WASHINGTON, D.C. – In part of the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations, Congress is looking ahead to the next 250 years. On Wednesday, Congressional members unveiled a time capsule they’ll keep at the Capitol to be only opened until 2276. We asked a few members what they would put inside the capsule.
“This is only the second time in history of our great nation, and it is the greatest nation on the earth, that Congress has prepared and sealed a time capsule for future Americans,” said Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R- LA).
We’re told inside the capsule will include a joint letter from congressional leadership, copies of important legislative milestones and items that won’t face the risk of degradation.
“A collection of items that represent the fullness and richness of our country,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D- NY).
The time capsule will be stored in the Capitol Visitor’s Center, which is underneath the US Capitol building. We asked some members what they would put inside the time capsule.
“For New York City Knicks fans, I would put in Jalen’s jersey in for sure because you want to remember that moment of unbelievable success and grandeur and talent and skill,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D- NY). “Second thing I just wrote a book about women of the bible and I paired it with Taylor Swift songs. So, I would put in Taylor Swift songs and my book about women in the bible to pass something down for generations 250 years from now.”
“If it was just up to me, probably a Buffalo Bills helmet,” said rep. Nick Langworthy (R- NY). “But that’s not just my choice. I think we’re coming together as a delegation and make a decision on what to put into the capsule. I think it’s very likely its going to be a piece of steel from the World Trade Center. Obviously that’s very important for New York.”
“I’ve worked with Senator John Fetterman’s office and maybe put in a piece of steel from US steel,” said Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R- PA). “It’s a great reflection of the building and innovation the past 100 years or 200 years actually, so something like that going forward in the time capsule would be outstanding as well.”
“I would put one of my baseball jerseys from the congressional baseball game because of the horrendously negative event on June 14, 2017 when the guy tried to kill us all on a baseball field,” said Rep. Jack Bergman (R- MI). “That horrific event brought the unity and the community here to say ‘that’s wrong, that’s morally wrong behavior’ and I think people need to know that a long time ago something bad happened but that Democrats and Republicans came together in the US to say: we’re better than that.”
