Let’s Celebrate the Keystone State’s Contribution to America 250 – It all started in Philadelphia!
PHILADELPHIA – May 5, 2026 − With less than two months until the celebration of the United States Sesquicentennial, the Pennsylvania State Senate organized a solemn assembly to celebrate America’s 250th birthday at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward presided over the meeting, which was attended by senators from every corner of the Commonwealth and students from across the state in partnership with America250PA. Patrick Burns, president of America250PA, outlined statewide activities planned before and during the half-century, and the U.S. Army Field Band performed during the ceremony.
The United States declared independence in Philadelphia in 1776, and to this day, the Keystone State continues to play a major role in the development and evolution of our nation. The Pennsylvania State Senate convocation is a historic tradition. Today marks the fourth meeting in the last 100 years to be held at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. The previous three meetings were also held in Philadelphia to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1926 and the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration in 1976. A similar meeting of the Pennsylvania State Senate was held in September 1987 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the adoption of the United States Constitution.
President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-39)
“In the City of Brotherly Love, a nation was born, and as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it is fitting that the Pennsylvania State Senate convenes in the very birthplace of our country – and in this institution that first met here in 1791. This meeting marks only the fourth time in the last century that the Senate has convened in Philadelphia in front of the State Capitol in Harrisburg. Today we not only honor history, but also create May they inspire us those who stood here before us, whose courage and vision continue to guide the work we do every day on behalf of the people of this community.”
Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-41)
“Two and a half centuries ago, our Founding Fathers gathered in Philadelphia to give birth to the United States of America. After 250 years, this great experiment has allowed our country to become, as President Ronald Reagan described it, a shining city on a hill. I am proud to work with my colleagues in the Pennsylvania Senate in striving to preserve the freedoms and opportunities that continue to strengthen our commonwealth. The 50 states of our nation, each forceful in its own right, unite to make America a beacon hope for the rest of the world.”
Minority Leader Jay Costa (D-43)
“It is a great honor for me to celebrate the nation’s Semicentennial with my colleagues in the Pennsylvania Senate in the place where American democracy began. Pennsylvania has a long, proud tradition of leading the way in realizing the American dream of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus, I look forward to continuing to honor the legacy of the leaders who came before us, working every day in the Senate toward these goals, ensuring that these truths and freedoms are a reality for every Pennsylvanian. I am very grateful for the partnership. America250PA in honor of this momentous occasion.”
Video of today’s ceremonial meeting of the Pennsylvania Senate in Philadelphia is available here.
