[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 146 (Monday, October 27, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S11222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S11222]]
                     OHIO'S POW/MIA RECOGNITION DAY

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise today to call my colleagues' 
attention to a resolution introduced by the Governor of Ohio, George 
Voinivich, to commemorate National POW/MIA Day, which took place on 
September 19, 1997. That day last month and more important, the issue 
itself, are of great importance to all Americans, especially to those 
that served our country in military missions abroad.
  As of today 2,116 Americans are classified as either prisoners of war 
or missing in action (POW/MIA) from the Vietnam war. Thousands more 
remain missing and unaccounted for from the Korean war and even the 
Second World War. The families and friends of these soldiers still have 
to endure the awful uncertainty concerning their fate. Every effort 
must be made to determine the fate of these soldiers. In the case of 
Vietnam, I am hopeful that the normalization of diplomatic relations 
with Vietnam and the reopening of the American Embassy will encourage 
the government of Vietnam to fully cooperate with American officials in 
their search to gain the fullest possible accounting of POW/MIA's. I 
strongly encourage the President and the Ambassador to Vietnam to give 
the POW/MIA issue top priority and insist that the Vietnamese 
Government disclose all pertinent information on American POW/MIA's.
  Mr. President, I am hopeful that last month's POW/MIA Day, and 
Governor Voinivich's eloquent resolution will serve to heighten 
American awareness and inform foreign governments of the United States' 
serious commitment to bringing our soldiers home.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the State of Ohio's POW/
MIA Recognition Day resolution be inserted in the Congressional Record.
  There being no objection, the resolution was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                               Resolution

       Whereas, 2,116 Americans are still missing and unaccounted 
     for from the Vietnam War, including 114 from the State of 
     Ohio; and
       Whereas, their families, friends and fellow veterans still 
     endure uncertainty concerning their fate; and
       Whereas, U.S. Government intelligence and other evidence 
     confirms that the Government of Vietnam could unilaterally 
     account for hundreds of missing Americans, including many of 
     the 454 still missing in Laos and the 76 still unaccounted 
     for in Cambodia, by locating and returning identifiable 
     remains and providing archival records to answer other 
     discrepancies; and
       Whereas, the President has normalized relations with 
     Vietnam believing that such action could generate increased 
     unilateral accounting for Americans still missing from the 
     Vietnam War, and such results have not yet been provided by 
     the Government of Vietnam;
       Now, therefore, I, George V. Voinovich, Governor of the 
     State of Ohio, do hereby call on the President to 
     reinvigorate United States efforts to press Vietnam for 
     unilateral actions to locate and return to our nation any 
     Americans who may still be alive, remains that would account 
     for hundreds of America's POW/MIAs, and records to help 
     obtain answers on many more; and do hereby designate 
     September 19, 1997 as POW/MIA Recognition Day in honor of all 
     American POW/MIAs, in particular the 114 from Ohio, and 
     encourage all citizens to observe this day with appropriate 
     ceremonies.
  Mr. DeWine. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Coats). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, what is the parliamentary situation?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate is currently in morning business.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, might I then inquire as to if there are 
any constraints on time, limits on Senators speaking in morning 
business?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Senators are allowed to speak for up to 10 
minutes.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I have more than 10 minutes of remarks 
that I want to make on Fed nominees and on the economy in general. It 
is going to take certainly more than 10 minutes. I will speak for my 
allotted time of 10 minutes and then ask unanimous consent at that 
point to extend it beyond that.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. That Senator from Iowa.

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