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>> next house speaker mike johnson taking part in a ceremony unveiling a statue of the late rev. billy graham at the us capitol area the speaker joined by billy graham's son and the north carolina congressional delegation. billy graham was a well-known evangelical christian figurefrom north carolina . he died in 2018 . this is about 50minutes . >> ladies and gentlemen, the hon. mike johnson, speaker of the united states house of representatives . [applause] >> good morning everyone. it's a true honor to have you here and as speaker of the house it is my pleasure to welcome you here as we honor one of america's greatest citizens and enduring heroes.

our capital as you know is filled with monuments to our history. they teach us about where we were and where we are and where we are going as a nation . the statue of the oldest man in the capital is john winthrop, he was an english puritan lawyer and one of the leading founders ad of the massachusetts bay colony of 1630. he symbolizes how our country began marked by the belief as he said in his own words that with god's help we could be the shining city upon a hill for the people. of course making the reference from scripture. our newest statue is of a man who shared that same vision and believed that same gospel. a man who looked back at where we were and who prayed and served endlessly for what we could become again , that shining city on a hill. i want you to know this truly

is a historic moment. there are only fourpeople in the history of our country who have received the three highest honors here. those ldthree are a congressional gold medal , lying in state upon their passing and having a statue here in the capital . two of them were presidents , presidents ford and reagan and one is rosa parks and the other as of today will be rev. billy graham. [applause] i've done a few of these ceremonial events now . we've

had a couple of statues come in since i've been speaker of the house. i don't ever get nervous for a public speaking but i amnervous now, can i be honest?because billy graham is such a towering figure in my life and all our lives and he such a singular figure. the leading ambassador for the mkingdom in our lifetime and it means so much to me but i want you to know it's always a long journey to get a statue here in the capital but we have a lot of things to get out today , many people who helped bring this day about and make it possible . billy graham finally takes his place in the holograms of american democracy. >> ladies and gentlemen please stand for the presentation of the colors by the united states army colorguard from the third infantry regiment the old guard the performance of our national anthem by the united states army band hershey's re own brad quintet and retiring of the colors.

>> oh say can you see by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming. whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight over the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming. and the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night

that our flag was still there. oh say does that star-spangled banner yet waived. over the land of the free and the home of of the brave.

>> ladies and gentlemen, in please remain standing for the invocation delivered by doctor barry black, chaplain of the united states senate . >> let us pray. spirit of holiness, before whom none can stand in his or her own righteousness. , into this statute dedication ceremony and dwell within our hearts. lord we thank you for this opportunity to honor the life and legacy of your servant, the rev. william franklin billy graham junior by placing his statue in the united states capitol building.

we praise you for his life which was like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless day . and like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth. lord, we celebrate his laudable example of blameless living, of obedience to your commands and of telling your good news about salvation around the world. in fired by his grades and sacrificial life, may we commit refusing to deviate from integrity . living above reproach and the striving to

transform dark yesterday's into bright tomorrows. and all of our tomorrows almighty god keep our eyes from tears, our feet from stumbling g and our hearts from despair. we pray in the name of the one doctor billy graham passionately loved and served jesus christ, the king of kings. and lord of lords. amen and amen. >> please be seated.

>> ladies and gentlemen the hon. mike johnson, speaker of the united states house of representatives. >> one of the good things about these ceremonies is we don't belabor the point. are going bto get right to the unveiling of the statue here, the beginning of the ceremony . i have a great privilege of doing that but i'd like to invite people to join me for this exercise beginning with governor cooper and members of the north carolina congressional delegation, the graham family, it's a big family . doctor bruce, mr. fagan and statuary hall committee if you would want me here and we will do this together .

>> ladies and gentlemen, the hon. roy cooper, governor of north carolina .

