[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 30, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H7372-H7375]
From the Congressional Record Online through the 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.
(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
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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.
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
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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 asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
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.''
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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