Senators Hardiman, Allen, Cropsey, Bishop, Jansen, Birkholz, Van Woerkom and Kuipers offered the following resolution:

            Senate Resolution No. 131.

            A resolution to request the congressional Joint Committee on the Library to approve the replacement of Michigan's statue of Zachariah Chandler with an image of President Gerald R. Ford as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection and to take other actions related to this undertaking.

            Whereas, Under federal law, each state is invited to provide two statues of distinguished citizens for display in the United States Capitol. Michigan's contributions to this National Statuary Hall Collection, Lewis Cass and Zachariah Chandler, were placed in our nation's Capitol in 1889 and 1913, respectively; and

            Whereas, The Architect of the Capitol manages the National Statuary Hall Collection, which was established in 1864. Legislation enacted in 2000 provides for the replacement of statues, which must be approved by the congressional Joint Committee on the Library. This procedure requires the states to take specific actions. This process was followed in 2003, when Kansas provided a statue of President Eisenhower, and more recently in California, which has authorized a statue of President Ronald Reagan that will soon become part of the collection; and

            Whereas, The process of a state replacing a statue begins with the state's legislature adopting a resolution to request the Joint Committee on the Library to approve the replacement. This resolution is to identify the statue being replaced, to name the individual who is the subject of the new statue, to select a commission to represent the state in naming a sculptor, and to outline the means of payment for the entire replacement process. The governor of the state must send a letter of approval to the Architect of the Capitol; and

            Whereas, The Gerald R. Ford Foundation has expressed its strong commitment to this project and has pledged its leadership and financial support to this important undertaking; and

            Whereas, As Michigan history unfolds, the notable accomplishments of Zachariah Chandler are more appropriately celebrated in Michigan. Returning the statue to Michigan can provide an important incentive to our citizens to learn more of his contributions; and

            Where, The remarkable story of Gerald R. Ford and his leadership as our 38th President is integral to the nation's history, especially for his lasting impact during the unique challenges of the 1960s and 1970s. This decorated World War II naval officer, who devoted 25 years to the people of western Michigan as their voice in Congress and served as Vice President at a time of great challenges, carved a life of public service that embodied the highest standards. His courageous actions as President in standing up for the country's best interests at the expense of political expediency are now widely recognized by a grateful nation. The personal integrity that marked all aspects of the life of the man from Grand Rapids continues to inspire the people of Michigan; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the Senate, That we request the congressional Joint Committee on the Library to approve the replacement of Michigan's statue of Zachariah Chandler with an image of President Gerald R. Ford as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection in our nation's Capitol. We make this request on behalf of the people of Michigan; and be it further

            Resolved, That we urge the Governor to communicate approval of this replacement project to the Architect of the Capitol and to sign an agreement with the Architect of the Capitol to replace the Zachariah Chandler statue with one of President Gerald R. Ford; and be it further

            Resolved, That we hereby select the Gerald R. Ford Foundation as the entity that will develop the process for selecting an artist for the statue of President Ford and underwrite the costs of this entire project, including the costs of creating, transporting, and placing both statues at their respective locations and the costs related to ceremonies that may be held in Lansing and Washington, D.C.; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Office of the Governor, the Architect of the Capitol, the Gerald R. Ford Foundation, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the members of the Michigan congressional delegation, and the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress.