[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 1517-1518]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    AUTHORIZING PRINTING OF ``HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL''

  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 358) authorizing the printing of 
``History of the United States Capitol'' as a House document.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 358

       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), 

     SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF PRINTING.

       (a) In General.--There shall be printed as a House document 
     the book entitled ``History of the United States Capitol'' by 
     Glenn Brown, as prepared under the auspices of the Architect 
     of the Capitol with support from the United States Capitol 
     Preservation Commission and the United States Capitol 
     Historical Society.
       (b) Specifications.--The document described in subsection 
     (a) shall include illustrations and shall be in the style, 
     form, manner, and binding as directed by the Joint Committee 
     on Printing after consultation with the Clerk of the House of 
     Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate.

     SEC. 2. NUMBER OF COPIES.

       In addition to the usual number, there shall be printed for 
     the use of the House of Representatives and Senate the lesser 
     of--
       (1) 7,000 copies of the document described in section 1(a), 
     to be allocated as determined jointly by the Clerk of the 
     House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate; or
       (2) such maximum number of copies of the document as does 
     not have a total production and printing cost of more than 
     $182,000, with distribution to be allocated as described in 
     paragraph (1).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Mica) and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica).

                              {time}  1415

  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to rise in support of House 
Concurrent Resolution 358. This is somewhat of a mundane measure. As a 
member of the Committee on House Administration, it is a housekeeping 
responsibility that we take care of obligations such as this.
  This particular measure authorizes the printing of a new annotated 
edition of the United States Capitol by Glenn Brown. Brown's History of 
the United States Capitol represents the most scholarly publication on 
the United States Capitol to date. This book was originally written to 
celebrate the centennial of the move of Congress to the Capitol in 
1800.
  The volume by Brown continues to provide important information on the 
development of the United States Capitol building and is also a visual 
record of the building and the art collection at the turn of the 
century. The publication sets a new standard for architectural history, 
as well as being very well received in both this country and abroad.
  Glenn Brown's book also played an important role in the revival of 
Pierre Charles L'Enfant's plan for Washington, D.C., through its 
influence on the 1901 McMillan Plan; and thus it has also had a very 
significant effect on the shape of this city, the District of Columbia, 
and how we see it through the twentieth century.
  The idea of publishing a new annotated edition of Glenn Brown's 
history of the Capitol, published in 1900 and 1903, was first discussed 
back in 1987. This new annotated history will provide both historical 
context and contemporary perspective. Glenn Brown and his philosophy 
and achievements will be examined in the introductory biographical 
profile.
  Annotation of the text will correct errors, review some very 
important, sometimes controversial issues, mention recently discovered 
documentation and direct the reader to relevant sources. The 
publication will be illustrated with high-quality photographs based on 
Glenn Brown's selection and will introduce color when appropriate to 
enhance the architectural renderings.
  The book will be prepared under the auspices of the Architect of the 
Capitol, with support from the United States Capitol Preservation 
Commission and the United States Capitol Historical Society.
  Glenn Brown's History of the United States Capitol will be of 
interest not only to Members of Congress but of significant value to 
the public, to libraries across the United States, and also to scholars 
investigating the rich history of the United States Capitol.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge full support of House Concurrent Resolution 358. 
I am pleased to present it on behalf of the Committee on House 
Administration this afternoon.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

[[Page 1518]]


