[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 184 (Tuesday, December 4, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H14091-H14095]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMERICA'S HISTORICAL AND NATURAL LEGACY STUDY ACT
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3998) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct
special resources studies of certain lands and structures to determine
the appropriate means for preservation, use, and management of the
resources associated with such lands and structures, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3998
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 ``America's Historical and Natural
Legacy Study Act''.
SEC. 2. SECRETARY.
For the purposes of this Act, the term ``Secretary'' means
the Secretary of the Interior.
SEC. 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Secretary.
Sec. 3. Table of contents.
TITLE I--HARRY S TRUMAN BIRTHPLACE STUDY ACT
Sec. 101. Short title.
Sec. 102. Special resource study.
TITLE II--LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL EXTENSION STUDY ACT
Sec. 201. Short title.
Sec. 202. Definitions.
Sec. 203. Special resource study.
TITLE III--BATTLE OF MATEWAN STUDY ACT
Sec. 301. Short title.
Sec. 302. Special resource study.
TITLE IV--BATTLE OF CAMDEN STUDY ACT
Sec. 401. Short title.
Sec. 402. Special resource study.
TITLE V--MISSISSIPPI RIVER STUDY ACT
Sec. 501. Short title.
Sec. 502. Special resource study.
TITLE VI--FORT SAN GERONIMO STUDY ACT
Sec. 601. Short title.
Sec. 602. Definitions.
Sec. 603. Special resource study.
TITLE VII--WOLF HOUSE STUDY ACT
Sec. 701. Short title.
Sec. 702. Special resource study.
TITLE VIII--RIM OF THE VALLEY CORRIDOR STUDY ACT
Sec. 801. Short title.
Sec. 802. Special resource study.
TITLE IX--BUTTERFIELD OVERLAND TRAIL STUDY ACT
Sec. 901. Short title.
Sec. 902. Special resource study.
TITLE X--HUNTING AND FISHING
Sec. 1001. Hunting and fishing.
TITLE XI--SENSE OF CONGRESS
Sec. 1101. Sense of congress.
TITLE I--HARRY S TRUMAN BIRTHPLACE STUDY ACT
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Harry S Truman Birthplace
Study Act''.
SEC. 102. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall complete a special
resource study of the Harry S Truman Birthplace State
Historic Site in Lamar, Missouri to determine--
(1) the suitability and feasibility of adding the
birthplace site to the Harry S Truman National Historic Site
or designating the site as a separate unit of the National
Park System; and
(2) the methods and means for the protection and
interpretation of the Harry S Truman Birthplace State
Historic Site by the National Park Service, other Federal,
State, or local government entities or private or non-profit
organizations.
(b) Study Requirements.--The Secretary shall conduct the
study in accordance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91-383
(16 U.S.C. 1a-5).
(c) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which
funds are made available to carry out this Act, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources of the Senate a report containing--
(1) the results of the study; and
(2) any recommendations of the Secretary.
TITLE II--LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL EXTENSION STUDY ACT
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Lewis and Clark National
Historic Trail Extension Study Act''.
SEC. 202. DEFINITIONS.
In this title:
(1) Eastern legacy sites.--The term ``Eastern Legacy
sites'' means the sites associated with the preparation or
return phases of the Lewis and Clark expedition, commonly
known as the ``Eastern Legacy'', including sites in Virginia,
the District of Columbia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania,
West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Missouri,
and Illinois. This includes the routes followed by Meriwether
Lewis and William Clark, whether independently or together.
(2) Trail.--The term ``Trail'' means the Lewis and Clark
National Historic Trail designated by section 5(a)(6) of the
National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)(6)).
SEC. 203. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall complete a special
resource study of the Eastern Legacy sites to determine--
(1) the suitability and feasibility of adding these sites
to the Trail; and
(2) the methods and means for the protection and
interpretation of these sites by the National Park Service,
other Federal, State, or local government entities or private
or non-profit organizations.
(b) Study Requirements.--The Secretary shall conduct the
study in accordance with section 5(b) of the National Trails
System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(b)).
