HCONRES-13-119
Referred to the House Committee on Rules.
Sponsored by Don Bacon (R-NE)
What it does
This concurrent resolution would establish a rule requiring that George Washington's "Farewell Address" be read aloud on the first day of the first regular session of each new Congress—once in the Senate by a Senator chosen by the majority leader, and once in the House by a Representative chosen by the Speaker. It is adopted as an internal rule of each chamber and can be changed at any time by that chamber.
Who benefits
Members of Congress and observers who value the ceremonial tradition; historians and civic education advocates who see value in reaffirming founding-era political norms. No group gains a material or financial benefit.
Who is hurt
No group is meaningfully harmed. The designated reader spends a small amount of floor time on the reading, and critics may view it as a minor use of legislative time, but no rights, funding, or policy outcomes are affected.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue the reading reinforces civic tradition and reminds lawmakers of Washington's warnings about factionalism and foreign entanglement, similar to the Senate's long-standing practice of reading the address annually. They contend it costs nothing, takes little time, and strengthens institutional memory and shared civic identity at the start of each Congress.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that formally mandating this reading as a standing rule is an unnecessary use of chamber rulemaking authority for a purely symbolic gesture that could be done informally without a resolution. They contend that codifying ceremonial practices, however brief, still consumes floor time and institutional attention that could go toward substantive legislative business.
Constitutional context
This resolution rests on the Rules of Proceedings Clause (Art. I, §5, cl. 2), which lets each chamber govern its own internal procedures; under United States v. Ballin (1892), courts treat such procedural rules as matters for each chamber to adopt and change without judicial second-guessing.
Checks and balances
Congress alone exercises authority here through each chamber's internal rulemaking power; the resolution explicitly preserves each chamber's right to alter or repeal the rule at any time, and no other branch is involved.
Historical precedent
The Senate has had an informal tradition of reading Washington's Farewell Address on or near his birthday since 1862, though this bill would formalize a similar practice as a standing rule for both chambers at the start of each Congress.