[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 207 (Wednesday, January 2, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8061-S8062]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 747--RECOGNIZING THE OPENING OF THE NONSECTARIAN 
 MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., THE ONLY MUSEUM OF ITS SIZE 
        AND SCOPE IN THE WORLD DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE BIBLE

  Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Blunt, Mr. 
Boozman, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Risch, Mr.

[[Page S8062]]

Rounds, Mr. Thune, Mr. Burr, Mr. Perdue, and Mr. Enzi) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 747

       Whereas the Bible has played a prominent role in the 
     culture of the United States and has been a significant 
     influence throughout the history of our nation;
       Whereas, in 1956, Congress passed a Joint Resolution 
     adopting ``In God We Trust'' as the official motto of the 
     United States;
       Whereas, in 1982, Congress passed the Joint Resolution 
     entitled ``Joint Resolution authorizing and requesting the 
     President to proclaim 1983 as the `Year of the Bible' '' 
     (Public Law 97-280), finding that the Bible ``has made a 
     unique contribution in shaping the United States as a 
     distinctive and blessed nation and people'';
       Whereas, on November 17, 2017, the Museum of the Bible 
     opened a 430,000 square foot nonprofit museum in Washington, 
     D.C., 3 blocks from the Capitol, and will be free to all 
     visitors;
       Whereas the Museum of the Bible is a nonsectarian 
     institution that does not promote any faith or denomination;
       Whereas, in 2014, the architectural concept submission for 
     the Museum of the Bible was approved by the Commission of 
     Fine Arts, the local Washington, D.C., Advisory Neighborhood 
     Commission, and the Historic Preservation Review Board, and 
     the primary building of the Museum of the Bible was awarded 
     historical status by the Historic Preservation Review Board;
       Whereas the Museum of the Bible will have 3 primary exhibit 
     floors focused on the history, narrative, and impact of the 
     Bible;
       Whereas the entrance to the Museum of the Bible will 
     feature 2 40-foot-tall bronze panels that contain the first 
     lines of Genesis in Latin, as originally printed in the 
     Gutenberg Bible, and art glass panels featuring a papyrus 
     containing the 19th psalm; and
       Whereas the Museum of the Bible is an innovative, global, 
     nonsectarian educational institution the purpose of which is 
     to permit all people to engage with the Bible: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That Congress--
       (1) recognizes the opening of the Museum of the Bible in 
     Washington, D.C., the first nonsectarian museum of its kind 
     in the capital of the United States focused exclusively on 
     the history, narrative, and impact of the Bible; and
       (2) commends the leadership, staff, scholars, designers, 
     construction workers, and volunteers who worked tirelessly to 
     realize the goal of opening a museum, free to the public, 
     with the nonsectarian purpose of ``inviting all people to 
     engage with the Bible''.

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