So Who IS the White House Commission on Remembrance?
by Hart Williams
Good question. In the June 1 post [“WH Commission on Remembrance Forgets Civil War on Memorial Day“], you will recall, the ‘White House Commission on Remembrance’ carried out its mission of the national “Moment of Remembrance” by putting a link to its Facebook page, which managed to forget the Civil War (and the Mexican War of 1846) but remembered the Boxer Rebellion — in which the US only played a minor role.
Missing in Action: Civil War, Mexican War
So who are they?
Well, according to the Library of Congress’ Thomas search engine, they were authorized under public law 106-579. (The “106” prefix comes from the 106th Congress, which passed it.) Some of the other laws passed around the same time include:
551. H.R.3514 : Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance, and Protection Act Sponsor: Rep Greenwood, James C. [PA-8] (introduced 11/22/1999) Cosponsors (143) Committees: House Commerce Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 106-551 [GPO: Text, PDF]557. H.R.5461 : Shark Finning Prohibition Act Sponsor: Rep Cunningham, Randy (Duke)* [CA-51] (introduced 10/12/2000) Cosponsors (None) Committees: House Resources Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 106-557 [GPO: Text, PDF]
* Yeah. THAT Randy “Duke” Cunningham. Professional courtesy, evidently.
Here’s the citation:
579. S.3181 : National Moment of Remembrance Act Sponsor: Sen Hagel, Chuck [NE] (introduced 10/10/2000) Cosponsors (21) Committees: Senate Judiciary Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 106-579 [GPO: Text, PDF]
Sponsored by Chuck Hegel of Nebraska (R) cosponsors included Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts (for those to whom it’s a faint and distant memory, this is what bipartisanship USED to look like):
Sen Abraham, Spencer [MI] – 10/25/2000
Sen Ashcroft, John [MO] – 10/23/2000
Sen Bingaman, Jeff [NM] – 10/25/2000
Sen Cleland, Max [GA] – 10/23/2000
Sen Collins, Susan M. [ME] – 10/26/2000
Sen Conrad, Kent [ND] – 10/12/2000
Sen DeWine, Mike [OH] – 10/24/2000
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] – 10/19/2000
Sen Enzi, Michael B. [WY] – 10/26/2000
Sen Grams, Rod [MN] – 10/25/2000
Sen Inhofe, James M. [OK] – 10/26/2000
Sen Jeffords, James M. [VT] – 10/25/2000
Sen Kennedy, Edward M. [MA] – 10/23/2000
Sen Kerrey, J. Robert [NE] – 10/19/2000
Sen Landrieu, Mary L. [LA] – 10/19/2000
Sen Levin, Carl [MI] – 10/23/2000
Sen McCain, John [AZ] – 10/18/2000
Sen Moynihan, Daniel Patrick [NY] – 10/18/2000
Sen Robb, Charles S. [VA] – 10/19/2000
Sen Specter, Arlen [PA] – 10/25/2000
Sen Warner, John [VA] – 10/18/2000
The legislative history is sketchy: introduced in Congress on October 10, 1999, it was signed into law on May 2, 2000, by President Bill Clinton. The official Press Release reads in part:
Office of the Press Secretary _______________________________________________
For Immediate Release May 2, 2000
Memorandum on the White House Program for the National Moment of Remembrance
Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies
Subject: White House Program for the National Moment of Remembrance
As Memorial Day approaches, it is time to pause and consider the true meaning of this holiday. Memorial Day represents one day of national awareness and reverence, honoring those Americans who died while defending our Nation and its values. While we should honor these heroes every day for the profound contribution they have made to securing our Nation’s freedom, we should honor them especially on Memorial Day.
In this time of unprecedented success and prosperity throughout our land, I ask that all Americans come together to recognize how fortunate we are to live in freedom and to observe a universal “National Moment of Remembrance” on each Memorial Day. This memorial observance represents a simple and unifying way to commemorate our history and honor the struggle to protect our freedoms. […]
Well, we’re no longer in a “time of unprecedented success and prosperity throughout our land,” (Gee. Wonder who might have been responsible for THAT?) but the White House Commission on Remembrance continues to carry out its mandate for a “National Moment of Remembrance.”
OK. According to Chuck Hegel’s Memorial Day Law, here’s who’s on it:
NATIONAL MOMENT OF REMEMBRANCE ACT
[[Page 114 STAT. 3078]] Public Law 106-579 106th Congress An Act
To establish the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance, and for other purposes.
