Tom McClintock

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2880, introduced by our colleague, John Lewis, redesignates the Martin Luther King, Junior, National Historic Site in the State of Georgia as the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. It also authorizes the National Park Service to include the Prince Hall Masonic Temple in the Historical Park's boundaries. The Prince Hall Masonic Temple long served as the headquarters of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. This historic and distinguished civil rights organization was cofounded by Dr. King, who also served as its first president. Including the Prince Hall Masonic Temple within the unit's boundary allows the National Park Service to provide technical assistance to the building's owners with respect to repairs, renovations, and maintenance that would preserve its historic integrity. It can be said that every American figuratively walks in the footsteps of the American Founders and those who followed them and who perfected their vision. Because of their work, we enjoy the blessings of a free government that exists to protect the God-given natural rights of every person and a free society where every person will be judged, in Dr. King's words, ``on the content of his character.'' Our historical parks give us the opportunity literally to walk in the footsteps of these great Americans who have struggled over the centuries to secure this vision. Those who gathered around Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in the 1950s walked the streets of this neighborhood, and its preservation gives us and future generations a tangible link with them. One of them was our distinguished colleague, Congressman Lewis, and I commend him for his work. It is altogether fitting that a man who did so much to establish this legacy brings to the House today a bill to further preserve it, and I urge its adoption. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I would urge adoption of the measure. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1475) to authorize a Wall of Remembrance as part of the Korean War Veterans Memorial and to allow certain private contributions to fund that Wall of Remembrance, as amended.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1475, introduced by Congressman Sam Johnson, would permit a privately funded addition of a Wall of Remembrance to the Korean War Veterans Memorial. The Wall would list the names of all members of the U.S. Armed Forces who were killed in theater during the Korean war as well as the number of all of the American POWs and MIAs. They call the Korean war America's forgotten war. During the 3 years of that war, 5.8 million Americans worldwide served in the U.S. armed services, 22 nations fought alongside us to preserve the freedom of South Korea. 54,246 Americans died worldwide during this conflict, 8,200 were missing in action, and an additional 103,284 were wounded. The sacrifice they made and the freedom they secured for the people of South Korea must never be forgotten. This measure assures the names of the fallen shall live on. This bill comes to us from one of only three Korean war veterans who still serve their country today in this House, the legendary Congressman Sam Johnson of Texas, from whom we will be hearing shortly. Representatives Charles Rangel and John Conyers, Jr., also distinguished themselves in that war, as they have in this House, and are original cosponsors. I urge passage of the bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is important that we remember those who died in the war and those who served in the war because their achievement remains alive today. It is personified in a free and prosperous Republic of Korea that has been a beacon of hope to the oppressed people throughout the Asian Continent and a steady counterbalance to the malignant presence of the North Korean dictatorship. From the dais in this Chamber, Douglas MacArthur paid tribute to these brave souls with these words. He said: ``I have just left your fighting sons in Korea. They have met all tests there, and I can report to you without reservation that they are splendid in every way . . . Those gallant men will remain often in my thoughts and in my prayers always.'' And so should they with us. This bill assures that this will not be a forgotten war, and our honored dead will not be forgotten by name. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, we are all deeply honored to serve in this House with the author of this measure, a genuine hero who served courageously in both the Korean and Vietnam wars and who endured many years of suffering as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He not only saw the courage and heroism of those who fought in Korea, he was one of them. I am honored to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson).

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3004) to amend the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Act to extend the authorization for the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse), my colleague on the Natural Resources Committee.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 812, which is sponsored by our respected colleague from Idaho, Congressman Simpson. This measure reforms tribal sovereignty made to America's Indian nations. Specifically, this bill provides new authority to tribal governments to manage and develop their trust assets according to their own best judgment and the wishes of their own constituencies rather than an historically inept and often clueless bureaucracy in Washington. These nations are either sovereign or they are not, and the essence of sovereignty is self-determination. Under this act, participating tribes will have the option of entering into disagreements with the Department of the Interior to take over management of the resources within their own jurisdictions. This bill also builds upon other congressional initiatives like the HEARTH Act of 2012, which deferred to a tribe's own judgment about what is in the best interests for their own lands. This bill has strong bipartisan support both here in the House as well as the U.S. Senate. Additionally, the bill is supported by the National Congress of American Indians, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Intertribal Timber Council, and the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, which include 57 tribal governments in Oregon, Idaho, Washington, southeast Alaska, northern California, and Montana. I urge passage of the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson), the author of this measure and an indefatigable fighter for the Indian nations of our country.

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

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 812) to provide for Indian trust asset management reform, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3371) to adjust the boundary of the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park to include the Wallis House and Harriston Hill, and for other purposes.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 3371, introduced by our colleague Barry Loudermilk, expands the boundary of the Kennesaw National Battlefield Park. It also authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire approximately 8 acres of land only by donation or exchange from willing sellers. The expanded area includes the historic Wallis House and Harriston Hill. Wallis House is one of the few remaining structures associated with the Kennesaw Mountain Civil War battle, while Harriston Hill was strategically significant as the Union signal station. The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in June of 1864 was critical to the Union campaign to split the Confederacy, and although it was a tactical victory for the Confederate, it opened the way for the Union's strategic victory of taking Atlanta. The sacrifices of more than 3,000 Union troops on Kennesaw Mountain made possible Sherman's famous telegram to Lincoln 3 months later that ``Atlanta is ours, and fairly won.'' These battlefields remind succeeding generations of Americans of the price paid by so many for the preservation of our Constitution and the liberty it protects and the enormous responsibility that each of us has to maintain and defend that same Constitution today. I urge passage of the bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk), the author of this measure.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 3620, introduced by Congressman Tom Marino, amends the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Improvement Act to allow a road in the recreation area to continue to be used by commercial vehicles that serve the local communities adjoining this federally designated land. It is entirely in keeping with one of our principal objectives for Federal land use policy: to restore the Federal Government as a good neighbor to the communities impacted by the Federal lands. Before the Federal Government took control of 70,000 acres of land adjacent to the Delaware River in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, highway 209 served as a major trucking route for commerce. Legislation that created the recreation area and implemented it sought to prohibit commercial vehicles from using this public highway, promising to establish alternate routes. Yet, despite three extensions of the deadline, local residents and businesses in the communities of Delaware Township, Dingman Township, Lehman Township, Metamoras Borough, Middle Smithfield Township, Milford Borough, Milford Township, Smithfield Township, and Westfall Township in Pennsylvania are directly threatened by the impending limitation. H.R. 3620 would protect the people of these communities from this unnecessary disruption and inconvenience by allowing commercial vehicles serving these communities to continue to use this long-established highway. Specifically, it directs the Department of the Interior to establish a fee and permit program for commercial vehicles serving these communities. This bill enjoys broad support in the affected communities, and Congressman Marino should be commended for his efforts to resolve this vexing issue for his constituents. I urge the passage of the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the author of this measure, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Marino).

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill. I yield back the balance of my time.