[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5492-5493]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  AUTHORIZING USE OF EMANCIPATION HALL FOR KING KAMEHAMEHA CELEBRATION

  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution (H. Con. Res. 243) authorizing the use of 
Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event to 
celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 243

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

     SECTION 1. USE OF EMANCIPATION HALL FOR EVENT TO CELEBRATE 
                   BIRTHDAY OF KING KAMEHAMEHA.

       (a) Authorization.--Emancipation Hall in the Capitol 
     Visitor Center is authorized to be

[[Page 5493]]

     used for an event on June 6, 2010, to celebrate the birthday 
     of King Kamehameha.
       (b) Preparations.--Physical preparations for the conduct of 
     the ceremony described in subsection (a) shall be carried out 
     in accordance with such conditions as may be prescribed by 
     the Architect of the Capitol.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and to include extraneous matter in the Record on H. Con. 
Res. 243.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution authorizes the use of Emancipation Hall 
in the Capitol Visitor Center for the birthday celebration of King 
Kamehameha, the first King of Hawaii. This annual celebration honors 
the first King of Hawaii who successfully unified the islands to 
establish for the first time a unified Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810.
  The first King Kamehameha Day was celebrated in Hawaii on June 11, 
1872. This State holiday is a celebration of the rich history and the 
culture of Hawaii.
  This resolution allows for a Sunday ceremony on June 6, 2010, so it 
will not disrupt the use of the CVC or tours of the Capitol.
  I urge Members to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I am also pleased to support this resolution authorizing the use of 
the Emancipation Hall to celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha of 
Hawaii. I think many of us have read all about this distinguished 
individual and the history, so it's altogether appropriate that the 
king, often known as Kamehameha the Great, is really, indeed, a 
legendary figure in Hawaiian culture and history and rightly so. He 
fought heroically for its unity and independence at the end of the 18th 
and beginning of the 19th centuries.
  His law or Rule of the Splintered Paddle protecting noncombatants 
during wartime has been heralded for its justness and established a 
human rights benchmark that would later be built upon in the Geneva 
Conventions.
  This June 11 will mark the 94th annual King Kamehameha Day in Hawaii. 
His illustrious statue is part of the National Statutory Hall 
Collection. I urge all Members to go down and see it. It now sits in 
the Capitol Visitor Center, so it's visible to all, millions of 
Americans, as they come here to visit the Capitol.
  I thank the sponsor of this resolution, Congresswoman Hirono, and I 
thank the chairman for bringing it to the floor. I urge my colleagues 
to join me in support of this great resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Hawaii and sponsor of this resolution, Ms. Hirono.
  Ms. HIRONO. Aloha. I rise today in support of House Concurrent 
Resolution 243, which would authorize the use of Emancipation Hall in 
the Capitol Visitor Center for the 41st annual Kamehameha Day Lei 
Draping Ceremony. Even as I speak, I am wearing a beautiful floral lei 
from Hawaii.
  I would like to thank Chairman Brady for his leadership and for 
allowing this bill to be brought forward in an expeditious manner; and 
I thank my friend, Congressman Stearns, for his remarks. I would also 
like to thank the sponsors of this bill, my fellow Pacific island 
delegation members, former Congressman Abercrombie, Congressman 
Faleomavaega, Congresswoman Bordallo, and Congressman Sablan, for their 
support.
  Since 1969, the Hawaii congressional delegation and the Hawaii State 
Society of Washington, DC., have hosted the Kamehameha Day Lei Draping 
Ceremony. The ceremony has been held on or about June 11 to coincide 
with the celebration of Kamehameha Day, a State holiday in Hawaii. This 
year, the event will be held in DC on Sunday, June 6. The location of 
the Kamehameha statue in emancipation hall requires that a concurrent 
resolution be passed to authorize the use of the space for their 
ceremony.
  King Kamehameha is a legendary figure to the people of Hawaii and the 
Pacific. He was a king of great physical and mental prowess who united 
the Hawaiian islands and prepared Hawaii for the challenges of a new 
era. Kamehameha was a fierce warrior, a resourceful strategist, a 
visionary, ambitious leader, and, above all, an unrelenting protector 
of his people.
  For much of its history, the Hawaiian islands were controlled by 
competing chiefs. They waged frequent battles over land and resources 
and witnessed many civilian casualties. By bringing the islands 
together, Kamehameha ushered in a period of peace and prosperity. He 
has established laws, organized the government, sponsored agriculture, 
encouraged trade, and built houses.
  His most renowned edict, the Law of the Splintered Paddle, ensured 
the protection of civilians during war. This law illustrates 
Kamehameha's compassion and an acute sense of responsibility for all of 
his people, especially those most vulnerable.
  Kamehameha's steadfast leadership came at a pivotal point in Hawaii's 
history, a time when the islands made first contact with foreigners. At 
the dawn of a new era, filled with unforeseen challenges, Kamehameha's 
vision and wisdom helped Hawaii manage the formidable task of 
interacting with and finding its place within the wider world. 
Kamehameha ruled until 1819.
  I would like to close by thanking the staff of the Committee on House 
Administration, the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, the Office 
of the Sergeant at Arms, who have been real partners in making this 
annual event possible for these many decades.
  Mahalo nui loa--thank you very much.
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I think many of my colleagues have been to Hawaii, probably a lot of 
Americans have. If you go into a gift shop and you get a tourist book, 
and you look through and you look at some of the sites there, and then 
you see the unique history of Hawaii.
  Kamehameha, the legendary king, is written in detail in these books 
and you start to realize the difficult decisions he had to make for the 
island when it transitioned. And I think it's part of the history of 
this country to celebrate his leadership and also to understand all 
about him and what he had to deal with. So I am delighted at this time 
to allow this commemoration of this legendary man and his historic role 
in Hawaii to be honored on this date, and I support this resolution and 
urge all of my colleagues to support it also.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, again, I urge all Members to 
support this important part of the history of Hawaii.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 243.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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