our job is legislators is to make sure we pass an agenda that delivers the kind of results that people sent us here to achieve. jake: let's talk about this wall for a second. you and republicans going back to 2009, 2010 have insisted on offsetting all sorts of spending. we don't know if mexico is going to pay. we don't know what that is going to look like. how are you comfortable spending $14 billion in unpaid for spending without some sort of mechanism to ensure it gets offset? speaker ryan: we see this as a national security priority, crisis proportions with respect to opioids, drugs, this poor border. -- with respect to the fact that we have a pore smbing s border. this is a national security issue. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2017] >> all of this conversation at cspan.org. search paul ryan. we'll leave here and take you live to the u.s. house. debate on seven lands bills. votes at 6:30 eastern.

the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will designate the rule. the clerk: h.r. 381, to designate a mountain in the john muir wilderness of the sierra national forest as sky point. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman and the gentleman from the mariana islands, mr. sablan, will each control 20 minutes. the gentleman is recognized. >> i ask unanimous consent to that all members have five legislative days to revise and

extend their remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. name a bill would sky mote. on august 12, 2012, sergeant mote was at his post in the tactical operations center of the first marine special operations battalion in hellmund province. on that day, a so-called after began police officer opened fire on the marines who had come there to help that country. mr. mcclintock: when the attack broke out, sergeant mote was in an adjoining room and could have escaped to safety. instead , he grabbed his rifle and entered the room, courageously exposing himself to gunfire to protect his fellow

marines. in a final act of bravery, he engaged the gunman five meters in front of him until falling mortally wounded. it was mote's actions that stopped the attack and tv's his heroism for which he resooved the navy's second highest decoration, the navy cross. e irony is that sky mote was indifferent to the medals he was awarded in his life, the navy and marine corps commendation medal, two combat action medals, three everies he earned. his father russell recall head never cared about medal he never showed them to us he said, once i found one in his laundry. but his father also said though his son was indifferent to medals, he was intentionally -- intensely proud of his e.o.d. badge, designating his service dis explosived or nants

explosive ordinants disposal specialist. he defused two i.e.d.'s, crawl through the a heavily seeded minefield to save the life of a team member who had been severely wounded by a third and then directed the evacuation of his unit. on that day, sergeant mnchings oat earned a navy and marine corps commendation medal with a v for valor. we come here today to the hall of the house of representatives to try to honor a hero who didn't care much about medals. we do so not for him. clin kohn was right, it is beyond our poor powers to add or detract the honor of his deeds or example of his life. i think we do so in part to acknowledge an irredeemable debt that our country owes to an eternally grieving family. we need to remember, there are gold star families aamong us who spend their memorial days not at

barbecues and beach party bus at solemn ceremonies and quiet vigils around honored graves. we honor their loved ones and hope that in some small way we can fortify them against the loss they bear every day of their loss. but mainly i think we do it for ourselves. that we might draw inspiration from his courage and instruction from his willingness to crifice all to protect the liberty enshrined from the -- in the founding of our nation. in consultation with his family, we identified a mountain overlooking where sky mote and his family often camped and hiked this bill proposes that it forever mr be known as sky point as a -- ffer more be known as sky point. in recognition of his sacrifice and a solemn pledge that succeeding generations of his countrymen will never forget him. this legislation first passed

the house by voice vote in the 114th congress and i urge the passage of this bill and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from northern mariana islands is recognized. mr. sablan: i yield myself such time as i may consume. mr. speaker, just listening to my good friend from california explain and give us a description of what happened in this life of this american hero, sergeant sky mote, i am truly touched by the many other stories that are men -- that our men and women in uniform, our veterans, put out in the service of our country. and just as we have just heard this bill designates a money

tain peak in the john muir wilderness as sky point in recognition of fallen marine corps staff sergeant sky mote. sky served our country honorably as a u.s. marine for nine years. he had a tour of duty in iraq and two in afghanistan. by designating that mountain peak sky pint, we will honor his memory and ensure his selfless sacrifice for his country and fellow marines is not forgotten. we passed this legislation last congress by voice vote and i urge we do the same again today. i thank my good friend, the distinguished gentleman from california, for introducing the bill today. if he has no further speakers, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from california. mr. mcclintock: i thank the gentleman for his kind and good

words and urge adoption of the bill. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 381. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirme -- affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. mcclintock: i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 339. sproy the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 339, a bill to amend public law with respect to the northern mariana islands. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. mcclintock, and the gentleman

