{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://raskin.house.gov/2026/9/raskin-spartz-legislation-to-finally-construct-a-national-memorial-honoring-american-patriot-thomas-paine-successfully-passes-out-of-committee", "Raskin, Spartz Legislation to Finally Construct a National Memorial Honoring American Patriot Thomas Paine Successfully Passes Out of Committee", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MD", "Jamie Raskin", "R000606", "raskin.house.gov", "raskin", "https://raskin.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014This week, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources unanimously voted to advance Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Victoria Spartz\u2019s (IN-05) bipartisan legislation to place the forthcoming memorial honoring indispensable American political writer and philosopher Thomas Paine in \u201cArea 1\u201d of the National Mall. \u201cArea 1\u201d is reserved for memorials of the highest national significance.\n\nThe Common Sense 250 Act would instruct U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to place the memorial in the central section of the National Mall between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. Rep. Raskin introduced a bill passed and signed into law to create a national memorial to this extraordinary patriot in late 2022. In 2024, the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission (NCMAC) recommended that the memorial be placed in \u201cArea 1.\u201d\n\n\u201cTom Paine\u2019s writings inspired the American people to break free from tyrannical rule and establish a new nation based on democratic self-governance,\u201d said Rep. Raskin. \u201cOur legislation, which is now one step closer to becoming law, finally honors this absurdly unsung patriot with a dazzling memorial on the National Mall, cementing his legacy as indispensable to our country\u2019s very existence.\u201d\n\n\u201cRep. Raskin and I had to go all the way back to the American Revolution to find common ground, but I\u2019m glad we can come together on a bipartisan basis to recognize Thomas Paine and his enormous contribution to the founding of our Republic as we celebrate America\u2019s 250th anniversary,\u201d said Rep. Spartz.\n\nThe bipartisan legislation requires that the previously approved Paine memorial be placed in \u201cArea 1\u201d of the National Mall. \u201cArea 1\u201d is perhaps the most iconic section of the National Mall, including the Lincoln Memorial, the Tidal Basin and the Washington Monument.\n\nReps. Raskin and Spartz have led the fight in Congress to establish a national memorial to Paine:\n\nIn late 2022, Rep. Raskin\u2019s legislation authorizing the Thomas Paine Memorial Association to establish a memorial to Paine in the District of Columbia became law. Rep. Spartz cosponsored this legislation.\n\nIn September 2024, NCMAC recommended that the memorial be placed in \u201cArea 1\u201d of the National Mall.\n\nIn July 2026, Rep. Raskin and Rep. Spartz introduced legislation codifying NCMAC\u2019s recommendation and transmitting those instructions to the Department of the Interior.\n\nThis week, the Committee on Natural Resources unanimously voted to advance the lawmakers\u2019 2026 legislation to the House Floor.\n\nThe Paine memorial construction will be fully funded with private contributions from admirers of Paine and his work. The Thomas Paine Memorial Association plans to commission renowned sculptor Zenos Frudakis to build the memorial.\n\nPaine is best known for writing the pamphlet Common Sense in 1776, which galvanized support for the American revolution. His ideals of democratic self-government, guarding human rights and supporting reason and science inspire millions of Americans to this day.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://raskin.house.gov/2026/9/raskin-spartz-legislation-to-finally-construct-a-national-memorial-honoring-american-patriot-thomas-paine-successfully-passes-out-of-committee"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7957128584384918, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}