US Senator Lankford Remarks READING OF GWFA 27Feb23

VIDEO OF PROCEEDING... CLICK/TAP HERE

[Pages S487-S492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                READING OF WASHINGTON'S FAREWELL ADDRESS

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the Senate 
of January 24, 1901, as modified by the order of January 21, 2023, the 
Senator from Oklahoma, Mr. Lankford, will now read Washington's 
Farewell Address.
  Mr. LANKFORD. In 1781, the Revolution had actually ended. The war had 
stopped. George Washington, then as the Commander in Chief of the 
Continental Army, continued to be able to stay on to be able to lead 
the Army until 1783, until the new government could be formed. In 1783, 
he came to Annapolis, MD, and Commander in Chief George Washington 
resigned his commission of the military.
  Now, we don't see that as a significant event, but it is one of the 
most significant events at the beginning of our Nation because, in the 
past, if you led the Army and you won the war, you would become the 
leader based on the fact that the Army is behind you. That is the way 
it had always been in every place, in every country. If you had the 
Army, you have the power.
  George Washington approached the civilian government in the 
beginnings of a new Republic, resigned his commission, and stepped back 
to being a private citizen. That event is so significant, John 
Trumbull, his painting hangs in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol right 
now. That painting has been hanging there since 1824. In fact, the 
painting of George Washington resigning his commission is actually 
older than the dome that it is under.
  We don't think about a military leader taking over the United States. 
That is unthinkable for us because of the path that George Washington 
laid down behind us.
  He did a lot of firsts in a lot of his leadership. He was our first 
President. He was a civilian leader. After one term, he wanted to be 
able to step down. In fact, he and Madison actually wrote together a 
letter to be able to go out to the American people after his first 
Presidency, but so many people came to him and encouraged him to be 
able to run again that he relented and ran again. But at the end of his 
second term, he would not relent and had determined he was not a King, 
he was not the only person who could lead these new United States, but 
it was time, after 45 years, for him to step aside.
  And this time, with the help of another gentleman whom he had worked 
with for a long time named Alexander Hamilton--they had served 
together, even since the Continental Army. He and Alexander Hamilton 
wrote an address to the American people. This was to be the end of his 
Presidency and of his public service. It was actually--interestingly 
enough, it is referred to as ``George Washington's Farewell Address,'' 
but he never actually spoke it. They wrote it, and then they published 
it together.
  Many people don't know that George Washington didn't like speaking in 
public and wasn't akin to coming to make big public speeches. So they 
published it, and it became a signature.
  This speech begins with a farewell to the Nation, saying: I am 
stepping aside as President of these United States. Then he goes on to 
be able to challenge the Nation in multiple areas, beginning with being 
careful in the days ahead.

[[Page S488]]

He saw the seeds of factions and of political parties beginning to 
rise, and he challenged the Nation. He challenged the Nation to be able 
to hold fast to its faith and to be able to live the principles of its 
faith.
  He challenged the Nation on the issue of debt and to be able to say 
don't be a nation that carries a lot of debt. You will have times of 
war when you will have to carry it, but pay it off as quickly as 
possible.
  He challenged the Nation in the issue of foreign entanglements and 
foreign alliances, and he challenged the Nation to forgive him of any 
mistakes that he might have made while he was leading the Nation.
  This nonspeech speech that he presented to the Nation has become a 
signature for now more than two centuries. It wasn't set aside. In 
fact, during the Civil War, for the first time, Members of Congress 
gathered on the other side of the building in the brandnew House 
Chamber in 1862, where House and Senate, with all the military 
leadership, gathered together in one room and read it out loud as a 
reminder to the Nation of our beginnings and as an encouragement to all 
the legislators during the Civil War.
  It was set aside again until 1893 when the Senate picked it back up 
again and a Senator was chosen to be able to read it out loud to the 
Senate. It was done in 1893 and 1894 and then stopped in 1895 but then 
picked up again in 1896 and has been read every single year since 1896, 
in this Chamber, right around George Washington's birthday--a fitting 
tribute to a President who did much to be able to establish who we are 
as a country.
  I am honored today to be the one selected to be able to speak this 
speech. I am also honored to be able to note that I am the first 
Oklahoman in the history of the Senate to actually read this speech out 
loud in the Senate.
  Now, we are a young State. We have only been a State since 1907, but 
we have only been reading it out loud since 1893. So we have been there 
for most of the time. So I am honored to be able to give to you 
``George Washington's Farewell Address'' and his look to the future of 
our Nation to say: These are the things I would request that you do not 
forget.
  Mr. LANKFORD at the rostrum, read the Farewell Address, as follows:
To the people of the United States...