[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 4, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H1200-H1201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     COMMEMORATING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF CONGRESSIONAL CEMETERY

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 698) commemorating the 200th anniversary of 
Congressional Cemetery.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 698

       Whereas 2007 is the 200th anniversary of the founding of 
     Congressional Cemetery;
       Whereas Congressional Cemetery, first called the Washington 
     Parish Burial Ground, was founded in 1807 near the banks of 
     the Anacostia River in the District of Columbia and served 
     the new federal city and a young America as its first 
     unofficial national cemetery, predating Arlington National 
     Cemetery by 70 years;
       Whereas Congress was the primary developer of the cemetery 
     through appropriations for road grading, fencing, building of 
     the Public Vault and its Slate Path, and construction of the 
     original Gatehouse, and Congress ultimately attached its name 
     to the burial ground as early as the 1830's, referring to it 
     as Congressional Cemetery;
       Whereas within months of the establishment of the cemetery, 
     the first burial of a Member of Congress took place when 
     Senator Uriah Tracey (CT) died in Washington on July 19, 
     1807, and was interred the following day;
       Whereas there are 19 Senators and 71 Representatives 
     interred at Congressional Cemetery, and its cenotaphs, 
     designed by second Architect of the Capitol Benjamin Latrobe, 
     mark 165 sites to honor Members of Congress who died in 
     office;
       Whereas Congressional Cemetery holds more than 55,000 
     individuals in 30,000 burial sites marked by 14,000 
     headstones;
       Whereas among those who have been buried at Congressional 
     Cemetery are Vice Presidents George Clinton and Elbridge 
     Gerry; Tobias Lear, personal secretary to George Washington; 
     Commodore Thomas Tingey, first commandant of the Washington 
     Navy Yard; William Wirt and William Pinckney, Attorneys 
     General of the United States; Generals Jacob J. Brown and 
     Alexander Macomb of the U.S. Army; General Archibald 
     Henderson, longest-serving Commandant of the Marine Corps; 
     Dr. William Thornton, who originally designed the United 
     States Capitol and was the first Architect of the Capitol; 
     George Watterston, third Librarian of Congress; Robert Mills, 
     architect of the Washington Monument, the Department of 
     Treasury Building, the Old Post Office, and the original U.S. 
     Patent Office Building (current home of the National Museum 
     of American Art and National Portrait Gallery); Philip P. 
     Barbour, Speaker of the House of Representatives and 
     Associate Justice of the Supreme Court; and 10 mayors of the 
     City of Washington;
       Whereas several prominent Native Americans who died while 
     in Washington were buried at Congressional Cemetery, 
     including Push-Ma-Ta-Ha, Chief of the Choctaws and a 
     Brigadier General of the U.S. Army, and Kan Ya Tu Duta (or 
     Scarlet Crow), a delegate of the Dakota Sioux;
       Whereas among other significant figures in American history 
     who are interred at Congressional Cemetery are Belva 
     Lockwood, the first woman to practice law before the Supreme 
     Court; conductor and composer John Philip Sousa; Adelaide 
     Johnson, suffragette and sculptor of the ``Portrait 
     Monument'' to Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and 
     Susan B. Anthony in the Rotunda of the Capitol; Civil War 
     photographer Matthew Brady; silent film star Mary Fuller; and 
     FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover;
       Whereas the Congressional Cemetery was placed on the 
     National Register of Historic Places on June 23, 1969;
       Whereas the National Trust for Historic Preservation named 
     Congressional Cemetery one of the 11 most endangered 
     historical sites in America on June 16, 1997;
       Whereas for over 30 years the cemetery has been managed by 
     the nonprofit Association for the Preservation of Historic 
     Congressional Cemetery, whose mission is to preserve, 
     interpret, and honor this national treasure, significant 
     District of Columbia landmark, and unique Capitol Hill asset; 
     and
       Whereas by working with community volunteers such as the 
     Congressional Cemetery Dogwalkers Club, as well as with the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Park Service, 
     the Navy, and the Joint Military District of Washington, the 
     Association for the Preservation of Historic Congressional 
     Cemetery has made significant improvements to the cemetery: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That on the 200th anniversary of the founding of 
     Congressional Cemetery, the House of Representatives 
     recognizes and honors the cultural and historical importance 
     of Congressional Cemetery and the value of protecting and 
     restoring this national treasure.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from West Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the gentleman from 
West Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. RAHALL. The pending resolution, introduced by our colleague from 
New York, Representative James Walsh, and cosponsored by Representative 
Farr of California, recognizes and honors the cultural and historical 
importance of Congressional Cemetery here in Washington, DC, on the 
occasion of its 200th anniversary.
  Established on the banks of the Anacostia River, Congressional 
Cemetery started as a neighborhood burial ground. But with the death 
and interment of Connecticut Senator Uriah Tracy in 1807, it became the 
favored place for burial for Members of Congress who passed away while 
Congress was in session. Seventy-one representatives and 19 Senators 
are buried at Congressional Cemetery. Other prominent citizens were 
buried there as well, including members of the Armed Forces, Mayors of 
Washington, DC, well-known Native Americans, architects, and artists.
  I fully support passage of H. Res. 698 and urge its adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on House Resolution 
698 and will again yield myself such time as I may consume.
  This bill has been very well explained by the chairman. Congressman 
Walsh, as well as the cosponsor, the gentleman from California, should 
be commended for their work on this particular bill. I urge its 
adoption.
  At this time, I would like to yield such time as he may consume to 
the author of the bill, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh).
  Mr. WALSH of New York. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my 
distinguished friend from Utah (Mr. Bishop) for yielding me time, and 
to the chairman of the committee, Mr. Rahall, for the courtesy of 
bringing this bill up on suspension, and also my colleague and good 
friend from California, Sam Farr, for cosponsoring this bill.
  I rise today in support of House Resolution 698, a resolution 
commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Congressional Cemetery. 
Nineteen Senators and 71 Representatives are interred at the cemetery, 
located at the corner of 18th Street and E in southwest Washington, as 
well as monuments to 120 Members of Congress who died while in office.
  Congressional Cemetery, older than the more well-known Arlington 
National Cemetery, served as our Nation's

