Sanford Bishop: “I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 482, the Ocmulgee Mounds National…”

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 482, the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park Boundary Revision Act of 2016. First, I want to thank the coauthor of this legislation, my friend and colleague, Representative Austin Scott. He has been a tireless advocate on behalf of this legislation, and we would not be where we are today without his help, advice, and collaboration. I would also like to thank Chairman Rob Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva of the full House Natural Resources Committee for their work in bringing this bill to the House floor this afternoon. Chairman Tom McClintock and Ranking Member Niki Tsongas of the Federal Lands Subcommittee have been extremely helpful, and I want to commend them and their staffs, especially Terry Camp and Brandon Bragato, for their efforts. Mr. Speaker, there are few, if any, historic sites in the United States that have evidence of continuous human habitation from so long ago, when the first nomadic people came to North America to hunt Ice Age mammals and began to settle the Macon Plateau. It is what makes the Ocmulgee National Monument so unique. On its 702 acres, one can find archeological evidence from these first nomads, the mound builders of the Mississippian Period, British traders of the late 17th century, and the Civil War. Our bipartisan legislation consists of three parts.…”