Kate Mullany National Historic Site Act

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 19, 2004. The purpose of this meeting will be to mark up legislation to reauthorize child nutrition programs.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 19, 2004, at 8:30 a.m., in open session, to continue to receive testimony on allegations of mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 19, 2004, at 10:00 a.m. to conduct a hearing on ``Congressional Oversight of the IMF and World Bank.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Wednesday, May 19, 2004, at 9:30 a.m. on from public service to private sector: Spinning the Revolving Door for Personal Gain.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 19 at 11:30 a.m., to consider pending calendar business.

Agenda

Agenda Item 1: S. 155--A bill to convey to the town of Frannie, WY, certain land withdrawn by the Commissioner of Reclamation.

Agenda Item 2: S. 180--A bill to establish the National Aviation Heritage Area, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 3: S. 203--A bill to open certain withdrawn land in Big Horn County, WY, to locatable mineral development and bentonite mining.

Agenda Item 4: S. 211--A bill to establish the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 5: S. 323--A bill to establish the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, LA.

Agenda Item 9: S. 1241--A bill to establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site in the State of New York, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 13: S. 1467--A bill to establish the Rio Grande Outstanding Natural Area in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 14: S. 1521--A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land to the Edward H. McDaniel American Legion Post 22 in Phrump, NV, for the construction of a post building and memorial park for use by the American Legion, other veterans' groups, and the local community.

Agenda Item 16: S. 1727--A bill to authorize additional appropriations for the Reclamation Safety of Dams Act of 1978.

Agenda Item 17: S. 2046--A bill to authorize the exchange of certain land in Everglades National Park.

Agenda Item 18: S. 2052--A bill to amend the National Trails System Act to designate El Camino Real de los Tejas as a National Historic Trail.

Agenda Item 20: S. 2180--A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange certain lands in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in the State of Colorado.

Agenda Item 21: S. 2319--A bill to authorize and facilitate hydroelectric power licensing of the Tapoco Project.

Agenda Item 23: H.R. 961--To promote Department of the Interior efforts to provide a scientific basis for the management of sediment and nutrient loss in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 25: H.R. 1446--To support the efforts of the California Missions Foundation to restore and repair the Spanish colonial and mission-era missions in the State of California and to preserve the artworks and artifacts of these missions, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 26: H.R. 1658--To amend the Railroad Right-of-Way Conveyance Validation Act to validate additional conveyances of certain lands in the State of California that form part of the right-of-way granted by the United States to facilitate the construction of the transcontinental railway, and for other purposes.

In addition, the committee may turn to any other measures that are ready for consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Wednesday, May 19, 2004, at 10 a.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to hear testimony on Oversight and Nomination Hearing: The Treasury Department and Terrorism Financing; and, to consider the nominations of John O. Colvin, to be Judge of the U.S. Tax Court; Juan C. Zarate, to be Assistant Secretary for Terrorism Finance, U.S. Department of the Treasury; and, Stuart Levey to the Under Secretary for Enforcement, U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at 9:30 a.m. to hold a hearing on Iraq's Transition--The Way Ahead (Part II).

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, May 19, 2004, at 10 a.m. in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a business meeting on S.J. Res. 37, resolution to acknowledge a long history of official depredations and ill-conceived polices by the United States Government regarding Indian Tribes and offer an apology to all Native peoples on behalf of the United States, and S. 2277, a bill to amend the Act of November 2, 1966 (80 Stat. 1112) to allow binding arbitration clauses to be included in all contracts affecting the land within the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Reservation; to be followed immediately by a hearing on S. 1696, a bill to amend the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to provide further self government by Indian tribes.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special

Committee on Aging be authorized to meet Wednesday, May 19, 2004 from 2:30 p.m.-5 p.m. in Dirksen 628 for the purpose of conducting a hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 19th, at 2:30 p.m.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 900, a bill to convey the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project, the savage unit of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, and the Intake Irrigation Project to the pertinent irrigation districts; S. 1876, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain lands and facilities of the Provo River Project; S. 1957, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to cooperate with the States on the border with Mexico and other appropriate entities in conducting a hydrogeologic characterization, mapping, and modeling program for priority transboundary aquifers, and for other purposes; S. 2304 and H.R. 3209, bills to amend the Reclamation Project Authorization Act of 1972 to clarify the acreage for which the North Loup division is authorized to provide irrigation water under the Missouri River Basin Project; S. 2243, a bill to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project in the State of Alaska; H.R. 1648, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain water distribution systems of the Cachuma Project, California, to the Carpinteria Valley water district and the Montecito water district; and H.R. 1732, a bill to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Williamson County, TX, Water Recycling and Reuse Project, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their explanation of the bill, and I also thank Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton for her dedication to the memory of Kate Mullany. I also thank the gentleman from California (Chairman Radanovich), the gentleman from California (Chairman Pombo), and the ranking members, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen), for their tremendous help.

Special thanks goes to my constituents, Paul Cole, Rachel Bliven, and Paul Bray for their years of work on this project. Most of all, I thank Kate Mullany for her courageous and daring leadership which forever changed the labor movement in America.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time to comment on S. 1241, which will establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site in Troy, New York, in my congressional district.

