Elijah Lewis: “H.R. 1616 is a good bill. It authorizes the exchange of land owned by the National Park Service for land of equal or…”

“H.R. 1616 is a good bill. It authorizes the exchange of land owned by the National Park Service for land of equal or greater value from the City of Atlanta. The National Park Service and the City of Atlanta have already agreed to the land swapping. However, this cannot be done without authorization from Congress, and H.R. 1616 completes the deal. This legislation is so important because the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site Visitor Center and Museum is landlocked and has no emergency access, making it virtually impossible for firefighting equipment to reach the facility. In fact, if there were a fire at the visitor center, the Atlanta Fire Department would have to walk at least 150 to 200 yards in order to reach the center. Luckily, we have not been faced with such an outcome. However, we must be prepared. Furthermore, Madam Speaker, with heightened security concerns at our Nation's monuments and parks, emergency access is critical. Passage of H.R. 1616 will allow the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site to create an emergency access road to and from the site.”