[Federal Register: September 21, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 182)]
[Presidential Documents]               
[Page 55507-55508]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21se05-155]                         



                        Presidential Documents 




[[Page 55507]]


                Proclamation 7932 of September 16, 2005

 
                Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, 
                Constitution Week, 2005

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                More than two centuries after our Founding Fathers 
                gathered in 1787 in Philadelphia, our Nation continues 
                to be guided by the Constitution they drafted.

                The Constitution of the United States reflects our 
                ideals and establishes a practical system of 
                government. It provides for three separate branches--
                the legislative, the executive, and the judicial--with 
                defined responsibilities and with checks and balances 
                among the branches. Under our Constitution, both the 
                Federal Government and the State governments advance 
                the will of the people through the people's 
                representatives. To protect the rights of our citizens 
                and maintain the rule of law, Article III of the 
                Constitution provides for a judiciary of independent 
                judges who have life tenure.

                These fundamental principles--separation of powers, 
                federalism, and an independent judiciary--have endured, 
                and they have been essential to our Nation's progress 
                toward equal justice and liberty for all. On 
                Constitution Day and Citizenship Day and during 
                Constitution Week, we celebrate the genius of our 
                Constitution and reaffirm our commitment to its stated 
                purposes: ``to form a more perfect Union, establish 
                Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the 
                common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure 
                the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our 
                Posterity.''

                In remembrance of the signing of the Constitution and 
                in recognition of the Americans who strive to uphold 
                the duties and responsibilities of citizenship, the 
                Congress, by joint resolution of February 29, 1952 (36 
                U.S.C. 106, as amended), designated September 17 as 
                ``Constitution Day and Citizenship Day,'' and by joint 
                resolution of August 2, 1956 (36 U.S.C. 108, as 
                amended), requested that the President proclaim the 
                week beginning September 17 and ending September 23 of 
                each year as ``Constitution Week.''

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the 
                United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 
                17, 2005, as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and 
                September 17 through September 23, 2005, as 
                Constitution Week. I encourage Federal, State, and 
                local officials, as well as leaders of civic, social, 
                and educational organizations, to conduct ceremonies 
                and programs that celebrate our Constitution and 
                reaffirm our rights and obligations as citizens of our 
                great Nation.

[[Page 55508]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand five, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirtieth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

[FR Doc. 05-18976
Filed 9-20-05; 8:45 am]

Billing code 3195-01-P