[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 187 (Tuesday, December 17, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H7286-H7287]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SARATOGA NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD PARK
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 8931) to redesignate Saratoga National Historical Park as
Saratoga National Battlefield Park.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 8931
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SARATOGA NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD PARK.
(a) Redesignation.--Saratoga National Historical Park shall
hereafter be known and designated as ``Saratoga National
Battlefield Park''.
(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to
Saratoga National Historical Park shall be deemed to be a
reference to Saratoga National Battlefield Park.
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
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on H.R. 8931, 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 support of Representative Stefanik's bill,
H.R. 8931, which will redesignate the Saratoga National Historic Park
as the Saratoga National Battlefield Park.
On September 19, 1777, General Horatio Gates led the Continental Army
troops against the British Empire in present-day Saratoga County, New
York. In the ensuing Battles of Saratoga, American colonists would rout
a British invasion force and create a turning point in the
Revolutionary War.
Today, the site of these battles is conserved in the 3,400-acre
Saratoga National Historical Park, a unit of the National Park System.
There, visitors can explore trails and tour routes to experience the
historic battlefield, which includes landmarks, fortifications, and
other important structures. The park also hosts artifacts, exhibits,
historical reenactments, and guided tours.
While the current site was originally named ``Saratoga Battlefield
Park'' by New York State, the ``battlefield'' nomenclature was dropped
in 1938 when the area became part of the National Park System.
With the battles' upcoming 250th anniversary, however, residents of
Saratoga County and New York State have called for renaming the park to
clarify its place in the heroic struggle of American independence.
Accordingly, Representative Stefanik's legislation would redesignate
the site as the ``Saratoga National Battlefield Park,'' thus
identifying its importance as a historical battlefield and emphasizing
the sacrifices of soldiers who fought there.
I thank Representative Stefanik for her leadership on this issue and
for working tirelessly this Congress on behalf of her constituents. We
will all miss Representative Stefanik next Congress, but in the
meantime, I am pleased to be working with her in advancing this
important legislation through the House.
Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 8931. It is unclear to me why when this
park changed from being a State park to part of the National Park
Service the word ``battlefield'' was dropped, but, obviously, the
Battles of Saratoga are a very important part of history. This is where
American Revolutionary forces won decisive victory in 1777.
The change proposed in this legislation is appropriate, I support it,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
New York (Ms. Stefanik), the lead sponsor of the bill.
{time} 1830
Ms. STEFANIK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair and ranking member.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan legislation,
the Strengthening America's Turning Point Act.
I am always so proud to share with my colleagues in Congress and the
American people that upstate New York and the North Country are known
as the cradle of the American Revolution, home to numerous battlefields
and historic sites that were critical in shaping our Nation's founding
and history.
I grew up going to these historic sites like generations of upstaters
and, for years, I have been proud to lead the charge in their
preservation in Congress. Preserving and championing our battlefields
and historic areas is one of my greatest privileges as the
Representative of New York's 21st District and co-chair of the
Congressional Battlefield Caucus.
The Battles of Saratoga were the most significant turning point and
one of the most decisive American battles of the American Revolution.
The American defeat of British forces at Saratoga marked a changing of
the tide in the Revolutionary War, securing foreign support from France
and bolstering domestic support for the American patriots and our
righteous cause.
This bipartisan legislation would rename Saratoga National Historical
Park to Saratoga National Battlefield Park to more accurately reflect
the historical significance of the site and emphasize the crucial
military engagements that took place there.
The historic site was originally named the Saratoga Battlefield Park.
[[Page H7287]]
When it became a national park in 1938, the word ``battlefield'' was
left out of its name. Unanimously supported by the Saratoga County
Board of Supervisors, this significant fix will help increase public
understanding of the deep significance the site holds in our military
history and honor the site where so many gave their last full measure
of devotion, especially important as we are celebrating our Nation's
semiquincentennial.
I want to express my immense gratitude to my great friend and
classmate Chairman Bruce Westerman and Subcommittee Chair Tom Tiffany
and for their partnership ensuring our battlefields and historic sites
in upstate New York and across America are preserved and protected for
generations to come, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, this is a simple, bipartisan bill that
will distinguish an important site for its pivotal role in the American
fight for independence ahead of our Nation's 250th anniversary.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. McClintock). 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. 8931.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________