00:00I recognize Representative Malloy for five minutes on H.R. 4285.
00:05Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
00:08We'll be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence next year.
00:15And it's going to be a big year-long celebration.
00:20My state, Utah, kicked it off on July 4th this year.
00:22And I was reflecting with my team on what we could do to help get as many Americans involved in the celebration as possible.
00:30Because it's important to celebrate these milestones and make sure that people have time to stop and reflect on what's so important about the idea of an independent United States turning 250 years old.
00:42So to honor the anniversary, I introduced the Semi-Quintennial Tourism and Access to Recreation Sites Act, the STARS Act,
00:50which directs the Secretary of Interior to designate September 17th, Constitution Day, next year as a free day at all National Park Service sites.
01:01The STARS Act gives every American the opportunity to celebrate our 250th anniversary in the places that connect us to our founding, our future, and our shared values.
01:11I don't know what that was.
01:12Whether you are an American whose ancestors came here on the Mayflower, or you are a newly-minted citizen of the United States, or anything in between,
01:23we can all celebrate this milestone together.
01:25We're all beneficiaries of the Declaration of Independence.
01:29The National Park Service manages over 400 sites across the United States, including historic battlefields, monuments, and cultural landmarks.
01:36Utah is home to five national parks.
01:38We call them the Mighty Five.
01:40Three of them are in the second district that I represent.
01:43It attracts a lot of visitation and serves as a model for celebrating the United States and who we are as a nation.
01:51By designating an entrance-free day in 2026, we'll allow families and communities to celebrate the monumental milestone together,
02:00with greater access to some of our most impressive places.
02:03This legislation encourages Americans to connect with the nation's history and natural beauty
02:08by making our national parks accessible to absolutely everybody.
02:16Something I think a lot of people don't realize is that in 1776,
02:19fathers Dominguez and Escalante were exploring and traveling across Utah,
02:24exploring some of the same landscapes that we'll be opening up to visitation,
02:28and I hope that people will take the time.
02:31They'll go to the parks.
02:32We chose Constitution Day on purpose.
02:35I think it's a nice combination of celebrating the Declaration of Independence,
02:40the Constitution, which is the ultimate law of the land,
02:43and one of our best ideas, the national parks.
02:47The ideas that made us a free nation are what make us exceptional in the world,
02:52and our natural landscapes are also exceptional and world-class.
02:56And I think the combination of getting out and enjoying those landscapes,
03:01enjoying the historic sites that the Park Service manages,
03:03and taking some time together as communities and families
03:06to reflect on both the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence
03:10are just what this nation needs right now.
03:13And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
03:15Thank you, Representative Martin.
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