Congress orders West Point to add 'Duty, Honor, Country' to mission statement
H.R. 700 — MACARTHUR Act · Filed by Keith Self (R-TX) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Jan 23, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill directs the Secretary of the Army to add the phrase 'Duty, Honor, Country' to the official mission statement of West Point within 30 days of enactment. It expresses Congress's sense that these principles should be central to the Academy's culture and cadet training. The bill has no financial cost, no regulatory impact, and no effect on ordinary citizens outside the military.
Why we flagged it
The bill is a non-binding symbolic measure that directs a single administrative amendment to a mission statement. It carries no regulatory, financial, or enforcement mechanism — it is purely a statement of congressional intent paired with a ministerial directive to a federal agency.
What the text implies
- The bill's acronym 'MACARTHUR' references General Douglas MacArthur, who famously invoked 'Duty, Honor, Country' in his 1962 farewell address to West Point. The naming is a deliberate historical callback, not a concealment — but it signals the bill's primary purpose is symbolic commemoration rather than substantive policy.
- West Point's mission statement is a public document; adding this phrase does not change cadet training, curriculum, or accountability. The effect is ceremonial — a congressional endorsement of values already central to the Academy's culture.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill has no direct effect on ordinary citizens' rights, costs, or protections. It is a symbolic measure affirming military values at a service academy. The civic relevance is minimal — it neither restricts nor empowers citizens, nor does it alter government accountability or transparency.
Named in the bill
United States Military Academy (West Point), Secretary of the Army, House Committee on Armed Services, General Douglas MacArthur (historical reference)
Where it stands
1 cosponsor: 1 Republicans.
- Jan 23, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jan 23, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Armed Services · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (653 characters) on Aug 14, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
“Congress orders West Point to add 'Duty, Honor, Country' to mission statement” QuorumCivic. https://share.quorumcivic.app/bill/119/hr700 Report an error
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