CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO HOLD JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS AT INDEPENDENCE HALL IN PHILADELPHIA TO MARK NATION’S 250th

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle formally introduced his legislation to hold a commemorative joint session of Congress in Philadelphia, the Nation’s Birthplace, on Thursday July 2, 2026, in honor of the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence. America250 Congressional Caucus House co-chairs Reps. Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) are co-leading the legislation with him.

Once agreed to by both the House and the Senate, this measure would authorize a joint commemorative session of Congress to be held at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to commemorate the 250th anniversary (semiquincentennial) of the Declaration of Independence on Thursday, July 2, 2026.

In 1987, 55 members of the House and Senate met in a special ceremonial session marking the bicentennial of the Constitutional Convention and celebration of the “Great Compromise” that established apportionment and membership requirements for membership.

“I am honored that this historic joint meeting of Congress will take place in my district at the exact location where American democracy was born in 1776,” said Congressman Boyle. “This special session will mark only the third time in our nation’s history when a joint commemorative meeting will be held outside of the District of Columbia. This historic celebration will be remembered for generations to come.”

“I’m thrilled to join Rep. Brendan Boyle on this bipartisan legislation to celebrate the founding of our nation,” said original co-sponsor Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05). “We would be so delighted to host our colleagues here in our nation’s birthplace, so that they can steep themselves in our history and the values and sheer genius of the vision of our country’s founders.”

“As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our great nation, it is fitting that the joint commemorative meeting will be in Philadelphia, where it all began,” said original co-sponsor Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson. “ I am proud to support this bipartisan legislation and look forward to honoring our founding and hosting our colleagues in the Keystone state.”

“I can think of very few ways Congress could better honor our nation’s 250th birthday than to return to the very place where our first Congress, the Continental Congress, created our nation", said Congressman Aderholt. "The House and Senate gathering together in this historic place would not only honor our nation’s 250th, but also send a message to all Americans and the world, that while we certainly have our differences, just as our founders did, we are still united around our core principles.”

“Holding a session of Congress in America’s birthplace would be very fitting when we celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, and I’m proud to co-sponsor this bill! Philadelphia is where both the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution were proclaimed, laying the foundation of our freedoms and our democracy,” said Congressman Evans.

“Since 1776, our experiment with democracy has created a bastion of freedom and the world looks at America as the ‘shining city upon a hill,’” said Rep. Salazar. “I am proud to co-lead this legislation, which recognizes the groundbreaking efforts of our Founding Fathers by convening a joint session of Congress in the birthplace of American democracy during the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding.”

“As a commissioner for our nation’s 250th birthday celebrations, I’m glad to support this resolution to hold a joint session of Congress where our country was born,” said Rep. Watson Coleman. “New Jersey and Pennsylvania hold a special place in the history of our nation. As we close out the first quarter-millennium of American democracy, it’s fitting to revisit the place where it all started. I look forward to this joint session, and the other semiquincentennial festivities.”

“Today’s introduction of this resolution is incredibly exciting, and will ensure that the eyes of the world will be on the City of Philadelphia as we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday”, said Philadelphia Visitor Center President & CEO, Kathryn Ott Lovell. “I want to thank Congressman Boyle and his colleagues for their leadership in introducing this resolution, and we look forward to hosting Congress in the city of our nation’s birth in July 2026.”

“On behalf of the Independence Historical Trust, I want to thank Congressman Boyle and the other leaders in Congress for advocating for this legislation”, said Bill Marrazzo, Board Chair of Independence Historical Trust. “We all know that Philadelphia had a central role in the events of our nation’s founding, and through this special session of Congress, we can make sure that our city and region occupy the same central role for our semiquincentennial.”

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