(c) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which
funds are made available to carry out this title, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources of the Senate a report containing--
(1) the results of the study; and
(2) any recommendations of the Secretary.
TITLE III--BATTLE OF MATEWAN STUDY ACT
SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Battle of Matewan Study
Act''.
SEC. 302. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall complete a special
resource study of the sites and resources at Matewan, West
Virginia, associated with the Battle of Matewan (also known
as the Matewan Massacre) of May 19, 1920 to determine--
(1) the suitability and feasibility of designating certain
historic areas of Matewan, West Virginia as a unit of the
National Park System; and
(2) the methods and means for the protection and
interpretation of these sites by the National Park Service,
other Federal, State, or local government entities or private
or non-profit organizations.
(b) Study Requirements.--The Secretary shall conduct the
study in accordance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91-383
(16 U.S.C. 1a-5).
(c) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which
funds are made available to carry out this title, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources of the Senate a report containing--
(1) the results of the study; and
(2) any recommendations of the Secretary.
TITLE IV--BATTLE OF CAMDEN STUDY ACT
SEC. 401. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Battle of Camden Study
Act''.
SEC. 402. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall complete a special
resource study of the site of the Battle of Camden fought in
South Carolina on August 16, 1780, and the site of Historic
Camden, which is currently a National Park System Affiliated
Area, to determine--
[[Page H14092]]
(1) the suitability and feasibility of designating these
sites as a unit or units of the National Park System; and
(2) the methods and means for the protection and
interpretation of these sites by the National Park Service,
other Federal, State, or local government entities or private
or non-profit organizations.
(b) Study Requirements.--The Secretary shall conduct the
study in accordance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91-383
(16 U.S.C. 1a-5).
(c) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which
funds are made available to carry out this title, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources of the Senate a report containing--
(1) the results of the study; and
(2) any recommendations of the Secretary.
TITLE V--MISSISSIPPI RIVER STUDY ACT
SEC. 501. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Mississippi River Study
Act''.
SEC. 502. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall complete a special
resource study along the route of the Mississippi River in
the counties contiguous to the river from its headwaters in
the State of Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico to evaluate--
(1) a range of alternatives for protecting and interpreting
the resources along the route of the Mississippi River,
including alternatives for potential addition of all or
portions of the route to the National Trails System; and
(2) the methods and means for the protection and
interpretation of the route by the National Park Service,
other Federal, State, or local government entities or private
or non-profit organizations.
(b) Study Requirements.--The Secretary shall conduct the
study in accordance with section 8 (c) of Public Law 91-383
(16 U.S.C. 1a-5) or section 5(b) of the National Trails
System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(b)) as appropriate.
(c) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which
funds are made available to carry out this title, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources of the Senate a report containing--
(1) the results of the study; and
(2) any recommendations of the Secretary.
TITLE VI--FORT SAN GERONIMO STUDY ACT
SEC. 601. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Fort San Geronimo Study
Act''.
SEC. 602. DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this title:
(1) Fort san geronimo.--The term ``Fort San Geronimo''
(also known as ``Fortin de San Geronimo del Boqueron'') means
the fort and grounds listed on the National Register of
Historic Places and located near Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
(2) Related resources.--The term ``related resources''
means other parts of the fortification system of old San Juan
that are not currently included within the boundary of San
Juan National Historic Site, such as sections of the City
Wall or other fortifications.
SEC. 603. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall complete a special
resource study of Fort San Geronimo and other related
resources, to determine--
(1) the suitability and feasibility of including Fort San
Geronimo and other related resources in the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico as part of San Juan National Historic Site; and
(2) the methods and means for the protection and
interpretation of Fort San Geronimo and other related
resources by the National Park Service, other Federal, State,
or local government entities or private or non-profit
organizations.
(b) Study Requirements.--The Secretary shall conduct the
study in accordance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91-383
(16 U.S.C. 1a-5).
(c) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which
funds are made available to carry out this title, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources of the Senate a report containing--
(1) the results of the study; and
(2) any recommendations of the Secretary.
