,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #edfc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #bc1
 #bjbf,mr4 ,wicker 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,kaine1 and ,mr4 ,mc,cormick7 introduced
 the following bill2 which was read     
twice and referred to the ,committee on 
the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend    
title #cf1 ,united ,states ,code1 to    
request the ,president to designate a   
month each year as ,national ,american  
,history and ,founders ,month4  #a4     
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,national ,american ,history and    
,founders ,month ,act4  #b4 ,findings   
,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,as 
the ,united ,states celebrates the      
#bejth anniversary of the signing of the
 ,declaration of ,independence in #bjbf1
 the ,united ,states is a ,nation       
characterized by cultural and geographic
 diversity and uniquely bound by a      
common heritage and history that began  
on ,july #d1 #aggf1 with the profound   
words of the ,declaration of            

,independence4  7#b7 ,the preservation  
and understanding of the history of the 
,united ,states and the principles of   
the ,founding ,fathers are intrinsic    
values that unite the people of the     
,united ,states and provide a foundation
 for understanding the origins and      
ideals of the ,united ,states by        
providing a common bond4  7#c7          
,presidents ,george ,washington and     
,thomas ,jefferson stressed the crucial 
role of an informed citizenry in a free 
society4 ,they believed that an educated
 and knowledgeable citizenry was        
essential for the survival of a         
democratic republic and for the         
preservation of liberty4  7#d7 ,civics  
education in the ,united ,states has    
experienced a significant decline1 with 
only #ac percent of eighth graders      
proficient in ,united ,states history   
and #bb percent of eighth graders       
proficient in civics1 according to the  
#bjbb ,national ,assessment of          
,educational ,progress4  7#e7 ,a decline

 in civics education impairs the ability
 of young people of the ,united ,states 
to engage meaningfully with public      
officials and appreciate the            
philosophical foundations of the        
,american ,revolutionary period1 the    
,declaration of ,independence1 the      
,constitution of the ,united ,states1   
and the ,bill of ,rights4  7#f7 ,civics 
education for students can raise        
awareness of the significant events1    
influential figures1 and philosophical  
bases that shaped the ,united ,states1  
inspiring a renewed appreciation for its
 rich history4  7#g7 ,educational and   
service organizations in law1 political 
science1 and related fields should be   
encouraged to support the study of the  
history of the ,united ,states to       
cultivate informed and engaged citizens 
to understand the documents that define 
the ,united ,states1 including the      
,declaration of ,independence1 the      
,constitution of the ,united ,states1   
and the ,bill of ,rights4  7#h7         

,designating a month as ,national       
,american ,history and ,founders ,month 
would also aid in the discovery1        
collection1 and preservation of         
historical records1 documents1          
monuments1 and structures that          
illuminate the history of the first     
founders and their descendants4  7#i7   
,november is the month during which the 
,united ,states celebrates              
,thanksgiving4 ,president ,george       
,washington issued the first national   
,thanksgiving proclamation designating  
,thursday1 ,november #bf1 #aghi1 as a   
day of public prayer and gratitude for  
the ,united ,states4 ,abraham ,lincoln  
issued a proclamation officially        
establishing ,thanksgiving ,day as a    
national holiday to designate the last  
,thursday of ,november as a day for     
thanksgiving and unity4 ,designating a  
month as ,national ,american ,history   
and ,founders ,month would extend this  
tradition of unity and gratitude for the
 ,united ,states by deepening the       

understanding and appreciation for the  
,united ,states by the people of the    
,united ,states4  7#aj7 ,a permanent    
designation of a ,national ,american    
,history and ,founders ,month would     
encourage schools1 communities1 and     
organizations to host events1           
educational programs1 and initiatives   
that celebrate and teach the history of 
the ,united ,states and the             
contributions of the ,founding ,fathers4
  7#aa7 ,the unique circumstances and   
events that created the ,united ,states 
must be well known by the citizenry of  
the ,united ,states so as to perpetuate 
into the future the values and rights of
 the ,united ,states of individual      
freedom1 liberty1 and the pursuit of    
happiness4  7#ab7 ,such a designation   
will inspire young people of the ,united
 ,states to learn about and take pride  
in the history of the ,united ,states1  
fostering a sense of unity and shared   
purpose4  #c4 ,designation  7a7 ,in     
general ,chapter #a of part ,a of       

subtitle ,i of title #cf1 ,united       
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following3  #adi4 ,national 
,american ,history and ,founders ,month 
,the ,president is requested each year  
to designate a month as ,national       
,american ,history and ,founders ,month 
and to call on the people of the ,united
 ,states1 and the chief executive       
officers of each ,state of the ,united  
,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 and
 each territory and possession of the   
,united ,states are requested to issue  
each year proclamations calling on the  
people of their respective              
jurisdictions1 to observe such ,month   
with appropriate programs1 ceremonies1  
and activities that enhance civics      
education and historical literacy4  4   
7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of   
sections for chapter #a of part ,a of   
subtitle ,i of title #cf1 ,united       
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following3  #adi4 ,national 
,american ,history and ,founders ,month4

  4