Christmas Eve, in a bill signing binge, Joe Biden signed a bill that we can get behind. In fact, we had no idea that it hadn’t been done before. Biden signed a bill making the American Bald Eagle the National Bird. Totally shocked here. This is one of the few actions Dementia Joe has taken that actually unifies and is good for the OUR country. So un-Joe-like.

The Daily Beast wrote:

President Joe Biden signed 50 new bills into law in a Christmas Eve signing spree as he wraps his last month in office. Among the new laws includes legislation to fight child abuse at residential treatment facilities, fight hazing on college campuses, and a measure that finally designates the bald eagle as the national bird.

Many of the bills signed by the outgoing Democratic president on Tuesday were bipartisan efforts—including the bill finally acknowledging the bald eagle. Although the iconic bird of prey is featured prominently on symbols, including the government’s official seal adopted in 1782, the U.S. did not have an official national bird.

The efforts to make the bald eagle official were spearheaded by Preston Cook, the co-chair of the National Eagle Center in Minnesota, who first discovered that the country did not have a national bird, according to a Washington Post profile.

No one noticed before that our National Symbol wasn’t official? Probably because they were too busy creating the bureaucratic state and the uniparty, only taking breaks to spend our hard-earned tax dollars. The American Bald Eagle is official now:

Have you ever seen one up close up? The American Bald Eagle is magnificent and the wing-span is awesome. There is always one at Wreaths Across America. This is Mr. Lincoln from a couple years ago.

We are grateful that dearest Ben Franklin did not get his wish: The Turkey. Yuck. Not even grateful at Thanksgiving for that dirty bird. Well, he really didn’t want the turkey, according to History.com:

The story that Franklin proposed the turkey as the national symbol began to circulate in American newspapers around the time of the country’s centennial and are based on a January 26, 1784, letter in which he panned the eagle and extolled the virtues of the gobbler to his daughter, Sarah. In doing so, though, he was not delivering a critique of the Great Seal but a new medal issued by the Society of the Cincinnati, an association of Continental Army veterans. “For my own part I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country,” he wrote. The Founding Father argued that the eagle was “a bird of bad moral character” that “does not get his living honestly” because it steals food from the fishing hawk and is “too lazy to fish for himself.”

In contrast, Franklin called the turkey “a much more respectable bird” and “a true original native of America.” While he considered the eagle “a rank coward,” Franklin believed the turkey to be “a bird of courage” that “would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his farm yard with a red coat on.” While the private letter was a spirited promotion of the turkey over the eagle, Franklin never made his views public, and when the chance had been given to him to officially propose a symbol for the United States eight years earlier, his idea was biblical, not avian.

That’s actually kind of funny to anyone who has ever watch the grandeur of the American Bald Eagle as she spreads her wings. Or the nobility of her face. From For the Birds here is some of the lore about our national bird:

The role of bald eagles in Native American culture
Bald eagles hold deep spiritual significance for many Native American tribes, symbolizing strength, wisdom, and freedom. The eagle is revered as a messenger from the Creator, carrying prayers and providing guidance to those who seek it. The feathers of the bald eagle are particularly sacred and are used in various ceremonies and rituals, often as symbols of honor, courage, and wisdom.

Native American stories and legends often feature bald eagles as central characters, serving as teachers, guides, and protectors. These stories emphasize the eagle’s keen vision, powerful flight, and strong connection to the spiritual world, reinforcing the bird’s status as a symbol of inspiration and divine guidance. The bald eagle’s prominent role in Native American culture highlights the deep respect and admiration these communities have for this majestic bird.

And:

The diet and hunting habits of bald eagles
Bald eagles are primarily carnivorous, with a diet consisting mainly of fish. They have a remarkable ability to spot their prey from great distances, using their keen eyesight to locate fish swimming near the surface of the water. Once a target is identified, the eagle will swoop down and snatch it up using its powerful talons, often without even breaking the surface.

In addition to fish, bald eagles will also prey on small mammals, birds, and reptiles, as well as scavenge for carrion. They are opportunistic hunters and will readily take advantage of available food sources, even stealing from other birds of prey, such as ospreys. This adaptability allows them to thrive in various environments and contributes to their status as apex predators.

Apex predators…we like that. Stuff Ben Franklin and welcome American Bald Eagle, long our National Symbol and now our National Bird.

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