Gateway Partnership Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. ELFRETH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5254, offered by my colleagues Representative Bell and Representative Wagner of Missouri, which will support the relationship between Gateway Arch National Park and the Gateway Arch Park Foundation.

The Gateway Arch Park Foundation was formed in 2009 to help fund and coordinate the CityArchRiver project, a transformational revamp of the Mississippi Riverfront and Kiener Plaza, right under the iconic arch, that greatly improved public safety and the overall visitor experience.

Since then, the foundation's partnership with the National Park Service has thrived. This is exactly the type of public-private partnership we need across all of our national parks.

As the official philanthropic partner of the park, the foundation hosts several popular events, including Blues at the Arch and Winterfest, both of which draw thousands of visitors and generate significant revenue that is reinvested back into supporting the park.

The bill we are considering today establishes a new pilot program that would allow the foundation to host private events at Gateway Arch National Park.

This will allow the foundation to host more events and potentially generate even more resources to support the ongoing management of the park.

The authority granted by the bill is a powerful tool when used appropriately, but it cannot become an excuse or rationale to supplant or cut funding from the National Park Service or its staff, especially now when the agency is being pushed to the limit by this administration.

Public-private partnerships like this one managed by the Gateway Arch Foundation are essential. They provide critical support through the National Park System, but we must remember that the agency has lost nearly 25 percent of its full-time staff since the beginning of last year. That figure is neither sustainable nor rational.

Expanding partnership tools should not be an excuse to replace the expertise and experience of the dedicated professionals at the National Park Service.

With that context in mind, this bill requires careful guardrails. Thanks to the cooperation of my colleagues across the aisle, H.R. 5254 will allow managers of the Gateway Arch to test out a time-limited authority. The bill includes significant safeguards for National Park Service-sponsored events, cost recovery authority, and robust reporting requirements so we can understand the full scope and impact of this new pilot project.

Allowing a philanthropic partner to have exclusive after-hours access to park facilities will be a unique arrangement within the National Park System. I thank the majority for working with us to ensure it includes the right checks and balances.

Madam Speaker, I also thank my colleague and friend Representative Bell from Missouri for introducing this legislation and advocating for his hometown national park, hopefully creating a blueprint that could be utilized across this country.

While most Americans know about the iconic St. Louis Arch, famously known as the Gateway to the West, not everyone knows about the full history of the site. The park is also home to the Old Courthouse, the site where Dred Scott first tried and unsuccessfully sued for his freedom from slavery.

This is a transformational American story. While President Trump is doing his worst to sanitize American history and remove signs at national parks across the country, boosting its visibility is more important now than ever.

Celebrating 250 years of this great Nation means honoring and acknowledging the progress we have made since the days of the Dred Scott decision, not burying the truth or the full telling of our shared history.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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