Vicksburg National Military Park Boundary Modification Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4467, a bill offered by my colleague, Representative Thompson of Mississippi.

H.R. 4467 authorizes the National Park Service to convey two small pieces of property within Vicksburg National Military Park to the State of Mississippi. This partnership will enhance the visitor experience at the park by facilitating the construction of a new visitor center, built and eventually staffed by the State of Mississippi.

Strategically partnering with the State will empower our Federal park rangers to provide visitors with a deeper understanding of such a sacred and important place.

The siege of Vicksburg was a crucial moment in the Civil War. Positioned on the Mississippi River in central Mississippi, Confederate President Jefferson Davis called the city of Vicksburg the nailhead that holds the South's two halves together. As President Lincoln saw it, Vicksburg was the key to winning the war.

Eager to capture this important city, Union General Ulysses S. Grant ordered the siege of Vicksburg in 1863. By July 4 of that year, the Union Army finally had full control over the Mississippi River. Coupled with the defeat of the Confederate troops at Gettysburg, the siege of Vicksburg was a turning point in the war, paving the way for Union victory.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of our Nation, we must reflect on all parts of our history--the good, the bad, and the ugly; the lessons we need to learn; and the mistakes we cannot afford to repeat.

Sites like Vicksburg Military National Park are where Americans can learn about our past, and sanitizing these hallowed sites is a disservice to our Nation's history. H.R. 4467 is an opportunity. My hope is that the new visitor center will convey the full weight of the painful battle and the context of the Civil War to share the uncomfortable truth rather than perpetuate, unfortunately, this administration's erasure of history.

I thank Representative Thompson and the entire Mississippi delegation for introducing this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4467 and to join me in the preservation of our Nation's past.

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Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, again, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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