[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 434 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 434

 Honoring the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Nelson Mandela and 
                 expressing condolences on his passing.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 9, 2013

 Ms. Bass (for herself, Mr. Royce, Mr. Engel, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, 
 and Ms. Fudge) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                  to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Honoring the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Nelson Mandela and 
                 expressing condolences on his passing.

Whereas Nelson Mandela's defiance of injustice and commitment to peace and 
        reconciliation, were critical to achieving the abolition of apartheid, a 
        system of racially based social, political, and economic discrimination, 
        and to adopting in its place a system of multiparty democracy and 
        universal suffrage for all South Africans;
Whereas on August 5, 1962, Nelson Mandela was arrested for his acts to end the 
        discriminatory policies of apartheid and was found guilty of all charges 
        against him and sentenced to life in prison;
Whereas during his imprisonment, Nelson Mandela was confined to a small cell and 
        forced to perform hard labor while being gravely mistreated by prison 
        officials;
Whereas during 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment on Robben Island, Nelson 
        Mandela was permitted only one visitor a year, and for only 30 minutes;
Whereas Nelson Mandela remained resolute, refusing offers to renounce his 
        struggle against oppression in exchange for his freedom, and became 
        widely viewed and respected as a symbol of the anti-apartheid movement;
Whereas the United States Congress dramatically shifted its policy toward South 
        Africa and supported the political ideals that Nelson Mandela struggled 
        for, by enacting the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 (Public 
        Law 99-440) on October 2, 1986, and has honored Nelson Mandela by 
        passing the Mandela Freedom Resolution in the House of Representatives 
        on September 18, 1984 (H. Res. 430), and in the Senate on October 10, 
        1984 (S. Res. 386), by adopting the resolution concerning United States 
        support for the new South Africa on October 5, 1994 (H. Res. 560), and 
        by awarding Nelson Mandela the Congressional Gold Medal on July 29, 
        1998;
Whereas on February 11, 1990, under growing international and domestic pressure, 
        Nelson Mandela was released from prison, marking the end of his 27 
        years, 6 months, and 1 week of continuous incarceration;
Whereas former United States President William J. Clinton honored Nelson Mandela 
        with the Philadelphia Liberty Medal in 1993;
Whereas in 1994, following the first fully representative, multiracial national 
        elections, Nelson Mandela was elected on May 9 as President of the 
        Democratic Republic of South Africa under a Government of National 
        Unity;
Whereas President Nelson Mandela led the peaceful transition from minority rule 
        and apartheid to a multicultural, multiracial democracy, and played a 
        critical role in initiating South Africa's ongoing efforts to foster 
        national reconciliation;
Whereas President Nelson Mandela sought to promote equal opportunity for jobs 
        and education, access to social services, and quality-of-life 
        improvements for all South Africans;
Whereas during the presidency of Nelson Mandela, South Africa established the 
        Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate gross human rights 
        violations committed during the apartheid years;
Whereas former United States President George W. Bush honored Nelson Mandela 
        with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002; and
Whereas Nelson Mandela leaves a legacy that transcends his time and place in 
        history and will guide and inspire generations to come: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) has learned with profound sorrow of the death of Nelson 
        Mandela, former President of the Republic of South Africa;
            (2) tenders its deep sympathies to the members of the 
        family of the late President Nelson Mandela and his fellow 
        citizens;
            (3) honors the life, accomplishments, and legacy of former 
        President Nelson Mandela and for his friendship to the United 
        States;
            (4) requests the Secretary of State to communicate these 
        expressions of sentiment to the family of the deceased and to 
        the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa; and
            (5) requests that when the House adjourns today it do so as 
        a mark of respect to the memory of the late President Nelson 
        Mandela.
                                 <all>