from the northern mariana islands, mr. sablan, each will control 0 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from -- control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. mcclintock: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mcclintock: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the house has before it h.r. 339, spon soared by congressman is a wlan of the northern mariana islands the house passed a very bill just before the conclusion of the 114th congress, however, that bill was unable to pass the senate before the end of that congress so i'm here today to once again urge the bill's passage through the house and on to the senate. the northern mariana islands are benefiting by new investment and growth of consumer spend, particularly in tourism. their economic growth rate is almost twice that of the rest of our country. to meet this growth, the

commonwealth has to maintain a work forest to match it. currently, the northern marianas is fazing out the use of foreign workers by goesing out the number of cw-1 permits issued by the department of homeland security. economic growth is dynamics but bureaucracy is not. if the c.w.-1 permits are phased out too quickly, the islands may suffer a growth-stopping shortage of labor. this bill would provide flexibility to the commonwealth to protect its new found economic prosperity in three ways. first, it would fund ongoing educational curricula to ensure a skilled domestic work force funded from an increase in cw-1 fees from $150 to $00. second, it would limit the c.w. permits for construction occupations prior to those issued prior to 2015 and it would increase the numb of cw-1 permits in this transition

period. these changes will continue to accommodate the economic growth in the northern marianas while ensures a train -- ensuring a trained work force for the future. i urge adoption of the bill and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from northern mariana islands is recognized. mr. sablan: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. sablan: i'd like to thank chairman rob bishop for allowing my bill to come to the floor again. we passed this same bill in the house on december 6 but the senate adjourned three days later without acting and the problem has not gone away. the economy of the northern mariana islands grew 3.5% last year. the fourth straight year of growth for my district. this economic expansion is good news for the people i represent. we desperately want this growth to continue because the economy is still smaller than it was in 2000. the northern mariana islands economic expansion act addresses

that problem and is broadly supported back home. mr. speaker, i ask to be included in the record letters of support from the governor of the commonwealth of the northern mariana islands and from the commonwealth strategic economic development council, the president of the northern mariana senate, the commonwealth health care corporation, the hotel association of the northern mariana islands and from the chamber of commerce. mr. speaker, in closing, i want to thank again chairman rob bishop of the natural resources committee for his understanding and support. i also thank chairman don young who held a hearing on this issue last september and agreed that action was needed. i appreciate the support of ranking member grijalva and our new immediate ranking member

norma torres and of course, mr. speaker, i am indebted to the minority whip, mr. hoyer and majority leader mr. mccarthy and to my friend, mr. mcclintock, of california who agreed to bring h.r. 339 to the floor today and having no further speakers, i yield back the balance of my time and ask for support of h.r. 339. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back his time. the gentleman from california. mr. mcclintock: thank you, mr. speaker. i urge the house to finish the work it began in december by passing this bill. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 339. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek

recognition? >> i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 46. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 46 a bill to authorize the secretary of the interior to conduct a special resource study of fort ontario in the state of new york. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. mcclintock, and the gentleman from the northern mariana islands, mr. sablan, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. mcclintock: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mcclintock: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcclintock: congressman katko of new york brings us h.r. 46 which authorizes the national parks service to conduct a special resource study of fort ontario in oswego, new york, to evaluate the site's national significance and determine the suitability of its nezz of its

dez ig -- of its designation as part of the parks service. it was started to defend in the french and indian wars, you might say the first time our nation dealt with organized terrorism. it played a royal in the revolutionary war and war of 1812 and served as a hospital and training facility and refugee center in the first and second world wars. in 1946, after nearly 200 years of active military use, fort ontario was transferred to the state of new york that has operated and maintained it ever since. the house passed an identical piece of legislation in the 114th congress. i urge adoption and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from the northern mariana islands is recognized. mr. sablan south carolina i yield myself such -- mr. sablan: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized.

mr. sablan: this bill authorizes study of fort ontario in new york. it was a military installation used in the french and indian wars, later used to house refugees fleeing the nazi holocaust in world war ii. . many americans remember the invasion of normandy or whichia gym -- i with a gyma which have been memorialized in stone. ut the story of frtont is an equally important -- fort ontario is an equally important story, providing refuge from persecutions. they say as much about our national character as the bravery and sacrifice of the millions of americans who were deployed overseas. the site has been managed as a new york state historic site since 1949. and has been listed on the national reblingster of historic places -- register of historic places since 1970.

the study will look into the best available options for the continued preservation of management of fort ontario, including the possibility of turning it into a sunni knit -- unit of the national park system. fort ontario has had many uses throughout our nation's history. and it has had a particular relevant place in the story of jewish americans. as we work to ensure that our public lands still -- tell the story of all americanses, fort ontario and its unique story could be a fitting addition. this bill, passed by the house last september, but was unfortunately not acted upon by the senate. i would like to thank representative katko, the sponsor of this bill, for his continued efforts to ensure the nation knows about the story of fort ontario. this is a good bill and i urge my colleagues to support its passage. and with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. mr. mcclintock from california.

mr. mcclintock: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from new york, the author of this measure, mr. katko. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. katko: i'd like to thank the gentleman for yielding and i'd like to thank both gentlemen for their kind words about this truly unique historical fort in my district. fort ontario stood on the shores of lake ontario for over 260 years and now stands as a testament to the great history of central new york. and the important role the region has played in the nation's history. the fort has been involved in nearly every major american war from the french and indian war to world war ii. from 1944 to 1946, fort ontario served as the nation's only emergency refugee camp. providing shelter to over 980 refugees during world war ii. in recognition of the fort's use of a refugee shelter, primarily for jewish people fleeing the -- fleeing hitler's europe, the site also hosts the safe haven holocaust refugee shelter

museum, a truly eneek fort -- addition to a fort in our country. following world war ii, the fort was transferred to the state of new york to house war veterans and their families until 1953. this unparalleled history would make fort ontario a unique asset for our national park system. i am honored to have introduced this legislation, which takes the first steps toward ensuring fort ontario receives the national recognition it retchly deserves -- richly deserves. the study act will commission a study of fort ontario to evaluate the site's national significance and determine the suitability of its designation as a part of the national park system. fort ontario, now a national historic site in new york, and listed on the national register of historic places, draws residents of new york and visitors from across the nation, and indeed across the globe, to experience a rich history of the fort and a safe haven holocaust refugee shelter museum. designated -- designating the

fort as a national park will not only preserve the unique history of the site, but also have the potential to grow tourism and strengthen our economy. i am proud to be a champion of this effort. i credit the success to this countless individuals and organizations in oswego, and throughout the 24th district, that has spent years working to preserve the history of fort ontario. these groups and individuals include the friends of fort ontario, paul leer with new york state parks, the board of save haven holocaust refugee shelter museum, and the many volunteers that give so much of their time to this cause. reflecting the importance of the fort to the ontario region, i introduced this bill with congresswoman tenney and congresswoman slaughter. i'd like to thank both of them for their support, as well as chairman bishop, for working toward moving this bill forward in legislation. i ask all of my colleagues to support h.r. 46 and i urge my colleagues in the senate to take quick action on this important legislation. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. mr. mcclintock: mr. speaker, i

reserve the balance of my time and have no further speakers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. mr. sablan is recognized. mr. sablan: mr. speaker, i urge adoption and support of the bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california. mr. mcclintock: mr. speaker, this is an important part of american history. it belongs in the national park system. and i'd urge adoption of the bill. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 46. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. mcclintock: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 374. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 374.

a bill to remove the sunset provision of section 2036 public law 105-384 and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. mcclintock, and the gentleman from the northern maras -- marianas islands, mr. sablan, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. mcclintock: mr. speaker, i'd ask nab consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mcclintock: i yield myself such time as i may a couple of. -- consume. mr. speaker, the house has before it h.r. 374, sponsored by our colleague, congresswoman jamie herrera beutler of washington. this bill: consensus-based legislation -- this bipartisan consensus-based legislation would talk about the fisheries of oregon, california and washington by these respective states. they've been doing so since 1980 and doing it well. this permanent

re-authorization's broadly supported by commercial and recreational fishing organizations and is an example of the maxim, if it ain't broke, don't try and fix it. i might add that these three states manage these fisheries in both federal and state waters and the management is funded by the participating states, a relief to the federal treasury. in the last congress, the congressional budget office estimated that an identical bill would save up to $1 million in discretionary federal spending since state management would continue under this act. this bill is a win for the american taxpayer, a win for the seafood consumer and a win for the three states involved. i'd urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. mr. sablan is recognized. mr. sablan: meerks i yield myself such -- mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. sablan: h.r. 374 would reward the states of california, oregon and washington for their long legacy of successful

