[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 61 (Thursday, May 14, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E871-E874]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RESOLUTIONS APPROVED BY THE NATIONAL SOCIETY DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN 
                               REVOLUTION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BOB LIVINGSTON

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 14, 1998

  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to 
insert the following resolutions passed by the National Society 
Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) into the Congressional 
Record. The resolutions were passed by the DAR at its 107th Continental 
Congress which was held on April 22, 1998.

                          Emergency Resolution


                       the nato expansion treaty

           Scheduled for U.S. Senate vote the week of 4/20/98

       Whereas, Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty obligates 
     each NATO member to

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     ``agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in 
     Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against 
     them all'';
       Whereas, Expanding NATO to include Hungary, Poland and the 
     Czech Republic will further obligate the United States to 
     defend not only the borders but the NATO defined 
     ``interests'' of Eastern Europe, and could result in further 
     deployment of United States troops throughout the world; and
       Whereas, The Treaty will add nothing to the territorial 
     security of the United States, but will stretch an already 
     thin United States military across an ever expanding area, 
     increasing the risk to American servicemen, who will be 
     fighting under United Nations command; therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the 
     American Revolution does not view the NATO Expansion Treaty 
     as in the best interest of the United States, and is opposed 
     to any treaty that will undermine Congress' Constitutional 
     responsibility to declare war, place United States troops 
     under United Nations command and commit the United States to 
     permanent involvement in foreign conflicts and wars.


                                preamble

                          Lord Thomas Macaulay

       Letter to an American Friend, 23 May 1857, ``. . . The 
     average age of the world's greatest democratic nations has 
     been 200 years. Each has been through the following sequence:
       From bondage to spiritual faith.
       From faith to great courage.
       From courage to liberty.
       From liberty to abundance.
       From abundance to complacency.
       From complacency to selfishness.
       From selfishness to apathy.
       From apathy to dependency.
       And from dependency back again into bondage.''
       Can we escape this fate?


                       commemorative dedications

  observe the centenary of the death of a daughter: frances e. willard

       (September 28, 1839--February 17, 1898), NSDAR #243; 
     Chicago Chapter Charter & Ft. Dearborn Member
       The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, 
     at the Seventh Continental Congress in 1898, mourned ``the 
     death of one of its most distinguished members''. This year 
     will mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Frances 
     Elizabeth Caroline Willard, a remarkable woman.
       Through the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), she 
     educated millions to the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and drug 
     use. As a suffragist for the rights of women and children, 
     she helped create protection for them in working for their 
     education and women's right to vote, the eight hour work day, 
     equal pay for equal work, uniform marriage and divorce laws, 
     prison reform, and she worked as a tireless advocate for the 
     sanctity of the home. Author, educator, worker for peace and 
     improvement of the human condition through passive 
     demonstrations of strength, she made the nation and then the 
     world conscious of the newly found resource of women. She 
     trained women, encourage them to achieve at their highest 
     potential and then helped to provide a door through which 
     they could enter into service. She was an integral part of 
     many organizations, including the NSDAR, that a century after 
     her death still continue their missions.
       In 1905, her statue was placed in Statuary Hall in the 
     Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. as an honored 
     Illinoisan, the first woman to stand among the figures of 
     great Americans of the United States. Today, Frances Willard 
     is a reminder to all women that they can ``Do Everything'' to 
     which they set their minds and hearts. The National Society 
     Daughters of the American Revolution pays tribute to this 
     famous American.


                         a patriot & a pioneer

       Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee, one of the founders of the NSDAR, 
     its first Librarian General and a co-founder with General 
     George M. Sternberg of the DAR Hospital Corps in April 1898. 
     She recruited qualified nurses for the Spanish American War.
       She was appointed Acting Assistant Surgeon, U.S.A., in 
     charge of army nurses on August 29, 1898; this empowered her 
     to organize the Army Nurse Corp. After the war, in 1900, when 
     the Army Reorganization Act was being written, Dr. McGee, at 
     General Sternberg's request prepared the Army Nurse Corps 
     section of the act which was not changed until 1947.
       Her indomitable spirit lives on in the Dr. Anita Newcomb 
     McGee Award to the Outstanding Army Nurse of the year. Dr. 
     Anita Newcomb McGee was a patriot and a pioneer physician and 
     deserves this centenary acknowledgement.


