[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 33 (Thursday, March 17, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3006-S3007]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SPECTER (for himself and Mr. Santorum):
  S. 652. A bill to provide financial assistance for the rehabilitation 
of the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial in Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania, and the development of an exhibit to commemorate the 
300th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin; to the Committee 
on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition today to 
introduce a bill to authorize Federal funding for the rehabilitation of 
the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. This memorial, an attraction 
for some 1 million visitors annually, is truly a national treasure, yet 
it has come under significant deterioration. The Franklin statue has 
not been thoroughly cleaned since 1998; there are structural impacts to 
the statue from changes in temperature and humidity; the lighting and 
sound systems are obsolete; and the marble walls and stained glass dome 
are discolored from days when smoking was permitted. The bill that 
Senator Santorum and I are introducing today will help ensure that 
Federal funding is made available to preserve and protect our Nation's 
memorial to Benjamin Franklin, America's distinguished scientist, 
statesman, inventor, and diplomat.
  In the 108th Congress, Senator Santorum and I introduced similar 
legislation to authorize this much needed funding and we were pleased 
that Senator Domenici, Senator Thomas, and their colleagues on the 
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources favorably reported an 
amended version of our legislation to the Senate on September 28, 2004. 
Subsequently, this legislature passed the Senate on October 10, 2004; 
however, the limited time available prior to adjournment of the 108th 
Congress precluded passage of this measure by the House of 
Representatives.
  Unlike other national memorials, the Benjamin Franklin National 
Memorial does not receive an annual allocation of Federal funds to 
provide for preventative maintenance or other important activities.
  The significant burden of maintaining this national memorial has 
become a challenge to the Franklin Institute Science Museum of 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, custodian of the Benjamin Franklin National 
Memorial. In 1972, The Institute--a non-profit organization--absorbed 
the sole responsibility for providing the funds necessary to preserve 
and maintain the memorial when Public Law 92-511 designated the 
Memorial Hall at The Franklin Institute Science Museum as the Benjamin 
Franklin National Memorial. In 1973, a Memorandum of Agreement was 
executed by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Franklin 
Institute that directed the Department to cooperate with the Institute 
in ``all appropriate and mutually agreeable ways in the preservation 
and presentation of the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Hall as a 
national memorial,'' however, the Department has not provided any 
Federal funding to the Franklin Institute for those purposes other than 
$300,000 that Senator Santorum and I secured from the ``Save America's 
Treasures'' program in the Fiscal Year 2000 Interior Appropriations Act 
to help improve handicap accessibility to the memorial.

[[Page S3007]]

  The Benjamin Franklin National Memorial at the Franklin Institute 
serves as the Nation's primary location honoring Franklin's life, 
legacy, and ideals. As we expect visitors to converge on Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania from throughout the world for the Benjamin Franklin 
Tercentenary Celebration beginning in January 2006, it is important 
that the Franklin Institute, as custodian of the Memorial, begin a 
meticulous restoration and enhancement promptly. I urge my colleagues 
to support this legislation to preserve this national tribute to 
Benjamin Franklin for years to come.
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