[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 15, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H3732-H3733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1545
JAPANESE AMERICAN WORLD WAR II HISTORY NETWORK ACT
Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 6434) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish,
within the National Park Service, the Japanese American World War II
History Network, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6434
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 ``Japanese American World War
II History Network Act''.
SEC. 2. JAPANESE AMERICAN WORLD WAR II HISTORY NETWORK.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of the Interior
(hereinafter referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall
establish, within the National Park Service, a program to be
known as the ``Japanese American World War II History
Network'' (hereinafter referred to as the ``Network'').
(b) Duties of Secretary.--In carrying out the Network, the
Secretary shall--
(1) review studies and reports to complement and not
duplicate studies of Japanese American World War II history
and Japanese American experiences during World War II,
including studies related to relocation centers and
confinement sites, that are underway or completed;
(2) produce and disseminate appropriate educational
materials, such as handbooks, maps, interpretive guides, or
electronic information relating to Japanese American World
War II history and Japanese American experiences during the
war, including relocation centers and confinement sites;
(3) enter into appropriate cooperative agreements and
memoranda of understanding to provide technical assistance
under subsection (c); and
(4)(A) create and adopt an official, uniform symbol or
device for the Network; and
(B) issue regulations for the use of the symbol or device
adopted under subparagraph (A).
(c) Elements.--The Network shall encompass the following
elements:
(1) All units and programs of the National Park Service
that are determined by the Secretary to relate to Japanese
American World War II history and Japanese American
experiences during the war, including relocation centers and
confinement sites.
(2) With the consent of the property owner, other Federal,
State, local, Tribal, and privately owned properties that--
(A) relate to Japanese American World War II history and
Japanese experiences during the war, including relocation
centers and confinement sites;
(B) have a verifiable connection to Japanese American World
War II history and Japanese experiences during the war,
including relocation and confinement sites; and
(C) are included in, or determined by the Secretary to be
eligible for inclusion in, the National Register of Historic
Places.
(3) Other governmental and nongovernmental facilities and
programs of an educational, research, or interpretive nature
that are directly related to Japanese American World War II
history and the experiences of Japanese Americans during the
war, including relocation centers and confinement sites.
SEC. 3. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS AND MEMORANDA OF
UNDERSTANDING.
To achieve the purposes of this Act and to ensure effective
coordination of the Federal and non-Federal elements of the
Network described in section 2(c) with units of the National
Park System and programs of the National Park Service,
including the Japanese American Confinement Sites Program,
the Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements and
memoranda of understanding with, and provide technical
assistance to the heads of other Federal agencies, States,
units of local government, Tribes, regional governmental
bodies, and private entities.
SEC. 4. SUNSET.
The authority of the Secretary under this Act shall expire
7 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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 for 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. 6434, the Japanese American
World War II History Network Act, introduced by my Natural Resources
Committee colleague, Representative Jay Obernolte.
This bill will direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish the
Japanese American World War II History Network within the National Park
Service.
Between 1942 and 1945, the U.S. Government wrongfully imprisoned
approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans, most of whom were U.S.
citizens. Many of the U.S. Government's activities during World War II
were done in secrecy and were not accurately represented to the public
in the years after the war.
Designating this network will support education and awareness of the
people, places, and events that were associated with the wrongful
incarceration of Japanese Americans.
This effort will be a welcome complement to the existing Japanese
American Confinement Sites Grant Program, which we are looking to
reauthorize and strengthen today through Representative Matsui's
legislation, which we considered earlier this afternoon.
I thank Representative Obernolte for championing this legislation,
and I urge my colleagues to support it.
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 rise in support of H.R. 6434, offered by my
committee colleague, Mr. Obernolte of California, to establish a
Japanese American World War II History Network within the National Park
Service.
As Chairman Grijalva stated, this bill is complementary to the
previous bill we considered today with the JACS program in it.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, tens of thousands of Japanese
Americans were forcibly removed from the West Coast to relocation
centers across the United States. Japanese
[[Page H3733]]
Americans were imprisoned without trial and forced to relocate to some
of the most remote areas of our country, with few personal belongings.
My State of Arkansas was home to two relocation camps, Rohwer in Desha
County and Jerome in Chicot and Drew Counties.
Mr. Obernolte's bill, which I have proudly cosponsored, would
establish a cohesive national network to increase the visibility of all
sites related to the Japanese American experience during World War II.
The network will be similar to existing networks established in recent
years to connect sites associated with the Underground Railroad, the
Reconstruction era, and the African American civil rights movement.
At the legislative hearing, Mr. Bruce Saito, chair of the Friends of
Manzanar, testified about this critical network, saying: ``We must
continue to strengthen the network and continue to connect the dots
through the network so this tragic and very important lesson in history
is never forgotten.''
The new network will be an important tool to ensure that this
history, no matter how painful it may be, is always remembered, and the
important stories of interned Japanese Americans are told with honor
and respect.
In addition to the Friends of Manzanar, we have received letters of
support from the Amache Preservation Society, the National Conference
of State Historic Preservation Officers, the National Japanese American
Historical Society, and the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.
I commend Mr. Obernolte for his work on this important legislation
that will help future generations learn from and reflect on the
experiences of Japanese Americans during World War II.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important bill,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for his support,
and I thank Mr. Obernolte for introducing the legislation. I urge
adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Obernolte, our colleague on
the committee, and Ms. Matsui, a former colleague on the committee, for
two pieces of very important legislation that look at the realism that
we need to look at in terms of our history as a Nation. They are
complementary and good pieces of legislation.
Madam Speaker, I urge approval, 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. 6434.
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. HARRIS. Madam 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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