Presidential Document2024-21565
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and Constitution Week, 2024
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 19, 2024
Signed
September 16, 2024
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 182 (Thursday, September 19, 2024)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 182 (Thursday, September 19, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 76709-76710]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21565]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 182 / Thursday, September 19, 2024 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 76709]]
Proclamation 10812 of September 16, 2024
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and
Constitution Week, 2024
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
It has been said that, when he was leaving the
Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was asked
whether the Founding Fathers had given America a
monarchy or a republic, and he replied: ``A republic,
if you can keep it.'' The Founders put the power to
decide our Nation's future in the hands of ``We the
People.'' On Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and
during Constitution Week, we recommit to preserving our
republic, perfecting our Union, and ensuring our
democracy survives and thrives.
Our Constitution established that our Nation would be a
democracy, meaning the rule of the people--not of
monarchs, the monied, or the mighty. It gave us the
separation of powers and checks and balances so that we
would be a country that respects the institutions that
govern a free society. And it remains the bulwark to
prevent the abuse of power and ensures that ``We the
People'' move forward together under the law. We are
all responsible for maintaining our democracy--not only
by adhering to the Constitution but also by our
character and the habits of our hearts and minds. All
of us must join the march to perfect our Union by
protecting and expanding our rights with each
successive generation.
I believe America is at an inflection point, one of
those rare moments in history when the decisions we
make now will determine the fate of our Nation and the
world for decades to come. That is why we must continue
to protect the rights guaranteed by our Constitution
and the values that make our Nation who we are. We must
protect the right to vote--it is the threshold of
democracy: with it, anything is possible, and without
it, nothing is. Vice President Harris and I continue to
call on the Congress to pass the Freedom to Vote Act
and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to
expand voting rights and prevent voter suppression. We
will continue to work to protect women's reproductive
freedoms and their constitutional right to choose. We
continue to call on the Congress to restore the
protections of Roe v. Wade in Federal law once and for
all. And we will continue to preserve and strengthen
our democracy and will never walk away from the values
that have made us the greatest Nation in the history of
the world: freedom and liberty.
Today, we also celebrate the rights and
responsibilities of citizenship. From those who were
born in this country to our naturalized citizens,
America remains a great country because we are a good
people. We are a Nation of promise and possibilities,
of dreamers and doers, and of ordinary Americans doing
extraordinary things. May we welcome our Nation's
newest citizens, whose stories embody the hope of the
American Dream and whose contributions strengthen our
country.
On Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and during
Constitution Week, we recognize that the power to build
a freer, more prosperous, and more just future lies in
the hands of the American people. And we recommit to
fulfilling the sacred tasks of our time--to ensure
democracy prevails and to preserve our constitutional
protections for generations to come.
[[Page 76710]]
To honor the timeless principles enshrined in our
Constitution, the Congress has, by joint resolution of
February 29, 1952 (36 U.S.C. 106), designated September
17 as ``Constitution Day and Citizenship Day'' and
authorized the President to issue a proclamation
calling on United States officials to display the flag
of the United States on all Government buildings on
that day. By joint resolution of August 2, 1956 (36
U.S.C. 108), the Congress further requested that the
President proclaim the week beginning September 17 and
ending September 23 of each year as ``Constitution
Week.''
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 17,
2024, as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and
September 17 through September 23 as Constitution Week.
On this day and during this week, we celebrate our
Constitution and the rights of citizenship that we
enjoy together as the proud people of this Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
ninth.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2024-21565
Filed 9-18-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 19, 2024.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.