[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 34 (Monday, February 27, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H1332-H1334]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1700
      COLTSVILLE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK DONATION SITE AMENDMENT

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 863) to facilitate the addition of park administration at 
the Coltsville National Historical Park, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 863

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

     SECTION 1. AMENDMENT TO COLTSVILLE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK 
                   DONATION SITE.

       Section 3032(b)(2)(B) of Public Law 113-291 (16 U.S.C. 
     410qqq) is amended by striking ``East Armory'' and inserting 
     ``Colt Armory Complex''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. McClintock) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. 
Torres) each will control 20 minutes.

[[Page H1333]]

  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include any extraneous material 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. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 863 was introduced by Representative John Larson of 
Connecticut. Originally, the National Park Service was required to 
acquire 10,000 square feet of space in East Armory of Coltsville. This 
measure would allow the National Park Service to acquire that space 
within any part of the Colt Armory Complex in Hartford, Connecticut.
  Coltsville was the home of Samuel Colt's industrial enterprise, 
Colt's Manufacturing Company. In Hartford, Samuel Colt developed the 
use of the assembly line and highly mechanized techniques. Colt's 
Manufacturing Company not only transformed the firearms industry, but 
it was a major contributor to the industrial revolution by pioneering 
the use of interchangeable parts and precision manufacturing.
  Colt's success brought him fame and wealth. He became one of the 10 
wealthiest businessmen in the United States, a pillar of the Hartford 
community, and was given the honorary title of colonel by the Governor 
of Connecticut.
  This small modification to current law would provide the Park Service 
flexibility in selecting a location for park administrative offices and 
visitor services at the Coltsville site. A nearly identical bill passed 
the House last Congress by voice vote.
  I commend Representative Larson for his work on this legislation. I 
urge passage of the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), the bill's sponsor.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative 
Torres, Representative McClintock, Chairman Bishop, and Ranking Member 
Grijalva for all of their hard work on this.
  As the chairman indicated, this bill did pass on a voice vote last 
year. Unfortunately, our colleagues in the Senate did not take it up 
last year. This year they have, and I am glad that it is before us 
again. This is truly a collaborative effort.
  Especially from a small State like Connecticut, I want to thank the 
larger States. We just heard two Members from Oregon talking about 
Mount Hood. In most of the national parks in the West, you could fit 
the entire State of Connecticut.
  I especially thank the committee for understanding the historic 
significance of Coltsville itself, and also the work not only of Samuel 
Colt, who gets most of the credit for a gun that was aptly named the 
gun that won the West, but of who it actually was brought to market by, 
Elizabeth Colt.
  Samuel Colt died in 1862 at the beginning of the Civil War. Of 
course, that gun and those weapons that they produced also played a 
critical role in the North's victory.
  Elizabeth Colt, however, continued the company. While she could not 
vote, she was part of what back then would have been a top 10 
manufacturing company in the entire Nation. They ended up being the 
first American manufacturer to establish a plant abroad because their 
production scheme was that great.
  She also established the concept of firewalls, which was important to 
a then-budding insurance industry in the State of Connecticut.
  She also came up with the concept of housing workers. A large number 
of immigrants who poured into the country, who were skilled workers 
from all around the globe, but mostly from Europe, who came to Hartford 
at that time, were able to settle in housing.
  The Park Service has been magnificent in setting up and reviewing 
this. I thank James Woolsey, who is the park's superintendent, but also 
the people in the area: Larry Dooley of Colt Gateway; the Church of the 
Good Shepherd; the Sheldon Charter Oak neighborhood groups; and, of 
course, the current mayor, Mayor Bronin; and Governor Malloy. Three 
other mayors have come before Congress and before the committee to 
testify on this bill, its importance, its significance, and its 
heritage. We are extraordinarily proud of this.
  I would be remiss if I didn't point out the extra effort that 
Chairman Bishop put into this, especially his understanding in 
grappling with a very small State like Connecticut and what one would 
consider, by National Park Service standards, a very small piece of 
history with an enormous impact.
  Henry Ford came there to take a look at the assembly line techniques 
that were developed there. Pratt and Whitney were both interns there, 
which led to, in my hometown of East Hartford, the most incredible 
aerospace engines, the arsenal for democracy in the State of 
Connecticut, a company that went on to produce 70 percent of all the 
engines utilized in the Second World War.
  All this from Samuel Colt and, of course, Elizabeth Colt, who took 
over and became such an incredible philanthropist.
  Hartford, at that time--because of all the manufacturing, including 
typewriters, bicycles, and even the automobile--got its start there. It 
also led this incredible sage from Missouri to locate there, write, and 
publish books, named Mark Twain.
  So there is quite a story that comes, and it just demonstrates the 
value of manufacturing. We all know here and we talk frequently about 
value added, a four-to-one enterprise today.
  Beyond that, everything else--the ideas that it spun, the innovation 
that it spun, and the creativity--is something that is very much worth 
celebrating and remembering. I thank the committee in general for all 
of their hard work. I am thrilled with this.

  I know, having worked with Speaker Ryan on a number of important 
issues, that he would be happy to know that AmeriCorps is also involved 
in the area as well.
  I thank the committee for sticking with this. It took over 14 years 
to get this passed. Now, with the passage of this legislation, it will 
officially open this spring.
  I hope the committee will come out, and we will plan a great 
celebration and welcome you there as well.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, certainly 
none that could match the detailed knowledge and eloquence of the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson).
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Congress established the Coltsville National Historical Park at the 
end of 2014. The law that established the park also authorized the 
National Park Service to utilize a 10,000-square-foot building, known 
as the East Armory for the purpose of park administration.
  However, during the planning phase for establishing this new park, 
local stakeholders and the Park Service have determined that the Colt 
Armory Complex is better suited for this purpose. This bill simply 
makes that change and authorizes use of the Colt Armory Complex.
  I support this simple fix to the enabling legislation that responds 
to the on-the-ground dynamics of this particular park. I want to thank 
the majority and my colleagues on the Natural Resources Committee for 
expediting review of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for 
his hard work on moving this bill forward. I urge my colleagues to vote 
in favor of H.R. 863.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure and look 
forward to taking Representative Larson up on his kind invitation for 
the great opening.
  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. 863.
  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. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

[[Page H1334]]

  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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