[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 132 (Wednesday, November 17, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H9835-H9836]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                KATE MULLANY NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE ACT

  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 1241) to establish the Kate Mullany National Historic 
Site in the State of New York, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                S. 1241

       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 ``Kate Mullany National 
     Historic Site Act''.

      SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Center.--The term ``Center'' means the American Labor 
     Studies Center.
       (2) Historic site.--The term ``historic site'' means the 
     Kate Mullany National Historic Site established by section 
     3(a).
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.

      SEC. 3. KATE MULLANY NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.

       (a) Establishment.--
       (1) In general.--There is established as an affiliated area 
     of the National Park System the Kate Mullany National 
     Historic Site in the State of New York.
       (2) Components.--The historic site shall consist of the 
     home of Kate Mullany, located at 350 Eighth Street in Troy, 
     New York.
       (b) Administration.--
       (1) In general.--The Center shall own, administer, and 
     operate the historic site.
       (2) Applicability of national park system laws.--The 
     historic site shall be administered in accordance with--
       (A) this Act; and
       (B) the laws generally applicable to units of the National 
     Park System, including--
       (i) the Act of August 25, 1916 (commonly known as the 
     ``National Park Service Organic Act'') (16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.); 
     and
       (ii) the Act of August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461 et seq.).
       (c) Cooperative Agreements.--(1) The Secretary may enter 
     into cooperative agreements with the Center under which the 
     Secretary may provide to the Center technical, planning, 
     interpretive, construction, and preservation assistance for--
       (A) the preservation of the historic site; and
       (B) educational, interpretive, and research activities 
     relating to the historic site and any related sites.
       (2) The Secretary may provide to the Center financial 
     assistance in an amount equal to not more than $500,000 to 
     assist the Center in acquiring from a willing seller the 
     structure adjacent to the historic site, located at 350 
     Eighth Street in Troy, New York. On acquisition of the 
     structure, the Secretary shall revise the boundary of the 
     historic site to reflect the acquisition. The non-Federal 
     share of the total cost of acquiring the structure shall be 
     at least 50 percent.
       (d) General Management Plan.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 3 full fiscal years after 
     the date on which funds are made available to carry out this 
     Act, the Secretary, in cooperation with the Center, shall 
     develop a general management plan for the historic site.
       (2) Contents.--The general management plan shall define the 
     role and responsibilities of the Secretary with respect to 
     the interpretation and preservation of the historic site.
       (3) Applicable law.--The general management plan shall be 
     prepared in accordance with section 12(b) of the Act of 
     August 18, 1970 (16 U.S.C. 1a-7(b)).

      SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Nevada (Mr. Gibbons) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. 
Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons).


                             General Leave

  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Nevada?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 1241 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site as an affiliated site 
in the State of New York. The site would consist of the home of Kate 
Mullany, an existing national historic landmark located in Troy, New 
York.
  Kate Mullany organized and led the first all-female labor union at 
the Nation's first commercial laundry. When employers installed new 
machinery that stepped up production but made the working conditions 
worse, Kate Mullany led 300 workers in a week-long labor strike in 
February, 1864, that resulted in the owners conceding to all of their 
demands. Unlike many other unions of the day, the ``Collar Laundry 
Union'' stayed organized long after their initial battle, helping other 
unions along the way. I urge my colleagues to support S. 1241.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the majority has already explained the purpose of S. 
1241, and it is altogether fitting that we proceed with this 
legislative designation.
  Kate Mullany was an early female labor organizer and leader. In the 
1860s, at a time when there were few labor unions and even fewer women 
involved in the labor movement, she organized and led the first all-
female union for laundry workers. She achieved national recognition in 
1868 when she was appointed assistant secretary of the National Labor 
Union, making her the first woman appointed to a national union office.
  I want to commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. McNulty) for his 
sponsorship and tireless work on behalf of the companion legislation he 
introduced in the House. I would also note the contributions of the 
ranking member of the Committee on Resources, the gentleman from West 
Virginia (Mr. Rahall), who guided this designation through the 
Committee on Resources both this Congress and last Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, the Kate Mullany House is on the National Register of 
Historic Places and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 
1998. Designation as a National Historic Site will enhance the 
preservation and interpretation of the work of this pioneering woman, 
and thus I support the passage of S. 1241 by the House today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from New York (Mr. McNulty), the sponsor of the bill in 
the House.
  (Mr. McNULTY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their explanation 
of the bill, and I also thank Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton for her 
dedication to the memory of Kate Mullany. I also thank the gentleman 
from California (Chairman Radanovich), the gentleman from California 
(Chairman Pombo), and the ranking members, the gentleman from West 
Virginia (Mr. Rahall) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. 
Christensen), for their tremendous help.
  Special thanks goes to my constituents, Paul Cole, Rachel Bliven, and 
Paul Bray for their years of work on this project. Most of all, I thank 
Kate Mullany for her courageous and daring leadership which forever 
changed the labor movement in America.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time to 
comment on S. 1241, which will establish the Kate Mullany National 
Historic Site in Troy, New York, in my congressional district.
  I was pleased to introduce the House companion to this legislation, 
H.R. 305. The bill before us today, S. 1241, was introduced by my good 
friend from New York, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. As First Lady of 
the United States, Hillary Clinton came to Troy in 1998 to unveil the 
National Historic Landmark designation at the Mullany House during her 
``Save America's Treasures'' tour. I am incredibly grateful to Senator 
Clinton for her

