Lewis and Clark Road Trips Congressional Briefing

Since I was going to be in Washington attending Book Expo, I thought it would be a good idea to give away some copies of Lewis and Clark Road Trips to members of Congress and their staffs to promote and support the legislative bill extending the National Lewis and Clark Trail to include the eastern states. One thing led to another and Representative Jeff Fortenberry’s (NE) office arranged for me to give a congressional briefing to the Lewis and Clark Caucus and Travel & Tourism Caucus on May 23rd. It was attended by about 20 staff members of congressional representatives.

My biggest worry was how to get twenty some books to the briefing! I had shipped the books to DC by Fed-Ex,  but getting them through security at the Capitol needed personal delivery. I put the books in my wheeled carry-on case and took a taxi to the Cannon House Office Building. When I saw the row of steps going up into the building, I asked a young man where the delivery entrance was. Within a few minutes this amazing young person had carried my 50 pound case up at least thirty steps, put it on the security check apparatus, taken it down, and there I was in the beautiful marble halls with my books. I found the briefing room and left the books there while I went downstairs to walk over through the tunnels to the Food Court in the Longworth House Office Building. The cafeteria was filled with congressional staffers, visitors and groups of high school students visiting Washington. Many years ago when I was in high school I visited the Capitol and my congressman Barrett O’Hara from Chicago treated me to the famous Senate Bean Soup. I had bean soup again in honor of his memory. 

The briefing went well. I just showed them the book and we talked. I want to encourage the passage of H.R. 5053 and S-3513, the companion house and senate bills for the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Extension Act of 2006. The Act will extend the trail to include the eastern states. The National Historic Trail now starts and ends in the area of their 1803-04 Wood River Camp near Hartford, Illinois. My book, Lewis and Clark Road Trips, has almost 200 destinations east of Hartford, Illinois. It is an obvious error of omission to not include the White House, where the expedition was planned, where Meriwether Lewis lived for two years as President Jefferson’s private assistant; and from where he departed on July 5, 1803 and to where he returned on December 28, 1806 to report to the President.

Washington DC, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Tennesee, Kentucky and Indiana will be added to the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail (administered by the National Park Service) when the legislation is enacted. We need more co-sponsors to ensure that the bill will pass in 2007. Call or e-mail your congressional offices to request that your representatives add their names to the list of co-sponsors. The sponsors are Representative Melissa Hart (PA) and Senator Jim Bunning (KY). Contact the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation for more information.

Posted by on 10/28/2006 at 02:33 PM

Comments

Lewis and Clark, nice name!

Posted by top travel directories on 06/30/2008 at 11:39 AM

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