[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 93 (Monday, July 17, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H5231-H5232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SPRINGFIELD ARMORY NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, MASSACHUSETTS ACT OF 2006

  Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 4376) to authorize the National Park Service to enter into a 
cooperative agreement with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on behalf 
of Springfield Technical Community College, and for other purposes, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4376

       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 ``Springfield Armory National 
     Historic Site, Massachusetts Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds as follows:
       (1) The Site commemorates the role of the Springfield 
     Armory in the Nation's military history, a role that the 
     Armory served for almost 200 years.
       (2) The role of the Springfield Armory began in 1777, when 
     the site was selected as the location for a magazine and 
     laboratory for the development, production and storage of 
     guns and powder during the American Revolution.
       (3) Following the American Revolutionary War, in 1794 
     Congress officially established the Springfield Armory and 
     for much of the 19th century the Springfield Armory developed 
     and supplied most of the military small arms manufactured by 
     the United States for the United States Armed Services.
       (4) In addition to its historical role in the development 
     and manufacturing of small arms, the Springfield Armory was 
     also the site of Shay's Rebellion.
       (5) In 1968 the Armory was deactivated as a military 
     installation and in 1974 Congress established the Springfield 
     Armory National Historic Site. A portion of the Site is 
     administered by the National Park Service. The remainder of 
     the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, known as the 
     ``Preservation Control Area'', is owned and administered by 
     the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on behalf of Springfield 
     Technical Community College.
       (6) The Preservation Control Area contains several historic 
     buildings that are in a state of disrepair. The deteriorating 
     condition of these historic buildings threatens to undermine 
     the character and integrity of the Springfield Armory 
     National Historic Site and their repair, renovation, 
     maintenance and rehabilitation is essential to the continued 
     preservation of the Site and its museum and collections.

     SEC. 3. PRESERVATION CONTROL AREA DEFINED.

       For purposes of this Act, the term ``Preservation Control 
     Area'' means that portion of the Site that is owned by the 
     Commonwealth, as defined in the Memorandum of Understanding 
     Between the United States and the Commonwealth of 
     Massachusetts dated August 21, 1999.

     SEC. 4. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THE 
                   PRESERVATION CONTROL AREA.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting 
     through the National Park Service, may enter into a 
     cooperative agreement with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 
     on behalf of Springfield Technical Community College to 
     provide financial assistance to that college for the purpose 
     of maintaining, preserving, renovating, and rehabilitating 
     any historic structures within the Springfield Armory 
     National Historic Site, including historic structures located 
     within the Preservation Control Area.
       (b) Fifty Percent Match.--The Federal share of the cost of 
     activities carried out using any assistance or grant under 
     this Act shall not exceed 50 percent.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Renzi) and the gentleman

[[Page H5232]]

from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.


                             General Leave

  Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days 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 Arizona?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 4376, introduced by Congressman Richard Neal of Massachusetts 
and amended by the House Resources Committee, would authorize the 
National Park Service to enter into a cooperative agreement with the 
State of Massachusetts on behalf of Springfield Technical Community 
College to maintain and preserve lands the college owns and administers 
within the Springfield Armory National Historic Site.
  This is a noncontroversial bill, and I urge its adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. RAHALL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, the majority has already explained the 
purpose of H.R. 4376, which was introduced by our colleague from 
Massachusetts, Representative Richard Neal.
  For nearly 200 years, the Springfield Armory was important to the 
manufacture of U.S. military small arms.

