[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 15, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H3728-H3729]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SAVE THE LIBERTY THEATRE ACT OF 2021

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3197) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey to 
the City of Eunice, Louisiana, certain Federal land in Louisiana, and 
for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3197

       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 ``Save the Liberty Theatre Act 
     of 2021''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) City.--The term ``City'' means the City of Eunice, 
     Louisiana.
       (2) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled ``Jean 
     Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Proposed 
     Boundary Revision and Disposal'', numbered 467/168813, and 
     dated December 2020.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.

     SEC. 3. LAND CONVEYANCE.

       (a) Conveyance Authority.--The Secretary shall convey to 
     the City, by quitclaim deed and without consideration, all 
     right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the 
     parcels of land described in subsection (b).
       (b) Description of Land.--The parcels of land referred to 
     in subsection (a) are Lots 5 and 6, less the North 27 feet of 
     Lot 5, Block 22, of the Original Townsite of Eunice, 
     generally depicted as ``Proposed Disposal Area'' on the map.
       (c) Availability of Map.--The map shall be on file and 
     available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of 
     the National Park Service.

     SEC. 4. BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS.

       Upon the conveyance to the City of the land described in 
     section 3(b), the boundary of the Jean Lafitte National 
     Historical Park and Preserve shall be adjusted to exclude--
       (1) the conveyed land; and
       (2) Lots 7 and 8 of the Original Townsite of Eunice 
     generally depicted as ``Non-NPS in Current Boundary'' on the 
     map.


[[Page H3729]]


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


                             General Leave

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam 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 
gentleman from Arizona?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3197, the Save the Liberty 
Theatre Act introduced by my colleague Representative   Mike Johnson.
  This bill would direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey a 
small piece of the historic Liberty Theatre to the city of Eunice, 
Louisiana. Although the theater is owned and operated by the city, it 
is adjacent to the Prairie Arcadian Cultural Center, which is owned by 
the National Park Service as a unit of Jean Lafitte National Historical 
Park.
  In the 1980s, the Park Service ended up building an annex to the 
theater in order to construct an ADA compliant ramp and to house an air 
conditioning system for the two buildings. Now, the city of Eunice 
plans to build its own HVAC system. Consolidation of the property is a 
win-win: It will allow rehabilitation of the Liberty Theatre to move 
forward and decrease operating costs for the National Park Service.
  This is a commonsense piece of legislation, and I am pleased to 
support it today. I thank Representative Johnson for bringing this bill 
forward and bringing it to our attention, and I urge our colleagues to 
support the passage today.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I also rise in support, along with Chairman Grijalva, 
of H.R. 3197, the Save the Liberty Theatre Act, offered by Mr. Johnson 
of Louisiana.
  Mr. Johnson's bill transfers a federally owned annex to the city of 
Eunice, Louisiana, so the city can complete critical renovations to the 
historic Liberty Theatre.
  Transferring this annex will allow the park to replace the HVAC 
system in the adjacent Prairie Acadian Cultural Center and allow the 
city of Eunice to install a new HVAC system in the theater and perform 
other renovations that are currently hindered due to the Natural Park 
Services' ownership interest. This transfer will result in cost savings 
for the National Park Service and the taxpayer.
  Madam Speaker, I commend Mr. Johnson for his work to save this 
important Louisiana landmark and building local support for his 
legislation. I urge adoption of the measure, and I hope that the Senate 
will take up this bill very soon.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam 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 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3197.
  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. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  March 15, 2022, on page H3729, in the second column, the 
following appeared: in the affirmative, the ayes have it. Mr. 
GOOD. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: in the 
affirmative, the ayes have it. Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam 
Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


  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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