[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 175 (Tuesday, November 13, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H13525-H13527]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  ACT COMMEMORATING THE LITE, OR LIFETIME INNOVATIONS OF THOMAS EDISON

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2627) to establish the Thomas Edison National Historic Park 
in the State of New Jersey as the successor to the Edison National 
Historic Site.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2627

       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 ``Act Commemorating the LITE, 
     or Lifetime Innovations of Thomas Edison''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) The Edison National Historic Site, located in West 
     Orange, New Jersey, is a vital part of America's national 
     system of parks which preserves Thomas Alva Edison's research 
     and development laboratories, library, papers, and artifacts, 
     as well as his home.
       (2) The Site is a national historic treasure and contains 
     the world's largest collection of materials related to Thomas 
     Edison, encompassing an estimated 5,000,000 pages of 
     documents, over 400,000 artifacts, approximately 35,000 sound 
     recordings, and 10,000 books from Edison's personal library.
       (3) Thomas Edison is one of America's greatest inventors, 
     whose inexhaustible energy and genius produced 1,093 patents 
     in his lifetime, more than any other American, including 
     patents for the incandescent light bulb, the motion picture 
     camera, and the phonograph.
       (4) In 1928, Thomas Edison was awarded the Congressional 
     Gold Medal for the ``development and application of 
     inventions that have revolutionized civilization in the last 
     century.''

[[Page H13526]]

       (5) In 1998, Congress again honored Thomas Edison by 
     directing the Secretary of the Treasury to mint a 
     commemorative coin celebrating the 125th anniversary of 
     Edison's invention of the light bulb, celebrated in 2004.
       (6) The Edison National Historic Site is one of America's 
     most endangered historic places. The National Park Service, 
     in its General Management Plan and Development Concept Plan, 
     identified the need for numerous actions to preserve, 
     protect, restore, and enhance the Site and determined that 
     sufficient government funds are not likely to be appropriated 
     to complete these necessary actions in the foreseeable 
     future.
       (7) On November 6, 1997, the National Park Service signed 
     an agreement with the Thomas Alva Edison Preservation 
     Foundation (now the Edison Preservation Foundation), 
     establishing a public-private partnership to jointly raise 
     money to fund identified improvements at the Edison National 
     Historic Site so as to leave the Site unimpaired for the 
     enjoyment of future generations.
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
       (1) to recognize and pay tribute to Thomas Alva Edison and 
     his innovations; and
       (2) to preserve, protect, restore, and enhance the Edison 
     National Historic Site to ensure public use and enjoyment of 
     the Site as an educational, scientific, and cultural center.

     SEC. 3. THOMAS EDISON NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK.

       (a) Establishment.--There is established the Thomas Edison 
     National Historical Park as a unit of the National Park 
     System (hereafter the ``Historical Park'').
       (b) Boundaries.--The Historical Park shall be comprised 
     of--
       (1) all property owned by the United States in the Edison 
     National Historic Site as well as all property authorized to 
     be acquired by the Secretary of the Interior for inclusion in 
     the Edison National Historic Site before the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, as generally depicted on the map 
     entitled the ``Edison National Historic Site'', numbered 
     20003B, and dated April 1977; and
       (2) all property authorized to be acquired for inclusion in 
     the Historical Park by this Act or other law enacted after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (c) Map.--The map of the Historical Park shall be on file 
     and available for public inspection in the appropriate 
     offices of the National Park Service.

     SEC. 4. ADMINISTRATION.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall administer the 
     Historical Park in accordance with this Act and with the 
     provisions of law generally applicable to units of the 
     National Park System, including the Acts entitled ``An Act to 
     establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes,'' 
     approved August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 535; 16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.) 
     and ``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.).
       (b) Acquisition of Property.--
       (1) Real property.--The Secretary may acquire land or 
     interests in land within the boundaries of the Historical 
     Park, from willing sellers only, by donation, purchase with 
     donated or appropriated funds, or exchange.
       (2) Personal property.--The Secretary may acquire personal 
     property associated with, and appropriate for, interpretation 
     of the Historical Park.
       (c) Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary may consult and 
     enter into cooperative agreements with interested entities 
     and individuals to provide for the preservation, development, 
     interpretation, and use of the Historical Park.
       (d) Repeal of Superseded Law.--Public Law 87-628 (76 Stat. 
     428), regarding the establishment and administration of the 
     Edison National Historic Site, is repealed.
       (e) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     ``Edison National Historic Site'' shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``Thomas Edison National Historical Park''.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

