( The Hill ) — After long being an unofficial symbol, the white head, yellow beak bald eagle became the official U.S. bird on Christmas Eve.
President Joe Biden signed 50 bills into law Tuesday. Among them was Senate bill 4610, legislation amending Title 36 of the U.S. Code to designate the predator as the national bird.
The bill was originally brought to the Senate floor in July. The legislation passed unanimously and cruised through the lower chamber in December without any opposition.
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“The bald eagle is a symbol of our country’s freedom and strength. In Minnesota, we know a thing or two about eagles: We are home to one of the largest populations of bald eagles in the country as well as the National Eagle Center in Wabasha,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), one of the bill’s sponsor’s in the upper chamber, said earlier this month .
“With the passage of our legislation, the bald eagle will now officially be recognized as our nation’s national bird,” she added.