Washington, D.C. (Feb. 16) – Sen. Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.) introduced legislation to establish a National Commission on the Bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase to organize programs and events to mark the 200th anniversary of the largest peaceful land transaction in history.

"The bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase, which occurs in 2003, marks an event that more than any other determined the character of our national life – determined that we should be a great expanding nation instead of a relatively small and stationary one," Sen. Landrieu said on the Senate floor. "This legislation has a particularly special meaning for Louisiana because the site of the actual transfer of the Louisiana Purchase, the Cabildo, is a building still located in Jackson Square in New Orleans."

In 1803, for only $15 million – three cents an acre – all or part of 14 states were created out of the vast territory acquired in the Louisiana Purchase, virtually doubling the size of the United States. The Purchase opened the heartland of North America for exploration, settlement and achievement to the people of the United States and immigrants from around the world. It made possible the travels of Lewis and Clark, whose invaluable knowledge of land and people beyond the Mississippi River emboldened thousands of Americans to search for a new life out west.

The legislation, which is cosponsored by Sens. John Breaux (D-La.) and Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), would establish a bipartisan commission of 24 members appointed by the president. One year after its establishment, the commission will submit a report to the president and Congress detailing its recommendations for activities to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase.

"Commemoration of the Louisiana Purchase and the subsequent opening of the American West can enhance public understanding of the impact of westward expansion on American society and can provide lessons for democratic governance today," Sen. Landrieu said. "This commission would provide a cohesive way to appropriately honor this momentous occasion in our nation's history."