[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 182 (Wednesday, November 30, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8074-S8075]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE WEEK

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 341 submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 341) designating the first full week 
     of December in 2011 as ``National Christmas Tree Week.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, 
the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid on the 
table, with no intervening action or debate, and any related statements 
be printed in the record as if read.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 341) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:


                              s. res. 341

       Whereas Christmas trees are grown in all 50 States;
       Whereas Christmas trees have been sold commercially in the 
     United States since about 1850;
       Whereas Edward Johnson, assistant to Thomas Edison, came up 
     with the idea of electric lights for Christmas trees in 1882;
       Whereas President Calvin Coolidge started the National 
     Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on the White House lawn in 
     1923;
       Whereas there are close to 15,000 farms growing Christmas 
     trees in the United States;
       Whereas there are approximately 100,000 people employed 
     full or part-time in the Christmas tree industry;
       Whereas Christmas tree farms in the United States planted 
     approximately 35,000,000 Christmas trees in 2011 to replace 
     those harvested in 2010; and
       Whereas growing Christmas trees preserves green space and 
     small family-owned farms, provides habitats for wildlife, and 
     sequesters carbon dioxide: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the first full week of December in 2011 as 
     ``National Christmas Tree Week'';
       (2) encourages the celebration of Christmas trees during 
     that week;
       (3) recognizes the role Christmas trees have played in the 
     history of the United States;
       (4) reaffirms the environmental benefits of Christmas tree 
     farms and recycled Christmas trees;
       (5) encourages the recycling of Christmas trees after the 
     holiday season; and
       (6) celebrates the joy Christmas trees bring to families 
     across the United States.

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