[applause] >> mr. speaker, elected officials, distinguished guests, family and loved ones, the rev. billy graham, i bring greetings from the state of north carolina. it is such an honor to be with you on this special day. and i'm sure many of you here already know it is always an honor every day to be from the great state of north carolina. our state has given this nation's first flight, its first public university. his rich farmland , it's best college basketball. even its first declaration of freedom with the halifax results . today, north

carolina gives the nation a symbol representing one of our dearest treasures. the rev. billy graham. a man of faith, a man of north carolina. the rev. graham was known as a minister to millions. our pastor to presidents, a selfless man of god who lived out his calling by preaching and teaching across the world . always returning to his beloved home in the blue ridge mountains of north carolina for respite and to return again to this worldwide ministry. i'll never forget as a child hearing him preach at kera finley stadium in raleigh. he brought together people of different faiths and different races. today we acknowledge that he is a better representation of our state than the statue it

replaces which brought memories of painful history of racism. not that rev. graham was perfect, he would have been the first to tell us that. instead he realized that he and all of us here todayhalf feet of clay. we are imperfect . we have been found wanting. but he believed as many of us do that there is redemption and he gave his life to delivering that message. the rev. billy graham also recognized the responsibility of public servants such as us and especially that of the president of the united states was so immense that whoever was in the office deserved a presumption of good faith.

and the power of prayer. the gift of his wisdom . friendship and advice. he did not seek to bludgeon or deify any political candidate or party. instead he would use his magnetic loving and persuasive gifts counsel and lift in prayer political leaders of both parties . he did not seek to attack other religions and he treated all with dignity and respect. in fact he once said quote, racial prejudice and high semitism or hatred of anyone with different beliefs has no place in the human mind or heart. we often strayed from that example. because we stand together today as public officials we can honor his legacy not just by unveiling the statue but

by being humble. humble enough to know that our public service is not to honor ourselves sebut to serve our country and strengthen our democracy. and humble enough to put aside personal aggrandizement, to do better for our country, not for personal gain. as we gaze upon north carolina's newest statue here in the capital let us reflect on the realization that the rev. ut billy graham's work to share counsel and guidance, to seek grace and peace and live a life of faith, service and humility is needed now more than ever . the work to bring people together for a higher calling, that work is unfinished . and that work

must continue. thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the hon. ted, united states >> ladies and gentlemen, the hon. ted, united states ctr. from north carolina. >> good morning, it is my honor to be here. this day is a decade in the making. it would not have been possible without the teamwork of fellow members of the north carolina delegation so thank you . i want to thank them for their commitment to honor one of north carolina's favorite sons . the legacy of rev. billy graham is based on a simple message.creation, fall, redemption and our ultimate

hope set forth in scripture. we took this message of hope in christ to more than 185 nations, more than 200 billion people in person . and more than 2 billion people through radio and television broadcast. now i was one of those 2 billionwho would watch him on tv as a young kid . when i was young i remember loving to watch billy graham and for two reasons . one, it was the good news of jesus christ when simile presented and two, if he was on tv myparents would let me stay up late . to this day i want to get up and walk to him. more people have heard the

good news from billy graham than any man in our history and that incredible legacy didn't start with him . as with many things it started in the prayers of prior generations, with his parents and in-laws. and this legacy continues on through his children, through his grandchildren and for the north carolinians here today is our great honor to have billy graham and his family call our state home. he was raised on a small farm in what's now grown into a big city . and he and ruth could have lived anywhere in the world but they chose to make north ti carolina whole . they raised their family there and put our stay at the heart of a global ministry so as wehonor his memory in the us capital let us never forget the bible that he preached , the souls that were saved and the lives that were transformed and

that life affected the course of nations. it is our hope that as lawmakers met as we passed through the statue of billy graham that we are reminded of his ministry . so often emphasizing two verses in the gospel of john asked on either side of this beautiful statue. the first as we know from the book of john chapter 3 verse 16, for as god loved the world he gave his one and only son and one and only son that whoever believes in him will not ndperish but have everlasting life . and in john 14 six jesus declares i am the way and the truth and the life and no one comes to the father but by me. i quote in his works in his final crusade in 2005 he said

i have one message that jesus christ came, he died on the cross and he asked us to repent of our sins and to receive them by faith as lord and savior and if we do we have forgiveness of all our sins. friends, god's grace is undeserved but through christ it is freely given and it is by trusting in christ's sacrifice that we are saved. if you've not made that decision for yourself i hope and i pray that you will. for friends, it is by the power t of christ's spirit and a transformed life that we have the power to love one another and the power to make america and the world a better place . may god bless the life and legacy of rev. william franklin graham junior and may god forever bless the united states of america .

[applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the hon. tom gillis, unitedstates lsenator from north carolina . >> thank you all and welcome to our great capital. mr. speaker, you are hard-pressed here to get consensus on what's color the sky is on a cloudless day but i believe we can all agree here and have great consensus that billy graham was a trailblazer. during the 1950s in an era where leaders in the south openly embraced segregation it was billy graham who spoke out against it . he insisted in his sermons that they be integrated.

he shared his black for platform with black ministers including one named martin luther king jr. rev. graham was blessed with the gift of race differences and brought us all together. i remember vividly there were two things that were a staple in my family. walter cronkite and billy graham. rev. graham was blessed with a gift that brings us all together, and erases the differencesbetween us. you remember in the crusades we all came together. the united americans. he lifted them up. he understood how god worked to change hearts and inspired us to live up to our highest ideals . i hope when members of congress walk by his statue they reflect on the standards of faith , ethics and decency that he exemplified throughout his extraordinary life. i believe that his presence

in the capital can help us find opportunities to unite around what makes our nation great. there is no north carolinians more deserving of this honor . i want to thank the many ypeople who played a role in getting his statue here. i see one of those people, my friend, former colleague charlie jeter in the audience. he led the charge to get the state law passed in 2015 that started this whole process. chase fagan, charlotte artist, any one what awonderful job you did with this statue . [applause] >> also i have to thank the graham family. franklin and all of you, thank you for sharing such a wonderful treasure with the rest of this world . our nation is blessed to have billy graham as our nation's pastor and as north carolina's honor to be able to call him ournative son .

thank you all for being here today and thank you for gracing this beautiful capital with billy graham. god bless you all. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the rev. william franklin graham the sun, son of billy graham junior and pres. and ceo billy graham evangelical association and americans first. o [applause] >> thank you mr. speaker, vice president pence, members of the house, governor cooper. distinguished guests and family. my father would be a little uncomfortable with this being

here. because he would want the focus to be on the one that he preached . he would want the focus tobe on the lord jesus christ, the son of god . on the base, john 3:16. are inscribed and of course john 3:16 tells us god so loved this world that he sent his son on a rescue mission to save sinners. he didn't come to condemn, he came to save and we would confess our sins and believe in the lord jesus christ we

can be saved and this is his message he preached his entire life. he never got off track. and of course jesus said i am the way and the truth and the life, no man comes to the father but by me . my father believed the bible ever to cover, he didn't understand it all but hecertainly believed it all , every word of it. our family is honored that our earthly father r will be here in this capital. pointing future generations to our heavenly father andhis son the lord jesus christ . thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen,

michael w smith performing i surrender all. >> it is an honor to be here and i can't help but reflect on the many times we were able to minister together all across america for some many years and i especially remember the last few years of his life on this earth, especially the last few months when i set up my piano i saw him in his wheelchair and even when we were friends he wanted to hear some hymns, that's what you wanted to hear . and he would try to sing along as best as he could but this is one that i remember probably the rest of my life that we had the treasure of experiencing together and i think maybe just maybe othat billy would

want this to be our theme song today and in the days ahead. >>.♪ ♪ [singing] i surrender unto ♪ ♪ jesus.♪ ♪ i will ever now in trust ♪ ♪ him in his presence daily ♪ ♪ live.♪ ♪ i surrender.♪ ♪ i surrender all.♪

