[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 12, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H844-H847]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree 
to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 281) celebrating the birth 
of Abraham Lincoln and recognizing the prominence the Declaration of 
Independence played in the development of Abraham Lincoln's beliefs.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 281

       Whereas Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United 
     States, was born of humble roots on February 12, 1809, in 
     Hardin County, Kentucky;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln rose to political prominence as an 
     attorney with a reputation for fairness, honesty, and a 
     belief that all men are created equal and that they are 
     endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln was elected and served with 
     distinction in 1832 as a captain of an Illinois militia 
     company during the Black Hawk War;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln was elected to the Illinois 
     legislature in 1834 from Sangamon County and was successively 
     reelected until 1840;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln revered the Declaration of 
     Independence, forming the motivating moral and natural law 
     principle for his opposition to the spread of slavery to new 
     States entering the Union and to his belief in slavery's 
     ultimate demise;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1846 to serve in the 
     United States House of Representatives, ably representing 
     central Illinois;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln re-entered political life as a 
     reaction to the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 
     which he opposed;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln expounded on his views of natural 
     rights during the series of Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858 
     declaring in Charleston, Illinois that natural rights were 
     ``. . . enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, the 
     right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness'' and 
     these views brought Lincoln into national prominence;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln, through a legacy of courage, 
     character, and patriotism, was elected to office as the 16th 
     President of the United States on November 6, 1860;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln believed the Declaration of 
     Independence to be the anchor of American republicanism, 
     stating on February 22, 1861, during an address in 
     Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Independence Hall that, ``I 
     have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from 
     the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence . 
     . . I have often inquired of myself, what great principle or 
     idea it was that kept this Confederacy so long together. It 
     was not the mere matter of separation of the Colonies from 
     the motherland; but that sentiment in the Declaration of 
     Independence which gave liberty, not alone to the people of 
     this country, but, I hope, to the world, for all future time. 
     It was that which gave promise that in due time the weight 
     would be lofted from the shoulders of men'';
       Whereas, upon taking office and being thrust into the 
     throes of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln wrote the 
     Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves in southern 
     States that seceded from the Union on January 1, 1863;
       Whereas, on November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln dedicated 
     the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with the 
     Gettysburg address, which would later be known as his 
     greatest speech, that harkened back to the promises of the 
     Declaration of Independence in the first sentence: ``Four 
     score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth, on this 
     continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated 
     to the proposition that all men are created equal'';
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln was reelected to the Presidency on 
     November 8, 1864, by 55 percent of the popular vote;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln gave the ultimate sacrifice for his 
     country, dying six weeks into his second term on April 15, 
     1865;
       Whereas the year 2009 will be the Bicentennial anniversary 
     of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, and the United States will 
     observe 2 years of commemorations beginning February 12, 
     2008; and
       Whereas all Americans could benefit from studying the life 
     of Abraham Lincoln as a model of achieving the American Dream 
     through honest, integrity, loyalty, and a lifetime of 
     education: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the United States Congress--
       (1) requests that the President issue a proclamation each 
     year recognizing the anniversary of the birth of President 
     Abraham Lincoln and calling upon the people of the United 
     States to observe such anniversary with appropriate 
     ceremonies and activities; and
       (2) encourages State and local governments and local 
     educational agencies to devote sufficient time to study and 
     appreciate the reverence and respect Abraham Lincoln had for 
     the significance and importance of the Declaration of 
     Independence in the development of American history, 
     jurisprudence, and the spread of freedom around the world.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield) and the gentleman from Connecticut 
(Mr. Shays) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from North Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in consideration 
of H. Con. Res. 281, which celebrates the birth of Abraham Lincoln and 
recognizes the prominence the Declaration

[[Page H845]]