                 HISTORIC VIEW OF THE UN AND THE NSDAR

       Whereas, In 1946, the National Society Daughters of the 
     American Revolution adopted a resolution in support of the 
     United Nations as an instrument to ``promote international 
     understanding and permanent peace'' but at the same time 
     began a ``constructive campaign of education to prevent the 
     confusion of this plan of world responsibility with any plan 
     of World Government involving world citizenship, universal 
     currency, free trade, and the dominance of the United States 
     by other nations'';
       Whereas, The NSDAR continued to view the UN as a world 
     organization of sovereign nations working together for world 
     peace and understanding, while opposing any form of world 
     government, but by 1955, citing UN assaults upon the 
     Constitution of the United States, the NSDAR resolved that it 
     was ``clear that a CONCEALED purpose (of the UN) is to 
     destroy the sovereignty of the United States of America in 
     order to build a WORLD GOVERNMENT without the right of 
     secession'', and in 1958, for the first time, by an 
     overwhelming vote, requested the United States to withdraw 
     from the UN; and
       Whereas, Over the years the NSDAR has objected to various 
     UN commissions, special agencies and treaties and, believing 
     control of the military is an essential ingredient of 
     sovereignty, has also opposed agreements such as the Program 
     for General and Complete Disarmament ``creating a permanent 
     UN peacekeeping force subjecting American troops to 
     international control''; therefore, be it
       Resolved, That every DAR member be mindful that upon 
     application for membership, she pledges allegiance to the 
     United States of America and agrees to support its 
     Constitution, and as stated in the NSDAR Handbook, ``DAR 
     Membership is incompatible with any form of international, 
     regional or world government which would dilute American 
     sovereignty, supersede our constitutional rights and 
     guarantees or limit our nation's independence.''


       WORLD HERITAGE SITES JEOPARDIZE AMERICAN LAND SOVEREIGNTY

       Whereas, Independence Hall, cradle of American liberty, and 
     20 other uniquely American properties have been designated 
     World Heritage Sites in direct violation of Article IV, 
     Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution which authorizes Congress 
     to make ``all needful Rules and Regulations respecting 
     Property belonging to the United States'';
       Whereas, The World Heritage program, under the control of 
     UNESCO mandates that natural Heritage Sites in the United 
     States can be designated Biosphere Reserves under the UNESCO 
     Man and the Biosphere Program, and 47 Biosphere Reserves have 
     been selected in the United States covering 50 million acres, 
     land in which economic development, property rights and 
     population dispersion are to be centrally managed by agencies 
     of the United Nations; and
       Whereas, In an effort to preserve federal, state and 
     private property rights, The American Land Sovereignty 
     Protection Act, currently before the United States Senate, 
     would end United States participation in the United Nations 
     Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage programs and eliminate 
     the designation of all sites in the United States unless 
     approved by Congress; therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the 
     American Revolution be aware of the danger posed to freedom 
     by the UNESCO controlled World Heritage Sites and Biosphere 
     Reserve programs in which sovereign United States land is to 
     be managed by the United Nations in accordance with 
     international goals and dictates; and support the American 
     Land Sovereignty Protection Act which would require consent 
     of Congress, state and local authorities before submitting 
     any American site to international supervision.


                UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE CONVENTION

       Whereas, The United Nation's Framework Convention on 
     Climate Change, signed in Japan in 1997, will mandate massive 
     energy cuts, resulting in the loss of millions of jobs, 
     exacerbating the exodus of energy dependent industry, and 
     affecting all business, including agriculture;
       Whereas, This will cause living standards to plummet and 
     food prices to soar, while giving rise to a new global 
     regulatory bureaucracy and forcing American industry to 
     relocate in the 128 under developed countries exempt from the 
     treaty, such as China, India and Mexico; and
       Whereas, The government's own satellite program over the 
     past 18 years shows a slight cooling, and many prominent 
     climate scientists consider the global climate convention or 
     treaty to be flawed and its goals unrealistic ``. . . based 
     solely on unproven scientific theories, imperfect computer 
     models . . . and unsupported assumptions that catastrophic 
     global warming follows from the burning of fossil fuels . . 
     .''; therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the 
     American Revolution oppose the United Nations Framework 
     Convention on Climate Change which would result in 
     deindustrialization of the United States, drastically 
     lowering living standards as industry is forced to relocate 
     in under developed countries exempt from the convention, and 
     in a new global regulatory bureaucracy which would further 
     destroy sovereignty.


                     INJUSTICE FOR ALL--WORLD COURT

       Whereas, a global treaty conference to establish a world 
     tribunal supported by the General Assembly of the United 
     Nations, and already considered by many as an accomplished 
     fact, will be held during June, 1998 in Rome to begin the 
     treaty ratification process to establish an International 
     Criminal Court (ICC);
       Whereas, The definition of the new World Court of War 
     Crimes is loosely defined and presently includes genocide, 
     crime against humanity and war crimes with power to add other 
     categories such as ecological crimes; and serious concerns 
     are being raised about a tribunal dedicated to the creation 
     of precedents in international law by judges from countries 
     that are culturally alien to American values and outside the 
     common law tradition, with no procedural rights or immunities 
     as guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Bill 
     of Rights; and

[[Page E873]]

       Whereas, The United States will be expected to provide most 
     of the enforcement personnel for the ICC, and American 
     military personnel on United Nations peacekeeping forces will 
     be at risk of being targeted with war crime charges; 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, the National Society Daughters of the American 
     Revolution oppose any efforts to surrender our nation's 
     sovereignty to the United Nations by establishing the 
     International Criminal Court, a world tribunal that will 
     override the United States Constitution, the American legal 
     system, and our inherent rights.


             THE AMERICAN HERITAGE RIVERS INITIATIVE (AHRI)

       Whereas, The American Heritage Rivers Initiative (AHRI), 
     implemented by Presidential Executive Order 13061, allows 
     federal takeover of 10 American rivers initially and 
     ultimately as many as 114, establishing vaguely defined 
     ``river communities'' including watershed areas \1\;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     \1\ The Mississippi River watershed area drains over 40% of 
     the United States.
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       Whereas, Although communities are encouraged to submit 
     future plans for their river designation, the final decisions 
     will be made by the AHRI Committee which is appointed by the 
     President's Council on Environmental Quality, leaving 
     nonelected state administrators, employees and 
     nongovernmental organizations (NGO's) in control of 
     designated rivers; and
       Whereas, U.S. Representative Helen Chenoweth--Idaho has 
     introduced legislation to stop federal funding of the AHRI, 
     an initiative which imposes another layer of federal 
     bureaucracy, violates constitutional and statutory law, 
     reduces the states' domain and restricts private property 
     rights; therefore, be it
       Resolved, The National Society Daughters of the American 
     Revolution oppose the American Heritage Rivers Initiative, a 
     maneuver by the Executive Branch to thwart the powers 
     reserved to Congress regarding regulation of navigable 
     waters, to curb jurisdiction of states over land use planning 
     as well as to restrict water rights, local zoning and 
     individual property rights.


