[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 123 (Monday, July 23, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H6623-H6624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ESTABLISHING THE ADAMS MEMORIAL COMMISSION
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1220) to establish the Adams Memorial Commission to carry
out the provisions of Public Law 107-62, and for other purposes, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1220
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ADAMS MEMORIAL COMMISSION.
(a) Commission.--There is established a commission to be
known as the ``Adams Memorial Commission'' (referred to in
this section as the ``Commission'') for the purpose of
establishing a permanent memorial to honor John Adams and his
legacy as authorized by Public Law 107-62, located in the
city of Washington, District of Columbia, including sites
authorized by Public Law 107-315.
(b) Membership.--The Commission shall be composed of--
(1) four persons appointed by the President, not more than
two of whom may be members of the same political party;
(2) four Members of the Senate appointed by the President
pro tempore of the Senate in consultation with the Majority
Leader and Minority Leader of the Senate, of which not more
than two appointees may be members of the same political
party; and
(3) four Members of the House of Representatives appointed
by the Speaker of the House of Representatives in
consultation with the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of
the House of Representatives, of which not more than two
appointees may be members of the same political party.
(c) Chair and Vice Chair.--The members of the Commission
shall select a Chair and Vice Chair of the Commission. The
Chair and Vice Chair shall not be members of the same
political party.
(d) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Commission shall not
affect its powers if a quorum is present, but shall be filled
in the same manner as the original appointment.
(e) Meetings.--
(1) Initial meeting.--Not later than 45 days after the date
on which a majority of the members of the Commission have
been appointed, the Commission shall hold its first meeting.
(2) Subsequent meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the
call of the Chair.
(f) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission
shall constitute a quorum but a lesser number of members may
hold hearings.
(g) No Compensation.--A member of the Commission shall
serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for
expenses incurred in carrying out the duties of the
Commission.
(h) Duties.--The Commission shall consider and formulate
plans for a permanent memorial to honor John Adams and his
legacy, including the nature, location, design, and
construction of the memorial.
(i) Powers.--The Commission may--
(1) make such expenditures for services and materials for
the purpose of carrying out this section as the Commission
considers advisable from funds appropriated or received as
gifts for that purpose;
(2) accept gifts, including funds from the Adams Memorial
Foundation, to be used in carrying out this section or to be
used in connection with the construction or other expenses of
the memorial; and
(3) hold hearings, enter into contracts for personal
services and otherwise, and do such other things as are
necessary to carry out this section.
(j) Reports.--The Commission shall--
(1) report the plans required by subsection (h), together
with recommendations, to the President and the Congress at
the earliest practicable date; and
(2) in the interim, make annual reports on its progress to
the President and the Congress.
(k) Applicability of Other Laws.--The Federal Advisory
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the
Commission.
(l) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate 7 years
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO PUBLIC LAW 107-62.
Public Law 107-62 is amended by striking ``Adams Memorial
Foundation'' each place it occurs and inserting ``Adams
Memorial Commission''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. McClintock) and the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms.
Bordallo) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
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. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, several of the central figures in the winning of
American independence and the founding of our constitutional republic
are given short shrift among the memorials in this capital city, and
none among them is more deserving than John Adams.
By all accounts, he was the animating figure in pushing the
Continental Congress to declare independence; he was indefatigable in
the prosecution of the war, both from stations at home and from Europe;
and is our first vice president under Washington; and as our second
President, he established many of the traditions and policies that set
our course.
Public Law 107-62 authorized the nonprofit Adams Memorial Foundation
to establish a memorial to John Adams in the District of Columbia under
the Commemorative Works Act and to collect private donations for that
purpose. No Federal funds can be used for the memorial.
The foundation has developed initial design concept, it has conducted
location reviews, and coordinated with Congress, the National Park
Service, and other stakeholders, but it has not yet been able to select
a site, design the memorial, receive the approvals, or raise sufficient
funds for construction.
Under the Commemorative Works Act, the foundation's authority to
erect a memorial expires in December of 2020.
H.R. 1220, by Congressman Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, would
transfer that authority to the Adams Memorial Commission.
The commission would have all the powers and responsibilities of the
foundation and would consist of 12 members. Its authority to erect a
memorial will expire in 7 years, consistent was the CWA timeline.
