During a House Natural Resources Committee hearing before the Congressional recess, Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI) spoke about John Adams, the second president of the United States.
00:00I'd now like to recognize the gentleman from Michigan for five minutes, Mr. Molinar.
00:07Thank you, Chairman Tiffany.
00:09And I also want to thank you and Vice Chairman Kennedy, Ranking Member Negus, the members of the committee for holding this hearing today.
00:18I appreciate this Natural Resources Committee and the colleagues who serve on this subcommittee on federal lands for considering this legislation, H.R. 2306, the Adams Memorial Great American Heroes Act.
00:33And like each of you, I have an interest in ensuring that our American story and the leaders who most profoundly shaped it are appropriately represented in the monuments, memorials, and other features our constituents experience here in our nation's capital.
00:50The National Mall is home to a monument to Washington and memorials to Jefferson and Lincoln.
00:57However, there's no recognition for our second president, John Adams, and the key role he and his family had in the founding of our nation.
01:07Adams first nominated George Washington to command the Continental Army.
01:12He helped draft the Declaration of Independence, was appointed as the commissioner to France, served as our nation's first vice president, and, of course, our second president was the first occupant of the White House.
01:26He was the voice of the American Revolution, and as president, he oversaw the establishment of Washington, D.C. as the new seat of our federal government, addressed the Congress the first time the body met in the new Capitol.
01:42His family sacrificed alongside him in service to our nation, namely his wife, Abigail, and his son, Charles.
01:49There was also his other son, our sixth president, John Quincy Adams, and his wife, Louisa Catherine Adams.
01:57And the entire Adams family dedicated their lives to our country from the revolution through the Civil War.
02:03And the family was instrumental in the early success of our nation and embodied Americans' core values.
02:11I believe it's only right to recognize this incredible family's service to our nation and provide a monument to the lasting impact the Adams family has on the United States.
02:21This bill fulfills the intent of Congress to do so by extending the life of the Adams Memorial Commission, which has worked tirelessly over the years to bring this vision to life,
02:32and provides reasonable federal support for the effort, which will continue to rely on private philanthropy and partnerships along the lines of previous federal memorials.
02:43The bill also provides for the consideration of a small area within the reserve as a suitable site for the memorial in South President's Park near the White House,
02:54whose first resident, as I mentioned earlier, was none other than John Adams.
02:58As we prepare to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation,
03:04I can think of no better way to celebrate the ethos of our country than by paying tribute to a family that has sacrificed so much
03:12to shape and guide it through its infancy.
03:15Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, for your consideration of this legislation, the Adams Memorial Great American Heroes Act.
03:23And I would ask the committee to vote in its favor.
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