Bipartisan Effort Sends Bill to Biden to Make Bald Eagle Official National Bird

Dec 17, 2024, 12:30 AM

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to officially designate the bald eagle as the national bird of the United States, which will now head to President Joe Biden's desk for approval. The legislation, which passed unanimously in the Senate in July, was supported by a voice vote in the House. The bald eagle has been a symbol of the United States since it was placed on the Great Seal in 1782, but it was never formally recognized as the national bird by law. The effort to make this designation was led by bipartisan lawmakers from Minnesota, with Representatives Brad Finstad and Angie Craig leading the charge in the House. The bald eagle's significance extends to its role in Native American traditions and its presence on various national symbols, including military insignia, passports, and currency. This bill will add the bald eagle to the same chapter of U.S. law that recognizes other national symbols like the national anthem and the national tree. The National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota, has been instrumental in promoting this legislation.