[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 85 (Thursday, June 25, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H5385-H5386]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING THE BERLIN AIRLIFT

  Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on International Relations be discharged from the further consideration 
of the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 230) honoring the Berlin 
airlift, and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Colorado?
  Mr. BALLENGER. Reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, I do not 
intend to object, but I would like to do so for the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Hefley) to offer an explanation of his request.
  Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. BALLENGER. I yield to the gentleman from Colorado.
  Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, this is a sense of Congress resolution 
regarding the celebration of the Berlin airlift that should include a 
presentation of a suitable gift of representational art from the 
citizens of the United States of America to the citizens of the Federal 
Republic of Germany commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall and the 
reunification of this great city. And this, as my colleagues know, was 
one of the great moments in history when the United States stepped in 
and saved a city that, if there was ever intention it was going to be 
choked to death, there were about 2 million people that were assisted 
by this airlift, and I think this is a very important and appropriate 
thing for the Congress of the United States to recognize. And, with 
that, I would hope the gentleman would remove his right to object.
  Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Colorado?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the concurrent resolution, as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 230

       Whereas the date, 26 June 1998, marks the 50th anniversary 
     of the commencement of the Allied effort to supply the people 
     of Berlin, Germany, with food, fuel, and supplies in the face 
     of the illegal Soviet blockade that divided the city;
       Whereas this 15 month Allied effort became known throughout 
     the free world as the ``Berlin Airlift'' and ultimately cost 
     the lives of 78 Allied airmen, of whom 31 were United States 
     fliers;
       Whereas this heroic humanitarian undertaking was 
     universally regarded as an unambiguous statement of Western 
     resolve to thwart further Soviet expansion;
       Whereas the Berlin Airlift was an unqualified success, both 
     as an instrument of diplomacy and as a life saving rescue of 
     the 1,000,000 inhabitants of West Berlin, with 2,326,205 tons 
     of supplies delivered by 277,728 flights over a 462-day 
     period;
       Whereas historians and citizens the world over view the 
     success of this courageous action as pivotal to the ultimate 
     defeat of international tyranny, symbolized today by the fall 
     of the Berlin Wall; and
       Whereas this inspiring act of resolve must be preserved in 
     the memory of future generations in a positive and dramatic 
     manner: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that the 
     50th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift should include the 
     presentation of a suitable gift of representational art from 
     the citizens of the United States of America to the citizens 
     of the Federal Republic of Germany, commemorating the fall of 
     the ``Berlin Wall'' and the reunification of this great city 
     and, to this end, civic and corporate leaders across the 
     Nation are entrusted to fulfill this intent using private 
     subscription and volunteer effort with the encouragement and 
     support of the United States Congress.

  The concurrent resolution was agreed to.


            Amendment to the Preamble Offered By Mr. Hefley

  Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment to the preamble.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment to the preamble offered by Mr. Hefley:
       In the preamble amend the first clause to read as follows:
       Whereas the Allied effort to supply the people of Berlin, 
     Germany, with food, fuel, and supplies in the face of the 
     illegal Soviet blockade that divided the city was one of the 
     greatest military and humanitarian efforts in the history of 
     the world;
       In the 4th clause of the preamble, strike ``1,000,000'' and 
     insert ``2,000,000''.
       In the text after the resolving clause strike ``50th 
     anniversary'' and insert ``celebration''.

  Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, these are technical amendments to make the 
resolution come into compliance with our House rules, and I would move 
the amendment.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the amendment to the

[[Page H5386]]

preamble offered by the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley).
  The amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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