[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 89 (Monday, June 25, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H3472-H3479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 AUTHORIZING ADAMS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION TO ESTABLISH COMMEMORATIVE WORK 
                  HONORING FORMER PRESIDENT JOHN ADAMS

  Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1668) to authorize the Adams Memorial Foundation to 
establish a commemorative work on Federal land in the District of 
Columbia and its environs to honor former President John Adams and his 
family, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1668

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. COMMEMORATIVE WORK TO HONOR JOHN ADAMS AND HIS 
                   LEGACY.

       (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
       (1) Few families have contributed as profoundly to the 
     United States as the family that gave the Nation its second 
     president, John Adams; its sixth president, John Quincy 
     Adams; first ladies Abigail Smith Adams and Louisa Catherine 
     Johnson Adams; and succeeding generations of statesmen, 
     diplomats, advocates, and authors.
       (2) John Adams (1735-1826), a lawyer, a statesman, and a 
     patriot, was the author of the Constitution of the 
     Commonwealth of Massachusetts (the oldest written 
     constitution still in force), the leader of the Second 
     Continental Congress, a driving force for independence, a 
     negotiator of the Treaty of Paris (which brought the 
     Revolutionary War to an end), the first Vice President, the 
     second President, and an unwavering exponent of freedom of 
     conscience and the rule of law.
       (3) Abigail Smith Adams (1744-1818) was one of the most 
     remarkable women of her time. Wife of former President John 
     Adams and mother of former President John Quincy Adams, she 
     was an early advocate for the rights of women and served the 
     cause of liberty as a prolific writer, fierce patriot, and 
     staunch abolitionist.
       (4) John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), the son of John and 
     Abigail Adams, was a distinguished lawyer, legislator, and 
     diplomat and a master of 7 languages, who served as Senator, 
     Minister to the Netherlands under President George 
     Washington, Minister to Prussia under the first President 
     Adams, Minister to Great Britain under President James 
     Madison, chief negotiator of the Treaty of Ghent (which ended 
     the War of 1812), Secretary of State under President James 
     Monroe, author of the Monroe Doctrine (which declared the 
     Western Hemisphere off limits to European imperial 
     expansion), sixth President, and the only former President to 
     be elected to the House of Representatives, where he was 
     known as ``Old Man Eloquent'' and served with great 
     distinction as a leader in the fight against slavery and a 
     champion of unpopular causes.
       (5) Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams (1775-1852), the wife of 
     former President John Quincy Adams, was an educated, 
     accomplished woman and the only first lady born outside the 
     United States. Like Abigail Adams, she wrote eloquently on 
     behalf of the rights of women and in opposition to slavery.
       (6) Charles Francis Adams (1807-1886), the son of John 
     Quincy and Louisa Adams, served 6 years in the Massachusetts 
     legislature, was a steadfast abolitionist who received the 
     Free Soil Party's vice-presidential nomination in 1848, was 
     elected to his father's seat in the House of Representatives 
     in 1856, and served as ambassador to Great Britain during the 
     Civil War, where his efforts were decisive in preventing the 
     British Government from recognizing the independence of the 
     Confederacy.
       (7) Henry Adams (1838-1918), the son of Charles Francis 
     Adams, was an eminent writer, scholar, historian, and public 
     intellectual, and was the author of many celebrated works, 
     including ``Democracy'', ``The Education of Henry Adams'', 
     and his 9-volume ``History of the United States during the 
     Administrations of Jefferson and Madison''.
       (8) Both individually and collectively, the members of this 
     illustrious family have enriched the Nation through their 
     profound civic consciousness, abiding belief in the 
     perfectibility of the Nation's democracy, and commitment to 
     service and sacrifice for the common good.
       (9) Although the Congress has authorized the establishment 
     of commemorative works on Federal lands in the District of 
     Columbia honoring such celebrated former Presidents as George 
     Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln, the 
     National Capital has no comparable memorial to former 
     President John Adams.
       (10) In recognition of the 200th anniversary of the end of 
     the presidency of John Adams, the time has come to correct 
     this oversight so that future generations of Americans will 
     know and understand the preeminent historical and lasting 
     significance to the Nation of his contributions and those of 
     his family.
       (b) Authority To Establish Commemorative Work.--The Adams 
     Memorial Foundation may establish a commemorative work on 
     Federal land in the District of Columbia and its environs to 
     honor former President John Adams, along with his wife 
     Abigail Adams and former President John Quincy Adams, and the 
     family's legacy of public service.
       (c) Compliance With Standards for Commemorative Works.--The 
     establishment of the commemorative work shall be in 
     accordance with the Commemorative Works Act (40 U.S.C. 1001, 
     et seq.).
       (d) Use of Federal Funds Prohibited.--Federal funds may not 
     be used to pay any expense of the establishment of the 
     commemorative work. The Adams Memorial Foundation shall be 
     solely responsible for acceptance of contributions for, and 
     payment of the expenses of, the establishment of the 
     commemorative work.
       (e) Deposit of Excess Funds.--If, upon payment of all 
     expenses of the establishment of the commemorative work 
     (including the maintenance and preservation amount provided 
     for in section 8(b) of the Commemorative Works Act (40 U.S.C. 
     1001, et seq.)), or upon expiration of the authority for the 
     commemorative work under section 10(b) of such Act, there 
     remains a balance of funds received for the establishment of 
     the commemorative work, the Adams Memorial Foundation shall 
     transmit the amount of the balance to the Secretary of the 
     Treasury for deposit in the account provided for in section 
     8(b)(1) of such Act.
       (f) Definitions.--For purposes of this Act, the terms 
     ``commemorative work'' and ``the District of Columbia and its 
     environs'' have the meanings given to such terms in section 2 
     of the Commemorative Works Act (40 U.S.C. 1002).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Hefley) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. 
Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley).
  Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 1668 introduced, by the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), 
would authorize the Adams Memorial Foundation to establish a 
commemorative work on Federal land in the District of Columbia and its 
environs to honor former President John Adams and his legacy. H.R. 1668 
is supported by the administration and has strong bipartisan support.
  Perhaps no American family has contributed as profoundly to public 
service as the family that gave the Nation its second President, John 
Adams; his wife, Abigail Adams; and their son, our sixth President, 
John Quincy Adams, who was also, by the way, a member of this body. The 
family's legacy was far-reaching, continuing with John Quincy Adams's 
son, John Francis Adams, who was also a member of this body and an 
ambassador to England during the Civil War; and his son, Henry Adams, 
an eminent writer and scholar, and it goes on and on.
  The bill, as amended, focuses on the remarkable achievements of 
President

