposes'', approved August 25, 1916 (16 U.S.C. 1-
4), and the Act entitled ``An Act to provide for the
preservation of historic American sites, buildings, objects
and antiquities of national significance, and for other
purposes'', approved August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461 et seq.).
(f) Definitions.--For the purposes of this Act, the
following definitions apply:
(1) Historic site.--The term ``Historic Site'' means the
Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site.
(2) Property.--The term ``Property'' means the property
commonly known as the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Complex located
in Dixon, Illinois, (including any structures thereon),
further described as follows:
The North Half (N\1/2\) of Lot Three (3), Block One Hundred
and Three (103), of the original Town (now City) of Dixon,
Lee County, Illinois, and more commonly known as 816 South
Hennepin Avenue, Dixon, Illinois. (Reagan Boyhood Home)
The South Half (S\1/2\) of Lot Two (2), Block One Hundred
and Three (103), of the original Town (now City) of Dixon,
Lee County, Illinois, and more commonly known as 810 South
Hennepin Avenue, Dixon, Illinois. (Visitors Center)
The South two-thirds (S\2/3\rds) of Lot Four (4) in Block
One Hundred Three (103) in the original Town (now City) of
Dixon, Lee County, Illinois, and more commonly known as 821
South Galena Avenue, Dixon, Illinois. (Parking Lot)
The Westerly Ninety feet of the Southerly One half (S\1/2\)
of Lot 3 in Block 103 in the Town (now City) of Dixon, Lee
County, Illinois. (Park with statue of President Reagan)
Legal title to all of the foregoing is: Fifth Third Bank,
as successor trustee to First Bank/Dixon (later known as
Grand Premier Trust) as trustee under Trust Agreement dated
August 15, 1980 and known as Trust No. 440.
Said property is also located within an historical district
created by the City of Dixon pursuant to Ordinance No. 1329
dated June 16, 1986 as amended. The historical district was
created pursuant to Title VI, Chapter 16 of the City Code of
the City of Dixon.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Radanovich) and the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr.
Rahall) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich).
Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 400, introduced by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr.
Hastert), the Speaker of the House, would authorize and direct the
Secretary of the Interior to purchase the site of Ronald Reagan's
boyhood home in Dixon, Illinois, at its fair market value and, once
acquired, designate it as the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National
Historic Site.
In addition, the National Park Service would be required to enter
into a cooperative agreement with the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home
Foundation, the site's current owner, to operate the new historic site
and within 2 years develop a general management plan that
[[Page H8062]]
would define the roles of the two parties interpreting and preserving
the historic site.
Mr. Speaker, establishing the boyhood home as a National Historic
Site will ensure long-term preservation of the museum and its
eligibility for funding from the National Park Service. I urge an
``aye'' vote on the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to state at the outset that I support the
pending legislation. Let me assure my colleagues on the Democratic side
of the aisle that this bill is much different than other measures that
we have seen to purportedly honor former President Reagan.
This measure does not contain the irony of naming an airport after a
President whose only claim to fame when it came to aviation was to bust
the air traffic controllers union. It does not propose to circumvent
all established procedures and force-feed a memorial to him on the
Mall, as some have proposed.
Instead, the pending legislation would establish a Ronald Reagan
Boyhood Home National Historic Site in the same fashion as we have
designated such sites to other former Presidents, for example, the
Truman National Historic Site in Independence, Missouri, and the
Garfield National Historic Park in Mentor, Ohio.
In this regard, it is a fact that Ronald Reagan resided in this
particular home in Dixon, Illinois, during a portion of his teenage
years. The home has already been fully restored and is being operated
as a museum. So it is fitting that this legislation include this site
as a unit of the national park system. It is our hope that this
addition will assist those in seeking insight into the former
President's life and work.
Let us move forward on this particular designation to Ronald Reagan,
but please let it be the last of them, at least in this Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Hefley), a member of the Committee on Resources.
Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill, not
because of its subject matter, but because of the way it is being done.
Seven years ago, I began work on the National Park Service Reform
Act. I authored that bill because I believed then, and I believe now,
that Park Service units should be designated on the basis of what they
are, not because they are the pet project of someone in a powerful
position. Instead, they should be the end result of a logical,
thoughtful process of evaluation by the Park Service that must maintain
them.
This bill before us has none of that. Instead, it straightforwardly
designates the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home in Decatur, Illinois, as a
National Park unit, without study by the Park Service or indeed any
real idea of what the Park Service's role in this will be or how they
will manage it.
