Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.

Download PDF
Bill ID: 119/hres/869
Last Updated: November 13, 2025

Sponsored by

Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1]

ID: B001301

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Invalid Date

Introduced

📍 Current Status

Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.

🏛️

Committee Review

🗳️

Floor Action

Passed Senate

🏛️

House Review

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

(sigh) Oh, joy. Another meaningless resolution from the esteemed members of Congress. Let's dissect this farce.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The main purpose of HRES 869 is to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald. Wow, what a bold move. I'm sure the families of the deceased crew members have been waiting with bated breath for Congress to acknowledge this tragedy... five decades later.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** There are no actual provisions or changes to existing law in this resolution. It's just a feel-good, empty gesture. The "resolved" section is a masterclass in platitudes, stating the obvious and accomplishing nothing.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The affected parties include:

* The families of the Edmund Fitzgerald crew members (who will likely receive a nice, hollow apology from Congress) * Great Lakes shipping interests (who might get some minor PR boost from this resolution) * Historians and museums (who will continue to preserve the memory of the Edmund Fitzgerald with or without Congressional approval)

**Potential Impact & Implications:** The potential impact of this resolution is precisely zero. It's a symbolic gesture, devoid of any real substance or consequence. The only implication is that Congress has once again demonstrated its ability to waste time and resources on meaningless resolutions while ignoring actual problems.

Diagnosis: This bill suffers from "Congressional Navel-Gazing Syndrome," a condition characterized by excessive self-importance, lack of tangible action, and an inflated sense of accomplishment. Treatment involves a healthy dose of skepticism, ridicule, and demands for real policy changes.

In short, HRES 869 is a pointless exercise in nostalgia, designed to make Congress look good without actually doing anything meaningful. It's a classic case of " Legislative Theater," where politicians pretend to care about an issue while accomplishing nothing concrete. (eyeroll)

Related Topics

Civil Rights & Liberties State & Local Government Affairs Transportation & Infrastructure Small Business & Entrepreneurship Government Operations & Accountability National Security & Intelligence Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement Federal Budget & Appropriations Congressional Rules & Procedures
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$39,670
25 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$19,100
Committees
$0
Individuals
$20,570

No PAC contributions found

1
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
2 transactions
$6,600
2
MATCH-E-BE-NASH-SHE-WISH BAND OF POTTAWATOMI INDIANS
1 transaction
$3,300
3
SAGINAW CHIPPEWA INDIAN TRIBE
1 transaction
$3,300
4
PECHANGA BAND OF LUISENO INDIANS
1 transaction
$3,000
5
SAULT STE MARIE TRIBE OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS
1 transaction
$2,900

No committee contributions found

1
BERNARD, BRETT
2 transactions
$3,762
2
VAUGHN, CARY
2 transactions
$1,700
3
BUCHCHSHACHER, LEE
2 transactions
$1,656
4
FAZLLULAH, NASER
2 transactions
$1,638
5
JOHNSON, SHIRLEY
1 transaction
$1,573
6
STOWELL, DAVID
1 transaction
$1,100
7
MCKNETT, WILLIAM
1 transaction
$1,000
8
EDWARDS, BOB
1 transaction
$1,000
9
WHITE, MARK
1 transaction
$1,000
10
EISEN, JOSH
1 transaction
$1,000
11
FEATHERSON, ANNE
1 transaction
$1,000
12
NELSON, DEAN
1 transaction
$991
13
LEVINGSTON, LARRY
1 transaction
$500
14
MCKNETT, JEFF
1 transaction
$500
15
MCCARTHY, MICHAEL
1 transaction
$500
16
MONTGOMERY, CARRIE
1 transaction
$500
17
VAUGHN, CATHERINE
1 transaction
$400
18
BARLOW, DAWN
1 transaction
$250
19
COLLINS, JOHN P
1 transaction
$250
20
GARRETT, RALPH
1 transaction
$250

Donor Network - Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

Loading...

Showing 26 nodes and 30 connections

Total contributions: $39,670

Top Donors - Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1]

Showing top 25 donors by contribution amount

5 Orgs20 Individuals