[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 120 (Monday, September 10, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H5735-H5736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION PROGRAM AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2012
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (H.R. 2489) to authorize the acquisition and
protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites
of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 under the American
Battlefield Protection Program, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2489
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 ``American Battlefield
Protection Program Amendments Act of 2012''.
SEC. 2. REVOLUTIONARY WAR AND WAR OF 1812 AMERICAN
BATTLEFIELD PROTECTION.
Section 7301(c) of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act
of 2009 (Public Law 111-11) is amended as follows:
(1) In paragraph (1)--
(A) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the
following:
``(A) Battlefield report.--The term `battlefield report'
means, collectively--
``(i) the report entitled `Report on the Nation's Civil War
Battlefields', prepared by the Civil War Sites Advisory
Commission, and dated July 1993; and
``(ii) the report entitled `Report to Congress on the
Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812
Sites in the United States', prepared by the National Park
Service, and dated September 2007.''; and
(B) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking ``Battlefield
Report'' and inserting ``battlefield report''.
(2) In paragraph (2), by inserting ``eligible sites or''
after ``acquiring''.
(3) In paragraph (3), by inserting ``an eligible site or''
after ``acquire''.
(4) In paragraph (4), by inserting ``an eligible site or''
after ``acquiring''.
(5) In paragraph (5), by striking ``An'' and inserting ``An
eligible site or an''.
(6) By redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (9).
(7) By inserting after paragraph (5) the following new
paragraphs:
``(6) Willing sellers.--Acquisition of land or interests in
land under this subsection shall be from willing sellers
only.
``(7) Report.--Not later than 5 years after the date of the
enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a report on the activities carried out under this
subsection, including a description of--
``(A) preservation activities carried out at the
battlefields and associated sites identified in the
battlefield report during the period between publication of
the battlefield report and the report required under this
paragraph;
``(B) changes in the condition of the battlefields and
associated sites during that period; and
``(C) any other relevant developments relating to the
battlefields and associated sites during that period.
``(8) Prohibition on lobbying.--
``(A) In general.--None of the funds provided pursuant to
this section may be used for purposes of lobbying any person
or entity regarding the implementation of this section or be
granted, awarded, contracted, or otherwise be made available
to any person, organization, or entity that participates in
such lobbying.
``(B) Lobbying defined.--For purposes of this paragraph,
the term `lobbying' means to directly or indirectly pay for
any personal service, advertisement, telegram, telephone
call, letter, printed or written matter, or other device
intended or designed to influence in any manner a Member of
Congress, a jurisdiction, or an official of any government to
favor, adopt, or oppose by vote or otherwise, any
legislation, law, ratification, policy, land use plan
(including zoning), or appropriation of funds before or after
the introduction of any bill, resolution, or other measure
proposing such legislation, law, ratification, policy, or
appropriation.''.
(8) In paragraph (9) (as redesignated by paragraph (6)), by
striking ``2013'' and inserting ``2017''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Washington (Mr. Hastings) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.
General Leave
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. 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 Washington?
There was no objection.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
The American Battlefield Protection Act of 1996 addressed the
preservation and protection of Civil War battlefields through
conservation easements or through the purchase of land from willing
sellers through Federal grants. H.R. 2489 renews this effort, which
will soon expire, and it adds the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812
battlefields to those eligible for protection.
The Natural Resources Committee made several improvements to the
legislation as introduced, including a reduction of the authorization
from 10 years to 5 years. Also, the authorization was cut in half to
save up to $50 million over the course of the program. It is important
to note that we have not raised the authorization one cent over current
levels; therefore, there is no increase in spending.
Finally, the committee added language to prohibit these funds from
being used for lobbying activities or from being distributed to
organizations that participate in lobbying. With so many existing needs
within the National Park Service, we want to ensure that these funds go
specifically for battlefield protection and not to outside advocacy
groups. These battlefields are part of our history, and we should do
everything we can to ensure that future generations understand what our
forefathers went through to ensure our freedoms.