TITLE VII--WOLF HOUSE STUDY ACT
SEC. 701. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Wolf House Study Act''.
SEC. 702. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall complete a special
resource study of the Wolf House located on Highway 5 in
Norfork, Arkansas, to determine--
(1) the suitability and feasibility of designating the Wolf
House as a unit of the National Park System; and
(2) the methods and means for the protection and
interpretation of the Wolf House by the National Park
Service, other Federal, State, or local government entities
or private or non-profit organizations.
(b) Study Requirements.--The Secretary shall conduct the
study in accordance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91-383
(16 U.S.C. 1a-5).
(c) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which
funds are made available to carry out this title, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources of the Senate a report containing--
(1) the results of the study; and
(2) any recommendations of the Secretary.
TITLE VIII--RIM OF THE VALLEY CORRIDOR STUDY ACT
SEC. 801. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Rim of the Valley Corridor
Study Act''.
SEC. 802. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall complete a special
resource study of the area known as the Rim of the Valley
Corridor, generally including the mountains encircling the
San Fernando, La Crescenta, Santa Clarita, Simi, and Conejo
Valleys in California, to determine--
(1) the suitability and feasibility of designating all or a
portion of the corridor as a unit of the Santa Monica
Mountains National Recreation Area; and
(2) the methods and means for the protection and
interpretation of this corridor by the National Park Service,
other Federal, State, or local government entities or private
or non-profit organizations.
(b) Documentation.--In conducting the study authorized
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall document--
(1) the process used to develop the existing Santa Monica
Mountains National Recreation Area Fire Management Plan and
Environmental Impact Statement (September 2005); and
(2) all activity conducted pursuant to the plan referred to
in paragraph (1) designed to protect lives and property from
wildfire.
(c) Study Requirements.--The Secretary shall conduct the
study in accordance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91-383
(16 U.S.C. 1a-5).
(d) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which
funds are made available to carry out this title, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources of the Senate a report containing--
(1) the results of the study; and
(2) any recommendations of the Secretary.
TITLE IX--BUTTERFIELD OVERLAND TRAIL STUDY ACT
SEC. 901. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Butterfield Overland Trail
Study Act''.
SEC. 902. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall complete a special
resource study along the ``Ox-Bow Route'' of the Butterfield
Overland Trail in the States of Missouri, Tennessee,
Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and
California to evaluate--
(1) a range of alternatives for protecting and interpreting
the resources of the trail area, including alternatives for
potential addition of the trail area to the National Trails
System; and
(2) the methods and means for the protection and
interpretation of this trail by the National Park Service,
other Federal, State, or local government entities or private
or non-profit organizations.
(b) Study Requirements.--The Secretary shall conduct the
study in accordance with section 8(c) of Public Law 91-383
(16 U.S.C. 1a-5) or section 5(b) of the National Trails
System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(b)) as appropriate.
(c) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which
funds are made available to carry out this title, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources of the Senate a report containing--
(1) the results of the study; and
(2) any recommendations of the Secretary.
TITLE X--HUNTING AND FISHING
SEC. 1001. HUNTING AND FISHING.
Each study authorized by this Act shall document the State
and local laws governing hunting and fishing within the study
area.
TITLE XI--SENSE OF CONGRESS
SEC. 1101. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that any subsequent legislation
affecting the status of the areas subject to the special
resources studies authorized under this Act shall be
supported by the results of the relevant studies authorized
by this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. McMorris
Rodgers) 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 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, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
H.R. 3998 was introduced by our colleague from Arizona, the chairman
of the National Parks, Forests and Public
[[Page H14093]]
Land Subcommittee, Representative Raul Grijalva.
This bill, America's Historical and National Legacy Study Act, would
direct the Secretary of the Interior to study nine sites to determine
the best way to preserve and interpret them, including an evaluation of
whether they merit inclusion in the National Park System or the
National Trails System.
Special resource studies are an important tool in preserving and
interpreting the Nation's natural and cultural history. Even if a study
concludes that involvement of the Federal Government is not
recommended, these studies provide important information and options
for the local, the State, or the private landowners charged with
managing these resources.
