To provide for the boundary of the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park to be adjusted, to authorize the donation of land to the United States for addition to that historic park, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 268, which will preserve The Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park. The preservation and expansion of the Palo Alto Battlefield will continue to provide access, and encourage public understanding of this historically important site.

I support this legislation because the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park marks the 1846 clash of Mexican and U.S. troops, preserves the battle site, and includes history tours. The park preserves the site and informs visitors about its national and international importance. The Mexican-American war of 1846-1848 gained the great state of Texas its independence. This bill will authorize the donation of the park and grant the authority to the United States to implement a boundary to preserve in perpetuity of the history of a key notable battle that changed the map of North America.

Specifically, H.R. 268 adjusts the boundary of the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park in Texas by including approximately 166 acres of land donated to the U.S. that will be identified on the map titled Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park, Proposed Boundary Addition, Fort Brown Unit (2018), when the land is donated to the United States.

Finally, the bill authorizes the transfer of property from the International Boundary and Water Commission to the National Park Service (NPS) to be part of the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park. The identified land was the site of Fort Brown, a crucial outpost during the conflict and which remains the last standing physical structure associated with the Mexican-American War.

Palo Alto Battlefield was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1960, a National Historic Site in 1978, and a National Historical Park in 2009. Today, the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park is the only unit of the NPS focused on the Mexican-American War.

President James K. Polk, in his December 1845 message to Congress, characterized the recent annexation of Texas by the United States, with a boundary along the Rio Grande. He had campaigned for the presidency with a pledge to extend the United States to the Pacific Ocean, and the addition of the Republic of Texas as the 28th state represented a major step toward that goal.

Mexico, however, challenged annexation. Although Texas had severed ties with Mexico in 1836, many Mexican leaders refused to recognize its independence and denounced the U.S. move as an attack on Mexico. The Rio Grande River formed the boundary of the new state. Mexico had always mapped Texas as a much smaller region--bounded in part by the Nueces River. Polk's call for a Rio Grande border placed a huge expanse of territory in dispute.

President Polk attempted to force a settlement of the boundary issues. In the summer of 1845, he sent an envoy to Mexico City to negotiate an agreement. The tactic failed. In Mexico, hardline Gen. Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga marched to the capital, seized control of the government, and announced that he would discuss nothing but the return of Texas. Clear battle lines had been drawn.

When Mexican and United States troops clashed on the Palo Alto Battlefield, cannon blasts and musket fire were not the only dangers. In the field's harsh environment, they also encountered poisonous snakes and insects, and prickly plants. These natural hazards remain today.

On May 8, 1846, U.S. and Mexican troops clashed on the coastal prairie of Palo Alto, where the Rio Grande empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The ensuing two-year conflict changed the map of North America. Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park preserves and interprets the site and memory of that battle, vividly described in dozens of letters and diaries written by soldiers.

The Palo Alto Battlefield includes 3,400 acres of prairie and dense chaparral. The battlefield is being restored to its 1846 condition landscape and its trails, facilities, and visitor services are under development. The battlefield is located at 7200 Paredes Line Rd. (FM 1847) in Brownsville, TX, just north of the FM 511 intersection.

The Resaca de la Palma and Fort Brown sites, both National Historic Landmarks, will also be preserved. Today the Resaca de la Palma Battlefield lies on Paredes Line Rd. in the heart of Brownsville, which has swallowed up much of the original scene. But 38 acres of the battlefield survive. In 2011 it became a second unit of Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park.

Fort Brown has suffered over time from the effects of erosion and levee construction on the Rio Grande. A few earthen mounds near the Fort Brown Golf Course are all that remain. Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park is cooperating with private and public partners to preserve Fort Brown for public enjoyment and education.

I ask all members to join me in voting for H.R. 268, to support the authorization of the donation of the land to the United States to continue the preservation and expansion of the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 268) to provide for the boundary of the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park to be adjusted, to authorize the donation of land to the United States for addition to that historic park, 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 measure under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 268, the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park Boundary Adjustment Act, introduced by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Vela).

