[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[House]
[Pages 24595-24596]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 EXTENDING AUTHORITY TO BUILD VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL VISITOR CENTER

  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3689) to provide for an extension of the legislative 
authority of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. to establish a 
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor Center, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3689

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY FOR VIETNAM 
                   MEMORIAL VISITOR CENTER.

       Section 6(b) of Public Law 96-297 (16 U.S.C. 431 note) is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period and inserting 
     ``; and''; and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
       ``(5) any reference in section 8903(e) of title 40, United 
     States Code, to the expiration at the end of or extension 
     beyond a seven-year period shall be considered to be a 
     reference to an expiration on or extension beyond November 
     17, 2014.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from the 
Northern Mariana Islands (Mr. Sablan) and the gentleman from Alaska 
(Mr. Young) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SABLAN. 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 the Northern Mariana Islands?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3689, sponsored by the chairman of the Committee on 
Natural Resources, the gentleman from West Virginia, Mr. Nick Rahall, 
and the committee's ranking member, the gentleman from Washington 
State, Mr. Doc Hastings, will extend the time during which the Vietnam 
Veterans Memorial Fund is authorized to establish a visitors center for 
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial here in Washington, D.C.
  Better known as the Vietnam Wall, the memorial is among the most 
visited sights in Washington and is an international symbol of 
reflection and healing. Establishing a visitors center for the memorial 
is critical and more time is needed to complete the extensive planning, 
design, and approval processes required for such a sensitive project. 
This bipartisan legislation extends the authorization through 2014.
  Chairman Rahall has been intimately involved with the development of 
this visitors center, and I join him, along with Representative Doc 
Hastings, in urging our colleagues to support this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for recognizing Alaska, 
the greatest State in the Union, the largest State in the Union, with 
the one congressman that does the whole job of the State of the Union. 
Thank you. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  This bill was introduced by Chairman Rahall and Ranking Member 
Hastings to allow additional time for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial 
Fund to raise private funds for the construction of the underground 
visitors center on The Mall.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this great piece of 
legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, but I would 
like to inquire of the minority if he has any additional speakers.
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. I have no other additional speakers.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my 
support for H.R. 3689, a bill to provide for an extension of the 
legislative authority of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. to 
establish a Vietnam Veterans Memorial visitor center.
  The Vietnam Veterans Memorial visitor center will pay a further 
tribute to the men and women who defended our nation's freedom by 
serving in the United States Armed Forces during the Vietnam War. 
Currently, there are three other monuments that mark the sacrifice paid 
by these brave individuals on the National Mall. They are the Three 
Soldiers statue, the Vietnam Women's memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans 
Memorial Wall. Just last year, there were over 3.8 million visitors to 
these memorials, and I believe that constructing a visitor center to 
facilitate their passion for our veterans is a noble cause.
  The visitor center will become one of the largest war memorials in 
Washington, DC at 25,000 square feet. It will be built underground in 
front of the Lincoln Memorial and may include a movie theater, a three-
dimensional battle scene, mementos left at the memorial, and a wall 
where pictures of slain soldiers will be displayed on their birthdays. 
The center will surely prove to be a fantastic tribute to the service 
and sacrifices made by veterans of the Vietnam War and their families.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that the brave men and women who have 
sacrificed for our present freedoms deserve our fullest support. Our 
nation's service men and women represent the best our country has to 
offer, and they must be treated with the respect and honor they 
deserve. As we ask these courageous soldiers, sailors, airmen, and 
marines--and their families--to do more and more, it's only right we 
continue doing all we can for them. Creating the Vietnam Veterans 
Memorial visitor center is another act of appreciation for our veterans 
and a reminder of the superior job our troops perform for America at

[[Page 24596]]

home and abroad. It is my hope that we will continue to do all we can 
and more for the members of our Armed Forces.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support the bill, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands (Mr. Sablan) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3689.
  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. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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