[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 20049-20051]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




NATIONAL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD NETWORK TO FREEDOM AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1239) to amend the National Underground Railroad Network to 
Freedom Act of 1998 to provide additional staff and oversight of funds 
to carry out the Act, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1239

       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 ``National Underground 
     Railroad Network to Freedom Amendments Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORIZING APPROPRIATIONS FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES.

       The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 
     1998 (16 U.S.C. 469l et seq.) is amended--
       (1) by striking section 3(d);
       (2) by striking section 4(d); and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new section:

     ``SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       ``(a) Amounts.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out this Act $2,500,000 for each fiscal year, to be 
     allocated as follows:

[[Page 20050]]

       ``(1) $2,000,000 is to be used for the purposes of section 
     3.
       ``(2) $500,000 is to be used for the purposes of section 4.
       ``(b) Restrictions.--No amounts may be appropriated for the 
     purposes of this Act except to the Secretary for carrying out 
     the responsibilities of the Secretary as set forth in this 
     Act.''.

     SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       The amendments made by section 2 shall take effect at the 
     beginning of the fiscal year immediately following the date 
     of the enactment of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) and the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. 
McMorris Rodgers) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arizona?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 1239, introduced by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), 
seeks to further the commitment made by Congress with the passage of 
the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1998 by 
reconfiguring the authorization of funds to carry out the act.
  Mr. Speaker, the Underground Railroad was a historic protest movement 
against slavery which helped escaped slaves find freedom in Northern 
States and Canada prior to the Civil War.
  The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1998 
established the Underground Network to Freedom Program administered by 
the National Park Service. Today the program carries out important 
activities in more than 27 States and the District of Columbia.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend my friend and colleague from 
Florida (Mr. Hastings) for his work on this legislation. He has been a 
real leader in this bipartisan effort to enhance the Underground 
Railroad Network to Freedom Program. We support passage of H.R. 1239, 
as amended, and urge its adoption by the House today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1239, 
and yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I would like to commend the sponsor, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Hastings), as well as the chairman of the subcommittee Mr. Grijalva, 
for explaining this bill. We appreciate the work that has been done to 
improve the bill, and look forward to see the program succeed. I urge 
Members' support.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), the author and sponsor of this 
legislation.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H.R. 1239, the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom 
Reauthorization Act. I introduced this legislation with my good friend, 
the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle).
  The widespread bipartisan support this legislation has received with 
67 cosponsors and endorsement by the National Parks Conservation 
Association has demonstrated that black history is synonymous with 
American history as life experience shared by all citizens of America.
  I would like to thank Chairman Rahall and Mr. Don Young of the 
Natural Resources Committee for bringing this important legislation to 
the floor, and I would especially like to thank the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Grijalva), the subcommittee chairman, and his counterpart, 
Representative Rob Bishop, for their support. And my congratulations to 
Mrs. McMorris Rodgers on her recent addition to her family and her 
finding time to come and support this legislation as well.
  With passage of this legislation, I hope that the National Park 
Service will give the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom 
its due priority with adequate staffing to maintain the growing 
network. Toward that end, I would also like to thank the staff of the 
respective committees who helped to expedite this matter.
  Mr. Speaker, when I joined my esteemed former colleague, as did many 
other Members, and the person to whom I am referring is Representative 
Lou Stokes, in 1998, he led the effort to establish the National 
Underground Railroad to Freedom. I don't think any of us could have 
foreseen the emergence of the National Park Service as one of the 
largest stewards of black history in the United States. Nor could we 
have predicted the rapidly expanding support and interest for one of 
the most intriguing multicultural collaborations in the history of our 
Nation.
  The Network to Freedom is a key feature that diversifies engagement 
in interpretive opportunities of our National Park System. It has grown 
to 300 programs, sites, and partners in 28 States and the District of 
Columbia. This network is a national treasure of historic buildings, 
routes, programs, projects, and museums with thematic connections to 
the Underground Railroad.
  The legislation before us today appropriately adjusts the 
authorization levels for the Network to Freedom to reflect the growth 
of interest nationally, and the resulting expansion of opportunities. 
These adjustments will help to resolve the financial challenges facing 
the Network to Freedom that include the lack of consistent development 
grants and administrative support for affiliates.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill protects the interpretive interests of our 
National Park System by providing the necessary support staff and 
oversight for the Network to Freedom to exist in perpetuity. It is time 
to take a stand for the future of our national parks and American 
history.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill and preserve a vital asset 
to the history of our Nation, the Underground Railroad.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H.R. 1239, the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom 
Reauthorization Act. I introduced this legislation in February with my 
good friend Representative Castle of Delaware as one contribution to 
the celebration of Black History Month.
  The widespread bi-partisan support this legislation has received with 
67 cosponsors and endorsement by the National Parks Conservation 
Association has demonstrated that Black history is synonymous with 
American history as a life experience shared by all citizens of 
America.
  I would like to thank Chairman Rahall and Ranking Member Young of the 
Natural Resources Committee for bringing this important legislation to 
the floor. I would also like to thank Subcommittee Chairman Grijalva 
and Representative Rob Bishop for their support and minor adjustments 
to this legislation to meet the needs of the National Park Service 
administration. With passage of this legislation, I hope that the 
National Park Service will give the National Underground Railroad 
Network to Freedom its due priority with adequate staffing to maintain 
the growing network.
  Mr. Speaker, when I joined my esteemed former colleague 
Representative Louis Stokes in 1998 to establish the National 
Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, I do not think we could have 
foreseen the emergence of the National Park Service as one of the 
largest stewards of black history in the United States. Nor could we 
have predicted the rapidly expanding support and interest for one of 
the most intriguing multicultural collaborations in the history of our 
Nation.
  In this polarized historical moment of American politics, remembering 
the Underground Railroad as a unifying narrative in our history could 
not be timelier. The sacrifice at the risk of death made by conductors 
and travelers of the Underground Railroad was an unprecedented 
contribution to the abolition of slavery. The contributors to this 
network included the members of the Society of Religious Friends, 
commonly referred to as the Quakers, as well as other concerned 
individuals. Thus, the Underground Railroad was one of the first 
synergistic partnerships that fostered the development of the thriving 
multicultural society that is the United States of America.