[[Page H3473]]

John Adams, his wife Abigail, and their son, John Quincy Adams. We have 
a monument here in our Nation's Capital honoring our first President, 
George Washington, as well as monuments honoring Lincoln, Roosevelt and 
Jefferson, but, incredibly, we have overlooked one person who arguably, 
second only perhaps to George Washington, did more than any other 
person to make it all happen. Historian David McCullough reminds us 
that while Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence, 
he was the pen of the Revolution, John Adams was its important voice 
and the driving force. Clearly, we owe him a deep and lasting debt.
  Madam Speaker, it was the voice of John Adams in the Continental 
Congress that was the most responsible for pushing, prodding and 
cajoling the other Founding Fathers to sever our ties with England. He 
did this at enormous personal sacrifice: separated from his wife and 
family for nearly 10 years, taking life-threatening voyages during 
winter storms across the Atlantic Ocean to secure help for our 
struggling Army from foreign nations, and risking imprisonment or even 
execution as a traitor if his efforts were to fail.
  He was blunt and outspoken, but he was also warm and humorous and 
passionate, and he was passionate above all things about his brilliant 
and accomplished wife, his family and his country.
  Many of his views were controversial and unpopular in his day. Even 
the notion of forming our new country was highly controversial and 
unpopular. But he put the good of a country as a whole above any desire 
to win a personal popularity contest.
  His death was, fittingly, as interesting as his life. By an 
incredible coincidence he and Thomas Jefferson both died on the very 
same day, and, Madam Speaker, that same day was July 4, 1826, the 50th 
anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That was 
a significant date in their lives, and it is the significant date in 
the history of our country, thanks to his courage and thankless work. 
For this reason, we worked very hard to bring this bill to the floor 
this week to honor this important American whose sacrifices created the 
very holiday all of us will be celebrating next week. Next week we will 
mark the 225th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of 
Independence. We will finally, at long last, be on our way to 
correcting a glaring oversight in our Nation's history.
  It is ironic that more than 200 years have passed without properly 
honoring John Adams, but, upon reflection, perhaps we augment the value 
of our honor by doing so at this late date. After all, how many of us 
could possibly hope or expect to have such attention devoted to our 
memories and legacies two centuries after we draw our final breath? 
That we do so today speaks volumes about the significance of President 
John Adams' contributions to our lives.
  Finally, Madam Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize 
the truly enormous efforts of the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) 
and, by the way, his staff as well. They put enormous efforts into this 
legislation. The gentleman from Indiana has worked tirelessly as a true 
champion of John Adams, by pushing this legislation through our 
subcommittee, by bringing two nationally recognized scholars to come 
before us, and by educating so many of us here in this body and so many 
citizens of the public at large about the enormous debt we owe to this 
hero and champion of liberty, John Adams. When the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Roemer) retires from Congress next year, he can 
justifiably look back on his work on this legislation with a long-
lasting sense of pride.
  Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to observe that once, in a 
very low moment, during a period when her husband's work took him to 
Philadelphia, leaving her alone in Massachusetts, Abigail Adams wrote 
in a letter to John Adams, ``I wonder whether future generations will 
ever know what we sacrificed for them?'' The answer to that question, 
Madam Speaker, is a resounding ``yes,'' we do know, we will know, 
because of what we do today, and we are grateful.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1668, as amended.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. 
Roemer), my colleague, as an original cosponsor of H.R. 1668. I am 
pleased to join my colleagues on the floor today in support of this 
legislation which honors a great American.
  The Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands held 
a hearing on June 12 on H.R. 1668 that was highly informative. We 
received testimony from noted historians David McCullough and Joseph 
Ellis, who provided the subcommittee with enlightening and detailed 
testimony on the accomplishments of former President Adams and his 
family, as well as the appropriateness of establishing a memorial here 
in Washington, D.C.
  John Adams, our first Vice President and second President of the 
United States, was an early American statesman and patriot, and I am 
pleased to support this worthy legislative effort to honor former 
President Adams and his legacy. It is truly overdue.
  The bill that is being brought to the floor today includes amendments 
to clarify the focus of the Adams Memorial. These changes are 
consistent with the testimony we received at our hearing.
  I want to commend the bill's sponsor as well, the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Roemer) for his insight and his perseverance in expanding 
our knowledge about and generating our interest in our second President 
and his family, and his perseverance in making this memorial a reality. 
My thanks also to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley), our 
chairman, and the leadership for expediting the consideration of this 
measure before the July 4 recess.
  It is fitting and proper that the House pass this legislation in 
conjunction with the 4th of July, which honors American independence, 
an event that John Adams was extremely instrumental in helping to 
achieve. Madam Speaker, I wholeheartedly support H.R. 1668, as amended, 
and I urge my colleagues to do likewise.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer).
  (Mr. ROEMER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. ROEMER. Madam Speaker, first of all, I want to rise to quote John 
Adams. He said, ``I shall never shine until some animating occasion 
calls forth all of my powers.'' He shall never shine until some 
animating occasion shall call forth all of his powers.
  Well, he certainly has not shined enough in our Nation's Capital, and 
we hope to do something about this today with this so-called animating 
occasion with the House of Representatives poised to pass this tribute 
to John and Abigail Adams, to John Quincy Adams, and to recognize the 
legacy of Charles Francis and Henry Adams.
  I want to begin by thanking a number of people that have made this 
possible. As always in the House of Representatives, nothing is easy, 
and everything is complicated, and everything needs to be more 
bipartisan, and this is certainly a seminal event for bipartisanship 
and something coming forward with truly historic speed.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) and his 
staff, the Committee on Resources staff, and the gentleman from Utah 
(Mr. Hansen), the chairman; I want to thank on our side the gentleman 
from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), our ranking member, and the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) for her help and 
devotion to this cause. This could not come to the floor in the 
expedited manner it did without all of their strong support and help, 
and the help in a bipartisan way from the Committee on Resources. So I 
am very grateful to all of you who honor this historic, dazzling, 
brilliant family with your recognition and your speed here today to 
bring this to the floor before July 4.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt), my 
colleague who showed me all around

