On the recordFebruary 1, 2012
as we start Black History Month, I rise to discuss a national hero I have spoken about many times on the Senate floor. With this year's Black History Month focused on African-American women, it is all the more appropriate for me to talk about Maryland's Harriet Ross Tubman and her dedication to justice, equality, and service to this country. In my career, I have spoken on the Senate floor, at events in Maryland, in meetings with constituents, and with my colleagues about Harriet Tubman's legacy. While I hope each opportunity I have taken to discuss the life of this remarkable woman helps raise the awareness about her importance to the history of our great Nation, my ultimate goal is to properly commemorate her life and her work by establishing the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park on the eastern shore of Maryland, and, in working with my colleagues from New York, to establish the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn, NY. A year ago this week, I reintroduced the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park Act with Senators Schumer, Mikulski, and Gillibrand as original cosponsors. I am happy to say since that time the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committees held a positive hearing on the bill, the Energy Committee favorably reported the bill, and it has been placed on the Senate calendar.…