I was pleased to introduce the House companion to this legislation, H.R. 305. The bill before us today, S. 1241, was introduced by my good friend from New York, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. As First Lady of the United States, Hillary Clinton came to Troy in 1998 to unveil the National Historic Landmark designation at the Mullany House during her ``Save America's Treasures'' tour. I am incredibly grateful to Senator Clinton for her

tireless efforts on this legislation, and on behalf of American workers throughout the Nation.

I must thank the gentleman from California, Mr. Radanovich, Chairman of the Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands, and ranking Member Christensen, for holding a hearing on this bill.

And I must certainly thank the gentleman from California, Mr. Pombo, Chairman of the Resources Committee, and the Ranking Member, the gentleman from West Virginia, Mr. Rahall, for receiving this bill and moving it swiftly to the floor today.

Today we will finally and appropriately recognize a remarkable American and her legacy--as a determined immigrant, a tireless working women, a pioneer of the American labor movement, and a central figure in the rich industrial history of our country.

In its heyday, the city of Troy was a prosperous industrial city known around the world for its large iron works and textile factories. It was home to the world's first commercial laundry and had earned the nickname, ``The Collar City,'' for the many thousands of shirts, detachable shirt collars, and cuffs produced there.

Kate Mullany emigrated to America from Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century. She made her way to Upstate New York and settled in the city of Troy, eventually making her home at 350 Eighth Street. Like many women of the time, Kate Mullany found work in one of Troy's shirt factories. On a daily basis, she undertook physically demanding work steaming and pressing collars, earning minimal wages of just 3 to 4 dollars a day.

Kate quickly became a leader among her peers in the factory--among the women who felt as though they had no choice but to endure 12 to 14 hour workdays in awful conditions while receiving very little pay. These women who had no voice soon found one, and it belonged to Kate Mullany. In 1864, Kate led over 200 fellow female workers on strike, demanding better wages and improved working conditions--and they won. Kate secured a 25 percent wage increase--a remarkable figure at the time, particularly for a group of women.

This bargaining success led to the formation of the Collar Laundry Union--the first all-female labor union in the United States--with Kate Mullany in charge.

Kate's record of individual accomplishment continued as well. In 1868, she was elected a 2nd vice president of the National Labor Union--becoming the first woman ever to hold a national position in any labor organization. Kate became a national figure. Her death in 1906 was noted in newspapers around the Nation, a testament to her amazing story and groundbreaking accomplishments.

The bill before us, S. 1241, designates the Mullany House as a national historic site and as an ``Affiliated Site,'' authorizing the National Park Service to provide technical, planning, and financial assistance to the site's local cooperative partners. This approach responds to the concerns of, and relieves any potential burden placed upon, the Park Service.

I am pleased that the relevant House and Senate committees have recognized the great advantages of having the Park Service, the guardian and protector of our Nation's most treasured sites, involved with this project. This plan enjoys broad bipartisan support from our two Senators; my colleagues in the New York delegation, including Mr. Sweeney, Mr. Boehlert, and Mr. Quinn; the Majority Leader of the New York State Senate, Joe Bruno; and the present and past Mayors of the City of Troy.

The Mullany House is now part of the American Labor Studies Center, a not-for-profit corporation which will continue to own, manage, and operate the site on a daily basis. Plans and funding are in place for the establishment of Kate Mullany Park on the adjacent lot.

Today, we ensure that the Mullany Home will continue to serve as a resource for students, researchers, and tourists for decades to come. This site will be an outstanding addition to the National Park System. I am so pleased to see this long effort and the hard work of so many-- such as Paul Cole, Paul Bray, and Rachel Bliven come to a successful conclusion.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on June 16, 2004, at 9:30 a.m. on The VOIP Regulatory Freedom Act.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on Wednesday, June 16 at 11:30 a.m. to consider pending calendar business.

Agenda

Agenda Item 1: Nomination of Suedeen G. Kelly to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Agenda Item 2: S. 155--A bill to convey to the town of Frannie, Wyoming, certain land withdrawn by the Commissioner of Reclamation.

Agenda Item 3: S. 180--A bill to establish the National Aviation Heritage Area, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 5: S. 211--A bill to establish the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 6: S. 323--A bill to establish the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, Louisiana.

Agenda Item 10: S. 1241--A bill to establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site in the State of New York, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 14: S. 1467--A bill to establish the Rio Grande Outstanding Natural Area in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 15: S. 1521--A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land to the Edward H. McDaniel American Legion Post No. 22 in Pahrump, Nevada, for the construction of a post building and memorial park for use by the American Legion, other veterans' groups, and the local community.

Agenda Item 17: S. 1727--A bill to authorize additional appropriations for the Reclamation Safety of Dams Act of 1978.

Agenda Item 18: S. 1957--A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to cooperate with the States on the border with Mexico and other appropriate entities in conducting a hydrogeologic characterization, mapping, and modeling program for priority transboundary aquifers, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 19: S. 2046--A bill to authorize the exchange of certain land in Everglades National Park.

