LAND CONVEYANCE, FORT BRAGG, HARNETT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

On 2026-09-14, Representative Richard Hudson (R-NC-9) delivered a floor speech titled "LAND CONVEYANCE, FORT BRAGG, HARNETT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA" in the House.

LAND CONVEYANCE, FORT BRAGG, HARNETT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026)] [House] [Pages H5544-H5545] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] LAND CONVEYANCE, FORT BRAGG, HARNETT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA Mr. HARRIGAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 10159) to authorize the Secretary of the Army to convey to the State of North Carolina a certain parcel of real property located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on which the State shall construct a veterans' State home, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 10159 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. LAND CONVEYANCE, FORT BRAGG, HARNETT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Army (in this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') may convey, without consideration, to the State of North Carolina all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the parcel of real property described in subsection (b), including any improvements thereon, for the purpose of constructing a State home under the jurisdiction of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. (b) Property Described.-- (1) In general.--The property to be conveyed under this section consists of approximately 20 acres of land situated on Fort Bragg Training Area in Harnett County, North Carolina (commonly referred to as Parcel 3B). (2) Survey.--The exact acreage and legal description of the parcel described in paragraph (1) shall be determined by a survey satisfactory to the Secretary. (c) Payment of Costs of Conveyance.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary shall require the State of North Carolina to cover all costs to be incurred by the Secretary, or to reimburse the Secretary for costs incurred by the Secretary, to carry out the conveyance under subsection (a), including costs for environmental and real estate due diligence and any other administrative costs related to the conveyance. (2) Refund of excess amounts.--If amounts are collected from the State under paragraph (1) in advance of the Secretary incurring the actual costs, and the amount collected exceeds the costs actually incurred by the Secretary to carry out the conveyance under subsection (a), the Secretary shall refund the excess amount to the State. (d) Reversionary Interest.--If the Secretary determines at any time that the property conveyed under subsection (a) is not being used for activities related to a State home, all right, title, and interest in and to the property, including any improvements thereto, may, at the option of the Secretary, revert to and become the property of the United States, and the United States may have the right of immediate entry onto such property. (e) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may require such additional terms and conditions in connection with the conveyance under subsection (a) as the Secretary considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United States. (f) State Home Defined.--In this section, the term ``State home'' has the meaning given such term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Harrigan) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Bell) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina. General Leave Mr. HARRIGAN. 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 the bill under consideration. [[Page H5545]] The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from North Carolina? There was no objection. Mr. HARRIGAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, what does it say about our priorities if North Carolina has the land to train our soldiers for war but not the space to care for them when they grow old? That is the problem H.R. 10159 helps solve, and it is why I am proud to cosponsor this bill. North Carolina is home to more than 600,000 veterans, but today the 150-bed Fayetteville State Veterans Home is closed after serious structural problems forced every resident out. The building has closed. The need that it served has not changed. Just a few miles away at Fort Bragg, there are approximately 20 acres that can give that new home a place to be built. I know Fort Bragg well. I trained there as a Green Beret and deployed from there to Afghanistan. The men I served alongside are veterans now. So am I. The 20-year-old soldier eventually becomes the 70-year-old veteran. The country that needed him at 20 still has a responsibility to him at 70. Fort Bragg has spent generations preparing Americans for service. Now, we have an opportunity to use a small part of it to care for them after that service is over. Give North Carolina the land. Let us build the home, and let us take care of the people who spent their lives taking care of our country. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. HARRIGAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson). Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 10159, a bipartisan bill to transfer land from Fort Bragg to the State of North Carolina so that a new State veterans home can be built. I urge the House to pass this bill. As Fort Bragg's Congressman, there is no issue more important to me than taking care of our Active-Duty servicemembers, their families, and our veterans. North Carolina is home to many important military installations, including what we like to call the center of the universe at Fort Bragg. North Carolina is also home to the fastest growing veteran population in the Nation. Sadly, our State experiences a gap in veteran services that we must address. In 2024, the State veterans home in Fayetteville abruptly closed leading to the displacement of 85 veterans, including many with dementia and other disabilities. These heroes have since been dispersed across the State, far from their families, and in some cases without access to proper medical care. H.R. 10159 is the first step in the construction of a new veterans home just outside the gates of Fort Bragg. This transfer of only 20 acres to the State of North Carolina will allow the State to begin permitting the construction process for this new home in a timely manner. Our veterans cannot and they should not wait any longer. I am touched by the level of bipartisan support we have for the construction of this VA home both down in the State as well as here in Washington. I thank my fellow members of the North Carolina delegation, both Democrats and Republicans who have all cosponsored this legislation. I thank Mr. Bell for his support today. I also thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith for their support. I thank our Governor, and I thank our partners in the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, led by our great Secretary Jocelyn Mallette, for their efforts. I thank them for working with us on this vital legislation. As Fort Bragg's Congressman, I am proud to lead this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to support its passage. While we are here, I urge our colleagues on the other side of the Capitol, in the Senate, to please take up this vital legislation as soon as possible. Again, our veterans have been waiting a long time. This is the first step to end that wait. I thank my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, for working together to make this happen. Mr. BELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. HARRIGAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, one of the benefits of sitting on the House Committee on Armed Services is that we have a lengthy legislative streak of enacting the National Defense Authorization Act. It is a bill that sets the policies for the national security of our Nation. I will provide some assurance to the sponsoring Member that I will work diligently to have this provision incorporated into the conference discussions of the National Defense Authorization Act that I hope will be finalized this Congress. In summary, this is a strong bipartisan bill that is worthy of being enacted. The Army supports this bill, and it is the minimum support that we can provide to support the veterans who have labored so hard for our Nation. 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 North Carolina (Mr. Harrigan) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 10159. 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: HR10159, HR10159