Findings and purpose

(a) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) The United States–Mexican War (1846–1848) concluded with the signing of Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on February 2, 1848, reshaping the territorial contours of the United States and Mexico and establishing a durable peace through treaty. (2) The war profoundly influenced American military, political, and civic life and is a significant chapter in the Nation’s history that merits national-level recognition. (3) Administered by the National Park Service, Arlington Memorial Bridge spans the Potomac River to connect the Lincoln Memorial with Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, making it an appropriate site for a co-designation that reflects national reunion after the Civil War and the United States east-west expansion to a continental, industrial power. (4) As the Nation approaches the 250th anniversary of its independence in 2026, Congress seeks to elevate under-recognized chapters of American history and advance historical literacy through prudent, low-cost commemorative actions on existing Federal sites. (5) There is no national memorial established by Congress on Federal land in the National Capital region dedicated to the United States–Mexican War; a co-designation of an existing federally owned commemorative setting provides a practical means to establish a national focus for commemoration without affecting transportation operations. (b) Purpose The purpose of this Act is to establish a national commemorative focus on the United States–Mexican War through a co-designation of an existing federally owned commemorative setting, with minimal physical alterations and no effect on transportation functions.