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Introduction of the Justin Smith Morrill Congressional Gold Medal Act

Floor Speech

Date: Feb. 10, 2016
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Government Operations Arts, Entertainment, and History

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Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce my legislation, the Justin Smith Morrill Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2016. This legislation would honor a true American hero by posthumously awarding the Honorable Justin Smith Morrill with the Congressional Gold Medal. Mr. Morrill was elected to six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and six terms in the United States Senate, making him the longest serving Member of Congress in the 19th Century. During his tenure, he chaired the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Senate Committee on Finance, and the Senate Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Buildings and Grounds, he served as the principle advocate for financing and constructing the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress and planned the location of the U.S. Supreme Court Building. He also raised funds to complete the unfinished Washington Monument and advocated for the Smithsonian Institution throughout his service in Congress.

However, his greatest achievement was authoring the Morrill Act of 1862, which created the land-grant university system. Today, land-grant and other public universities award nearly 1 million degrees annually and perform more than $37 billion in research. Additionally, almost 30 years later, Senator Morrill authored the Morrill Act of 1890, which created historically black land-grant universities.

Justin Smith Morrill is a man who has provided generations and millions of Americans--especially those from working class families-- with access to higher education throughout the nation. His achievements have inspired American history, values, and culture and will be recognized and honored by generations to come. For these reasons, and many others, I urge all members to join me in supporting this commonsense legislation, which will honor this great American hero with the Congressional Gold Medal.

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