Jeff Bingaman: “I take a few minutes today to speak about recent events on The National Mall. The Mall, as Judge Buckley of the U.S.…”

“I take a few minutes today to speak about recent events on The National Mall. The Mall, as Judge Buckley of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, has written, "is an area of particular significance in the life of the Capital and the Nation." It is a 2-mile green area that stretches from the Capitol in the east to the Lincoln Memorial in the west. It is, as another judge noted, "the site of monuments marking great figures and events in our Nation's history." But it is more than home to these enduring symbols of our nationhood. This judge went on to say: "Its grassy expanse provides areas for any number of recreational activities. . . ." The National Mall has also been used, of course, for large-scale events. It is used for the Fourth of July festivities each year and for the Cherry Blossom Festival. Every 4 years, it is used for our inaugural celebrations. It has been the site of national observances and protests--some of the most famous in our Nation's history. "It is here," as Judge Buckley went on to say, "that the constitutional right of speech and peaceful assembly find their fullest expression." Mr. President, Congress has entrusted the Department of the Interior, and particularly the National Park Service within the Department of the Interior, with preserving and regulating the use of this important part of our national heritage.”