[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 40 (Thursday, March 18, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H1621-H1622]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REVISING BOUNDARIES OF GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4395) to revise the boundaries of the Gettysburg National
Military Park to include the Gettysburg Train Station, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4395
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK BOUNDARY
REVISION.
Section 1 of the Act titled ``An Act to revise the boundary
of the Gettysburg National Military Park in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, and for other purposes'', approved August
17, 1990 (16 U.S.C. 430g-4), is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``(d) Additional Land.--In addition to the land identified
in subsections (a) and (b), the park shall also include the
following, as depicted on the map titled `Gettysburg National
Military Park Proposed Boundary Addition', numbered 305/
80,045 and dated January 2010:
``(1) The land and interests in land commonly known as the
`Gettysburg Train Station' and its immediate surroundings in
the Borough of Gettysburg.
``(2) The land and interests in land located along Plum Run
in Cumberland Township.''.
SEC. 2. ACQUISITION AND DISPOSAL OF LAND.
Section 2 of that Act (16 U.S.C. 430g-5) is amended by
adding at the end of subsection (a) the following: ``The
Secretary is also authorized to acquire publicly owned
property within the area defined in section 1(d)(1) by
purchase, from willing sellers only, if efforts to acquire
that property without cost have been exhausted. The Secretary
may not acquire property within the area defined in section
1(d) by eminent domain.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.
{time} 1545
General Leave
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and to 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. Madam Speaker, H.R. 4395, introduced by Representative
Todd Platts of Pennsylvania, would authorize a boundary change at
Gettysburg National Military Park to include the Gettysburg Train
Station. Madam Speaker, it was here that President Lincoln arrived to
honor the war dead on the field of battle and deliver the address that
would forever define the Civil War as a battle for the freedom and the
rights of all Americans.
Under the proposed legislation, the National Park Service would take
over management of the train station from the Borough of Gettysburg,
and community partners would staff it. The bill would also expand the
park boundaries to include additional historic lands and would add
protections for the resources of this hallowed site.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 4395 has broad bipartisan support, and we urge
its adoption by the House today.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
The legislation allows the National Park Service to accept the
donation of a small parcel of land that will allow it to better
interpret the historic battle for which the park was created. It also
authorizes the Park Service to purchase the historic train depot where
Abraham Lincoln arrived and departed from his historic visit in 1863.
I am told that there was a time when that historic train depot served
as a pizza parlor. Today, it serves a much more fitting role as a
museum, and under this measure the Park Service will take over its
operation.
I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman, Mr. Platts, the
author of the measure.
Mr. PLATTS. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding. And I
certainly rise in support today of H.R. 4395, a bill to extend the
boundaries of the Gettysburg National Military Park. I am honored to
have introduced this legislation and certainly appreciate the support
of the chairman and ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee
in moving this bill to the floor.
Madam Speaker, Gettysburg is a unique and very special place. When I
[[Page H1622]]
travel around the country, I am always proud to talk to fellow citizens
about my district in central Pennsylvania, including Carlisle,
Pennsylvania, where the United States Army War College is located, and
certainly my hometown of York, where the Continental Congress met for 9
months in 1777, and where the Articles of Confederation were adopted.
No town, however, that I mentioned gets quite the reaction as
Gettysburg. Not only did Gettysburg host the battle that marked the
turning point of the Civil War in 1863, but it is also where President
Lincoln gave one of the most historic addresses in our Nation's
history.
H.R. 4395 would expand the boundaries of the Gettysburg National
Military Park to include the historic Lincoln Train Station, as well as
a 45-acre plot of land at the southern base of Big Round Top, in order
to ensure preservation of these properties for generations to come.
Both pieces of land are historically significant.
The Lincoln Train Station served as a hospital during the time of the
1863 battle and was the departure point for many wounded and deceased
soldiers as they were returned to their homes. The station is also
where President Lincoln arrived when he visited Gettysburg to give his
historic Gettysburg Address in November 1863.
The 1858 structure is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places and is currently owned by the Borough of Gettysburg. The Borough
uses the station currently as a visitor's center. However, due to the
lack of funding and available volunteers, it is unable to keep the
center open on a regularly scheduled basis. The Borough of Gettysburg
supports this legislation and wishes for the National Park Service to
acquire this historic parcel and, as was referenced, be truly restored
to its original beauty so it can be an added destination point for so
many visitors to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
The 45-acre parcel of land at the base of Big Round Top hosted
cavalry skirmishes in July 1863 as part of the battle and currently
contains critical wetlands and wildlife habitat associated with Plum
Run. The Gettysburg Foundation currently owns this piece of land and
would like to donate it ``fee title interest'' to the National Park
Service once it is added to the park's boundary.
As we all certainly appreciate, the National Park Service is tasked
with preserving and maintaining a huge number of very important parks,
over 400, I believe.
Like all Federal agencies, the National Park Service works within a
constrained budget to allocate resources efficiently and effectively. I
am sensitive to the current obligations of the NPS and believe that we
should expand these commitments with thoughtfulness and without haste.
I strongly believe that these two additions proposed by this
legislation are truly historic in nature and would add great value to
the park's already impressive resources. With that, I urge my
colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Madam Speaker, if the gentlelady from Guam has no
further speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I again urge members to support the
bill, and I wish to thank my colleague, the gentleman from California
(Mr. McClintock), for managing the bill with me this afternoon.
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. 4395, 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.
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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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