[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 21894]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



             SENSE OF CONGRESS IN SUPPORT OF A LIBERTY DAY

  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 376) expressing the sense of 
the Congress regarding support for the recognition of a Liberty Day.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 376

       Whereas our rights and liberties are rooted in the 
     cherished documents that gave birth to our nation, those 
     being the Declaration of Independence and the United States 
     Constitution with its Bill of Rights;
       Whereas the patriot James Madison, fourth President of the 
     United States, was the major author of the Virginia Plan, the 
     model and the basis for that United States Constitution that 
     emerged from the Constitutional Convention in 1787;
       Whereas James Madison kept detailed written records of the 
     debates and compromises that were in integral part of that 
     Convention of 1787, which records were published only after 
     the death of all delegates to the Convention;
       Whereas James Madison wrote many of the newspaper articles 
     now known as the Federalist Papers, outlining why States 
     should endorse the new Constitution and enduring as some of 
     the best arguments for our form of government;
       Whereas James Madison introduced the Bill of Rights into 
     the 1st Congress of the United States, whereupon the first 
     ten amendments to the Constitution were adopted; and
       Whereas it is altogether fitting that the 16th day of 
     March, the birthday of the distinguished founding father, 
     James Madison, would serve as a fitting reminder of Liberty 
     Day, a celebration of the Declaration of Independence and the 
     United States Constitution, where our unalienable rights and 
     liberties are enumerated: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that--
       (1) a Liberty Day should be celebrated each year in the 
     United States as a remembrance of both the freedom that 
     Americans were given in the Declaration of Independence and 
     the extraordinary rights and liberties that Americans were 
     given in their Constitution; and
       (2) all elected and previously-elected representatives of 
     the people who voluntarily give of their time to speak to 
     Americans about those founding documents, in furtherance of 
     that remembrance of our freedom, our rights and our 
     liberties, deserve our thanks.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Maryland (Mrs. Morella) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella).

