Eastern Legacy Extension Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3045) to amend the National Trails System Act to extend the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, and for other purposes, as amended.

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Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3045, which comes to us by Congressman Luke Messer of Indiana, would extend the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

Its purpose is to preserve and interpret for future generations the Corps of Discovery's important preparations for its trailblazing journey into the Western United States.

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson charged Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark with finding a water route to the Pacific Ocean across the United States' newly purchased Louisiana Territory and with seeking out and identifying wildlife, vegetation, and native populations along the way.

The journey contributed greatly to the scientific knowledge and helped to foster profound political, social, economic, cultural, and environmental changes to the lands and the peoples of the North American continent.

The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail was established in 1978 and spans 3,700 miles following the route of the Lewis and Clark expedition west of the Mississippi River from Wood River, Illinois, to Astoria, Oregon.

H.R. 3045 would extend the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail by 1,200 miles, with a new eastern boundary at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, following the path of the Ohio River.

The Eastern Legacy Extension of the trail encompasses important history and key moments for the expedition.

In February of 2018, at the direction of Congress, the National Park Service completed a study on the proposed extension of this trail. The study found the route proposed for inclusion in H.R. 3045 to be nationally significant, suitable and feasible for inclusion in the existing Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

The Eastern Legacy Extension provided by this legislation recognizes the significance of the planning, preparation, and beginning preparations for the expedition, and will provide new opportunities for Americans to learn about the Corps of Discovery and the lands along the Ohio River where Lewis and Clark refined the techniques that prepared them for the hardships of the long trip west.

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Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, the Lewis and Clark Expedition was literally one of the seminal events that produced this great Nation, spanning from coast to coast, and the completion of this full trail is an important step in recognizing the heroism and the vision of those who came before us to build this Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask for adoption of the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time

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