[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 16195-16196]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1500
                  DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA LAND CONVEYANCE

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 5494) to direct the Director of the National Park 
Service and the Secretary of the Interior to transfer certain 
properties to the District of Columbia, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5494

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

     SECTION 1. TRANSFER OF CERTAIN PROPERTIES.

       Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall transfer to the 
     District of Columbia by quitclaim deed all right, title, and 
     interest of the United States to the following properties in 
     the District of Columbia:
       (1) Square 336, Lot 828, as shown on Assessment and 
     Taxation Plat 3761-Y among the records of the Surveyor of the 
     District of Columbia (Shaw Junior High School recreation 
     fields).
       (2) Square 542, Lot 85, as referenced on page 104 of 
     Subdivision Book 141 and shown on Map 8634 among the records 
     of the Surveyor of the District of Columbia (Southwest 
     Library).
       (3) Square 2864, Lot 830, as shown on Assessment and 
     Taxation Plat 3495-G among the records of the Surveyor of the 
     District of Columbia (Meyer Elementary School).
       (4) Reservation 277-A, as shown on page 4 of Subdivision 
     Book 134 among the records of the Surveyor of the District of 
     Columbia.
       (5) Square 2558, Lot 803, as shown on Assessment and 
     Taxation Plat 65 among the records of the Surveyor of the 
     District of Columbia (a portion of the Marie H. Reed 
     Community Learning Center).
       (6) Square 2558, Lot 810, as shown on Assessment and 
     Taxation Plat 65 among the records of the Surveyor of the 
     District of Columbia (a portion of the Marie H. Reed 
     Community Learning Center).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) and the gentleman from Washington 
(Mr. Hastings) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. 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 the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5494 was introduced by 
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia in June 
2010. The bill would direct the Secretary of the Interior to transfer 
title to six small Federal properties to the District of Columbia.
  This land transfer will allow the city government to better maintain 
these properties as well as plan for their future development.
  Mr. Speaker, Congresswoman Norton is a tireless advocate for the 
people of the District and should be commended for her work on this 
bill. I congratulate her on her efforts and urge the House to support 
this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, the gentlelady from the 
Virgin Islands has adequately explained this bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, the sponsor of H.R. 5494, 
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, is chairing a committee meeting at 
this time, so she is unable to be on the floor. Therefore under general 
leave, I am submitting the statement of Congresswoman Norton for the 
Record.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman of the 
Committee on Natural Resources, Nick Rahall, and sucommittee chair Raul 
Grijalva for their delightful work in moving this important bill to the 
House floor. H.R. 5494 will transfer ownership of certain properties in 
the District from the National Park Service (NPS) to the District of 
Columbia. NPS supports the transfer of these small, scattered 
properties. These isolated parcels are of no use to NPS, but can be 
useful for overall livability in the city.
  The District of Columbia is land-poor because the federal government 
owns much of the land here, and certainly the best located land. In 
fact, these transfers achieve a balance between the city and NPS, by 
addressing the city's growing need for land in a manner consistent with 
NPS's mission to protect parkland. These small parcels are scattered 
throughout the city and include a portion of the Marie H. Reed 
Community Learning Center, the old Meyer Elementary School site, the 
Shaw Junior High School recreational fields, the Southwest Library 
site, and a small traffic island at the intersection of North Capitol 
Street and Florida Avenue. The transfer of these small parcels will 
allow the District to develop recreational fields, encourage economic 
development and improve livability in the District of Columbia.
  As we begin to emerge from the Great Recession, the District needs 
all available tools and resources to help promote economic recovery. 
For years, the District has managed

[[Page 16196]]

and maintained these properties, which have no national, regional or 
historical significance, and are of no interest to the federal 
government. My bill simply allows the District to better utilize the 
limited land here for the benefit of the city and its residents.
  I ask my colleagues to pass this non-partisan, non-controversial land 
transfer bill.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5494, 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 direct the Secretary 
of the Interior to transfer certain properties to the District of 
Columbia.''
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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