[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 142 (Saturday, October 10, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H10453-H10456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING FORMER SOVIET UNION'S REPRESSIVE POLICIES
TOWARD UKRAINIAN PEOPLE
Mr. GILMAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 295) expressing the sense of
Congress that the 65th anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933
should serve as a reminder of the brutality of the government of the
former Soviet Union's repressive policies toward the Ukrainian people.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 295
Whereas this year marks the 65th anniversary of the
Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933 that caused the deaths of at
least 7,000,000 Ukrainians and that was covered up and
officially denied by the government of the former Soviet
Union;
Whereas millions of Ukrainians died, not by natural causes
such as pestilence, drought, floods, or a poor harvest, but
by policies designed to punish Ukraine for its aversion and
opposition to the government of the former Soviet Union's
oppression and imperialism, including the forced
collectivization of agriculture;
Whereas, when Ukraine was famine-stricken, the government
of the former Soviet Union exported 1,700,000 tons of grain
to the West while offers from international relief
organizations to assist the starving population were rejected
on the grounds that there was no famine in Ukraine and no
need for the assistance;
Whereas the borders of Ukraine were tightly controlled and
starving Ukrainians were not allowed to cross into Russian
territory in search of bread;
Whereas, in his book ``The Harvest of Sorrow'', British
historian Robert Conquest explains, ``A quarter of the rural
population, men, women, and children, lay dead or dying, the
rest in various stages of debilitation with no strength to
bury their families or neighbors.'';
Whereas the Commission on the Ukraine Famine was
established on December 13, 1985, to conduct a study with the
goal of expanding the world's knowledge and understanding of
the famine and to expose the government of the former Soviet
Union for its atrocities in the famine;
Whereas the Commission's report to Congress confirmed that
the government of the former Soviet Union consciously
employed the brutal policy of forced famine to repress the
Ukrainian population and to oppress the Ukrainians'
inviolable religious and political rights; and
Whereas the Commission on the Ukraine Famine presented 4
volumes of findings and conclusions, 10 volumes of archival
material, and over 200 cassettes of testimony from famine
survivors to the newly independent Government of Ukraine in
1993, during the official observances of the 60th anniversary
of the Ukrainian famine in Kyiv, Ukraine: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring),
SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the victims of the government of the former Soviet
Union-engineered Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933 be solemnly
remembered on its 65th anniversary;
(2) the Congress condemns the systematic disregard for
human life, human rights, human liberty, and self-
determination that characterized the repressive policies of
the government of the former Soviet Union during the
Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933;
(3) on the 65th anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine of
1932-1933, in contrast to the policies of the government of
the former Soviet Union, Ukraine is moving toward democracy,
a free-market economy, and full respect for human rights, and
it is essential that the United States continue to assist
Ukraine as it proceeds down this path; and
(4) any supplemental material that will assist in the
dissemination of information about the Ukrainian Famine of
1932-1933, and thereby help to prevent similar future
tragedies, be compiled and made available worldwide for the
study of the devastation of the famine.
SEC. 2. TRANSMITTAL OF THE RESOLUTION.
The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall--
(1) transmit a copy of this resolution to--
(A) the President;
(B) the Secretary of State; and
(C) the co-chairs of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus;
and
(2) request that the Secretary of State transmit a copy of
this resolution to the Government of Ukraine.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Gilman) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).
General Leave
Mr. GILMAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. GILMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
[[Page H10454]]
(Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GILMAN. Madam Speaker, as a member of Congress it has been one of
my greatest privileges to serve as a member of the Commission on the
Ukraine Famine that the Congress established back in December of 1985.
Now that the Cold War has ended we may not always recollect how very
expert the former Soviet communist regime was at denying the truth and
only now with greater freedom and access to the secrets of that
despicable regime in the states of the former Soviet Union are we
gaining a complete picture of just how much damage was done to the
peoples held captive by that regime and just how brutal it truly was.
