[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 25, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H5822-H5825]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1030
                ABRAHAM LINCOLN BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION

  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 858) to extend the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial 
Commission, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 858

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

[[Page H5823]]

     SECTION 1. ABRAHAM LINCOLN BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION.

       (a) Duties.--Section 4 of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial 
     Commission Act (36 U.S.C. note prec. 101; Public Law 106-173) 
     is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)(D), by striking ``redesignation'' and 
     inserting ``rededication''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) To recommend to Congress a plan to carry out the 
     activities recommended under paragraph (2).
       ``(4) To carry out other related activities in support of 
     the duties carried out under paragraphs (1) through (3).''.
       (b) Extension.--Section 8 of such Act (36 U.S.C. note prec. 
     101; Public Law 106-173) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``The'' and inserting 
     ``In addition to the interim report required under subsection 
     (b), the'';
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Final 
     Report.--'' and inserting ``Required Interim Report.--'';
       (B) by striking the first sentence and inserting: ``Not 
     later than June 24, 2004, the Commission shall submit an 
     interim report to Congress.''; and
       (C) in the second sentence, by striking ``final''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c) Final Report.--Not later than April 30, 2010, the 
     Commission shall submit a final report to Congress. The final 
     report shall contain final statements, recommendations, and 
     information described under subsection (b)(1), (2), and 
     (3).''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Terry). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) and the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Davis) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder).
  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Advisory Commission of the Abraham 
Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, I am proud the House is considering 
this legislation. This commission was established by Congress through 
the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission Act in 2000 through the 
106th Congress.
  The commission works to honor President Lincoln's momentous legacy by 
educating the general public on his unequaled contributions to our 
great Nation. It can be a universally celebrated event of racial 
reconciliation. It can be a time and an example for unifying America, 
increasingly diverse with many different populations, about the 
importance of having a united Nation and a united America.
  This bicentennial can also highlight the unique American experience 
of being able to rise up from growing up in a log cabin, people of 
diverse backgrounds being able to rise to the very top of positions of 
power in America.
  I am pleased that this bill will extend the commission until 2010, 
which will allow it to continue its valuable work through the upcoming 
celebration of the 200th anniversary of President Lincoln's birth in 
2009.
  I am pleased the other body has already passed this bill that honors 
perhaps our Nation's most extraordinary and cherished President. I 
congratulate the accomplished members of the commission for their work. 
We look forward to the commission's final report that will be due to 
Congress on April 30, 2010, if this bill is passed.
  Mr. Speaker, therefore, I urge all Members to support the passage of 
S. 858, and I thank the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin) for 
introducing this important measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
might consume.
  Mr. Speaker, President Abraham Lincoln is considered by many to be 
the most outstanding President this country has ever had. As a matter 
of fact, many have suggested that he was courageous, often 
misunderstood, renowned in his ability to see situations and then move 
on them. So I am pleased to join with my colleague from Indiana in 
consideration of Senate bill 858, a bill to extend the Abraham Lincoln 
