IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 551
Thanking C–SPAN for its service to the House of Representatives on the 
25th anniversary of its first coverage of the proceedings of the House. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 9, 2004
Mr. NEY (for himself, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. WILSON of South 
Carolina, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr. FEENEY, Ms. ROS-
LEHTINEN, Mr. CHABOT, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. REYNOLDS, 
Mr. STUPAK, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, and Mr. 
DREIER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on House Administration 
RESOLUTION 
Thanking C–SPAN for its service to the House of Represent-
atives on the 25th anniversary of its first coverage of 
the proceedings of the House.
Whereas C–SPAN (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) is 
a nonprofit educational organization created in 1979 
through the vision of Brian Lamb in order to provide 
live, gavel-to-gavel coverage of the House of Representa-
tives to the American people; 
Whereas on March 19, 1979, the House of Representatives 
turned on its cameras, and for the first time C–SPAN 
and its staff of just 4 people brought the live proceedings 
of the House into 3.5 million American homes;
•HRES 551 IH 
Whereas in 1980, C–SPAN covered its first Presidential elec-
tion and created one of the first nationwide viewer call-
in programs; 
Whereas by 1982, C–SPAN’s schedule expanded to 24 hours 
a day, 7 days a week; 
Whereas in June 1986, C–SPAN2 was created to broadcast 
live coverage of the Senate; 
Whereas by 1990, C–SPAN broadcast to 50 million American 
households, and this number expanded to 60 million 
households just three years later in 1993; 
Whereas in January 1997, C–SPAN launched live web cov-
erage of the House and Senate proceedings on the Inter-
net; 
Whereas today, C–SPAN has a staff of 275, its around-the-
clock programming is available to 86 million households 
via 7,900 cable systems, and an estimated 28,000,000 
people watch C–SPAN each week; and 
Whereas while only 51 percent of Americans voted in the 
2000 election, surveys show that percentage of regular 
C–SPAN viewers who voted in the election was 90 per-
cent: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) expresses the thanks of the House of Rep-
resentatives to the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs 
Network (C–SPAN) for its service to the House on 
the 25th anniversary of its first coverage of the pro-
ceedings of the House; 
(2) recognizes that for 25 years C–SPAN has 
met, and continues to meet each day, its mission of
•HRES 551 IH 
providing the Members of the House with a direct, 
unfiltered conduit to the American people on whose 
behalf they go to work every day, and in turn has 
provided direct access for the American people to 
their elected officials through call-in and other pro-
grams; 
(3) recognizes that since its inception 25 years 
ago, C–SPAN has forever changed the face of Amer-
ican political life, provided tremendous benefits to 
the American people and their elected officials, and 
has had a significant positive impact on the Amer-
ican democracy; 
(4) expresses its deep gratitude to Brian Lamb 
and the more than 275 C–SPAN employees who 
bring the proceedings of the House into the homes 
of tens of millions of Americans each day; and 
(5) commends C–SPAN and its employees for 
a tremendous 25 years of service to the American 
people and the Federal Government.
Æ
•HRES 551 IH 
Whereas in 1980, C-SPAN covered its first Presidential elec-
tion and created one of the first nationwide viewer call-
in programs; 
Whereas by 1982, C-SPAN’s schedule expanded to 24 hours 
a day, 7 days a week; 
Whereas in June 1986, C-SPAN2 was created to broadcast 
live coverage of the Senate; 
Whereas by 1990, C-SPAN broadcast to 50 million American 
households, and this number expanded to 60 million 
households just three years later in 1993; 
Whereas in January 1997, C-SPAN launched live web cov-
erage of the House and Senate proceedings on the Inter-
net; 
Whereas today, C-SPAN has a staff of 275, its around-the-
clock programming is available to 86 million households 
via 7,900 cable systems, and an estimated 28,000,000 
people watch C-SPAN each week; and 
Whereas while only 51 percent of Americans voted in the 
2000 election, surveys show that percentage of regular C-
SPAN viewers who voted in the election was 90 percent: 
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representativesl 
(1) expresses the thanks of the House of Rep-
resentatives to the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs 
Network (C-SPAN) for its service to the House on 
the 25th anniversary of its first coverage of the pro-
ceedings of the House; 
(2) recognizes that for 25 years C-SPAN has 
met, and continues to meet each day, its mission of
•HRES 551 IH 
providing the Members of the House with a direct, 
unfiltered conduit to the American people on whose 
behalf they go to work every day, and in turn has 
provided direct access for the American people to 
their elected officials through call-in and other pro-
grams; 
(3) recognizes that since its inception 25 year 
ago, C-SPAN has forever changed the face of Amer-
ican political life, provided tremendous benefits to 
the American people and their elected officials, and 
has had a significant positive impact on the Amer-
ican democracy; 
(4) expresses its deep gratitude to Brian Lamb 
and the more than 275 C-SPAN employees who 
bring the proceedings of the House into the homes 
of tens of millions of Americans each day; and 
(5) commends C-SPAN and its employees for a 
tremendous 25 years of service to the American peo-
ple and the Federal government.
Æ