The work of the Ukrainian Famine Commission had to be conducted
without the benefit of such access and such freedom of speech and
thought in what was then the Soviet Union. Still through its diligent
work the Commission verified the following: That Soviet dictator Joseph
Stalin and other communist leaders knew people were starving to death
in Ukraine as a result of their policies and that the Soviet regime and
its leaders did nothing to help the famine's victims, instead using it
as a means to better subdue Ukrainian resistance to the communist
regime and the rule of Moscow.
The resolution before us today simply restates the facts about the
Ukrainian famine. To my mind, it serves as an important reminder, not
just of the innocent victims of the famine but of the reasons why the
United States and its democratic allies engaged in a Cold War of over
four decades' length to rid the world of the Soviet regime, its cruelty
and hypocrisy.
I want to thank the original sponsors of this resolution who are my
colleagues who have served on the Ukraine Caucus here in the Congress
for their work to bring this measure to the floor today. Those original
sponsors are the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fox) a member of our Committee on International
Relations; the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Dan Schaefer), and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms.
Slaughter).
{time} 1630
Madam Speaker, I fully support this resolution, and urge its
approval.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 295, and I commend
the leadership of the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin) and the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fox) and our other colleagues and, of
course, the chairman of the Committee on International Relations that
works so actively and diligently with all of us working hard to get
this matter to the floor today.
Madam Speaker, sort of as an unnoticed surprise, I also would like to
thank the staffs on both sides and particularly Elana Broitman, who is
leaving us. This is her last day with us, and the work that she has
done on the committee is deeply appreciated, I am sure, by all of our
colleagues on the Committee on International Relations.
This is a worthy resolution. Several members of this committee have
cosponsored it. I urge its adoption.
This resolution sends an important message from the Congress in
commemorating the 65th anniversary of the famine in Ukraine. It sends
the message that Congress remembers the victims of the famine, that
Congress condemns the former Soviet Government's disregard for human
life, human liberty and self-determination during the famine, that
Congress sees today's Ukraine moving toward democracy, a free market
economy and full respect for human rights and supports the United
States assistance to Ukraine as it proceeds down this path. I
wholeheartedly support this commemoration.
I also endorse support to Ukraine's reform efforts. Achieving reform
has been and will continue to be difficult, and we all recognize that
Ukraine faces enormous economic and social challenges. Ukraine has
taken important steps this summer towards reform as President Kuchma,
with apparent support from the Ukrainian parliament, issued a long list
of reformist decrees. This course best serves the interests of the
Ukraine people and is the best insurance against future hardships in
Ukraine. I think we should continue to support Ukraine's efforts as
long as it stays the course.
Again, Madam Speaker, I urge our colleagues to support this
resolution.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GILMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Fox), a member of our Committee on International
Relations and a cosponsor of the measure.
Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the time to
speak in favor of House Concurrent Resolution 295. I thank my colleague
for bringing it to the floor for consideration.
I would like to commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the gentleman from Michigan (Mr.
Levin) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) for their
leadership on this and many other issues dealing with international
relations and America's position in the free world.
This issue is very important, as the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Hastings) has pointed out. As one of the cochairs of the Ukrainian
caucus, I am proud to be one of the lead original cosponsors of the
resolution as well along with my fellow cochairs of that caucus, the
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Schaffer), the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms.
Kaptur) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter).
Ukrainian famine, Madam Speaker, was a tragic period of history in
which the Soviet Union inflicted a brutally repressive policy upon the
Ukrainian people. This policy was designed to punish the people of
Ukraine for its aversion to the oppressive and imperialistic government
of the former Soviet Union.
So, Madam Speaker, it was also designed to bring about agriculture
collectivization and crash the nationally conscious Ukrainian nation.
Millions of Ukrainians died as a result of this famine, and I believe
it is entirely appropriate that the Congress take time from its
schedule to remember those victims of this tragedy and redouble our
efforts and to reaffirm our commitment to not allowing this kind of
policy to be inflicted upon any nation or any people.
I am proud of the free Ukraine we have now with democratic elections,
free markets. We have a solidified economy, we have them working and
respecting human rights, and in the post Chernobyl challenges with
environment they are moving forward with educational, cultural and
diplomatic exchanges, and they will be a future member of NATO. We just
met this week with the Prime Minister of Ukraine and members of
parliament.
