Establishing the Adams Memorial Commission

Floor Speech

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Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, let me first thank the gentleman from California for his kind words on behalf of my legislation and on behalf of John Adams in particular.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Guam, Ms. Bordallo, for yielding this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express strong support for my bill, H.R. 1220, the Adams Memorial Commission Act. This bipartisan legislation establishes the Adams Memorial Commission, which, as the chairman recognized, will consider, formulate, report plans for a memorial here in Washington, D.C., honoring John Adams and his profound and lasting legacy in the history of the United States.

The bipartisan Adams Memorial Commission will be composed of four Presidential appointees, four members of the Senate and four members of the House of Representatives. The commission will be required to report its recommendations for the nature, location, design, and construction of a fitting memorial to the President and the Congress and will then provide annual reports on the memorial's progress.

Mr. Speaker, it is important to keep in mind the lasting legacy of John Adams' family and their service to our Nation and his prominent role in our Nation's history. John Adams was one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States.

Born in 1735 in Braintree, Massachusetts, a section of which is now known as Quincy, John Adams was educated at Harvard and spent his early career as a lawyer. Later on as a leader of the American Revolution, John Adams served as a delegate to both the First and Second Continental Congresses, and was regarded as the leading voice championing independence from Great Britain.

Adams' prominent role in our Nation's formation of laws is still recognized to this day. In fact, one great benefit I had as a Massachusetts legislator coming here to Washington, D.C., is John Adams drafted the rules of the House in Massachusetts, which we adopted here in our Nation's Capitol in this Congress, which still stand today.

Adams not only helped draft the Declaration of Independence, but also authored the constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which is the oldest written constitution still in place today.

After serving as U.S. representative to France and the Netherlands during the Revolutionary War, Adams became the first vice president under President George Washington. In 1796, Adams was elected the second President of the United States and in 1800 became the first occupant of the White House.

John Adams' legacy was instilled through his entire family. John's wife, Abigail, is known as an advocate for women's rights, and his son, John Quincy Adams, later served as our Nation's sixth President, and his family legacy goes on.

While commemorative works have been established for former Presidents, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln here in Washington, D.C., John Adams and his legacy are notably not represented in our Nation's capital, and that is a gap that we seek to cure.

Mr. Speaker, this memorial is long overdue. President Adams was a remarkable leader and a steadfast public servant. It is a glaring oversight that there is no memorial in our Nation's capital honoring John Adams and his family for their role in shaping our Nation.

H.R. 1220 would complement the important work that the Adams Memorial Foundation has accomplished over the years.

So as Members of Congress, I ask that we should pass this bipartisan bill and begin the process of establishing the commemorative memorial that President Adams and his family rightly deserve, that they rightly, by their courage and service, have earned.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the bipartisan cosponsors of this bill, I thank you, Mr. Speaker, for your courtesy, and the kind words by the chairman from California and Ms. Bordallo, and I thank the bipartisan sponsors of this bill, and urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand in favor of and pass H.R. 1220.

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