[[Page H9836]]

tireless efforts on this legislation, and on behalf of American workers 
throughout the Nation.
  I must thank the gentleman from California, Mr. Radanovich, Chairman 
of the Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public 
Lands, and ranking Member Christensen, for holding a hearing on this 
bill.
  And I must certainly thank the gentleman from California, Mr. Pombo, 
Chairman of the Resources Committee, and the Ranking Member, the 
gentleman from West Virginia, Mr. Rahall, for receiving this bill and 
moving it swiftly to the floor today.
  Today we will finally and appropriately recognize a remarkable 
American and her legacy--as a determined immigrant, a tireless working 
women, a pioneer of the American labor movement, and a central figure 
in the rich industrial history of our country.
  In its heyday, the city of Troy was a prosperous industrial city 
known around the world for its large iron works and textile factories. 
It was home to the world's first commercial laundry and had earned the 
nickname, ``The Collar City,'' for the many thousands of shirts, 
detachable shirt collars, and cuffs produced there.
  Kate Mullany emigrated to America from Ireland in the mid-nineteenth 
century. She made her way to Upstate New York and settled in the city 
of Troy, eventually making her home at 350 Eighth Street. Like many 
women of the time, Kate Mullany found work in one of Troy's shirt 
factories. On a daily basis, she undertook physically demanding work 
steaming and pressing collars, earning minimal wages of just 3 to 4 
dollars a day.
  Kate quickly became a leader among her peers in the factory--among 
the women who felt as though they had no choice but to endure 12 to 14 
hour workdays in awful conditions while receiving very little pay. 
These women who had no voice soon found one, and it belonged to Kate 
Mullany. In 1864, Kate led over 200 fellow female workers on strike, 
demanding better wages and improved working conditions--and they won. 
Kate secured a 25 percent wage increase--a remarkable figure at the 
time, particularly for a group of women.
  This bargaining success led to the formation of the Collar Laundry 
Union--the first all-female labor union in the United States--with Kate 
Mullany in charge.
  Kate's record of individual accomplishment continued as well. In 
1868, she was elected a 2nd vice president of the National Labor 
Union--becoming the first woman ever to hold a national position in any 
labor organization. Kate became a national figure. Her death in 1906 
was noted in newspapers around the Nation, a testament to her amazing 
story and groundbreaking accomplishments.
  The bill before us, S. 1241, designates the Mullany House as a 
national historic site and as an ``Affiliated Site,'' authorizing the 
National Park Service to provide technical, planning, and financial 
assistance to the site's local cooperative partners. This approach 
responds to the concerns of, and relieves any potential burden placed 
upon, the Park Service.
  I am pleased that the relevant House and Senate committees have 
recognized the great advantages of having the Park Service, the 
guardian and protector of our Nation's most treasured sites, involved 
with this project. This plan enjoys broad bipartisan support from our 
two Senators; my colleagues in the New York delegation, including Mr. 
Sweeney, Mr. Boehlert, and Mr. Quinn; the Majority Leader of the New 
York State Senate, Joe Bruno; and the present and past Mayors of the 
City of Troy.
  The Mullany House is now part of the American Labor Studies Center, a 
not-for-profit corporation which will continue to own, manage, and 
operate the site on a daily basis. Plans and funding are in place for 
the establishment of Kate Mullany Park on the adjacent lot.
  Today, we ensure that the Mullany Home will continue to serve as a 
resource for students, researchers, and tourists for decades to come. 
This site will be an outstanding addition to the National Park System. 
I am so pleased to see this long effort and the hard work of so many--
such as Paul Cole, Paul Bray, and Rachel Bliven come to a successful 
conclusion.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GIBBONS. 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 Nevada (Mr. Gibbons) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the Senate bill, S. 1241.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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