| Sponsor | Rep. Platts, Todd Russell |
| Committee | Oversight and Government Reform |
| Date | November 2, 2009 (111th Congress, 1st Session) |
| Staff Contact | Sarah Makin |
H.Res. 736 is expected to be considered under suspension of the rules, requiring a two-thirds majority for passage. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA) on September 10, 2009.
H.Res. 736 resolves that the House of Representatives "honors President Lincoln's greatest speech, the Gettysburg Address; and encourages people in the United States to read the Gettysburg Address on ‘Dedication Day' in public places across the Nation."
According to the resolution's findings, on November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln dedicated the Soldiers' National Cemetery on the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with the Gettysburg Address. Congress adopted a joint resolution on August 7, 1946, declaring the Gettysburg Address to be "the outstanding classic of the ages," designating November 19 as "Dedication Day" in honor of the Gettysburg Address, and suggesting that the Gettysburg Address "be read on that day in public assemblages throughout the United States and its possessions, on our ships at sea, and wherever the American flag flies."