[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 182 (Monday, December 7, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H13536-H13537]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              MORRISTOWN NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK ADDITION

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 118) to authorize the addition of 100 acres to Morristown 
National Historical Park, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 118

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. ADDITION TO THE PARK.

       The first section of the Act entitled ``An Act to authorize 
     the addition of lands to Morristown National Historical Park 
     in the State of New Jersey, and for other purposes'', 
     approved September 18, 1964 (16 U.S.C. 409g), is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``, from a willing owner only,'' after 
     ``the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to procure''; 
     and
       (2) by striking ``615'' each place it appears and inserting 
     ``715''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown) 
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 
may 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, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 118 is sponsored by our colleague, Representative Frelinghuysen 
of New Jersey. The bill would expand the authorized acquisition ceiling 
for Morristown National Historic Park, which was the first unit of its 
kind in our national park system.
  The park is currently limited to a maximum of 615 acres and is under 
severe pressure from surrounding residential development. H.R. 118 
would allow the National Park Service to acquire up to an additional 
100 acres as land or easements become available from willing sellers.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill and I urge Members to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Twice during the Revolutionary War, George Washington decided on 
Morristown, New Jersey, as the place to station the Continental Army 
for the winter lull in fighting. There were both military and civilian 
reasons to choose this area. With the Redcoats in firm control of New 
York City and the sea, it was essential that an inland route connecting 
rebel-held New England with the South be kept open. Morristown was 
positioned just right to keep this link from being severed.
  Morristown was also the right place because George Washington had won 
over the local population to support the American cause. He won their 
support by insisting that his troops respect the property of the 
people, even the property of Tory sympathizers.
  Not only did Washington give strict orders that forbade the Patriot 
forces

[[Page H13537]]

from looting, in sharp contrast to the practice of the British and 
Hessian forces, but he also gave the New Jersey militia as its major 
assignment the mission of protecting the property of New Jersey's 
farmers from the foraging parties of King George's army.
  The leader of the militia in neighboring Somerset County at that time 
was a young, 23-year-old colonel named Frederick Frelinghuysen. So it 
is appropriate that this now 200-year-old family tradition of 
protecting the property rights of New Jersey citizens is upheld in the 
bill by a ``willing seller'' provision.
  The Morristown National Historical Park was established in 1933 as 
the first National Historic Park. It includes Washington's winter 
headquarters and other preserved or reconstructed Revolutionary War 
encampments and artifacts. The park has reached its statutory size 
limit, but there are additional parcels that could be donated to the 
park. H.R. 118 authorizes an additional 100 acres for park expansion.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen).
  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from 
South Carolina for yielding me time and for his very accurate history 
lesson. This is indeed New Jersey's version of Valley Forge.
  At the outset I want to thank the chairman of the Subcommittee on 
National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, the gentleman from Arizona 
(Mr. Grijalva); and the ranking member, the gentleman from Utah, Mr. 
Rob Bishop, for their work on my bill. In addition, I want to offer my 
appreciation to the chairman of the full Committee on Natural 
Resources, Mr. Rahall; and the ranking member, Doc Hastings, for 
bringing this legislation to the floor today.
  Mr. Speaker, as has been stated here this afternoon, H.R. 118 seeks 
to authorize the addition of 100 acres to Morristown National Historic 
Park in my congressional district in New Jersey. The Morristown 
National Historic Park, our Nation's oldest National Historic Park, has 
a rich historical significance beginning with Washington's encampment 
there in 1777, 1779, and 1780.
  New Jersey was quite literally the crossroads of the American 
Revolution as America's struggle for independence was won and, yes, 
nearly lost there. During two critical winters of the war, Morristown 
served as the headquarters for General George Washington. To mark the 
area's impact on our Nation's history, Morristown National Historic 
Park was established by Congress in 1933.
  Today, from time to time, property owners with land adjacent to the 
park offer their property in the form of a donation to the National 
Park Service. Due to an existing acreage ceiling, the park cannot 
accept these donations nor can it acquire any additional land.
  My colleagues, Federal support for Morristown National Historic Park 
and the inclusion of additional lands that have significant historical 
background presents a unique opportunity for our government to express 
its commitment to preserving our past which may be threatened if these 
lands go unprotected.
  I am also pleased that the committee adopted language proposed by 
Representative Bishop that land come from only willing donors or 
sellers, assuring that property rights are respected.
  I believe our responsibility at the Federal level is to serve as a 
helping hand, one that works with the Department of the Interior to 
secure critical funding, and I do that on the Appropriations Committee, 
and provides authority to purchase and, yes, accept as donations 
parcels from willing sellers. This process will allow us to continue to 
respect and complement greater county, State, municipal, and private 
efforts already in place to protect these important resources.
  I want to commend the cosponsors of this legislation, including the 
entire New Jersey congressional delegation, and members of the 
Committee on Natural Resources for recognizing the importance of this 
proposal. Additionally, I want to thank the Morris County Board of 
Chosen Freeholders in New Jersey and the local municipalities for their 
support.
  With that said, I urge passage of my bill.
  Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests 
for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support this bill, 
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. 118, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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