of Independence played in the development of Lincoln's beliefs.
  H. Con. Res. 281 enjoys the support and cosponsorship of 54 Members 
of Congress and was introduced by Representative Donald Manzullo of 
Illinois on January 23, 2008. A similar measure, Mr. Speaker, S. Con. 
Res. 65, has been sponsored by our friend, Senator Richard Durbin.
  As we honor Abraham Lincoln, it is important to note that the United 
States Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission was established by this 
Congress in 2000 to plan the national observance of the 200th 
anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth in 2009.
  The mission of the commission is to commemorate the 200th birthday of 
Abraham Lincoln, emphasizing the contribution of his thoughts and his 
ideals to America and to the world and serving as a catalyst for 
strengthening freedom, democracy, and equal opportunity for all.
  The commission, which is co-chaired by Senator Richard Durbin and 
Representative Ray LaHood, is focused on informing the public about the 
impact Abraham Lincoln had on the development of our Nation and finding 
the best possible ways to honor his accomplishments.
  The commission states: ``During the gravest crisis in American 
history, Lincoln preserved the Union, led the effort to eradicate 
slavery, and articulated the best aspirations of American democracy. We 
propose recalling these accomplishments in ways that will enlighten and 
inspire us both today and tomorrow. Remembering our past, we can better 
light the way to our future.''
  For the next 2 years, there are numerous events scheduled to 
commemorate Abraham Lincoln. They include a rededication of the Lincoln 
Memorial here in Washington, DC, in 2009, citizenship ceremonies at 
Lincoln sites throughout that year, a redesigned 2009 penny series and 
$5 bill series, a 2009 bicentennial commemorative dollar coin and 
commemorative stamps.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the swift passage of this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of our 16th 
President, Abraham Lincoln, on the 199th anniversary of his birth in 
Hardin Country, Kentucky.
  In the history of this great Nation, the Presidency of Abraham 
Lincoln can be counted among the best of the best. President Lincoln 
saved the Union not only from its dissolution through the Civil War, 
but from its own immoral practice of slavery.
  From his earlier years in Kentucky and Illinois to his time in the 
State legislature and his term in this House, Abraham Lincoln developed 
a political animus fueled by an unshakeable belief in the natural 
rights espoused by the Founding Fathers four score and 87 years before 
he dedicated that sacred ground at Gettysburg. Those natural rights 
were most clearly enumerated by the Declaration of Independence as 
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
  Addressing Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1861, 
President Lincoln credited the wisdom of the Fathers with absolute 
clarity. ``I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring 
from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence,'' so 
he spoke.
  President Lincoln's service to his country began in 1832 when he 
served with distinction and was elected to the rank of captain of an 
Illinois militia company in the Black Hawk War. That military service 
preceded his entry into politics when he was elected to the State 
legislature in 1834, where he served the citizens of Sangamon County 
until 1840.
  In 1846, President Lincoln moved on to serve in the U.S. House of 
Representatives, serving one term before he decided not to seek 
reelection and return to private practice as a lawyer. Spurred by the 
turmoil that gripped the Nation after the passage of the Kansas-
Nebraska Act of 1854, Lincoln decided to reenter the public arena, 
lending his clarion voice to the cause of liberty.

                              {time}  1645

  While speaking on the repeal of the Missouri Compromise in Peoria, 
Illinois, in July, 1854, then former Congressman Lincoln declared, ``No 
man is good enough to govern another man without the other's consent.''
  In August 1858, Lincoln wrote, ``As I would not be a slave, so I 
would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.''
  In his letter to Massachusetts Representative Henry L. Pierce in 
1859, Lincoln wrote, ``Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not 
for themselves.''
  In 1860, Abraham Lincoln took his political and moral philosophy to 
the White House in the midst of a national crisis that would lead the 
Nation to civil war. Abraham Lincoln's singular vision that the Union 
must be preserved guided this Nation through its darkest days.
  Reelected with a clear majority in 1864, Lincoln saw the forces of 
liberty prevail as the war ended with the Union intact and slavery 
abolished. On April 15, 1865, a mere 6 weeks into his second term, 
President Lincoln was struck down by an assassin's bullet.
  Two hundred years after he was born and 143 years after he sacrificed 
his life for his country, Abraham Lincoln is bound up in the mystic 
chords of our national memory as the man who fulfilled the promises of 
liberty and equality and humanity first put forth in our founding 
Declaration.
  Mr. Speaker, the originator of this resolution, Don Manzullo, is on a 
plane, so obviously we can't yield him time. But I do want to point out 
that he offered this resolution and he has a statement which will be 
inserted into the Record.
  I would just like to say that on the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's 
birth, Carl Sandberg, addressed Congress in this Chamber after it had 
officially adjourned. I highly recommend his address to anyone who 
loves this great American President.
  Mr. Sanderg pointed out that Lincoln went to Gettysburg believing he 
would lose the next election, and in spite of that, instead of doing 
what political consultants would urge someone to do today, speak 
angrily about the South who couldn't vote for him, to unite the North 
to support him, Sandberg pointed out Lincoln spoke of the ``brave men 
living and dead who fought here.'' He didn't speak of North or South. 
This magnificent President was trying to heal the Nation. That came 
first. And as Carl Sandberg points out, this was at a time when 
American families had their sons fighting on both sides, and in one 
particular instance in one battle, a family lost both sons, one in 
Confederate gray and the other in northern blue. And they buried them 
on top of each other, with these words ``Only God knows which one was 
right.''
  We can never study enough about this great President. The lessons he 
teaches us are lessons that we all could benefit from, still today, and 
in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for his 
passion and for his comments on the life and work of Abraham Lincoln.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 281 celebrates the birth of 
Abraham Lincoln and recognizes the prominence the Declaration of 
Independence played in the development of his beliefs.
  I am honored and pleased to stand with my friends in the Illinois 
delegation as we honor our 16th President on his 199th birthday and 
kick off the nationwide bicentennial celebration of his birth.
  Abraham Lincoln has achieved universal recognition as one of the 
greatest Presidents in American history. Today we recognize the life 
and legacy of the man who had the moral courage and political acumen to 
end the abominable practice of slavery in America and to save an 
imperiled Union from secession and civil war.
  We also emphasize the prominent role the Declaration of Independence 
played in President Lincoln's political philosophy. President Lincoln 
often cited the Declaration of Independence as a basis for his 
opposition to slavery and as his inspiration for saving the Union. On 
his inaugural journey to Washington, President Lincoln stopped in 
Philadelphia at the site where the Declaration of Independence had been 
signed and declared, ``I have never had a feeling politically that did 
not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of 
Independence.'' In the Gettysburg Address, he defined the end of the 
war as a rededication to the ideals of that founding document.
  H. Con. Res. 281 calls upon the President to issue an annual 
proclamation recognizing

