Statement on Receiving
the Report of the Commission on the Bicentennial of the
I
was privileged to receive today, from Chief Justice Warren E. Burger in his
capacity as Chairman, the second report of the Commission on the Bicentennial
of the United States Constitution. Since this is the 199th anniversary of the
signing of the Constitution, the Commission's report is particularly timely.
In
keeping with the significance of the Constitution to the continuing life of our
country, the Commission was chosen to celebrate the Constitution's bicentennial
as a 3-year lesson for all of us in our history and government. I am
particularly pleased by the Commission's cosponsorship
of a high school essay contest. The topic, ``The Constitution: How Does the
Separation of Powers Help Make It Work?,'' is a challenging
exercise that will focus the attention of our young citizens on the essence of
our constitutional heritage. I urge students and teachers in the Nation's high
schools to make this contest an important element of the year's curriculum.
The Commission's report
demonstrates considerable progress thus far, and much of the credit must go to
Chief Justice Burger for his special, personal commitment to the Commission's
important work. In retiring as Chief Justice of the