Watkins Rallies Kansas House Delegation In Support Of His First Piece Of Legislation Protecting Historic Fort Scott’s Heritage

Press Contact: Jim.Joice@mail.house.gov

For Immediate Release:

February 7, 2019

Watkins Rallies Kansas House Delegation In Support Of His First Piece Of Legislation Protecting Historic Fort Scott’s Heritage

Washington, D.C. – In his first piece of legislation, H.R. 1061, the Fort Scott National Historic Site Boundary Modification Act, Congressman Steve Watkins (KS-02) rallies the support of the entire Kansas U.S. House delegation to modify and enhance the boundary and mission of the Fort Scott National Historic Site in Fort Scott, Kansas. Congressman Steve Watkins issued the following statement:

“I am pleased to be introducing this thoughtful legislation to preserve the Civil War heritage of Fort Scott and to expand the scope of the National Historic Site’s mission. This timely legislation will allow the Site to upgrade its maintenance facilities, add shelter for visitors, and, importantly, allow the donation to the National Park Service of the Civil War-era blockhouse used by the Union Army and known locally as Lunette Blair. Allowing the Park Service to incorporate the Lunette Blair blockhouse will link the Site’s frontier fort structures with the community’s heroic Civil War legacy.

The Fort Scott National Historic Site is built into the very fabric of the historic community of Fort Scott. I am tremendously honored to introduce this bill as my first piece of bipartisan legislation. I thank Reps. Davids, Marshall, and Estes for supporting this Act and I thank Senator Moran for his longtime support of this effort.

It is my sincere hope the Congress passes and the President signs this bill into law soon to acknowledge the resounding historical contribution of Fort Scott in preserving our Union during the Civil War.”

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