[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 144 (Thursday, September 22, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H5842-H5844]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ROBERT EMMET PARK ACT OF 2016
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4564) to redesignate the small triangular property located
in Washington, DC, and designated by the National Park Service as
reservation 302 as ``Robert Emmet Park'', and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4564
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Robert Emmet Park Act of
2016''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds as follows:
(1) Robert Emmet was one of Ireland's most prominent
historical figures, having led an effort to secure Irish
independence in 1803.
(2) Although Emmet's efforts initially failed, they
succeeded in inspiring new generations of Irish men and women
to struggle for independence.
(3) For his efforts to gain Irish independence, Emmet was
found guilty of treason and sentenced to death by hanging.
(4) Robert Emmet's ``Speech from the Dock'' motivated many
of the efforts that led to an independent Ireland following
1916's Easter Rising; (Emmet famously said that ``To
[Ireland] I sacrificed every selfish, every lasting sentiment
. . . I wished to place her independence beyond the reach of
any power of earth . . . to procure for my country the
guarantee which Washington procured for America . . . to
exalt her to that proud station in the world.''). Emmet was
strongly influenced by American democracy and the American
Revolution.
(5) Emmet had family members similarly admiring of the
United States and dedicated to the cause of Irish
independence, including his brother Thomas Addis Emmet who
went on to become a prominent Attorney General of New York.
(6) Emmet has been revered by generations of Irish-
Americans for his leadership, courage, and sacrifice.
(7) Fifty years ago on April 22, 1966, the Robert Emmet
Statue was dedicated on a
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small parcel of National Park Service land (reservation 302)
at the corner of 24th Street NW and Massachusetts Avenue NW
in Washington, DC.
(8) Robert Emmet's statue is the central feature of
reservation 302.
(9) Many leading Members of Congress, including Speaker of
the House John W. McCormack and Senators Everett Dirksen and
Mike Mansfield served on the Robert Emmet Statue Dedication
Committee.
(10) Other members of that committee and participants in
the dedication ceremony included Secretary of the Interior
Stewart Udall, Representative Michael Kirwan, Ambassador of
Ireland William P. Fay, and Rector of St. Matthews Cathedral
John K. Cartwright.
SEC. 3. REDESIGNATION OF ROBERT EMMET PARK.
(a) Redesignation.--The small triangular property
designated by the National Park Service as reservation 302,
shall be known as ``Robert Emmet Park''.
(b) Reference.--Any reference in any law, regulation,
document, record, map, paper, or other record of the United
States to the property referred to in subsection (a) is
deemed to be a reference to ``Robert Emmet Park''.
(c) Signage.--The Secretary of the Interior may post signs
on or near Robert Emmet Park that include one or more of the
following:
(1) Information on Robert Emmet, his contribution to Irish
Independence, and his respect for the United States and the
American Revolution.
(2) Information on the history of the statue of Robert
Emmet located in Robert Emmet Park.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Denham) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Huffman)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Denham).
General Leave
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
This bill, introduced by Congressman Crowley of New York,
redesignates a small, triangular property in Washington, D.C., that is
currently designated by the National Park Service as reservation 302,
as Robert Emmet Park.
Robert Emmet is a prominent historical figure who is known for his
role in the Irish Rebellion of 1803 and for his classic Speech from the
Dock that inspired future efforts to gain Irish independence. Last
April marked the 100th anniversary of the 1916 uprising, commonly known
as the Easter Rising by Irish Republicans, to end British rule and
establish an independent Irish Republic.
The small property redesignated by the bill is located just a few
blocks from the Irish Embassy, and it currently features a nearly 100-
year-old statue of Robert Emmet--a source of pride for America's Irish
community. The bill also authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to
post informational signage regarding Robert Emmet and his statue in the
park.
I urge my colleagues to support this measure.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, Robert Emmet was an Irishman who was
inspired by our hard-fought independence in this country, and he wanted
the same for his native land. I think this bill is a wonderful thing
for Ireland and a wonderful thing for Irish Americans, including for my
colleague, Mr. Crowley, a great, proud Irish American.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4564 designates a small triangle of land in
Washington, DC as the Robert Emmet Park. The parcel is home to a statue
of Robert Emmet, a seminary figure in Ireland's quest for independence.
The bill also authorizes the National Park Service, which managed the
area, to add interpretive displays and signage to the area.
Emmet admired the independence we achieved in this country, and only
wanted the same freedom and liberty for his compatriots. These powerful
sentiments are a charge to all of us in this Chamber and throughout the
country: that we put the good of our fellow countrymen before our
individual gains and that we work together to preserve this great
Nation.
By designating this small plot of land and the accompanying statue as
Robert Emmet Park, this stands as a constant reminder of the call to
liberty and freedom that binds our Nation together. I am glad to
support this bill and thank the sponsor, Representative Joe Crowley of
New York, the vice-chair of the Democratic Caucus.
I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York
(Mr. Crowley).
Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank both of my friends from California
for bringing this bill to the floor today. I am not a member of the
requisite committee, but I appreciate the work that was done to bring
it to the floor. I thank them both for speaking in favor of this piece
of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that we are here this week at the cusp
of the grand opening of the National Museum of African American History
and Culture here in Washington, D.C.--a, rightfully, magnificent
building here on The Mall of our Nation's Capital. I think, after
listening to a few of the remarks I will make about this little piece
of property here in Washington, it is a modicum in comparison to that,
but it is, I think, worthy of our support.