cooperative management of the west coast dungeness crab fishery in federal waters. these states have, with oversight from the national oceanic and atmospheric administration, noaa, managed these fisheries sustainably and this bill would make that management arrangement permanent. the specifics of the dungeness crab fishery, including robust stock assessments, accurate scouts reporting and little conflict between commercial and recreational crabbers, make regional management a good choice. this is basically the opposite of a fishery like gulf of mexico, where there is a lack of cooperation amongst states and fishing sectors. i agree with the goals of this legislation and ask my colleagues to stand with me in support and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. mr. mccln tock is recognized. mr. mcclintock: i'd now like to yield such time as she may consume to the author of this

measure, congresswoman beautler of washington. the chair: the gentlelady may presume. ms. err era beautler: thank you. i rise in support of the west coast dungeness crab fishery. this successful two-decades-old tri-state dungeness crab management agreement expired on september 30, 2016. this bill simply extends the working management authority between washington, oregon and california that makes this -- and it makes this arrangement permanent. a similar measure passed the house last year with flying colors. for approximately two decades, these states have successfully overseen one of the most valuable fisheries in the pacific northwest. in 2014, fishermen delivered 53 million pounds of crab to market, totaling $170 million. this economic activity helps support more than 60,000 jobs related to the seafood industry in washington alone.

how has it maintained this success? the fishery has been managed in a sustainable, science-based way. and importantly, it doesn't cost taxpayers a dime. if we do not renew this agreement, the national oceanic and atmospheric administration, oronoa, says the management of this fisheryry will cost taxpayer $1.15 million per year. simply put, this bill maintains local control of a crucial resource, ensures sustainability of the dungeness crab fishery, all while saving taxpayer dollars. this bill is the kind of commonsense policy that those folks i represent at home in southwest washington expect to see out of washington, d.c. i want to thank chairman bishop and the house natural resources staff for bringing this bill to the floor, passage of this bill: bill gives fishermen in coastal communities on the west coast peace of mind. i urge the house to vote yes on

this bill and to ensure a bright, sustainable economic future for coastal crab-dependent communities. with that i yield back my time. mr. mcclintock: mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time and have no further speakers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. mr. sablan. mr. sablan: -- mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. mr. mcclintock. mr. mcclintock: mr. speaker, i'm now pleased to introduce mr. graves. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. graves: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i want to commend the sponsor of this bill, i want to commend the co-sponsors of this bill. congressman defazio, congressman kilmer, congressman huffman, and many others that is are supporting this legislation. this is important in that it promotes regional management. this today pertains to dungeness crab, a species that is largely

native to the west coast. in this case, what this legislation does is it provides for regional management. it provides for an opportunity for the states of washington, oregon and california to manage this species. because the states are closer to the ground, they have closer, more intimate relationships with their fishers, and they can ensure that what's being done is in the best interest of those folks, the best interest of the public that they're closer to, and the best interest of the recreational and commercial fishers that use -- that fish this species. i think it's fantastic. as a matter of fact, mr. speaker, i think this is exact model should be expanded -- i think this exact model should be expanded, i think this exact model should be replicated, not just in washington and oregon and california, it should be replicated elsewhere. stim to the atlantic striped bass on the east coast, largely the salmon in alaska. this should be replicated. to allow for states to be able to work together for regional management strategies to manage

the species, to allow for more intimate, better public input, to make sure that it has the appropriate balance between reck real -- recreation and commercial fishers. i want to commend the sponsor of this bill and all the co-sponsors. this is exactly what we need to be doing and we need to be expanding upon this model around the coastal states of this country. i urge adoption of this bill, i urge aggressive passage of this bill and i urge the senate to pass it as well. with that, i yield back. mr. mcclintock: mr. speaker, now we have no further speakers. reserve. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman yield his time? mr. mcclintock: if the gentleman from the marianas has concluded -- mr. sablan: mr. speaker, i urge the -- my colleagues to -- i urge for the adoption of h.r. 374. i have no further speakers. i yield back the balance of my time. mr. mcclintock: and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: all time has expired. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 374.

