Gateway Arch National Park Designation Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1438) to redesignate the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in the State of Missouri as the ``Gateway Arch National Park''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, towering 630 feet above the banks of the Mississippi River, Gateway Arch has, for 50 years, commemorated both Thomas Jefferson's vision of expansion and America's enduring spirit of discovery.

Clad entirely in stainless steel, the Gateway Arch is the tallest man-made monument in the country and uniquely features two custom trams on either side, which shuttle thousands of guests a year to a viewing deck at the apex.

The Gateway Arch National Park Designation Act would redesignate the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri, as the Gateway Arch National Park. The park would include not only the Gateway Arch, but a museum and the old St. Louis courthouse, the site of the Dred Scott trial.

People from across the country have been visiting the monument and surrounding buildings since 1965, when the memorial was established.

Passing this bill today would make the Gateway Arch National Park America's 60th National Park and allow the National Park Service to ensure that the site would be ready for a planned Fourth of July celebration this very year.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner).

Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that this Gateway National Park has support from everybody. It is that gateway to the West that we are so eulogizing. I ask all Members to vote for this 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 thank the chairman and the ranking member for their support.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of S. 1438, the Gateway Arch National Park Designation Act. And I would like to start by thanking Senator Blunt and Congressman Clay for their leadership on this issue. Renaming the Gateway Arch and the area surrounding it will finally make its name consistent with how people from around the world identify it, and our city. We are, indeed, the gateway to the West.

In 1935, the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial was created as a unit of the National Park Service, and, today, it includes a museum, the old St. Louis courthouse and the Gateway Arch National Monument. It was built to honor the role that President Thomas Jefferson played in opening the American West and the settlers who followed the footsteps of Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery.

In addition, it encompasses the old St. Louis courthouse, where Dred Scott filed suit seeking his freedom, furthering the fight to ensure that all men are, indeed, created equally. It was also the site where, in 1872, Virginia Minor asserted that women were

citizens of the United States and, therefore, were entitled to vote.

The Gateway Arch itself is the largest man-made monument in the United States of America and has been welcoming visitors to the banks of the Mississippi River since its construction in 1965.

When people come to visit the Gateway Arch National Park, the name will now reflect the Gateway Arch, but it will stand for so much more. Visitors will see how St. Louis embodies its history as the Gateway to the West.

Explorers, settlers, civil rights leaders, and many more have passed through our city and found promise in what lies ahead. That is the spirit our city embodies, and the name of our national park will now match what is at the heart of our culture.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill redesignates the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial as the Gateway Arch National Park.

The Gateway Arch has become synonymous with the St. Louis skyline, and this is an important change that gives this national icon an updated and recognizable name.

S. 1438 passed the Senate by a voice vote, so with our support today, we will be sending it to the White House for the President to sign.

I congratulate the Missouri delegation for coming together in a bipartisan fashion and working so hard to move this through the legislative process.

The House version of this bill was introduced by Representative Lacy Clay. Unfortunately, he was not able to be here this afternoon, but he deserves a hearty congratulations for his work on this initiative.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, again, I congratulate the Missouri delegation for coming together in a bipartisan fashion and working so hard to move this legislation forward. We are going to, by passage of this legislation, give this very national icon an updated and recognizable name, as it has always represented, really, when you think about it, the Skyline of St. Louis.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues support this great piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Energy and Natural Resources Committee be discharged from further consideration of the following bills: S. 1438 and H.R. 1927; and that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of those bills and the following bills en bloc: Calendar No. 49, S. 35; Calendar No. 54, S. 432; Calendar No. 55, S. 466; Calendar No. 62, H.R. 267; Calendar No. 64, H.R. 560; Calendar No. 72, H.R. 699; Calendar No. 88, H.R. 863; Calendar No. 125, S. 167; Calendar No. 148, H.R. 381; Calendar No. 170, H.R. 954; H.R. 1242, received from the House; H.R. 1306, received from the House; and H.R. 2611, received from the House.

I further ask unanimous consent that, where applicable, the committee-reported amendments be agreed to, and the bills, as amended, if amended, be considered read a third time.

Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the bills.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.