Udall Park Land Exchange Completion Act

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, September 26, 2017, Wednesday, September 27, 2017, Thursday, September 28, 2017, Monday, October 2, 2017, Tuesday, October 3, 2017, and Wednesday, October 4, 2017, I was unable to vote on any legislative measures due to a foot injury. Had I been present, I would have voted the following:

(Roll no. 532) On ordering the previous question providing for consideration of H.R. 2824--Increasing Opportunity and Success for Children and Parents through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act, and H.R. 2792--Control Unlawful Fugitive Felons Act of 2017, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 533) On adoption of the rule providing for consideration of H.R. 2824--Increasing Opportunity and Success for Children and Parents through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act, and H.R. 2792--Control Unlawful Fugitive Felons Act of 2017, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 534) On approval of the journal, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 535) On agreeing to the amendment of Mr. Pascrell of New Jersey Amendment No. 2 to H.R. 2824--Increasing Opportunity and Success for Children and Parents through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act, had I been present I would have voted no.

(Roll no. 536) On motion to recommit with instructions to H.R. 2824-- Increasing Opportunity and Success for Children and Parents through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act, had I been present I would have voted no.

(Roll no. 537) On passage of H.R. 2824--Increasing Opportunity and Success for Children and Parents through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 538) On ordering the previous question providing for consideration of H.R. 3823--Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 539) On adoption of the rule providing for consideration of H.R. 3823--Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 540) On passage of H. Res. 311--Recognizing that for 50 years the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has worked toward stability, prosperity, and peace in Southeast Asia, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 541) On motion to recommit with instructions to H.R. 3823-- Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017, had I been present I would have voted no.

(Roll no. 542) On passage of H.R. 3823--Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 543) On passage of H.R. 2792--Control Unlawful Fugitive Felons Act of 2017, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 544) On passage of H.R. 1547--Udall Park Land Exchange Completion Act, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 545) On passage of H.R. 965--Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park Redesignation Act, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 546) On ordering the previous question providing for consideration of H.R. 36--Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 547) On adoption of the rule providing for consideration of H.R. 36--Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 548) On motion to recommit with instructions to H.R. 36-- Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, had I been present I would have voted no.

(Roll no. 549) On passage of H.R. 36--Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 550) On passage of S. 782--PROTECT Our Children Act, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 551) On ordering the previous question providing for consideration of H. Con. Res. 71--FY2018 Budget Resolution, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 552) On adoption of the rule providing for consideration of H. Con. Res. 71--FY2018 Budget Resolution, had I been present I would have voted yes.

(Roll no. 553) On agreeing to the amendment of Mr. Grijalva of Arizona Substitute Amendment No. 1 to H. Con. Res. 71--FY2018 Budget Resolution, had I been present I would have voted no.

(Roll no. 554) On agreeing to the amendment of Mr. Scott of Virginia Substitute Amendment No. 2 to H. Con. Res. 71--FY2018 Budget Resolution, had I been present I would have voted no.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 1547, the Udall Park Land Exchange Completion Act.

Udall Park is a cherished urban park in the heart of Tucson. The city has invested millions of dollars in park facilities, including construction of very large community recreation and senior centers, a large swimming pool, a walking track, and multiple athletic fields and picnic areas.

In 2011, the mayor and city council approved a master plan update that calls for plans to invest even more money into the park by way of additional athletic fields and expanded recreational programming. However, unresolved disputes over this land have directly impeded the city from taking advantage of opportunities to supplement park funding, approve certain community events, or look to other commercial ventures like local farmers markets on small portions of the park that would benefit the city in general.

The Udall Park Land Exchange Completion Act resolves this historic land exchange agreement between the city of Tucson and the Bureau of Land Management at Udall Park.

In 1989, the city of Tucson and BLM entered into an agreement to exchange 297 acres of land adjacent to Saguaro National Park for 173 acres of BLM-owned land in northeast Tucson, now known as Udall Park. This agreement specifically outlined that the terms and conditions of this land conveyance would include a legislative fix to remove any and all encumbrances on Udall Park. Unfortunately, this legislation never came to fruition due to staff changes in multiple agencies in the city, and who knows what else, but as a result, the city has been prevented from utilizing Udall Park to its fullest extent. Recently, the issue came to a head over disputes on a small commercial lease located in Udall Park.

Federal red tape should not stand in the way of communities like mine developing local parks. It is common sense. Udall Park is a beautiful place in our southern Arizona community to gather, but this longstanding land dispute has prevented the city of Tucson from improving the park and growing it to its full potential for too long.

When I am out and about in my district and people come to me with challenges and issues like this, the first question I usually ask is: Does this literally take an act of Congress to fix? Let me say that again. Does this literally take an act of Congress to fix? In this case, the answer is yes.

I appreciate, as we testified before the House Natural Resources Federal Land Subcommittee, the ranking member, Ms. Hanabusa, was saying, no kidding, in July: ``If it takes an act of Congress to get this done . . . then that's what we've got to do.''

I am with the ranking member at this point. It is time to finally take action and get this thing finished. My legislation would formally and finally complete a long overdue agreement on land that has already been exchanged at fair market value. The act directs conveyance of the Federal reversionary interest in Udall Park to the city, as the parties intended when the land exchange was made. This bill will allow Tucson to finally take full ownership of the park.

In closing, I want to thank Chairman Bishop, Chairman McClintock, and the members of the Natural Resources Committee, really, on both sides of the aisle, for working with me to move this legislation forward. This has got strong bipartisan support. I look forward to seeing this issue through and ensuring the land transfer is completed.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1547) to provide for the unencumbering of title to non-Federal land owned by the city of Tucson, Arizona, for purposes of economic development by conveyance of the Federal reversionary interest to the City.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1547 completes the transfer of the Bureau of Land Management's reversionary interest in Udall Park, located in Tucson, Arizona, nearly three decades after the city donated $4 million worth of land to the Bureau of Land Management to complete their portion of the exchange.

Twenty years after the exchange took place, the Bureau of Land Management threatened to invoke its reversionary interest because the city dared to hold a local farmers market in the park. The city of Tucson has invested millions of dollars in this community park, building swimming pools, recreation centers, and athletic fields, and it deserves to have clear title to the land and complete jurisdiction over the uses of the park.

The bill is bipartisan and has nearly unanimous support from the Arizona congressional delegation. I urge adoption of the measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. McSally).

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1547 transfers the reversionary interest associated with Udall Park to the city of Tucson, Arizona.

The land was transferred to the city back in the 1980s under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, a program that authorizes the conveyance of Federal land to local governments and nonprofits.

These conveyances include what is known as reversionary interest, which stipulates that the land must permanently remain in use for a public purpose or ownership reverts back to the United States.

Typically, if a recipient wants to convert the land to a nonpublic purpose, they have to compensate the Federal Government. However, this is not the typical situation.

In 1989, Tucson came to an agreement with the Bureau of Land Management. In exchange for the title to Udall Park, the city gave the Bureau of Land Management a 297-acre parcel known as the Freeman Road property.

A letter from the BLM State Director at the time indicates that the agency supported elimination of Udall Park's reversionary interest in exchange for the Freeman Road property. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, Congress never followed through on that promise.

This bill honors the Federal Government's long forgotten commitment, which is why we support it and encourage its swift adoption. The unique circumstances of Udall Park justify transferring the reversionary interest without further consideration or compensation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on this issue.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I was absent for Roll Call votes No. 544 and 545 on the evening of October 2, 2017. Had I been present, I would have voted in favor of H.R. 1547, sponsored by Rep. Martha McSally; I would have voted in favor of H.R. 965, sponsored by Rep. Ann Kuster.