So, with that, I support this legislation, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I would like to thank my colleagues from the Natural Resources
Committee for working with me to bring this bill to the floor today,
our bipartisan bill, which is the American Battlefield Protection
Program Amendments Act. I was pleased to work with Chairman Hastings
and Chairman Bishop and Ranking Members Markey and Grijalva to move
this bill through our committee, and I would like to thank the majority
and minority staffs for their hard work.
The bill before us today reauthorizes the American Battlefield
Protection Program, which is a competitive grant program that matches
Federal dollars with private money to preserve historic war sites. H.R.
2489 builds on the success of the Civil War Battlefield Protection
Program, which has preserved Civil War battlefield sites. The
legislation also expands the grant program to include over 670 historic
battlefields and associated sites from the Revolutionary War and the
War of 1812.
Since 1996, when the Battlefield Protection Program was first
authorized, the program has helped preserve many important sites,
including, for example, the Fort Gregg, New Market Heights Battlefield
in Virginia.
{time} 1630
In fiscal year 2011, a protection grant helped preserve a 7.2-acre
property best remembered because of the unquestioned valor of the
African American Union soldiers who fought there. There are many other
examples that I could point to: the Wilderness Crossroads, the Reynolds
Tract, Perryville Battlefield in Kentucky, the Slaughter Pen Farm,
Fredericksburg Battlefield in Virginia, and so forth.
H.R. 2489 would allow the American Battlefield Protection Program to
collaborate with State and local governments, nonprofit organizations,
and willing sellers--and I do want to emphasize that point--to protect
the most endangered historical sites, and to provide up to half the
costs of purchasing battlefield land threatened by sprawl and
commercial development.
From Lexington, where the shot was heard around the world, to
Gettysburg, where Lincoln brilliantly summarized the description of the
conception and proposition of our Nation, the stories of the American
Revolution and the Civil War bring to life the ideals of liberty and
democracy fostered by our Founders.
Unfortunately, urbanization, suburban sprawl, and unplanned
commercial and residential development are constantly encroaching on
many of the significant battlefields of the Revolutionary War, the War
of 1812, and the Civil War. This encroachment poses a severe and
growing risk to the preservation of these historic sites.
History is best experienced by those who can touch it, feel it, and
live it, and the battlefields of the American Revolutionary War, the
War of 1812, and the Civil War provide a unique opportunity for
Americans to experience where and how the epic struggle for our
[[Page H5736]]
Nation's independence and identity took place.
In my home State of New Jersey, there are more sites of military
engagements than in any other State. More military engagements were
fought in New Jersey than in any other State. New Jersey played an
influential role in the War for Independence.
I was pleased to join Representative Frelinghuysen and Senator
Lautenberg, and the rest of the New Jersey delegation, in establishing
some years ago the Crossroads of the American Revolution National
Heritage Area in our State. The Crossroads Association has made
enormous progress toward promoting our State's rich heritage, and the
bill before us today, I think, is vital for organizations like
Crossroads in New Jersey and others to perform their important work.
As the Civil War Trust said in their letter supporting this
legislation:
Preserving these American historic treasures is essential
to remember the sacrifices our ancestors made to secure our
freedom and independence, and to preserve our Republic.
Historical sites, once lost, are gone forever. They exist only on the
pages of books and in fading memories. We must act to preserve these
valuable sites while we still can. Approving this bill will demonstrate
that the Members of this House can work together. Historic preservation
is not a Republican issue, not a Democratic issue. Historic
preservation is an American issue because it is our shared history that
we are working to preserve and to protect.
I thank the majority for working with me on this bill. During the
111th Congress, similar legislation was twice approved by this body
with near unanimous support. In this Congress, the American Battlefield
Protection Program Amendments Act is again enjoying bipartisan support,
and I certainly hope the other body will act promptly so that we can
get about the work of preserving these sites.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2489, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, this is good legislation,
and I urge its adoption.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2489, 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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