Establishment of the General George C. Marshall House As An Affiliated Area

Floor Speech

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1352) to designate the General George C. Marshall House, in the Commonwealth of Virginia, as an affiliated area of the National Park System, and for other purposes, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1352

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE GENERAL GEORGE C. MARSHALL HOUSE AS AN AFFILIATED AREA.

(a) In General.--The General George C. Marshall House, in the Commonwealth of Virginia, is established as an affiliated area of the National Park System.

(b) Description of Affiliated Area.--The affiliated area shall consist of the area generally depicted as the ``General George C. Marshall House Property, Leesburg, Virginia'' on the map titled ``General George C. Marshall House, Proposed Affiliated Area'', numbered 999/189,974, and dated September 2023.

(c) Administration.--The affiliated area shall be managed in a manner consistent with--

(1) this Act; and

(2) any law generally applicable to units of the National Park System.

(d) Management Entity.--The George C. Marshall International Center shall be the management entity for the affiliated area.

(e) Agreements.--The Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'')--

(1) may provide technical assistance and enter into cooperative agreements with the management entity for the purpose of providing financial assistance for the marketing, marking, interpretation, and preservation of the affiliated area; and

(2) shall enter into an agreement with the management entity that delineates the roles and responsibilities for the management of the area consistent with the policies and standards that apply to units of the National Park System.

(f) Limited Role of the Secretary.--Nothing in this Act authorizes the Secretary to acquire property at the affiliated area or to assume managerial or financial responsibility for the operation, maintenance, or management of the affiliated area.

(g) Private Property Protection.--Nothing in this Act affects the land use rights of private property owners adjacent to the General George C. Marshall House.

(h) No Buffer Zones.--

(1) In general.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to create buffer zones outside of the General George C. Marshall House.

(2) Activity or use outside the general george c. marshall house.--The fact that an activity or use can be seen, heard, or detected from within the George C. Marshall House shall not preclude, limit, control, regulate, or determine the conduct or management of activities or uses outside of the George C. Marshall House.

(i) Management Plan.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds are made available to carry out this section, the Secretary, in consultation with the management entity, shall complete a management plan for the affiliated area in accordance with section 100502 of title 54, United States Code.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. 1352, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1352, which would designate the General George C. Marshall House in Virginia as an affiliated area of the National Park System.

General George C. Marshall was a war hero, statesman, master strategist, and one of the most important figures in modern American history. From his distinguished service in both World Wars to his prominent role in shaping postwar peace, he was the rare American whose service touched every dimension of national strength. He was immortalized through his namesake Marshall Plan, the monumental recovery effort to rebuild Western Europe after the Second World War, for which he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.

In rare times of quiet during those pivotal years, General Marshall would retire to his home in Leesburg, Virginia, where he could humbly tend his gardens and ease his mind.

Today, his estate remains an unusually intact window into his life, with the house and contents still in near-perfect condition.

In 2005, the home and its gardens were open to the public as a museum.

This bill recognizes George Marshall's legacy and ensures that Americans can continue to draw inspiration from his story by designating his home as an affiliated area of the National Park System. This designation conveys honor and recognition while keeping the management and fiscal responsibilities of the estate with the George C. Marshall International Center. This bill does not put the property under Federal management or add to the Federal estate.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, again, I commend both parties for working together to bring this legislation to the floor. I appreciate the gentleman from Virginia for sponsoring this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, again, H.R. 1352 would designate the General George C. Marshall House as an affiliated area of the National Park System, improving national recognition while keeping the site privately managed without taxpayer support.

This is an appropriate bill to consider during our Nation's 250th anniversary celebrations, as it bestows recognition to one of the most hardworking and pivotal Americans of the postwar era.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1352, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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