Mr. Speaker, hearings have been held on eight of the measures
included in this legislation over the course of this year. The ninth
study passed the House in the last Congress. These study proposals have
been sponsored or cosponsored by more than 50 of our colleagues, both
Democrats and Republicans. The studies range geographically from
California to Puerto Rico and from President Truman's birthplace to
Lewis and Clark's expedition of discovery.
Mr. Speaker, special resource studies are some of the most common and
popular types of legislation that our colleagues ask the Natural
Resources Committee to consider. So we are happy to recommend these
worthy study proposals to the House.
I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3998.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
While H.R. 3998 contains titles that are a concern to some, it also
contains studies that are worthy of special recognition for the effort
and diligence that their sponsors put into them. In particular, I would
like to thank Representative Boozman and his staff for their hard work
on the Butterfield Overland Trail Study Act. Congressman Boozman
reached out to all Members whose districts will be a part of this study
and made sure that they had no objections. He also ensured that all
private property rights would be protected. His actions are exemplary
and should be commended.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop).
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. I appreciate the time being yielded.
Mr. Speaker, one of the processes of this particular bill is one that
I hope we do not replicate very often because indeed there are nine
separate bills tied together into one package. Each bill has a separate
amount of merits to those particular bills. Some of them, like the bill
by Mr. Skelton, the chairman from Missouri, is a very well-written
bill. I particularly would like to thank the gentleman from Arkansas
(Mr. Boozman) for writing a bill that I think went above and beyond the
call of duty in trying to ensure that the rights of citizens who would
be in this study area are protected, as well as ensuring that the
maximum amount of participation can be given to those people who are
living in that particular area.
There are also some elements in the bill as it came out of committee
that I found personally egregious. Those have been removed from the
bill that is here. I would like to thank the chairman of the committee
and the subcommitees respectively as well as Democratic staff for
making changes in this particular bill in a way that I find very
appealing. I appreciate them for entering into discussions in an effort
to find some kind of bipartisan cooperation with this, and I also am
very appreciative of the professional manner in which the Democrat
staff worked with our staff in coming up with a bill that I think is
very positive coming out of here.
With the bill that is now before us, I certainly have no objections
to this particular bill, and I wish to express my appreciation for
putting this particular piece of legislation in a form that I think is
commendable, and we can commend it and represent it and encourage our
fellow Members of the House to vote for it.
Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 3 minutes
to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman).
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3998, in
particular title X of the bill, the Butterfield Overland Trail Study
Act. This title directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a
special resource study of the Butterfield Overland Trail, which
stretches from Missouri to California. Before the railroad and even the
famed Pony Express, the Butterfield Trail was the only connection
between the eastern United States and the rapidly expanding west coast.
{time} 1430
Commissioned by Congress in 1857, John Butterfield established a
trail that could be traveled by stagecoach from the Mississippi River
to San Francisco in a remarkable 25 days.
While the original purpose of the trail has long been surpassed by
modern technology, the trail survives with the potential to be a great
link to our Nation's past, attracting tourists with its educational and
historic appeal, as well as a tool to educate our children about our
country's storied history.
I have worked with the National Resources Committee to ensure that
extreme caution is given to protecting private property rights, and
clear language is contained in the bill so that any future action will
not compromise private land.
Mr. Speaker, as our country continues to rapidly grow and develop in
the spirit of the old American West, it is so important that we
remember what brought us to this point. It is our duty to our children
and grandchildren that we take the time to mark the paths our ancestors
took across our country.
I respectfully ask my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 3998. And I
want to thank the committee so much, and the committee staff. It has
really been a pleasure to work with you guys to help us as we worked
forward in ironing out the kinks.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to reclaim my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Guam?
There was no objection.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from South Carolina, the Honorable John Spratt.
Mr. SPRATT. I thank the gentlelady for the generous grant of time and
I rise in support, Mr. Speaker, of the America's Historical and
National Legacy Study Act.
