[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 20988-20991]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



             BENJAMIN FRANKLIN TERCENTENARY COMMISSION ACT

  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2362) to establish the Benjamin Franklin 
Tercentenary Commission, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2362

       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 referred to as the ``Benjamin Franklin 
     Tercentenary Commission Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds as follows:
       (1) Benjamin Franklin was one of the most extraordinary men 
     of the generation that founded the United States. Around the 
     world, he remains one of the best-known Americans who has 
     ever lived.
       (2) Benjamin Franklin's achievements include his literary 
     work, his creation of philanthropic and educational 
     institutions, his significant scientific explorations, and 
     his service to the Nation as a statesman and diplomat.
       (3) Benjamin Franklin was the only American to sign all 5 
     enabling documents of the United States.
       (4) All people in the United States could benefit from 
     studying the life of Benjamin Franklin and gaining a deeper 
     appreciation of his legacy to the Nation.
       (5) January 17, 2006, is the 300th anniversary of the birth 
     of Benjamin Franklin, and a commission should be established 
     to study and recommend to the Congress activities that are 
     fitting and proper to celebrate that anniversary in a manner 
     that appropriately honors Benjamin Franklin.

     SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT.

       There is established a commission to be known as the 
     Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Commission (referred to in 
     this Act as the ``Commission'').

     SEC. 4. DUTIES.

       (a) Study.--The Commission shall have the following duties:
       (1) To study activities by the Government that would be 
     fitting and proper to honor Benjamin Franklin on the occasion 
     of the tercentenary of his birth, including but not limited 
     to the following:
       (A) The minting of a Benjamin Franklin tercentenary coin.
       (B) The rededication of the Benjamin Franklin National 
     Memorial at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, 
     Pennsylvania, or other activities with respect to that 
     memorial.
       (C) The acquisition and preservation of artifacts 
     associated with Benjamin Franklin.
       (D) The sponsorship of publications, including catalogs and 
     scholarly work, concerning Benjamin Franklin.

[[Page 20989]]

       (E) The sponsorship of conferences, exhibitions, or other 
     public meetings concerning Benjamin Franklin.
       (F) The sponsorship of high school and collegiate essay 
     contests concerning the life and legacy of Benjamin Franklin.
       (2) To recommend to the Congress in one or more of the 
     interim reports submitted under section 9(a)--
       (A) the activities that the Commission considers most 
     fitting and proper to honor Benjamin Franklin on the occasion 
     of the tercentenary of his birth; and
       (B) the entity or entities in the Federal Government that 
     the Commission considers most appropriate to carry out such 
     activities.
       (b) Point of Contact.--The Commission, acting through its 
     secretariat, shall serve as the point of contact of the 
     Government for all State, local, international, and private 
     sector initiatives regarding the tercentenary of Benjamin 
     Franklin's birth, with the purpose of coordinating and 
     facilitating all fitting and proper activities honoring 
     Benjamin Franklin.

     SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP.

       (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be 
     composed of 15 members as follows:
       (1) The Librarian of Congress.
       (2) 14 qualified citizens, appointed as follows:
       (A) 2 members appointed by the President.
       (B) 2 members appointed by the President on the 
     recommendation of the Governor of the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania.
       (C) 2 members appointed by the President on the 
     recommendation of the Governor of the Commonwealth of 
     Massachusetts.
       (D) 2 members, at least 1 of whom shall be a Senator, 
     appointed by the majority leader of the Senate.
       (E) 2 members, at least 1 of whom shall be a Senator, 
     appointed by the minority leader of the Senate.
       (F) 2 members, at least 1 of whom shall be a Member of the 
     House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the 
     House of Representatives.
       (G) 2 members, at least 1 of whom shall be a Member of the 
     House of Representatives, appointed by the minority leader of 
     the House of Representatives.
       (b) Qualified Citizen.--For purposes of this section, a 
     qualified citizen is a citizen of the United States with--
       (1) a substantial knowledge and appreciation of the work 
     and legacy of Benjamin Franklin; and
       (2) a commitment to educating people in the United States 
     about the historical importance of Benjamin Franklin.
       (c) Time of Appointment.--Each initial appointment of a 
     member of the Commission shall be made before the expiration 
     of the 120-day period beginning on the date of the enactment 
     of this Act.
       (d) Continuation of Membership.--If a member of the 
     Commission was appointed to the Commission as a Member of the 
     Congress, and ceases to be a Member of the Congress, that 
     member may continue to serve on the Commission for not longer 
     than the 30-day period beginning on the date on which that 
     member ceases to be a Member of the Congress.
       (e) Terms.--Each member shall be appointed for the life of 
     the Commission.
       (f) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall not 
     affect the powers of the Commission and shall be filled in 
     the manner in which the original appointment was made.
       (g) Basic Pay.--Members shall serve on the Commission 
     without pay.
       (h) Travel Expenses.--Each member shall receive travel 
     expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
     accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I of 
     chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
       (i) Quorum.--Five members of the Commission shall 
     constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold hearings.
       (j) Chair.--The Commission shall select a Chair from among 
     the members of the Commission.
       (k) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the 
     Chair.