Bicentennial Commission.
  The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission was established by 
Congress in 2000 to plan the national observances of the 200th 
anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birthday in 2009. Fifteen Americans 
were named by the White House, the House of Representatives and the 
Senate to work together to propose and craft programs of celebration 
and education.
  S. 858 would extend the authorization for the Abraham Lincoln 
Bicentennial Commission through the bicentennial year of 2009. Under 
current law, the commission would pass out of existence in 2004, 5 
years before the event it is supposed to commemorate. In addition to 
the requirement that the commission submit an interim report in June of 
2004, S. 858 also requires that a final report be issued in 2010 after 
the conclusion of bicentennial festivities.
  Obviously, Mr. Speaker, this legislation has tremendous support, and 
I would urge its passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), the distinguished sponsor of 
the original legislation that established the Abraham Lincoln 
Bicentennial Commission, as well as a cochair of the commission, 
without whose work this would not have occurred.
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Indiana for 
his comments.
  I rise in support of the Senate bill 858, a bill to continue the 
important work of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. I 
encourage all of our colleagues to join with me in voting for this 
fitting tribute to our greatest President. I want to thank Senator 
Durbin for getting this through the United States Senate, and I want to 
thank the majority leader's office for scheduling this for 
consideration today.
  It is my honor to serve as cochair of the Abraham Lincoln 
Bicentennial Commission along with Senator Durbin of Illinois and Mr. 
Harold Holzer of New York, a noted Lincoln scholar.
  Created by Congress, the commission has 15 members and is charged 
with planning and organizing the national celebration of Lincoln's 
200th birthday on February 12, 2009. Current plans for the bicentennial 
include a joint session of Congress, educational initiatives throughout 
the country, a new Lincoln penny, film projects and much more.
  In celebrating Lincoln's birthday, we honor not just the memory of 
one man but also the promise of America's freedom. The ongoing struggle 
against tyranny abroad and the continued fight for racial justice at 
home both find their inspiration in the life and work of Abraham 
Lincoln.
  Last year, the commission appointed an executive director and moved 
into offices in the Library of Congress. We have held meetings in 
Illinois, Kentucky and Washington and will travel to Indiana next year 
and will also be in Vermont this year.
  Through our Web site, www.lincolnbicentennial.gov, we have already 
received countless suggestions from the public about how best to 
celebrate this important national event.
  This year, the commission celebrated Lincoln's birthday by gathering 
together our distinguished advisory committee. Made up of scholars, 
business people and artists, we asked for their help in planning for 
the bicentennial. That evening nearly 500 people and many more watching 
C-SPAN witnessed ``Lincoln Seen and Heard'' in which the acclaimed 
actor Sam Waterston gave a dramatic performance of Lincoln's speeches, 
while Harold Holzer provided the accompanying images and narration.
  Through events like this, we hope to raise the profile of the 
commission and prepare the public for the important occasion of 
Lincoln's 200th birthday, which we hope to celebrate nationwide and 
around the world.
  It is vital that this important commission be allowed to continue its 
work through the actual bicentennial celebration. This bill would 
simply extend the life of the commission through the bicentennial year 
and require a final report so that future generations will have a 
record of how we celebrated the life of the foremost champion of human 
liberty.
  Therefore, as the representative of the same District that sent 
Abraham Lincoln to Congress and as cochair of the Abraham Lincoln 
Bicentennial Commission, I urge my colleagues to support S. 858. I 
thank the gentleman from Indiana for the time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such 
time as he might consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson), 
a Lincoln scholar, a civil war era buff, and a great historian who has 
studied and written extensively about this period.

