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Frank Wolf Fights for a Washington Celebration

(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Virginia Rep. Frank Wolf (R) testified Wednesday in support of his bill to change the date President George Washington’s birthday is observed (Presidents Day) to Feb. 22, the day Washington was actually born.

“Mr. Chairman, thank you for convening this hearing to discuss the importance of honoring George Washington on Feb. 22,” Wolf told the House Oversight and Government Reform subpanel on the federal workforce. “Last Wednesday marked the 280th anniversary of [Washington’s] birth, yet most Americans celebrated a generic ‘Presidents Day’ holiday two days earlier instead.”

To be fair, most of us “celebrated” the Presidents Day sales.

He continued: “Does anyone here … celebrate [their] birthday on the third Monday of a month? Of course not.”

Except for that person whose birthday falls on the third Monday of any given month. We bet that Wolf would indulge a person with an unfortunate third-Monday-of-the-month birthday with the freedom to celebrate his or her birthday.

“[Why] do we diminish the memory of the greatest American by turning his birthday into nothing more than a three-day weekend?” Wolf asked the committee. “The legislation you are considering today will remedy this glaring problem.”

After so many years of being overlooked, our nation’s OG — Washington — might finally be celebrated properly. But then how would Congress know when to schedule its February recess?

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