[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18405-18407]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    CONSTITUTION AND CITIZENSHIP DAY

  Mr. BYRD. Madam President, yesterday, September 17, the Nation 
observed Constitution and Citizenship Day. Yesterday, on the Sabbath, 
the Nation observed Constitution and Citizenship Day. The day marked 
the 219th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. On 
September, 17, 1787, 219 years ago yesterday, an extraordinary 
convention of American statesmen met in Philadelphia's Independence 
Hall to adopt our fledgling Nation's fundamental governing principles, 
codified in the new Constitution. I am happy to glory in my good 
fortune, the blessing of living in this Nation and under this 
Constitution--this Constitution which I hold in my hand. I have long 
been a student of the Constitution, and I do carry it with me, close to 
my heart. Alexander the Great slept with a copy of the Iliad, written 
by Homer in the 800s before Christ--a copy of the Iliad under his 
pillow, they say. I do not sleep with a copy of the Constitution under 
my pillow, but I carry it close to my heart.
  Over the years, I have read deeply about our Founding Fathers and the 
great national debate that accompanied the development, the adoption, 
and the ratification of this critical document. This history is 
enlightening, revealing the lessons of our Founding Fathers, the great 
lessons of our Founding Fathers and the lessons they learned from 
ancient history as well as from their own experience as colonists 
subject to the British King.
  As a Member of the Senate, I have many good reasons to want to know 
more about the Constitution. Yes, I am 89, but I want to know more. The 
Constitution affects all Americans, and I

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urge all Americans to learn more about the Constitution. Why? Because 
it remains as vital to our lives today as it was 219 years ago. That 
was a long time ago, 219 years. This Constitution affects the structure 
and operation of our government, a government of laws, not a government 
of men. Yes, this Constitution, this is the roadmap, this is the 
cornerstone of our Republic. It dictates who is eligible to run for 
office and hold office. It dictates who may elect government officials 
and how those officials--like me, like myself--must conduct themselves 
while in office. It outlines who does what within the Federal 
Government and between the Federal Government and these United States. 
It requires the President, the Chief Executive in the White House--who 
is he? He is the Chief Executive, but it requires that he, the 
President of the United States, report. To whom? To the people and to 
Congress.
  The Constitution decides who may declare war. It says, ``The Congress 
shall have the power to declare war.'' Yes, the Congress. It decides 
who may appoint Ambassadors, who may levy taxes, who may decide how 
Federal dollars will be spent. If all of that does not affect every 
American, I do not know what does.
  I firmly believe that our Constitution deserves greater awareness in 
our national life and in our everyday lives. A distressing number of 
studies have shown a profound ignorance of and, yes, even indifference 
to this fundamental document of government. This is it. I hold it in my 
hands. Of course, more than the Constitution is included in this fine 
little document that I have and carry in my pocket, but the title of 
this little book is the ``United States Constitution.'' That is it. 
This is the pillar of my liberties, the pillar of your liberties, and 
it is the roadmap by which those who govern shall govern.
  Too many citizens have little or no knowledge of this Constitution, 
from the functions of government to the scope of their own rights and 
liberties. Did you realize that, every one of you who is within the 
sound of my voice throughout this great Nation? You may revere the 
Constitution--and most people do. Yes, they are proud of the 
Constitution. They revere it. But they do not know what is in it; too 
many do not know what is in it. Many do.
  I think that may also be true of many Members of Congress, many 
Members of this body. As you know, there are two bodies of Congress. 
Two bodies make up the Congress, not one body. It may be true of many 
Members of these two Houses. It may be true of many Members of this 
House, the Senate of the United States. It may be true of the executive 
branch officials. Did you hear that it may be true of executive 
officials, many of them? It may be true of military officials, many 
military officials and personnel, and members of the news media. Hear 
me now, yonder on the back benches, those who write, those who 
question, those who explain: members of the news media.
  Few people know why the Constitution was designed the way it was. Few 
people may understand what the checks and balances contained in our 
governmental structure are meant to do.
  When the Constitutional Convention sent to the States this 
Constitution for ratification, in 1787, it stimulated an active 
political debate out there--in the mountains, the hills, and the 
valleys of this land. It was not a political debate such as we see 
today--a cacophony of short sound bites and slogans that do not answer 
the questions or which are aimed only at attacking a political 
opponent--but a real debate, a real discussion, a real looking at the 
structure, at the parts of the structure, at the words, at the 
sentences--yes, a real debate and discussion.
  Supporters and opponents wrote pamphlets and published essays that 
were widely read. Can you imagine that? They wrote pamphlets, essays 
that were widely read, widely discussed? The Constitution became a 
topic of conversation around dinner tables and at public meeting 
places. Imagine, just imagine--hear me now, imagine that today.
  Imagine that happening today. The Federalist Papers--may I say to the 
pages--read them. The Federalist Papers--not just the Constitution but 
also the Federalist Papers. Read them. The Federalist Papers, that 
great defense of the Constitution written by James Madison, Alexander 
Hamilton, and John Jay--read the Federalist Papers. They were widely 
printed in newspapers and still more widely read and discussed. The 
Federalist Papers served as the centerpiece for the debate over the 
form of government the Constitution created, the form of government 
this little Constitution created. Yes. I hold it in my hand. Sadly, 
today there are few people outside of college classes and history and 
politics who have read the Federalist Papers. They should be read by 
all Americans who want to understand the Constitution.
  Read the Federalist Papers. If you have read them, read them again. 
It is like reading the Holy Bible. Each time you read it, you will see 
new things, you will understand new things, new words are being said, 
new sentences, new thoughts are being expressed, some that you had not 
seen before.
  Madison, Hamilton, and Jay--those great men, Madison Hamilton, and 
Jay--turned to the mass-communication system of their day, the 
newspapers. Now, in the 21st century, we have the ability to promote 
better knowledge and better understanding of the Constitution through 
the newest form of mass communication--think about that--the Internet. 
As an excellent resource for Americans on this vital topic, I draw 
attention to the considerable information about the Constitution that 
the United States is making available--get that--the United States is 
making available to the public on the Senate Web site. You hear me. It 
is there.
  By publishing articles in newspapers, Madison, Hamilton, and Jay 
reached out and touched an audience of thousands. Through the World 
Wide Web, the Senate's Web site, material on the Constitution can be 
accessed by an audience of millions, millions of citizens, teachers, 
and students--people from all around, the world.
  In honor of this year's celebration of Constitution Day, the U.S. 
Senate has included a variety of features on its Web site--at 
www.senate.gov--to promote a more thorough understanding of our 
Constitution, the blueprint--here it is--for the Federal Government 
that still defines and guides us today, I say to the President who sits 
in the chair. Visitors to the Senate Web site will find many items 
related to the Constitution. The full text of the Constitution can be 
viewed, along with annotations and Senate-specific clauses. There is 
also a feature on the Federalist Papers and a special section featuring 
books about the Constitution for children. There is a beautiful color 
reproduction of the mural unveiled in the Senate wing of the Capitol 
Building just a few days ago. The mural depicts the authors of the 
Connecticut Compromise of 1787--also known as the Great Compromise--
that led to creation of the Senate and the House of Representatives. 
There is also a Virtual Reference Desk that can guide visitors to 
further reading and resources to help them learn more about our--our, 
our--Constitution.
  I commend the Secretary of the Senate, the Sergeant at Arms, and 
their staffs, who collected and posted this array of constitutional 
material in such an attractive and easy-to-use format. Their work 
reflects well on the Senate and offers a real service to the Nation. It 
embodies the spirit of Constitution Day, which I am proud to have had a 
hand in establishing. I also commend the many other organizations that 
have made an abundance of educational material available to all those 
seeking greater knowledge of the Constitution. Notable among these are 
the Web sites of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, 
Justice Learning, the Center for Civic Education, the Constitutional 
Rights Center, the Constitution Project, and the Freedom Forum. They 
have all done fine work that deserves widespread attention.
  Our Constitution is what sets the United States--yes, our 
Constitution is what sets the United States, a star,