[[Page H846]]

the anniversary of the birth of our 16th President. It recognizes the 
activities of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, which 
initiates two years of commemorations beginning on February 12, 2008. 
It also encourages local governments and schools to spend sufficient 
time studying President Lincoln and his devotion to the Declaration of 
Independence. I urge my colleagues to give their enthusiastic support 
to this important legislation.
  Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, it is with a great honor and a sense of 
humility as the senior Republican from the Land of Lincoln that I offer 
this resolution to celebrate the birthday of our Nation's 16th 
President. I want to first offer my deep thanks and gratitude to the 
chairman and ranking minority member of the Oversight and Government 
Reform Committee, Mr. Waxman of California and Mr. Davis of Virginia, 
respectively, for allowing this resolution to come up on the floor to 
coincide with President Lincoln's birthday. I recognize that this was 
an unusual procedure and that normal committee protocol was waived to 
expedite consideration of this resolution to time with Lincoln's 
birthday today. I also want to offer my profound appreciation to my 
good friend and fellow Illinoisan, Representative Danny Davis of 
Chicago, who made all of this possible to happen today.
  Abraham Lincoln was born 199 years ago today to Thomas Lincoln and 
Nancy Hanks at Knob Creek Farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky, in Hardin 
County. Today starts a series of celebrations over the next 2 years to 
commemorate the life of Abraham Lincoln based on the Abraham Lincoln 
Bicentennial Commission Act, which was signed into law by President 
Bill Clinton in 2000. These commemorations include a special kick-off 
ceremony at Lincoln's boyhood home, the redesign of the Lincoln penny, 
a special bicentennial postage stamp, a rededication of the Lincoln 
Memorial, and a special joint session or meeting of Congress for 
ceremonies and activities related to Abraham Lincoln. I am absolutely 
delighted that the House will join in this kick-off celebration in 
Kentucky, albeit delayed because of an ice storm, with the debate over 
this resolution. This resolution will continue honoring Lincoln's 
legacy beyond the next 2 years by requesting the President to issue a 
proclamation every year in his honor as he does for many other great 
figures of American history.
  In the fall of 1816, Thomas and Nancy Lincoln packed their belongings 
and their two children--Sarah, 9, and Abraham, 7--and left Kentucky 
bound for the new frontier of Spencer County in southern Indiana. 
Abraham Lincoln lived in Indiana for the next 14 years until he was 21 
years old. However, in October 1818, when Abraham was 9 years old, his 
mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, died. His feelings for her were still 
strong some 40 years later when he said, ``All that I am or hope to be, 
I owe to my angel mother.''
  In 1830, Thomas Lincoln, then re-married, decided to move the family 
to another new frontier--this time to the tiny village of Decatur, 
Illinois, located in Macon County. Hard working and intellectually 
inquisitive, Abraham Lincoln's first foray into public service came in 
1832 when he was elected and served as a captain of an Illinois militia 
company during the Black Hawk War. Following his military service, 
Lincoln was elected to the Illinois legislature in 1834 from Sangamon 
County and was successively reelected until 1840. In 1846, Abraham 
Lincoln was elected to serve in this great House, where he ably 
represented central Illinois in the seat now held by my good friend and 
colleague, Representative Ray LaHood.
  Lincoln grew to prominence as an attorney and a legislator with a 
reputation for fairness, honesty, and a belief that all men are created 
equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. He 
founded these beliefs in the ideals of the Declaration of 
Independence--a document which, as President, he would cite frequently 
as his inspiration for saving the Union and as the basis for his 
opposition to slavery. During a speech at Independence Hall in 1861, 
Lincoln stated, ``I have never had a feeling politically that did not 
spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence 
. . . [it is these sentiments] which gave liberty, not alone to the 
people of this country, but, I hope, to the world, for all future 
time.'' Lincoln's belief in the principles espoused by the Declaration 
formed the motivating moral and natural law principle for his 
opposition to the spread of slavery and his belief in slavery's 
ultimate demise.
  Lincoln found his belief in the equality of men to be directly at 
odds with the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1856. This 
legislation promulgated the concept of ``popular sovereignty''--the 
idea that State citizens should be able to determine the presence of 
slavery in their State by popular referendum. Lincoln's strong feelings 
