Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial Enhancement Act of 2008

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3111) to provide for the administration of Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring to the House for its consideration this legislation that's sponsored by the former chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources and current chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, Representative George Miller.

This bill provides that the Port Chicago Naval Magazine Memorial be managed as a unit of the National Park System. Currently, the area is managed as an affiliated site by the National Park Service.

On July 17, 1944, 320 men, 202 of whom were African American sailors, were killed in an explosion at the Port Chicago Navy ammunition loading base in the San Francisco Bay area. This was the largest homeland disaster during World War II.

In 1992, Congress designated the Port Chicago Naval Magazine Memorial. The pending measure furthers that commitment by providing that the Port Chicago Naval Magazine Memorial be managed as a unit of the National Park System.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for H.R. 3111, and I submit the following exchange of letters for the Record.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Armed Services,

Washington, DC, January 31, 2008.

Hon. Nick J. Rahall II,

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,

Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: On October 10, 2007, the Committee on

Natural Resources ordered H.R. 3111, the ``Port Chicago Naval

Magazine National Memorial Enhancement Act of 2007,'' to be

reported. As you know, this measure contains certain

provisions that are within the jurisdiction of the Committee

on Armed Services, and thus, was sequentially referred to the

Committee on Armed Services by the Parliamentarian for the

House.

Our Committee recognizes the importance of H.R. 3111 and

the need for the legislation to move expeditiously.

Therefore, while we have a valid claim to jurisdiction over

this legislation, the Committee on Armed Services will waive

further consideration of H.R. 3111. I do so with the

understanding that by waiving further consideration of the

bill, the Committee does not waive any future jurisdictional

claims over similar measures. In the event of a conference

with the Senate on this bill, the Committee on Armed Services

reserves the right to seek the appointment of conferees,

I would appreciate the inclusion of this letter and a copy

of the response in your Committee's report on H.R. 3111 and

the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure

on the House floor.

Very truly yours,

Ike Skelton,

Chairman.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial Enhancement Act, a bill that ensures that the stories of Port Chicago will be preserved and that the site will be properly maintained for generations to come. This bill will increase the National Memorial's accessibility, provide additional visitor services, and help ensure long-term preservation of the site.

The legislation before us today is the result of months of diligent and collaborative effort, for which I want to thank: Chairman Nick Rahall of the Natural Resources Committee, and ranking member Don Young; Chairman Raul Grijalva of the National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee, and ranking member Rob Bishop; Chairman Ike Skelton of the Armed Services Committee, and ranking member Duncan Hunter; and the

thoughtful and hard-working staff for the two committees, including Meghan Conklin, Dave Watkins, and David Sienicki, and my own legislative director, Ben Miller.

The Port Chicago memorial, which is in my district, commemorates a very important story in American history.

The deadly munitions explosion there on the night of July 17, 1944, killed more than 300 people--the worst homefront disaster of World War

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on H.R. 3111, and I yield myself 15 seconds.

The chairman has adequately explained the bill. It's a good bill.

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