♪ all to the my blessed ♪ ♪ savior, i surrender all.♪ ♪ all to jesus i surrender.♪ ♪ through the pressures all ♪ ♪ forsaken, take me jesus, ♪ ♪ take me now.♪ ♪ i surrender all.♪ ♪ i surrender all.♪ ♪ all to you my blessed ♪

♪ savior, i surrender all.♪ ♪ >> .. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the honorable patrick mchenry, united states representative

from the tenth district of north carolina. [applause] >> please forgive me. i didn't organize the program. had i organize the program i would not follow franklin graham or michael w smith. so forgive me. this will pass quickly. but one of the great moments, and i would say the greatest moment of my service in congress was in 2012. redistricting had just occurred in north carolina which is traditional, seasonal, and is just getting to know new parts of my district when n i got a cl from the folks in reverend graham's office, said that he would welcome the opportunity to meet his new congressman. and so you see, my new district had taken in a little town called, for college town in the

valley of western north carolina. it was in this small town in western north carolina that reverend graham and his belovedj ruth were married, made their home, raised the family. he was just as comfortable chatting with locals at the restaurant in neighboring black brown says he was on the world stage. he was in the little train stopped in black mountain that he would take the overnight train in the 1950s and the 1960s to 60s to come here to washington. that overnight train he would get off at the station right down the road and he would go meet with folks here in this capital, both parties. you go to the white house, and i'm out of the president, they him as their counselor, no matter the party it wanted him as their counselor. and he barely speak with reverend graham in the home that he and ruth raise their amazing family, to pray with him, to

feel the warmth that so many have felt broadly, and one on one, is his experience and the memory i will always, always treasure. so today it is a true honor to bens a a part of the lasting e to america's pastor who counseled 13 presidents, who personally evangelized nearly 215 million people in 185 countries. a man who squarely was in the public eye but who transcended politics. this humble servant of god who raised, who was raised on his father's dairy farm in charlotte, from those modest roots he went on to be the finest north carolinians, without a doubt the finest north carolinians north carolina has ever produced it and it is altogether fitting that he should take his place among the greatest americans here in

statuary hall. thanks so much. god bless. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the honorable virginia foxx, united states representative from the fifth district of north carolina. [applause] finest north carolina has ever produced. altogether fitting that he should take his place among the greatest americans here in the statuary hall. thank you so much. god bless. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the honorable virginia fox united states representative from the fifth district of north carolina [applause] >> so patrick said he had a tough position in the program, so what about me? i have to follow him.

good morning, everyone. especially the members of the graham family that are with here and those that traveled all the way from the beloved mountains of north carolina. welcome. the building that i love and admire deeply should represent the very best of america. that is why it is such a proud moment for me to see reverend graham's statute take its place here. four many years i've advocated for reverend graham to have a place within these halls. and to know that millions of people who visit the capital every year, will be able to look upon his statue, read those verses and be encouraged. the north carolina delegation

general assembly, the design committee worked with expediency to bring this suggestion to fruition. everyone understood the impact within our country and across the world. he deserves to be recognized in a very tangible way here in the capital. during his lifetime he counseled foreign dignitaries. numerous presidents, members of the royal family and public figures. however, his life's work was dedicated to the millions of people around the world to found jesus christ as their lord and savior through his preaching as well as to being patriarch of a family that is continuing his work. he wants described being a

christian as more than just an instantaneous conversion. it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like christ. how well we hear in congress understand what a challenge that is. and, others have alluded to it. seeing this statue here every day will encourage us to strive to be more like reverend graham and like christ. we are blessed that the lord allowed him to be with us for 99 years. with this statue, his memory and example will live on as long as our country exists. it is an honor to be here on this momentous day. may god continue to bless all of you and our great country. thank you. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, the honorable mike johnson, speaker of the united states house of representatives. [applause] >> what an exciting day this is been and what a fitting ceremony you've heard of motion, you've heard authenticity, you've heard humility and tm body that for so much of us. he was a model in so many ways. we want to thank you for being here. i have a thought i want to share just briefly. first of all, scripture advises us to give honor to where honor is due. the statue committee. governor cooper, of course, the north carolina delegation, you guys have sent an awesome group to congress. led by the delegation virginia fox. she is amazing. of course the billy graham

