Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 295, my bill to reauthorize the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Historic Preservation program. This bill has been cosponsored by my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus and is broadly supported by all of our colleagues. It received a unanimous vote in the House Natural Resources Committee earlier this year, and I thank Mrs. Radewagen and Mr. Sablan and all of our colleagues for their support. As a former high school history teacher, I have worked during my tenure in Congress to preserve and protect our Nation's historic treasures. Historically Black colleges and universities, commonly called HBCUs, are some of the most important historic educational institutions in our country. Many of them have buildings and sites on their campuses that have existed for over a century. Unfortunately, many of the historic buildings and sites on these campuses have deteriorated over the years and are at risk of being lost completely if not preserved and protected. In 1998, at the request of the Congressional Black Caucus, the United States Government Accountability Office surveyed 103 HBCU campuses to identify the historically significant sites on these campuses and project the cost of restoring and preserving these properties. The GAO identified 712 historic buildings and sites and projected a cost of $755 million to restore and preserve them.…”