This is a bipartisan bill that is before us today. It has earned the
support of both sides of the aisle. Specifically, it would name a small
parcel of land in Washington, D.C., as the Robert Emmet Park. In some
ways, the name can be considered a formality because, as has been
mentioned by Mr. Denham, there is already a statue of Emmet that has
been in the park for decades. It is the only statue in the very small
park, and it is situated so that it is the main visible feature to
visitors. I hope one doesn't mind my sharing just a little of the
history here today.
The Robert Emmet statue first came into the possession of the United
States 100 years ago, when then-President Woodrow Wilson, other Cabinet
members, diplomats, and Members of Congress joined in the acceptance
ceremony.
The statue was a gift from the Irish American community and was
created by renowned artist Jerome Connor. After it was donated, it
graced the rotunda of the National Museum of Natural History for its
first 50 years. In the 1960s, it was moved to its current location in
the park, and it was rededicated. The statue has stood there ever since
and has been admired by millions of tourists, visitors, local
residents, and passersby.
But this is not just a statue. For many Americans, the admiration for
Robert Emmet reflects a deep and abiding pride in Irish American
history as well as the lasting, worldwide influence of our own American
history. That is because, over 200 years ago, inspired by George
Washington and the American Revolution, Emmet led an attempt to free
Ireland from British rule. For this effort, he was captured and was
ultimately executed. In the course of his execution, he gave one of the
most famous speeches in history, known as the Speech from the Dock. His
cause lived on not only because he paid the ultimate price on September
20, 1803, but because of his incredible and indelible words that he
spoke that day.
In his speech, Emmet spoke about how George Washington and the
American independence struggle inspired his actions. He spoke about his
desire for sovereignty and for independence for his own land. He spoke
about his desire for freedom and uttered words that live on in the
hearts of Irish Americans and of all freedom-loving people throughout
the world.
I quote from that speech:
Let no man write my epitaph; for as no man who knows my
motives dare now vindicate them, let not prejudice or
ignorance asperse them. Let them and me rest in obscurity and
peace and my tomb remain uninscribed and my memory in
oblivion until other times and other men can do justice to my
character. When my country takes her place among the nations
of the Earth, then--and not till then--let my epitaph be
written.
It is dangerous to paraphrase a famous speech; but basically Emmet
was saying not to write his epitaph until the struggle was won. He
believed it ultimately would be won someday.
The brilliance of his speech and the courage of his convictions had a
profound impact on people throughout the world, but particularly in
Ireland. Understand that he was subject to execution--he was hung,
drawn, and quartered--and he knew that that is what he was facing; yet
he had the ability to
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deliver one of the greatest speeches in the history of mankind.
Scholars indicate that President Abraham Lincoln knew and recited the
very speech I just alluded to. The American author Washington Irving
wrote of Emmet, and many schoolchildren across our country memorized
parts of the speech I just referred to. I, myself, learned of that
passage during time spent at my high school, my alma mater, Power
Memorial Academy in New York City.
Emmet and his speech also had a real and concrete impact on our own
American history. In fact, organizations called the Emmet Monument
Association sprung up in the United States. Their goal was to build a
burial monument to Emmet on which that promised epitaph, one day, could
be written. Since Emmet had requested that Ireland be free before his
epitaph were written, these were really Fenian freedom organizations.
{time} 1815
Over the years, these and other organizations were supported by
countless Americans not only in New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C.,
but throughout our land, Irish and non-Irish alike. Their work was the
precursor to later American roles in the struggle for Ireland's
independence, and their presence played a major part in American
political life for many, many, many decades.
When the Emmet statue was moved to its current location 50 years ago,
many leading American figures served on the bipartisan dedication
committee, including then-Speaker of the House John W. McCormack and
Senators Everett Dirksen and Mike Mansfield. They were joined by the
Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall and Rector of St. Matthews
Catholic Cathedral, John Cartwright.
President Lyndon Johnson also conveyed his admiration for Emmet in a
message to the event writing, `` . . . the sheer patriotism and the
gallant courage of Robert Emmet has inspired Americans no less than
Irishmen . . . We Americans are proud to accord a place of honor here
in the Nation's Capital to Robert Emmet, whose struggles and sacrifices
bespeak the yearnings of mankind throughout the ages.''
Mr. Speaker, it is clear that Congress and the U.S. Government have
long recognized the significance of this park and its central statue in
keeping alive not only the memory of Robert Emmet but the ideals that
he fought and what he was executed for.
I hope we can continue that record and the bipartisan cooperation
here today by passing this legislation. This bill doesn't require
spending funds. It doesn't require undue efforts. It doesn't
significantly rearrange any current setup of the park or the park
system. It would simply attach the name ``Robert Emmet Park'' to the
existing small piece of land where that statue rests.
I respectfully urge its passage.
In closing, I thank the members and staff of the Natural Resources
Committee for their work and their support of this measure. I greatly
appreciate their work in ensuring that this is on the floor and that
the bill passes today.
I can't do enough justice to the life of Robert Emmet, nor his
brother, Thomas, for that matter, and all those who followed
afterwards. He was an incredible inspiration, as I said, not only to
Ireland but well beyond the shores of Ireland as well, including the
United States of America.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would just like to thank Mr.
Crowley for offering this important issue. It is important to Irish
heritage, and it certainly deserves the recognition as a park right
here in our local area of Washington, D.C.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Young of Iowa). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Denham) that the
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4564.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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