Presidential Documents

65109 

Federal Register 

Vol. 88, No. 182 

Thursday, September 21, 2023 

Title 3— 

The President 

Proclamation 10625 of September 15, 2023 

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and Constitution 

Week, 2023 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

More than two centuries ago, our Founders set in motion the most extraordinary experiment of self-government the world has ever known with three 

simple words: ‘‘We, the People.’’ These timeless words from our Constitution 

help capture the very idea of America—that we are all created equal and 

deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. On Constitution Day 

and Citizenship Day, and during Constitution Week, we recommit to doing 

the work of upholding our Constitution, defending our democracy, and 

building an America that is more prosperous, more equal, and more just. 

History requires us to acknowledge that we have never fully lived up to 

the promise of America. But we have never fully walked away from it 

either. Burning inside each generation of Americans is the flame of liberty 

lit at Independence Hall that has guided our Nation from the horrors of 

slavery to the justice of abolition, from the tragedy of a Civil War to the 

preservation of our Union, and from economic turmoil and world wars 

to movements for universal suffrage and civil rights. Our commitment to 

a Government—of, by, and for the people—has ensured that our Nation 

remains a citadel of liberty. 

American democracy hinges on a fundamental freedom guaranteed by our 

Constitution: the right to vote. In our own time, as in generations past, 

this freedom has been under attack. The Supreme Court weakened the 

landmark Voting Rights Act, and States have enacted dozens of anti-voting 

laws in the years since. In one of the darkest moments of our Nation’s 

history, on January 6, 2021, we saw the violent and deadly insurrection 

at the Capitol perpetrated by election deniers. My Administration will not 

allow the right to vote and have that vote counted be taken from the 

American people. This year, I signed the Electoral Count Reform Act to 

preserve the will of the people and help protect the peaceful transfer of 

power. And I continue to urge the Congress to pass the Freedom to Vote 

Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore and 

expand voting protections and to prevent voter suppression. 

But there is still more work to do. Protecting our civil rights is the duty 

of each and every American. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision 

to eliminate a woman’s right to choose—a constitutional right that it had 

recognized for nearly 50 years—my Administration took action to protect 

access to reproductive care, and we are continuing to call on the Congress 

to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade. As some seek to erase our history 

and ban books, we are making it clear that we cannot just choose to learn 

what we want to know and not what we should know. We must learn 

everything—the good, the bad, and the truth of who we are as a Nation. 

That is what great nations do. And we are a great Nation. The diversity 

that defines America is a strength, not a weakness, and we will continue 

to fight for the full inclusion of all Americans in the promise of America. 

As we celebrate our Constitution, we also celebrate the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. We honor everyday Americans who always do extraordinary things. And we welcome our newest citizens and immigrants—many 


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65110 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 182 / Thursday, September 21, 2023 / Presidential Documents 

of whom left the only home they have ever known with hopes of pursuing 

the American Dream, bringing new energy and ideas that move our Nation 

forward. That is why, on day one of my Administration, I sent the Congress 

my plan to reform the immigration system. And until the Congress acts, 

we will keep using every tool we have to make immigration more orderly, 

safe, and humane. 

America is founded on an idea—one stronger than any army, bigger than 

any ocean, and more powerful than any dictator or tyrant. It is the most 

powerful idea in the history of the world, and it beats in the hearts of 

the people in this country. It is the idea that America guarantees that 

everyone be treated with dignity. It gives hate no safe harbor. It instills 

in everyone the belief that, no matter where you start in life, there is 

nothing you cannot achieve. Whether your ancestors were native to these 

shores or they were brought here forcibly and enslaved—or whether they 

immigrated generations back, like my family from Ireland, or they just arrived 

in search of a better life for their families—the idea of America unites 

all of us. Today and every day, we celebrate this idea imagined in our 

Constitution and preserved through the noble labors of Americans past and 

present. And we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring this idea lives on 

for generations to come. 

To honor the timeless principles enshrined in our Constitution, the Congress 

has, by joint resolution of February 29, 1952 (36 U.S.C. 106), designated 

September 17 as ‘‘Constitution Day and Citizenship Day’’ and authorized 

the President to issue a proclamation calling on United States officials 

to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on 

that day. By joint resolution of August 2, 1956 (36 U.S.C. 108), the Congress 

further requested that the President proclaim the week beginning September 

17 and ending September 23 of each year as ‘‘Constitution Week.’’ 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 17, 2023, 

as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and September 17 through September 23 as Constitution Week. On this day and during this week, we 

celebrate our Constitution and the rights of citizenship that together we 

enjoy as the people of this proud Nation. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day 

of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and 

of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 

and forty-eighth. 

[FR Doc. 2023–20600 

Filed 9–20–23; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3395–F3–P 


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