[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 190 (Thursday, October 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S7495]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3992. Ms. ERNST (for herself, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Cotton, and Mr.
Padilla) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA
3867 submitted by Mr. Reed and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R.
4350, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2022 for military
activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and
for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe
military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following:
SEC. 1064. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE SURFACE NAVY.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The United States Surface Navy represents the millions
of sailors and thousands of ships that sail on oceans around
the world to ensure the safety and freedom of Americans and
all people.
(2) The Battleship IOWA is an iconic Surface Navy vessel
that--
(A) served as home to hundreds of thousands of sailors from
all 50 States; and
(B) is recognized as a transformational feat of engineering
and innovation.
(3) In 2012, the Navy donated the Battleship IOWA to the
Pacific Battleship Center, a nonprofit organization pursuant
to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
after which the Center established the Battleship IOWA Museum
at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California.
(4) The Battleship IOWA Museum is a museum and educational
institution that--
(A) has welcomed millions of visitors from across the
United States and receives support from thousands of
Americans throughout the United States to preserve the legacy
of those who served on the Battleship IOWA and all Surface
Navy ships;
(B) is home to Los Angeles Fleet Week, which has the
highest public engagement of any Fleet Week in the United
States and raises awareness of the importance of the Navy to
defending the United States, maintaining safe sea lanes, and
providing humanitarian assistance;
(C) hosts numerous military activities, including
enlistments, re-enlistments, commissionings, promotions, and
community service days, with participants from throughout the
United States;
(D) is a leader in museum engagement with innovative
exhibits, diverse programming, and use of technology;
(E) is an on-site training platform for Federal, State, and
local law enforcement personnel to use for a variety of
training exercises, including urban search and rescue and
maritime security exercises;
(F) is a partner with the Navy in carrying out Defense
Support of Civil Authorities efforts by supporting training
exercises and responses to crises, including the COVID-19
pandemic;
(G) is a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
education platform for thousands of students each year;
(H) is an instrumental partner in the economic development
efforts along the Los Angeles waterfront by attracting
hundreds of thousands of visitors annually and improving the
quality of life for area residents; and
(I) provides a safe place for--
(i) veteran engagement and reintegration into the community
through programs and activities that provide a sense of
belonging to members of the Armed Forces and veterans; and
(ii) proud Americans to come together in common purpose to
highlight the importance of service to community for the
future of the United States.
(5) In January 2019, the Pacific Battleship Center received
a license for the rights of the National Museum of the
Surface Navy from the Navy for the purpose of building such
museum aboard the Battleship IOWA at the Port of Los Angeles.
(6) The National Museum of the Surface Navy will--
(A) be the official museum to honor millions of Americans
who have proudly served and continue to serve in the Surface
Navy since the founding of the Navy on October 13, 1775;
(B) be a community-based and future-oriented museum that
will raise awareness and educate the public on the important
role of the Surface Navy in ensuring international relations,
maintaining safe sea transit for free trade, preventing
piracy, providing humanitarian assistance, and enhancing the
role of the United States throughout the world;
(C) build on successes of the Battleship IOWA Museum by
introducing new exhibits and programs with a focus on
education, veterans, and community;
(D) borrow and exhibit artifacts from the Navy and other
museums and individuals throughout the United States; and
(E) work with individuals from the Surface Navy community
and the public to ensure that the story of the Surface Navy
community is accurately interpreted and represented.
(b) Designation.--
(1) In general.--The Battleship IOWA Museum, located in Los
Angeles, California, and managed by the Pacific Battleship
Center, shall be designated as the ``National Museum of the
Surface Navy''.
(2) Purposes.--The purposes of the National Museum of the
Surface Navy shall be to--
(A) provide and support--
(i) a museum dedicated to the United States Surface Navy
community; and
(ii) a platform for education, community, and veterans
programs;
(B) preserve, maintain, and interpret artifacts, documents,
images, stories, and history collected by the museum; and
(C) ensure that the American people understand the
importance of the Surface Navy in the continued freedom,
safety, and security of the United States.
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