This bill authorizes studies into the suitability of 10 sites as
candidates for the National Park System. It is the first step towards
preserving some of our most important historical sights and some of our
most precious national resources, many of which are vulnerable to
development unless we act, and act now. One of the 10 sites is located
in the heart of my district, the Battle of Camden.
I introduced the Battle of Camden Study Act in the 108th Congress,
and I am thankful that Congress is now finally considering it as part
of this National Legacy Study Act. This site has been a national
historic landmark since 1962, but it does not enjoy the support and
protection offered by being an official unit of the National Park
System.
The Battle of Camden was fought on August 16, 1780, and was a
crushing defeat for American patriot forces. Indeed, some regard it as
the high watermark of British supremacy in the Southern colonies. So
it's fair to ask, if this battle was such a crushing defeat for the
American patriots, why should we commemorate it at all?
Well, to start with, this battle was lost by General Horatio Gates.
The hero of Saratoga was a political favorite in the Continental
Congress, and after the fall of Charleston, the Congress sent him south
to command what remained of our forces. Congress appointed Gates
without consulting Washington, who would have sent Nathaniel Greene.
[[Page H14094]]
Gates came and drove his ill-provisioned troops into battle even
after discovering that Cornwallis had reinforced his ranks the day
before with fresh troops from Charleston. The result was a rout, a
disaster, and a retreat to Charlotte led by Gates himself.
For its part, the Congress learned from this bitter experience its
proper role in assigning general officers, and years later that
principle was built into the Constitution. In replacing Gates after the
Battle of Camden, Congress deferred to Washington and Washington
dispatched Greene to the Carolinas.
With Charleston and then Camden subdued, Cornwallis began a drive
north to mop up resistance with Major Ferguson on the west side of the
Broad River and General Cornwallis on the east.
The Battle of Camden left new doubts about local militia, and how
reliable or effective they could be, other than to harass British
troops. But as Cornwallis' forces moved through the upcountry, they
learned the Carolina patriot militia could not be taken lightly.
As Ferguson made his way through the foothills of the Blue Ridge, he
threatened to apply ``fire and steel'' to anyone who refused allegiance
to the crown. Settlers from over the mountain got the message. More
than a thousand mustered at Sycamore Shoals for a fight with Ferguson.
On October 7, 1780, they found Ferguson encamped on the top of Kings
Mountain; and after settling on tactics, they attacked systematically.
In less than an hour, Ferguson was dead, and hundreds of his troops
were also dead, wounded or taken prisoner.
Kings Mountain is widely regarded as the turning point of the
Revolution in the South, but we cannot fully appreciate its
significance unless we understand its context, the Battles of Camden
and Charleston.
Three months later, Morgan would meet Tarleton at Hannah's Cowpens,
just 15 miles from Kings Mountain. Tarleton's defeat at Cowpens and
Cornwallis' pursuit of Morgan into Virginia would eventually lead
Cornwallis to Yorktown in total defeat.
The Revolutionary War was a very near thing which could easily have
gone either way, and that's why the Battle of Camden is so essential to
understanding the Revolutionary War. The Continentals and the patriots
may have lost that battle, but they learned from bitter experience and
came back to fight and win another day.
I thank the committee, in particular Chairmen Rahall and Grijalva,
Ms. Bordallo, and my good colleague from South Carolina, Henry Brown,
for including the Battle of Camden in your bill; and I encourage every
Member to vote for the adoption of this fine piece of legislation.
Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, let me take this means to express my
support for H.R. 3998, which includes a piece of legislation entitled
the ``Harry S. Truman Birthplace Study Act,'' which I introduced on
July 31, 2007. That particular bill would direct the Interior Secretary
to study the feasibility of adding the Harry S. Truman Birthplace State
Historic Site in Lamar, MO, to our system of National Parks.
I was honored to introduce this legislation on behalf of the people
of Lamar, a community located in Southwestern Missouri that has done
much groundwork for the inclusion of the State Historic Site in our
Federal system. The bill would further honor the 33rd President of the
United States and Missouri's favorite son, President Harry S. Truman.