     SEC. 6. ORGANIZATION.

       (a) Honorary Members.--The President--
       (1) shall serve as an honorary, nonvoting member of the 
     Commission; and
       (2) may invite the President of France and the Prime 
     Minister of the United Kingdom to serve as honorary, 
     nonvoting members of the Commission.
       (b) Advisory Committee.--The Commission shall form an 
     advisory committee, to be composed of representatives of the 
     major extant institutions founded by or dedicated to Benjamin 
     Franklin, including the following:
       (1) The Executive Director of the American Philosophical 
     Society.
       (2) The President of the Franklin Institute.
       (3) The Librarian of the Library Company.
       (4) The Director and Chief Executive Officer of the 
     Philadelphia Museum of Art.
       (5) The President of the University of Pennsylvania.
       (c) Administrative Secretariat.--The Commission shall seek 
     to enter into an arrangement with the Franklin Institute of 
     Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, under which the Institute shall 
     do the following:
       (1) Serve as the secretariat of the Commission, including 
     by serving as the point of contact under section 4(b).
       (2) House the administrative offices of the Commission.

     SEC. 7. POWERS.

       (a) Hearings and Sessions.--The Commission may, for the 
     purpose of carrying out this Act, hold such hearings, sit and 
     act at such times and places, take such testimony, and 
     receive such evidence as the Commission considers 
     appropriate.
       (b) Powers of Members and Agents.--Any member or agent of 
     the Commission may, if authorized by the Commission, take any 
     action that the Commission is authorized to take by this Act.
       (c) Obtaining Official Data.--The Commission may secure 
     directly from any department or agency of the United States 
     information necessary to enable the Commission to carry out 
     this Act. Upon request of the Chair of the Commission, the 
     head of that department or agency shall furnish that 
     information to the Commission.
       (d) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails 
     in the same manner and under the same conditions as other 
     departments and agencies of the United States.
       (e) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of 
     the Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall 
     provide to the Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the 
     administrative support services necessary for the Commission 
     to carry out its responsibilities under this Act.
       (f) Procurement.--The Commission may enter into contracts 
     for supplies, services, and facilities to carry out the 
     Commission's duties under this Act.
       (g) Donations.--The Commission may accept and use donations 
     of--
       (1) money;
       (2) personal services; and
       (3) real or personal property related to Benjamin Franklin 
     or the occasion of the tercentenary of his birth.

     SEC. 8. DIRECTOR AND STAFF.

       (a) Appointment.--The Commission may appoint a Director and 
     such additional personnel as the Commission considers to be 
     appropriate.
       (b) Applicability of Certain Civil Service Laws.--The 
     Director and staff of the Commission may be appointed without 
     regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, 
     governing appointments in the competitive service, and may be 
     paid without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and 
     subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to 
     classification and General Schedule pay rates.

     SEC. 9. REPORTS.

       (a) Interim Reports.--The Commission shall submit to the 
     Congress such interim reports as the Commission considers to 
     be appropriate.
       (b) Final Report.--The Commission shall submit a final 
     report to the Congress not later than January 16, 2007. The 
     final report shall contain--
       (1) a detailed statement of the activities of the 
     Commission; and
       (2) any other information that the Commission considers to 
     be appropriate.

     SEC. 10. TERMINATION.