those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. . in the of the -- in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, -- mr. mcclintock: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. mcclintock: on that i'd ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on question will be postponed. . the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition. mr. mcclintock: i move to suspend the rules a pass h.r. 538 as amended. the clerk: h.r. 538 a bill to redirect ocmulgee national monument in the state of georgia and revise its boundary and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. mcclintock, and the gentleman

from from the northern mariana islands, mr. sablan, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. mcclintock: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include their remarks on the bill under consideration. i yield myself such time as i may consume. they are the oldest sites in our country. works date back before 1,000 a.d. and dating back to the ice age 7,000 ears ago. between the 10th and 12th century a.d.'s they were consumed by the plateau culture. here nappedo desoto is the chiefdom in 15450. just before the american revolution, natist marveled at

quote the wonderful remains of the power and grandure of the people in this part of america. h.r. 538 introduced by representative sanford bishop of georgia, would redesignate the monument in georgia as the ocmulgee mounds historical park to include approximately 2,100 new acres to be acquired by donation or exchange only. it will conduct a resource study to add the river corridor to the national park system. the study will examine the national significance of the site as well as the best methods and means for ensuring protection and interpretation of this area. the bill was passed by voice vote in the house in the 114th congress and i urge my colleagues to vote in favor of passage today. and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. mr. sablan. mr. sablan: mr. speaker, at this

time, i yield as much time as he may consume the sponsor of the bill, congressman sanford bishop of georgia. the speaker pro tempore: jarninged. mr. bishop: i thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of h.r. 538, the ocmulgee mounds national park boundary revision act of 2017. first, i want to thank the gentleman for yielding, mr. sablan and thank the co-author of the legislation, representative austin scott. he is a tireless advocate on behalf of this legislation and we wouldn't be here without his help and his advice. i would like to thank chairman rob bishop and ranking member grijalva and the full natural resources committee in bringing this bill to the floor. in the 114th congress, chairman mcclintock and ranking member

strong aswere helpful as well and i want to commend them and camp for their efforts. this legislation was approved last march by the full house of representatives by voice vote. the senate energy and natural resources committee approved a companion bill but it was not considered by the full senate prior to the adjournment of the 114th congress. mr. speaker, there are few, if any, historic sites in the united states that have evidence of continuous human has beentation from so long ago when the first people came to north america to hunt ice age mammals and settle the plateau and makes the ocmulgee national monument so unique. on 702 acres, one can find archeological evidence from the nomads, and british traders of the late 17th century as well as

the civil war period. our bipartisan legislation consists of three parts, first, it will expand the boundaries from approximately 702 acres to over 2,800 acres, providing protection to additional archeological resources linking two contiguous areas and improving the sites to makeon, georgia, most of the land will be donated from nonprofit associations and government agencies. property will be acquired only from willing donors or willing sellers, subject to the availability of funding. second, the bill would change the name from ocmulgee national monument to ocmulgee mounds national historic park, which would increase name recognition and draw additional visitors. finally, h.r. 538 would authorize resources study to explore the possibility of

expanding the park even further and include additional opportunities for hunting, camping, fishing and other recreational activities. it enjoys widespread local support include makeon mayor, the makeon chamber of commerce and the business bureau and business commission and makeon development commission and the present vacation association and intertribal council of the five siff liesed tribes. in short, i believe that h.r. 538 will strengthen the current ocmulgee national monument and bolster the economy and cultural life of georgia and beyond. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and with that, i yield back the balance of my time. and i thank the gentleman for yielding.

i urge support of legislation and urge its passage. mr. sablan: i reserve. the chair: the gentleman reserves. mr. mcclintock: i yield to the co-sponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from georgia, mr. austin scott. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. scott: thank you, mr. chairman. and i want to thank my colleague, mr. bishop. he has had a busy week as i have with his district being affected by the storms and thank america for their prayers and support. it has been overwhelming. a tremendous amount of churches have opened their doors and volunteers helping pe approximately much people. and thank you who participated. i rise in strong support of h.r. 538. i'm happy this legislation is being considered before the full house and this congress. i'm hopeful we can reach an agreement to pass this legislation and have it signed into law. for years, there has been a great effort to bring about increased recognition of the

ocmulgee national monument. the monument was originally authorized by congress in 1936 to protect the old ocmulgee fields to preserve indian mounds of great historical importance. the history can be traced back to native americans who came to the site. the park is unique in that it displays the stories of prehistoric cultural development including the moundville period and highlights the important role of agriculture in the region. i'm proud to represent this area in georgia along with congressman bishop. our offices worked together along with many regional community partners to advance this goal. by expanding the area from 700 acres to just over 2,000 acres and redesignating the area as the national historical park, the legislation will provide significant economic and cultural benefits to georgia.

