Joe Lieberman: “I rise to celebrate final passage of the National Heritage Areas of 2006. I am grateful that Congress finally has…”

“I rise to celebrate final passage of the National Heritage Areas of 2006. I am grateful that Congress finally has recognized the Upper Housatonic Valley in Connecticut and Massachusetts for its special contribution to the American experience. This new law designates the Upper Housatonic Valley as a National Heritage Area and authorizes $10 million to preserve its historic and cultural assets. Today's victory has been a long time in coming. In 2000, I sponsored legislation directing the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of the feasibility of establishing the Upper Housatonic Valley as a National Heritage Area. After the Interior Department completed that report, Senator Dodd and I in 2003 introduced the first bill to create the Upper Housatonic National Heritage Area. Last Congress, a bill that would have created that area and a dozen others passed the Senate but died in the House. In this Congress, we reintroduced the Senate bill, and Representative Nancy Johnson reintroduced its House companion. Finally, after 6 years of hard work, I can stand announce that legislation to create the Upper Housatonic National Heritage Area has passed the Senate and the House. The act now goes to the President, who is expected to sign it into law without delay. The Upper Housatonic Valley's history is this Nation's history in microcosm--spanning Native American civilization, European settlement, the industrial revolution, and the present day.”