Draft:National Bird Initiative

In 1782, the Second Continental Congress selected the bald eagle as the national symbol of the United States, adopting it for use on the Great Seal of the United States.^{[3][4][unreliable source?]} The bald eagle subsequently appeared on emblems and official seals across numerous federal agencies, including the Presidential Seal, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, the United States Department of Justice, the United States Postal Service, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, the Transportation Security Administration, and the United States Department of State.

In 2010, while researching his book American Eagle: A Visual History of Our National Emblem, Cook discovered that no law had formally designated the bald eagle as the national bird.^{[5][6][additional citation(s) needed]} In 2011, he wrote to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, who confirmed in a written response that no such designation existed.^[7]

In 2024, Cook formed a committee to advance the National Bird Initiative. Members included Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jack E. Davis, communications executive and former National Eagle Center board member John Wodele, as well as a legislative lobbying and public relations team. Cook drafted proposed legislation, which was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, and in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representative Brad Finstad.^[8]

The bill received bipartisan support, with co-sponsors including:^[9]

• Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R–WY)
• Sen. Tina Smith (D–MN)
• Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R–OK)
• Rep. Angie Craig (D–MN)
• Rep. Tom Emmer (D–MN)
• Rep. Betty McCollum (D–MN)
• Rep. Pete Stauber (D–MN)
• Rep. Michelle Fischbach (D–MN)
• Rep. Ilhan Omar (D–MN)
• Rep. Dean Phillips (D–MN)
• Rep. Dan Newhouse (R–WA)
• Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R–WI)
• Rep. Donald Beyer (D–VA)

The U.S. Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent on July 29, 2024.^[10] The U.S. House of Representatives approved it without opposition on December 16, 2024. President Biden signed the measure into law on December 23, 2024.^[1][2] The enactment was covered in national and international media.^{[11][12][13][additional citation(s) needed]} Public commemorations were held at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota, on December 30, 2024, and on March 19, 2025, recognizing the contributions of the bill's sponsors.^[14][15]