[[Page H3474]]

 Quincy, and the Senate sponsor, Senator Kennedy. I want to thank the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), my good friend 
and classmate, who is such an integral and instrumental force here in 
our Nation's Capital who has helped us bring this forward. I want to 
thank my own staff member, Matt Blaschke, who has worked tirelessly on 
this effort as well.
  We do intend to bring this and pass it through the House and take it 
before the Senate as well, too. Steps from here in our Nation's Capital 
is a famous painting by John Trumbull, and it outlines the Declaration 
of Independence and sketches the magnificent and captures the 
magnificent history of that event. Front and center, at the exact point 
of center and foreground of that painting stands John Adams. John 
Trumbull recognized the integral force, the integrity, the valor, the 
character, the bravery that it took not only to get our Nation behind 
the Revolution, but then to seek the Declaration of Independence and 
get it passed through Congress. John Adams was that driving force.
  As the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) said, Thomas Jefferson 
wrote those eloquent words, but he did not have the voice to argue for 
those words in the Continental Congress. And taking a step back from 
even when John Adams was the fire and the passion to argue to the 
Members of the Continental Congress that, yes, we needed our 
independence, we were not going to take orders from Great Britain any 
longer; he also convinced the American people that that was the course 
that we should take as a people. In David McCullough's wonderful book, 
and he appeared at a dinner for us at the Library of Congress on John 
Adams, he carefully articulates in this book that at that time, one-
third of the American people were undecided about the course of 
independence.

                              {time}  1430

  One third were Tory and for Great Britain, and one third were true 
blue and wanted in a patriotic sense our independence. John Adams 
convinced the American people that we needed to move forward in this 
revolution and seek for this independence and then pass it through the 
Continental Congress.
  George Washington may have been our first President in the executive 
branch. John Adams was probably our first President from the extent 
that he guided these things through the Continental Congress.
  Thomas Jefferson talked about his important role, Jefferson said, and 
I quote ``his power of thought and expression moved us from our seats 
as we listened to his eloquent words.''
  Revolution, independence, and then setting forth the institutions 
today of our great republic, nobody except George Washington is 
probably more particularly in our gratitude for those three events than 
John Adams.
  He then made a decision that may have been one of the most important 
of his lifetime, here is John Adams, a picture in his prime, he married 
a woman by the name of Abigail Adams, probably his equal 
intellectually, writing some of the greatest letters in our Nation's 
history.
  She was a good and decent person who argued against slavery, who 
argued for women's rights. She also helped establish the tradition of 
the Adams' as the only founding family, first family never to own 
slaves, never to own slaves.
  They then raised the most dazzling and brilliant family in the 
history of public service in this country. John and Abigail were 
married for 54 years. As we salute not only independence and revolution 
in our republican institutions, we also salute family as we honor John 
and Abigail Adams.
  Then they go on to have a son who becomes our sixth President, John 
Quincy Adams, who died right over off the Statuary Hall.
  John Quincy Adams is distinguished not for only one career, but for 
three. He is a minister to five different European nations appointed by 
George Washington. He is the architect of our foreign policy and writes 
the Monroe Doctrine as the Secretary of State. After finishing up his 
foreign policy career, he runs for President and wins and serves in 
principle, not making short-term political decisions to get reelected, 
but long-term decisions on principle and policy so that the country is 
better off. It cost him his reelection.
  People like John Adams and John Quincy Adams are needed now as public 
servants. Then after being President, he goes on to serve in this 
distinguished body for almost 18 years. He was founder of our foreign 
policy, President of the United States, Congressman from Quincy, 
Massachusetts; three great careers.
  He has a son, Charles Francis Adams, who helps negotiate, appointed 
by Abraham Lincoln, to keep us out of the Civil War and keep British 
out of the Civil War. Finally, he has a son, Henry Adams, who is one of 
the most distinguished authors and historians in our Nation's history.
  This is, indeed, a family that deserves this recognition from this 
Congress and hopefully from the Senate.
  John Quincy Adams said about July 4th, and I quote, ``it was not only 
the birthday of a great Nation, it was the opening of a new era in the 
history of mankind''; that new opening in the history of mankind, with 
that declaration, that all people are created equal, is the legacy, in 
many ways, of this family.
  Madam Speaker, I hope that we can pass this today; that the Senate 
will pass this this week before they go out; that the President will 
sign this into law; and that we can begin the hard work of passing this 
and building this in our Nation's Capitol.
  Finally, let me end on a quote from John Adams about the truly 
historic nature of that revolution and that movement for independence.
  John Adams said, and I quote, ``objects of the most stupendous 
magnitude, measures in which the lives and liberties of millions born 
and unborn are most essentially interested are here now before us. We 
are in the very midst of revolution, the most complete unexpected and 
remarkable of any in the history of the world.''
  John Adams, Abigail Adams, John Quincy Adams, and their family, let 
us bring the remarkable honor to that family with passage of this 
resolution, of this bill today, and begin the architecture of rewarding 
valor and virtue of a family and of public service in this Nation, 
probably the best family in the Nation's history.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank again the staff, the Members, to the 
bipartisanship shown in this; and I look forward to seeing this through 
in the next several years.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank again the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. 
Hefley) for yielding me the time.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my legislation, H.R. 
1668, which authorizes the construction of a memorial to John Adams and 
his family in Washington.
  Our great capital, Washington, D.C., is a city of tributes. 
Beautiful, elaborate monuments and memorials stand permanently affixed 
throughout the city to honor our country's most cherished heroes. 
Millions of people from all over the world come to our great capital 
every year to learn about our nation and the great men and women whose 
intellect, ideals, bravery and foresight first established and later 
preserved our freedom.
  But if our commemorative structures are to provide a living history 
lesson, it is one that is woefully incomplete, for it omits John Adams, 
our most skilled and consequential diplomat, first Vice President, 
second President, and his distinguished legacy.
  As a public servant, my fascination with Adams extends through three 
generations of his descendants. As a family, the Adamses were the 
guardians of our republic, from its creation through adolescence. Their 
courage and prophetic wisdom kept us out of war, built the foundation 
of American foreign policy, transcended party politics, and displayed 
independence in critical times. It is time to embrace their 
contributions with a proper memorial in our capital city.
  Thomas Jefferson called Adams a ``colossus for independence.'' To be 
sure, he was the most outspoken and persuasive advocate for a break 
with Britain. Adams had the foresight to insist that Thomas Jefferson 
write the Declaration of Independence and that George Washington 
command the Continental Army. He would go on to negotiate the Treaty of 
Paris, which successfully concluded America's war for independence. He 
is also the author of the Constitution for the Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts--the oldest constitution still in force--which specifies 
that is the ``duty'' of the government to educate its citizens.
  As President, Adams was nonpartisan and ideological, never 
sacrificing his beliefs for political gain. He skillfully (and wisely) 
avoided

