[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 203 (Monday, December 16, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H10300-H10301]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    MIRACLE MOUNTAIN DESIGNATION ACT

  Ms. HAALAND. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 722) to designate a mountain in the State of Utah as 
``Miracle Mountain''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 722

       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 ``Miracle Mountain Designation 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds as follows:
       (1) On September 13, 2018, the Bald Mountain Fire burned 
     nearly 20,000 acres of land in Utah.
       (2) Elk Ridge City, located in Utah County, was nearly the 
     victim of this fire.
       (3) Suddenly, the fire halted its progression and, instead 
     of burning into Elk Ridge City, stayed behind the mountain 
     and spared the city.
       (4) Congress, in acknowledgment of this event, believes 
     this mountain holds special significance to the residents of 
     Elk Ridge City and surrounding communities.
       (5) The presently unnamed peak has been referred to as 
     ``Miracle Mountain'' by many residents since the fire that 
     nearly went into Elk Ridge City.

     SEC. 3. MIRACLE MOUNTAIN.

       (a) Designation.--The mountain in the State of Utah, 
     located at 39 59' 02N, 111 40' 12W, shall be known and 
     designated as ``Miracle Mountain''.
       (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 ``Miracle Mountain''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
New Mexico (Ms. Haaland) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. 
Westerman) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New Mexico.


                             General Leave

  Ms. HAALAND. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from New Mexico?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. HAALAND. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 722, introduced by Representative Curtis, would 
designate an unnamed peak near Elk Ridge City, Utah, as Miracle 
Mountain.
  On August 24, 2018, lightning sparked the 20,000-acre Bald Mountain 
fire, which expanded rapidly and eventually merged with the Pole Creek 
fire, threatening the cities of Elk Ridge and Woodland Hills.
  Fortunately, on September 13, the fire suddenly halted behind the 
mountain, saving the communities of Elk Ridge and Woodland Hills.
  To commemorate the peak that saved their community, many residents of 
Elk Ridge City have adopted the name Miracle Mountain.
  H.R. 722 would simply designate this peak as Miracle Mountain to 
serve as a lasting tribute to the mountain and the brave firefighters 
that protected Elk Ridge City and Woodland Hills from the ravaging Bald 
Mountain fire.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, Representative Curtis, for 
championing this legislation and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 
722.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 722, the Miracle 
Mountain Designation Act. This bill would designate a mountain near Elk 
Ridge, Utah, as Miracle Mountain to recognize the providential events 
that took place in early September 2018 during the Pole Creek and Bald 
Mountain fires.
  These massive wildfires burned roughly 120,000 acres in Utah. The 
fires and their smoke were visible to the majority of Utah's residents 
in the greater Salt Lake City area.
  Two northern Utah cities located in Congressman Curtis' district, Elk 
Ridge and Woodland Hills, narrowly escaped these fires barreling 
towards their communities. Evacuations were ordered for these 
communities, and families were forced to abandon their homes and pray 
for the best. Swift winds and severe drought conditions fueled the fire 
which was on a direct path towards these small towns.
  On September 13, a miracle happened. As the fire reached the base of 
a lone mountain standing between the fire and Elk Ridge, the winds 
inexplicably shifted, and the fires were thrown off their deadly path. 
These communities were miraculously spared.
  Since the fire, the unnamed peak has been referred to as Miracle 
Mountain by many Utahns.
  Two weeks ago, Elk Ridge Mayor Ty Ellis testified before the Natural 
Resources Committee about the miracle he had witnessed. At the hearing, 
Mayor Ellis stated: ``As I drove towards that mountain, I said to 
myself, it truly is a miracle that that mountain remains green, and 
behind it is nothing but ash.''
  Mayor Ellis reached out to Congressman Curtis soon after the fire had 
been contained to see if the peak could be named ``Miracle Mountain.''
  We are all grateful to the courageous Federal, State, and local 
firefighters who worked tirelessly to battle the blaze.
  Naming the peak Miracle Mountain is a fitting acknowledgement of 
divine intervention and a gesture of gratitude to all those who came 
together to save these towns and help those who were forced to 
evacuate.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this measure, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.

[[Page H10301]]

  

  Ms. HAALAND. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time and 
would inquire whether my colleague has any remaining speakers on his 
side.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have one speaker.
  Ms. HAALAND. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Lamborn).
  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, this is an important bill. I support it; I 
urge its adoption.
  I have to take this opportunity to address another vital issue that 
we are addressing this week in Congress, but we are not having any time 
to debate, practically speaking. All special orders have been shut 
down, all 1 minutes have been shut down, practically speaking, so I am 
going to take this moment and address the impeachment issue, which we 
will be voting on as early as Wednesday.
  I rise to highlight the work of the late President John Fitzgerald 
Kennedy, who wrote the book, ``Profiles in Courage.''
  In this book, then-Senator Kennedy highlighted six Senators who each 
took a stand for what they knew was right, risking their political 
futures in favor of their convictions. One of these Senators was Kansas 
Senator Edmund Ross, who courageously cast the deciding vote against 
his own political party and against the impeachment of President Andrew 
Johnson despite enormous pressure from his colleagues in Congress.
  Senator Ross was a brilliant freshman senator with enormous 
potential, yet he sacrificed it all with one vote in 1868.
  During the process, an onlooker overheard him say that he had no 
sympathy for President Johnson but wanted to see a fair trial.
  Ross' reverence for the Constitution and the institutions of American 
government superseded the wishes of his own political party.
  Today, my friends and colleagues across the aisle would do well to 
learn from Senator Ross, who put principle and a strong belief in the 
Constitution over the fads and crazes of the politics of the moment. 
His reasoning echoes loudly today.

  If a President could be forced out of office by insufficient evidence 
that was generated from partisan disagreement, the Presidency would 
then be under the control of whatever congressional faction held sway.
  The American people clearly decided in 2016 that Donald Trump is our 
President.
  I fear that, throughout this impeachment process, my colleagues 
across the aisle will choose to cast aside the Constitution and the 
will of the American people as they carry out this hyperpartisan 
impeachment.
  History will long remember those who stood and courageously defended 
the Constitution, just as Senator Ross did on that fateful day as he 
forged his profile in courage by bucking his own political party.
  I wonder if my colleagues understand the legacy they are forging. My 
question for them simply is this: Who of you will choose to be a 
profile in courage?
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. HAALAND. Mr. Speaker, I just once more want to remind this House 
how important this measure is, this bill that my colleague, Mr. Curtis, 
has put forth, and I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Haaland) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 722.
  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. WESTERMAN. 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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