[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 131 Reported in Senate (RS)]






                                                       Calendar No. 727
106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 131

 Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the workers' strikes in Poland 
 that led to the creation of the independent trade union Solidarnosc, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 18, 2000

Mr. Roth (for himself and Mr. Biden) submitted the following concurrent 
   resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                           Foreign Relations

                             July 27, 2000

 Reported by Mr. Helms, with an amendment, amendments to the preamble, 
                     and an amendment to the title
  [Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the workers' strikes in Poland 
 that led to the creation of the independent trade union Solidarnosc, 
                        and for other purposes.

Whereas, in July and August of 1980, Polish workers went on strike to protest 
        communist oppression and demand greater political freedom;
Whereas, in the shipyards of Gdansk and Szczecin, workers' committees 
        coordinated these strikes and ensured that the strikes were peaceful and 
        orderly and did not promote acts of violence;
Whereas workers' protests against the communist authorities in Poland were 
        supported by the Polish people and the international community of 
        democracies;
Whereas, on August 30 and 31 of 1980, the communist government of the People's 
        Republic of Poland yielded to the 21 demands of the striking workers, 
        including the release of all political prisoners, including Jacek Kuron 
        and Adam Michnik, the broadcasting of religious services on television 
        and radio, and the right to establish independent trade unions;
Whereas from these agreements emerged Solidarnosc, the first independent trade 
        union in the communist bloc, led by Lech Walesa, an electrician from 
        Gdansk;
Whereas Solidarnosc and its 10,000,000 members became a great social movement in 
        Poland that was committed to promoting fundamental human rights, 
        democracy, and Polish independence;
Whereas, during its first congress in 1981, Solidarnosc issued a proclamation 
        urging workers in Soviet-bloc countries to resist their communist 
        governments and to struggle for freedom and democracy;
Whereas the communist government of Poland introduced martial law in December 
        1981 in an attempt to block the growing political and social influence 
        of the Solidarnosc movement;
Whereas Solidarnosc remained a powerful and political force that resisted the 
        efforts of Poland's communist government to suppress the desire of the 
        Polish people for freedom, democracy, and independence from the Soviet 
        Union;
Whereas, in February <DELETED>1999</DELETED> 1989, the communist government of 
        Poland agreed to conduct roundtable talks with Solidarnosc that led to 
        elections to the National Assembly in June of that year, in which nearly 
        all open seats were won by candidates supported by Solidarnosc;
Whereas, on August 19, <DELETED>1999</DELETED> 1989, Solidarity leader Tadeusz 
        Mazowiecki was asked to serve as Prime Minister of Poland and on 
        September 12, <DELETED>1999</DELETED> 1989, the Polish Sejm voted to 
        approve Prime Minister Mazowiecki and his cabinet, Poland's first 
        noncommunist government in 4 decades;
Whereas, on December 9, 1990, Lech Walesa was elected President of Poland;
Whereas the Solidarnosc movement, by its courage and example, initiated 
        political transformations in other countries in Central and Eastern 
        Europe and thereby initiated the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in 1989; 
        and
Whereas, since the time Poland freed itself from communist domination, Polish-
        American relations have transformed from partnership to alliance, a 
        transition marked by Poland's historic accession to the North Atlantic 
        Treaty Organization in March 1999: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress--
    (1) commemorates the 20th anniversary of the workers' strikes in 
Poland that <DELETED>lead</DELETED> led to the creation of the 
independent trade union Solidarnosc; and
    (2) honors the leaders of Poland who risked and lost their lives in 
attempting to restore democracy in their country and to return Poland 
to the democratic community of nations.
            Amend the title to read as follows: ``Concurrent resolution 
        commemorating the 20th anniversary of the workers' strikes in 
        Poland that led to the creation of the independent trade union 
        Solidarnosc, and for other purposes.''.





