    [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 38 (Wednesday, February 26, 2025)]
    [House]
    [Pages H854-H855]
    From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

    PROCUREMENT AND PLACEMENT OF STATUE OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN IN THE UNITED
                                 STATES CAPITOL

      Mr. STEIL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
    bill (H.R. 250) to direct the Joint Committee on the Library to procure
    a statue of Benjamin Franklin for placement in the Capitol.
      The Clerk read the title of the bill.
      The text of the bill is as follows:

                                    H.R. 250

           Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
         the United States of America in Congress assembled,

         SECTION 1. PROCUREMENT AND PLACEMENT OF STATUE OF BENJAMIN
                       FRANKLIN IN THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL.

           (a) Obtaining of Statue.--Not later than December 31, 2025,
         the Joint Committee on the Library shall enter into an
         agreement to obtain a statue of Benjamin Franklin, under such
         terms and conditions as the Joint Committee considers
         appropriate consistent with applicable law.
           (b) Placement.--Not later than December 31, 2026, the Joint
         Committee shall place the statue obtained under subsection
         (a) in a suitable permanent location in the United States
         Capitol where the statue is accessible to the public during a
         guided tour of the Capitol provided by the Capitol Visitor
         Center.

      The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
    Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle)
    each will control 20 minutes.
      The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin.

                                 General Leave

      Mr. STEIL. 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 the bill.
      The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
    gentleman from Wisconsin?
      There was no objection.
      Mr. STEIL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
      Madam Speaker, today I bring forward two bills. Our Nation faces
    major challenges and concerns, and this body continues to work on
    those. While we do that, these bills are simple and noncontroversial
    and do require legislative action to take effect.
      I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 250 to direct the
    Joint Committee on the Library to procure a statue of Benjamin Franklin
    for placement in the Capitol.
      The nonpartisan legislation will allow Congress to place a statue of
    Benjamin Franklin in the Capitol. The legislation will require that not
    later than 2 years after enactment, the Joint Committee on the Library
    shall enter into an agreement to obtain a statue of Benjamin Franklin.
    It will also be required that the statue be placed in a publicly
    accessible permanent location no later than December 31, 2026.
      Madam Speaker, I thank Representatives Houlahan and Fitzpatrick and
    their 72 additional cosponsors for bringing this legislation forward. I
    urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 250, and I reserve the
    balance of my time.
      Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
    consume.
      Madam Speaker, I want to begin by thanking my dear friend and
    colleague, the chair of the Committee on House Administration, for
    bringing these bills to the floor and also for his partnership and all
    the great cooperation that we enjoy.
      I rise today in support of H.R. 250. The bipartisan legislation would
    direct the Joint Committee on the Library, as Mr. Steil said, to
    procure a statue of Benjamin Franklin for placement in the Capitol to
    be observed by all those blessed to come and tour the United States
    Capitol.
      As my colleague and friend, the sponsor of this bill, along with
    Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Chrissy Houlahan have observed--
    and I am quite certain will observe once again in just a few moments--
    while there are references to Benjamin Franklin across the Capitol and
    a statue tucked away in a back hallway, it is black when there are no
    lights on. There is no statue of one of the most important Founding
    Fathers accessible to the millions of visitors who have the privilege
    of touring the Capitol each year.
      This legislation would change that, honoring one of the greatest
    minds and patriots in American history.
      Benjamin Franklin was a statesman, diplomat, scientist, inventor,
    political philosopher, and businessman. His groundbreaking experiments
    pushed forward scientific understanding, his role as the first
    Postmaster General created the foundation of our modern mail system,
    and he was resolutely committed to freeing the Colonies from British
    rule.
      He helped draft both the Declaration of Independence and the United
    States Constitution, and he negotiated the treaty that ended the
    Revolutionary War. His genius has shaped our Nation in innumerable
    ways, and he deserves to be prominently displayed and honored in the
    United States Capitol.
      Madam Speaker, I look forward to working with the Joint Committee on
    the Library to obtain a new statue of Benjamin Franklin. I urge my
    colleagues to support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my
    time.
      Mr. STEIL. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
    Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick) to speak on the bill.
      Mr. FITZPATRICK. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman, my friend from
    Wisconsin, Representative Steil, for yielding.
      To my friend and colleague from Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan), this is
    really the product of her hard work. I was proud to partner with her
    and accept an invitation. If Benjamin Franklin were here today, he
    would give Representative Houlahan a big hug of gratitude for finally
    recognizing him.
      Madam Speaker, I rise today in resolute support of H.R. 250, the
    Benjamin Franklin statue placement act. Alongside my friend and
    colleague from Pennsylvania, Congresswoman Houlahan, I am proud to
    advance this effort to enshrine one of America's most extraordinary
    minds and consequential patriots in the heart of our Nation's Capitol.
      Madam Speaker, few figures in our history so fully embody the spirit
    of American ingenuity, perseverance, and democratic virtue as Benjamin
    Franklin. He was a statesman whose diplomacy secured our independence,
    a philosopher whose wisdom guided our early Republic, and an inventor
    whose genius advanced mankind.
      More than a son of Pennsylvania, Benjamin Franklin was and remains a
    towering architect of the American experiment, a testament to what is
    possible when vision and virtue work in concert with one another.
      As we approach the 250th anniversary of our great Nation, it is both
    fitting and necessary that Benjamin Franklin take his rightful place
    amongst the great figures enshrined in this amazing

    [[Page H855]]

    place. To commemorate this milestone without visibly honoring one of
    its chief architects would be to overlook the very ideals that built
    our great Republic.
      Benjamin Franklin lived his life with a deliberate sense of purpose,
    beginning each day by asking: What good shall I do on this day? And
    ending every evening in reflection: What good have I done today?
      Madam Speaker, that is not just a measure of a life well lived. It is
    the measure of leadership, of duty, and of a nation that strives always
    to be better than it was the day before. Let us take up that challenge
    not merely in words but in action.

