[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 8, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H653-H657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AUTHORIZING THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO DESIGNATE THE PRESIDENT
WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON BIRTHPLACE HOME IN HOPE, ARKANSAS, AS A
NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4192) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
designate the President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home in
Hope, Arkansas, as a National Historic Site and unit of the National
Park System, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 4192
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
[[Page H654]]
SECTION 1. WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON BIRTHPLACE HOME NATIONAL
HISTORIC SITE.
(a) Acquisition of Property; Establishment of Historic
Site.--Should the Secretary of the Interior acquire, by
donation only from the Clinton Birthplace Foundation, Inc.,
fee simple, unencumbered title to the William Jefferson
Clinton Birthplace Home site located at 117 South Hervey
Street, Hope, Arkansas, 71801, and to any personal property
related to that site, the Secretary shall designate the
William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home site as a National
Historic Site and unit of the National Park System, to be
known as the ``President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace
Home National Historic Site''.
(b) Applicability of Other Laws.--The Secretary shall
administer the President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace
Home National Historic Site in accordance with the 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.).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Gohmert) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs.
Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. GOHMERT. Madam 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 Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend
her remarks.)
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, H.R. 4192 was introduced by my
colleague from Arkansas Mr. Ross. Although former President Clinton
lived in several other homes during his childhood, this home in Hope,
Arkansas, is the one most closely identified with his youth and early
development.
Former President Clinton's upbringing in Hope played a prominent role
in his political campaigns. He summed up his sense of the community
with the well-known phrase, ``I still believe in a place called Hope.''
Madam Speaker, inclusion of this site within the National Park System
is consistent with numerous Presidential sites previously authorized,
including that of the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home in 2002.
Madam Speaker, I would also note that H.R. 4192 is supported by the
entire Arkansas congressional delegation, and also has the support of
State and local officials. We support H.R. 4192 and urge the adoption
of this legislation by the House today.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to
the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Madam Speaker, I thank the
gentleman for yielding me time.
Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill. I do not object to
the bill on its merits, and when I first knew that the bill was coming
up, it was not a problem.
However, upon reading various articles, I do have concerns, and my
constituents have concerns. I have heard from several of them. Let me
make it clear that my opposition is not partisan, it is not a
Republican, it is not a Democratic issue.
Regardless of your personal view of him, Mr. Clinton served this
country as President for 8 years and should have his birthplace
properly designated as a place in American history. However, before
this Congress moves to honor the former President, I think that he has
some explaining to do.
You know, most Americans are very outraged over the Dubai Ports deal
with the United States, and I am even more outraged when I hear that he
may have consulted with the Crown Sheik of Dubai on this deal. So let
me get this straight. Not only a U.S. citizen, but also a former
President gives advice.
POINT OF ORDER
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I make a point of order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman will state her point of
order.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I would state that the gentlewoman
from Florida should confine her comments to the subject matter of the
bill before us.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman is correct that debate
should be confined to the pending subject. However, the Chair currently
perceives a nexus between the substance of the bill and the
gentlewoman's remarks.
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Madam Speaker, how do Republicans
or Democrats explain this to our constituents? How do we possibly show
that we are serious about protecting the United States from terrorist
nations when we are proceeding to possibly honor the birthplace of
someone who may have brokered this deal?
Madam Speaker, I cannot support this bill at this time until Mr.
Clinton explains his role in the Dubai Ports deal. Reportedly Mr.
Clinton has accepted nearly $1 million from the UAE for strategic
advice. He is not a registered foreign agent. He also tried to get his
former press secretary signed as a spokesman for the UAE. When they did
not hire him, Mr. Clinton turned around and spoke against the port
deal, and yet there was a reported million dollars here.
Madam Speaker, I think we need to take some time and review this
very, very carefully.
POINT OF ORDER.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I make a point of order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman will state her point of
order.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, the gentlewoman has strayed again
from the subject matter of the bill before us. I would ask that she
confine her remarks to the subject matter of the bill before us at this
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The rules do require that the gentlewoman
consistently maintain a nexus to the substance of the bill.