Mr. Speaker, I ask for adoption of the measure, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch), the bill's sponsor.
Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, let me first thank the gentleman from
California for his kind words on behalf of my legislation and on behalf
of John Adams in particular.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Guam, Ms. Bordallo,
for yielding this time.
[[Page H6624]]
Mr. Speaker, I rise to express strong support for my bill, H.R. 1220,
the Adams Memorial Commission Act. This bipartisan legislation
establishes the Adams Memorial Commission, which, as the chairman
recognized, will consider, formulate, report plans for a memorial here
in Washington, D.C., honoring John Adams and his profound and lasting
legacy in the history of the United States.
The bipartisan Adams Memorial Commission will be composed of four
Presidential appointees, four members of the Senate and four members of
the House of Representatives. The commission will be required to report
its recommendations for the nature, location, design, and construction
of a fitting memorial to the President and the Congress and will then
provide annual reports on the memorial's progress.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to keep in mind the lasting legacy of
John Adams' family and their service to our Nation and his prominent
role in our Nation's history. John Adams was one of the most
influential Founding Fathers of the United States.
Born in 1735 in Braintree, Massachusetts, a section of which is now
known as Quincy, John Adams was educated at Harvard and spent his early
career as a lawyer. Later on as a leader of the American Revolution,
John Adams served as a delegate to both the First and Second
Continental Congresses, and was regarded as the leading voice
championing independence from Great Britain.
Adams' prominent role in our Nation's formation of laws is still
recognized to this day. In fact, one great benefit I had as a
Massachusetts legislator coming here to Washington, D.C., is John Adams
drafted the rules of the House in Massachusetts, which we adopted here
in our Nation's Capitol in this Congress, which still stand today.
Adams not only helped draft the Declaration of Independence, but also
authored the constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which
is the oldest written constitution still in place today.
After serving as U.S. representative to France and the Netherlands
during the Revolutionary War, Adams became the first vice president
under President George Washington. In 1796, Adams was elected the
second President of the United States and in 1800 became the first
occupant of the White House.
John Adams' legacy was instilled through his entire family. John's
wife, Abigail, is known as an advocate for women's rights, and his son,
John Quincy Adams, later served as our Nation's sixth President, and
his family legacy goes on.
While commemorative works have been established for former
Presidents, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham
Lincoln here in Washington, D.C., John Adams and his legacy are notably
not represented in our Nation's capital, and that is a gap that we seek
to cure.
Mr. Speaker, this memorial is long overdue. President Adams was a
remarkable leader and a steadfast public servant. It is a glaring
oversight that there is no memorial in our Nation's capital honoring
John Adams and his family for their role in shaping our Nation.
H.R. 1220 would complement the important work that the Adams Memorial
Foundation has accomplished over the years.
So as Members of Congress, I ask that we should pass this bipartisan
bill and begin the process of establishing the commemorative memorial
that President Adams and his family rightly deserve, that they rightly,
by their courage and service, have earned.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the bipartisan cosponsors of this bill, I thank
you, Mr. Speaker, for your courtesy, and the kind words by the chairman
from California and Ms. Bordallo, and I thank the bipartisan sponsors
of this bill, and urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to
stand in favor of and pass H.R. 1220.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers and I am
ready to close.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to add a few words to this bill. Nearly 20
years ago, Congress authorized the Adams Memorial Foundation to
construct a commemorative work with private funds in honor of President
John Adams, First Lady Abigail Adams, President John Quincy Adams, and
other prominent members of the Adams family associated with the early
history of the United States.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congressman Lynch and the entire
Massachusetts delegation for their hard work and commitment to honoring
the legacy of one their State's most influential political families.
A permanent memorial in the Nation's capital is a fitting tribute,
and I hope that we can work with our Senate colleagues to deliver this
bill to the President's desk and finally get it done.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I just want to compliment Congressman
Lynch and thank him on behalf of the Nation for keeping this memorial
alive and keeping its momentum going.
This is highly deserved, it is long overdue, and this measure takes
us another step toward the recognition of one of America's greatest
Founding Fathers.
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. McClintock) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1220, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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