[[Page H3475]]

war with France despite the overwhelming warmongering from his own 
Federalist Party. Such independence preserved his integrity, but cost 
him a second term.
  One of the few people truly comparable to John Adams both in passion 
and intellect was his wife, Abigail. those who knew them personally 
called their union perfect. Abigail's letters to her husband reveal not 
only her wit and intelligence, but also a profound belief in the 
equality of women that was more than 100 years before its time.
  As a member of Congress, I am particularly intrigued by John Quincy 
Adams, the quintessential public servant, and son of John Adams. John 
Quincy Adams began his career as a diplomat, skillfully serving 
America's national interests in Russia, the Netherlands, Portugal, 
Prussia, and Great Britain. Under President Madison he negotiated the 
Treaty of Ghent, and as Secretary of State during the Monroe 
Administration, he helped create the most important and decisive 
foreign policy statement of its time, the Monroe Doctrine.
  John Quincy Adams' Presidency was ambitious. Like his father, he 
believed that the government should invest in education and science for 
the betterment of its citizens. He proposed a national university and 
observatory. He pursued his agenda with tenacity and initiative, and 
like his father, enjoyed negligible political support. Like his father, 
he served only one term as President.
  A true public servant, John Quincy Adams returned to public life 
after a brief hiatus to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives from 
his hometown of Quincy, Massachusetts. In his nine terms, he spoke of 
no issue more often--or with more vigor--than slavery. Like his 
parents, John Quincy Adams was a stolid abolitionist, known to his 
colleagues as ``old man eloquent.'' He also helped to establish the 
Smithsonian Institution, the museum in the heart of the mall. He died 
at the ``post of duty'' as a dedicated public servant, suffering a 
stroke on the floor of the House. He passed away two days later in the 
U.S. Capitol.
  John Quincy Adams' son, Charles Francis Adams, spent his formative 
years in Washington, learning through the examples of his distinguished 
predecessors. As he entered into politics, Charles Francis Adams became 
increasingly disenchanted with the insincerity and outright corruption 
of his generation of leaders in Washington. He soon bolted the Whigs in 
favor of the Free Soil Party, which organized around the principles of 
a profound opposition to slavery. He received the Party's Vice 
Presidential nomination in 1848, and eventually held his father's old 
seat in the U.S. Congress. In 1860, President Lincoln tapped Charles 
Francis Adams--now a member of the new Republican Party, and widely 
known for his sharp intellect and persuasive powers--to act as 
Ambassador to England in order to prevent British military support for 
the Confederacy. His logic, reserve and directness achieved functional 
neutrality from Britain, which helped to preserve the integrity of our 
Union.
  Charles Francis Adams' son, Henry Adams, shared his father's 
frustration with politics and corruption in Washington. His 
observations steered him towards journalism, where he described the 
shortcomings of modern politics without falling prey to them. A 
``liberal Republican,'' Henry Adams wrote pointed, brilliant essays 
exposing political fraud and dishonesty. He shared the idealism and 
independence of his heritage, never putting politics above his 
convictions. Henry Adams was also an accomplished academic, teaching 
Medieval History at Harvard, and the first American to employ the 
``seminar'' method of instruction. Henry Adams is best known for his 
acclaimed autobiography, ``The Education of Henry Adams.'' Some have 
called it the greatest autobiography in American history.
  The Adamses occupy a position in American history unequaled by any 
other family. They helped create our nation as champions of freedom; 
they helped defend and guide it during its vulnerable, early days; and 
they helped preserve it through the most divisive battle in American 
history. They devoted their lives to our Republic, and it is time to 
recognize and celebrate their genius, sacrifices, and significance, 
here is our nation's capital.
  Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Souder).
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman 
from Indiana (Mr. Souder).
  Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, we have two speakers remaining; and I 
wonder if we could after that have a minute or two.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. That is fine.
  Mr. SOUDER. Madam Speaker, why build a memorial to John Adams along 
with Abigail and John Quincy? That immediately leads to the question 
why one, has not one been built before?
  John Adams was not a dramatic leader like Washington, Jefferson, 
Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, or even Ronald Reagan, but John Adams 
was a man who rose from humble roots in Braintree, Massachusetts to the 
challenges of his time.
  He was elected our first Vice President and the second President 
because he was the leader of the new New England branch of the 
government. The Virginians loomed large and were brilliant, but they 
did not stand alone.
  From the beginning, John Adams prodded the Virginians as well as the 
others to independence. He had watched the British in Boston. He saw 
the inevitable before others in the Continental Congress did.
  The anchor reason for this memorial is John Adams' leadership in 
creating our Nation, which has been ignored for far too long.
  But it is also about his wife, Abigail, an extraordinary writer and 
political advisor. Without Abigail, it is not clear that John Adams 
would have been, ever been as successful as he was. The Adams, up until 
the Bush family, were our Nation's only father and son Presidents.
  John Quincy Adams, like his father, was independent. He was not 
establishment enough for his Federalist base nor populist enough for 
the Jeffersonians. Charles Francis Adams, Henry Adams and their wives 
complete possibly the most extraordinary family in our history.
  The best argument for this memorial is the extraordinary character of 
the Adams family, but perhaps not to the New Republic magazine, which, 
in a recent thoughtful cover story, criticizes John Adams and author 
David McCullough, partly by arguing that personality, history, and 
character are overrated.
  Were John and John Quincy Adams morally superior to the Virginians 
because they did not own slaves and fought against slavery? Let us see, 
the answer is yes.
  Excuses like geography and family background explain some 
differences, but it does not explain why some people rise above such 
circumstances, nor does it mean that one position is not morally 
superior.
  It took moral courage for John Quincy Adams, to make his stands, 
featured in the movie Armistead, courage anchored in his belief in 
Jesus Christ. The recent New Republic cover story can mock character, 
but a primary part of memorialization is to encourage future 
generations to emulate the virtuous character traits exemplified by our 
past leaders.
  Should we build memorials to individuals? History is not just a 
deterministic march like historian Richard Hofstadter and others 
suggest. The importance of regular people should not be underestimated. 
I am reading the Great Platte River Road wrote by Merrill Mattes right 
now which is based upon the fascinating journals of average people 
heading West, but, in fact, there are different makers in history.
  People living next door to each other, with similar opportunities and 
backgrounds, do respond differently to challengers. Some people rise to 
challenges, others shrink.
  If one views memorials in Washington as tributes to a sort of Greek 
or Roman gods, you will be deeply disappointed upon further 
investigation. They are merely men with all sorts of flaws. Each of the 
Adams would certainly acknowledge their moral shortcomings, but that 
does not mean that they were not extraordinary Americans worth 
honoring. Even Jefferson with his serious moral failings, was a 
brilliant writer, Western visionary, and architect, among his other 
attributes.
  Another New Republic criticism in their review of McCullough's book 
was that writers like McCullough promote books that millions of people 
like to read. This sort of elitism is often prevalent in publications 
read only by a small group of people who desire to seem more important 
than the unwashed masses.
  The ultimate irony is that the review concludes by saying that Adams 
was an elitist. Well, I guess it takes one to know one.
  Ultimately, the reviewer maintains that Adams' writings were out of 
step with his time and certainly out of step with the ideas held today. 
The reviewer makes some interesting points about ideological framework, 
some of his views were outdated, but Jefferson was a slave owner and 
certainly showed none of the gender equity traits of both John Adams 
and John Quincy Adams.

