[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 38 (Friday, March 21, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E568]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONOR OUR POW/MIA'S

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JANE HARMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 21, 1997

  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I introduced legislation that 
requires the flying of the POW/MIA flag, a symbol of the Nation's 
commitment to service men and women held prisoner or missing, at 
Federal facilities, including U.S. post offices. The bipartisan bill, 
H.R. 1161, is in response to a recent incident where South Bay veterans 
were barred from flying the flag at U.S. post offices in Lomita and 
Rolling Hills Estates.
  There is no doubt that we need to secure a full accounting of the men 
and women who fought for our Nation's flag and who were captured by the 
enemy or listed as missing. Having the POW/MIA flag flown at Federal 
offices and facilities will help us remember the work still to be done 
for these courageous individuals and their families. One of the 
individuals leading the effort to have the POW/MIA flag flown 
prominently around the Nation is David Albert, a councilman in the city 
of Lomita.
  Mr. Speaker, I drafted the bill in response to complaints from 
Councilman Dave Albert and veterans' groups who were recently denied 
permission to fly the distinctive black and white flag at a POW/MIA 
memorial at the Lomita Post Office. A short time later, a POW/MIA flag 
flying over the post office in Palos Verdes was ordered removed by 
postal authorities.
  The apparent intent of the Postal Services' regulation was to 
insulate local postmasters from requests to fly flags other than the 
U.S. flag. When recently asked, Postmaster General Marvin Runyon 
responded that he saw no need to change the regulations. I'm 
disappointed by his answer. Postmasters are members of local 
communities and should be permitted to accommodate requests to fly 
flags, particularly one like the POW/MIA flag, which Congress has 
officially recognized as the symbol of our Nation's commitment to those 
still missing and unaccounted for.
  Currently, the POW/MIA flag is required to be flown only at national 
cemeteries on at most 3 days a year. H.R. 1161, supported by the 
National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in 
Southeast Asia, expands the number of Federal sites where the flag will 
be flown. It also requires that the flag be flown on several specific 
national holidays associated with patriotism: Armed Forces Day, 
Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day, and National 
POW/MIA Recognition Day.
  I thank International Relations Committee Chairman Ben Gilman, Rules 
Committee Chairman Gerald Solomon, Steve Horn, Jim Ramstad, Peter King, 
Mike McNulty and Tim Holden for joining me as original cosponsors of 
this bipartisan bill.
  I invite my other colleagues to join as well and I am pleased to 
share the text of the bill with them.

                               H.R. 1161

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds that--
       (1) the United States has fought in many wars, and 
     thousands of Americans who served in those wars were captured 
     by the enemy or listed as missing in action;
       (2) many of these Americans are still missing and 
     unaccounted for, and the uncertainty surrounding their fates 
     has caused their families to suffer tragic and continuing 
     hardships;
       (3) as a symbol of the Nation's concern and commitment to 
     accounting as fully as possible for all Americans still 
     prisoner, missing, or unaccounted for, Congress has 
     officially recognized the National League of Families POW/MIA 
     flag and seeks further to honor those Americans who in future 
     wars may be captured, or listed as missing or unaccounted 
     for; and
       (4) the American people observe and honor with appropriate 
     ceremony and activity the third Friday of September each year 
     as National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

     SEC. 2. DISPLAY.

       The POW/MIA flag shall be displayed on Armed Forces Day, 
     Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day, 
     National POW/MIA Recognition Day, and on the last business 
     day before each of the preceding holidays, on the grounds or 
     in the public lobbies of--
       (1) major military installations as designated by the 
     Secretary of Defense;
       (2) Federal national cemeteries;
       (3) the national Korean War Veterans Memorial;
       (4) the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial;
       (5) the White House;
       (6) the official office of the--
       (A) Secretary of State;
       (B) Secretary of Defense;
       (C) Secretary of Veterans Affairs; and
       (D) Director of the Selective Service System; and
       (7) United States Postal Service post offices.

     SEC. 3. REPEAL.

       Public Law 102-190 (36 U.S.C. 189 note), relating to 
     display of the POW/MIA flag, is repealed.

     SEC. 4. REGULATIONS AND DEFINITION.

       (a) Regulations.--Within 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the agencies or departments 
     responsible for the locations listed in section 2 shall 
     prescribe such regulations as necessary to carry out the 
     provisions of this Act.
       (b) Definition.--As used in this section, the term ``POW/
     MIA flag'' means the National League of Families POW/MIA flag 
     recognized officially and designated by section 2 of Public 
     Law 101-355.

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