                     NATIONAL ID--ALL PERSONAL DATA

       Whereas, The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution grants 
     ``The Rights of the people to be secure in their person, 
     house, and effects''; and most losses of their individual 
     freedoms have come as a result of governmental programs ``to 
     assist and make safe'' all of which are seemingly benign when 
     taken individually;
       Whereas, Massive numbers of regulations and laws and a 
     national ID enforced by a powerful bureaucracy, are 
     characteristic of communism, fascism, and totalitarianism 
     and, proposed legislation on encryption would necessitate 
     giving a third party ``the ability to read all E-mail, listen 
     to telephone calls and read computer files'', precluding 
     privacy from government agencies; and
       Whereas, Data consolidation into a national identification 
     card is an approaching eventuality with the implementation of 
     the military MARC card, the Employment Authorization Reader 
     Card, bar coding, Social Security Card, Governmental 
     Employment Card, biometric ID, and compilation of education, 
     legal, family and health history; therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the 
     American Revolution must continue to remain vigilant in 
     regard to the encroachment on our constitutionally guaranteed 
     liberties and freedoms, and oppose further increasingly 
     invasive expansion of government into our daily lives and 
     oppose data consolidation into a national identification 
     card.


         CENSUS 2000: SUPPORT FULL ENUMERATION VERSUS SAMPLING

       Whereas, The Constitution of the United States mandates the 
     enumeration of the population every ten years for the purpose 
     of apportioning Congressional representation and determining 
     the distribution of funding for government programs among the 
     states which is essential to provide statistical information 
     to be utilized in drawing district boundary lines which 
     effect Congressional and local elections;
       Whereas, In order to reduce the estimated cost of 4.8 
     million dollars for Census 2000, the Bureau of the Census is 
     exerting pressure to change from the traditional method of 
     full enumeration to a sampling procedure of unproven 
     accuracy, in which only a percentage of the population would 
     be counted; and
       Whereas, The information recorded in past census records is 
     an invaluable tool for genealogists, historians and 
     sociologists and should continue to be so; therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the 
     American Revolution support the Constitutional requirement of 
     full enumeration of the Census 2000 which will provide 
     important and necessary information to the United States 
     Government and its people.


                      NO TO PUERTO RICAN STATEHOOD

       Whereas, When the House of Representatives recently voted 
     by a margin of one to enable Puerto Rico to become the 51st 
     state, the public was unaware that this was on the 
     Congressional agenda although the President of Puerto Rico 
     and his associates had retained 30 Washington, D.C. firms to 
     lobby for statehood;
       Whereas, The per capita income of Puerto Rico is half that 
     of our poorest state, more than one half of its population 
     would qualify for welfare, and 80% do not speak English and 
     are resistant to learning English; yet as a state, Puerto 
     Rico would have two Senators and probably six 
     Representatives, the latter to be taken from the 50 States 
     since the House of Representatives is capped at 435 members; 
     and
       Whereas, The reason given for statehood by a number of 
     prominent Americans of Hispanic descent is that Puerto Rico's 
     present commonwealth status does not meet the United Nations' 
     criteria for ending colonialism; therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the 
     American Revolution oppose making Puerto Rico the 51st state 
     which, with more than one half of its population qualifying 
     for welfare, would create a severe financial drain on 
     taxpayers, would receive Congressional representation at the 
     expense of other states, and would lead to social 
     polarization, not assimilation, considering its different 
     language and culture which its leaders have declared will be 
     maintained.


                       FAST TRACK TRADE AUTHORITY

       Whereas, Article I, Section 8, of the United States 
     Constitution gives to Congress the power ``to regulate 
     commerce with foreign nations and among the several states'', 
     and the Framers of the Constitution, after extensive debate, 
     relegated this power to Congress as a check and balance on 
     the President's authority to make treaties and conduct 
     foreign policy;
       Whereas, The North Atlantic Fair Trade Act (NAFTA) set a 
     precedent when it passed Congress by using a ``fast track'' 
     procedure not found in the Constitution, and the President of 
     the United States is now requesting extension of ``fast 
     track'' authority to pass multinational trade agreements; and
       Whereas, ``Fast track'' authority will restrict 
     Congressional input to twenty hours of debate, and will limit 
     the Congressional vote to `yes or no', while prohibiting all 
     rights to amend executive trade agreements; therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the 
     American Revolution recommend NAFTA be rescinded and oppose 
     extension of ``fast track'' trade authority to the President 
     of the United States, whereby the Constitutional right of 
     Congress to act on trade agreements would be eroded and power 
     would be transformed to the Executive.