[[Page H3476]]

  So is Jefferson to be ignored as well? John Adams was an eclectic 
visionary and a prolific writer. He is important like Jefferson and 
Franklin because of his actions and leadership on the ideas which have 
stood the test of time, not because of a few ideas that did not.
  Furthermore, I would argue that John Adams' framework grounded in 
English law, like the writings of John Dickinson in letters of a 
Pennsylvania Farmer kept Jefferson and others from drifting into the 
disasters of the French revolution. Most forget how wrongheaded 
Jefferson was about the French and how close our radicals came to 
sending us down that path.
  David McCullough with his tremendous book on John Adams, number one 
on the New York Times best-seller list, has reached multitudes of 
Americans with the story of John Adams. Hurrah to him for being a 
popularizer to help pave the way for this memorial.
  Madam Speaker, I also want to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. 
Roemer), along with the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt), 
who holds the Adams seat in Congress, for their leadership in bringing 
this memorial forward.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. 
Hefley), Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, 
and Public Lands, for moving this bill forward expeditiously, so that 
we can honor John Adams and his family over this 4th of July and that 
the future generations can learn from the character, valor and wisdom 
of John, Abigail, and John Quincy from a memorial, hopefully, near the 
Jefferson Memorial.
  In one of the most extraordinary events in American history, John 
Adams and Thomas Jefferson, died on the same day.
  And that day was July 4, on the 50th anniversary of our nation's 
founding. In 1959 Lester Cappon edited a two-volume edition of 
correspondence between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Like many 
others in our country, reading the exchanges of intellectual leaders of 
the founding of our Republic, helped spark my lifelong interest in 
history.
  McCullough's book is a great place to start any study of John Adams. 
He makes his life vibrant--you feel like you know him well when you are 
done.
  But there is a substantial body of literature on the Adams, if you 
desire further reading. I own a large office of collection of Adams' 
books.
  The Book of Abigail and John edited by L.H. Butterfield features 
selected letters between husband and wife, probably unmatched in 
American history.
  Adams: An American Dynasty by Francis Russell and Descent from Glory 
by Paul Nagel are studies of the Adams generations.
  Passionate Sage by Joseph Ellis was just re-issued in paperback, and 
is an outstanding read whatever problems Professor Ellis is currently 
having.
  I purchased the Character of John Adams by Peter Shaw in 1976, 25 
years ago. It had a profound impact upon me, and made me an Adams 
admirer ever since.
  Paul Nagel's biography of John Quincy Adams is probably the best book 
for further study of his amazing life.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from New Jersey (Mr. Holt), a member of the Subcommittee on National 
Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands.
  (Mr. HOLT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I would like to right off the bat thank the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) for bringing recognition to John 
and Abigail Adams and their family, a century and three quarters after 
his death.
  I would also like to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. 
Delahunt) for his generous gift of time to show me the old house in 
Quincy and introduce me to the Adams' family.
  Having grown up on a family farm in Braintree, now Quincy, 
Massachusetts, Adams was fully expected to become a farmer and a 
clergyman, but he soon abandoned any hope of a quiet private life in 
exchange for a life that called on his vision and valor in the birth of 
a republic.
  I underscore valor, because he and his compatriots at that time for 
all they knew were marching straight to the gallows. While many of his 
contemporaries were calling for compromise with Britain, Adams was one 
of the first to realize that independence was the only reasonable 
resolution of the relationship between the oppressive parent and its 
upstart colony.
  Adams realized that America's future did not lie in negotiating 
concessions, but in promoting liberty by whatever means necessary. The 
fact that he was willing to fight for our independence is an indication 
of how fervently he believed in liberty, yet much of his public service 
was focused on avoiding war.
  During the first months of his Presidential administration, Adams was 
confronted with the very real prospect of war with France. Many in his 
own party, including his own cabinet, supported the idea of waging war. 
Adams insisted on peaceful negotiations and diplomacy, and he was wise 
to have done so.
  It is also only fitting in this legislation that we recognize his 
wife, Abigail. Through their 54-year marriage, Abigail was a sounding 
board and John Adams' closest advisor. No doubt, John Adams was one of 
the most visionary, valiant and courageous patriots to shape the 
American system.
  There are good reasons why our Constitutional government survives and 
thrives, and the Massachusetts constitution that preceded it; John 
Adams' genius is a large part of that reason.
  Now, some say we might not want to devote precious space here in the 
District of Columbia to yet another monument.

