Texas congressman wants to recognize magic as a ‘national treasure’

Things have been a little crazy in American politics lately, but Donald Trump isn’t the only Republican making headlines.

This week, Texas congressman Pete Sessions – along with six GOP co-sponsors – introduced a resolution to congress asking that magic be recognized as a “rare and valuable art form and national treasure.”

The text of the resolution reads in part, “magic is an art form with the unique power and potential to impact the lives of all people” and is used to “bring wonder and happiness to others.” It also points out that “magic fulfills some of the highest ideals and aspirations” of the United States by “encouraging people to question what they believe and see.”

It also describes magic as “timeless in appeal” because it requires “only the capacity to dream.”

The resolution – which asks that magic be made a national treasure and have the government support efforts to make sure that magic is preserved – also includes a lot of information about American magician David Copperfield:

• Whereas David Copperfield, through his magic, inspires great positive change in the lives of Americans;
• Whereas people consistently leave David Copperfield’s live magic show with a different perspective than when they entered;
• Whereas Rebecca Brown of Portland, Oregon, left a David Copperfield magic show with a newfound inspiration to pursue her lifelong, unfulfilled passion for dance;
• Whereas three months after Rebecca Brown attended the David Copperfield magic show, she performed her first choreographed recital in Portland, Oregon’s Pioneer Square;
• Whereas programs such as Project Magic, created by David Copperfield, use magic as a form of therapy for children with physical, psychological, and social disabilities;

It’s unclear if Sessions is a fan of Copperfield.

However, as Quartz pointed out, this admiration for magic stands in stark contrast to how the Republican-dominated House of Representatives responds to scientific research.

“The House Science Committee even subpoenaed scientists who published research debunking a popular climate change denier theory,” read the Quartz article, titled “Republican lawmakers may not trust science, but they do believe in magic.”

“Among the co-sponsors of House Resolution 642, ‘Recognizing magic as a rare and valuable art form and national treasure’,” Idaho’s Mike Simpson claims that “there is widespread disagreement as to the magnitude of human influence on the climate and the degree to which any effort by humanity to reduce carbon output would slow or reverse the effects of climate change.'”