So I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), the gentleman
from New York (Mr. Gilman), the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings)
and all those who worked to support a free Ukraine for introducing this
legislation and for the leadership on this issue, and I urge my
colleagues to pass this important resolution unanimously.
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of
my time.
Mr. GILMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), chairman of our Subcommittee on
International Operations and Human Rights of the Committee on
International Relations.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished
chairman for yielding this time to me, and I am very pleased to urge
passage of H. Con. Res. 295, giving recognition and honor to the
victims of the Soviet-engineered Ukraine famine of 1932-1933 by
remembering this tragedy during its 65th anniversary.
The Ukrainian famine, Madam Speaker, is one of the most devastating
tragic events of the 20th century, a stark reminder of man's inhumanity
to man. The scope and depth of this tragedy has been documented in many
books, including such seminal works as Robert Conquest's Harvest of
Sorrow, and by the comprehensive report of the
[[Page H10455]]
Commission on the Ukraine Famine created by Congress in the 1980s to
study the famine. One only has to read some of the eyewitness accounts
of survivors included in the famine commission report to appreciate the
incalculable yet completely avoidable human suffering experienced at
that time in the Ukraine.
The truth of the matter is, Madam Speaker, that the 1932-1933 famine
engineered by Soviet Dictator Stalin could have been prevented. Its 7
million victims did not die from natural causes, but because of the
policies designed to punish the Ukrainian people for their opposition
to Soviet rule.
One of the findings of the 1988 Report to Congress of the Ukraine
Famine Commission characterizes the famine with chilling succinctness,
stating, and I quote:
``Joseph Stalin and those around him committed genocide against
Ukrainians in 1932 to 1933.''
The famine indeed constituted genocide, Madam Speaker, with Stalin
using food as a political weapon to achieve his aim of suppressing any
Ukrainian expression of political and cultural identity and self-
assertion.
The Ukrainian famine is a glaring illustration of the brutality of a
totalitarian, imperialistic regime in which respect for human rights is
a mockery and the rule of law is a sham. This man-made famine would
have been impossible in an independent, democratic country which
respected human rights and the rule of law.
The Ukraine is slowly, Madam Speaker, if unevenly, overcoming the
legacy of the brutal Soviet Communist rule as it moves to consolidate
its democracy, its market economy and full respect for human rights;
and it is fitting and proper, I would finally say, that this country,
through its foreign aid, through its investments, support those who
aspire to democracy in the Ukraine and also to try to alleviate at
least some of the suffering those people are experiencing.
Madam Speaker, just let me say finally that we have had hearings in
our subcommittee, we have had hearings in the Commission on Security
and Cooperation in Europe, which I chair. One of those hearings, one of
the most telling and devastating that I have ever chaired, was to hear
what the aftermath, the consequences, will be from the near meltdown at
Chernobyl and the cancers that are proliferating, particularly among
small and now growing children, adolescents, and into adulthood. It is
like a time bomb for those people, and we need to do more to try to
mitigate some of that suffering.
But the famine, as this resolution clearly points out, was man-made
with this resolution we say, ``Never again.''
Mr. ROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a proud member of the
Congressional Ukranian Caucus to urge my colleagues to support the
passage of H. Con. Res. 295. Very appropriately, this bill expresses
the sense of Congress that the 65th anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine
of 1932-1933 should serve as a reminder of the brutality of the
government of the Former Soviet Union's repressive policies towards the
Ukrainian people.
As I have remarked in the past, the Ukrainian Famine was a dark and
horrible chapter in the world history that for too long has gone
unnoticed by both the American people and by this august body. By
passing H. Con. Res. 295 today, Congress will be bringing the world's
attention to this tragedy and will help heal the emotional scars of
those who endured the Ukrainian Famine.
I know that the Ukrainian-Americans I am so very proud to represent
in New Jersey eagerly await the passage of this resolution. This
resolution offers a small measure of justice to the thousands of the
Ukrainian-Americans who still suffer from the cruelty exacted upon them
by Soviet authorities earlier this century.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues who care deeply about human
rights, who care about the need to remember past tragedies, to support
the passage of this worldwhile resolution.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my appreciation to Mr.
