Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. As you heard, this legislation would allow the town of Tremont, Maine, to continue to use public land that has been continuously maintained for more than six decades. In 1950, Congress transferred a parcel of land from Acadia National Park to the Town of Tremont so the town could build and maintain a school. Unfortunately, what might have been best for the Park Service and the community in 1950 might not be best for either in 2014. Due to demographic changes, Tremont has explored the possibility of merging its elementary school with another in a neighboring town. Under the terms of the original agreement, if Tremont were to stop using the land for school purposes, the land would be transferred back to the Federal Government. Complicating the situation is legislation passed by Congress in 1986 that established a permanent boundary for Acadia National Park. The permanent boundary did not include the tract of land containing the school. As a result, any changes in usage would require transfer to the General Services Administration. This legislation would simply remove any restriction on the land, which would allow the community to continue utilizing the land as it sees fit. Acadia National Park supports this legislation; GSA has no objection. Mr.…”