Now, Ronald Reagan is a political and personal hero of mine, and I
think Decatur's efforts to preserve his home are a wonderful example of
what private citizens can do to preserve something worthwhile. They had
this site in tip-top shape and have no problem waiting a year for
designation until the Park Service does a study. In fact, they told us
that was perfectly fine, to wait the year and do like every other
single bill of this nature that came through the committee while I was
chairman of the committee was done. Democrat and Republican bills
alike, they all went to a study by the Park Service first. These people
have no problem with that. That is perfectly all right.
The board members, though, are getting up in years; and they would
like the designation as insurance that their work will be continued
after they are gone. So they do not want it to string on too long, and
I do not either. They are proud of that work, and they should be proud
of that work. By looking at them and what they have accomplished, maybe
we can see a little of where Ronald Reagan got his beliefs.
So at full committee I offered an amendment to give the Park Service
1 year to study the Ronald Reagan home, again like every other bill of
this nature that came through there in the last few months, and then
report back to us about how they would manage this site. That amendment
was passed unanimously at the Subcommittee on the Park Service markup;
but in the full committee they elected to act on the base text because
that is the way the Speaker and/or the Speaker's staff wanted it to be
acted on, again, violating all the rules we had done for everybody
else. It passed the full committee until one Member was persuaded to
switch their vote.
Now, I have absolutely no doubt that the Reagan home will be found
worthy of National Park designation. But the way it is being done here
is an affront to what we have been working for. We have been working
for logical processes here, so that someone who just happens to be in
the right spot, maybe it is the Committee on Appropriations, maybe it
is the Speaker's office, maybe it is the minority leader's office,
somebody who happens to be in the right spot can have their way just
because they are in the right spot. It should not be that way. There
should be a logical process.
So we are working for logical processes, and we are working for
fairness. We treated in this committee everybody's suggestions,
everybody's ideas, every Democrat's idea, every Republican's idea, with
the same evenhanded fairness and the same approach, except this one.
I introduced the Park Reform Act because I believe everybody's ideas
should be judged by the same rules. My ideas should, my colleagues'
ideas should, and the Speaker's ideas should. Make no mistake, this
bill is before us in this form today only because the Speaker wants it,
and that is not right.
For this reason, I must oppose this suspension.
Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Souder), a member of the Committee on Resources.
(Mr. SOUDER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, first let me speak to the underlying bill,
which I strongly support and have supported since its introduction in
the Congress.
Ronald Reagan was not only an inspiration in my life, but many
others. His speech for Barry Goldwater is what inspired me to get
interested in politics when I was 14 years old. He inspired the bulk of
the young conservatives, the middle-aged conservatives, and the older
conservatives in America to a philosophy of government. To many of us,
he stands as our conservative hero, much like Franklin Roosevelt is for
liberals.
Therefore, it is important that we recognize his sites and his
importance to a strong political movement in America, not just some of
his later sites, but also his early birth sites. For Teddy Roosevelt,
we have multiple sites in the Park Service, for Franklin Roosevelt and
for Abraham Lincoln and for others on the Mall. It is important that we
have recognition for Ronald Reagan as one of those pillars of
leadership in American history.
Ronald Reagan's roots are in the Midwest, much like Abraham
Lincoln's; and as a member of the Subcommittee on National Parks,
Recreation and Public Lands, among many Westerners, let me add a
concern that I have. The National Park Service has consistently opposed
anything that has come up from the Midwest. We do not have the grand
big Rocky Mountains, we do not have the ocean beaches, we do not have a
lot of the things that they have in the West; but we do have a fair
amount of historic sites. This happened when we got to the Underground
Railroad. This has happened with a series of sites that the National
Park Service has opposed.
This bill has not moved until this year because it was opposed. Those
of us in the Midwest, while we understand that the National Park
Service is concerned that we keep adding units to the National Park
Service without expending money at the same rate we are expanding units
and, therefore, building a backlog; and we understand the concern of
the Western States for constantly opposing new things because they are
concerned with the backlog that those things are not going to be
funded. Those of us in the Midwest, particularly when it comes to sites
like Ronald Reagan's boyhood home, have concerns.
