[Page H7094]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       NATIONAL PENNSYLVANIA DAY

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
this Saturday, July 20, as National Pennsylvania Day.
  The Keystone State has played a historic role in our Nation's 
founding and continues to shape our future. It is the birthplace of the 
Declaration of Independence and home to our Nation's very first 
capital, Philadelphia.
  Pennsylvania is also the site of several historic battles, including 
the Battle of Valley Forge during the Revolutionary War and the Battle 
of Gettysburg during the Civil War. It is where Betsy Ross handcrafted 
the first American flag and Colonel Edwin Drake drilled the first 
commercial oil well, in 1859.
  Pennsylvania has a proud history of American craftsmanship and work 
ethic, from our steel mills and coal mines to our farmlands and 
forests.
  This great State's many contributions to our Nation are a strong 
testament to the diverse, industrious citizens who make up this 
Commonwealth.
  Mr. Speaker, today and every day, I am proud to call Pennsylvania my 
home.

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