[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 22 (Monday, February 5, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H752-H753]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               GATEWAY ARCH NATIONAL PARK DESIGNATION ACT

  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(S. 1438) to redesignate the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in 
the State of Missouri as the ``Gateway Arch National Park''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 1438

       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 ``Gateway Arch National Park 
     Designation Act''.

     SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF GATEWAY ARCH NATIONAL PARK.

       (a) Redesignation.--The Jefferson National Expansion 
     Memorial established under the Act of May 17, 1954 (16 U.S.C. 
     450jj et seq.), shall be known and designated as the 
     ``Gateway Arch National Park''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     Jefferson National Expansion Memorial shall be considered to 
     be a reference to the ``Gateway Arch National Park''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Gosar) and the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Hanabusa) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arizona?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, towering 630 feet above the banks of the Mississippi 
River, Gateway Arch has, for 50 years, commemorated both Thomas 
Jefferson's vision of expansion and America's enduring spirit of 
discovery.
  Clad entirely in stainless steel, the Gateway Arch is the tallest 
man-made monument in the country and uniquely features two custom trams 
on either side, which shuttle thousands of guests a year to a viewing 
deck at the apex.
  The Gateway Arch National Park Designation Act would redesignate the 
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri, as the 
Gateway Arch National Park. The park would include not only the Gateway 
Arch, but a museum and the old St. Louis courthouse, the site of the 
Dred Scott trial.
  People from across the country have been visiting the monument and 
surrounding buildings since 1965, when the memorial was established.
  Passing this bill today would make the Gateway Arch National Park 
America's 60th National Park and allow the National Park Service to 
ensure that the site would be ready for a planned Fourth of July 
celebration this very year.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill redesignates the Jefferson National Expansion 
Memorial as the Gateway Arch National Park.
  The Gateway Arch has become synonymous with the St. Louis skyline, 
and this is an important change that gives this national icon an 
updated and recognizable name.
  S. 1438 passed the Senate by a voice vote, so with our support today, 
we will be sending it to the White House for the President to sign.
  I congratulate the Missouri delegation for coming together in a 
bipartisan fashion and working so hard to move this through the 
legislative process.
  The House version of this bill was introduced by Representative Lacy 
Clay. Unfortunately, he was not able to be here this afternoon, but he 
deserves a hearty congratulations for his work on this initiative.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Missouri (Mrs. Wagner).
  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member 
for their support.
  Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of S. 1438, the Gateway Arch 
National Park Designation Act. And I would like to start by thanking 
Senator Blunt and Congressman Clay for their leadership on this issue. 
Renaming the Gateway Arch and the area surrounding it will finally make 
its name consistent with how people from around the world identify it, 
and our city. We are, indeed, the gateway to the West.
  In 1935, the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial was created as a 
unit of the National Park Service, and, today, it includes a museum, 
the old St. Louis courthouse and the Gateway Arch National Monument. It 
was built to honor the role that President Thomas Jefferson played in 
opening the American West and the settlers who followed the footsteps 
of Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery.
  In addition, it encompasses the old St. Louis courthouse, where Dred 
Scott filed suit seeking his freedom, furthering the fight to ensure 
that all men are, indeed, created equally. It was also the site where, 
in 1872, Virginia Minor asserted that women were

[[Page H753]]

citizens of the United States and, therefore, were entitled to vote.
  The Gateway Arch itself is the largest man-made monument in the 
United States of America and has been welcoming visitors to the banks 
of the Mississippi River since its construction in 1965.
  When people come to visit the Gateway Arch National Park, the name 
will now reflect the Gateway Arch, but it will stand for so much more. 
Visitors will see how St. Louis embodies its history as the Gateway to 
the West.
  Explorers, settlers, civil rights leaders, and many more have passed 
through our city and found promise in what lies ahead. That is the 
spirit our city embodies, and the name of our national park will now 
match what is at the heart of our culture.
  Ms. HANABUSA. Mr. Speaker, in closing, again, I congratulate the 
Missouri delegation for coming together in a bipartisan fashion and 
working so hard to move this legislation forward. We are going to, by 
passage of this legislation, give this very national icon an updated 
and recognizable name, as it has always represented, really, when you 
think about it, the Skyline of St. Louis.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues support this great piece of 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1645

  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that this Gateway National Park 
has support from everybody. It is that gateway to the West that we are 
so eulogizing. I ask all Members to vote for this 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 Arizona (Mr. Gosar) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, S. 1438.
  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. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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