To direct the Commandant of the Coast Guard to convey 2 Coast Guard cutters.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to proudly support H.R. 517. This is a bill which would direct the Commandant of the Coast Guard to convey the Coast Guard cutter, the Bramble, to the Port Huron Museum of Arts and History in Port Huron, Michigan, upon its decommissioning on May 22, 2003.

The Bramble is also known by its nickname, ``The Thorn of the Great Lakes.'' It is concluding 59 years of service to our Nation. This proud ship has a remarkable history which began in the Great Lakes, has ended in the Great Lakes, and so it is fitting that she remain there to memorialize its great maritime past.

First commissioned in 1945 in Duluth, Minnesota, she departed the Great Lakes for California to perform navigational duties. She continued these duties in Alaska in the Aleutian Island chain. She participated in ``Operation Crossroads,'' the first test of atomic bombs' effects on surface ships at Bikini Island.

In 1957, after being outfitted as an icebreaker, the Bramble traveled 4,500 miles in 64 days, making her the first surface ship to circumnavigate the North American continent.

In 1962, the Bramble returned to the Great Lakes, and today she resides in Port Huron, Michigan, also commonly known as the Blue Water Area. This is an area that is very rich with maritime heritage.

Her duties include servicing hundreds of navigational buoys, weather buoys, fog signals, shore lights, and lighthouses as well. This good ship has received many awards during its tour of duty. Just to name a few: The Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the Arctic Service Medal, and the Special Ops Service Medal.

One additional duty that the Bramble has performed for many years has actually affected me personally. I race every year in the longest freshwater sailboat regatta in the world. It is called the Port Huron to Mackinac Sailboat Race. This is an event that attracts literally hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors, and as the fleet progresses its way up Lake Huron, the Bramble has traditionally followed the fleet, always on call in case of some tragedy. This has been a huge comfort to the sailors that participate in this race, including myself. This year will be my 27th such race. And actually after 25 of these races they induct them into something called the ``Old Goat Society,'' or in my case an old nanny goat. I think I am the only nanny goat in the United States Congress.

This year, though, the Bramble will not be following the fleet. A new cutter called the Hollyhock will do the honors, and I am certain that the Coast Guard will continue to demonstrate the skill and the bravery and the professionalism that it has always been known for.

Nevertheless, the Bramble has become an integral member of the Port Huron community, and over these many years of service, the community has come to view this ship as belonging to the town and to its people because this ship is part of our past, so much so that a charitable nonprofit organization made up of members of the community called the Port Huron Museum of Arts and History has been formed to take possession of and to administer the Bramble as a tangible example of Michigan's maritime character.

Upon receiving the Bramble, these groups intend to open it to the public, both in Port Huron and other locations around the Great Lakes, as it promotes an appreciation for maritime history and education, as it partners with our local community college, the local school district, and provides a training platform for training cadets of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy.

Passage of H.R. 517 would ensure that the Bramble will continue to loyally serve the communities.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to thank the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo), chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, for his assistance in this matter.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 517.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 517) to direct the Commandant of the Coast Guard to convey the Coast Guard Cutter Bramble, upon its scheduled decommissioning, to the Port Huron Museum of Arts and History located in Port Huron, Michigan, for use for education and historical display, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 517 conveys the Coast Guard Cutter Bramble to the Port Huron Museum of Arts and History located in Port Huron, Michigan, for use for education and historical display. The amendment we are considering also conveys the Coast Guard Cutter Planetree to Jewish Life, a nonprofit corporation that promotes the understanding of Jewish culture and history. The Bramble is completing a nearly 60-year-long career, performing the same tasks of buoy tending, ice breaking, search and rescue and law enforcement for which she was commissioned in 1944.

One of 39 original Iris Class 180-foot seagoing buoy tenders built in Duluth, Minnesota, the Bramble has served admirably all over the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. The Cutter Bramble has served on the Great Lakes since 1962 and has been homeported in Port Huron since 1975. With new technology evolving, the door has opened for a new class of buoy tenders to replace the 180-foot buoy tenders. The 225-foot Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock will replace the Bramble, which will be decommissioned on May 22, 2003. The Cutter Hollyhock will be homeported in Port Huron.

Although the Bramble has reached the end of her service life to the Coast Guard, I can think of no better mission that she can continue to perform than public service. Serving as an educational and historical platform, she will remain a vital link to Port Huron's rich maritime heritage.

