[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 130 (Monday, July 26, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3857-H3858]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              SEPTEMBER 11TH NATIONAL MEMORIAL TRAIL ROUTE

  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2278) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
designate the September 11th National Memorial Trail, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2278

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

     SECTION 1. SEPTEMBER 11TH NATIONAL MEMORIAL TRAIL ROUTE.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map entitled 
     ``September 11th National Memorial Trail Route Proposed Trail 
     Route,'' numbered 669/176,670A, and dated July 2021.
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
     Park Service.
       (3) Trail route.--The term ``Trail Route'' means the 
     September 11th National Memorial Trail Route designated under 
     subsection (b).
       (b) Establishment of Trail Route.--
       (1) Designation.--There is designated a Trail Route, to be 
     known as the ``September 11th National Memorial Trail 
     Route'', to link the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New 
     York City, the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, 
     Virginia, and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset 
     County, Pennsylvania. The September 11th National Memorial 
     Trail Route shall--
       (A) provide for a tribute to the family members and loved 
     ones who were victims of the attack and the heroes of 
     September 11th, including the first responders in the days, 
     weeks, and months after the attack;
       (B) be a trail of remembrance to honor the fallen in a 
     tangible way that keeps their memories alive and reaffirms 
     the exceptionalism of our country; and
       (C) be a celebration of our Nation's resilience and 
     perseverance since September 11, 2001.
       (2) Route.--
       (A) In general.--The Trail Route shall consist of a series 
     of trails as generally depicted on the Map.
       (B) Availability of map.--The Map shall be available in the 
     appropriate offices of the National Park Service.
       (C) Revision.--The Secretary may revise the Map by 
     publication in the Federal Register of a notice of 
     availability of a new Map.
       (c) Administration.--The Trail Route program shall be 
     administered by the Secretary in consultation with the 
     affected landowners, including any Federal, State, Tribal or 
     local agencies that manage the affected lands, but shall not 
     be considered to be a unit of the National Park System or a 
     part of the National Trail System.
       (d) Activities.--To facilitate the administration of the 
     Trail Route program and the dissemination of information 
     regarding the Trail Route, the Secretary shall--
       (1) produce and disseminate appropriate educational 
     materials regarding the Trail Route, such as handbooks, maps, 
     exhibits, signs, interpretive guides, electronic information, 
     and other interpretive materials;
       (2) coordinate the management and planning of the Trail 
     Route with participating property owners, other Federal 
     agencies, State, Tribal, and local governments, and nonprofit 
     entities;
       (3) create and adopt an official, uniform symbol or device 
     to mark the Trail Route;
       (4) issue guidelines for the use of the symbol or device 
     adopted under paragraph (3); and
       (5) if deemed appropriate by the Secretary, authorize 
     signage on lands managed by the General Services 
     Administration or the National Park Service in the District 
     of Columbia and its environs, without regard to the 
     requirements of the Commemorative Works Act (40 U.S.C. 8901).
       (e) Agreements.--To ensure effective coordination of the 
     Federal and non-Federal properties along the Trail Route, the 
     Secretary may enter into agreements with, and provide 
     technical and financial assistance to, other Federal 
     agencies, the State, localities, regional governmental 
     bodies, and private entities.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Mrs. Dingell) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. DINGELL. 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 Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2278, introduced by Representative Gerry Connolly, 
would designate the September 11th National Memorial Trail Route to 
honor the family members and loved ones who were victims of that day's 
attack, as well as the heroes of September 11.
  The route will consist of a series of trails and roadways linking the 
three

[[Page H3858]]

sites of the September 11 attack: the World Trade Center in New York; 
the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia; and the Flight 93 Memorial near 
Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
  As we approach the 20th anniversary of this horrific act of 
terrorism, this bill would honor the memory of the nearly 3,000 
Americans who lost their lives and would serve as a lasting reminder of 
the heroism and perseverance of our Nation's first responders.
  I thank Representative Connolly for introducing this important 
legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1445