[[Page H5824]]

  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by thanking the 
distinguished gentleman from Illinois for the very kind and generous 
and very thoughtful introduction.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this bill to extend 
the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. I might also add, Mr. 
Speaker, that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) is to be 
congratulated for his foresight in the creation of this legislation and 
the appropriate ways that a commission might study the ways in which 
this Nation might honor, I believe, our most revered President.
  I was recently appointed by the distinguished Democratic leader to 
the 15-member commission which has the esteemed responsibility of 
studying and recommending to Congress ways to appropriately honor 
President Lincoln in 2009, the bicentennial of his birth. I think it is 
very important to interpret the 16th President's life and work.
  President Lincoln was an anti-slavery advocate in a Republican Party 
that sprang to live on an anti-slavery platform. His election in 1860 
added fuel to the fire of disunion over slavery and its spread west, a 
disunion that triggered the American Civil War. While Lincoln was 
gradualist in his approach to ending slavery, he never wavered on a 
position that he knew would lead to its end. Slavery would not be 
allowed to spread into the western territories.
  Initially seven, and ultimately eleven, southern States seceded from 
the Union rather than live under the rule of what many Democrats of 
that era referred to and called the black Republican Party.
  Lincoln valued the Union above all, but he knew that the result of 
saving the Union was emancipation for the slaves. If the Union had not 
been preserved, slavery would not have been ended. Strategically, 
Lincoln understood that the Union was a common ground issue around 
which he could rally the American people while slavery was divisive.
  By holding his coalition together around the issue of the Union, 
enough unionists eventually saw the connection between preserving the 
Union and ending slavery. Clarity on that connection helped Lincoln 
ease into emancipation in the middle of the war when it gave the North 
a huge boost. This cleared the way for the 13th, the 14th and the 15th 
amendments to the Constitution of the United States.
  President Lincoln said 140 years ago this November in Gettysburg that 
government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not 
perish from the face of the Earth. To Lincoln, the people meant every 
American, not just a select few. His policy and ultimate sacrifice for 
this noble belief are instructive for every American, especially public 
servants.
  I am deeply honored to be among those who will shape a national 
celebration of his legacy.
  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  One of the other things I would like to add to the record about the 
extraordinary President Abraham Lincoln are that he gave two of the 
most outstanding speeches of all time in American history, the 
Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural.
  In the book Lincoln at Gettysburg by the gifted writer Gary Wills, he 
points out an extraordinary point that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Jackson) just referenced, and that is that the President did not 
directly address the biggest issues of the day. He indirectly tried to 
build a coalition to unite our Nation.
  As Gary Wills points out, the Gettysburg Address does not mention 
Gettysburg, nor slavery, nor, more surprising, the Union or the South 
or the Emancipation Proclamation. Wills refers to it as a 
transcendental declaration. He laid the groundwork behind uniting 
America in a union where we would stand together, and in the opening 
phrase, taking out a few words of it and putting it down in its core 
form, we are engaged in testing whether any free Nation can survive, 
and that is what his message of the Gettysburg Address was.
  His Second Inaugural speech, which many feel was his greatest speech, 
also subject to a second book by Stephen White, he pointed out that 
that was a brilliant theological address, stunned Congress, stunned the 
press of the United States because it was very short. Here they were 
very near the end of the Civil War, at a time when people wanted an 
address from their President, celebrating victory or talking about how 
things were going to work, and he made a seemingly impersonal address.
  Nine straight Presidents did not serve a second term. He was the 
first President in 10 to serve a second term. Yet in his Second 
Inaugural he never said anything about that. He made it sound like it 
was kind of an accident he was there, because what his purpose was was 
to give a theological address on why both sides argued in the name of 
God, both sides thought that they were trying to do that, some people 
thought it was fatalistic, but he actually laid a theological argument 
out as to why we fought a Civil War, why it was important that we 
fought that Civil War and God's role in human history.
  He may have been raised as a simple country boy, but he wrote and 
personally edited, and we can see all the notes as he worked through 
the speeches, two of the most powerful and enduring documents in world 
history. In the Hoosier State, with all due respect to the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Davis), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson) 
and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), we have an expression, 
Abraham Lincoln grew up in Indiana. He is our most famous Hoosier. We 
say Indiana made Lincoln. Lincoln made Illinois.
  Lincoln epitomizes the American dream, that he grew up in a log cabin 
in Kentucky where he was born and the first few years of his life. Then 
he moved to Indiana as a very young boy, grew up in multiple log cabins 
there in Indiana. He largely educated himself, moved to Illinois, 
taught himself the law, ran for office, losing more than he won. He 
participated in arguably the most famous of all American debates, the 
Lincoln-Douglas debates. He eventually rose as a compromise candidate 
for President, was trounced on the first ballot but came out as a 
compromise President, but almost every American will agree it is a 
classic example of the right man in the right place at the right time.
  This is important for the rest of the world because Abraham Lincoln 
epitomizes the American dream. The four of us who spoke here, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Jackson) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) and myself, 
all come from different backgrounds. None of us were probably born in a 
log cabin, and our Speaker, who is a super Lincoln fan, who has turned 
his conference room into the Lincoln Room with paintings and statuary 
and other things of Abraham Lincoln, he himself grew up in small town 
Illinois. He would have liked to have been born in a log cabin, but he 
was not.

                              {time}  1045

  But he grew up in Illinois and prides himself on rising up like 
others in the American Dream.
  Abraham Lincoln is an example to us of racial reconciliation, of 
united nations, of rising up in the American Dream; and that is 
important in understanding why, like during the 10 years of this 
commission, we continue to develop at the grass roots level, the same 
way this commission has started to do, innovative ideas, bubbling up in 
community after community of how we can recognize those things that 
unite us as a Nation and to build on that so we do not come apart at 
the seams like we have seen in many nations around the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I do not have any other colleagues who want to speak on 
this, but I want to thank, again, the Senator from Illinois in the 
other body, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Davis), and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Jackson) for supporting this, and I urge all Members to support its 
passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume, and though I do not have any additional speakers, I will close 
by simply saying that I grew up an Abraham Lincoln fan as a little boy. 
My mother, who did not have much formal education, nor did my father, 
they were both Abraham Lincoln fans and they

[[Page H5825]]