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Madam Speaker, the nexus to the
bill is whether or not this is the time to proceed with this bill.
And so that individuals have an opportunity actually to respond, I am
going ask for a recorded vote. It is directly related to the bill. It
is directly related to the security of our Nation.
{time} 1045
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume
to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross).
Mr. ROSS. Madam Speaker, as the sponsor of this legislation, I rise
in support of H.R. 4192, a bill to designate the William Jefferson
Clinton birthplace home located in my hometown of Hope, Arkansas, as a
national historic site and unit of the National Park System.
First, I would like to thank Chairman Pombo, Chairman Saxton and
Ranking Member Rahall and Ranking Member Christensen for their support
and their assistance in moving this bill from the Resources Committee
in a bipartisan manner to the floor of the United States House of
Representatives.
Madam Speaker, what we have just witnessed from the gentlewoman from
Florida is an example of the kind of partisan bickering that the people
back home are sick and tired of. This is not a Democrat or Republican
issue. This is about America, and it is about our Nation's history.
Madam Speaker, what the gentlewoman from Florida obviously does not
get is the fact that this is about history. We have only had 42
Presidents in the history of this Nation; and I believe all of them,
Democrat and Republican alike, if their birthplace home is still
standing, it should be an historic site because it is a part of
history.
I am pleased to have the entire Arkansas congressional delegation
supporting this bill in a bipartisan manner including Congressman
Boozman from Arkansas, Congressman Berry from Arkansas, Congressman
Snyder from Arkansas; and I am proud that this bill was passed out of
the Resources Committee and placed on the suspension
[[Page H655]]
calendar by our leaders in both parties that recognized it for what it
is, about history, not about politics. So I am deeply, deeply saddened
that one Member out of 435 has chosen to try to divide us once again by
taking a history lesson and turning it into a partisan ball game.
In my mind and in the minds of my colleagues from Arkansas there is
no doubt this important property in Hope, Arkansas deserves Federal
recognition. I believe the preservation of properties of historical
significance is a necessary and important function of our government.
The designation as a national historic site and unit of the National
Park System will open the doors for further economic opportunities and
prosperity for the city of Hope and all of southwest Arkansas. This
site will celebrate, it will celebrate the history and educate
thousands of visitors on the early life of our 42nd President of the
United States of America, President William Jefferson Clinton, who came
into this world on August 19, 1946, as William Jefferson Blythe, III,
in Hope, Arkansas, just 3 months after his father tragically died in a
car accident.
I mentioned that this has bipartisan support, Madam Speaker. This is
about economic development. It is about tourism. It is about history.
It is about maintaining and protecting and preserving an historic site,
the birthplace home of the 42nd President of the United States of
America.
Our Republican Governor in Arkansas gets it. And I want to thank him
for that, and I want to share with my colleagues and make a part of the
Record a letter I received dated yesterday from our Republican
Governor, Mike Huckabee who, too, grew up in Hope, Arkansas.
It says: ``Dear Congressman Ross: Thank you for your efforts to honor
and recognize the birthplace of our 42nd President, William Jefferson
Clinton, by naming his birthplace in Hope, Arkansas a national historic
site. As is customary in this country to honor our former Presidents
with libraries and other accolades, I cannot think of a better tribute
to President Clinton than this recognition. The lasting impact this
will have for the State and country is immeasurable. Not only would it
provide future generations an educational look into our 42nd President
and the times he lived in, but it will provide the region of our State,
and specifically my native home of Hope, Arkansas, added economic
opportunity and prosperity.
``H.R. 4192 is an important piece of legislation for not only the
reasons mentioned above, but also for the preservation and protection
of this historical site which is currently reliant upon private
donations. President Clinton will forever be a true Arkansan, and this
piece of legislation will allow not only Arkansas but the country the
ability to properly honor him and his service.
``Again, thank you for your work on this legislation. I look forward
to working with you to see its passage out of Congress this year.
``Sincerely yours, Mike Huckabee, Governor of the State of
Arkansas.''
Might I add, a Republican Governor, who like myself, grew up in Hope,
Arkansas.
