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Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument Act

Floor Speech

Date: July 23, 2018
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Arts, Entertainment, and History Environment

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Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5979) to establish the Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument in the State of Kentucky as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes, as amended.

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Mr. McCLINTOCK. I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5979, introduced by Representative Hal Rogers of Kentucky, establishes the Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument in Kentucky as a unit of the National Park System.

The Battle of Mill Springs was one of Kentucky's largest Civil War battles and played a crucial role in the Union's success by securing the Cumberland Gap and providing the gateway into Tennessee.

The Battle of Mill Springs bolstered the Union's morale, as it was the first major victory of the war following the disastrous defeat at First Manassas. Winning the battle enabled the Union to push all Confederate powers out of Kentucky and allowed them to advance into Confederate strongholds in Middle Tennessee.

Mill Springs Battlefield was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1994. The boundary was expanded in 2008 and now encompasses over 1,500 acres. The nonprofit Mill Springs Battlefield Association currently owns 900 acres of battlefield land and operates a visitors center at the site.

H.R. 5979 establishes the Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument as a unit of the National Park System. The proposed monument would be approximately 1,500 acres, of which 900 will be donated to the Park Service.

I am grateful to Mr. Rogers for sponsoring this legislation. It is the right way to create a national monument. Monuments ought to be created through the open legislative process of Congress and not via executive fiat.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I am now pleased to yield such time as he may consume to gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the distinguished author of this measure.

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Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, these historic sites provide a tangible link between our generation and those who came before us and allow us to draw inspiration from the deeds and sacrifices of those who built this country and secured freedom for all Americans. This is an important part of that story, and I would ask for adoption of the measure.

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