       The Commission shall terminate 120 days after submitting 
     its final report pursuant to section 9(b).

     SEC. 11. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for the 
     period of fiscal years 2002 through 2007 to carry out this 
     Act, to remain available until expended.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Davis) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann 
Davis).


                             General Leave

  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks on H.R. 2362, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania 
(Mr. Borski) for introducing H.R. 2362. H.R. 2362 establishes a 
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Commission. This 15-member Commission 
will be charged with studying and recommending to Congress activities 
it considers most fitting and proper to honor Benjamin Franklin.
  The Commission will also recommend the entity or entities in the 
Federal Government the Commission believes most appropriate to carry 
out those activities. It will coordinate and facilitate such 
activities.
  The Commission will terminate in 2007. The bill authorizes 
appropriations for $500,000 over the life of the Commission.

[[Page 20990]]

  January 17, 2006, is the 300th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin's 
birth. As the bill's findings observe, Franklin was one of the most 
extraordinary men of the extraordinary generation that founded the 
United States. Both here and abroad, he remains one of the best-known 
Americans who ever lived.
  Mr. Speaker, it is impossible in the short time allotted for debate 
on this bill to fully recount Benjamin Franklin's achievements and his 
contributions to our Nation. The tenth son, and the fifteenth of the 17 
children fathered by Josiah Franklin, a Boston soap and candlemaker, 
Benjamin Franklin became one of the most illustrious men of his age. He 
was the only American to sign all five enabling documents of the United 
States.
  The achievements of this largely self-educated man included his 
literary work; his creation of philanthropic and educational 
institutions, including what became the University of Pennsylvania; his 
scientific explorations; and his service to the Nation as a statesman 
and diplomat.
  Almost all Americans are familiar with Franklin's Poor Richard's 
Almanack, and such pithy sayings as ``A penny saved is a penny 
earned.'' We all know about his famous kite-flying experiment.
  But Benjamin Franklin was also a prolific inventor. He invented 
bifocals; a catheter; the Franklin stove; a musical instrument, the 
glass harmonica; the lightning rod; and the odometer.
  Franklin also founded the first fire department, and he established 
the first fire insurance company.
  Franklin's political contributions to the Nation were also 
invaluable. To take just a few, Mr. Speaker, Franklin participated in 
drafting the Declaration of Independence. The Articles of Confederation 
in Perpetual Union that he submitted to the Second Continental Congress 
eventually served as a model for our first Constitution, the Articles 
of Confederation.
  The secret committee that Franklin established at the request of the 
Second Congress to gain foreign support for America's fight for 
independence eventually evolved into the State Department.
  During the Revolutionary War, Benjamin Franklin himself represented 
the fledgling Nation in France. In recognition of Franklin's diplomatic 
work both before and during the Revolutionary War, this bill permits 
the President to invite the President of France and the Prime Minister 
of the United Kingdom to serve as honorary nonvoting members of the 
Commission.
  Mr. Speaker, everyone in the United States can benefit from studying 
the remarkable life of Benjamin Franklin and gaining a deeper 
appreciation of his legacy to the Nation.
  For this reason, Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this 
important legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me commend and congratulate the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski) for putting forth this 
resolution. I think it is not only timely, but absolutely important.
  Mr. Speaker, during the Revolutionary War, Ben Franklin was quoted as 
saying, ``They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little 
temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.''
  Ben Franklin's words have new meaning today as America engages in a 
war against terrorism and those who would strip us of our liberty and 
freedom by threatening our safety.
  Though Benjamin Franklin stands tall among a small group of men we 
call our Founding Fathers, he identified with the ordinary citizen and 
strived to make their lives better.
  He served as postmaster, helping to set up the postal system in 
Philadelphia, a system that is today being challenged by biochemical 
terror attacks.
  In order to make Philadelphia a safer city, Mr. Franklin started the 
Union Fire Company in 1736. Those who joined the Union Fire Company in 
1736 had the same mission as the brave men and women who ran to their 
deaths to save lives in two Twin Towers that were ablaze in New York 
City on September 11.
  Benjamin Franklin knew all about liberty and freedom. He helped write 
the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
  He was the only person to have signed all four of the documents which 
helped to create the United States: the Declaration of Independence, 
1776; the Treaty of Alliance, Amity, and Commerce with France, 1778; 
the Treaty of Peace between England, France, and the United States, 
1782; and the Constitution, in 1787.
  What would he say about the terror attacks that threaten the very 
foundation of our country and his and our beliefs?
  At the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, 
Benjamin Franklin stated: ``We must all hang together, or assuredly we 
shall all hang separately.'' In these trying and challenging times, we 
must all hang together as Americans, as people who respect the 
differences of others, as people who believe in life, liberty, and the 
pursuit of happiness.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2352, which will establish a 
Commission to recommend to Congress activities to celebrate the 300th 
anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin. His words and deeds are 
part of our history, but will help us to overcome the challenges we 
face today and are sure to face tomorrow.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski).
  Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Speaker, let me first thank the distinguished 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for yielding me this time.
  I also want to commend the leadership of the floor manager, the 
gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis), for her leadership.
  I also want to take a moment to thank the chairman of the 
subcommittee, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon), and 
particularly thank the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman 
from Indiana (Mr. Burton), for his guidance in bringing this bill to 
the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2362, the Benjamin 
Franklin Tercentenary Commission Act. This legislation would properly 
pay tribute to a Founding Father, statesman, inventor, and philosopher 
on January 17, 2006, the 300th anniversary of his birth. Benjamin 
Franklin is truly one of our Nation's great citizens.
  This bill would establish a commission to study and recommend 
government activities to honor Benjamin Franklin on his 300th birthday, 
including the minting of a coin and sponsorship of a high school and 
collegiate essay contest concerning the life and legacy of Benjamin 
Franklin.
  Additionally, this legislation would serve as a contact point for 
State, local, international, and private sector initiatives.
  H.R. 2362 would seek to have the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia, 
which was founded under Mr. Franklin's bequest, and is the most 
frequently visited museum in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, serve as 
the Secretariat of the Commission and house the Commission's 
administrative offices.
  Mr. Speaker, without question, this legislation would hallmark the 
admiration we have for Mr. Franklin, who was considered a citizen of 
the world, a friend to all, and an enemy to none.
  Mr. Franklin's accomplishments include founding the Pennsylvania 
Gazette, founding the Nation's first library, founding the first 
volunteer fire brigade; serving as Philadelphia's postmaster, and later 
as Postmaster General of the American Colonies; proposing the creation 
of the University of Pennsylvania; performing the first kite-flying 
experiment, which led to the evolution of electricity; establishing the 
first fire insurance company; and, of course, Mr. Speaker, serving the 
Continental Congress, signing the Declaration of Independence, and 
presiding at the Constitutional Convention.
  In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson stated that ``Ben Franklin was 
the greatest man, an ornament of the age and country in which he lived. 
This father of American liberties became the object of general respect 
and love.''