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

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in 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 
gentlewoman from Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, Thomas Edison is a towering figure in 
American history, a man whose genius continues to impact our world more 
than 75 years after his death.
  Thanks to Mr. Edison's generosity, both his laboratory and his home 
in West Orange, New Jersey, are included within the National Park 
System and open to the public.
  H.R. 2627 simply changes the name of this unit from the Edison 
National Historic Site to the Thomas Edison National Historic Park. The 
new name is more appropriate for a unit that includes multiple 
properties. Nearly identical legislation passed the House by a vote of 
399-1 in February 2006, but, Mr. Speaker, it was never considered by 
the Senate.
  The sponsor of H.R. 2627, the Representative from New Jersey (Mr. 
Payne), is to be commended for his outstanding work on this 
legislation, along with other cosponsors from the New Jersey 
delegation.
  I urge all our colleagues to support H.R. 2627.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2627, 
which designates the Edison National Historic Site as the Thomas Edison 
National Historic Park. Supporters of the park anticipate this 
redesignation will improve the visitation revenue to the Edison 
historic site.
  I would like also to recognize the critical contributions to this 
legislation made by Congressman Scott Garrett. Last year, Mr. Garrett 
successfully moved this bill through the Resources Committee in the 
House. I urge my colleagues to support this effort, and hopefully it 
will go all the way through both Houses at this time.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague from New Jersey 
(Mr. Holt) for such time as he may consume.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Lifetime Innovations 
of Thomas Edison Act, originally sponsored by my colleague Mr. Payne 
from New Jersey, with others of us from New Jersey joining him. The 
legislation before us would reclassify the Edison home and laboratory 
as a National Historic Park.
  First dedicated as the Edison National Historic site by the National 
Park Service in 1962, the site is badly in need of restoration. 
Dedicating this site as a National Historic Park and authorizing 
funding for the preservation of the Edison home and laboratory will 
preserve a national treasure. As you have heard from my colleague, the 
collection there, as well as the buildings themselves, are of great 
historical national importance.
  Thomas Edison was one of America's most prominent inventors. From 
starting one of the first industrial laboratories, something that is 
often forgotten, to inventing the first incandescent light bulb, the 
motion picture, the phonograph, et cetera, Edison played an integral 
role in the technological advances that helped spur America's 
industrial revolution.
  Mr. Edison held over 1,000 patents in the United States and other 
countries, was named by Life magazine as the man of the millennium, and 
awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the Congress in 1928 for his 
development and application of inventions that have revolutionized 
civilization. Thomas Edison certainly deserves to be remembered and his 
collection deserves to be preserved.
  The 13.5 acre site will make an outstanding national historic park. 
It will draw people from all across the country to see the important 
collection there, as well as the site of the first really major 
scientific industrial laboratory in the United States.
  Despite being designated a national historic site, it has fallen into 
disrepair, and in 1992 the National Trust for Historic Preservation 
listed this as one of the Nation's most endangered historic places. 
This redesignation is of great importance. Mr. Speaker, we are not only 
recognizing Thomas Edison's numerous contributions to American society, 
but we will, with this, be preserving the Edison National Historic Site 
as a leading educational, scientific, and cultural center.
  I thank the gentlelady.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my colleagues to join me 
today in recognizing one of New Jersey's own--Thomas Alva Edison. H.R. 
2627, the Lifetime Innovations of Thomas Edison, LITE, Act, is a 
testament to Edison, whose impact is still being felt today. Congress, 
in 1928, honored Edison with the Congressional Gold Medal for the 
``development and application of inventions that have

[[Page H13527]]

revolutionized civilization in the last century.'' In 1997, Life 
magazine named Edison ``Man of the Millennium'' in recognition of his 
inventions that have transformed modern society, including the 
incandescent light bulb, the motion picture camera, and the phonograph. 
The LITE Act will preserve the intellectual and physical 
accomplishments of Thomas Edison by commemorating his lifetime 
achievements; re-designating the Edison National Historic Site, located 
in West Orange, NJ, my congressional district, as a national historic 
park; and authorizing appropriations to support the site.
  The Edison site is actually comprised of two separate sites--Edison's 
home of 45 years, known as Glenmont, and his laboratory complex. The 
Edison site houses over 5 million pages of documents, over 400,000 
artifacts, approximately 35,000 sound recordings, and over 10,000 books 
from Edison's personal library. Like this priceless collection of 
documents and artifacts, Edison's laboratory complex and home are also 
historical treasures. With buildings dating back to 1887, the 
laboratory complex was one of America's first research and development 
facilities, and is where Edison earned over half of his 1,093 patents. 
Moreover, Mr. Edison's gravesite is located on the grounds of his 
beloved Glenmont, a 29-room home built in 1880 that contains original 
furnishings and other family items.
  H.R. 2627 is critical to efforts to protect the Thomas Edison 
National Historic Site. The Edison site has enormous historical 
significance for America and for the world, and is badly in need of 
restoration. The need for major infrastructure improvements at the 
Edison site has been documented as early as 1972. Additionally, the 
site was listed, in 1992, by the National Trust for Historic 
Preservation as one of the Nation's most ``endangered historic 
places.'' The laboratory complex is currently closed to the public 
because of an extensive restoration effort. It is estimated that the 
first phase of the restoration effort will be completed next year and 
that the laboratory complex will re-open to the public some time 
between June and September of 2008. Renovations at Glenmont have been 
completed and the site is open to the public and fully functioning. 
Plans also exist for a second phase of the restoration project. 
Currently, National Park Service, NPS, staff are housed in historic 
buildings under less than ideal circumstances. The second phase will 
focus on getting NPS staff out of the historic buildings and into 
office space that better supports their critical mission of preserving 
Edison's historical legacy.
  When the Edison site was fully operational, approximately 95,000 
people visited the site each year. It is estimated that the number of 
visitors will nearly triple when the first phase of the restoration 
project is completed next year. H.R. 2627 would ensure this commitment 
by re-designating the Edison site as a ``national historical park''--
consistent with National Park Service guidelines--and authorizing 
appropriations for restoration work. These measures will preserve 
Thomas Edison's historical legacy, enhance the educational experience 
of visitors to the site, and hopefully, encourage more private funding 
for restoration projects.
  Although private benefactors--most notably the Edison Preservation 
Foundation--have generously donated significant resources to restore 
the site, the Federal Government's long-term commitment to the site is 
critical to its longevity and educational mission. This legislation 
recognizes Thomas Edison's numerous contributions to American society 
and preserves the Edison National Historic Site as a leading 
educational, scientific and cultural center.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation is non-controversial. Similar 
legislation in the 109th Congress was supported by the National Park 
Service and approved by the House by a vote of 399-1. I respectfully 
urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2627.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________