00:01 - We're joined by House Speaker Joanne McClinton as we're preparing

00:04 - for the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country in 2026.

00:08 - What significance does this celebration have for you personally?

00:11 - Well, I've only lived 42 years, but our America

00:15 - has been alive for 249, and next year will be 250.

00:19 - This is amazing because Pennsylvania is where it all started.

00:23 - And where I live in Philly is where they were working on our Constitution,

00:27 - where our first United States capital was located,

00:30 - and formally even where our state capital was headquartered.

00:33 - So it is so exciting to be a Pennsylvanian in this time all over the country.

00:37 - There will be celebrations.

00:38 - But remember, most of the country wasn't a part of the original country yet.

00:43 - So I am thrilled to welcome people to visit Pennsylvania for our birthday

00:48 - and to see all the events that will be happening

00:51 - in rural communities, suburban and urban communities.

00:54 - Every part of Pennsylvania has a piece of that dynamic history.

00:58 - We all share.

01:00 - The Philadelphia will be one of five cities that are highlighted

01:03 - for the national celebration of the summer Quinn Centennial.

01:06 - As someone who represents that region, what significance does this highlight

01:10 - have both

01:10 - for the city of Philadelphia as well as for Pennsylvania as a whole is tremendous.

01:14 - You know, many times people who are coming from other countries

01:18 - all want to get to Washington and all want to get to New York.

01:21 - They want to see the skyscrapers.

01:22 - They want to see the monument.

01:24 - But next year, so many more of them are going to want to see independence Hall.

01:29 - They're going to want to see where's that building, where they sat

01:32 - and where they debated, and where they decided

01:34 - that we could be a country

01:35 - that's free, and where votes should count and where we should not only be free,

01:39 - but we should respect and celebrate our differences.

01:42 - When we talk about the America 250 celebration

01:45 - that's coming up in the next year.

01:46 - What do you hear from your constituents?

01:48 - Oh, people are excited.

01:50 - There is a community that I serve in Southwest Philly where we have Africatown.

01:55 - It is a bustling.

01:56 - It has all different parts and resemblances of West Africa.

02:02 - We have dining, we have clothing stores, and so we are looking forward.

02:06 - When people get on those Visit Philly tours to say,

02:09 - well, let's go to Africatown, let's try some of that food.

02:12 - Let's try this Senegalese fish.

02:14 - We cannot wait to welcome people not only downtown and to independence Hall,

02:19 - but also to our communities that share the rich culture Philly has today.

02:24 - For somebody that's visiting Philadelphia, perhaps for the first time,

02:27 - for the celebration, what other areas would you recommend that

02:30 - they make sure they visit?

02:32 - They have to also leave the city and go to Valley Forge.

02:36 - And if you go to Valley Forge, you may want to go to the speaker's House,

02:39 - a place that I visited not long ago and throughout Pennsylvania.

02:42 - Our first speaker of the United States House, Muilenburg.

02:47 - His home is there and is being renovated now,

02:50 - but by next year is going to be a place where you can also visit

02:53 - once you leave the city and check out all of our history in the suburbs.

02:57 - What do you anticipate the economic impact will be

02:59 - for Pennsylvania as well as Philadelphia, with the celebration coming up?

03:03 - It's going to be tremendous.

03:04 - We're going to have not only people staying in hotels and visiting our museums

03:10 - and walking around to catch in all the sights and trying all the food.

03:14 - We have, of course, the Philly cheesesteak.

03:17 - But beyond that,

03:18 - it's going to be a time where we get to welcome the world to our city.

03:22 - Not only will

03:23 - we have the 250th birthday and Philly, we're going to have the World Cup.

03:27 - I mean, we're going to have guests from all over the globe

03:29 - constantly throughout the year, and we're getting ready.

03:32 - Can you talk a little bit about any commemorative or celebratory events

03:35 - that have begun to take place as we head toward 2026?

03:38 - One of the things that we are working

03:40 - on, and I'm only telling you this is an exclusive information.

03:44 - We want to convene the Pennsylvania house down

03:48 - in Philadelphia, around and near Independence Hall.

03:52 - That would be tremendous, because that is literally the birthplace

03:56 - of our democracy.

03:57 - And we are the oldest continuous state legislature in the nation.

04:01 - So it would be really, really special to have all of our colleagues

04:05 - come down somewhere next year to have a ceremonial session,

04:10 - and for it to happen on the grounds where our country was born.

04:14 - What's being done to involve younger Pennsylvanians in the celebration?

04:18 - Well, one thing I've been doing with Pennsylvania 250 is going on a school

04:22 - tour reading what is the Keystone State all about?

04:25 - And I'm probably butchering the title, but it's a book that I have, and I'm

04:29 - so proud to share where we just educate our children on all the great parts of PA

04:34 - because just like me, you know, you grow up in one area,

04:37 - but you don't necessarily know what all Pennsylvania

04:40 - includes or what we're known for outside of the area where we live.

04:44 - So reading that book with Cassandra Coleman and her team from

04:47 - 1850 has been just invigorating.

04:51 - As you mentioned, the America 250, organization

04:54 - is holding events and different celebrations throughout the state.

04:58 - Why is it important to celebrate

04:59 - not only in Philadelphia but in the rural regions as well?

05:02 - Oh, it's tremendous because every part of Pennsylvania reflects

05:06 - our dynamic history, from our birth all the way up to the big Civil War.

05:11 - I mean, we're in Harrisburg.

05:12 - We're just 35 miles from Gettysburg.

05:15 - There's so many monumental moments for our nation that occurred

05:19 - in this Commonwealth that we can celebrate from here all the way to Erie.

05:23 - How involved were you personally be as we draw closer to the 2026 celebration?

05:29 - Well, I look forward to attending as many events as possible,

05:32 - supporting my colleagues and their districts as they host

05:35 - guests from around the world, and making sure that people know

05:39 - where we are in this time in history and what our legislature is looking like,

05:44 - because certainly we don't know if the founders ever thought

05:47 - a woman would be leading this institution.

05:50 - But it's exciting as we celebrate the 250th birthday,

05:53 - to represent in such a way that I know they'd be proud.

05:57 - What are you personally looking forward to as the celebration draws near?

06:00 - I'm excited to just have a grand old time across the state.

06:05 - We've had lots of different celebrations, but many of them are

06:09 - just in one region or just in another region.

06:12 - But to know that our entire Commonwealth is going to be laying out the red carpet

06:17 - for our neighbors within Pennsylvania to visit and those from outside the area.

06:21 - I'm looking forward to all of it.

06:23 - Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton. Thank you for joining us.

06:25 - Thank you.