[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 214 (Thursday, December 17, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H7244-H7245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





   UNITED STATES SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL COMMISSION AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2020

  Mr. KHANNA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 3989) to amend the United States Semiquincentennial Commission 
Act of 2016 to modify certain membership and other requirements of the 
United States Semiquincentennial Commission, and for other purposes, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 3989

       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 ``United States 
     Semiquincentennial Commission Amendments Act of 2020''.

     SEC. 2. UNITED STATES SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL COMMISSION.

       (a) Establishment of Commission.--Section 4 of the United 
     States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016 (Public Law 
     114-196; 130 Stat. 685) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)(4), by striking subparagraph (I) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(I) The Chairperson of the National Endowment for the 
     Arts.
       ``(J) The Chairperson of the National Endowment for the 
     Humanities.
       ``(K) The Director of the Institute of Museum and Library 
     Services.
       ``(L)(i) The Chief Justice of the United States; or
       ``(ii) an Associate Justice or former Associate Justice 
     appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States.'';
       (2) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) Removal of members who are private citizens.--
     Following notice and approval of the relevant appointing 
     authority, on an affirmative vote of not less than \2/3\ of 
     the members of the Commission, the Commission may remove a 
     member of the Commission appointed under subsection 
     (b)(3).''; and
       (3) in subsection (d)--
       (A) by striking ``All meetings'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(1) Location of first meeting.--The first meeting''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(2) Location of subsequent meetings.--At least 1 meeting 
     of the Commission each year shall be held in Philadelphia, 
     Pennsylvania.''.
       (b) Duties.--Section 5(c)(1) of the United States 
     Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-
     196; 130 Stat. 687) is amended by striking ``2 years after 
     the date of enactment of this Act'' and inserting ``March 31, 
     2020''.
       (c) Coordination.--Section 6(b) of the United States 
     Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-
     196; 130 Stat. 689) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ``presiding officer of 
     the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities, the 
     Chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts, and the 
     Chairperson of the National Endowment for the Humanities'' 
     and inserting ``Chairperson of the National Endowment for the 
     Arts, the Chairperson of the National Endowment for the 
     Humanities, and the Director of the Institute of Museum and 
     Library Services''; and
       (2) in paragraph (4), in the matter preceding subparagraph 
     (A), by inserting ``and other'' after ``founding''.
       (d) Expenditures of Commission.--Section 9 of the United 
     States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016 (Public Law 
     114-196; 130 Stat. 691) is amended--
       (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
       ``(a) In General.--All expenditures of the Commission shall 
     be made from donations, earned income, and any funds made 
     available to carry out this Act under subsection (f).'';
       (2) in subsection (d), by striking ``Once each year during 
     the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act'' 
     and inserting ``Annually during the period beginning 1 year 
     after the Commission submits the report to the President 
     under section 5(c)(1)''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) Intellectual Property Protections.--The Commission 
     shall have the exclusive right to use, and to allow others to 
     use, the official marks, imprimaturs, and logos of the 
     Commission.
       ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to 
     carry out this Act.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Khanna) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Keller) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. KHANNA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. KHANNA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, nearly 250 years ago, a group of visionaries met in 
Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress. Out of this unusual 
meeting of daring patriots, a declaration was produced stating to the 
world that, for the first time in the modern world, 13 Colonies would 
join together to become one independent nation--the United States of 
America, the greatest experiment in democracy that the world has ever 
seen.
  Madam Speaker, these leaders boldly declared that no more would 
Americans live under the tyranny of a nation 3,000 miles away. They 
acted with unity and decided that our Nation will not be built upon 
privilege inherited by birth, but natural rights that belonged to each 
and every person.
  In 2026, the United States will celebrate 250 years of independence. 
While we have not always lived up to these lofty ideals, we have 
continued to work to make progress and right the wrongs.
  To commemorate and celebrate the founding of our Republic in 2016, 
Congress established the United States Semiquincentennial Commission. 
The Commission's goal is to encourage Americans to remember our past, 
celebrate our present, and look forward to a promising future. The 
Commission works with public and private entities across the country to 
make celebrations of our 250th year of independence a time to remember 
for years to come.
  Madam Speaker, while the Commission has done incredible work thus 
far, the Commission Amendments Act will make needed updates to ensure 
that the Commission has the resources and talent it needs to fulfill 
its mission of national importance.
  This bill will expand the membership to include cultural and 
historical perspectives from individuals such as the chairperson of the 
National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the 
Humanities. In addition, the bill will provide necessary intellectual 
property protections for the materials created by the Commission.
  This commonsense legislation will serve to further enable the 
Commission to carry on its important work. It has never been more 
important for us to come together or remember our past, acknowledge our 
present, and look forward to our future as one nation devoted to the 
ideals of liberty and justice for all.
  As someone who was born in 1976, in Philadelphia, the year of our 
bicentenary, this has a particular meaning to me.
  Madam Speaker, I thank Senator Toomey and others on the committee for 
advancing this. Our Nation will be the first multiracial, multiethnic 
democracy in the history of the world, and it is a credit to our 
founding vision.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3989, the United States 
Semiquincentennial Commission Amendments Act.
  Our country's Declaration of Independence was courageously signed in 
1776. This makes 2026 the 250th anniversary our great Republic and its 
founding.
  An exposition marking the 150th anniversary was in Philadelphia in 
1926, and bicentennial celebrations were held throughout the country in 
1976. It is only fitting that we also celebrate the 250th anniversary, 
another milestone anniversary.
  To do this, Congress passed and the President signed the United 
States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016 in the 114th Congress. 
The bill before us today would amend the law authorizing the 
Commission, with necessary changes, to allow the planning work to 
continue. S. 3989 grants the Commission certain flexibilities, such as 
no longer requiring every meeting convene at Independence Hall in 
Philadelphia. The law would still recognize Philadelphia's importance 
and requires at least one meeting per year to be held in the City of 
Brotherly Love.
  This bill, S. 3989, would add the directors of several Federal 
agencies focused

[[Page H7245]]

on the arts to assist with the planning. The bill would also grant the 
Commission exclusive rights over their official logo for commercial 
licensing purposes, which would help provide additional funding 
resources for the Commission's work. These changes will allow the 
Commission and the rest of the United States to better celebrate our 
country's 250th anniversary.
  Madam Speaker, as the Commission noted in their 2020 report to the 
President, ``America 250,'' the central theme of the celebrations, will 
be ``educate, engage, and unite.'' Specifically, the Commission's 
primary goal with these celebrations is to inspire the American spirit; 
to deepen the understanding of our history and the democratic process 
through education; increase engagement in our communities and governing 
affairs; and foster unity, that includes the many Americans in our 
``one Nation.''
  Madam Speaker, I think my colleagues would agree that more than ever, 
Americans stand to benefit from a national celebration reflecting on 
our shared values which unite us as a country, a country uniquely 
founded on a set of ideals.
  Every one of us owes a debt of gratitude to the framework of 
freedoms, rights, and government institutions our Founding Fathers 
established with such a discerning forethought. We look forward to the 
Commission's plans being finalized next year and for the forthcoming 
celebrations of America's founding, a country we all love so well.
  Madam Speaker, we look forward to celebrating the 250th anniversary 
of America's founding. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support 
this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. KHANNA. Madam Speaker, I reiterate my support for this 
legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
  Madam 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. Khanna) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 3989, 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.

                          ____________________