BARBARA L. CUBIN NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAILS INTERPRETIVE CENTER

On 2026-09-14, Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4) delivered a floor speech titled "BARBARA L. CUBIN NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAILS INTERPRETIVE CENTER" in the House.

BARBARA L. CUBIN NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAILS INTERPRETIVE CENTER

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026)] [House] [Page H5578] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] BARBARA L. CUBIN NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAILS INTERPRETIVE CENTER Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 790) to redesignate the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, Wyoming, as the ``Barbara L. Cubin National Historic Trails Interpretive Center.'' The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: S. 790 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF BARBARA L. CUBIN NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAILS INTERPRETIVE CENTER. (a) In General.--The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center established under section 2(a) of Public Law 105-290 (112 Stat. 2783) in Casper, Wyoming, shall be known and designated as the ``Barbara L. Cubin National Historic Trails Interpretive Center''. (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``Barbara L. Cubin National Historic Trails Interpretive Center''. (c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 2(a) of Public Law 105- 290 (112 Stat. 2783) is amended, in the second sentence, by striking ``the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center'' and inserting ``the `Barbara L. Cubin National Historic Trails Interpretive Center' ''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Elfreth) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. General Leave Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 790, the bill now under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Arkansas? There was no objection. Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of S. 790, a bill to redesignate the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, Wyoming, as the ``Barbara L. Cubin National Historic Trails Interpretive Center,'' sponsored by Senator Cynthia Lummis in the Senate and led by Representative Harriet Hageman in the House. This bill honors former Representative Barbara Cubin, Wyoming's first woman elected to Federal office. During her 14 years in Congress, Representative Cubin strongly advocated for Wyoming and the West. As a founding member of the Congressional Western Caucus and chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, she worked to advance responsible development of America's natural resources and improve the management of our Federal lands. Representative Cubin also played an important role in shaping and telling the history of the American West. In 1998, her legislation authorizing the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper was signed into law. The center is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, in partnership with local and private organizations, and offers free interactive exhibits and educational programming about America's westward expansion. Unfortunately, last year, Representative Cubin publicly announced she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. We continue to hold her, her family, and all who know and love her in our prayers. It is a fitting tribute to her legacy that the center Representative Cubin helped establish will now bear her name. S. 790 recognizes her years of service to Wyoming and ensures that her contributions to the history and heritage of the American West are remembered for generations to come. I thank Representative Hageman and the entire Wyoming delegation for their leadership on this legislation and their commitment to honor Representative Cubin's life and legacy. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 790, and I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, S. 790 would redesignate the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, Wyoming, as the ``Barbara L. Cubin National Historic Trails Interpretive Center.'' Former Representative Barbara Cubin was the first woman to represent Wyoming in Congress. Mr. Speaker, I am going to deviate from my notes here to remind all the folks watching at home that there have been less than 400 women ever elected to the Congress of the United States. It is a privilege to stand here and defend this bill. She was a founding member of the Congressional Western Caucus and the original sponsor of the legislation establishing the center. Renaming the center will honor her hard work and lasting legacy in Wyoming and the West. Casper, Wyoming, is known as the city of the crossroads of history because it is the only geographic location in the western United States where four congressionally recognized historic trails converge. The historic trails that pass through the Casper area are a distinctive part of our national character, holding important historical and cultural values that reflect the migration, settlement, transportation, and commerce that all shaped the West. The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, owned and operated by the Bureau of Land Management, helps keep the story and impact of the trails alive today. Honoring the legacy and impact of Representative Cubin is a fitting tribute to a woman who fought for these trails as a trailblazer in her own right. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of S. 790, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank Representative Hageman and Senators Lummis and Barrasso for their leadership on S. 790, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, S. 790. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________

Referenced legislation: S790, S790