      Let us ensure that Benjamin Franklin's presence in these Halls serves
    as a constant reminder that our charge is not to serve ourselves, but
    to serve a greater good.
      At the close of each day, may we too be able to answer that question
    with certainty, having served with purpose, led with integrity, and
    upheld the ideals that Franklin and our Founders entrusted to us.
      Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from
    Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan), who is my dear friend and the person who
    has really led this effort.
      Ms. HOULAHAN. Madam Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Morelle for
    yielding.
      Today, I am so grateful to have the opportunity to rise and offer
    this bipartisan legislation, H.R. 250, the Benjamin Franklin statue
    placement act. It is so very important to highlight moments where we do
    come together here in the body, and this bipartisan, bicameral
    legislation is a bright moment of that kind of unity.
      I am really grateful for the support and partnership of my colleagues
    in this effort, Representative Fitzpatrick and Senators Coons and
    Boozman, on the other side of the Capitol.
      The Benjamin Franklin statue placement act does seek to honor
    Benjamin Franklin, as mentioned, a renowned author, inventor,
    statesman, and dare I offer, the most important Founding Father of our
    great Nation.
      Mr. Franklin's accomplishments and inventions are numerous and
    infamous. Electricity, bifocals, and the lightning rod are just a
    couple of examples that every day still centuries later are in our
    lives. He is known, as was mentioned earlier, for very pithy, very
    profound, and witty statements, such as a stitch in time saves nine or
    a penny saved is a penny earned. Most memorable, perhaps, is: ``It is a
    republic, if you can keep it.''
      Arguably, Mr. Franklin's most important accolade is that he is the
    only person to have signed formally all three foundational documents
    separating our new Nation from the British monarchy.
      The Treaty of Paris, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of
    Rights, together known as the Charters of Freedom, boast the signatures
    of some of our Nation's most revered figures. Mr. Franklin's signature
    is the only one that appears on all three documents, however. That is
    not only something worthy of note, but something, of course, to
    celebrate.
      This is why I was shocked when I learned on my very first official
    tour of the Capitol Building--which was given to me by my own team
    member, Emma Consoli, who is the one we really should thank for this
    legislation--that there are no statues on the Capitol tour of Mr.
    Franklin. Indeed, Mr. Franklin's lone statue sits at the base of a
    stairwell, a dark stairwell, just off the Senate floor, out of sight of
    the hundreds of thousands of people who visit the Capitol.
      As we approach this Nation's 250th anniversary, it really is of
    utmost importance to have Mr. Franklin rightly on display and
    immortalized for his contributions to our foundation. The Benjamin
    Franklin statue placement act will do just that.
      While Representative Fitzpatrick and I both are both immensely proud
    of Pennsylvania's own Ben Franklin, we know this is not just for
    Pennsylvania but for our entire country. I am very grateful to the 77
    Members who shared this sentiment last Congress and to our 22 evenly
    bipartisan original cosponsors and to the 33 Members who have already
    sponsored it today.
      I am also very grateful for the leadership of Chairman Steil and
    Ranking Member Morelle who supported this bill and believed in it as it
    passed through the House Administration Committee unanimously in
    September.
      This placement act, as written, directs the Joint Committee on the
    Library to procure and to place a statue of Mr. Franklin along the
    Capitol tour route, as mentioned, before 2026 ends in celebration of
    our 250th anniversary.
      The installation of this statue in the Capitol Building will not only
    be an apt celebration for such an important figure in our history, but
    it is something that I will urge my colleagues to make sure that we
    vote in favor of today, so we can start that clock ticking. It is
    important that we take up this legislation now so that this awesome
    statue that has already been built and already been donated can be cast
    to perfection and placed ahead of 2026.
      I am grateful for the support of this effort. I thank the sculptor,
    Zenos Frudakis, for his beautiful work already. I appreciate so much
    the hard work that has gone into this by all of the people who stand
    around me for being able to get this to the floor for consideration.
      Mr. STEIL. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am
    prepared close.
      Mr. MORELLE. In closing, Madam Speaker, I thank the people who have
    spoken here on an idea whose time has more than come. I think this is
    the appropriate way, and particularly, as Ms. Houlahan says, in
    recognition of our 250th anniversary upcoming, this will be the
    appropriate way to honor one of our truly great founding members of the
    American Revolution and our country.
      Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
      Mr. STEIL. Madam Speaker, I would like to say, once again, I thank my
    colleagues, Representative Houlahan and Representative Fitzpatrick, and
    my long working relationship with Ranking Member Morelle for being able
    to bring this to the floor.
      It is correctly noted that as we approach the 250th anniversary of
    the United States of America, I think it is true and important that we
    put this statue here in the United States Capitol.
      Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers. I urge my colleagues to
    support H.R. 250, and I yield back the balance of my time.
      The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
    gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) that the House suspend the rules
    and pass the bill, H.R. 250.
      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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