Mr. Speaker, what is the meaning of that beautiful statue over your clock at the entrance to this hall? Sir, it is the Muse of History in her car, looking down on the members of this House and reminding them that as the hour passes, she is in the attitude of recording whatever they say or do on this floor.
The year was 1834; the place was the old House of Representatives in the U.S. Capitol; the speaker was John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States and the only former president ever to serve in Congress after leaving the White House.
The statue to which Adams referred is still there –- an exquisite representation in marble of the Muse of History in her chariot, tablet in hand, to record events as they unfold. The wheel of her chariot is the face of a clock. When I worked on Capitol Hill, I would often stop to admire the statue whenever I passed by.
The House –- and the Senate too –- have long since moved to more spacious wings on either side of the Capitol, leaving the statue behind. But, whether present in a marble reminder or not, history rolls on, and the Muse still records whatever our elected representatives say or do.
And politicians still appeal to history –- the history that is past, or the history that they hope to leave behind. In an op/ed in today’s Wall Street Journal, President George W. Bush did a bit of both. He said this:
Our Founders believed in the wisdom of the American people to choose their leaders and provided for the concept of divided and effective government. The majority party in Congress gets to pass the bills it wants. The minority party, especially where the margins are close, has a strong say in the form bills take. And the Constitution leaves it to the president to use his judgment whether they should be signed into law.
That gives us a clear challenge and an opportunity. If the Congress chooses to pass bills that are simply political statements, they will have chosen stalemate. If a different approach is taken, the next two years can be fruitful ones for our nation. We can show the American people that Republicans and Democrats can come together to find ways to help make America a more secure, prosperous and hopeful society. And we will show our enemies that the open debate they believe is a fatal weakness is the great strength that has allowed democracies to flourish and succeed.
To the new members of the 110th Congress, I offer my welcome -- and my congratulations. The American people have entrusted us with public office at a momentous time for our nation. Let them say of these next two years: We used our time well.
Only time will tell whether Mr. Bush's offer to work in harmony with the new Democrat-controlled Congress was sincerely meant. And only time will tell if the Democrats will choose to accept it. But we can always hope that civility, wisdom and patriotism will triumph over raw partisanship. History –- and the nation –- will be watching as the next two years unfold.