[[Page H8063]]
I share the concern of our former chairman, the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Hefley), about the proliferation of heritage areas, about
the proliferation of sites, whoever wants to stick something in a bill;
but this Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home is not that standard. Part of the
reason they had to get somebody to switch in full committee was because
I was in another markup at the time of it, sprinted over, as did the
gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), and because they managed to get
the one person to switch, they did not get our votes. This bill would
have passed in the committee had we been there. For that I apologize
for any confusion.
But the fact is, this is a deserving bill. We need this site in the
Midwest. The Speaker is right to put his weight behind this. I support
him in these efforts. We in the Midwest for too long have been shorted.
Ronald Reagan deserves these tributes. He deserves these tributes while
he is still alive. No one disputes the historic nature of this building
or the importance of Dixon, Illinois, and his Midwestern upbringing, to
his leadership of America and the values he was anchored in.
Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
If I might just respond to some of the comments made in opposition to
this bill, in particular, by the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley).
I do not view this particular legislation as a pet project of a
powerful person, regardless of it being the Speaker's bill. I have been
contacted, I know, from Democratic Members on my side of the aisle in
support of this legislation, including the gentleman from Illinois (Mr.
Lipinski) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello).
I happen to believe that it would be a waste of taxpayers' money for
the National Park Service to study this matter. The facts are the
facts. As I said in my opening statement, Ronald Reagan lived at this
site. I do not believe we need a study to determine that. The home has
been restored. It is being operated as a museum. So I do not believe
that taxpayers' money would necessarily be spent wisely to conduct a
study of these very same facts.
I can assure the gentleman from Colorado that I am not being swayed
because it is the Speaker's bill. I am on the minority side of the
aisle. So I would close and urge adoption of the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 400 which
would establish the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site
in Dixon, Illinois. This legislation would allow the Secretary of the
Interior to acquire the Reagan boyhood home from the Ronald Reagan
Boyhood Home Foundation to ensure that this important historical
structure is protected and maintained in perpetuity.
First, I would like to thank Chairman Hansen, Chairman Radanovich,
Ranking Member Rahall, and Ranking Member Christensen for their hard
work on behalf of this legislation. I would also like to thank the 154
cosponsors of this legislation, including every member of the Illinois
Congressional Delegation.
In my mind, and in the minds of all my colleagues from Illinois,
there is no doubt this important property deserves federal recognition.
Preservation of properties of historical significance is a necessary
and important function of government.
Ronald Reagan occupies a special place in the heart of Northern
Illinoisans, to say nothing of the rest of the country. We take great
pride in the record of our native son. As our 40th President, Ronald
Reagan steered this country through some very difficult times. I am
sure many of us can recall the atmosphere in America when he took
office in 1981. We were mired in recession, in the midst of a Cold War
with the Soviet Union, and there was a real sense that America had seen
its better days. By the time President Reagan left office, we were in
the middle of unprecedented economic growth, peace and freedom were on
the rise in every corner of the globe, and we had experienced a re-
birth of the American spirit. Ronald Reagan's belief in limited
government, lower taxes, and individual freedom had transformed
American politics and re-ignited our spirit of optimism.
Many of us believe that his success as president stems in no small
part from his upbringing in Illinois. And, while his path to greatness
took him to many places, I believe what he learned growing up in
Illinois never left him.
Although born in Tampico, Illinois, Ronald Reagan has always
considered Dixon his hometown. In his youth, as it is today, Dixon
represents a traditional, rural, Midwestern town. In Dixon, Ronald
Reagan attended school, played football, worked as a lifeguard, and
developed the values that would shape his future life in politics. In
fact, many of the images of Reagan in his youth, which we are all
familiar with, were taken in Dixon and the surrounding area.
The history of Ronald Reagan's life in Dixon is typical of most
raised in small Midwestern towns. His parents, Nelle and Jack,
instilled in him a sense of fair play, duty to others, and a respect
for hard work. Ronald Reagan was thirteen when he entered Dixon's
Northside High School. At Northside, ``Dutch'' Reagan played football
and basketball, ran track, and performed in school plays. Athletic
achievement and theatrical performances in school plays increased his
popularity at Northside, and in his senior year, Reagan was elected
student body president. As was the custom of the time, yearbooks
generally included mottoes written by the student to describe
attributes or perspective outlooks. Ronald Reagan's reads' ``life is
just one grand sweet song, so start the music.'' Ambitious, full of
life, and ready to take on the world, Reagan graduated from Northside
High School in 1928.