[[Page 20051]]

  Mr. Speaker, the Network to Freedom is a key feature that diversifies 
engagement in interpretive opportunities of our national park system. 
It has grown to 300 programs, sites, and partners in 28 states and the 
District of Columbia. This network is a national treasure of historic 
buildings, routes, programs, projects, and museums with thematic 
connections to the Underground Railroad.
  The legislation before us today appropriately adjusts authorization 
levels for the Network to Freedom to reflect the growth of interest 
nationally and the resulting expansion of opportunities. As a part of a 
concerted movement to overcome the funding challenges that threaten all 
national parks, this legislation moderately expands the operating funds 
of Network to Freedom to an authorization for appropriations up to $2 
million and establishes appropriate oversight for grant funds. These 
adjustments will help to resolve the financial challenges facing the 
Network to Freedom that include the lack of consistent development 
grants and administrative support for affiliates.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill will protect the interpretive interests of our 
National Park System by providing the necessary support staff and 
oversight for the Network to Freedom to exist in perpetuity. It is time 
to take a stand for the future of our National Parks and American 
history.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill and join me in preserving a 
vital asset to the history of our Nation: the Underground Railroad.
  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1239, 
the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Reauthorization 
Act of 2007.
  Established in 1998, the Network to Freedom encompasses over 250 
programs, sites, and partners in over 27 states and the District of 
Columbia, and is the only national program dedicated to the 
preservation, interpretation, and dissemination of Underground Railroad 
history.
  Recent National Park Service financial projections, however, show the 
Network to Freedom budget reducing by 72 percent by the year 2011. 
Without continued and adequate funding, efforts to disseminate this 
critical history and build on the program's successes will be greatly 
diminished. H.R. 1239 will reauthorize the National Underground 
Railroad Network to Freedom Act by increasing funding to cover needed 
operations costs for the National Parks Service to carry out the 
provisions of the program, and by increasing the availability of grant 
funding to support Underground Railroad preservation and interpretative 
projects throughout the United States.
  With nine Network to Freedom sites throughout Delaware and reports 
that more passengers came through Wilmington on the Underground 
Railroad than any other place, this program has a real local 
significance. Underground Railroad stations were operated by a few very 
effective people throughout Delaware in Blackbird, Camden, Middletown, 
New Castle, Hockessin and Wilmington. Thomas Garrett, for example, is 
known as Delaware's greatest station master. Spending the greater part 
of his lifetime working in the Underground Railroad, Thomas Garrett is 
credited with helping 2,700 slaves reach freedom.
  By playing a critical role in helping local communities to 
effectively share the stories of the men and women who resisted slavery 
through escape and flight in the Underground Railroad, this program 
highlights the rich history of Delaware and many other states and is an 
asset to our National Parks System. I believe strongly in promoting 
programs and partnerships to commemorate this time in history and 
educating the public about the historical significance of the 
Underground Railroad.
  I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in 
supporting passage of H.R. 1239.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support the 
National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, an important program 
that keeps alive the memory of the Underground Railroad and the spirit 
of freedom, justice and equality encompassed therein.
  The Underground Railroad stood as a beacon of hope during a time of 
slavery and oppression for millions of African-Americans. Tens of 
thousands of enslaved individuals used the network of clandestine 
routes, safe houses, meeting points and secret codes known as the 
Underground Railroad to escape to freedom during the first half of the 
19th century.
  In 1998, Congress established the National Underground Railroad 
Network to Freedom. This network of 300 affiliate sites across the 
United States has done an excellent job over the last decade in 
increasing public awareness of the Underground Railroad, the amazing 
individuals who made it possible, and its numerous accomplishments. 
However, this tremendous program has faced persistent underfunding 
since its inception and is projected to face a budgetary shortfall of 
nearly 80 percent by 2011 unless its funding is increased.
  The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Reauthorization 
Act presents a sensible and important solution to this challenge. This 
bill will authorize $2.5 million annually for the operation of the 
Network to Freedom program, an increase from the $500,000 currently 
authorized. This modest increase will provide the program with 
sufficient funding to allow it to retain the staff and resources 
necessary to continue educating the American public about this shining 
example of truly American values.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe strongly in the values embodied by the 
Underground Railroad and the people who made it a reality. I am proud 
to be an original cosponsor of the National Underground Railroad 
Network to Freedom Reauthorization Act, which I believe is a crucial 
step in keeping alive the memory of the Underground Railroad. I commend 
my friend and colleague, Mr. Hastings of Florida, for introducing this 
important legislation.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, 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. 1239, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``A bill to amend the National 
Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1998 to authorize 
additional funding to carry out the Act, and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________