                              {time}  1445

  By the same token, I suppose we could steer the millions of tourists 
here to go to Charlottesville, Virginia, or to Springfield, Illinois, 
to the hometowns of these great patriots, and see the sites there and 
send millions of tourists to the narrow streets of Quincy. No. We 
should have a monument to this great man, these great people, here near 
the seat of government in Washington, D.C.
  I thank my colleague for promoting this legislation.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Indiana (Mr. Pence).
  Mr. PENCE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me 
this time.
  I rise humbly today in support of H.R. 1668 to establish an Adams 
Memorial Foundation. I speak with profound gratitude to the gentleman 
from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), a family man and my colleague, for his 
sincere promotion and presentation of this ideal, and the gentleman 
from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) for their promotion of this important work.
  So many have spoken so eloquently, Madam Speaker, today about the 
reasons for a memorial to the second President of the United States of 
America. I would rather reflect on the significance of the day 1 week 
from today that John Adams, the second President, made possible, July 
2, 1776. That is when the Colossus of Independence stepped into the 
breach and stepped onto the floor of the then Congress of the United 
States and drew upon his profound Christian faith and drew upon his 
courage and education, defended liberty and the notion of independence.
  Thomas Jefferson would later write that, on that day, ``His power of 
thought and expression moved us from our seats.'' He went on to say of 
John Adams' role in the creation of the Declaration of Independence 
that ``no man better merited than Mr. John Adams to hold a most 
conspicuous place in its design, he was the pillar of its support on 
the floor of Congress. It is a blessed advocate and defender against 
the multifarious assaults it encountered. With the British floating in 
innumerable ships off the coast of Boston, it was the courage and faith 
and conviction of John Adams more than any other man on July 2, 1776, 
who began the process that wrought our independence, that wrought the 
freedom to have the debate on this floor every day.''
  As we stand 1 week from the celebration on that particular day of 
days, July 2, 1776, I commend the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), 
the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) and all those to support this 
amendment. It is time that we remember the Colossus of Independence, 
John Adams.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), which will be the home of 
the new memorial.
  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the Virgin 
Islands for yielding me this time

[[Page H3477]]

and for her very hard work, along with the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. 
Hefley), the Chair, in bringing this bill forward at such a timely 
moment.
  I bring, I must say, particular congratulations, however, to the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) for what he has done and the way he 
has done it. If I may say so, I will be very sorry to see the gentleman 
from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) leave at the end of the 107th Congress so 
that we might not have more enlightened ideas of this kind from him.
  What he has done is define a great American family, one of the most 
distinguished in our history, who has simply been overlooked among all 
the memorials that stand out there all over Washington, D.C., our first 
and sixth President, and one of the most important First Ladies, 
Abigail Adams, an extraordinary writer in her own right and a strong 
abolitionist.
  There is no need for us, really, to lay out the reasons for a 
memorial for this family in the Congressional Record. The reasons have 
already been laid out in the texts of American history and in the 
vindication of history itself.
  Let me say a word about how the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) 
went about doing what he is doing because it is a case study, it seems 
to me, in how to approach a delicate area like the Mall.
  He, from the beginning, in writing his bill, consulted with the 
relevant agencies, especially the National Capital Planning Commission, 
the agencies which Congress has given the authority over matters 
dealing with the mall. He is proceeding in full compliance with the 
Commemorative Works Act. He does not name a site for where the memorial 
shall be found. That we have given to the NCPC. He specifically states 
what should already be taken for granted, that his bill must be done in 
keeping with the Commemorative Works Act.
  It is important to come forward and say what this Member has done 
because recently there has been a lot of controversy surrounding 
memorials on the Mall. Our generation is in danger of using all the 
available space on this small piece of land meant to serve Americans in 
perpetuity.
  I commend the three commissions who are submitting a plan to fairly 
apportion space on the Mall. They have found for us areas contiguous to 
the Mall, areas near the Mall, areas centrally located where tourists 
may go.
  One thing we know is that the Adams family belongs here on the Mall. 
The only question is how and where to put it. The gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Roemer) wants to make sure that this is done right and 
done through the commissions who are expert at doing this.
  Madam Speaker, one generation does not have the right to fill the 
Mall as if there will be no great men or women who come after us, none 
among our children or grandchildren or great grandchildren, but the 
Roemer bill says it even better. There must be space for those who, in 
our lack of wisdom, we have overlooked on the Mall.
  The Roemer bill has found a great American family, which had no 
contemporaries to speak for them, no interest groups to speak for them. 
Instead, the Roemer bill let their contributions speak for themselves 
as a family worthy of recognition prominently in the Nation's Capital.
  I thank the gentleman for the work he has done and for the work that 
will surely enhance the Mall area.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he might 
consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt), my last 
speaker, who represents Quincy, the home, the place that was the town 
that was home to President Adams and his family.
  Mr. DELAHUNT. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me 
this time, and I rise to mark an exciting occasion that, as David 
McCullough stated in his testimony, is some 200 years overdue, but 
better late than never.
  I would take this occasion, also, to thank David McCullough for his 
contribution to the American people. Clearly, if there was a historian 
laureate as there is a poet laureate, I think we could all agree, the 
overwhelming consensus, it would be David McCullough. He has made 
history come alive in such a way that he has captured the attention of 
the American people.
  I also want to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer). I think 
it was several Members who indicated their disappointment that he will 
not be returning in the next term. Let me add my voice to that. But let 
me reassure them that he will be very much involved and engaged in this 
effort as it proceeds over the course of the next several years. We 
have had many conversations regarding this, and I know he will continue 
to play a huge role.
  Well, this legislation would at long last honor John, Abigail and 
John Quincy Adams, towering figures, as has been pointed out, to whom 
this Nation owes its very foundation. A family without peer in our 
Nation's history.
  As my colleagues may understand, this is a special moment for me 
personally as a native son of Quincy, Massachusetts, where both John 
Adams and John Quincy Adams were born and raised. I sense, I feel 
deeply a certain political kinship, if you will, with this family as 
the first resident of Quincy to serve in this body since Charles 
Francis Adams, the son of John Quincy Adams, and obviously the grandson 
of John Adams, served in this body from 1859 to 1861.
  Furthermore, Abigail Adams, wife and mother of the two Presidents, 
was from neighboring Weymouth, also part of our congressional district 
and where my own grandparents farmed and raised their children in the 
early 1900s.
  Personally, this association is deeply humbling and yet the source of 
great inspiration. As it is in Weymouth and Quincy and throughout the 
region, the birthplace of this Nation, from the pilgrims' first 
landfall in Provincetown on Cape Cod and settlement in Plymouth, 
Massachusetts, to John Hancock, also of Quincy, who presided over the 
Continental Congress that declared our independence, no family in 
American history has contributed so uniquely to the creation, the birth 
of this country, and to our democracy and to its survival as have John 
Quincy and Abigail.
  The citizens of Quincy, Weymouth and Braintree and across the south 
shore of Boston have long recognized the magnitude of this legacy with 
great pride. It is enormously gratifying that we may now share in this 
pride with fellow Americans by authorizing a fitting memorial in the 
Capital.
  It is and has been no easy task to enhance public appreciation of the 
Adams family when the objects of your admiration do so little to 
cooperate. This was a fiercely ambitious and industrious family, but 
they also displayed a frankness and selflessness that is rare in public 
life. That may account, I would submit, for the lack of appropriate 
public recognition until now.
  The tendency towards self-effacement is reflected in a 1776 letter 
from John to Abigail in which he said, and I am quoting, ``Let me have 
my farm, family, and goose quill; and all the honors and offices this 
world can bestow may go to those who deserve them better and desire 
them more. I covet them not.''
  On another occasion, he wrote, ``Mausoleums, statues, monuments will 
never be erected to me.''
  This modesty was becoming, but certainly unwarranted. Few families in 
American history have given so much to their country over so many 
generations as statesmen, diplomats, advocates and authors. For any 
student of the first two centuries of American history, it seems 
incredible that there is no such tribute. It should be a highlight of 
every school pilgrimage to Washington. Well, today we are addressing 
this omission.
  One of the most remarkable experiences of my 5 years in Congress 
occurred just 2 weeks ago during a subcommittee hearing on this bill 
chaired by the Congressman from Colorado, and to whom we all owe a debt 
of gratitude for his handling in such an expeditious fashion by 
bringing this legislation to the floor. I am sure he agrees that it was 
a riveting history seminar by two of the most eminent scholars of our 
time, David McCullough and Joseph Ellis.
  They painted a portrait of John Adams as the Colossus of 
Independence, we have heard that from others, who chose Jefferson to 
draft the Declaration and nominated Washington to command the 
Continental Army. As others have referenced and David McCullough 
suggested, while Jefferson was the pen of the Declaration, it was Adams 
that gave it voice.

