[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 187 (Tuesday, December 17, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H7283-H7284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JACKIE ROBINSON BALLPARK NATIONAL COMMEMORATIVE SITE ACT
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 8012) to establish the Jackie Robinson Ballpark National
Commemorative Site in the State of Florida, and for other purposes, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 8012
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 ``Jackie Robinson Ballpark
National Commemorative Site Act''.
SEC. 2. JACKIE ROBINSON BALLPARK NATIONAL COMMEMORATIVE SITE.
(a) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(2) Site.--The term ``Site'' means the Jackie Robinson
Ballpark National Commemorative Site designated by subsection
(b).
(3) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Florida.
(b) Designation.--Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona
Beach, Florida, is hereby designated as the Jackie Robinson
Ballpark National Commemorative Site.
(c) African American Civil Rights Network.--The Site shall
be part of the African American Civil Rights Network
established under the African American Civil Rights Network
Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-104).
(d) Administration.--
(1) Cooperative agreements.--The Secretary may enter into
cooperative agreements with appropriate public or private
entities for interpretative and educational purposes related
to the Site.
(2) Effect of designation.--The Site shall not be a unit of
the National Park System.
(3) Limitations.--Nothing in this Act--
(A) authorizes the Secretary to interfere with the rights
of any person with respect to private property or any local
zoning ordinance or land use plan of the State or any
political subdivision thereof;
(B) affects the administration of the Site by any owner of
the Site; or
(C) authorizes the Secretary to acquire land or interests
in land through condemnation or otherwise.
(e) Special Resource Study.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct a special
resource study of the Site to evaluate the national
significance of the Site and determine the suitability and
feasibility of designating the Site as a unit of the National
Park System.
(2) Alternatives.--The Secretary shall consider
alternatives for preservation, protection, and interpretation
of the Site by Federal, State, or local government entities,
or private and nonprofit organizations.
(3) Conduct of study.--The study shall be conducted in
accordance with section 100507 of title 54, United States
Code.
(4) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date on which
funds are made available to conduct the study, the Secretary
shall submit a report to Congress that describes the results
of the study and any recommendations of the Secretary with
respect to the Site.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentleman from California (Mr.
Huffman) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.
General Leave
Mr. WESTERMAN. 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 H.R. 8012, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arkansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of Representative Waltz' bill,
the Jackie Robinson Ballpark National Commemorative Site Act.
By designating the Jackie Robinson Ballpark as a National
Commemorative Site, this bill recognizes the ballpark's important role
in advancing civil rights and ending racially segregated sports in 20th
century America.
In 1946, Jackie Robinson played in the first racially integrated
spring training game at what is now named the Jackie Robinson Ballpark
in Daytona Beach, Florida.
At the time, Jim Crow laws prevented integrated baseball throughout
the South. A year later, Robinson would make his major league debut
with the Brooklyn Dodgers where he broke the MLB's color barrier and
became the first African American to play in a modern-era MLB game.
Robinson would eventually finish his career as a six-time all-star
while amassing over 1500 hits and maintaining a .311 batting average.
Throughout his career, Robinson demonstrated courage and excellence on
and off the field, opening the door of opportunity for generations of
athletes who succeeded him.
By designating the ballpark a National Commemorative Site, this bill
recognizes the facility's historic role in advancing civil rights
without adding to the Federal estate or using taxpayer dollars.
Mr. Speaker, I support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill. It would designate the
Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Florida, as a National
Commemorative Site to honor the legendary baseball player, Jackie
Robinson.
I did not know this, but this park is the oldest active ballpark in
minor league baseball. It opened in 1914. The historic significance, of
course, is that heading into spring training in 1946, every other minor
league park locked their stadiums and canceled games rather than allow
Jackie Robinson to play as part of the Montreal Royals in that minor
league season. So only Daytona Beach set side segregation laws to
permit Robinson to play at the ballpark that now bears his name. A year
later, he was called up to the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the rest is
history.
The park was renamed the Jackie Robinson Memorial Ballpark in 1990
and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. By
designating it as a National Commemorative Site, we would continue to
honor and bolster Robinson's legacy, which is a good thing.
I appreciate this bill. I appreciate that it is sponsored by the
entire Florida delegation, displaying not only the truly bipartisan
nature of this effort, but also a universal understanding of the
importance of memorializing Jackie Robinson for the contributions he
made to the civil rights movement.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Waltz), the lead sponsor of this bill.
Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I am excited to rise today in support of this
bill, H.R. 8012, the bipartisan, bicameral Jackie Robinson Ballpark
National Commemorative Site Act to honor the location where Jackie
Robinson broke baseball's color barrier and played his first game.
This bill would designate Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach
as a National Commemorative Site and add the ballpark to the African
American Civil Rights Network.
Additionally, this bill would direct the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct a feasibility study to give the site the designation of a
national historic landmark.
H.R. 8012 honors the location where Jackie Robinson broke baseball's
color barrier when he played his first professional game with the
Montreal Royals on March 17, 1946, in Daytona Beach, at the then-named
Daytona City Island Ballpark.
This is the first time in modern baseball that a Black player and a
White player played on the same team. Incidentally, it is just down the
street from the HBCU Bethune-Cookman. Its founder, Mary McLeod Bethune
represents Florida just down the hallway here in Statuary Hall.
[[Page H7284]]
Jackie Robinson then led the Montreal Royals to a minor league
championship the same season, and the next year, he was promoted to the
Dodgers making modern Major League Baseball history.
In his book, Mr. Speaker, ``My Own Story,'' Jackie Robinson reflected
on the importance of this game, stating that: I knew, of course, that
everyone was not pulling for me to make good, but I was sure now that
the whole world wasn't lined up against me, and when I went to sleep,
the applause was still ringing in my ears.
Since that day, Daytona Beach's ballpark has been a historic landmark
and a reminder of Jackie Robinson's impact, of the civil rights
movement, and of the integration of modern professional baseball.
Its preservation and recognition are even more important and more
crucial now following the demolition of Ebbets Field, home to the
Brooklyn Dodgers in 1960, which again, was the first Major League
Baseball team to sign Robinson, but now that that stadium is destroyed,
we must preserve and honor Jackie Robinson's legacy.
I thank Chairman Westerman for his leadership in bringing this bill
to the floor, so that we can pass it into law and protect and
commemorate the Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona for all future
Americans.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill. I urge my colleagues
to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I, again, commend Representative Waltz
for his efforts in leading this important bill. This is a
straightforward way of recognizing a historic venue that played a
critical role in the fight for equality for all Americans.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of 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 Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 8012, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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