                            AMERICAN FAMILY

       Whereas, Remembering that the NSDAR motto ``God, Home and 
     Country'' focuses attention on the importance of God--
     spiritual values and morals, home--one's own dwelling place 
     and that of their immediate kindred, comprising parents and 
     children, and constituting the fundamental social unit in 
     society, and country--the United States of America to which 
     we pledge our allegiance;
       Whereas, Since 1973, the family income has declined 
     necessitating many families with both parents in the work 
     force and children in day-care; the quality and parental 
     control of many schools has been diminished; many types of 
     media have overwhelmed American life altering moral 
     standards; the pervasive influence of drugs, alcohol and 
     violence has compromised the safety of the family; and the 
     roles of both mother and father have been eroded by 
     government and societal intervention; and
       Whereas, Before passing laws, Congress and State 
     Legislatures should consider the effects of law on the 
     family, communities should support solutions so that families 
     are nurtured and encouraged; families should increase their 
     involvement in school matters; parents should carefully guide 
     their family consumption of media and assume their 
     responsibility as family leaders of moral standards, thus 
     producing families with high moral standards and 
     conscientious citizens; therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the 
     American Revolution proudly proclaim its motto ``God, Home 
     and Country'' as an example to the nation.


                           MILITARY STRENGTH

       Whereas, In the last five years the government has 
     downsized United States military forces by 40%, thus not only 
     calling into question our ability to handle two conflicts in 
     different parts of the world simultaneously, a stated 
     military goal, but also endangering our status as the 
     preeminent military power in the world;
       Whereas, Although this country now has no defense against 
     ballistic missiles, and although the proliferation of 
     nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and missile 
     technology is increasing around the world to an alarming 
     degree among nations of doubtful friendliness, our 
     government, citing the constraints of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic 
     Missile Treaty with the former Soviet Union, is opposed to a 
     space based missile defense system, the most economical and 
     efficient kind of middle defense; and
       Whereas, The administration has just released to China our 
     most advanced missile technology even though China threatened 
     the United States with a missile strike on Los Angeles at the 
     height of the Taiwan crisis, is arming rogue nations world 
     wide, and its military strategist have written a book on how 
     to win the coming war with the United States; therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the 
     American Revolution recommend the following steps by the 
     United States Government for the safety of the nation:
       1. Rebuild the nation's armed forces so that there can be 
     no doubt that the United

[[Page E874]]

     States is the preeminate military power in the world and able 
     to handle two conflicts simultaneously in different parts of 
     the globe, a stated military goal,
       2. Stop any further high technology transfers to China,
       3. Cancel the 1972 Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty with the 
     former Soviet Union and its constraints on missile defense, 
     and
       4. Fund the manufacture and deployment of a space based 
     Anti-Ballistic Missile Defense System for the protection of 
     the American homeland.


                             REAFFIRMATIONS

       1. C H I N A SPELLS TROUBLE (1997)
       Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the 
     American Revolution oppose the granting of Most Favored 
     Nation trading status, the leasing of the Long Beach naval 
     base or any other American port facility, any joint military 
     training exercises and the sale of military technology or 
     hardware to communist China.
       2. RESTORE CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT (1997)
       Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the 
     American Revolution supports enumerated powers legislation 
     which would require Congress to cite constitutional authority 
     for all legislation, and further supports efforts to abolish 
     the use of unbridled Executive Orders, restore Constitutional 
     balance with strict limitation of Presidential power, thereby 
     preserving the rights of the citizenry as intended by the 
     Founding Fathers.
       3. UNITED STATES PATENT RIGHTS (1997)
       Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the 
     American Revolution stands opposed to the restructuring of 
     the United States Patent and Trademark Office and to laws and 
     international agreements that encroach on United States 
     patent and trademark laws and Constitutional rights to 
     ``writings and discoveries'' which rob inventors/writers/
     designers of their creative endeavors and allow worldwide use 
     of their efforts.