evangelical association was has a massive untold impact. a measurable impact around the world. i have also, i note here with us lots of dignitaries and many of my personal heroes from north carolina is with us. another person that i know personally impacted by billy graham. [applause] he was mentioned earlier just briefly. chance fagan is the sculptor of this magnificat statue. i mentioned earlier only for americans who have achieved the three highest honors here. i mentioned it earlier president ronald reagan. what you may not know is mr. fagan also created that

statue and that is pretty awesome. i actually love this placement. i'm not sure if you all realize the significance of this. this is the main corridor through the congress and through the capital. literally millions of people will walk by and read john 146 right there. then they will walk around the other side and see john 316. they will see him pointing to the open block. this will be a great conversation piece for us as we give tours in the capital late night. and the school kids. university school students. i think it is a perfect placement. while i stand before you as a speaker of the house i more importantly here today as so many of us are as a believer, a christian, a follower of christ. one that is been deeply impacted by the ministry of the reverend

billy graham. 1951 that he came to my hometown for one of his early crusades. he came at the invitation of doctor me dad and reverend grand -- graham started preaching at our auditorium. you know the phrase elvis has left the building. right there municipal auditorium it is a famous place. but the problem was that reverend graham was too popular and the message was too impactful and the crowds were so large they had to move to the football field at the state fairgrounds in shreveport. those meetings became reverend graham's very first outdoor crusades. yes, you are right. at least that is what we claim. over the course of three weeks he preached to approximately 200,000 people which is greater than the population of the whole northwest corner of the state. so they came in from all over the place. one of the men present at those meeting seven decades ago led by own father to christ.

and other people who are present at those meetings where my childhood pastors in mice sunday school teachers who all had a massive influence, of course, on me. the gospel that they preached to me and my siblings and everyone in my sphere of influence. that is a message that changed my life for eternity and reverend graham knew would change every person's life. the good news of salvation and redemption and hope as you heard articulated here today. our creator loved us so much, every one of us that he gave his only son so every single person that believes in him can have that same gift of eternal life. even as he preached to hundreds of millions administered to and walk to presidents and kings, what we love about billy graham as he exemplified christ's humility, as amplified here today. he was buried, many people do not remember, and apply would casket that was fashioned by prisoners in louisiana.

he humbled himself to care for the poor and prisoners, they are forgotten the law stand least of these. exactly what the scripture tells us to do. and, because he believed, he really did believe that even the poorest sinner could be a co- heir with christ for eternity that is what motivated him. and, those men that made his casket had come to believe that message, too. they believed that through the influence. because river graham never pursued earthlyhes as said he would probably be uncomfortable with this today. that humility is exactly why god exalted him and chose him and raised his platform to such great heights. billy graham was known as america's great pastor. he had a personal relationship with and a unique influence upon every president since harry

truman. as his body late here in the rotunda in february 2018, throngs of people came through to pay their last respects and all the members of congress and everybody, dignitaries from all around, tributes poured in. they included all of the living former presidents. here is a quick sample of some of the things they said. billy's acceptance of jesus christ around his 17th birthday not only changed his wife, it changed our country in the world one of the figures of the last 100 years. an american hero whose life and leadership truly earned him the title god's ambassador. barack obama tweeted this. billy graham was a humble servant who prayed for so many and two, with wisdom and grace gave hope and guidance to generations. george w. bush said those that are blessed to know billy graham benefited from his deep convictions and personal example his wisdom and humility, his

grace and purity of heart. we knew his life was a gift from the almighty. i rejoice that he is now in the company of god that we love so much and serve so well. bill clinton, he said billy graham was one of the most -- the powerful words touched countless. they were very close. his faith in christ and is totally honest evangelical spirit inspired people across the country and around the world , i think billy touched the hearts of not only christians, but people of all faith because he was such a good man. the reverend billy graham tirelessly spread the message of fellowship and hope and shape the lives of tens of millions of people worldwide. broad-minded, forgiving and humble in his treatment of others. he exemplified the life of jesus christ by constantly reaching

