[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 110 (Tuesday, June 27, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H5205-H5206]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1415
ROBERT EMMET PARK ACT OF 2017
Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 1500) 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. 1500
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
2017''.
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 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. Cook) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material 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. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1500, offered by our colleague, Representative
Joseph Crowley of New York, renames a small triangular property owned
by the National Park Service in Washington, D.C., as Robert Emmet Park.
Robert Emmet, sometimes referred to as the George Washington of
Ireland, was a prominent historical figure 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.
The small National Park Service reservation that is redesignated by
this bill includes a statue of Robert Emmet, originally cast in 1916 by
Irish-American artist Jerome Connor. In April of last year, the statue
was rededicated at a ceremony that also jointly marked the centennial
of the 1916 Easter Rising. The statue and park, located just a few
blocks from the Irish Embassy, are a source of pride to the Irish
community.
I wish to thank Representative Crowley for his sponsorship of this
bill, and also Mr. Jack O'Brien of the Ancient Order of Hibernians for
his tireless work in support of this legislation and his lifelong
dedication to Irish cultural projects.
Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, as my friend, Mr. Cook, just pointed out, H.R. 1500
designates a small triangle of land in Washington, D.C., as Robert
Emmet Park. The parcel is home to a statue of Robert Emmet, a seminal
figure in Ireland's quest for independence. The bill also authorizes
the National Park Service, which manages 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 in Ireland.
Designating this small plot of land and the accompanying statue as
Robert Emmet Park will stand as a constant reminder of the call to
liberty and freedom that binds our Nation together.
I would like to thank my friend, Representative Crowley from New York
City, who is also a proud son of St. Patrick, for his work on this
bill, and I urge its swift passage.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished
gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley).
Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for
yielding me this time.
I also want to thank the chairman and the ranking member of the
Natural Resources Committee here in the House of Representatives for
moving this bill and helping to put this bill on the floor today in a
bipartisan spirit. I would also like to acknowledge the majority and
minority staff who have been very helpful to my office in this effort.
True, this is not the first time this measure has been considered. It
passed the House during the last Congress, but the session ended before
it could be moved forward in the Senate and into law. It was then, as
it is now, a bipartisan bill. I would like to acknowledge all of the
Members who are cosponsors. In substance, the bill would, as has been
said, name a small parcel of the land in Washington, D.C., as Robert
Emmet Park.
Emmet was honored by the United States over 100 years ago when a
statue of his likeness was donated to the Smithsonian Institution. That
statue was welcomed by no less than President Woodrow Wilson himself.
After 50 years, the museum moved the statue to the land where it
rests now, an unnamed parcel of land. The rededication committee
counted many key leaders, including then-Speaker of the House John
McCormack, Senator Everett Dirksen, and Senator Mike Mansfield. Even
President Lyndon Johnson conveyed his pride in Emmet, stating: ``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.''
[[Page H5206]]
So it is clear that, on a bipartisan basis, Congress has long
recognized the significance of this statue and its role in keeping
alive not only the memory of Robert Emmet, but the ideals for which he
stood.
At present, the statue of Emmet is the only statue on this small
piece of land. This bill would take the next logical step by naming the
land for Emmet. It is a fitting tribute since, for generations, many
American schoolchildren learned the words of Emmet's famous speech,
which became known as the ``Speech from the Dock.''
I often wonder what Abraham Lincoln was taught as a boy. We all
learned the Gettysburg Address, but, in fact, Abraham Lincoln could
recite the ``Speech from the Dock'' by memory. It couldn't have been an
easy speech for Emmet to give when one considers that he was expected
to be executed after giving that speech.
Emmet had been an Irish independence leader who was deeply influenced
by George Washington and the struggle for American independence. He was
inspired by the American fight for democracy and self-determination.
But after a failed effort to achieve independence, he was captured by
the British, as were many others over centuries of struggle.
In his speech, Emmet said:
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.
Shortly after giving that speech on September 20, 1803, Robert Emmet
was hanged, drawn, and quartered. But Emmet's words lived on. In fact,
groups named the Emmet Monument Association were founded in the United
States. Their stated purpose was to build a burial monument to Emmet,
one that would, of course, include an epitaph.
But because Emmet called for Ireland to be free before his epitaph
was written, these groups were actually Fenian freedom organizations.
They and other American groups were quite active in the United States
for many years all across our Nation. They came before subsequent
American roles in the struggle for Irish independence, and their
presence played a major role in American political life for many
decades.
So I respectfully urge the passage of this bill. It does not require
spending funds, and it does not alter the park or the park system. It
would basically include the name Robert Emmet Park to a small piece of
land where the Emmet statue rests.
Many Americans, as well as our government, have long recognized the
significance of the park and statue in keeping alive not just the
history of Robert Emmet, but what he stood for. I am glad that
continues today.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to once again thank the majority and the
minority members of the Natural Resources Committee as well as their
staffs. Their support made it possible for this measure to once again
be on the floor today.
I would like to thank the hardworking staffs of the Smithsonian
Institution and the National Park Service who have taken care of the
Emmet statue and park for these many, many years.
Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. COOK. 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 California (Mr. Cook) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 1500.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. COOK. 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, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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