The Cutter Planetree, a 180-foot seagoing buoy tender commissioned in 1943, also has a long history of excellent service to the Coast Guard and to this Nation. She served in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. In addition to operating from ports in Guam, the Great Lakes and throughout the Pacific Northwest, the Planetree made her Alaska debut in 1974 when she was transferred to Juneau. Decommissioned in 1999 in her homeport of Ketchikan, the Planetree currently is berthed in the San Francisco area where she was retired to a naval vessel graveyard. The Planetree was replaced by the new 175-foot buoy tender Anthony Petit. This legislation will make it possible for Planetree to resume her public service mission by serving as a symbolic ship honoring the original 66 exodus ships, their crew members, and the 77,000 Holocaust survivors those vessels carried to Israel.

This legislation dealing with the Bramble was introduced by the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller) and, as it is being considered today, also includes the Planetree provision requested by the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman). This bill allows the public to continue to receive benefits from these vessels after their services are no longer required by the Coast Guard.

I urge all Members to vote for this important legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. McCotter).

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 517, a bill to authorize the conveyance of two Coast Guard cutters to nonprofit organizations so they can use them for education and historic displays.

The 180-foot buoy tender Bramble was commissioned in 1944 and served our Nation until its decommissioning on May 22, 2002. The Bramble has sailed the waters from Alaska and Hawaii to Puerto Rico. Since 1962, she has served on the Great Lakes and has been homeported in Port Huron, Michigan, since 1975.

H.R. 517 will authorize the conveyance of Bramble to the Port Huron Museum of Arts and History where she

will continue to be open to the public for educational and historical display purposes.

H.R. 517 also provides for the conveyance of the 180-foot buoy tender Planetree to the Jewish Life Corporation. The Planetree was commissioned in 1943 and served our Nation until it was decommissioned in 1999. During her service to our country, the Planetree served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Since 1974, the Planetree has served in Ketchikan, Alaska. The Jewish Life Organization will use the Planetree to teach the public about the original 66 Exodus ships, their crewmembers and the 77,000 Holocaust survivors those vessels carried to Israel.

These conveyances include the standard requirements that Congress has used in the past for similar vessel conveyance, including prohibition of the vessel from being used for commercial transportation purposes, agreeing to make the vessels available to the Federal Government in a time of war or national emergency, and a requirement that the organizations have the necessary funds to operate and maintain the vessels in good working condition. There must be a minimum amount of at least $700,000 in financial resources available.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 517.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate the efforts of Ranking Member Oberstar, and those of Chairman LoBiondo and Ranking Member Filner of the Coast Guard Subcommittee, and also Congresswoman Miller and thank these Members for their support of H.R. 517.

I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation, which would transfer the title of two decommissioned Coast Guard vessels to organizations that, I'm sure you would agree, plan to put them to good use.

Let me speak in particular about the provision of the bill that would transfer the title to the Coast Guard Cutter Planetree to Jewish Life, a non-profit U.S. corporation based in California. Jewish Life plans to refurbish the Planetree to act as a floating exhibit to commemorate the 66 Exodus ships that carried Holocaust survivors to Israel following World War II, and to educate Americans about their role in this critical event in Israel's history.

The Planetree was decommissioned 3 years ago. The vessel is not seaworthy and has been in cold-water storage in San Francisco ever since, at some expense to U.S. taxpayers.

While many are aware of the importance of the Exodus to the establishment of Israel, few are aware of the critical role that Americans played in it. Over 200 Americans manned the Exodus ships, which were responsible for carrying 70,000 Holocaust survivors to Israel.

The vessel, re-christened the Exodus 2004, will tour ports in the U.S. and Europe, and participate in ceremonies at each stop commemorating the Exodus. The vessel will end its tour in Israel, where it will remain as a floating exhibit as part of a museum dedicated to the Exodus.

I believe that this certainly is a worthwhile cause, and I encourage you to vote in support of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 517, introduced by Mrs. Miller of Michigan, would direct the Commandant of the Coast Guard to convey the Coast Guard Cutter Bramble, upon its scheduled decommissioning, to the Port Huron Museum of Arts and History located in Port Huron, Michigan for use for education and historical display.

As amended, H.R. 517 would also direct the Commandant of the Coast Guard to convey the Coast Guard Cutter Planetree, decommissioned on March 19, 1999, to Jewish Life, a nonprofit corporation that promotes the understanding of Jewish history and culture. The vessel will serve as a symbolic ship honoring the original 66 Exodus ships, their crewmembers, and the 77,000 Holocaust survivors they brought to Israel.

Before the vessels are conveyed, the recipients of the vessels must agree to (1) use the designated vessel for education and historical display; (2) not use the vessel for commercial transportation; (3) make the vessel available in time of war or national emergency; and (4) hold the government harmless for any claims arising from exposure to hazardous materials. The recipients must also show their financial viability.

I urge the House to pass this legislation. Returning these decommissioned Coast Guard cutters to missions of public service benefits the public by providing important education and outreach activities.