Finally, Madam Speaker, I would like to at least read a part of a
letter from Mack McLarty who was President Clinton's first White House
Chief of Staff and someone who commanded respect from both sides of the
aisle during those early Clinton years.
``Dear Mike: I'm writing today in support of H.R. 4192, your bill
authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to designate President
William Jefferson Clinton's birthplace home in Hope, Arkansas as a
national historic site and unit of the National Park System. This step
would be a fitting recognition of President Clinton's birthplace home
in our Nation's Presidential history and ensure the preservation of the
site for future generations. This site will celebrate history and
educate thousands of visitors and perhaps, most importantly, it will
bring jobs and economic development opportunities to southwest
Arkansas.
``As you know, I was born and raised in Hope myself. My lifelong
friendship with President Clinton dates back to Miss Mary's
kindergarten. Not surprisingly, then, my attachment to 117 South Hervey
Street is personal and heartfelt, but, more than that, I believe the
Clinton birthplace stands for something larger than itself.''
Mack McLarty goes on to write that, ``As I wrote some years ago in an
essay for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, I believe that
white frame house is worthy of more than a nod of nostalgia because the
values President Clinton learned there and in Hope formed the core of
his political philosophy.
``In 1946 when President Clinton and I were born, Hope was the
essence of small-town America. Family and faith were at the center of
people's lives. Commitment to work was expected. From the schools to
the churches, local businesses and charities, knowing and caring for
one another was part of daily life. And as our friend, Joe Purvis,
later wrote, `It bred a sense of responsibility, because if you
misbehaved, your mama knew about it before you got home.' ''
Mack McLarty continues in his letter, ``For a small boy growing up in
that era, Hope lived up to its name. We had won the war. The economy
was booming. The American Dream was alive. People had confidence in a
future they believed was theirs to shape. It was a time of infectious
optimism and seemingly limitless potential.
``I do not mean to suggest that our hometown was perfect. We never
thought it was even then. Hope was segregated like the rest of the
South. It had its share of human frailty and vice, but kids were
taught, growing up, to respect the dignity of each individual. There
was a genuine sense of community in Hope that crossed income lines and,
in many ways, race as well.''
Mack McLarty continues in his letter in support of this bill, ``The
young Bill Clinton, who was then Billy Blythe, understood this perhaps
better than most. His father had died before he was born. His mother,
determined to provide for her son, was in nurse anesthetist school in
New Orleans, a brave step in an era when single mothers and working
women were uncommon. Young Billy was raised those first few years
primarily by his grandparents who owned a grocery on North Hazel Street
across from Rose Hill Cemetery.''
I could continue, Madam Speaker, but there are others who want to
speak in support of this bill on both sides of the aisle, and I applaud
them and thank them for helping me restore and maintain and preserve
this piece of history, as we should do for all 42 former Presidents,
Democrat and Republican alike.
State of Arkansas,
State Capitol Building,
Little Rock, AR, March 7, 2006.
Hon. Mike Ross,
House of Representatives, Cannon House Office Building,
Washington, DC.
Dear Congressman Ross: Thank you for your efforts to honor
and recognize the birthplace of our 42nd President, William
Jefferson Clinton, by naming his birthplace home in Hope,
Arkansas a National Historic Site. As is customary in this
country to honor our former Presidents with libraries and
other accolades, I can not think of a better tribute to
President Clinton than this recognition. The lasting impact
this will have for the state and country is immeasurable. Not
only will it provide future generations an educational look
into our 42nd President and the times he lived in, but it
will provide this region of our state and specifically my
native home of Hope added economic opportunity and
prosperity.
H.R. 4192 is an important piece of legislation for not only
the reasons mentioned above, but also for the preservation
and protection of this historical site, which is currently
reliant upon private donations. President Clinton will
forever be a true Arkansan and this piece of legislation will
allow not only Arkansas but the country the ability to
properly honor him and his service.
Again thank you for your work on this legislation and I
look forward to working with you to see its passage out of
Congress this year.
Sincerely yours,
Mike Huckabee,
Governor.