h.r. 538 will authorize a resource study for future further expansions and include increased opportunities for recreational activities. the expansion of the area provides for critical preservation of additional archeological preservation and because of its importance, the future of the park must be preserved. the expanded park would generate additional tourism in georgia while educating visitors on the fascinating history of the many civilizations that have thrived in the region. it should be noted that the property than would be acquired from willing donors or sellers using private funds and no federal dollars will be used to achieve the expansion. i thank my co-sponsors and all members of the house committee on natural resources for your

work to bring this legislation to the floor today. i want to close by noting this legislation is a true example of what can be achieved when the local communities, state leaders and the federal government collaborate. the ocmulgee bond dry act was considered from the ground up and well over 3,000 comments from individuals in support of the expansion. without this collaboration, none of this would be possible. i urge my colleagues to vote in favor of h.r. 538. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. mr. sablan. mr. sablan: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers. i urge my colleagues for adoption of h.r. 538. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. mr. mcclirntock. mr. mcclintock: i urge adoption of the bill and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house

suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 538. -- as amended, i'm sorry. those in favor say aye. . those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative. mr. mcclintock: i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those in favor of taking the vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this uestion will be postponed. the gentleman from california. mr. mcclintock: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 558. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: a bill to adjust the boundary of the kennesaw

national park to include the wallace house and harrison hill and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. mcclintock and the gentleman from northern mariana islands, each will control 20 minutes. mr. mcclintock: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to resize and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mcclintock: h.r. 558 introduced by our colleague, representative loudermilk, expands the boundary by authorizing the secretary of the interior to acquire eight acres of land by donation or exchange only. it includes the wallace house and harrison hill. the wallace house is one of the few remaining associated with the kennesaw battle while harrison hill was 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 it opened for the union to take atlanta. sacrificed more than 3,000 union troops on kennesaw mountain made sure that sherman's telegram to lincoln that atlanta is ours and fairly won. these battlefields remind succeeding generations of americans of the price paid for so many for the price of our constitution and the liberty it protects and the enormous responsibility ta each of us has to maintain and defend that constitution today. identical legislation passed the house by voice vote in the 114th congress. i urge passage of the bill and reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. mr. sablan. mr. sablan: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. sablan: i thank the speaker

for the recognition. this bill adjusts the boundry of the kennesaw national battlefield park in georgia to include two significantly structures, the wallace house and the colt's farm and preservation of the atlanta campaign. additionally, the bill authorizes the national park service to acquire by donation approximately eight acres that will be added to the kennesaw national battlefield park. the civil war was a significant event in the history of this country and remains relevant as we grapple with the civil rights discussions today. the preservation of these sites reinforces congress' dedication to enable national park service to interpret a national story. i want to thank my colleague from georgia, representative barry loudermilk for continuing to support the preservation of the history of this great country.

this bill passed the house last congress by voice vote and i encourage swift adoption today. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. . mr. mcclintock: i yield to the gentleman from georgia. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. loud loud thank you, mr. speaker. i rise -- mr. loudermilk: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of house resolution 558, a bill that will add valuable historic property to the kennesaw mountain national battlefield park. located right in the heart of georgia's 11th congressional district. our nation has long recognized the importance of preserving historic sites, especially those battlefields where americans fought and died for freedom. places such as ken is you mountain national battlefield -- kennesaw mountain national battlefield park. it allows to us look back in time, to glimpse events that shaped our nation. it is extremely important that we understand our history, otherwise we will be destined to repeat the mistakes of the past.

this bill, which passed house unanimously last congress, welcomes our next generation to engage in the eye-opening stories of our past. a recent study of american history education revealed that only 23% of college seniors could identify james madison as the father of our constitution. however, 98% of college graduates knew that snoop dogg was a rapper. mr. speaker, it's now more important than ever to ensure that generations following us have access to these historic sites and the educational opportunities they provide, or we risk losing touch with our history. my bill simply allows kennesaw mountain national battlefield park to acquire two pieces of property through donation that will allow -- that will add to the historic and educational value of this historic battlefield. one of the properties this bill will preserve is a home that was built in 1853 by mr. josiah wallace. he built this home for his family, but it was eventually used as a hospital by the confederate army during the civil war.