                                                      Calendar No. ____
106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 131




_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 18, 2000

 Mr. Roth (for himself and Mr. Biden) submitted the following 
        concurrent resolution; which was read twice and referred to the 
        Committee on Foreign RelationsYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

            July ______ (legislative day, ____________), 2000

Reported by Mr. Helms, with an amendment to the text, amendments to the 
                preamble, and an amendment to the title
  [Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the workers' strikes in Poland 
 that led to the creation of the independent trade union Solidarnosc, 
                        and for other purposes.

Whereas, in July and August of 1980, Polish workers went on strike to protest 
        communist oppression and demand greater political freedom;
Whereas, in the shipyards of Gdansk and Szczecin, workers' committees 
        coordinated these strikes and ensured that the strikes were peaceful and 
        orderly and did not promote acts of violence;
Whereas workers' protests against the communist authorities in Poland were 
        supported by the Polish people and the international community of 
        democracies;
Whereas, on August 30 and 31 of 1980, the communist government of the People's 
        Republic of Poland yielded to the 21 demands of the striking workers, 
        including the release of all political prisoners, including Jacek Kuron 
        and Adam Michnik, the broadcasting of religious services on television 
        and radio, and the right to establish independent trade unions;
Whereas from these agreements emerged Solidarnosc, the first independent trade 
        union in the communist bloc, led by Lech Walesa, an electrician from 
        Gdansk;
Whereas Solidarnosc and its 10,000,000 members became a great social movement in 
        Poland that was committed to promoting fundamental human rights, 
        democracy, and Polish independence;
Whereas, during its first congress in 1981, Solidarnosc issued a proclamation 
        urging workers in Soviet-bloc countries to resist their communist 
        governments and to struggle for freedom and democracy;
Whereas the communist government of Poland introduced martial law in December 
        1981 in an attempt to block the growing political and social influence 
        of the Solidarnosc movement;
Whereas Solidarnosc remained a powerful and political force that resisted the 
        efforts of Poland's communist government to suppress the desire of the 
        Polish people for freedom, democracy, and independence from the Soviet 
        Union;
Whereas, in February <DELETED>1999</DELETED> 1989, the communist government of 
        Poland agreed to conduct roundtable talks with Solidarnosc that led to 
        elections to the National Assembly in June of that year, in which nearly 
        all open seats were won by candidates supported by Solidarnosc;
Whereas, on August 19, <DELETED>1999</DELETED> 1989, Solidarity leader Tadeusz 
        Mazowiecki was asked to serve as Prime Minister of Poland and on 
        September 12, <DELETED>1999</DELETED> 1989, the Polish Sejm voted to 
        approve Prime Minister Mazowiecki and his cabinet, Poland's first 
        noncommunist government in 4 decades;
Whereas, on December 9, 1990, Lech Walesa was elected President of Poland;
Whereas the Solidarnosc movement, by its courage and example, initiated 
        political transformations in other countries in Central and Eastern 
        Europe and thereby initiated the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in 1989; 
        and
Whereas, since the time Poland freed itself from communist domination, Polish-
        American relations have transformed from partnership to alliance, a 
        transition marked by Poland's historic accession to the North Atlantic 
        Treaty Organization in March 1999: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress--
    (1) commemorates the 20th anniversary of the workers' strikes in 
Poland that <DELETED>lead</DELETED> led to the creation of the 
independent trade union Solidarnosc; and
    (2) honors the leaders of Poland who risked and lost their lives in 
attempting to restore democracy in their country and to return Poland 
to the democratic community of nations.

    Amend the title to read as follows: ``Concurrent resolution 
commemorating the 20th anniversary of the workers' strikes in Poland 
that led to the creation of the independent trade union Solidarnosc, 
and for other purposes.''.
                                                       Calendar No. 727

106th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                            S. CON. RES. 131

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the workers' strikes in Poland 
 that led to the creation of the independent trade union Solidarnosc, 
                        and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             July 27, 2000

    Reported with an amendment, amendments to the preamble, and an 
                         amendment to the title