[House Report 115-998]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
115th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 115-998
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TO DIRECT THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO ANNUALLY DESIGNATE AT LEAST
ONE CITY IN THE UNITED STATES AS AN ``AMERICAN WORLD WAR II HERITAGE
CITY'', AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
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October 30, 2018.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Bishop of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted
the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 6118]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 6118) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
annually designate at least one city in the United States as an
``American World War II Heritage City'', and for other
purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon
without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 6118 is to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to annually designate at least one city in the United
States as an ``American World War II Heritage City''.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
On December 7, 1941, military forces of the Empire of Japan
attacked the U.S. Naval Fleet and ground bases at Pearl Harbor
in Hawaii.\1\ On December 8, 1941, one day after what President
Roosevelt referred to as, ``a date which will live in infamy,''
the United States declared war against the Empire of Japan.\2\
Three days later, on December 11, 1941, Japan's ally, Germany,
declared war on the United States.\3\ Sixteen million
Americans, mostly young working-age men, served in the military
during World War II, out of an overall United States population
of 113 million.\4\
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\1\``The WWII Home Front.'' National Parks Service. Accessed August
30, 2018. https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-wwii-home-front.htm.
\2\Id.
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While an unprecedented number of Americans served in World
War II, the country drastically increased its war production on
the home front, serving not only the needs of the armed forces
of the United States but her allies as well--in what President
Franklin Roosevelt called ``The Arsenal of Democracy.''\5\ The
combination of millions serving in the military, during a
period of necessary and drastic increases in production, led to
significant social changes on the American home front.\6\
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The World War II period resulted in the largest number of
people migrating within the United States in the history of the
country. Individuals and families relocated to industrial
centers for good paying jobs out of a sense of patriotic duty.
Many industrial centers became ``boomtowns,'' growing at
phenomenal rates. One example, the City of Richmond,
California, grew from a population of under 24,000 to over
100,000 during the war.\7\
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\7\Id.
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Another boomtown was the City of Wilmington, North
Carolina. During World War II, Wilmington was called ``The
Defense Capital of the State.''\8\ Wilmington's largest
employer, the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company, constructed
243 cargo vessels.\9\ Wilmington was also home to many
strategic defense industries, including fertilizer plants,
pulpwood and creosote factories, dairies, and concrete floating
drydock manufacturing. Wilmington was also the site of the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad headquarters and a P-47 fighter
plane training area.\10\ The City and its surrounding area
hosted training for all five military branches, and the City's
population more than doubled with the influx of military
personnel, forcing everyone to cope with a strain on housing,
schools, transportation, the food supply, medical and social
services.\11\
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\8\``Meet America's World War II City.'' City of Wilmington, NC.
Accessed August 30, 2018. https://www.wilmingtonnc.gov/departments/
community-services/world-war-ii-city.
\9\Id.
\10\Id.
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Workers faced many challenges, as working conditions were
difficult and dangerous. Between the bombing of Pearl Harbor in
December 1941 and the D-Day Invasion of Europe in June 1944,
there were more home-front industrial casualties than military
casualties. The high number of industrial casualties led to
improved work place safety and regulations.\12\
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\12\``The WWII Home Front.'' National Parks Service. Accessed
August 30, 2018. https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-wwii-home-front.htm.
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In addition to home-front workers, everyone was expected to
be an active participant in the war effort. Rationing was a way
of life as twenty commodities were rationed, and people were
asked to, ``Use it up--Wear it out--Make it do--or Do
without.''\13\ Materials vital to the war effort were
collected, often by youth groups, and recycled. Many Americans
supported the war effort by purchasing war bonds. Women
replaced men in sports leagues, orchestras, and community
institutions. Americans grew 60% of the produce they consumed
in Victory Gardens.\14\ The war effort on the United States
home front was a total effort.\15\
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\13\Id.
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In recognition of the industrial, governmental, and citizen
efforts that eventually led the United States to victory in
World War II, Congress designated the Rosie the Riveter World
War II Home Front National Historical Park in October 2000.\16\
The Park includes sites, structures, and areas of Richmond,
California, that are associated with the home-front efforts.
Richmond, California, was chosen as the site for this National
Historical Park because of the City's many surviving sites and
structures that help tell the diverse stories of the home
front.\17\
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\16\Public Law 106-352
\17\Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park.
Accessed September 30, 2018. https://www.nps.gov/rori/learn/
historyculture/places.htm.
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H.R. 6118 would provide further commemoration of the World
War II home-front efforts by requiring the Secretary of the
Interior to designate at least one city in the United States
each year as an ``American World War II Heritage City.'' The
bill requires that Wilmington, North Carolina, be the first
city to receive such a designation.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 6118 was introduced on June 14, 2018, by Congressman
David Rouzer (R-NC). The bill was referred to the Committee on
Natural Resources and within the Committee, to the Subcommittee
on Federal Lands. The Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill
on September 6, 2018. On September 26, 2018, the Natural
Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee
was discharged by unanimous consent. No amendments were
offered, and the bill was ordered favorably reported to the
House of Representatives by unanimous consent.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT
1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act.
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, the Committee has received the following estimate for the
bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, October 24, 2018.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 6118, a bill to
direct the Secretary of the Interior to annually designate at
least one city in the United States as an ``American World War
II Heritage City,'' and for other purposes.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jacob Fabian.
Sincerely,
Mark P. Hadley
(For Keith Hall, Director).
Enclosure.
H.R. 6118--A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to annually
designate at least one city in the United States as an
``American World War II Heritage City,'' and for other purposes
H.R. 6118 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to
designate at least one city in the United States annually as an
American World War II Heritage City. That designation would be
based on the city's contributions to the war and its effort to
preserve the history of its contributions during the war. The
bill would designate Wilmington, North Carolina, as the first
American World War II Heritage City.
Using information from the National Park Service, CBO
estimates that implementing H.R. 6118 would have an
insignificant cost in each year and cost about $1 million over
the 2019-2023 period; such spending would be subject to the
availability of appropriated funds. Those costs include
developing an application and selection process, maintaining a
website, and consulting with the Smithsonian Institution or the
National Trust for Historic Preservation to help determine the
designation criteria and make the annual city selection.
Enacting H.R. 6118 would not affect direct spending or
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 6118 would not increase
net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
H.R. 6118 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jacob Fabian.
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or
objective of this bill is to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to annually designate at least one city in the United
States as an ``American World War II Heritage City''.
EARMARK STATEMENT
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4
This bill contains no unfunded mandates.
COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5
Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any
directed rule makings.
Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was
not included in any report from the Government Accountability
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law
98-169) as relating to other programs.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW
This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or
tribal law.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes to existing
law.
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