John Sarbanes: “Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask for my colleagues' support of the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail Act. This…”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask for my colleagues' support of the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail Act. This legislation is the product of thorough study and planning by interested parties such as the Park Service; local jurisdictions in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia; and historians and experts on the War of 1812. This legislation represents the culmination of their efforts and hard work. With the bicentennial of the War of 1812 fast approaching us, now is the time to pass the legislation and begin the process of implementing the Star-Spangled Banner Trail, which will measurably enhance the celebration of one of the seminal moments in American history. The Star-Spangled Banner Trail, through the Park Service at the Fort McHenry National Monument and Shrine, would commemorate the routes used by the British and Americans during the 1812 Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812.”