[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 15 (Monday, January 30, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H709-H710]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    DESIGNATING A MOUNTAIN IN THE JOHN MUIR WILDERNESS AS SKY POINT

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 381) to designate a mountain in the John Muir Wilderness of 
the Sierra National Forest as ``Sky Point''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 381

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

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Staff Sergeant Sky Mote, USMC, grew up in El Dorado, 
     California.
       (2) Staff Sergeant Mote graduated from Union Mine High 
     School.
       (3) Upon graduation, Staff Sergeant Mote promptly enlisted 
     in the Marine Corps.
       (4) Staff Sergeant Mote spent 9 years serving his country 
     in the United States Marine Corps, including a deployment to 
     Iraq and two deployments to Afghanistan.
       (5) By his decisive actions, heroic initiative, and 
     resolute dedication to duty, Staff Sergeant Mote gave his 
     life to protect fellow Marines on August 10, 2012, by 
     gallantly rushing into action during an attack by a rogue 
     Afghan policeman inside the base perimeter in Helmand 
     province.
       (6) Staff Sergeant Mote was awarded the Navy Cross, a 
     Purple Heart, the Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal, a 
     Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal, 2 Combat Action Ribbons 
     and 3 Good Conduct Medals.
       (7) The Congress of the United States, in acknowledgment of 
     this debt that cannot be repaid, honors Staff Sergeant Mote 
     for his ultimate sacrifice and recognizes his service to his 
     country, faithfully executed to his last, full measure of 
     devotion.
       (8) A presently unnamed peak in the center of Humphrey 
     Basin holds special meaning to the friends and family of Sky 
     Mote, as their annual hunting trips set up camp beneath this 
     point; under the stars, the memories made beneath this 
     rounded peak will be cherished forever.

     SEC. 2. SKY POINT.

       (a) Designation.--The mountain in the John Muir Wilderness 
     of the Sierra National Forest in California, located at 
     3715'16.10091"N 11843'39.54102"W, shall be known and 
     designated as ``Sky Point''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, record, or other paper of the United States to the 
     mountain described in subsection (a) shall be considered to 
     be a reference to ``Sky Point''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. McClintock) and the gentleman from the Northern Mariana 
Islands (Mr. Sablan) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill would name a peak in the Sierra Nevada 
Mountains after Marine Staff Sergeant Sky Mote as a small token of the 
gratitude of our Nation, and as a permanent reminder that, as 
Shakespeare put it: ``This story should the good man teach his son.''
  On August 12, 2012, Sergeant Mote was at his post in the tactical 
operations center of the 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion in 
Helmand province. On that day, a so-called Afghan police officer opened 
fire on the Marines who had come there to help that country.
  When the attack broke out, Sergeant Mote was in an adjoining room. He 
could have easily escaped to safety. According to the Navy citation: 
``He instead grabbed his M4 rifle and entered the operations room, 
courageously exposing himself to a hail of gunfire in order to protect 
his fellow Marines. In his final act of bravery, he boldly engaged the 
gunman, now less than 5 meters in front of him, until falling mortally 
wounded.''
  According to the citation, it was Mote's actions that stopped the 
attack, and it was his heroism for which he received the Navy's second 
highest decoration: the Navy Cross.
  The irony is that Sky Mote was indifferent to the medals he was 
awarded during his life: the Navy and Marine

[[Page H710]]

Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, 
two Combat Action Ribbons, and three Good Conduct Medals that he earned 
during his 9 years of exemplary service to his Nation.
  His father, Russell, recalled that ``He never cared about medals. He 
never showed them to us.'' He said: ``Once, I found one in his 
laundry.'' But his father also said that although his son was 
indifferent to medals, he was intentionally and intensely proud of his 
EOD badge, designating his service as an explosive ordnance disposal 
technician.
  To the EOD technicians, bombs are not something to be avoided but 
something to be sought out and disarmed. On one such day, Mote diffused 
two IEDs, crawled through a heavily seeded minefield to save the life 
of his team member who had been severely wounded by a third, and then 
directed the evacuation of his unit. On that day, Sergeant Mote had 
earned a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a V for valor.
  We come today to the Hall of the House of Representatives to try to 
honor a hero who didn't care much about medals.
  We do so not for him. Lincoln was right long ago that it is far 
beyond our poor powers to add or detract from the honor of his deeds 
and the example of his life.
  I think we do so in part to acknowledge an irredeemable debt that our 
country owes to an eternally grieving family. We need to remember there 
are Gold Star families among us who spend their Memorial Days not at 
barbecues and beach parties but in solemn ceremonies and quiet vigils 
around honored graves. We honor their loved ones in hopes that in some 
small way we can fortify them against the loss that they bear every day 
of their lives.
  But, mainly, I think we do it for ourselves, that we might draw 
inspiration from his courage and instruction from his willingness to 
sacrifice all to protect the vision of liberty enshrined in the 
founding of our Nation.
  In consultation with his family, we have identified a mountain in the 
John Muir Wilderness of the Sierra National Forest overlooking where 
Sky Mote and his family often camped and hiked. This bill proposes that 
it forever more be known as Sky Point as a token of our Nation's 
respect of his heroism, its appreciation of his sacrifice, its sympathy 
for his family, and of its solemn pledge that succeeding generations of 
his countrymen will never forget him.
  This legislation first passed the House by voice vote in the 114th 
Congress, and I urge the passage of this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, wow, just listening to my good friend from California 
explain and give us a description of what happened in the life of this 
American hero, Sergeant Sky Mote, I am truly touched by the many other 
stories that I have heard from families of our men and women in 
uniform, our veterans in service of our country.
  And as we have just heard, this bill designates a mountain peak in 
the John Muir Wilderness of the Sierra National Forest in California as 
``Sky Point'' in recognition of a fallen Marine Corps Staff Sergeant 
Sky Mote.
  Sky served our country honorably as a U.S. marine for 9 years. He had 
a tour of duty in Iraq and two in Afghanistan.
  By designating that mountain as ``Sky Point,'' it will honor his 
memory and ensure his selfless sacrifice for his country and fellow 
marines is not forgotten.
  We passed this legislation last Congress by voice vote, and I urge 
that we do the same again today.
  I thank my good friend, the distinguished gentleman from California, 
for introducing this bill today.
  As I have no further speakers, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his kind and 
good words and urge adoption of the bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 381.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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