Homestead National Historical Park

Floor Speech

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Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1472) to rename the Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, Nebraska, as the Homestead National Historical Park.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1472

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. HOMESTEAD NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK.

(a) In General.--The first section of the Act of March 19, 1936 (16 U.S.C. 450u), is amended by striking ``designated'' and all that follows through the end and inserting ``designated the `Homestead National Historical Park'.''.

(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the unit of the National Park System known as ``The Homestead National Monument of America'' shall be considered to be a reference to the ``Homestead National Historical Park''.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1472, introduced by my friend Representative Smith from Nebraska, would rename the Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, Nebraska, to the Homestead National Historical Park.

In 1862, President Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, and this enabled citizens to own a portion of the vast public lands across the Western United States.

To commemorate the first claim under the Homestead Act, Congress established the Homestead National Monument of America in 1936; serving as a lasting memorial to the over 1.6 million claims that built the American West.

Today, the Homestead National Monument of America consists of the first site successfully claimed under the Homestead Act, the Freeman School, a heritage museum, hiking trails, and 100 acres of restored tall grass prairie. Redesignating this important monument as a national historical park would provide a more accurate and appropriate description of the scope and complexity of the site's resources and would conform the park's designation to Park Service standards.

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank my colleague Representative Smith for introducing this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1472. I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill. The community of Beatrice--I just had to say it one more time because I like that pronunciation--is fortunate to be home to what will hopefully soon be America's newest historical park, the Homestead National Historical Park, and is also fortunate to have been represented over the years by these two fine gentlemen from Nebraska.

Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote on this bipartisan bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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