Agenda Item 22: S. 2180--A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange certain lands in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in the State of Colorado.

Agenda Item 23: S. 2243--A bill to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project in the State of Alaska.

Agenda Item 24: S. 2319--A bill to authorize and facilitate hydroelectric power licensing of the Tapoco Project.

Agenda Item 29: H.R. 1648--To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain water distribution systems of the Cachuma Project, California, to the Carpinteria Valley Water District and the Montecito Water District.

Agenda Item 30: H.R. 1658--To amend the Railroad Right-of-Way Conveyance Validation Act to validate additional conveyances of certain lands in the State of California that form part of the right-of-way granted by the United States to facilitate the construction of the transcontinental railway, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 31: H.R. 1732--To amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Williamson County, Texas, Water Recycling and Reuse Project, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 32: H.R. 3209--To amend the Reclamation Project Authorization Act of 1972 to clarify the acreage for which the North Loup division is authorized to provide irrigation water under the Missouri River Basin project.

In addition, the Committee may turn to any other measures that are ready for consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Wednesday, June 16, 2004, at 11 a.m., to hear testimony on Strengthening Regulations and Oversight to Better Ensure Agriculture Financing Integrity.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 16, 2004 at 2 p.m. to hold a Nominations Hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, June 16, 2004, at 10 a.m. in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a Business Meeting on pending committee matters, to be followed immediately by an oversight hearing on the implementation in Native American communities of the ``No Child Left Behind Act.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs also be authorized to meet again on Wednesday, June 16, 2004, at 2 p.m. in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing on S. 1996, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Angostura Irrigation Project Rehabilitation and Development Act.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on Wednesday, June 16, 2004 at 10 a.m., on ``Judicial Nominations'' in the Dirksen Office Building, Room 226.

Witness List:

Panel I: Senators.

Panel II: Richard A. Griffin, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit; and David W. McKeague, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit.

Panel III: Virginia Maria Hernandez Covington, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Florida.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on Thursday, October 30, 2003, at 2:00 p.m., on ``Monopsony Issues in Agriculture: Buying Power of Processors in Our Nation's Agricultural Markets,'' in the Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226.

Witness list:

``Monopsony Issues in Agriculture: Buying Power of

Processors in Our Nation's Agricultural Markets'' Thursday,

October 30, 2003, 2:00 p.m., SD-226.

Panel I: The Honorable R. Hewitt Pate, Assistant Attorney

General for Antitrust, U.S. Department of Justice,

Washington, DC.

Panel II: Dr. Dee Von Bailey, Professor and Extension

Economist, Department of Economics, Utah State University,

Logan, UT; Dr. Ronald W. Cotterill, Professor of Agricultural

and Resource Economics, University of Connecticut, Storrs,

CT; Professor Peter Carstensen, George H. Young-Bascom

Professor of Law, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison,

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 30, 2003 at 9 a.m. to hold a hearing on Syria: U.S. Policy Directions.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 30, 2003 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a sub committee hearing on North Korea.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 30, 2003 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a sub committee hearing on Combating Transnational Crime & Corruption in Europe.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 30, 2003, for a hearing to consider the nominations of Cynthia R. Church, to be Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, and Robert N. McFarland, to be Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Information and Technology. The hearing will take place in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 2 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 30, 2003 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Subcommittee on Aging be authorized to meet for a hearing on Elder Justice and Protection: Stopping the Financial Abuse during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 30, 2003, at 10 a.m. in SD-430.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on National Parks of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 30 at 10 a.m. The Purpose of the hearings is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 1241, to establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site in the State of New York, and for other purposes; S. 1364, to amend the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to authorize the payment of expenses after the death of certain Federal employees in the State of Alaska; S. 1433, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance in implementing cultural heritage, conservation, and recreational activities in the Connecticut River Watershed of the States of New Hampshire and Vermont; S. 1462, to adjust the boundary of the Cumberland Island Wilderness, to authorize tours of the Cumberland Island National Seashore, and for other purposes.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 30 at 2:30 p.m. The purpose of the hearing is to examine S. 1097, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to implement the Calfed Bay-Delta Program.

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

Mr. Speaker, the majority has already explained the purpose of S. 1241, and it is altogether fitting that we proceed with this legislative designation.

Kate Mullany was an early female labor organizer and leader. In the 1860s, at a time when there were few labor unions and even fewer women involved in the labor movement, she organized and led the first all- female union for laundry workers. She achieved national recognition in 1868 when she was appointed assistant secretary of the National Labor Union, making her the first woman appointed to a national union office.

I want to commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. McNulty) for his sponsorship and tireless work on behalf of the companion legislation he introduced in the House. I would also note the contributions of the ranking member of the Committee on Resources, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), who guided this designation through the Committee on Resources both this Congress and last Congress.

Mr. Speaker, the Kate Mullany House is on the National Register of Historic Places and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998. Designation as a National Historic Site will enhance the preservation and interpretation of the work of this pioneering woman, and thus I support the passage of S. 1241 by the House today.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. McNulty), the sponsor of the bill in the House.

(Mr. McNULTY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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