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Bill Renaming Gravelly Point for Nancy Reagan Being Debated in House Committee

A U.S. House of Representatives committee will discuss a bill to rename Gravelly Point after former First Lady Nancy Reagan.

The House Committee on Natural Resources will mark up the bill, H.R. 553, by Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.) tomorrow (Wednesday) at 10 a.m. As previously reported, Hice first introduced the bill in 2016.

It would rename the park, located to the north of Reagan National Airport’s main runway, as Nancy Reagan Memorial Park. But the park’s use by cyclists, runners, recreational team sports, picnics and for those watching planes land and take off would not change.

A memo on the bill said it would honor Reagan’s “life and legacy,” and as a champion for various causes.

“Nancy Reagan Memorial Park would recognize First Lady Nancy Reagan for her dedication and support of important causes throughout her life,” the memo reads. “The re-designation would act as a tribute to the First Lady’s legacy while maintaining the current status and uses of the park.”

Hice’s bill has 51 Republican co-sponsors, but no Democrats. The memo describes the Trump administration’s position on the renaming as “currently unknown.”

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

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