____
Little Rock, AR, March 7, 2006.
Hon. Mike Ross,
House of Representatives, Cannon House Office Building,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mike: I'm writing today in support of H.R. 4192, your
bill authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to designate
President William Jefferson Clinton's birthplace home in
Hope, Arkansas, as a National Historic Site and unit of the
National Park System. This step would be a fitting
recognition of President Clinton's birthplace home in our
nation's presidential history--and ensure the preservation of
the site for future generations. This site will celebrate
history and educate thousands of visitors, and perhaps
[[Page H656]]
most importantly, it will bring jobs, and economic
development opportunities to southwest Arkansas.
As you know, I was born and raised in Hope myself; my
lifelong friendship with President Clinton dates back to Miss
Mary's kindergarten. Not surprisingly, then, my attachment to
117 South Hervey Street is personal and heartfelt; but, more
than that, I believe the Clinton birthplace stands for
something larger than itself.
As I wrote some years ago in an essay for the Arkansas
Historic Preservation Program, I believe that white frame
house is worthy of more than a nod of nostalgia, because the
values President Clinton learned there and in Hope formed the
core of his political philosophy.
In 1946, when President Clinton and I were born, Hope was
the essence of small-town America. Family and faith were at
the center of people's lives. Commitment to work was
expected. From the schools to the churches, local businesses
and charities, knowing and caring for one another was part of
daily life. And as our friend Joe Purvis later wrote, ``It
bred a sense of responsibility, because if you misbehaved
your mama knew about it before you got home.''
For a small boy growing up in that era, Hope lived up to
its name. We had won the war. The economy was booming. The
American Dream was alive. People had confidence in a future
they believed was theirs to shape. It was a time of
infectious optimism and seemingly limitless potential.
I don't mean to suggest that our hometown was perfect. We
never thought it was, even then. Hope was segregated, like
the rest of the South. It had its share of human frailty and
vice. But kids were taught, growing up, to respect the
dignity of each individual. There was a genuine sense of
community in Hope, that crossed income lines and, in many
ways, race as well.
The young Bill Clinton, who was then Billy Blythe,
understood this perhaps better than most. His father had died
before he was born. His mother, determined to provide for her
son, was in nurse-anesthetist school in New Orleans--a brave
step in an era when single mothers, and working women, were
uncommon. Young Billy was raised those first few years
primarily by his grandparents, who owned a grocery on North
Hazel Street, across from Rose Hill Cemetery.
That grocery store was one of the most integrated
enterprises in Hope. It was a place where every customer,
black or white, was treated kindly; where credit was given
freely on the basis of trust; where equality was a way of
life and not just an aspiration. It was also a place that
catered to lower- and lower-middle income families. Young
Billy saw parents working hard to make ends meet for their
children.
His exposure, early on, to human effort, and to the open
hearts and minds of his grandparents, helped sharpen Bill
Clinton's ability to empathize and understand real people's
dreams and struggles. Much of what he has stood for, first as
governor and then as president--whether his national race
initiative, his emphasis on service, or his efforts to expand
the middle class--reflected his belief that we need to band
together, that by lifting others we also raise ourselves.
The importance of community was just one of the lessons
Bill Clinton took to heart on South Hervey Street. His
grandparents taught him to count and read, nurturing a
commitment to education he carried throughout his life. And
his mother taught him, by her own powerful example, to
persevere in the face of adversity. As one friend said,
Virginia Kelley was like a rubber ball: ``The harder life put
her down, the higher she bounced. She didn't know what the
word quit meant.''
I'll always remember the October afternoon in 1991, when
Bill Clinton declared from the Old State House steps his
candidacy for President. ``Together we can make America great
again,'' he said, ``and build a community of hope that will
inspire the world.''
A community of hope--a community of Hope--inspired my
childhood friend with the extraordinary confidence, courage,
commitment and vision to lead our country. And when I look at
117 South Hervey Street, most remarkable for its simplicity,
I am proud to say I hail from a place where a boy could grow
up to be president; a place where loving families, devoted
teachers, friendly and supportive neighbors gave children
like Billy Blythe and me the wings to pursue our dreams.
