Boundary of Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park

Floor Speech

H.R. 268 authorizes the transfer of approximately 166 acres, by donation, from the International Boundary and Water Commission to the National Park Service for inclusion in the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park in Texas.

Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park is the site of the first major battle of the Mexican-American War and has the distinction of being the only National Park Service unit to interpret the Mexican- American War.

The land authorized to be transferred through this bill includes the historic Fort Brown site in Brownsville, Texas, which served as a critical military outpost during the Mexican-American War.

I thank Chair Grijalva for accommodating our request at markup to require the Secretary of the Interior to complete a boundary study analyzing the feasibility of adding this land to the park prior to it being acquired and incorporated into the boundary. The study requirement will ensure that the land to be donated is feasible for the National Park Service to manage as an addition to the park.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will help preserve an important piece of American history, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am ready to close when the gentleman from Arizona is.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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