  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish to associate myself with the remarks of the 
distinguished gentleman from Florida.
  As a sponsor of this resolution, I join our distinguished chairman, 
the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney), and I am happy to help bring this 
publication to fruition. It has been a pleasure for me to work with the 
gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Ney) on this and other such collaborative 
matters as they regard the history of our great institution and the 
history of this Capitol.
  The gentleman from Ohio will recall that we worked together in 
developing a history of the House, and his long-standing appreciation 
of the history of this great institution of ours and history in general 
go a long way towards keeping those relationships that accrue on our 
committee and throughout this institution at a level of deep 
understanding about the process and the procedure that goes on in this 
glorious building on a regular basis.
  The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) has outlined the importance of 
Glenn Brown's landmark two-volume History of the United States Capitol. 
Clearly, history should be updated from time to time, especially with 
the kind of annotated pictures that we can now provide for people, 
which yet unfolds the richness of this great institution and this 
marvelous building.
  People that come to work here on a daily basis and those that visit 
the Capitol cannot help but be in awe of the marble and the alabaster 
of Statuary Hall and all the great symbolism and history represented 
here. So for us not to make sure that these publications continue to go 
forward and further enlighten and provide historical research and data 
about our institution would be a travesty.
  Therefore, I am delighted to join with the gentleman from Florida 
(Mr. Mica) and again want to applaud the outstanding leadership of the 
gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Ney) and his willingness to collaborate 
on this specific publication, an interest that is both near and dear to 
both of our hearts with regard to historic preservation.
  For more than two centuries, this Capitol has stood as a shrine to 
our democracy and a beacon to millions across the globe. We must 
preserve not only the bricks and mortar of this Capitol but also its 
history. The volume printed pursuant to this resolution will make a 
substantial contribution to that preservation. I urge an ``aye'' vote 
on this motion.
   As the sponsor of the resolution, I join the distinguished chairman 
in support of his motion, and I am happy to help bring this publication 
to fruition. It has been a pleasure to work with the chairman in the 
past 5 years on matters of common interest, especially related to 
congressional history. The gentleman may recall that shortly after he 
became the chairman of the House Administration Committee, I visited 
his Longworth office and discussed placing a greater emphasis on the 
history of this institution. We have had significant success in this 
respect, as the gentleman had while serving in his state's legislature 
in Columbus. I look forward to working with the chairman further on 
history-related matters in the months and years ahead.
   Mr. Speaker, the American people revere this historic Capitol, the 
temple of our democracy, and they are rightly proud of what it has come 
to represent. In the more than 227 years since our Founding Fathers 
charted a new course for our civilization, this experiment in self-
government has not only survived, but flourished. The ideals symbolized 
by this Capitol inspire millions around the world, giving hope that 
they and their descendants may someday enjoy the liberty that Americans 
cherish.
   Over a century ago, Congress celebrated the Capitols' centennial by 
publishing Glenn Brown's landmark two-volume History of the United 
States Capitol. Brown's handsome volumes chronicled the development of 
the Capitol and its art collection to that time. Brown's work set a new 
standard for architectural history, affecting the development of the 
Capitol, and of the capital city, in the years that followed.
   The Capitol has changed considerably in the last century, and 
present generation should take care to document those changes and 
preserve the history of this magnificent structure for the future. 
Plans for an updated, annotated edition of the Glenn Brown History 
began as the Capitol's 2000 bicentennial approach, and Congress 
authorized such a volume in 1993. Today, only the final proofreading 
work remains, save for this renewed printing resolution, before the 
Government Printing Office can proceed to publish.
  The new annotated volume will update the Glenn Brown work, correcting 
errors, adding new historical context and enhanced color photographs, 
among other improvements. The new edition, prepared by the Architect of 
the Capitol with the support of the U.S. Capitol Preservation 
Commission and the U.S. Capital Historical Society, will be published 
under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing in consulting 
with the House Clerk and the Senate Secretary. The joint committee 
plans a single-volume format that is both economical and reader-
friendly but, like the original, worthy of this splendid structure.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the motion. This body should ensure 
preservation of the Capitol's history, just as in 1999, with the 
gentleman from Ohio's strong support, the House passed my bill 
authorizing a written history of the House itself. That House history, 
being written by the distinguished historian Dr. Robert Remini, is well 
underway. As entertaining as he is learned, Professor Remini 
participated last November in the Cannon Centenary Conference on the 
modern speakership. Those fortunate to hear the professor's remarks 
left both enlightened and eager to read the completed work chronicling 
the House's role and contributions to America's history.
  Mr. Speaker, for more than two centuries this Capitol has stood as a 
shrine to our democracy and a beacon to millions across the globe. We 
must preserve not only the bricks and mortar of this Capitol, but also 
its history. The volume printed pursuant to this resolution will make a 
substantial contribution to that preservation, and I urge an ``aye'' 
vote on the motion.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, just in conclusion, I am very pleased that we can come 
together and take care of this housekeeping chore. During the 
discussion this afternoon on the passage of this resolution I would 
have liked to have been presented a copy of Mr. Brown's book. I am told 
the only volumes we have the Architect has, and they are too tattered 
to even leave his office. So it is time that Congress meet its 
obligation of preserving the rich history of this great building that 
is a symbol of liberty and democracy.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield back the balance of my 
time and ask for passage of this resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cole). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) that the House suspend 
the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 358.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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