On May 8, 1884, Harry Truman was born in a downstairs bedroom of a
small frame house in Lamar, MO. The Truman birthplace, which the family
occupied until Harry was 11 months old, was built between 1880 and
1882. In 1959, the United Auto Workers donated the home to the State of
Missouri, after buying it some years earlier to preserve its rich
cultural significance. Since its addition to the Missouri State Parks
System, much work has been done to maintain the dignity and historical
relevance of the residence, and many Americans make their way through
the site each year.
When the Mayor of Lamar, Keith Divine, wrote to me earlier this year
asking me to introduce legislation to begin the process of including
President Truman's birthplace in our National Park System, I was
honored to oblige. In my view and in the view of the local community,
doing so would add perhaps the most critical piece of Harry Truman's
life, the place of his birth, to the current group of national historic
sites that honor the legacy of our 33rd President. And, doing so would
foster economic development in Lamar and in Barton County.
As a matter of record, let me share with you briefly my personal
connection with President Truman and with the legislation creating the
original Harry S. Truman National Historic Site in Independence, MO.
I came to personally know President Truman through my father, Ike
Skelton, Sr., who developed a friendship with him some 78 years ago at
the dedication of the Pioneer Mother Statue--the Madonna of the Trail--
located in my hometown of Lexington, MO. At that time, Harry Truman was
a county commissioner in neighboring Jackson County and my father was a
well-known lawyer and Democrat. Through the years, I developed my own
friendship with this genuinely nice person we call the ``Man from
Independence.''
He was a son of rural Missouri whose handshake was firm, whose
honesty and personal integrity were never questioned, and whose
devotion to his beloved wife, Bess, to his daughter Margaret Truman
Daniel, and to his friends was enduring. He led our country through
some difficult periods and made courageous, principled decisions during
his presidency.
In the past, Congress has honored President Truman by designating
sites in Missouri important to his life as part of America's National
Park System. In 1982 and 1983, I worked with the late Senator Tom
Eagleton and former Senator Jack Danforth to pass legislation
designating the home of Harry and Bess Truman in Independence, MO, as
the Harry S. Truman National Historic Site. The site, which consisted
at that time of President and Mrs. Truman's home at 219 N. Delaware
Street, was willed to the Archivist of the United States when Mrs.
Truman passed away in October 1982.
Because the National Park Service, rather than the Archivist, has the
Federal responsibility of administering national historic sites, the
property and its historic contents became stuck in limbo, with only
minimal protection and threatened by possible vandalism, theft, or
fire. At that time, there was an urgent need to protect this important
property, so I requested the Secretary of the Interior to exercise his
authority to designate and administer President Truman's home as a
national historic site. The Department refused, and I quickly
introduced legislation to establish the site. My bill passed the House
on December 13, 1982, but the Senate failed to act on it before the end
of the session.
Fortunately, the Interior Secretary came to his senses and signed a
secretarial order designating the home as a national historic site. In
1983, however, I wrote legislation to codify the Secretary's directive.
In May 1983, Congress unanimously approved and President Ronald Reagan
signed into law my bill that created the Harry S. Truman National
Historic Site in Independence.
Since that time, Congress has authorized the National Park Service to
add other historically significant Truman family sites to the Federal
property--in 1989, additional family homes near 219 Delaware Street and
in 1993, the Truman Farm Home near Grandview, MO.
So, here we are on December 4, 2007, considering my legislation to
direct the Interior Secretary to study whether it is feasible to
include another important historic site--President Truman's
birthplace--to our National Park System.
As someone who cherishes the life and legacy of Harry Truman, I am
hopeful this bill will become law and that the National Park Service's
study will proceed quickly and will yield favorable results.
Over the years, Lamar, the State of Missouri, and the University of
Missouri Extension have put into place a development plan for the Harry
S. Truman Birthplace State Historic Site. If approved, I am confident
the Federal study will look favorably upon the community's work and
will take into consideration the positive economic impact for the Lamar
and Barton County area, which has experienced considerable economic
hardship in recent months because a major employer, O'Sullivan
Industries, closed its doors.
I urge my colleagues to approve H.R. 3998 today.
Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and 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. 3998, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
[[Page H14095]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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