I hope the U.S. House of Representatives will pass H.R.
4192. Thank you for your leadership on this issue, and your
service to our state and our country.
Personally,
Mack McLarty.
Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman).
Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Ross and Chairman
Pombo. Congressman Ross for introducing the bill, and then Chairman
Pombo for getting it to the floor.
I rise in strong support of this bill. The reason that I do, before I
was elected to Congress I had never been to Washington, D.C, and I came
up here, I can still remember the excitement of seeing all the
structures and things; and then now, as my constituents come up, taking
them around, showing them the different areas, the different things of
history that we preserved.
Preserving Presidential birthplaces is very, very important. It is
something that we need to do. We need to do a much better job, I think,
in this country of preserving structures like this in general that are
so important, that tell the story of America.
One of the things that I really enjoy doing is going out to schools
and I visit with the kids. I was on the school board for 7 years, and I
sit down and visit with them, and one of the main reasons I am there is
I want them to understand that a guy like me that was on the school
board, had a small business, was on the school board, grew up very much
like they did, in western Arkansas, that the sky is the limit, that
they can work hard and basically achieve anything they want.
Bill Clinton is truly an example of that. And certainly as they go
through the structure that we are trying to preserve, I think it really
shows that a young guy that grew up as much of America is growing up,
maybe at some times maybe a little bit worse than much of America is
growing up, but growing up in humble circumstances, having a dream,
able to achieve the governorship of Arkansas, and then go on to become
the most powerful man in the world. I think it is a great story. I
think it is one that kids will be able to relate to and certainly show
that, again, if they step forward that the sky is the limit.
As Mike said, this has great support from the State of Arkansas,
great support from our congressional delegation, and then also from our
Governor, Governor Huckabee, that we would like to do what President
Clinton did in the future, also from Hope, and he was very, very
supportive as the letter indicates.
Again, I speak in strong support of this bill and I urge its
adoption.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Capito). The gentlewoman from the
Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) has 10 minutes remaining.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from California (Mr. Cardoza).
Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of H.R.
4192, to designate the birthplace of our 42nd President, William
Jefferson Clinton, as a national historic site and a unit of the
National Park System.
Currently, the Clinton birthplace home is owned and operated by a
nonprofit Clinton birthplace foundation. While they are doing an
excellent job of maintaining this site for the public viewing and
educational purposes, by becoming part of the National Park System the
Clinton birthplace will now be able to take full advantage of the
National Park Service's vast resources.
As a member of the Committee on Resources and at Mr. Ross' request, I
have been down to southwest Arkansas to see the Clinton birthplace for
myself, and I can personally attest to the great pride that fellow
Arkansans feel for this site.
Not only is Mr. William Jefferson Clinton a source of pride for the
folks in his home State of Arkansas, but he is also a representative of
the symbol of hope for millions of both Americans and those throughout
the world who have seen his work. And you just need to tour the Clinton
library to see the respect he received throughout the globe by the
tributes housed at the library.
I believe every Presidential birthplace should be preserved and
protected as part of our Nation's history regardless of political
party.
I would like to also recognize that Speaker Hastert and Chairman
Pombo have brought this bill to the floor. And I want to commend them
for doing so in a nonpartisan manner, not treating this issue as a
political football, but one of worthy legislation that deserves our
support.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4192.
{time} 1100
Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder), my colleague.
Mr. SNYDER. Madam Speaker, it is starting to be a pattern here of the
Arkansans lining up here in support of
[[Page H657]]
this bill, both Republican and Democrat, but it is the kind of bill
that in any State we would all do the same thing, Republican or
Democrat, to preserve this kind of a historic place.
Obviously, we are all very much aware that during his time in office
President Clinton was a controversial figure. Any President is these
days, but what we are talking about is preserving the childhood home,
the birthplace home, of this President.
As a person who is the child of a single-parent household, I think it
is important that we enrich those sites that have been preserved so
this story can be told also, that no longer are our Presidents, like
Abraham Lincoln, reading by firelight because there was no electricity
in those days, but in this modern era that any child in America,
regardless of background, can rise above that background, take those
values that he learns and, regardless of party affiliation, go on to
achieve great things in this country.