against the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act propelled Lincoln to 
return to politics, and he began a bid for the U.S. Senate.
  During his campaign for the Senate, Lincoln engaged in a series of 
seven debates with his opponent, Stephen Douglas. Now known as the 
Lincoln-Douglas debates, Lincoln's eloquence and studied opposition to 
the spread of slavery brought him into national prominence.
  The second of these debates was held in Freeport, Illinois, a city in 
the district that I am privileged to represent, and was the origin of 
what is now known as the ``Freeport Doctrine.'' Cornered by Lincoln 
into choosing between the notion of popular sovereignty or the 
prohibition against outlawing slavery put forth by the infamous Dred 
Scott Supreme Court decision, Stephen Douglas responded that slavery 
could be prevented from any territory by the refusal of the people 
living in that territory to pass laws favorable to slavery. Likewise, 
if the people of the territory supported slavery, legislation would 
provide for its continued existence. While this doctrine would see 
Douglas reelected to the Senate over Lincoln, it would be a key factor 
in his loss in the 1860 Presidential election.
  Lincoln's performance in the debates won him national prominence and 
a reputation for courage, character, and patriotism. These factors 
played heavily into his election to office as the 16th President of the 
United States on November 6, 1860.
  Upon taking office, Lincoln was thrust into the throes of the Civil 
War. Leading a partitioned Union, Lincoln relied heavily on his 
political ideals born of the Declaration of Independence. On January 1, 
1863, Lincoln issued what would become the most iconic document of his 
Presidency--the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all the slaves in 
southern States that seceded from the Union. His commitment to the 
promises of the Declaration of Independence were further evidenced in 
the opening lines of his greatest speech at Gettysburg: ``Four score 
and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a 
new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that 
all men are created equal.''
  On November 8, 1864, Abraham Lincoln was reelected to the Presidency 
by 55 percent of the popular vote. He continued to act as a courageous 
and principled leader until he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on 
April 14, 1865. Abraham Lincoln died on April 15, 1865.
  Abraham Lincoln's profound and courageous belief in the equality of 
men and the sacredness of the American Union propelled him forward as 
one of the greatest Presidents our Nation has known. Last Sunday, at a 
White House ceremony honoring Abraham Lincoln, President George W. Bush 
said, ``he, of all the successors to George Washington, none had 
greater impact on the presidency and on the country . . . He was a 
fabulous man, a great President. His life was one of humble beginnings, 
and steadfast convictions. And so we celebrate his deeds, we lift up 
his ideals, and we honor this good man.''
  Lincoln is a hero to so many of us here in this House on both sides 
of the aisle, as he is to me. The prominence of President Abraham 
Lincoln is an undisputed fact of American history. The man best known 
for freeing the slaves and saving an imperiled Union has attained 
iconic status among historians and citizens alike as evidenced by best 
selling books such as Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin that 
documented the political genius of Lincoln in winning the Presidency 
and governing the Nation.
  And yet, this man of great genius, compassion and acumen lacks 
official Federal recognition for the day of his birth, February 12, 
because what is popularly known as President's Day is legally 
Washington's Birthday. While I do not wish to diminish the 
contributions George Washington made to the establishment of this great 
country, this resolution will finally give Lincoln his due without the 
cost of a separate Federal holiday by simply requesting the President 
each year to issue a proclamation honoring this great man and 
encouraging the people of the United States to observe his birthday 
with appropriate ceremonies and activities. The resolution also 
encourages State and local governments and local educational agencies 
to study and appreciate the reverence and respect Abraham Lincoln had 
for the Declaration of Independence in the development of American 
history, jurisprudence, and the spread of freedom around the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Abraham 
Lincoln today and in recognizing the profound influence the Declaration 
of Independence had upon Lincoln's political philosophy as a model for 
us to emulate.
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield) that the House suspend 
the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 281.
  The question was taken.

[[Page H847]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. 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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