FDR Historic Preservation Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5420) to authorize the acquisition of land for addition to the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site in the State of New York, 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 bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5420, by Congressman Faso of New York, would allow 89 acres to be added to the historic site that was Franklin Roosevelt's lifelong home and birthplace in Hyde Park, New York, which was designated as a National Historic Site in 1944. The land is currently owned by the Scenic Hudson Land Trust, and they would like to deed it to the National Park Service.

The addition would provide important context for visitors and better connectivity to the Hyde Park Trail that links the FDR National Historic Site to the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site to the north.

The addition would not require any outlay of Federal funds. The transfer would be by donation, exchange, or purchase, using donated funds only.

I would like to commend Congressman Faso for sponsorship of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would simply like to remind the ranking member that the transfer of this land would be by donation, exchange, or purchase, using donated funds only. No Federal funds are involved from the LWCF or anywhere else.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

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

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the gentleman's description of this very good bill.

These two sites draw nearly 200,000 visitors to the Dutchess County region. They are significant contributors to the local economy. It is only fitting that we should work to improve the integration between these two sites and enhance their management and increase their accessibility to the public.

I know Representative Faso has worked hard on this bill and that it is a priority for his office. I want to commend him for working across the aisle, including with Senator Gillibrand's support, and I congratulate him on this success today.

Before wrapping up, I do want to mention that the money to carry out the expansion proposed in this bill will likely come from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a popular program that expires at the end of this week. That is right. After more than 50 years of bipartisan support, LWCF is once again on the brink of expiring. This is despite the fact that a bill to make the program permanent has earned the support of 235 Members of the House. The bill was voted out of the committee by voice, and all this body must do is bring it up on the floor for a vote.

I am always happy to support legislation that protects our public lands and cultural legacies, like this bill by Mr. Faso. I urge immediate action, however, on the other step we need to take, and that is bringing forward the bill to address the pending expiration of the

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall No. 404. If I was present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 404.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 404.