WASHINGTON, D.C. – U. S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement after the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources advanced legislation to designate Kentucky’s Mill Springs Battlefield (H.R. 5979) and Camp Nelson Civil War Park (H.R. 5655) as National Monuments in the National Park System. After being approved by the committee, both measures will next go to the Senate floor to await further action.
“Camp Nelson and Mill Springs are one step closer to earning recognition for their cultural heritage and historical importance,” said Senator McConnell. “I am pleased that my Senate colleagues acknowledged the need to protect these treasured sites in Kentucky for generations to come. Congressman Hal Rogers, Congressman Andy Barr and I have worked closely with the local communities to ensure these Civil War sites are properly managed and preserved. I’d like to thank them for their help to bring these Kentucky landmarks into the national discussion. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Trump administration, especially U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, for its support of these projects in the Bluegrass State.”
Senator McConnell continued: “As the Union Army’s first significant victory in the West, Mill Springs Battlefield in Wayne County holds a crucial history for our nation that must be protected and appreciated. Similarly, the Camp Nelson Civil War Park in Jessamine County also deserves preservation as it provided a path to emancipation for a number of African Americans who were stationed at the site in Kentucky. I look forward to continuing to work with the administration and my Senate colleagues to ensure the proper recognition of these two Kentucky landmarks.”
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate to Congressman Hal Rogers’ (KY-05) Mills Springs Battlefield National Monument Act. He also introduced a Senate version of Congressman Andy Barr’s (KY-06) Camp Nelson National Monument Act.
NOTE: In August, Senator McConnell submitted testimony to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resource’s Subcommittee on National Parks supporting legislation to designate Mill Springs Battlefield and Camp Nelson Civil War Park as national monuments. His remarks can be found HERE.