                              {time}  1415

  The national historic site, which was established in 1974, includes 
historic resources administered by the National Park Service as well as 
historic resources owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on behalf 
of the Springfield Community College.
  The gentleman from Massachusetts, Representative Neal, is to be 
commended for his efforts to preserve this historic site. He has worked 
diligently to maintain and enhance the relationship between Federal, 
State and local interests involved in the preservation and 
interpretation of the historic resources located at the Springfield 
Armory site.
  Mr. Speaker, we support H.R. 4376 and urge adoption of the 
legislation by the House today.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to add a personal note, if I could.
  In 1960, my father, Major General Gene Renzi, went to Springfield 
Armory and bought two 30.06 sniper rifles that were used in the Korean 
War. We bought them for $1 each. We restored them, and those are the 
same deer hunting rifles that I used and I now pass on to my son. The 
guys coming back from the Korean War and World War II would actually 
dispense these rifles through the Springfield Armory.
  So for a guy who is a deer hunter, who is not that good of a shot, 
but for a guy who is a deer hunter, my first 30.06 we ever got came out 
of the Springfield Armory Works.
  So I am thankful today to be able to work with the ranking member and 
see this legislation pushed through.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 
4376, the ``Springfield Armory National Historic Site, Massachusetts 
Act of 2005.'' This legislation authorizes the National Park Service to 
enter into a cooperative agreement with the Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts on behalf of Springfield Technical Community College.
  Over 30 years ago, in 1974, my predecessor, Congressman Edward 
Boland, and Senator Kennedy were successful in creating the Springfield 
Armory National Historic Site. This Boland-Kennedy legislation set in 
motion three decades of cooperation between the National Park Service, 
which manages the armory museum, and Springfield Technical Community 
College.
  The National Park Service and Springfield Technical Community College 
are neighbors that together occupy the National Historic Site.
  The Springfield Armory was the first national armory in the United 
States. In fact, the armory was founded in 1777, when the site was 
selected as the location for a magazine and laboratory for the 
development, production, and storage of guns and powder during the 
American Revolution.
  Following the American Revolutionary War, in 1794 Congress officially 
established the Springfield Armory. George Washington visited the site, 
which also happened to be the site of Shay's Rebellion. For much of the 
19th century, the Springfield Armory developed, manufactured and 
supplied most of the small arms used by the United States armed 
services. The Springfield Armory National Historic Site has a rich 
heritage that is an integral part of our Nation's history.
  In 1968 the armory was deactivated as a military installation and in 
1974 Congress established the National Historic Site. The National Park 
Service has operated the armory museum on these grounds, and it houses 
the most outstanding and historically significant arms collection in 
the country.
  The future and fate of both the armory museum and Springfield 
Technical Community College are inextricably linked. Many of the 
historic buildings on the site are actually located on the college's 
property, not National Park Service land, although a visitor to the 
campus would not be able to tell where NPS property ends and college 
property begins.
  The land outside the portion of the site administered by NPS is known 
as the ``Preservation Control Area.'' These college-owned buildings are 
subject to strict architectural and preservation rules. Many of these 
historic buildings owned by the college must be preserved and 
maintained pursuant to standards defined by the Secretary of the 
Interior. But these historic buildings are in a state of great 
disrepair and the college cannot easily move to maintain and preserve 
them absent the full participation of the Park Service. Not only does 
this deterioration of the facilities hurt the college, but also 
undermines the attractiveness of the National Park Service area, 
including the armory museum.
  My legislation seeks to recognize and update the partnership that has 
existed over these many years between the Park Service and the college 
by authorizing the Park Service to enter into a cooperative agreement 
with the Commonwealth for NPS to provide financial assistance to the 
college for the purpose of maintaining, preserving, renovating, and 
rehabilitating the many historic structures within the Springfield 
Armory National Historic Site.
  The Park Service frequently enters into such cooperative agreements 
where the object of the agreement is of direct benefit to the Park 
Service and its mission or for other public purposes. If these great 
historic buildings on the site can be renovated with the assistance of 
the Park Service, it will bring forward a more vibrant and attractive 
historic site and museum. The Park Service and the college will be able 
to partner on many joint educational ventures that utilize these 
revitalized historic facilities.
  The Springfield Armory National Historic Site is a treasure to the 
city of Springfield, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and to the 
Nation. The site is in desperate need of renovation. Enactment of this 
legislation is the first step toward ensuring the preservation of a 
site, which has played so vital a role in our Nation's history.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 4376, 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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