,,iii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #eej  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september
 #af1 #bjad ,mr4 ,cardin 7for himself1  
,mr4 ,wicker1 and ,ms4 ,mikulski7       
submitted the following resolution2     
which was considered and agreed to      
,,resolution  ,commemorating the #bjjth 
anniversary of ,the ,star-,spangled     
,banner4  ,whereas during the ,war of   
#ahab1 ,great ,britain turned its full  
attention to the war effort in ,north   
,america following its defeat of        
,napoleon's armies on the ,european     
continent in ,april #ahad2 ,whereas     
,british forces dealt a devastating blow
 to the forces of the ,united ,states at
 the ,battle of ,bladensburg and were1  
as a consequence1 able to march into    
,washington1 ,d4,c4 unopposed and1 on   
,august #bd1 #ahad1 burn the ,united    
,states ,capitol ,building1 the         
,executive ,mansion1 now known as the   
,white ,house1 and other government     
buildings2 ,whereas on ,september #ac1  

#ahad1 with the fate of the ,nation     
uncertain1 ,fort ,mc,henry in           
,baltimore1 ,maryland1 withstood #be    
hours of bombardment by the ,british    
,royal ,navy2 ,whereas on the following 
morning1 the soldiers of ,fort ,mc,henry
 hoisted an enormous ,american flag1 the
 sight of which inspired ,francis ,scott
 ,key to write a poem he titled ,the    
,star-,spangled ,banner2 ,whereas on    
,december #bd1 #ahad1 ,american and     
,british commissioners signed the       
,treaty of ,ghent1 which would be       
ratified the following ,february1       
bringing the ,war of #ahab to an end and
 firmly establishing the ,united ,states
 of ,america as a sovereign nation      
within the family of nations2 ,whereas  
on ,march #c1 #aica1 ,president ,herbert
 ,hoover signed ,public ,law #ga-hbc1   
designating ,the ,star-,spangled ,banner
 as the national anthem of the ,united  
,states2 ,whereas ,the ,star-,spangled  
,banner was written to celebrate        
,american courage at a time when the    

torch of liberty looked as if it were   
about to be extinguished2 ,whereas      
singing the national anthem at large    
public gatherings1 such as sporting     
events1 brings patriotic unity to the   
great melting pot known as the ,united  
,states of ,america2 ,whereas our       
national anthem has become an enduring  
symbol of the land of the free and the  
home of the brave2 ,whereas the people  
of the ,united ,states are celebrating  
the bicentennial of ,the ,star-,spangled
 ,banner with a variety of commemorative
 events nationwide during the week of   
,september #aj through #af1 #bjad1      
including the ,o ,say ,can ,you ,see6   
,star-,spangled ,spectacular festival in
 ,baltimore on ,september #ac1 #bjad1   
which included concerts and an          
extraordinary fireworks display over    
,fort ,mc,henry and the ,baltimore      
harbor2 and ,whereas it is especially   
important to educate young people and   
new citizens of the ,united ,states     
about the history and meaning of the    

national anthem3 ,now1 therefore1 be it 
,that-- 7#a7 the ,senate designates the 
period from ,september #bjad through    
,september #bjae as the ,year of        
,national ,thanksgiving for ,the        
,star-,spangled ,banner2  7#b7 the      
,senate encourages all ,state and local 
governments and the people of the       
,united ,states to observe this period  
of thanksgiving with appropriate        
ceremonies1 activities1 educational     
outreach1 and reflection2 and  7#c7 it  
is the sense of the ,senate that ,the   
,star-,spangled ,banner shall retain all
 current verses and remain our national 
anthem in perpetuity4