| What is it the season for: Christmas? Or Bowl Games? |
[Dec. 14th, 2007|12:51 pm] |
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) firecat points out a US House Resolution that does prompt a touch of eye rolling from me. Since it was a House resolution, it's not a law, and one wonders if it's just so legislators can say they voted their approval of Christmas on talk radio.
This did lead me to wonder about other house resolutions. How many expressed, say, enthusiasm for butter? Deer hunting season? The joys of national parks? Looking through the GovTrack database, there's an interesting amount of politics revealed in the merely introduced resolutions. There are plenty of resolutions about doing business
I gave up on the GovTrak.us site & went to Thomas. There wasn't exactly a way to check on just House Resolutions, and the concurrent resolutions -- presumably House and Senate -- go on quite a bit. [Added: Browse all House Resolutions introduced] But here we go. I think these are the approved resolutions* out of the first 100 proposed in the 110th congress. (*Not including process resolutions.) The preoccupation in a certain area is striking:
For the 110th congress
H.RES.11 : Expressing profound sorrow on the occasion of the death of the Honorable Gerald R. Ford, thirty-eighth President of the United States of America.
H.RES.15 : Mourning the passing of President Gerald Rudolph Ford and celebrating his leadership and service to the people of the United States.
H.RES.16 : Recognizing Virginia's James River as "America's Founding River".
H.RES.25 : Calling on the Board of Directors of the National High School Mock Trial Championship to accommodate students of all religious faiths.
H.RES.29 : Supporting the goals and ideals of National Mentoring Month 2007.
H.RES.32 : A resolution denouncing the practices of female genital mutilation, domestic violence, "honor" killings, acid burnings, dowry deaths, and other gender-based persecutions, and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that participation, protection, recognition, and equality of women is crucial to achieving a just, moral and peaceful society.
H.RES.34 : A resolution recognizing the life and accomplishments of Desmond Mpilo Tutu, South African Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
H.RES.39 : Commending the University of Florida Gators for their victory in the 2006 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and for winning the national college football championship.
H.RES.42 : Recognizing Ann Richards' extraordinary contributions to Texas and American public life.
H.RES.43 : Commending the Boise State University Broncos football team for winning the 2007 Fiesta Bowl and completing an undefeated season.
H.RES.51 : Honoring the contributions of Catholic schools.
H.RES.52 : Paying tribute to Reverend Waitstill Sharp and Martha Sharp for their recognition by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority as Righteous Among the Nations for their heroic efforts to save Jews during the Holocaust.
H.RES.53 : Recognizing the life of Lamar Hunt and his outstanding contributions to the Kansas City Chiefs, the National Football League, and the United States.
H.RES.57 : Congratulating Illinois State University as it celebrates its sesquicentennial.
H.RES.58 : To honor Muhammad Ali, global humanitarian, on the occasion of his 65th birthday and to extend best wishes to him and his family.
H.RES.59 : Supporting the goals and ideals of National Engineeers Week, and for other purposes.
H.RES.61 : Observing the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., and encouraging the people of the United States to observe the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and for other purposes.
H.RES.62 : Congratulating the Grand Valley State University Lakers for winning the 2006 NCAA Division II Football National Championship.
H.RES.64 : Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Government of Bangladesh should immediately drop all pending charges against Bangladeshi journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury.
H.RES.69 : Recognizing and honoring Benny Parsons [Ed: NASCAR driver] and expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives to his family on his death.
H.RES.70 : Congratulating the University of California at Santa Barbara men's soccer team, the 2006 National Collegiate Athletic Association Champions.
H.RES.72 : Recognizing the work and accomplishments of Mr. Britt "Max" Mayfield, Director of the National Hurricane Center's Tropical Prediction Center upon his retirement.
H.RES.79 : Recognizing the establishment of Hunters for the Hungry programs across the United States and the contributions of those programs efforts to decrease hunger and help feed those in need
H.RES.82 : Commending the University of Louisville Cardinals football team for their victory in the 2007 Orange Bowl.
H.RES.89 : Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a day should be established as Dutch-American Friendship Day to celebrate the historic ties of the United States and the Netherlands.
H.RES.90 : Congratulating Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears and Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts on becoming the first African-American head coaches of National Football League teams to qualify for the Super Bowl.
H.RES.94 : Supporting the goals and ideals of National Consumer Protection Week.
H.RES.95 : Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives supporting the goals and ideals of Campus Fire Safety Month, and for other purposes.
H.RES.98 : Honoring the life and achievements of the late Dr. John Garang de Mabior and reaffirming the continued commitment of the House of Representatives to a just and lasting peace in the Republic of the Sudan.
H.RES.99 : Commending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln volleyball team for winning the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship.
H.RES.100 : Expressing the sympathy of the House of Representatives to the families of women and girls murdered in Guatemala and encouraging the Government of Guatemala to bring an end to these crimes.
Now, maybe that's an unfair time block, beginning of the year, lots of bowl games. What resolutions have been introduced since Nov 1 and approved?
H.RES.808 : Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
H.RES.811 : Condemning the November 6, 2007, terrorist bombing in Afghanistan and expressing condolences to the people of Afghanistan and the members of the Wolesi Jirga.
H.RES.812 : Expressing the sympathy and pledging the urgent support of the House of Representatives and the people of the United States for the victims of the devastating flooding in southern Mexico.
H.RES.822 : Recognizing the 100th anniversary year of the founding of the Port of Los Angeles.
H.RES.826 : Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the hanging of nooses is a horrible act when used for the purpose of intimidation and which under certain circumstances can be a criminal act that should be thoroughly investigated by Federal law enforcement authorities and that any criminal violations should be vigorously prosecuted.
H.RES.842 : Expressing sympathy to and pledging the support of the House of Representatives and the people of the United States for the victims of Cyclone Sidr in southern Bangladesh.
H.RES.847 : Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.
H.RES.853 : Honoring those who have volunteered to assist in the cleanup of the November 7, 2007, oil spill in San Francisco Bay
I think i still want to see more (any) celebration of the arts. But no agricultural products! I'm stunned. |
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| Comments: |
Ali was much more than a mere boxer, much more. Look at the reaction he got when he lit the torch in Atlanta.
Soon our elected officials will be honoring little Johnny for catching a ball his dad threw to him.
Well, yes, he is more than that. I still think he's more likely to have gotten an award than an famous actress who may have done a great deal of humanitarian work.
At least we'll be spared baseball commendations for a while. And maybe all sports. It will be interesting to see if the sports things pick up again after the 1st. Short memories?
I'm so proud to see where my tax dollars go.
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