[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 139 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 139

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                     February 13, 2009.
Whereas Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, to modest means, in a 
        one-room log cabin in Kentucky;
Whereas Abraham Lincoln spent his childhood in Indiana, and, despite having less 
        than a year of formal schooling, developed an avid love of reading and 
        learning;
Whereas Abraham Lincoln arrived in Illinois at the age of 21;
Whereas, while living in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln met and married his wife, 
        Mary Todd Lincoln, built a successful legal practice, served in the 
        State legislature of Illinois, was elected to Congress, and participated 
        in the famous ``Lincoln-Douglas'' debates;
Whereas Abraham Lincoln left Illinois 4 months after being elected President of 
        the United States in 1860;
Whereas Abraham Lincoln was the first member of the Republican party elected 
        President of the United States and helped build the Republican party 
        into a strong national organization;
Whereas, after his election and the secession of the southern States, Abraham 
        Lincoln steered the United States through the most profound moral and 
        political crisis, and the bloodiest war, in the history of the Nation;
Whereas, by helping to preserve the Union and by holding a national election, as 
        scheduled, during a civil war, Abraham Lincoln reaffirmed the commitment 
        of the people of the United States to majority rule and democracy;
Whereas the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln declared that 
        slaves within the Confederacy would be forever free and welcomed more 
        than 200,000 African-American soldiers and sailors into the Armed Forces 
        of the Union;
Whereas the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln fundamentally 
        transformed the Civil War from a battle for political unity to a moral 
        fight for freedom;
Whereas the faith Abraham Lincoln had in democracy was strong, even after the 
        bloodiest battle of the war at Gettysburg;
Whereas the inspiring words spoken by Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg still 
        resonate today: ``that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this 
        nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that 
        government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not 
        perish from the earth'';
Whereas Abraham Lincoln was powerfully committed to unity, turning rivals into 
        allies within his own Cabinet and welcoming the defeated Confederacy 
        back into the Union with characteristic generosity, ``with malice toward 
        none; with charity for all'';
Whereas Abraham Lincoln became the first President of the United States to be 
        assassinated, days after giving a speech promoting voting rights for 
        African-Americans;
Whereas, through his opposition to slavery, Abraham Lincoln set the United 
        States on a path toward resolving the tension between the ideals of 
        ``liberty and justice for all'' espoused by the Founders of the United 
        States and the ignoble practice of slavery, and redefined what it meant 
        to be a citizen of the United States;
Whereas, in his commitment to unity, Abraham Lincoln did more than simply 
        abolish slavery; he ensured that the promise that ``all men are created 
        equal'' was an inheritance to be shared by all people of the United 
        States;
Whereas the story of Abraham Lincoln and the example of his life, including his 
        inspiring rise from humble origins to the highest office of the land and 
        his decisive leadership through the most harrowing time in the history 
        of the United States, continues to bring hope and inspiration to 
        millions in the United States and around the world, making him one of 
        the greatest Presidents and humanitarians in history; and
Whereas February 12, 2009, marks the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham 
        Lincoln: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) commemorates the bicentennial of the birth of President Abraham 
        Lincoln;
            (2) recognizes and echoes the commitment of Abraham Lincoln to what 
        he called the ``unfinished work'' of unity and harmony in the United 
        States; and
            (3) encourages the people of the United States to recommit to 
        fulfilling the vision of Abraham Lincoln of equal rights for all.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.