[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S.J. Res. 53 Considered and Passed Senate (CPS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. J. RES. 53

         Honoring the life of William ``Billy'' F. Graham, Jr.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 28, 2018

   Mr. Burr (for himself, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Blunt, Mr. 
 Carper, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Corker, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Cotton, 
   Mr. Cruz, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Enzi, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Gardner, Mr. 
Graham, Ms. Heitkamp, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Johnson, 
Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Manchin, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. McConnell, 
 Mr. Nelson, Mr. Paul, Mr. Perdue, Mr. Portman, Mr. Thune, Mr. Toomey, 
   Mr. Wicker, Mr. Daines, Mr. Scott, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Warner, Mr. 
 Roberts, Mrs. Ernst, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Heller, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Moran, 
 Ms. Collins, Mr. Hatch, and Mr. Sasse) introduced the following joint 
resolution; which was read twice, considered, read the third time, and 
                                 passed

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
         Honoring the life of William ``Billy'' F. Graham, Jr.

Whereas William ``Billy'' F. Graham, Jr., was born on November 7, 1918, in 
        Charlotte, North Carolina;
Whereas, in 1939, Reverend Graham was ordained by Peniel Baptist Church in 
        Florida;
Whereas Reverend Graham studied at Florida Bible Institute and graduated from 
        Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, in 1943;
Whereas Reverend Graham married his wife of nearly 64 years, Ruth McCue Bell, in 
        1943;
Whereas Reverend Graham had 3 daughters, 2 sons, 19 grandchildren, and numerous 
        great-grandchildren;
Whereas, in 1950, Reverend Graham founded the Billy Graham Evangelistic 
        Association, which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina;
Whereas Reverend Graham preached to nearly 215,000,000 individuals in more than 
        185 countries and territories on 6 continents;
Whereas Reverend Graham provided spiritual counsel for every President since 
        Harry Truman;
Whereas Reverend Graham prayed with members of the Armed Forces in combat zones 
        in South Korea and Vietnam;
Whereas Reverend Graham spoke against the communist Soviet Union, saying, 
        ``Communism has decided against God, against Christ, against the Bible, 
        and against all religion.'';
Whereas Reverend Graham--

    (1) fought for racial integration;

    (2) invited Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to preach with him in New York 
City in 1957; and

    (3) bailed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., out of jail when Dr. King was 
arrested for protesting segregation;

Whereas, following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Reverend Graham 
        spoke words of hope and comfort to the people of the United States at 
        the Washington National Cathedral;
Whereas Reverend Graham authored 34 books, including the bestselling 
        autobiography, ``Just as I Am'', which began by discussing his early 
        days on a dairy farm in North Carolina and continued through his career 
        as a preacher and evangelist; and
Whereas Reverend Graham received numerous honors, including--

    (1) the North Carolina Award for Public Service;

    (2) the Presidential Medal of Freedom;

    (3) the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award; and

    (4) the Congressional Gold Medal: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress--
            (1) extends its sympathies to the family of William 
        ``Billy'' F. Graham, Jr.; and
            (2) honors--
                    (A) the life and ministry of Reverend Graham; and
                    (B) the contributions of Reverend Graham to--
                            (i) the State of North Carolina;
                            (ii) the United States of America; and
                            (iii) the moral and religious lives of 
                        millions of individuals.
                                 <all>