119-hr2761

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2761 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2761

 To prohibit the use of Federal funds for a military parade in the 
District of Columbia intended for the personal celebration of President 
 Donald J. Trump, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 9, 2025

 Mr. Cohen introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently 
 determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To prohibit the use of Federal funds for a military parade in the 
District of Columbia intended for the personal celebration of President 
 Donald J. Trump, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Halting All Parades for Presidents' 
Yearly Birthdays, It Risks Taxpayer Harm, Damages, And Your Budget 
Act'' or the ``HAPPY BIRTHDAY Budget Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) Military parades are traditionally reserved for 
 national celebrations, commemorations of military service, or 
 significant public occasions, not personal milestones such as 
 birthdays.

    (2) A military parade previously considered in President 
 Donald J. Trump's first term was canceled due to cost concerns, 
 including costs to the military of $92 million and public 
 safety costs to the District of Columbia of over $21 million.

    (3) Heavy military vehicles risk causing damage to District 
 of Columbia roads, which are not designed to support such 
 weight, requiring taxpayer-funded repairs.

    (4) President Trump has conducted mass layoffs and firings 
 in the Federal Government through the so-called ``Department of 
 Government Efficiency

    (DOGE) '' under the guise of ``saving 
 taxpayer money''.

    (5) The District of Columbia is often not fully reimbursed 
 for expenses incurred during Federal events, placing an undue 
 financial burden on local agencies and taxpayers.

    (6) The Washington City Paper reported that President Trump 
 has expressed interest in holding a military parade in the 
 District of Columbia on June 14, 2025, as a personal birthday 
 celebration.

    (7) While June 14, 2025, is the United States Army's 250th 
 birthday and Flag Day, it is also President Donald J. Trump's 
 79th birthday.

    (8) The U.S. Army has never held a military parade to 
 celebrate its own birthday, and the Army's 250th anniversary 
 celebration has been in the planning stages for several years 
 with no plans for a parade in the District of Columbia.

    (9) It is unlikely that President Trump will include an 
 air, sea, or terrestrial extravaganza to celebrate the 
 birthdays of the other military branches, further highlighting 
 the personal nature of the proposed celebration.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

 It is the sense of Congress that public funds should be used to 
support the well-being and security of the American people and not 
expended on displays of military force for personal glorification.

SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR MILITARY PARADE IN DISTRICT OF 
 COLUMBIA.

 No Federal funds may be obligated or expended for the planning, 
execution, security, transportation, or infrastructure support of any 
military parade in the District of Columbia that is primarily intended 
to celebrate the birthday, personal milestone, or private interest of 
any individual, including President Donald J. Trump.

SEC. 5. ALTERNATIVE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS.

    (a) Alternative Celebrations.--Congress encourages President Trump 
to consider alternative birthday celebrations that do not involve 
armored vehicles or fighter jets, such as cake, golf, or bingo night.

    (b) Birthday Wishes.--In recognition of his birthday, Congress 
extends a sincere ``Happy Birthday'' to Donald J. Trump, free of 
charge, and encourages all Americans who wish to send birthday wishes 
to the President to do so through the United States Postal Service, the 
only service expressly authorized in the Constitution of the United 
States for the transmission of personal correspondence, where neither 
snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the 
swift completion of their appointed rounds.
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