Presidential Documents

76709 

Federal Register 

Vol. 89, No. 182 

Thursday, September 19, 2024 

Title 3— 

The President 

Proclamation 10812 of September 16, 2024 

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and Constitution 

Week, 2024 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

It has been said that, when he was leaving the Constitutional Convention, 

Benjamin Franklin was asked whether the Founding Fathers had given America a monarchy or a republic, and he replied: ‘‘A republic, if you can 

keep it.’’ The Founders put the power to decide our Nation’s future in 

the hands of ‘‘We the People.’’ On Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, 

and during Constitution Week, we recommit to preserving our republic, 

perfecting our Union, and ensuring our democracy survives and thrives. 

Our Constitution established that our Nation would be a democracy, meaning 

the rule of the people—not of monarchs, the monied, or the mighty. It 

gave us the separation of powers and checks and balances so that we 

would be a country that respects the institutions that govern a free society. 

And it remains the bulwark to prevent the abuse of power and ensures 

that ‘‘We the People’’ move forward together under the law. We are all 

responsible for maintaining our democracy—not only by adhering to the 

Constitution but also by our character and the habits of our hearts and 

minds. All of us must join the march to perfect our Union by protecting 

and expanding our rights with each successive generation. 

I believe America is at an inflection point, one of those rare moments 

in history when the decisions we make now will determine the fate of 

our Nation and the world for decades to come. That is why we must 

continue to protect the rights guaranteed by our Constitution and the values 

that make our Nation who we are. We must protect the right to vote— 

it is the threshold of democracy: with it, anything is possible, and without 

it, nothing is. Vice President Harris and I continue to call on the Congress 

to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to expand voting rights and prevent voter suppression. We will 

continue to work to protect women’s reproductive freedoms and their constitutional right to choose. We continue to call on the Congress to restore 

the protections of Roe v. Wade in Federal law once and for all. And we 

will continue to preserve and strengthen our democracy and will never 

walk away from the values that have made us the greatest Nation in the 

history of the world: freedom and liberty. 

Today, we also celebrate the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. From 

those who were born in this country to our naturalized citizens, America 

remains a great country because we are a good people. We are a Nation 

of promise and possibilities, of dreamers and doers, and of ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things. May we welcome our Nation’s newest citizens, whose stories embody the hope of the American Dream and whose 

contributions strengthen our country. 

On Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and during Constitution Week, 

we recognize that the power to build a freer, more prosperous, and more 

just future lies in the hands of the American people. And we recommit 

to fulfilling the sacred tasks of our time—to ensure democracy prevails 

and to preserve our constitutional protections for generations to come. 


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76710 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 182 / Thursday, September 19, 2024 / Presidential Documents 

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, 2024, 

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 we enjoy together 

as the proud people of this Nation. 

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

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

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

forty-ninth. 

[FR Doc. 2024–21565 

Filed 9–18–24; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3395–F4–P 


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