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[Page H7388]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1100
RELEASE AUSTIN TICE
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Washington (Mr. Kilmer) for 5 minutes.
Mr. KILMER. Mr. Speaker, almost 7 years ago, Austin Tice, an American
journalist, disappeared in Syria. Since the day he vanished, his
parents, family, friends, and supporters have tirelessly worked to
ensure that no stone is left unturned and no avenue ignored in a global
campaign to see Austin returned home safely.
As we approach the end of the seventh year of Austin's captivity, we
request that whomever continues to hold Austin release him immediately
so that he can return to his family and his friends.
We also ask for the assistance of the Government of Syria. I ask that
they do whatever they can to help facilitate Austin's release.
There are things that transcend politics and diplomacy, bridge
cultural divides, and need no translation across different languages.
Those are things like love and hope, represented by a mother and a
father who wake up each day with the unshakable faith in their son and
the belief that today could be the day when they get the chance to hug
him again.
We ask for your help, without the assignment of blame or malice to
anyone, so that this year is the last that Austin remains so far from
home and from family.
Restore Our Parks
Mr. KILMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Restore Our Parks
Act, and I thank Mr. Bishop for his leadership and partnership on this
bill.
I was lucky enough to grow up near one of the crown jewels of our
national park system, the Olympic National Park, right in my backyard
in the Pacific Northwest. I have seen firsthand how our public lands
have captivated both visitors and residents alike and served as key
economic drivers for our local communities.
I think there is little doubt that our national parks are some of
America's greatest natural and cultural treasures. I am proud that my
home State boasts not only Olympic National Park, but also Mount
Rainier National Park and North Cascades National Park, true gems of
the national park system.
Unfortunately, these crown jewels are getting a bit rusty, and they
require our attention to return them to glory. If you have visited one
of our parks lately, you will no doubt have noticed that they are
facing a good problem.
In 2017, Washington State had a record 8.45 million park visitors,
including families, campers, and adventurers, who came to explore our
iconic landscapes. While they were there, these visitors spent more
than $500 million, supported more than 6,600 jobs, and created nearly
$700 million in economic impact.
While this is undeniably great news for Washington's growing outdoor
economy, the rise in visitation has also strained our park resources,
like roads, interpretive centers, campsites, and trails, that visitors
rely on to access and truly experience our parks. If we as a country
don't start investing in our parks, I believe we risk loving them to
death.
The National Park Service manages more than 400 sites across the
country and is facing a nearly $12 billion backlog in necessary
repairs. In Washington State alone, our national parks suffer from
nearly $400 million in deferred repairs needed to restore historical
structures, fix eroding trails, fix roads, and update unsafe electrical
and drinking water systems.
This significant maintenance backlog threatens the health,
accessibility, and safety of our parks, their visitors, and the
communities that depend on them. That is why we need to take this
opportunity to build on recent successes of investing in our public
lands and turn our attention to passing the Restore Our Parks and
Public Lands Act.
Passing this legislation sponsored by my good friend from Utah (Mr.
Bishop) will establish a long-term investment in our parks that will
create jobs and boost economies throughout Washington State and across
this country. An analysis commissioned by The Pew Charitable Trusts
shows that investing in the maintenance of our national parks could
create or support more than 3,800 new jobs in Washington State alone
and 100,000 jobs across the country.
Now, these days, Congress can hardly agree on what day it is or what
color the sky is; but, with 300 Members of the House of Representatives
cosponsoring this bill and 40 Members of the Senate, it is crystal
clear that this is an area that we might actually see some progress. My
hope is that we can get folks behind this and get this done.
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