[[Page H3478]]

                              {time}  1500

  And later, with a nascent America drawing its very first breaths, he 
was our most effective diplomat in the 1780s, winning recognition of 
our national sovereignty from European powers and securing loans from 
the Dutch to finance the revolution, thus keeping an infant Nation 
alive during its most precarious years. A man of extraordinary courage, 
he instinctively embraced the public interest, even when it conflicted 
with his own self-interest, as when, as our second President, he 
steered America clear of the public outcry for war with France at the 
expense of his own reelection.
  At his side throughout was a one-woman cabinet, Abigail Adams, whose 
influence would be impossible to overstate. She possessed a keen 
intellect.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). All time has expired.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for an 
additional 5 minutes on both sides.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt).
  Mr. DELAHUNT. Madam Speaker, she was also an unwavering moral compass 
for her husband and for her son. She expressed with incredulity that 
patriots striving for independence could conceive of a new nation 
embracing the concept of slavery. She was their conscience. And their 
son, John Quincy Adams, diplomat, Secretary of State, author of the 
Monroe Doctrine, tireless abolitionist, and sixth President of the 
United States, died in this Chamber, in Congress, while the war with 
Mexico was being debated.
  With so many lawyers and legislators nearby, I just want to say a 
brief word about the lasting contributions of John and John Quincy 
Adams to the development of the rule of law, not just here in America 
but around the world. It is truly a living legacy that continues to 
have powerful influence in the 21st century as we observe emerging 
democracies everywhere following, embracing the Adams model.
  As early as 1776, Adams wrote, ``The surest way to secure an 
impartial and exact execution of the laws was by guaranteeing an 
independent Judiciary.'' ``Judges,'' he said, ``should be subservient 
to none nor more complacent to one than another.'' In 1780, he had the 
opportunity to put these ideas, these concepts, into action as the 
framer of the constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the 
oldest written constitution still in force and the first to enshrine 
the concept of a coequal and independent Judiciary, ``peopled by 
judges,'' as he said, ``as free, impartial, and independent as the lot 
of humanity will admit.''
  He was keenly aware that it is an independent Judiciary that can best 
protect fundamental personal liberties against the tyranny of despots 
and the tyranny of majorities. And when, 9 years later in the 
Constitutional Convention, our constitution was being considered, the 
framers adopted the system conceived by Adams, including his system for 
ensuring the independence of judges through life tenure, fixed 
compensation, and removal only by impeachment.
  When, in 1801 his Presidency was drawing to a close, John Adams 
appointed John Marshall as the fourth chief justice of the United 
States, an appointment that would do more than any other in the history 
of our Nation to confirm the power and the independence of the judicial 
branch of government.
  The Adams vision of the rule of law that a truly independent 
Judiciary is absolutely essential to a healthy and vibrant democracy 
has been proven by history, and it is high time that we celebrate that.
  Not so long ago we celebrated the 200th anniversary of the arrival of 
John and Abigail Adams as the first occupants of the White House. With 
remarkable parallels to the 41st and 43rd Presidents, what an 
appropriate time to honor the Adams legacy, and I am confident that we 
shall.
  As Mr. Ellis his observed in his testimony before the subcommittee, 
Washington and Jefferson required Adams' company during their 
lifetimes. They need him now in their repose. So do we.
  So on behalf of the residents of Quincy and Weymouth, Braintree, and 
the south shore, I suggest we need to honor the Adams legacy now to 
achieve a more profound appreciation of this masterpiece of human 
genius and divine blessing called America.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands 
(Mrs. Christensen) has 1 minute remaining and the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Hefley) has 5 minutes remaining.
  Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time to once again commend and thank our colleague, the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Roemer), the sponsor of this bill, and thank our chairman 
for the generosity with time this afternoon.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to 
again thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt), and the gentlewoman from the Virgin 
Islands (Mrs. Christensen). Without the gentlewoman's help, this would 
not have been possible to move this quickly. She has been a delight to 
work with on this, and indeed to work with on all the things we have 
worked with so far in Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and 
Public Lands. And I want to thank the rest of the subcommittee members 
as well.
  I got a real education during this process. I have to admit that I 
too have not, and I perceive of myself as being some kind of an amateur 
historian, I love history; and yet I too did not understand the 
significance of John Adams, and not only John Adams but the Adams 
family. I am thankful for this being brought to my attention because it 
enriches my life as well.
  There are principles to be taken, I think, from Adams' life. They are 
almost without number; but the ones I jotted down were his 
intelligence, his courage, his tenacity, his love of country, his 
religious faith, and something we, as politicians, talk about all the 
time and will be talking about on the stump during the 4th of July, I 
am sure, his belief in family values. If it were not for that strong 
belief in family values, he would not have had the kind of illustrious 
family that he has. So I am thankful for the education I received from 
this and for the education that future generations of Americans will 
get from the memorial that is created as a result of this.
  Madam Speaker, this is a bill whose time has come. Let us pass it 
here today. Let us encourage our friends in the Senate to pass it. My 
dream, and I am sure the dream of the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. 
Roemer), would be that they too, even this week before recess, before 
the 4th of July, would pass this out of the Senate, and we would send 
it down to the President for his signature.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I am grateful to Representative 
Tim Roemer for introducing H.R. 1668. This legislation would authorize 
the Adams Memorial Foundation to establish a monument in our nation's 
capital to one of the most remarkable public servants this city and our 
country have ever known: our first vice-president and our second 
president, John Adams.
  John Adams was the primary architect of the government in which all 
of us play an active role today, more than 200 years after he commenced 
his brave and tireless work to liberate his fellow citizens from the 
English Crown. Virtually millions of people have been the beneficiaries 
of his brilliant courage, but ironically, few of us fully understand 
and appreciate the depth or nature of the debt we owe him.
  Madam Speaker, it was John Adams who authored a pamphlet that laid 
out the design adopted by our government in structuring three distinct 
and independent branches: our bicameral legislature, our executive 
branch and our independent judiciary. It is useful and appropriate to 
observe that it was John Adams who arguable fought more fiercely than 
any other person to ensure that our judiciary was independent. It was 
John Adams who observed that ``we must be a nation of laws and not of 
men.''
  Madam Speaker, John Adams was also a great student of the world. He 
once wrote that ``I must study politics and war that my sons may have 
liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study 
mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval 
architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture in order to give 
their children