                              {time}  1415


                             GENERAL LEAVE

  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on H. Con. Res. 376.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentlewoman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 
376, which calls for the people of the United States to celebrate a 
Liberty Day each year. In the words of the resolution, Liberty Day 
would serve, quote, ``as a remembrance of both the freedom that 
Americans were given in the Declaration of Independence and the 
extraordinary rights and liberties that Americans were given in their 
Constitution,'' unquote.
  The resolution also holds that all elected and previously elected 
representatives of the people who voluntarily give of their time to 
speak to the American people about these founding documents to further 
our remembrance of our freedom, our rights and our liberties, will 
deserve our thanks. The preamble to the resolution also finds that 
March 16, James Madison's birthday, would be a fitting reminder of 
Liberty Day and an appropriate occasion to celebrate the inalienable 
rights and liberties proclaimed by the Declaration of Independence and 
secured by the Constitution.
  Madam Speaker, this is the second time in as many weeks that this 
House has had occasion to reflect on the life and achievements of James 
Madison. Last week, we passed House Concurrent Resolution 396 to 
celebrate Madison's birth and his many contributions to our Nation.
  The resolution before the House today also recognizes the immense 
contributions of this remarkable patriot to securing the freedom we 
enjoy today.
  Madam Speaker, Madison himself said that, quote, ``my life has been 
so much of a public one that any review of it must mainly consistent of 
the agency which was my lot in public transactions,'' unquote.
  Although he was the fourth President of the United States, the 
greatest of Madison's public transactions was surely his crucial role 
in the framing and adoption of the Constitution of the United States. 
As the resolution notes, Madison was the major author of the Virginia 
Plan, which served as the basis and model for the Constitution of the 
United States, that was proposed by the Constitutional Convention in 
1787.
  Along with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton, Madison also contributed 
to securing ratification of the Constitution by writing parts of the 
Federalist Papers.
  The Federalist Papers endure to this day, as the resolution observes, 
as some of the best arguments for our form of government.
  Madison also kept detailed records of the debates and compromises in 
the Constitutional Convention which were published only after all 
delegates to the convention were dead. The Federalist Papers and 
Madison's notes on the Constitutional Convention remain primary sources 
for all who seek an understanding of the Framers' intent.
  As a Member of the first Congress, Madison was also instrumental in 
framing the Bill of Rights. Madam Speaker, as the 106th Congress 
concludes, it is certainly proper that we pass this resolution to 
remember the founding documents, the Declaration of Independence and 
the Constitution, and James Madison's contributions to the formation of 
our system of government. I urge all Members to support this 
resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, last Monday I stood at this podium to manage House 
Concurrent Resolution 396, celebrating the birth of James Madison and 
his contributions to the Nation. Today I am here to manage a resolution 
that would express Congress' support for the recognition of March 16, 
James Madison's birthday, as Liberty Day. This resolution bestows this 
honor on James Madison because he was the primary author and steadfast 
supporter of three great works of American democracy: the Constitution, 
the Federalist Papers, and the Bill of Rights.
  If this resolution is passed, Madison's birthday would serve to 
remind us of our rights and liberties as enumerated in the Declaration 
of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.
  Liberty is defined in Webster's Collegiate Dictionary as, and I 
quote, ``the quality or state of being free, and the power of choice,'' 
two premises on which this Nation was founded.
  The promise of freedom and choice is what thousands of immigrants saw 
in a copper statue in the New York Bay. The statue was of a woman 
holding a torch in her right hand and a tablet bearing the adoption 
date of the Declaration of Independence in her left.
  Her pedestal reads, and I quote, ``Give me your tired, your poor, 
your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.'' The Statue of Liberty 
was and still is a symbol of hope and freedom in America.
  Another traditional symbol of United States freedom can be found in 
Philadelphia in the form of a cracked bell. The bell was first rung on 
July 8, 1776, 4 days after the adoption of the Declaration of 
Independence. It tolled to celebrate the first public reading of the 
document. The bell bears the motto, and I quote, ``Proclaim liberty 
throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.''
  The Liberty Bell, first named in an 1839 Abolitionist pamphlet, 
remains a symbol of freedom and a reminder that all Americans are 
created equal.
  When H. Con. Res. 376 is passed, Americans will have another 
opportunity to reflect on this Nation's tradition of freedom and 
equality. Liberty Day will further enhance the importance and symbolic 
meaning of two existing icons of American freedom: the Statue of 
Liberty and the Liberty Bell.
  On March 16, Americans will celebrate a promise originated by James 
Madison and others and documented in the Declaration of Independence 
and the United States Constitution. That promise is one of freedom and 
choice. And in the words of James Madison, he said simply these: ``The 
prescriptions in favor of liberty ought to be leveled against that 
quarter where the greatest danger lies, namely, that which possesses 
the highest prerogative of power; but this is not found in either the 
executive or legislative departments of government, but in the body of 
the people, operating by the majority against the minority.''
  Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this 
resolution. I congratulate its sponsor.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo), the sponsor of this 
resolution.
  Mr. TANCREDO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Maryland 
(Mrs. Morella) for yielding me this time.
  Madam Speaker, I could not do better in terms of describing the 
importance of this resolution and its historical implications than my 
two colleagues from the State of Maryland have done here. Both of them, 
I think, have been incredibly articulate in expressing those 
sentiments.
  I will only add that it is important also to remember that James 
Madison, as the fourth President of the United States, was also the 
major author of the Virginia Plan, which is a model and the basis for 
the United States Constitution that emerged from the Constitutional 
Convention in 1787.
  I want to also say that this whole issue comes to us today on the 
floor as a result of the really tireless efforts of one individual in 
my district, a gentleman by the name of Andy McKean, who with other 
members of the Lion's Club took this on as a project some time ago and 
decided something had to be done in order to increase the level of 
knowledge that students, especially students and youngsters, have about 
the Constitution, about the Bill of Rights and about really what 
liberty means in the United States of America.
  As part of that task, they have been instrumental in delivering and 
distributing literally hundreds of thousands of copies of the 
Constitution. Liberty Day Colorado is the way it is identified here, 
but these little pocket Constitutions have gone out to schools all over 
Colorado. There are over 1 million active members of the Lion's Club 
nationwide, and it is my understanding that this is a project they are 
anticipating to take on as an organization.
  It is supported right now in State legislatures throughout the 
country: Colorado, California, Maine, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North 
Carolina, Virginia, New Hampshire, Montana, Mississippi, Indiana, 
Idaho, Wyoming. And other States are on the way.
  It is nonpartisan, as evidenced by the discussion here today. It is 
funded entirely through businesses and individual contributions. The 
national recognition will provide a rallying point for this grass-roots 
movement; and it is also, I think, a tribute to individuals like Mr. 
McKean.
  A textbook could not be written about the way in which he has devoted 
a good portion of his life to this event and how it has worked its way 
through the process and it now appears before us on the floor of the 
House and hopefully will eventually become part of our national 
recognition of Liberty Day.
  So, again, I want to thank the committee; and I want to thank the 
Members here who have spoken so eloquently in its support.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. 
Tancredo) for his words. It is very heartening to know that the Lion's 
Club took this on as a project.
  I think it is very, very important in our society that we do 
everything in our power, Madam Speaker, to lift up our children. I have 
often said that they are the living messages we send to a future we may 
never see. I want to congratulate him for that.
  Madam Speaker, I just want to end with one of my favorite quotes from 
Madison, which was stated on June 8, 1789, when he said that all power 
is originally vested in and consequently derived from the people; that 
government is instituted and ought to be exercised for the benefit of 
the people, which consists in the enjoyment of life and liberty, with 
the right of acquiring and using property and generally of pursuing and 
obtaining happiness and safety; that the people have an indubitable, 
unalienable and indefeasible right to reform or change their government 
whenever it be found adverse and inadequate to the purposes of the 
institution.
  Madam Speaker, I would urge all of our colleagues to vote in favor of 
this very important resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I very much appreciate the quotation and 
the discussion with my colleague from Maryland (Mr. Cummings).
  Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to another 
colleague, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Bartlett).
  Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my friend, 
the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella), for yielding me this time 
and I want to thank my other friend, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Cummings), for his quote.
  Madam Speaker, it is hard for us to realize what a radical document 
the Declaration of Independence was. If we think back, our forefathers 
now, they come from all parts of the world; but our forefathers when 
this country was founded came from principally the British Isles and 
the European continent. If we remember our history, almost every one of 
them came from a country where the king or the emperor claimed and, 
incredibly from our position, was granted what was known as divine 
rights. In other words, what the king or the emperor claimed was that 
the rights came from God to him; that he would then give what rights he 
wished to his people. Sometimes many; sometimes very few.
  Our forefathers made a radical departure from this, because in the 
Declaration of Independence they said we hold these truths to be self-
evident that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their 
Creator with certain unalienable rights. That the rights did not come 
from God to the king, that the rights came from God to the people, and 
it was the wish of our forefathers that they would found a government 
which had very limited rights.