in 1864 the wallace house fell into the hands of general william sherman of the union army, during his campaign to take atlanta. the house served as sherman's headquarters during the battle of colt's farms with i would was a victory for the union army but the victory was not without cost. when the smoke cleared, over 350 union soldiers and over 1,000 confederate soldiers lay dead. five days later, union general olver howard used the wallace house as his headquarters and communicationses center during the battle of kennesaw mountain, one of the bloodiest hundred wun-day battles of -- bloodiest battles of the -- one-day battle of the war. while the assault by general sherman was a tactical failure costing the lives of over 3,000 of his men, it could not stop general sherman on his march to atlanta. adjacent to the wallace house is eight acres of land known as hairston hill. this property offers a sweeping view of the valley leading to the confederate line on top of

kennesaw mountain and was used by the union as signaling positions during the battle. this location is essential for park visitors to understand the strategic positions taken by union and con fed ral rath armies during -- confederate armies during the battle. in addition to being critical sites, the wallace house and hairston hill are two locations remaining associated with the union army. most of the park's current attractions correspondent with confederate history and these additions will prove to be a major historical acquisition that will enhance the value of the park and provide insight into the union's side of the story. in 2002 the cobb county government purchased the house and hill to prevent the house from being demolished. since then, the county has been seeking to transfer the property to the park. my bill simply modifies the boundary of kennesaw mountain national battlefield park to include the house and the hill and authorizes the park to acquire the property by donation. along with the cobb county

government this land transfer is supported by the national park service, kennesaw mountain park and several park volunteer organizations and historical societies in my district. the legislation is an essential step toward preserving our nation's heritage and a valuable part of civil war history. the wallace house and hairston hill will provide tremendous education and historical value to kennesaw mountain battlefield park and might hope the park will quickly acquire the property and restore it to its original condition for visitors to enjoy for years to come. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california reserves. mr. sablan. mr. sablan: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers. i urge for the adoption of the bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. mr. mcclintock. mr. mcclintock: urge adoption of the bill and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 558. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded

in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid n the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california rise? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to bring up and consider h.r. 724, the statue of liberty values act of 2017. the speaker pro tempore: under guidelines consistently issued by successive speakers, as recorded in section 956 of the house rules and manual, the chair is constrained not to entertain the request unless it has been cleared by the bipartisan floor and committee leaderships. >> thank you. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. mcclintock: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 560. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 560, a bill to amend the delaware water gap

national recreation area improvement act to provide access to certain vehicles serving residents of municipalities adjacent to the delaware water gap national recreation area, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. mcclintock, and the gentleman from the northern mariana islands, mr. sablan, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. mcclintock: mr. speaker, i'd ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill unconsideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mcclintock: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcclintock: mr. speaker, h.r. 560, introduced by congressman marino, amends the dm water gap national recreation area improvement act to allow a highway through the national recreation area to continue to be used by small commercial vehicles that serve the local communities adjoining this federally designated land. it's entirely in keeping with one of our principle objectives for federal land use policy, to

restore the federal government as a good neighbor to the communities impacted by the federal lands. in 1981, a portion of highway 209 was transferred from the commonwealth of pennsylvania to the national park service. two years later, congress closed the national park service segment of highway 209 to commercial traffic, except for commercial vehicular operation serving businesses or persons locating in or continuous to the boundaries of the area. congress also authorized the park service to collect and retain fees from commercial use of the road. a 10-year transition period was established to accommodate impacts on the surrounding communities until alternative trucking routes could be built. congress later passed two additional extensions of the commercial vehicle permitting authority through september 30 of 2015. as the third extension permitting commercial vehicle use of highway 209 neared expiration, local elected officials requested that congress enact legislation to permit access for smaller class

commercial vehicles for businesses physically located in towns adjacent to highway 209. h.r. 560 provides for such an extension, establishes a fee structure, and exempts certain vehicles from the fee, thus protecting residents of these communities from additional disruption and inconvenience. congressman marino should be commended for his efforts to restovesoveb this next vexing issue for his constituents, a nearly identical version of this legislation passed the house by voice vote in the 114th congress. i'd urge adoption of this bill and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. mr. sablan. mr. sablan: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. sablan: i thank the speaker for the recognition. this bill, h.r. 060 -- 560, amends the delaware water gap national recreation improvement act to extend the waiver for certain commercial traffic on u.s. route 209, a federally

owned highway that runs through the delaware water gap national recreation area. when congress added to restrict the commercial traffic on the portion of the highway that runs through the recreation area, the law included an exception for certain vehicles that belonged to nearby businesses and municipal governments. this bill provides a five-year extension of that exemption in order to facilitate continued access for local residents. the national park service, which manages the area, supports the bill and it passed the house, as my colleague from california mentioned, last year by voice vote. i urge my colleagues to support the adoption of this bill and with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. mr. mcclintock. mr. mcclintock: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield what time he may consume to the author of the measure, the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. marino. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. marino: thank you, mr.

speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 560, my bill to re-authorize limited commercial vehicle traffic along route 209, through the delaware water gap national recreation area. tomorrow marks 16 months during which uncertainty has reigned over this 21-mile stretch of road running through my district. over 30 years ago the commonwealth of pennsylvania transferred route 209, then a state road, to the national park service. as commercial vehicle traffic is banned on roads within our national parks, it would ultimately be restricted on this stretch of route 209. but at that time, a 10-year exemption was made to support the local freight, transport industry, and because acceptable alternative routes were not available. after multiple extensions, the most recent commercial vehicle authorization expired at the end of september of 2015.

to address the problem, county and township officials from the surrounding areas met with the national park service and my staff to negotiate a new plan. they recognized the continuing need to allow some commercial vehicles access and settled on the carefully crafted language we are considering today. work to produce this extension acknowledges the continued need of the employers, businesses and homeowners in pike and monroe counties. unfortunately, although the house passed identical language in the 114th congress, and the senate moved it to the floor, this important legislation failed to become law. the resulting uncertainty created hardship for families and businesses in the communities and the neighboring area in the delaware water gap recreation area. lack of access to this stretch of road has cast a cloud on a

wide range of local businesses, from heating fuel and package delivery, to plumbers and electricians. homeowners cannot access the services they need and countless jobs are in jeopardy. thanks critical piece of legislation for my constituents. we must pass it today and urge the senate to act just as quickly. i want to thank chairman bishop and federal lands subcommittee chairman mcclintock, i want to thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for their support and work with my staff to bring the bill to the floor as quickly as possible. i urge my colleagues to support it and i yield back any time that i may have. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california reserves his time. mr. sablan. mr. sablan: mr. speaker, i want to congratulate mr. myrrh are ino, my colleague --

mr. marino, my colleague, mr. marino, for his leadership and his effort in the introduction and efforts toward the passage of 560. i want to also thank my good friend from california for this afternoon. some wonderful time managing this -- these six bills. i urge the passage of h.r. 560 and, with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. mr. mcclintock: mr. speaker, i would just add that this, and all the bills we heard today, authored by both republicans and democrats, which passed this house in the last session unanimously, were all stalled in the senate. i would only express the hope that the senate this year will act on these measures and do its duty as the co-equal branch of the legislative department of this government. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. all time has expired. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the

bill, h.r. 560. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid n the table. the chair lays before the house the 2308ing communication. the clerk: pursuant to the permission granted in clause 2-h of rule 2 of the rules of the u.s. house of representatives, the clerk received the following message from the secretary of the senate on january 30, 2017, at 4:18 p.m. appointments, board of regionents of the smithsonian institution, washington's farewell address, sign, incerely, karen l. haas. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house the following communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of

representatives, sir. 4-a of houseection resolution 5, 115th congress, i am writing to reappointment the following member to the house democracy partnership, the honorable david price of north carolina, ranking member. thank you for your attention to this matter. signed, sincerely, nancy pelosi, democratic leader. the speaker pro tempore: the chair announces the speaker's appointment, pursuant to 22 u.s.c. 2761 and the order of the house of january 3, 2017, of the following member on the part of the house to the british american interparliamentary group. mr. cicilliney of rhode island. the clerk: mr. mr. cicilline: lynney of rhode island. the speaker pro tempore: the

chair announces the speaker's appointment to 19 usc and order of the house january 3, 2017 of the following members on the part of the house to the united states group of the nato parliamentary assembly. r. connolly -- the clerk: mr. connolly of virginia and misfranl of georgia. the speaker pro tempore: the speaker announces the speaker's appointment and the order of the house january 3, 2017 of the following members on the part of the house with the commission on security and cooperation in europe. the clerk: mr. hastings of florida and mr. cohen of tennessee. the speaker pro tempore: the chair announces the speaker's appointment pursuant to 29 usc 2903 and the order of the house january 3, 2017 of the following member on the part of the house to the japan-united states

friendship commission. the clerk: mr. takano of california. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 12-a, rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until approximately 6:30 p.m. today.