[[Page H3479]]

a right to study paintings, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, 
tapestry and porcelain.''
  Benjamin Rush, himself a signer of the Declaration of Independence, 
wrote a letter in 1812 to his close friend John Adams in which he 
acknowledged that, ``I consider you and [Jefferson] as the North and 
South Poles of the American revolution. Some talked, some wrote, and 
some fought to promote and establish it but you and Mr. Jefferson 
thought for all of us.''
  Jefferson himself called Adams the ``colossus of independence,'' and 
in later recalling the driving force that Adams was in the Continental 
Congress, Jefferson observed that Adams's ``sense and thought moved us 
from our seats.''
  Madam Speaker, let us honor, this great leader, patriot, and talented 
author of liberty to whom we owe our very freedom and independence as 
we approach the coming Fourth of July holiday; he who did more than any 
other person in the Continental Congress to bring it all about: John 
Adams.
  It is gratifying that author David McCullough has appropriately been 
recognized by his alma mater and in 1998 received an honorary degree 
from Yale University.
  Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, with the 225th anniversary of our 
Declaration of Independence being celebrated next week, it is with 
particular patriotic pride that the House should consider today H.R. 
1668, a bill to authorize the Adams Memorial Foundation to establish a 
commemorative work to honor former President John Adams, his family and 
his legacy.
  We can thank many people for bringing the House to this point, but I 
want to pay tribute to the work of one Member of this body who's 
inspiration and yeoman's work truly has given life and legs to the idea 
for an Adam's Memorial.
  This member's work is based not in the politics of the moment or the 
whims of a majority, not upon the interest of a monied few or is it 
masked in media mania.
  Representative Tim Roemer's fount for this memorial was refreshingly 
found deep within the well spring of democracy itself, intellectual 
curiosity.
  Though Adams himself sought no memorial, even he would appreciate the 
sentient scene of Roemer cloistered in the Library of Congress greedily 
soaking up the lyrical lessons of Adams to the Continental Congress 
working tirelessly toward independence, drafting our Nation's now 
oldest constitution, that of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and 
continuing his service as Vice-President and President of the United 
States.
  Representative Roemer himself stands sentinel to all that Adams 
worked for his entire life, enlightened leadership. We thank him for 
his work on this legislation. Which will help illuminate our Nation's 
founding and the contributions Adams can still bring to Americans 
today.
  Madam Speaker, as this bill's language points out, somewhere along 
the way, we lost sight of the extraordinary national contributions of 
John Adams and those of his wife Abigail and their offspring. Among the 
gleaming marble facades of our presidential constellation along our 
national mall, among the many sites where we pay homage to individual's 
throughout America's history here in our Nation's Capital, there is a 
void, an Adams void, that should be filled.
  Daniel Webster, on the occasion of the deaths of John Adams and 
Thomas Jefferson on July 4th, 1826, noted: ``A truly great man . . . is 
no temporary flame.'' Rather he concluded it is ``a spark of fervent 
heat, as well as radiant light, with power to rekindle the common mass 
of human kind; so that when it glimmers in its own decay, and finally 
goes out in death, no night follows, but it leaves the world all light, 
all on fire from the potent contact of its own spirit.''
  It is time we reignited the flame of Adams genius and work. Our flint 
and steel will be an interpretive memorial for generations to visit, 
perpetually sparking their curiosities of this great American, John 
Adams, his legacy and his family.
  Former Librarian of Congress, Daniel Boorstin, has highlighted for me 
a passage in a letter Thomas Jefferson sent Adams recalling the joint 
efforts of the two old revolutionaries, ``We were fellow-laborers in 
the same cause . . . Laboring always at the same oar, with some wave 
ever ahead, threatening to overwhelm us, and yet passing harmless under 
our bark, we knew not how we rode through the storm with heart and 
hand, and made a happy port . . . and so we have gone on, and shall go 
on puzzled and prospering beyond example in the history of man.''
  With heart and hand let us give sail to that same voyage in the 
tradition of our founders. Let us hold the lamp of liberty bright to 
find passage through storms beyond our horizons and batten down all 
doubts of democracy by hoisting high the life and legacy of John Adams.
  Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, I hope that we pass this bill unanimously 
here today, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1668, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________