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above other nations. Our Constitution is what makes the United States 
such a shining beacon, such a shining star for the people of other 
nations, for those still struggling to establish democratically elected 
representative governments.
  Our Constitution empowers our leaders but also places limits on our 
leaders to prevent autocratic rule. ``If men were angels, no government 
would be necessary.'' James Madison wrote in the Federalist Papers, 
``If men were angels, no government would be necessary.'' ``If angels 
were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on 
government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be 
administered by men over men, the great difficulty is this: You must 
first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next 
place, oblige it to control itself.''
  The self-control mechanism in our Constitution and therefore in our 
governmental structure comes first from the competition between and 
among the three branches of Government, the famous ``checks and 
balances.'' Ultimately, the self-control mechanism in our Government 
comes from the powers and the responsibilities placed by the 
Constitution upon the people of the United States. In order to 
effectively play our safeguarding role as citizens, we each--each of 
us; you, Mr. President, me, each of us--has an obligation to be 
informed. The system of checks and balances between and among the three 
branches of Government and the ideals of freedom and of rights and 
liberties set forth and realized in our Constitution are our greatest 
contributions to the world--our greatest contributions to the world.
  My hope is that observances of Constitution Day--yesterday, today, 
this year, and in future years--will encourage all citizens, all 
citizens high and mighty and low, to learn more about our Constitution 
and Government. Certainly there is no better way for people to start 
than by clicking on the U.S. Senate's Web site. I hope many people 
listening today, many people watching today, will be inspired to use 
the Internet today--yes, today--to visit the Senate's Web site and see 
the marvelous collection of information about the most marvelous 
document, the Constitution of the United States.
  I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Enzi). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The 
Senator from North Dakota.
  Mr. CONRAD. I thank the Chair.

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