told us stories about Abraham Lincoln. This obviously whetted my 
appetite, and I became an Abraham Lincoln guy who read everything that 
I could get my hands on about Lincoln.
  It is obvious from all of the comments that we have heard that 
Indiana, Illinois, and I guess we have to add Kentucky, have great 
memories and great fondness for the legacy of Abraham Lincoln, who 
would probably be considered a great communicator. We did not talk so 
much about people being communicators then. Now we talk about 
communication skills and abilities; but I guess he could communicate so 
much in just a few words, in things like the Lincoln Gettysburg Address 
and other comments that he made.
  The one quote that I often like to suggest that Lincoln made was 
about education. He said that ``education makes a man easy to lead, but 
difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.'' So as 
we put resources into budgets for education, I always try to remember 
Abraham Lincoln.
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 858, a 
bill to extend the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.
  History recognizes Abraham Lincoln as one of this Nation's greatest 
and most visionary Presidents. Born in rural Kentucky, Lincoln rose 
from humble roots to the highest office in the land. He was renowned as 
a masterful orator and legislator. He led our country through its 
greatest internal crisis, our Civil War, with a decisiveness balanced 
with humanity. In 1863, Lincoln issued the revolutionary Emancipation 
Proclamation, freeing all slaves in the South. And he professed himself 
committed to rebuilding our Nation into a strong, united entity through 
a generous, practical reconstruction program in the South.
  Tragically, Lincoln never had the opportunity to act upon his vision 
for Reconstruction. Just 5 days after Lee's surrender at Appomattox, 
Lincoln was shot at nearby Ford's Theater. He died of his wounds the 
next morning. An outpouring of grief swept across the Nation, with 
thousands meeting his funeral train at every stop.
  Abraham Lincoln embodied the principles and qualities our Nation 
values most highly. He was scrupulously honest, forthright, and moral. 
In all matters of governance, he made decisions based on his desire to 
do the greatest good for the largest number of people. He was utterly 
committed to the fair treatment of all Americans and to healing the 
wounds of our internal divisions.
  As a Member of Congress, I strive to emulate Lincoln's example. In 
doing so, I am deeply proud to say that I am deeply proud to say that I 
am carrying on a family heritage. I can trace my own ancestry back to 
Lincoln himself; our families lived in the same part of Kentucky. His 
portrait hangs in my office as a constant reminder of his noble spirit 
and eloquent example.
  The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission was established in 2000 
to inform the public about the impact Abraham Lincoln had on the 
development of our Nation and to identify the best possible ways to 
honor his accomplishments. The Commission has already done a great deal 
of excellent work and looks forward to doing much more. Under the 
original legislation, however, the Commission is scheduled to expire 
this year--3 years before the actual Lincoln Bicentennial in 2003. This 
legislation would extend the Commission's life through the bicentennial 
it was established to celebrate.
  Just last month, I was deeply honored to be appointed to the 
Commission's advisory board. It will be my privilege to work with my 
fellow board members and the Commission to educate our Nation about my 
kinsman and role model.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting S. 858 and honoring the 
legacy of Abraham Lincoln. Without his leadership, our Nation would not 
be the strong, unified United States we are today.
  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, as Representative for the 17th Congressional 
District in Illinois, a district encompassing Springfield, Illinois, 
where Abraham Lincoln got his political start, I pledge my support for 
the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.
  Abraham Lincoln first came to Illinois in March of 1830, and like so 
many of us he came to love the beautiful state, its good people, and 
its bountiful opportunities. Abraham Lincoln was a patriotic man and a 
courageous leader. He led our Nation through one of the darkest times 
in its history, and helped to shape it into the great country that it 
is today.
  The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission is dedicated to 
preserving and honoring the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. It will provide 
education to the American public about President Lincoln's 
accomplishments, as well as striving to honor his works.
  I encourage everyone to visit Illinois and see the many sites 
commemorating President Lincoln, not only in Springfield, but 
throughout the state. It is important to continue to urge Americans to 
learn about the history of our Nation and the people who have made it 
so great. Abraham Lincoln is one of the most important figures who 
contributed to this rich history of which we are so proud.
  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of Senator 
Richard J. Durbin's bill, S. 858, to extend the Abraham Lincoln 
Bicentennial Commission and to inform the American public about his 
selfless dedication and sacrifice to our country.
  It is my privilege to represent Illinois in the House of 
Representatives just as Abraham Lincoln did more than a century and a 
half ago. I am honored to share this association with one of our 
nation's greatest lawyers, legislators, and presidents.
  Toward the end of this decade, on February 12, 2009, we will 
recognize the 200th anniversary of President Lincoln's birth. Passage 
of this bill authorizes the Bicentennial Commission to explore the best 
possible ways to honor his lasting accomplishments.
  Our state slogan, ``Land of Lincoln'' reflects how proud Illinoisans 
are of his enduring contribution to America's unity and strength. His 
home in Springfield, Illinois is a National Historic Site administered 
by the National Park Service, and his tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery, also 
in Springfield, is among the most visited sites in our state.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Senator Durbin for introducing this legislation 
to make certain that a hero to all in my home state of Illinois and 
throughout the nation is honored appropriately. I strongly encourage 
all of my colleagues to vote for S. 858, authorizing the Abraham 
Lincoln Bicentennial Commission to help preserve the memory of his 
noble vision, statesmanship and humanity forever in American history.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Terry). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 858.
  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. SOUDER. Mr. 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.

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