out to serve. what a model for us. what a story to tell as we bring schoolkids and university students and constituents to bring right here. at the foundation of the statue mentioned, they will be shared broadly now and in his left hand just a couple of things. he held an open bible, as you can see. he is inviting all of those to view and reflect upon the word of god. his bible is open specifically. you'd have to climb on a ladder to see. later i will click take a picture to all of you. one of the reasons i'm nervous as they handed me billy graham's study bible. it is priceless. i'm about to shake just holding it right now. it has his notes inside.

i know. i know. i need secret service to come and handed off to him. it is opened as i said in galatians 614. he has it underlined in red. but god forbid that i should glory save in the cross of our lord jesus christ by whom the world is crucified on to me and i into the world. that is a fitting verse we open to. as you can see the page is well marked. it is pretty awesome. he put this in his final years and to close using one of his own marked up bibles. thank you all for coming here today. we invite you to stick around as

long as you like and take photos as we all celebrate together the as we conclude our service, behalf of the graham family and the grateful citizens of the state of north carolina, thanks to the congressional leadership for this marvelous honor. mr. graham simply wanted to be remembered as a preacher of the gospel of thetl lord jesus chri. and so he shall always be. let us pray. our father andti our god, we thk you for the steve remembrance and honor for this your servant, billy graham, and his ministry that encompassed the world. we are also grateful for this place in which mr. graham is being honored, a special and beautiful building with its majestic dome that reflects a beacon of freedom and democracy, dreams and possibilities. this united states of america.

we pause to pray this day as you've commanded for those in authorityfo over us, , and government offices and state the judiciary system, for the military and first responders, and all the work to keep us safe and preside over the leadership of this country. and we pray for each leader that they would act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our god. we also pray this day with thankfulness for the life of william franklin graham junior and the extraordinary ministry provided to him. the clear pronunciation of good news, the way of salvation preached from your holy bible and all punctuate with a remarkable north carolina accent so beloved by all who heard him preach. for his life and his times, his

family, and the spiritual calling that he lived so faithfully, for this statute and its remembrance for generations to come of the message he preached and the savior he reflected in life, hart, and work. thank you, lord, for billy graham, a preacher of your gospel, a bear of the good news to those who were lost. conclude this event, as believers in this place we pray that in the midst of a weary world with the scourge of sin and evil that seem so prevalent, we rejoice in the profound hope of the good news of the gospel and its power to change human hearts, just as billy graham preached through a life well lived, and the ministry completed in his day. for this life and his message, we pray in the strong, wonderful and beautiful name of jesus christ our lord.

amen. >> ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today's ceremony. thank you forf attending, and enjoy the rest of your day. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> today we watched c-span's 2024 2024 campaign trail, weekly round of c-span's campaign coverage providing a one-stop shop to discover what the candidates across the country are saying to voters along with first-hand accounts from political reporters, updated poll numbers, fundraising data and campaign ads. watch c-span's 2024 campaign trail today at 7:30 p.m. eastern on c-span, online at g or download as a podcast on c-span now, our free mobile app or wherever you get your podcast. c-span2 unfiltered view of

politics. >> saturday former president donald trump speaks tembers of the national rifle association afternnual meeting in dallas. watch live at 3 p.m. easternn c-span, c-span now our free mobile video app or online at c-span.org. >> will you solemnly swear that in the testimony you are about to give would be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you god? >> saturdays watch a good history tvs congress investigates as we explore major investigations in our country's history by u.s. house and senate. each week writers and distorts tell these stories and we'll see a stork footage from these times and examined the impact and legacy of key congressional hearings. this week we look at investigation that followed the deadly 1993 siege at the branch davidian compound near waco, texas, and what that event has