Leahy, Jeffords, Clinton, Schumer Call On Senate
Colleagues To Hold Hearing
On Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Commemoration Commission Act Of 2006
Bill Will Commemorate Hudson River And Lake Champlain
Milestones
Washington, DC – Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT),
Jim Jeffords (I-VT), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), and Charles
Schumer (D-NY) are calling on their colleagues on the Senate
Subcommittee on National Parks to hold a hearing on the
Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Commemoration Commission
Act of 2006. With only three years to go until the commemorations
of the famous voyages, the Senators are anxious to have the
legislation passed so that coordinated plans can get under way.
Senator Clinton introduced the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain
Quadricentennial Commemoration Commission Act of 2006 earlier this
year to establish the Champlain Quadricentennial Commemoration
Commission and the Hudson-Fulton Commemoration Commission.
2009 will mark the 400th anniversary of the
voyage of Henry Hudson, the first European to sail up the Hudson
River; the 400th anniversary of the voyage of Samuel de Champlain,
the first European to discover and explore Lake Champlain; and the
200th anniversary of the voyage of Robert Fulton, the first person
to use steam navigation on a commercial basis. The Commemoration
Commissions will be established to coordinate educational, cultural
and historical projects while cooperating and assisting the programs
and activities conceived by New York and Vermont. The Commissions
will also be responsible for facilitating nation-wide and
international celebration efforts. It is also hoped that the
Commissions will support and facilitate marketing efforts for a
commemorative coin, commemorative stamp and other related
activities.
“With the 400th anniversary of the
arrival of Samuel De Champlain in 2009, Vermonters, New Yorkers and
our many visitors will take the opportunity to celebrate a rich
heritage,” said Leahy. “I urge the Committee to consider this
legislation to assist the residents and communities in the Lake
Champlain region commemorate one of America’s cultural, historic and
environmental treasures.”
“This is a great opportunity for Vermont and
New York to work together to celebrate our shared history, from a
time when the great waterways of the region were the superhighways
of their day,” said Senator Jim Jeffords, ranking member of the
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
“These anniversaries give us a unique
opportunity to celebrate our history and to draw tourists into New
York and Vermont. It might seem like a long time, but we only have
three years to really get everything organized on a federal level so
that we can take maximum advantage of commemoration events and
celebrations. I hope our Senate colleagues recognize the importance
of these opportunities to our states and move forward on this bill,”
Senator Clinton said.
“These
voyages opened up and transformed the North American continent, and
the lives of Europeans and Native Americans would never be the same
again,”
Senator
Schumer said. “Thanks to Hudson and Champlain, Europeans became able
for the first time to penetrate the heart of the continent and begin
creating the civilization that we know here today. Fulton two
hundreds years later revolutionized our world once again by making
travel and commerce easier and faster by means of steam power.
We've got to pass this legislation now so preparations for these
important celebrations less than three years from now can start
moving forward.”
[A copy of the Senators’ letter is below]
August 3, 2006
The Honorable Craig
Thomas The Honorable Daniel K.
Akaka
Chairman
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on National Parks
Subcommittee on National Parks
Senate Committee on Energy
Senate Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources
and Natural Resources
364 Dirksen Senate Office Building
312 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairman Thomas and Ranking Member Akaka:
We write to respectfully request a hearing to
discuss S. 3618, the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial
Commemoration Act of 2006, a bill that we have introduced. This
bill is a priority of ours, and we would very much appreciate your
assistance in moving it through the Subcommittee on National Parks.
The Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial
Commemoration Act of 2006 would establish the Champlain
Quadricentennial Commemoration Commission and the Hudson-Fulton
400th Commemoration Commission. As you know, 2009 will mark the
400th anniversary of the voyage of Henry Hudson, the first European
to sail up the Hudson River; the 400th anniversary of the voyage of
Samuel de Champlain, the first European to discover and explore Lake
Champlain; and the 200th anniversary of the voyage of Robert Fulton,
the first person to use steam navigation on a commercial basis.
The Hudson and Fulton explorations led to the
establishment of trading posts, military posts, and settlements as
far south as Lake George. From these early establishments came
trade, commerce, cultural, and religious impact deep into the Mohawk
Valley and as far west as Lake Erie. These settlements influenced
our Nation’s history, culture, law, commerce, and traditions of
liberty that extend to the present day. Almost 200 years later, in
1807, Robert Fulton navigated the Hudson River from the City of New
York to Albany in the steamboat Clermont, successfully inaugurating
steam navigation on a commercial basis. This event helped
revolutionize waterborne commerce on the great rivers of the United
States and fostered international relations through transoceanic
travel and trade.
These Commemoration Commissions will be
established to coordinate educational, cultural and historical
projects while cooperating and assisting the programs and activities
conceived by New York and Vermont. The Commission will additionally
be responsible for facilitating nation-wide and international
celebration efforts. It is hoped that the Commission will also
support and facilitate marketing efforts for a commemorative coin,
commemorative stamp and other related activities.
We thank you for
your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
# # #
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