Washington, D.C. - In case you missed it, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik spoke on the House Floor to advocate for her bill the Strengthening America’s Turning Point Act to rename Saratoga National Historical Park to Saratoga National Battlefield Park.
View a transcript of her remarks below:
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker and thank you, Mr. Chair and Ranking Member. I rise today in support of my bipartisan legislation, the Strengthening America’s Turning Point Act.
I am always so proud to share with my colleagues in Congress and the American people that Upstate New York and the North Country are known as the cradle of the American Revolution, home to numerous battlefields and historic sites that were critical in shaping our nation’s founding and history.
I grew up going to these historic sites like generations of Upstaters and for years I’ve been proud to lead the charge in their preservation in Congress. Preserving and championing our battlefields and historic areas is one of my greatest privileges as the Representative of New York’s 21st District and Co-Chair of the Congressional Battlefield Caucus.
The Battles of Saratoga were the most significant turning point and one of the most decisive American battles of the American Revolution. The American defeat of British forces at Saratoga marked a changing of the tide in the Revolutionary War, securing foreign support from France and bolstering domestic support for the American patriots and our righteous cause.
This bipartisan legislation would rename Saratoga National Historical Park to Saratoga National Battlefield Park to more accurately reflect the historical significance of the site and emphasize the crucial military engagements that took place there.
The historic site was originally named the Saratoga Battlefield Park, but when it became a national park in 1938, the word ‘battlefield’ was left out of its name.
Unanimously supported by the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, this significant fix will help increase public understanding of the deep significance the site holds in our military history and honor the site where so many gave their last full measure of devotion - especially important as we are celebrating our nation’s Semiquincentennial.
I want to express my immense gratitude to my great friend and classmate Chair Bruce Westerman and Subcommittee Chair Tom Tiffany for their partnership in ensuring our battlefields and historic sites in Upstate New York and across America are preserved and protected for generations to come.
I urge my colleagues to vote yes and I yield back. Thank you.”
