CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -- SENATE

March 6, 1964

Page 4662

DESIGNATION OF THE BIRTHDAY OF THE LATE PRESIDENT JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY AS A NATIONAL HOLIDAY

Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, two constituents, Mrs. Lillian Jensen, of, South Portland, and Clifford R. Stewart, of Brunswick, Maine, have submitted petitions with a total of 1,105. signatures, urging the designation of the birthday of our late beloved President, John F. Kennedy, as a national holiday. Mrs. Jensen, Mr. Stewart, and their supporters in this proposal are obviously motivated by their love for President Kennedy, and their respect and admiration for his performance in the Presidency. A proposal of this kind, so highly motivated, is clearly entitled to the attention and the consideration of the Members of Congress. Accordingly, I am introducing, by request, a bill "designating the birthday of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy as a legal holiday.”

 I ask unanimous consent, Mr. President, that there be printed in the RECORD at this point, a copy of Mrs. Jensen's letter to me, and a copy of the bill which I am introducing.

Mrs. Jensen desires to get the reaction of the Members of the Congress to her proposal. Accordingly, I invite all Members of the Congress, who care to do so to communicate their views to me.

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The bill will be received and appropriately referred; and, without objection, the bill and letter will be printed in the RECORD.

The bill (S. 2603) designating the birthday of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy as a legal holiday, introduced by Mr. MUSKIE, by request, was received, read twice by its title, referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in commemoration of the birth of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 29th, day of May in each year is made a legal holiday to all intents and purposes and in the same manner as the 1st day of January, the 22d day of February, the 30th day of May, the 4th day of July, the 1st Monday of September, the 11th day of November, the 4th Thursday of November, and Christmas Day are now made by law public holidays.

The letter presented by Mr. MUSKIE is as follows:

SOUTH PORTLAND, MAINE,

February 6, 1964.

Hon. EDMUND S. MUSKIE, Senator from Maine.

DEAR SIR: Enclosed please find the petition I have been circulating to have the birthday of John F. Kennedy become a national holiday. I have 816 signatures. If this is not enough for you to start to work with, please let me know and I will be glad to work on getting more. Incidentally, I have been doing my own work on this, as that Is the way I wanted it. I don't know if anyone else is doing this or not, other than a Mr. Clifford Stewart of Brunswick, but I earnestly hope so.

Please do your very best to put this through. A lot of people think there are too many things named for Kennedy, but I think there is no honor too great for a man as wonderful as John F. Kennedy was.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Lillian Jensen.