[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 194 (Tuesday, November 18, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H4758-H4759]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REQUESTING SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO AUTHORIZE UNIQUE AND ONE-TIME 
    DISPLAYS ON THE NATIONAL MALL AND WASHINGTON MONUMENT BEGINNING 
             DECEMBER 31, 2025, AND ENDING JANUARY 5, 2026

  Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on 
Natural Resources be discharged from further consideration of the joint 
resolution (H.J. Res. 133) requesting the Secretary of the Interior to 
authorize unique and one-time arrangements for displays on the National 
Mall and the Washington Monument during the period beginning on 
December 31, 2025, and ending on January 5, 2026, and ask for its 
immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arizona?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the joint resolution is as follows:

                             H.J. Res. 133

       Whereas the Second Continental Congress unanimously agreed 
     to adopt the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, in 
     which the Second Continental Congress declared a complete 
     break with Britain and the king and claimed the powers of an 
     independent country;
       Whereas the founding of the United States represented a 
     historic world event that has improved the lives of the 
     people of the United States and the people of other nations 
     in profound ways for centuries;
       Whereas the ideas of the founding fathers, including 
     representative government, guaranteed rights, and national 
     sovereignty, inspire all people of the United States to this 
     day;
       Whereas, on July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the 
     independence and founding of the United States will be 
     commemorated and celebrated;
       Whereas Congress enacted the United States 
     Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016 (36 U.S.C. note 
     prec. 101; Public Law 114-196) to plan, encourage, develop, 
     and coordinate the commemoration of the history of the United 
     States leading up to the 250th anniversary of the founding of 
     the United States;
       Whereas the United States Semiquincentennial Commission has 
     planned, coordinated, and inspired celebrations of the 250th 
     anniversary across the United States to mark the occasion;
       Whereas New Year's Eve in 2025 marks the boundary between 
     the 249th and 250th year of the United States, will bring the 
     people of the United States together, and will be a fitting 
     date to initiate celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the 
     United States in earnest;
       Whereas Congress explored lighting the Washington Monument 
     and other capital monuments at night during calendar year 
     1976 to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States;

[[Page H4759]]

       Whereas the National Mall hosted the 50th anniversary 
     commemoration of the Apollo 11 lunar landing in 2019, which 
     included the display of NASA and Smithsonian artifacts on the 
     National Mall for 5 days and concluded each night with an 
     inspiring video program that projected footage from the 
     Apollo 11 program on the Washington Monument;
       Whereas the commemoration of the Apollo 11 lunar landing 
     was attended by over 500,000 people from all over the United 
     States who gathered over a period of 5 days to celebrate the 
     historic achievements of the Apollo program and watched the 
     video program centered on the Washington Monument;
       Whereas hundreds of thousands of people of the United 
     States visit Washington, DC, each holiday season and attend 
     outdoor exhibits;
       Whereas Washington, DC, is uniquely suitable to host the 
     people of the United States for inaugural United States 
     semiquincentennial festivities; and
       Whereas the Washington Monument is central to the 
     Washington, DC, landscape and commemorates one of the most 
     prominent figures in the founding of the United States: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That 
     Congress--
       (1) requests the Secretary of the Interior to authorize 
     unique and one-time arrangements for the display of United 
     States semiquincentennial materials and other significant 
     artifacts, digital content, film footage, and associated 
     audio and imagery in and around the vicinity of the National 
     Mall, including projected onto the surface of the Washington 
     Monument for 5 nights of public display, during the period 
     beginning on December 31, 2025, and ending on January 5, 
     2026; and
       (2) respectfully requests that the Clerk of the House of 
     Representatives transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution 
     to--
       (A) the Secretary of the Interior; and
       (B) the Chair of the United States Semiquincentennial 
     Commission.

  The joint resolution was ordered to be read a third time, was read 
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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