Congressional Record, Volume 160 Issue 7 (Monday, January 13, 2014)

[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 7 (Monday, January 13, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H167-H168]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK BOUNDARIES REVISION

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (H.R. 1513) to revise the boundaries of the
Gettysburg National Military Park to include the Gettysburg Train
Station and certain land along Plum Run in Cumberland Township, to
limit the means by which property within such revised boundaries may be
acquired, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 1513

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.

(a) Boundary Revision.--Section 1 of the Act titled ``An
Act to revise the boundary of 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 new subsection:
``(d) Additional Land.--
``(1) Covered land; condition.--In addition to the land
identified in subsections (a) and (b), the park shall include
the following, as depicted on the maps titled `Gettysburg
National Military Park Proposed Boundary Addition', numbered
305/80,045, and dated January 2010, if the owner of the
property has provided written consent to inclusion:
``(A) The land and interests in land commonly known as the
`Gettysburg Train Station' and its immediate surroundings in
the Borough of Gettysburg.
``(B) The land and interests in land located along Plum Run
in Cumberland Township.
``(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in paragraph (1), the
acquisition of property within the area described in such
paragraph, or the management plan for such acquired property
shall be construed to create buffer zones outside of such
property. That an activity or use can be seen or heard from
within such acquired property shall not preclude the conduct
of that activity or use outside such property.''.
(b) Limited Acquisition Authority.--Section 2(a) of that
Act (16 U.S.C. 430g-5(a)) is amended in the first sentence by
inserting before the period the following: ``, except that
the Secretary is authorized to acquire property within the
area described in section 1(d) by donation only''.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Washington (Mr. Hastings) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva)
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. I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1513, sponsored by our colleague from Pennsylvania
(Mr. Perry), would revise the boundaries of the Gettysburg National
Military Park. The park will now include the site known as the
Gettysburg Train Station, the historic depot where President Abraham
Lincoln arrived and departed via train in 1863 to deliver the
Gettysburg Address.
Currently, the depot is owned by the Borough of Gettysburg, but will
be donated to the National Park Service. However, the depot will
continue to be operated by local or nonprofit organizations.
In addition, H.R. 1513 includes within the park a 45-acre parcel that
has already been donated to the Park Service.
Finally, I would like to thank again our colleague, Mr. Perry, for
including important property-rights protections in his bill that allow
the Park Service to acquire property by donation only and requires that
owners be provided written consent prior to property being included
into the park boundary.
With that, I support the bill and reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
The Battle of Gettysburg is one of the Civil War's most revered and
remembered events. Over the course of 3 days in southeastern
Pennsylvania, approximately 50,000 Americans lost their lives, and the
battle turned out to be one of the turning points in the war.
This tragic sacrifice will always hold a unique place in our national
history and story, but it was the eloquence and humanity of President
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address that has helped it endure for 150 years.
H.R. 1513 expands the boundaries of the Gettysburg National Military
Park to include the Gettysburg Train Station and a 45-acre plot known
as Plum Run.
The Borough of Gettysburg plans to donate the train station to the
National Park Service so they can incorporate this significant resource
into their efforts to appropriately protect Gettysburg, its story, and
its contribution to our Nation. By authorizing the Park Service to
accept the donation, H.R. 1513 makes this possible.
This bill passed out of committee by unanimous consent. I am pleased
that we are able to vote on it today on the floor of the House. We
support H.R. 1513 and urge its adoption.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 4
minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry), the sponsor of
this legislation.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support
passage of H.R. 1513, a bill to revise the boundaries of the Gettysburg
National Military Park to include the Lincoln Train Station which is an
important part of our Nation's history.
President Abraham Lincoln arrived at the Lincoln Train Station the
day before delivering his historic Gettysburg Address. The station also
served as a hospital during the Battle of Gettysburg and transported
wounded soldiers after the battle. The Lincoln Train Station currently
is operated by the Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau and is
owned by the Borough of Gettysburg.
The Gettysburg Foundation and nonprofit partner of the park secured
the necessary private funds to purchase the train station from the
Borough of Gettysburg. The foundation will donate the train station to
Gettysburg National Military Park, where it will be used as a downtown
visitors center and meeting place.
H.R. 1513 also allows the boundaries of Gettysburg National Military
Park to include 45 acres of land along Plum Run in Cumberland Township.
This property currently abuts land already owned by the National Park
Service and will be donated by the Gettysburg Foundation to the
National Park Service.
The Gettysburg Foundation and Gettysburg National Military Park
recently commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg
and the dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery. In addition to
preserving our heritage, such historic preservation and tourism efforts
remain a critical part of the regional economy. More than 235,000
visitors took part in the 10 days of the 150th anniversary events and
contributed about $100 million to the local economy.
Once the Battle of Gettysburg ended, both Union and Confederate
armies moved on, leaving this small rural town to deal with the bloody
and chaotic aftermath. Citizens were forced to care for the wounded,
bury fallen soldiers and animals, rebuild their town, and begin the
process of preserving this hallowed ground.

[[Page H168]]

Like the residents of Gettysburg 150 years ago, a group of dedicated
individuals, 18,000 to 20,000 from across the country and across the
world, have come together to preserve this battlefield and increase
public understanding of the causes and consequences of the Battle of
Gettysburg and its place within the context of American history.
At a time when Federal and State budgets are tight, the great
partnership between the Gettysburg Foundation, Main Street Gettysburg
and the Borough of Gettysburg, and the National Park Service has led to
the construction of a new visitors center, the preservation of the
Cyclorama painting, the restoration of the battlefield to its 1863
appearance, and now the preservation of the historic Lincoln Train
Station.

This legislation simply is the latest significant piece of that
puzzle. All interested parties are fully supportive of the boundary
revision, and because the land is already owned by the Gettysburg
Foundation and to be donated to the National Park Service no--I repeat,
no--Federal funds will be used to purchase these properties.
This legislation is good for Gettysburg, the National Park Service,
and the American taxpayers. I urge my colleagues to join me in support
of H.R. 1513, the Gettysburg Battlefield bill. I would also like to
thank Doc Hastings, the ranking member, and the committee for the
unanimous support.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill,
and 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. 1513.
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. GRIJALVA. Mr. 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, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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