PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Plans are in the works to hold a ceremonial joint session of Congress at Independence Hall in 2026 to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Speaking at the Independence Visitors Center on Monday, Congressman Brendan Boyle told reporters he planned to introduce a bill Tuesday to bring lawmakers back to the nation’s birthplace.
“Through this special meeting of Congress, we will ensure that the eyes of the nation — indeed, the eyes of the world — will be on Philadelphia as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday,” Boyle said.
It would be the third time since 1800 that a joint session of Congress was held outside of the nation’s capital in Washington. D.C. The first was in 1987 when lawmakers convened in Philadelphia to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. The second was a session in New York City one year after 9/11.
When it comes to logistics, Boyle said his bill would follow the pattern of previous ceremonial sessions.
“There is a precedent,” Boyle said. “The fact that once before here at Independence Hall, as well as once before in New York, a special joint session has already been held.”
Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon supports the concept of a 2026 Congressional Session in Philadelphia.
“We would be so delighted to have our colleagues return here to steep themselves in the history and the values and just the sheer magnificence of the founding principles of our country,” Scanlon said.
Boyle said members could hold a ceremonial meeting at Independence Hall or right next door at Congress Hall, where Congress met between 1790 and 1800 when Philadelphia was the nation’s capital.
Boyle, a Democrat, said in a climate of political divisiveness, he’s received bipartisan support for the idea.
“I think this is the kind of thing that can help bring us together and unify us at a time when we are more divided than at any point in my lifetime — some say perhaps more than at any point since the 1850s,” Boyle said. “There is nothing inherently Democratic or Republican about this legislation. It is truly all-American. So I expect unanimous support from members, whether they’re Democrat or Republican.”