H.R. 268 expands the boundary of Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park to include approximately 166 acres of land that is to be donated to the Department of the Interior.

The donated land was the site of Fort Brown, a crucial outpost during the Mexican-American War, which remains the last standing physical structure associated with that war.

During its life, Fort Brown transformed from a site designed for a confrontation into a post that served to protect the growing Mexican- American population of the region.

Palo Alto Battlefield was designated as a national historic landmark in 1960, as a national historic site in 1978, and a national historic park in 2009. Today, the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park is the only unit of the National Park Service focused on the Mexican- American War.

I congratulate Representative Vela for championing this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Vela), the sponsor of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I have one additional request to address the legislation.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Vicente Gonzalez).

Mr. Speaker, I join with the ranking member to urge adoption of the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 268, legislation to add the Fort Brown earthworks to the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.

I introduced this legislation to preserve a piece of history that is not only

central to south Texas, but to our great Nation. Adding this piece of Fort Brown is critical to interpreting the Mexican-American War and the changes made to our international boundary. It is a record of our Nation's border expansion extending to the Pacific Ocean.

In hopes of establishing the Rio Grande River as the southern border of the United States, General Taylor ordered the construction of Fort Texas in March of 1846.

On May 3, 1846, Mexican General Mariano Arista attacked Fort Texas. Under the command of General Zachary Taylor, U.S. forces, including Lieutenant Ulysses S. Grant, fought at the Battle of Palo Alto and the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, two decisive victories that would force the Mexican retreat across the Rio Grande.

While the siege produced limited damage to the fort, Major Jacob Brown, who had command of the post, was mortally wounded in its defense. Afterward, General Taylor named the site Fort Brown, and the surrounding area became the town of Brownsville, Texas.

The Fort Brown earthworks is the only standing architecture in the United States associated with the Mexican-American War. Bringing the earthworks into the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park helps tell our Nation's story and protects this important symbol of the transformation of the country resulting from the 19th century westward expansion.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation so we can protect an essential piece of our history that will help us to tell the story of our Nation long into the future. I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their support in this legislation.

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

H.R. 268 authorizes the transfer of approximately 166 acres, by donation, from the International Boundary and Water Commission to the National Park Service for inclusion in the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park in Texas.

Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park is the site of the first major battle of the Mexican-American War and has the distinction of being the only National Park Service unit to interpret the Mexican- American War.

The land authorized to be transferred through this bill includes the historic Fort Brown site in Brownsville, Texas, which served as a critical military outpost during the Mexican-American War.

I thank Chair Grijalva for accommodating our request at markup to require the Secretary of the Interior to complete a boundary study analyzing the feasibility of adding this land to the park prior to it being acquired and incorporated into the boundary. The study requirement will ensure that the land to be donated is feasible for the National Park Service to manage as an addition to the park.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will help preserve an important piece of American history, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am ready to close when the gentleman from Arizona is. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Congressman Filemon Vela's bill, H.R. 268, which would add Fort Brown to the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park located in Brownsville, Texas.

By including this fort, we are creating a national monument for the only standing architecture in the United States associated with the Mexican-American War.

In 1845, after the annexation of Texas, President James Polk sent soldiers to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, to proclaim the boundary of the United States at the Rio Grande River.

In 1846, General Zachary Taylor ordered the construction of the fort, which consisted of a six-sided earthwork. Once finished, General Taylor left to procure supplies and gave command of the fort to Major Jacob Brown.

On May 3, 1846, Mexico sought to capitalize on the depleted resources and bombarded the fort for 6 straight days. Major Jacob Brown and the American troops fought valiantly, forcing Mexico to retreat. American forces only lost two soldiers, one of which was Major Brown himself.

Today, the city of Brownsville and Fort Brown serve as a testament to Major Brown's valor, patriotism, and sacrifice. By passing H.R. 268, we as a Nation will honor Major Brown and the Americans who stood their ground at Fort Brown.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join Congressman Vela and I in preserving this important part of south Texas' and our entire country's history.