Congress comes back to Philly for special session at Independence Hall
Jeffries urged members to remember that Congress serves the public and should remain independent of the executive branch.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates Yahoo News, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.
The page carries USA TODAY reporting, an established national news organization, and identifies its correspondent. Yahoo News republishes the article with attribution to USA TODAY.
- Source type — An established national news report, republished by Yahoo News.
- Author attribution — Names USA TODAY national correspondent Phaedra Trethan.
- Transparency — The page identifies the original publication as USA TODAY.
The article provides on-scene details and attributes remarks to several named participants from both parties. It focuses on the ceremony and its speakers rather than offering extensive independent context or a range of perspectives on the historical and contemporary issues raised.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article includes participants from both parties and presents several perspectives on the ceremony and the country’s founding ideals. It does not provide a counterpoint to the speakers’ more pointed criticisms or explore competing views on the historical display dispute.
- Source diversity — Quotes lawmakers from both parties and the chair of the bipartisan America250 commission.
- Counterarguments presented — No explicit response is included to the criticism of executive power or the account of historical exclusion.
- Opinion vs reporting — The article reports the event and attributes opinions to speakers rather than presenting them as the reporter’s conclusions.
The article mainly reports the event and attributes participants’ remarks without adopting an overt partisan position. It includes critical remarks about executive power and the country’s history, presented as statements by the speakers.
- Language tone — Mostly descriptive language, with quoted political remarks attributed to their speakers.
- Source selection — Includes remarks from Democratic and Republican lawmakers as well as a commission chair.
- Framing — Frames the story as coverage of a commemorative congressional session.
Republished with credit
Republished from USA Today, with credit to the original publisher.
13 stories · 79–84 · updated Oct 5, 2026
This is USA Today's own score, and this article is credited to USA Today. The host score in the Source Check is Yahoo News's.
Congress held a special session at Independence Hall on July 2 to mark the 250th anniversary of the Continental Congress’s independence resolution. Organized by Rep. Brendan Boyle, the bipartisan gathering included remarks on Congress’s role and the country’s unfinished work toward equality.
Members of Congress met at Congress Hall in Philadelphia on July 2, 250 years after the Continental Congress approved a resolution declaring the colonies free and independent. Rep. Brendan Boyle organized the bipartisan ceremonial session, saying he hoped it would bring members together for a nonpartisan purpose.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Congress should remain a separate and equal branch of government and urged members to remember that they serve the American people. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman said the Declaration’s promise of equality had excluded people who looked like her, while also recognizing progress and the work still to be done.
Community verdict
12 VOTESPeople in this story
SWIPE →Organizer of the special congressional session
Boyle's version of this story ↗Pennsylvania representative who called the session to order
New Jersey representative who spoke about equality and the country’s history
Pennsylvania representative who delivered invocation remarks
New Jersey senator who attended the session
Florida representative who attended the session
President whose administration is described as removing some references to George Washington’s slaveholding
Former president who appointed Rosie Rios to the commission
Alabama representative who attended the session
New Jersey representative who attended the session
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