[116th Congress Public Law 28]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[[Page 133 STAT. 1029]]
Public Law 116-28
116th Congress
Joint Resolution
Requesting the Secretary of the Interior to authorize unique and one-
time arrangements for displays on the National Mall and the Washington
Monument during the period beginning on July 16, 2019 and ending on July
20, 2019. <<NOTE: July 5, 2019 - [H.J. Res. 60]>>
Whereas Congress enacted the Act of August 12, 1946 (60 Stat. 997; ch.
955, 1), to establish a National Air Museum, later known as the
Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum (NASM), to commemorate
and memorialize the American story of human flight in the atmosphere
and in outer space;
Whereas Congress enacted the Act of July 29, 1958 (commonly known as the
National Aeronautics and Space Act) (72 Stat. 426-438; 42 U.S.C.
2451 et seq.), to declare a policy of peaceful space activities
designed for the benefit of humankind and to establish the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA);
Whereas in July of 1960, NASA announced the creation of the Apollo
Program, the Nation's first orchestrated initiative to ferry
humankind out of Earth's orbit and to the Moon;
Whereas on July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 Mission succeeded in landing the
spacecraft Eagle on the surface of the Moon, piloted by two American
astronauts, the first humans to ever make landfall on another
celestial body;
Whereas on July 20 and 21, 1969, those brave Americans became the first
humans to set foot on the surface of the Moon, forever changing
Earth's relationship with the heavens;
Whereas this momentous event was watched in wonder by hundreds of
millions of people back on Earth, including the hundreds of
thousands of NASA civilian and military staff and partners who made
the Apollo Program possible;
Whereas the Apollo Program continued through December of 1972 and
spurred the greatest development of human scientific and
technological understanding of any decade to that point, leading to
advances in rocketry, spaceflight, avionics, telecommunications, and
computers, on which the American public still relies today;
Whereas the National Air and Space Museum opened on the American
Bicentennial in July 1976 as a birthday gift to the country in
celebration of the Nation's highest achievements, under the
leadership and vision of Museum Director, NASA astronaut, and Apollo
11 Command Module Pilot Michael Collins;
Whereas NASA continues to pursue space exploration on behalf of the
American people to increase humankind's understanding of the
heavens; and
[[Page 133 STAT. 1030]]
Whereas the National Air and Space Museum continues to memorialize the
history of American discovery and invention, and seeks to educate
and inspire new generations of innovators and explorers to ensure
that our future achievements in space are fully empowered by the
achievements of the past: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress--
(1) <<NOTE: Time period.>> requests the Secretary of the
Interior to authorize unique and one-time arrangements for the
display of NASA and Smithsonian artifacts, digital content, film
footage, and associated historic audio and imagery, in and
around the vicinity of the National Mall, including projected
onto the surface of the Washington Monument for five nights of
public display during the period beginning on July 16, 2019 and
ending on July 20, 2019; and
(2) respectfully requests that the Clerk of the House of
Representatives transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to
the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and Director of the
National Air and Space Museum.
Approved July 5, 2019.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.J. Res. 60:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 165 (2019):
June 10, considered and passed House.
June 18, considered and passed Senate.
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