WASHINGTON, D.C. – This morning, Congressman Stephen F. Lynch, who represents the City of Quincy in the Massachusetts 8th Congressional District, testified before the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation in support of his bill, H.R. 3802, which would extend the legislative authority of the Adams Memorial Foundation to establish a commemorative work in honor of former President John Adams and his legacy. Congressman Lynch is the lead sponsor of the bill, which would reauthorize the Adams Memorial Foundation through December 2, 2020. This bill will allow the Adams Memorial Foundation and all stakeholders to continue working towards the goal of siting and building a commemorative memorial honoring President John Adams and his family and the role they played in shaping the nation.
Congressman Lynch stated, “I have the honor of representing the City of Quincy, nicknamed the ‘City of Presidents,’ in the House of Representatives. Massachusetts played a central role in the shaping of our nation and Quincy is currently home to one of the nation’s significant national parks, the Adams National Historical Park, which preserves and celebrates the birthplace of John Adams and the location where his family resided until 1927.”
“John Adams was a defender of due process, champion of independence, diplomat, Vice President, President, and Founding Father,” said Lynch. “He authored the Massachusetts Constitution, the oldest continuously functioning written constitution in the world, and the document after which the United States Constitution was modeled. He dedicated his entire life to developing and defending the ideals that have built and defined our nation and that we continue to hold dear today.”
Lynch continued, “Yet, there is no memorial in our nation’s capital dedicated to one of our most influential founding fathers. This is a tragic omission that needs to be rectified. This bill will provide the foundation the time it needs to find an appropriate, agreed upon location in our nation’s capital for the site of this worthy memorial. I remain committed to working with my colleagues in the Massachusetts Delegation to ensuring that this oversight is corrected.”
The bill was originally introduced in the House of Representatives in 2001 by former Congressman William Delahunt. The Adams Memorial Foundation includes in its leadership members of the Adams family and respected historians.
In addition to Congressman Lynch, all 8 Members of the Massachusetts House Delegation have signed onto the bill as original cosponsors. A companion bill in the United States Senate has been introduced by Senator Ed Markey and cosponsored by Senator Elizabeth Warren.