December 3, 2024
For Immediate Release
Contact: Taylor Haulsee
WASHINGTON — Tonight, Speaker Johnson hosted the 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas tree lighting ceremony. The 2024 tree – the People’s Tree – is an 80-foot-tall Sitka Spruce and was harvested from Alaska’s Tongass National Forest and driven across the country for display on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol.
Speaker Johnson was joined at the ceremony by the Alaska Congressional Delegation, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, Architect of the Capitol Tom Austin, USDA Forest Service Chief Randy Moore, and Alaska 4th grader Rose Burke, the winner of the annual Capitol Christmas Tree essay contest.
Speaker Johnson delivered the following remarks at the ceremony:
Well, thank you so much. I don’t know how to follow that. That was amazing. Thank you for sharing that. Thank you so much. Chief Moore and Mr. Austin and our friends from the Shtax’héen Khwáan tribe. I’m trying my best to pronounce that. All right, thank you.
Thank you also to Governor Dunleavy. I know it’s not a short trip from Alaska, so we want thank all of our friends who came this long way to be here.
Thanks also to Alaska’s extraordinary delegation here in Congress. Your senators, your member of Congress, they make great sacrifices to serve an extraordinary state and one of our favorites. What a great thing to share the culture of Alaska here tonight on Capitol Hill.
I also want to reiterate our thanks to the drivers who made this tree possible to get it here. 4,000 miles we’ve heard so many times, it’s pretty awesome, and that’s why we keep repeating it. But Fred Austin and John Schank, and I’m told, this hasn’t been mentioned yet tonight, but I think John made this same trip the last time Alaska had a tree here. And I’m not sure how many people in the history of the United States have made that trek twice. But that’s really something. And we’re grateful for their hard work.
Well, we love this event every year. It’s a great celebration for all the reasons that have been stated, and as this tree is placed in front of the capitol, we remember that this is the people’s house, and that means that this tree is truly the people’s tree.
This holiday season, more than 100,000 tourists will tour the halls of this monument to our great republic. And as they leave, they’ll stand on the National Mall, and, and they’ll see this tree. You’ll be able to see it all the way down the mall.
It’ll be well decorated of course, with colorful lights and ornaments, and the lights on this tree symbolize something. They symbolize the light that this season brings, as has been mentioned tonight, the light of hope and happiness and tradition, the light of joy that comes with having meals with family and friends. And of course, the light of gratitude that comes with reflecting on the blessings of the year that has passed.
And as we dedicate this tree, we look up to see the star atop its branches. And it’s a star, not unlike the one that guided those three ancient wise men to Bethlehem 2000 years ago.
These wise men looking to the star above in the East were filled with faith and hope and love. And they looked beyond, beyond the kings of the earth to see the birth of the King of kings, Jesus of Nazareth.
It’s Congress’s duty as representatives of the people to follow the example of those wise men and look up for wisdom, to look to God our creator, who has so greatly blessed our nation. We look to him for guidance as we pursue the unity and the wellbeing of this great and beautiful nation.
President Ronald Reagan once observed that “of all the kings who ever ringed and of all the parliaments that ever sat, none have done as much to advance the cause of peace on earth and goodwill to all men, as the king of kings.”
And because our country seeks peace, and because we seek the good of this nation, we ought to reflect this prince of peace in the way we live our own lives and live as those who shine the light even in the darkest of places.
For much of our nation’s history, at Christmas time, families have gathered in their homes around the Christmas tree to open presents and in their churches to celebrate and to have prayer.
You gather in front of fireplaces and in pews where the hope is kindled and faith is inspired. And it’s also where we feel most closely, those who are not with us. The service members who are stationed overseas, defending our freedom, the Americans who are called hostage by dark regimes.
And in the face of that darkness, we invoke the power of prayer for those who find this season bittersweet, we ask that God would fill them with the warmth of love and the promise of peace on earth and goodwill towards all men.
And we pray that when they look at the light of this Christmas tree or at the candles of the menorahs on their mantles, that they will be filled with renewed hope.
Now, I would be wrong to light this tree alone, and I need the help with someone who knows that this tree where it comes from far better than I do. And you’ve heard a lot about Ms. Rose Burke tonight, but I’m going to ask her to join me up here on the stage when we come up. Ms. Rose, come over here. Give her a round of applause.
Now you’ve heard Rose is the winner of the Capitol Christmas tree essay contest. And she comes to us all the way from Kenai Peninsula and Alaska. Did I say it right? Kenai right. She’s corrected me already twice tonight.
She’s also one of 12 brothers and sisters. Everything’s bigger in Alaska, as was said, and I’m sure she made gifts for all of them, right?
We’re gonna ask Rose to share with us the essay that allowed her to win this contest. You’ve already heard it quoted twice, but let’s hear it from the author herself. One more hand for Rose Burke, if you will.
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