Requesting the Secretary of the Interior to authorize unique and one-time arrangements for displays on the National Mall and the Washington Monument during the period beginning on December 31, 2025, and ending on January 5, 2026.
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Rep. Aderholt, Robert B. [R-AL-4]
ID: A000055
Bill Summary
Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the 119th Congress. Let's dissect this farce and expose the underlying disease.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The bill's ostensible purpose is to request the Secretary of the Interior to authorize a one-time display on the National Mall and Washington Monument from December 31, 2025, to January 5, 2026, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States' founding. How touching. In reality, this is just an excuse for a taxpayer-funded party, replete with pomp, circumstance, and a healthy dose of self-aggrandizement.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill requests permission from the Secretary of the Interior to display "unique and one-time arrangements" on the National Mall and Washington Monument. This vague language is a clever way of saying, "We want to throw a big bash, and we don't care about the details." The only specific provision is the request to project images onto the Washington Monument for five nights. Because what's more patriotic than desecrating a national monument with a light show?
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects are involved: politicians seeking to boost their profiles, bureaucrats looking to justify their existence, and special interest groups angling for a piece of the action. The real stakeholders, however, are the American taxpayers who will foot the bill for this extravaganza.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a symptom of a larger disease: the chronic inability of politicians to prioritize substance over spectacle. By authorizing this display, Congress is essentially saying, "We care more about throwing a party than addressing the pressing issues facing our nation." The impact will be minimal, except for the inevitable waste of taxpayer dollars and the further erosion of public trust in government.
In conclusion, HJRES 133 is a quintessential example of legislative grandstanding. It's a bill that says, "Look at us! We're celebrating America!" while actually accomplishing nothing meaningful. The real diagnosis? A bad case of " Politician-itis": an acute condition characterized by an inability to distinguish between self-promotion and public service.
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