                              {time}  1430

  Most of the rights should still reside in the people. So they wrote 
the Constitution 11 years later, ratified in 1787. The ink was hardly 
dry before they recognized that it might not be clear to everyone how 
committed they were to the proposition that the rights fundamentally 
belonged to the people, and they would give just what few rights were 
necessary to the government.
  Four years later, in 1791, the first 10 amendments which we know as 
the Bill of Rights were finally ratified by three-fourths of the 
States. If we look through those Bill of rights and reflect on what 
they said, most of them address the rights of the people.
  Then to make sure that no one could misunderstand that they meant 
most of these rights to reside with the people, in the Ninth Amendment 
they said that, just because we did not mention in the Constitution 
that the right belonged to the people, do not disparage the fact that 
it does belong to the people.
  Then in the Tenth Amendment they came back, and I think this is the 
most violated amendment in the Constitution, the most violated part of 
the Constitution, they come back and say, in today's English, if you 
kind of put this in today's English, our Constitution is old English 
and it is legalese so sometimes we have to paraphrase it to understand 
clearly what they meant, what they are saying in the Tenth Amendment is 
that if we cannot find it in article 1, Section 8, of the Constitution, 
the Federal government cannot do it; that they can only do those things 
which are found there, and all the things which are not found there, 
all the rights not specifically given to the government, belong to the 
people or to the States.
  So I think it is very appropriate that we designate a Liberty Day. 
That is what our forefathers wished so much for us to have. That is 
what we are at risk of losing as government becomes ever bigger and 
bigger and more and more intrusive.
  I wholeheartedly support the resolution.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  I commend the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo) for introducing 
this resolution and working very hard to bring it to the floor today. I 
also want to thank the Lions Club for taking on this Liberty Day 
project. The Lions Club has been noted for its eye banks. They care 
about vision, and frankly, Liberty Day has to do with the vision to 
look ahead in terms of recognizing the values of the past and the 
principles upon which we are guided into the future.
  I also want to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Scarborough), 
the chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Service, the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Cummings), a ranking member of the Subcommittee on Civil 
Service, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) of the Committee on 
Government Reform, as well as the ranking member, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Waxman), because they have helped the consideration of 
this resolution.
  It is also a pleasure to be able to floor manage this resolution that 
we believe in with my colleague, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Cummings). I thank my other colleague from Maryland (Mr. Bartlett) also 
for his understanding of the Constitution and his statement.
  Madam Speaker, I ask Members' support of this resolution, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 
376.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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