[[Page 20991]]

  H. W. Brands, a celebrated historian, in his most recent book, The 
First American--The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin, compliments 
President Jefferson's statement with his words that ``His ingenuity 
would not die with him, nor his concern for his fellow citizens.''
  During the wake of the Revolutionary War, in Paris during the war and 
peace negotiations, at the Constitutional Convention back in 
Philadelphia, Mr. Franklin served his new country with unsurpassed 
energy, devotion, and skill. In the eyes of much of Europe, Mr. 
Franklin was America.
  Not only did Franklin make a significant contribution to the 
establishment of our Republic, but also, as H.W. Brands penned, ``He 
sought knowledge not for his own sake, but for humanity's. His passion 
for virtue reflected not hope of heaven, but faith in his fellow 
mortals.''
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation. I want to note that 
it was cosponsored by the entire Pennsylvania congressional delegation, 
as well as all the members of the Massachusetts delegation, and I urge 
support of this resolution.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would simply urge passage of this bill, and add that 
Benjamin Franklin is probably the most quoted of all Americans who ever 
lived.
  I grew up in a family where both my mother and father were great 
Benjamin Franklin fans. They would put us to bed at night and make us 
go to sleep early and by saying ``Benjamin Franklin said, 'Early to bed 
and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.'''
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1530

  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
(Mr. Weldon) for expediting this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2362, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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