After High School, he was admitted to Eureka College on a partial
football scholarship--he lettered in football all four years. Reagan
washed dishes at his fraternity house and at the girl's dormitory on
campus for spending money. Reagan worked as a lifeguard and swimming
coach in the summer months as well. As a freshman, Ronald Reagan was
already a proven leader--he organized and led a student strike in
protest of the decision by college administrators to reduce the number
of courses offered. The demonstration resulted in the resignation of
the college president and a return to the old curriculum. While at
Eureka he also made it possible for his older brother Neal, who was
then working at cement plant, to go to college by getting him a job, a
partial scholarship, and a deal deferring his tuition until after
graduation.
The Depression hit Dixon, Illinois especially hard. The Reagan's were
forced to sublet their home and live in one room. Jack and Nelle's
next-door neighbor at times cooked for them, and handed meals through
the window. The Depression had an enormous impact on Ronald Reagan--he
often recalled the uncertainty of the times by re-telling the story of
his father expecting a bonus check and instead being fired on Christmas
Eve 1931. The trying times of the Great Depression touched the lives of
every American and the Reagan's were no exception. The charitable
kindness received and practiced by the Reagan's helped them to survive
and thrive when hard times came.
After college, Ronald Reagan set out on a one-day swing of nearby
small-town radio stations where he was offered five dollars and round
trip bus fair to broadcast a University of Iowa football game. Early in
1993, World of Chiropractic radio (WOC), a subsidiary of WHO radio in
Des Moines, hired him as a full timer announcer for $100 a month--a lot
of money at the time. He had enough money to help his parents and send
$10 a month spending money to his brother Neil while he finished
college at Eureka. At first, Reagan's oratory was neither polished, nor
very professional but he learned to rehearse and sound spontaneous. As
we all know, Reagan's weakness became one of his trademark virtues.
From his job at a small radio station in Iowa Reagan went on to serve
in the Army during World War II, become a movie star, president of the
Screen Actors Guild, a traveling spokesman for General Electric,
Governor of the state of California, and ultimately, President of the
United States. Wherever he went, however, he carried the lessons he
learned growing up in Dixon, Illinois with him.
I believe that, as a Nation, we must preserve and protect places of
historical interest for future generations. The affection, we as a
Nation, have for the 40th President of the United States is
demonstrated by the fact that so many important things now bear his
name--the airport which serves the nation's Capitol, a federal
building, and the Navy's newest aircraft carrier.
In my mind, however, there is another important piece of Reagan's
life that deserve preservation. I believe that Reagan's life in Dixon,
Illinois is critical to understanding the man and the presidency. But
don't take my world for it--Take the word of the tens of thousands of
visitors who tour his boyhood home every year.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent Ronald Reagan's boyhood home of
Dixon, Illinois in Congress and I am proud to sponsor legislation that
will ensure that the opportunity to experience the place where he was
raised will be available to all Americans for years to come. I urge my
colleagues to support this important legislation.
Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 400, a
bill to establish the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic
Site, in Dixon,
[[Page H8064]]
Illinois. This bill would allow the Secretary of the Interior to
acquire the Reagan boyhood home to ensure that this important
historical structure is protected for future generations to enjoy.
Ronald Reagan holds a special place in the hearts and minds of the
citizens of northern Illinois. Many believe that President Reagan was a
Californian. But his core values and bold conservatism were the product
of a childhood in Illinois.
Ronald Reagan continues today to serve as a model of optimism and
hope. In his very first inaugural address, President Reagan set the
tone for his eight years in office when he proclaimed that, ``no
arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as
the will and moral courage of free men and women.''
President Reagan truly was the ``Great Communicator.'' One of my
favorite lines of his was when he said that the best view of big
government is in the rear view mirror as you're driving away from it.
Throughout his presidency, Reagan used his trademark humor and wit to
unite a nation, end the Cold War, and restore prosperity. He championed
the notion of individual responsibility and accountability.
And most importantly he made people feel good about being proud of
our great nation. President Reagan once said that he would like to go
down in history as the President who made Americans believe in
themselves again.
There is no more appropriate time than now to remember Ronald Reagan,
one of our great patriots and most inspired Presidents. There is no
better way to do that than to preserve the boyhood home where he spent
his formative years. I am proud to support this bill and urge its
passage.
Mr. RADANOVICH. 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 California (Mr. Radanovich) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 400, 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.
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