S.Con.Res 75

The House is scheduled to consider S.Con.Res. 75 under a suspension of the rules, requiring a two-thirds majority vote for passage, on Wednesday, December 1, 2010.  S.Con.Res. 75 was introduced on November 18, 2010, by Sen. John Kerry (D-CA) and approved by the Senate by unanimous consent the same day.

S.Con.Res. 75 would authorize the use of the Capitol Rotunda on January 20, 2011, for a ceremony in honor of the 50th anniversary of the inaugural address of President John F. Kennedy.   Physical preparations for the ceremony would be carried out in accordance with specifications prescribed by the Architect of the Capitol.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was elected to the House of Representatives and served from January 3, 1947, to January 3, 1953.  He was elected as a senator from Massachusetts in 1952 and served until 1960.  On November 8, 1960, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was elected as the 35th President of the U.S.  Kennedy was sworn in as President on January 20, 1961.  According to the findings listed in the resolution, President Kennedy’s inaugural address “served as a clarion call to service for the Nation.” 

Use of the Capitol Rotunda for memorial ceremonies, receptions for foreign dignitaries, presentations of awards, or public competitions requires a concurrent resolution agreed to by both the House and Senate.  According to the Congressional Research Service, since 1989, the House and Senate have approved 73 concurrent resolutions which authorized the use of the Capitol Rotunda for a variety of events.

A CBO cost estimate for S.Con.Res. 75 was not available as of press time.