My Tour of the United States Capitol Building
One of the things I wanted to do in Washington DC while here for the FAIR Convention was to tour the US Capitol Building.
Regardless of what you think about the current composition of our government, the Capitol is one of, if not the, most recognizable symbols globally of the United States. It houses contributions from all 50 States in the form of statues that represent individuals who made significant contributions to their States and/or to our Country. These statues can be found from Emancipation Hall in the US Capitol Visitors Center, to the Capitol Rotunda, the hallways leading through the US Capitol, into the National Statuary Hall where the majority of the statues can be seen.
The two statues that represent Washington State are in two different locations. The statue of slain Missionary Marcus Whitman, representing Eastern Washington, is in the National Statuary Hall, while the statue of Mother Joseph of the Sisters of Providence, representing Western Washington, is in Emancipation Hall.
Some of the most recognizable paintings of US History can also be seen in the US Capitol such as George Washington at Princeton, the Signing of the Declaration of Independence, and Columbus in America, to name just a few.
I also had the opportunity to watch the US Senate in action from the viewing gallery. It was at the beginning of the floor session so there was a lot of activity, but I did get to hear Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) New York deliver his opening statement on the Democracy for All Amendment to the Constitution that would overturn the US Supreme Court's decision in Citizen's United regarding campaign finance laws and free speech under the First Amendment. I also heard the opening speech from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) Kentucky on the same Amendment. In order to pass it will need a two-thirds majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives to become the Twenty-Eighth Amendment to the Constitution.
If you do visit Washington DC I would highly recommend touring the home of our Legislative Branch of government, seeing how it is intended to work, and absorbing the history of our great Nation it holds.
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