A invoice to formally designate the bald eagle because the nationwide hen will head to President Biden’s desk after passage within the Home on Monday.
Whereas the bald eagle has been a significant nationwide image for the reason that Second Continental Congress in 1782 put the hen on the Nice Seal of the USA, it has by no means been particularly designated because the nationwide hen beneath U.S. legislation.
However that may change with enactment of the invoice that handed the Home by voice vote on Monday.
“The bald has long been associated with and a symbol of the United States. … The bald eagle appears on the flags and insignia of our military, on passports and currency. It appears on the flags of several states as well,” Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) said on the House floor on Monday, speaking in support of the bill. “The bald eagle can be necessary to Native American tribes throughout the USA. It performs a key position in sacred perception programs and traditions, tales, ceremonies, and insignias.”
Rep. Mary Homosexual Scanlon (D-Pa.) mentioned that along with the nationwide significance, the bald eagle is a “cherished” image for which “soccer followers in my district share a particular affection,” in reference to the Eagles NFL crew.
The identical chapter of U.S. legislation that may enshrine the bald eagle because the nationwide hen additionally designates “The Star-Spangled Banner” because the nationwide anthem; “In God we trust” because the nationwide motto; the rose because the nationwide floral emblem; “The Stars and Stripes Forever” because the nationwide march; and the oak tree because the nationwide tree. Congress has additionally designated the bison because the nationwide mammal.
The invoice was first launched by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) in June, and it handed the Senate by unanimous consent on the finish of July. Reps. Brad Finstad (R-Minn.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.) led the trouble within the Home.
“The bald eagle is a symbol of our country’s freedom and strength. In Minnesota, we know a thing or two about eagles: we are home to one of the largest populations of bald eagles in the country as well as the National Eagle Center in Wabasha,” Klobuchar mentioned in an announcement on passage of the laws.
The hassle to enshrine the bald eagle’s nationwide hen standing was led by the Minnesota-based Nationwide Eagle Heart, and the co-chair of its nationwide hen initiative, Preston Cook dinner.
“This is an exciting day. The Bald Eagle has symbolized American ideals since its placement on the Great Seal in 1782,” Cook dinner mentioned in an announcement. “With this legislation, we honor its historic role and solidify its place as our national bird and an emblem of our national identity.”
Bald eagles are additionally protected by the Migratory Chicken Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Safety Act, which prohibit killing, promoting or harming bald eagles, their nests or their eggs.
Beforehand on the endangered species lists, bald eagles have seen a “remarkable population rebound” in the previous couple of many years, in accordance to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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