[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 10, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE JUSTIN SMITH MORRILL CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT

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                           HON. DAN NEWHOUSE

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 10, 2016

  Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce my legislation, 
the Justin Smith Morrill Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2016. This 
legislation would honor a true American hero by posthumously awarding 
the Honorable Justin Smith Morrill with the Congressional Gold Medal. 
Mr. Morrill was elected to six terms in the U.S. House of 
Representatives and six terms in the United States Senate, making him 
the longest serving Member of Congress in the 19th Century. During his 
tenure, he chaired the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Senate 
Committee on Finance, and the Senate Committee on Public Buildings and 
Grounds. As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Buildings and Grounds, 
he served as the principle advocate for financing and constructing the 
Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress and planned the 
location of the U.S. Supreme Court Building. He also raised funds to 
complete the unfinished Washington Monument and advocated for the 
Smithsonian Institution throughout his service in Congress.
  However, his greatest achievement was authoring the Morrill Act of 
1862, which created the land-grant university system. Today, land-grant 
and other public universities award nearly 1 million degrees annually 
and perform more than $37 billion in research. Additionally, almost 30 
years later, Senator Morrill authored the Morrill Act of 1890, which 
created historically black land-grant universities.
  Justin Smith Morrill is a man who has provided generations and 
millions of Americans--especially those from working class families--
with access to higher education throughout the nation. His achievements 
have inspired American history, values, and culture and will be 
recognized and honored by generations to come. For these reasons, and 
many others, I urge all members to join me in supporting this 
commonsense legislation, which will honor this great American hero with 
the Congressional Gold Medal.

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