[[Page H1201]]

first unofficial national burial ground. In 1997, my good friend, Jim 
Oliver, who worked for many, many years in the Republican cloakroom and 
provided great service to this institution, brought the cemetery's poor 
condition to my attention, and at the same time, the National Trust for 
Historic Preservation named this cemetery one of America's most 
endangered places.
  After personally visiting the cemetery back then, I understood why. 
Headstones were turned over, grass was 2 feet tall, trees had fallen 
onto buildings, and headstones had damaged the integrity of this sacred 
place. As chairman of the Legislative Branch Appropriations 
Subcommittee, I was in a position at the time to do something to save 
this piece of history from becoming history.
  In fiscal year 1999 appropriations, the Congress appropriated $1 
million for the creation of a special Congressional Cemetery trust fund 
to restore and sustain this treasured landmark. Money was raised to 
match these funds in the private sector, and that fund now pays for the 
constant maintenance in perpetuity for this cemetery.
  Some of America's great historic figures are buried in Congressional 
Cemetery, including Vice President and Declaration of Independence 
signer Elbridge Gerry, whose name is carried into my home district of 
Elbridge, New York; civil war photographer Matthew Brady; composer John 
Philip Sousa; and perhaps the most famous, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover 
is also buried there.
  This legislation recognizes the work of the Association for the 
Preservation of Historic Congressional Cemetery, charged with 
management and preservation of this historic site, and pledges that 
this body will never again forget the cemetery's important role in the 
development of our Nation's government and cultural foundations. I urge 
its adoption, and I thank the Chair and the ranking member for their 
courtesy.
  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend my colleague, Mr. 
Walsh, for his efforts in bringing attention to a marvelous memorial 
and historical site at the other end of the Capitol venue. I speak of 
the Congressional Cemetery and the resolution we consider today, H. 
Res. 698, to commemorate the cemetery's 200th anniversary.
  Many people think of cemeteries as dreary places. But I see them 
differently. Cemeteries are the great repositories of more than just 
the long dead. They are centers of civilization.
  They teach us about our heroes.
  They teach us about our faith.
  They give us clues about our culture and architecture and art.
  They are our history all wrapped up in one place. Places like this 
deserve to be preserved and appreciated.
  The Congressional Cemetery was first established to accommodate the 
repose of our predecessors who met their end while in Washington. Back 
in those days refrigeration was not available and the deceased had to 
be dealt with quickly. Many members, so far from home, needed a resting 
place of some dignity. The Congressional Cemetery became that place.
  The cemetery passed out of congressional control and unfortunately 
later fell into neglect and disarray. More recently a local effort by 
neighbors and community renewed interest in the history of the cemetery 
and that, I believe, is evidence of a reinvigorated dedication to what 
ultimately unites us all: our humanity, our mortality.
  And what a wonderful thing that it can be manifested in such a 
magnificent surrounding! This cemetery has many famous residents, not 
the least of whom is John Phillip Sousa. I can think of no other artist 
who knew that to feel most alive, you need music. I am tickled to know 
that every year on Sousa's birthday there is a musical celebration at 
his gravesite honoring him and the very American music he gave to our 
country.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a cosponsor of H. Res. 698 and commend 
it to my colleagues with gusto. I hope each of you will take a walk 
down to the cemetery, visit our forbears and revel in the history of 
this site with quiet reflection. Take your time, too: there's 200 years 
of history to catch up on.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. RAHALL. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 698.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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