[…]
SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF WHITE HOUSE COMMISSION ON THE NATIONAL MOMENT OF REMEMBRANCE.
(a) Establishment.–There is established a commission to be known as the “White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance”. (b) Membership.–
(1) Composition.–The Commission shall be composed of the following:
(A) 4 members appointed by the President, including at least 1 representative of tribal governments.
(B) The Secretary of Defense (or a designee).
(C) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (or a designee).
(D) The Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution (or a designee).
(E) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management (or a designee).
(F) The Administrator of General Services (or a designee).
(G) The Secretary of Transportation (or a designee).
(H) The Secretary of Education (or a designee).
(I) The Secretary of the Interior (or a designee).
(J) The Executive Director of the President’s Commission on White House Fellows (or a designee).
(K) The Secretary of the Army (or a designee).
(L) The Secretary of the Navy (or a designee).
(M) The Secretary of the Air Force (or a designee).
(N) The Commandant of the Marine Corps (or a designee).
(O) The Commandant of the Coast Guard (or a designee).
(P) The Executive Director and White House Liaison (or a designee).
(Q) The Chief of Staff of the Army.
(R) The Chief of Naval Operations.
(S) The Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
(T) Any other member, the appointment of whom the Commission determines is necessary to carry out this Act.
(2) Nonvoting members.–The members appointed to the Commission under subparagraphs (K) through (T) of paragraph (1) shall be nonvoting members.
[…] [emphasis added]
Gee. Wikipedia fills out the picture:
The National Moment of Remembrance, established by Congress, asks Americans, wherever they are at 3 p.m., local time, on Memorial Day, to pause in an act of national unity for a duration of one minute. The time 3 p.m. was chosen because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday. The Moment does not replace traditional Memorial Day events; rather, it is an act of national unity in which all Americans, alone or with family and friends, honor those who died in service to the United States.
Background
The idea for the Moment was born when children touring the Nation’s Capital were asked by the Commission’s Director what Memorial Day means. They responded, “That’s the day the pool opens.”[citation needed]* A Gallup Poll revealed that only 28% of Americans knew the true meaning of Memorial Day.[citation needed]* The White House Commission on Remembrance was established by Congress (PL 106-579) to promote the values of Memorial Day by acts of remembrance throughout the year.
[* Note: The observant reader will recognize that this paragraph is grabbed, verbatim, from the Commission’s own website. Wikipedia has its limitations, but can be trusted on a lot of non-controversial topics:
The idea for the Moment was born when children touring the Nation’s Capital were asked by the Commission’s Director what Memorial Day means. They responded, “That’s the day the pool opens.” A Gallup Poll revealed that only 28% of Americans know the meaning of this noble holiday.The White House Commission on Remembrance was established by Congress (PL 106-579) to promote the values of Memorial Day by acts of remembrance throughout the year. The major initiative of the Commission is the National Moment of Remembrance. (omitted).]
Wikipedia continues:
Participants
As laid out in Public Law 106-579, the National Moment of Remembrance is to be practiced by all Americans throughout the nation at 3pm eastern standard time. At the same time, a number of organizations throughout the country also observe the Moment: all Major League Baseball games halt, Amtrak train whistles sound across the country, and hundreds of other nationwide participants remind Americans to pause for the Memorial Day National Moment of Remembrance. Other participants include:
- NASCAR
- Greyhound
- Empire State Building
- National Grocers Association
- Statue of Liberty
- Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
- National Constitution Center
- NASA
- United Spinal Association
- Delaware Park
- Liberty Bell
- National Association for Music Education
- Bugles Across America
- Getzen Instrument Company
Each year at 3:00 p.m. on Memorial Day, Americans unite in a National Moment of Remembrance which honors America’s fallen and their families. During this Moment, 200 Amtrak trains blast their whistles, approximately 500,000 Major League Baseball fans are joined in silence, and countless other participants make a vow to remember.
And that’s what little mistakes are made of.
Next: a detailed explanation of the “Shark Finning Prohibition Act” and, of course, the “Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance, and Protection Act.”
Courage.
A writer, published author, novelist, literary critic and political observer for a quarter of a quarter-century more than a quarter-century, Hart Williams has lived in the American West for his entire life. Having grown up in Wyoming, Kansas and New Mexico, a survivor of Texas and a veteran of Hollywood, Mr. Williams currently lives in Oregon, along with an astonishing amount of pollen. He has a lively blog His Vorpal Sword. This is cross posted from his blog.