American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act of 2026

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7618) to amend title 54, United States Code, to modify certain cost-sharing requirements for grant programs under the American Battlefield Protection Program, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 H.R. 7618, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7618, the American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act of 2026, introduced by Representative Kiggans.

America's battlefields are more than just parks. They are hallowed grounds that tell a story of our Nation's struggles, triumphs, and defining moments. They are the places where ordinary people made extraordinary sacrifices in defense of liberty, self-government, and the ideals that continue to define us today.

As the settings of battles spanning from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War, these historic sites serve as living classrooms that continue to teach generations of Americans about the conflicts that forged our great Nation, but many of these places are being lost.

Today, the majority of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 battlefields no longer retain significant land from the period of battle, and more than 20 percent of Civil War battlefields have been lost altogether. That is why 30 years ago, Congress created the American Battlefield Protection Program to help protect and restore historic battlefields through public-private partnerships, and the numbers speak for themselves. Since its inception, this program has helped to protect more than 100 battlefields in 42 States and conserve battlefield lands at 110 battlefield sites in 19 States.

Representative Kiggans' bipartisan legislation keeps that momentum going, fittingly, during our Nation's semiquincentennial year. Her legislation reauthorizes and strengthens this successful program through 2036 and streamlines the program by consolidating separate authorizations for the restoration and interpretation modernization grant programs into a single, unified authorization.

This legislation also directs the National Park Service to study sites associated with the French and Indian War and the Mexican- American War, two important conflicts that helped to shaped our Nation's history but which are not currently included in the program.

This is a targeted bill. It doesn't create a new program or expand Federal control. Rather, it builds onto something that already works and makes it better.

It also comes at the right time. In this year of America's 250th anniversary, there is growing interest in making sure that we take stock of our Nation's history, not just through books but on the ground, where people can see and experience it.

From Gettysburg and Vicksburg to Manassas and beyond, H.R. 7618 ensures that we are able to appreciate the places where American history was made and that future generations will be able to experience these hallowed grounds firsthand for America's next 250 years.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7618, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans), the lead sponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, Representative Kiggans' bill is a practical step to keep a proven program working and to prevent further loss of historic battlefields across America.

We are not creating something new. We are building on a program with a track record of success so that it can continue to deliver results. If we do not act, more of these hallowed grounds will be lost to time. This bill ensures that those landscapes are conserved and able to tell the full story of our Nation for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and 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, for over three decades, the American Battlefield Protection Program has been instrumental in saving sites from the Revolutionary War, The War of 1812, and the Civil War. H.R. 7618 would build on that legacy by reauthorizing the program for another 7 years, beyond the current expiration through fiscal year 2036, at the existing authorization level of $20 million per annum.

This bill would also streamline the program by combining funding for interpretation grants and restoration grants into a single $2 million authorization. This is a smart technical improvement to how we provide support for State, local, and nonprofit partners who work to protect these lands.

Since history does not start and stop with just these three conflicts, the legislation rightly directs the Secretary of the Interior to prepare resource studies for sites from the French and Indian War and the Mexican-American War, two pivotal eras currently ineligible for these specific grants, laying the groundwork to protect even more of our shared heritage.

Preserving our history is a bipartisan obligation, so I thank Representative Seth Magaziner for his leadership on the Democratic side in bringing this bill forward, along with our colleagues across the aisle. As we celebrate America250 this year, preserving the physical landscapes of our past has never been more vital.

Our battlegrounds are living classrooms. Protecting these sacred grounds ensures historical accuracy, allowing future generations to walk where our forebearers fought, sacrificed, and demonstrated the true cost of our freedoms.

Bills like this one show the importance of bipartisan unity. It is so important that we not allow partisanship

to destroy this historic moment. We must work together to safeguard the unvarnished truth of our history.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7618, honoring our past and ensuring that our history remains intact for the next 250 years, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 7618, the American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act of 2026.

I thank Chairman Westerman, Chairman Tiffany, and my bipartisan colleague, Congressman Seth Magaziner, for their support of this important legislation.

America's battlefields are more than historic sites. They are outdoor classrooms, living memorials, and sacred grounds where generations of Americans fought and sacrificed for our great Nation. Yet, many of these irreplaceable landmarks remain threatened by development and the passage of time.

H.R. 7618 reauthorizes the American Battlefield Protection Program through fiscal year 2036, streamlines and improves the flexibility of existing battlefield interpretation and restoration grants, and directs the National Park Service to evaluate significant sites associated with the French and Indian War and the Mexican-American War to help inform future preservation efforts. These changes will help ensure future generations can learn from and experience the places where our Nation's history was made.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States, preserving these hallowed grounds is one of the most meaningful ways we can honor the Americans who came before us and pass their stories on to those who will follow.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.