Renewing the Dream Act

Core Policy Mechanism Top 1

Replace Lincoln Memorial 'I Have a Dream' Plaque

Requires the federal government to remove the existing plaque at the Lincoln Memorial honoring Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech and install a new commemorative plaque, using federal funds and allowing private donations.

• Population Scope Low The provision directly affects only visitors to a single memorial and the Secretary of the Interior (DOI), a negligible fraction of the U.S. population.
• Budgetary Magnitude Low Federal funds are authorized for removing and replacing a single commemorative plaque — a one-time, small-scale expenditure with no dollar figure specified and private donations available to offset costs.
• Legal / Regulatory Depth Low Creates a narrow statutory duty tied to a single discrete administrative action — replacing one plaque — rather than changing substantive law across a regulated population or creating new enforceable rights.
• Degree of Discretion Granted Medium The Secretary of the Interior must remove and install the plaque ('shall'), but retains discretion over accepting private contributions ('may') and the design process is channeled through the Commemorative Works Act's procedural framework.
• Implementation & Enforcement Burden Low No new enforcement infrastructure, penalties, or compliance obligations are created; implementation is a finite administrative task carried out by the Secretary of the Interior.
• Temporal Commitment High Once installed, the new plaque and its CWA-compliant status persist indefinitely — no sunset, expiry, or mandatory reauthorization compels future congressional action.