Congressman Wants to Declare Magic a ‘National Treasure’

1 minute read
Illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini in New York City on July 7, 1912. That same day he performed his famous stunt in which he was submerged in the East River in a crate and escaped in just under a minute.
Illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini in New York City on July 7, 1912. That same day he performed his famous stunt in which he was submerged in the East River in a crate and escaped in just under a minute.FPG/Getty Images
By NBC News

Rep. Pete Sessions is skeptical of global warming and says big government is a waste — but he believes in the power of magic.

The conservative Texas Republican introduced a House resolution this week that would officially recognize magic as a “rare and valuable art form and national treasure.”

Dropping the names of magicians like Harry Houdini and David Copperfield and referencing writer Arthur C. Clarke and artist Leonardo da Vinci, Sessions’ resolution declares that magic needs to be “preserved, understood, and promulgated.”

And it ticks off several reasons why any opposition to “H. Res. 642” should be made to disappear.

“Whereas. . .

Read the rest of the story from our partners at NBC News

More Must-Reads from TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com