George W. Bush Childhood Home Study Act

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time and bringing this bill forward.

Mr. Speaker, as the title says, this bill authorizes the National Park Service to study the feasibility of maintaining the George W. Bush Childhood Home. It has already undergone a reconnaissance study, which says that the Service does believe that it meets these criteria, but this will be the final piece in that process.

Mr. Speaker, last week, our Nation honored, mourned, and celebrated the life of George H.W. Bush, as we should. As a part of that, I think it is really timely that, this week, we have an opportunity to further that memorialization of the Bush family by pushing the National Park Service further in its responsibilities to maintain this home.

We are reminded, as of last week, of the importance of preserving the visual imprints of our past for the benefit of our future. The Bush family is the epitome of the American Dream. They not only worked hard and achieved success, but built on their accomplishments and devoted their entire lives to public service. Personal success means nothing, Mr. Speaker, without the initiative to give back.

The George W. Bush Childhood Home serves to educate its visitors and celebrate the strong work ethic and earned west Texas grit of the Bush legacy, of the home that tells the story of two Presidents, two Governors, and a remarkable First Lady.

It was in this home that George H.W. Bush and Barbara jump-started their lives to west Texas, his career in the oil and gas business, and raised George W. Bush through the formative years of his childhood.

This home was the backdrop for the quiet beginnings of a young family that found themselves moving West, like so many families before them, seeking their own opportunities and a path through life.

Mr. Speaker, there are currently no National Park Service units relating to the George W. Bush childhood, career, or Presidency located within the Permian Basin or lower Panhandle region of Texas. I can think of no better first addition to the system than a structure that celebrates the Bush family, the pride of west Texas.

Although the site is currently open to the public, oversight by the National Park Service will ensure that it is maintained and gives many more Americans access to the site to be inspired by one of America's and Midland's premier families.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3008) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the George W. Bush Childhood Home, located at 1412 West Ohio Avenue, Midland, Texas, and for other purposes.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Conaway), the sponsor of this bill, to explain the significance of this study.

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

Mr. Speaker, once again, we have a situation here where there is already a museum that is run by a nonprofit entity in this area. What is being asked here is for a study to be done by the National Park Service to find the significance of including this as part of the National Park Service's portfolio of properties.

It is fitting that we try to do this, for, indeed, in American history, there have been only two times when there has been both a father and a son who have served as President of the United States, once with the Adams and now with the Bushes.

So having a home where they, as well as the future Governor of Florida, actually resided is one of those things that clearly is a unique sense of history. It is a unique property that provides that sense of history. So for a study to be done on whether it should be added to the National Park Service repertoire of sites is a proper thing to do.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Congressman Conaway's efforts to recognize and honor two of our country's Presidents, and I urge my colleagues, once again, to adopt this bill.

Mr. Speaker, 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, this bill authorizes a special resource study of the George W. Bush Childhood Home to determine the significance of the site and the feasibility of designating it as a unit of the National Park Service. The home in Midland, Texas, is where George W. Bush lived for 4 years between the ages of 5 and 9, and not coincidentally, it is also where George H.W. Bush lived at the beginning of his political career.

The structure is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and currently operates as a museum. I support the proposed study to consider designating this site a unit of the National Park Service and determine the appropriate management to ensure its preservation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unable to vote on Monday, December 10, 2018, as I was attending an important event in Contra Costa, California.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 426, H. Res. 792 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 427, H.R. 3008.