So I think this is very important. I am very much appreciative of Mr.
Hastert and Mr. Pombo for allowing this bill to come to the floor. Our
Republican Governor, Governor Huckabee, is also supportive. And also,
thanks today to the people of Hope who have kept this site in a state
of suspended animation and preserved it while their Federal Government
catches up with them in recognizing the significance of preserving and
maintaining for all time this modest home.
Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Keller), my friend.
Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the
time, and I just want to say I intend to vote for this. I think it is
worthy of being designated as an historic site.
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Madam Speaker, will the gentleman
yield?
Mr. KELLER. I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida.
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Madam Speaker, I thank the
gentleman for yielding.
As I said before, my decision to call for a recorded vote is based on
the future of our country and the fact that we need to have the
information out there about Mr. Clinton's involvement in the Dubai
port, the whole issue.
It is about hope, certainly about Hope, Arkansas. I hope to vote for
this bill. I had hoped to vote for the bill because I had hoped that
Mr. Clinton would do the right thing and register as a foreign agent.
That not happening is the reason why I am objecting to the bill at this
time.
I also believe that we need to preserve birthplaces of our
Presidents, and had we had enough time, I just would have asked the
leadership to postpone this vote. I wanted to vote for this bill, but
the more information that comes out about the millions of dollars that
have been paid by the UAE to Mr. Clinton just gives many Americans the
lack of hope for our security. That is exactly why I am going to call
for the yeas and nays.
It is not against President Clinton. It is not against him, but
rather, I wish we had more time so that the public would know exactly
how involved he was in what that million dollars bought when it came to
the Dubai port issue.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
This bill, H.R. 4192, would give the home most closely associated
with the 42nd President of the United States the designation that other
Presidents have had. It is about naming this boyhood home as a national
historic site. It is not about policy, and in 2002, Members on both
sides of the aisle, regardless of any disagreements they may have had
over any of President Reagan's policies, came together and
wholeheartedly supported the designation of the Ronald Reagan Boyhood
Home as a national historic site.
In his Presidency, William Jefferson Clinton gave many Americans who
were at that time left behind and left out and left on the fringes of
American society reasons to hope. It is fitting that we recognize his 8
years of service to this country as our President and designate his
home in Hope, Arkansas, as the Clinton Boyhood Home National Historic
Site.
I would urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to
support this bill, as we have supported so many others for Presidents
in the past.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I appreciate my colleagues across the aisle. You are right, this is
not a partisan issue when we are talking about the birthplace of a
President. Frankly, here I am making the motion, and I never voted for
President Clinton. I was not a big fan of President Clinton, but you
are right, also: he came from extraordinary circumstances and rose to
the highest position in this country.
I mean, he and I apparently had very different lifestyles growing up.
I never consumed a drop of alcohol, and when I was underage, I never
not only did not inhale, I never smoked.
There are so many things different in our backgrounds, and he ought
to be an inspiration to every child out there, whether leaning toward
being Republican or Democrat. That President Bill Clinton, with the
things that he had in his background, could reach the Nation's highest
office. I mean, any of you should know that it is not out of your reach
either. It is extraordinary what he accomplished.
But there is an old political adage that says, democracy ensures that
a people govern no better than they deserve. In 1992 and 1996, whether
any of us like it or not, America deserved Bill Clinton, and that is
who we elected. It is now a fact he has been a President. It is now a
fact that his birthplace should be a historical site, and I understand
the concerns of the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite),
my friend. Maybe there will be a room dedicated to all the money made
from the UAE, but that is someone else's determination.
The fact is it is a historical place. It deserves that designation,
and, hopefully, people will be inspired for years to come that this is
America. It does not matter what your background is; you can rise to
the highest office in the land, and you should be inspired by that.
For that reason, I would urge the passage of this bill.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Capito). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4192.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the
yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The yeas and nays are requested. All those
in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain
standing until counted. A sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and
nays are ordered.
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