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this year, as the gentlewoman pointed out, marks the 
20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11. While almost 
two decades have passed since that tragic day, we will never forget the 
thousands of innocent people who lost their lives and the brave first 
responders who put their lives on the line in our country's time of 
need.
  Memorials have been established nationwide to honor the victims and 
first responders who were killed in the attacks, including the National 
9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Virginia, the Flight 93 National Memorial in 
Pennsylvania, and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New 
York.
  H.R. 2278, offered by Congressman Connolly, authorizes the Secretary 
of the Interior to designate a memorial trail, approximately 1,300 
miles in length, to link the three existing September 11 memorials in 
Virginia, New York, and Pennsylvania. The tour route will intersect 
Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and 
Washington, D.C., and will be administered by the National Park 
Service.
  This bill will help preserve the memory of the 2,977 innocent people 
who lost their lives on 9/11 and ensure that we never forget the 
horrors of that fateful day. I hope it also serves as some solace to 
the families of the victims, who can use this trail to remember and 
honor their lost loved ones.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Connolly), the author of this important piece of 
legislation.
  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my dear friend, Congresswoman 
Dingell, for her support, and the distinguished ranking member, the 
Republican manager, for his support.
  In a troubled time, when we seem like we can't get together, here is 
an opportunity to come together, as we did 20 years ago on September 
11.
  I rise in support of H.R. 2278, designating the September 11th 
National Memorial Trail Route, a 1,300-mile system of trails and 
roadways that connect all three sites attacked on September 11, 2001: 
The World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon here in Washington, 
D.C., and the Flight 93 Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
  As our Nation prepares for the 20th anniversary of September 11, we 
have an opportunity to create a lasting legacy connecting all three 
sites.
  The trail provides trail-goers with a chance to reflect and learn 
about our Nation's resilience and perseverance following that dreadful 
day.
  In addition to the three 9/11 memorials anchoring this route, 
travelers can learn about our founding with stops at Valley Forge 
National Historical Park and Independence Hall in Philadelphia or visit 
the Antietam National Battlefield or the Gettysburg National Military 
Park to remember some of the other darkest days in our Nation's 
history.
  This trail route connects travelers with these points in our history 
and majestic landscapes, while driving further tourism and recreation 
along its route.
  It starts at the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington and extends northwest 
to the Shanksville site in Pennsylvania. It continues east to New York 
City's National September 11 Memorial & Museum. It then heads south, 
following the East Coast Greenway, connecting to the Garden of 
Reflection 9/11 Memorial. It then connects to the National Mall here in 
Washington, D.C., and ultimately returns to the Pentagon Memorial, 
remembering that dreadful incident at the Pentagon that cost so many 
lives.
  It extends through six States and the District of Columbia. It is a 
multiuse trail, with more than 50 percent of the route off road. The 
idea for the trail was born in the wake of September 11 at the Mid-
Atlantic Governors Conference on Greenways, Blueways, and Green 
Infrastructure.
  Conference chair and then-director of the Virginia Department of 
Conservation and Recreation, David Brickley, presented the vision for a 
trail route connecting the Pentagon and the site of Flight 93 and the 
Twin Towers in New York City. David founded the September 11th National 
Memorial Trail Alliance in the following year to develop the September 
11th National Memorial Trail.
  This route would be administered by the Secretary of the Interior in 
consultation with the affected landowners but would not be considered 
as a unit of the National Park System or as part of the National Trail 
System.
  The Secretary would be authorized to produce and disseminate 
educational materials and create an official symbol or trail marker to 
mark the trail routes.
  The bill authorizes the Secretary to enter into agreements with and 
provide technical and financial assistance to other Federal agencies, 
States, localities, and private entities, as may be required.
  Designating the September 11th National Memorial Trail route will 
serve as a natural embodiment of our pledge to never forget the heroes 
and the victims of that terrible day.
  It honors the memories of nearly 3,000 family members and loved ones 
we lost on that day, and it is a tribute to the bravery of the heroes 
that responded.
  When I was a local board of supervisors member, I was in a fire 
station, Fire Station 30, and I saw firsthand those first responders 
who went to the Pentagon to try to save lives, putting their own lives 
at risk.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope this bill gives anyone touched by the tragedy of 
9/11 an opportunity for reflection, comfort, and healing. It is also a 
moment for us to come together once again to remember the heroes and 
the victims of that day, to honor them, and to come together as 
Republicans and Democrats in that pursuit.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2278, as amended.
  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. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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