Gilman and Mr. Hamilton for their help in scheduling this resolution on
the Floor. I would also like to thank the other co-chairs of the
Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Schaffer, Ms.
Slaughter, and especially Mr. Fox. Finally, I thank Carol Ertel, Dan
Jourdan and Lisa Mulcrone of my personal staff.
Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 295 commemorates the 65th
anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine of 1932 to 1933. At least seven
million Ukrainians died--not by natural causes of drought or flood or a
poor harvest--rather seven million died because the leaders of the
former Soviet Union chose to use food as a weapon.
Seeking to punish Ukraine for its opposition to Soviet policies of
forced collectivization of agriculture and industrialization, Joseph
Stalin unleashed the horror of the Ukrainian Famine. Years after these
events transpired, the deaths of seven million Ukrainians were covered
up and officially denied by the government of the former Soviet Union.
Today we remember.
House Concurrent Resolution 295 expresses the sense of Congress that
the victims of the Soviet-engineered Ukrainian Famine be solemnly
remembered. In this resolution, Congress condemns the systematic
disregard for human life, human rights, human liberty, and self-
determination that characterized the repressive policies of the
government of the former Soviet Union during the Ukrainian Famine of
1932 and 1933.
It is important that we remember the Ukrainian Famine and its
victims. We must remember and do everything we can to prevent similar
tragedies from happening again.
Even now, half-way around the world, another man-made famine is being
inflicted on the people of Kosovo. The Serbian security forces have
imposed food blockades and deliberately destroyed crops and livestock
of Kosovo. Over one-third of Kosovo's villages and thousands of homes
have been deliberately destroyed. Hundreds of innocent men, women and
children have been killed and tens of thousands more are without food
and shelter as winter comes on.
The most meaningful way to honor the memory of the seven million the
Ukrainians who died in the Great Famine is to prevent such senseless
tragedies from happening again.
Mr. Speaker, government-induced famine is never justified. I urge all
of my colleagues to join me in supporting House Concurrent Resolution
295.
Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solemn tribute to a
moment in history that none of us should ever soon forget, the
Ukrainian famine of 1932-33. As a co-chair of the Congressional
Ukrainian Caucus, I am pleased that the House leadership has chosen to
bring this resolution to the floor. I would also like to thank my
friends at the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America for working so
hard on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, on this, the 65th Anniversary of the Ukrainian famine,
we pay respect to the victims of this tragedy so that we may educate a
new generation of Americans about this tragic, and ultimately
preventable event. This event differed from what we often think of as a
typical natural disaster in the sense that it was man-made. The famine
was created by a repressive government, with its sole purpose to break
the collective will of a proud people for whom the principles of
private ownership and individual rights were, and continue to be,
deeply embedded in their backgrounds and traditions.
In the late 1920's, the Soviet government of Josef Stalin began to
take steps to collectivize agriculture by whatever means necessary,
including the use of harsh and coercive tactics. What nobody could have
ever imagined was that these methods would include a forced famine that
would lead to the deaths of more than 7,000,000 people in towns and
villages throughout Ukraine. While horrified Ukrainians watched as
their neighbors either lay dying or desperately searched for food, the
Soviet government exported over 1,700,000 tons of grain to the West and
denied farmers access to vital materials to feed their families.
Mr. Speaker, today Ukraine stands out as a fledgling, young
democracy. Its people and its government working to build a system of
fair competition and free markets. And as it struggles to put aside
years of Communist rule, government corruption, and weak property laws,
we stand here humbled by the lessons of its past and pledge to keep
these memories alive so that they may move ahead, and in the process,
ensure that tragedies such as this never happen again.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 295,
a resolution to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Ukrainian
famine and to recognize the pain and suffering of the Ukrainian people
under the former Soviet regime.
In 1932, the people of Ukraine fell prey to the dictatorial
ruthlessness of Soviet leader Josef Stalin, who imposed a man-made
famine on the Ukrainian people to punish them for their resistance to
his forced collectivization policies.
The ensuing famine killed more than seven million Ukrainians, almost
one-quarter of the population. The starving masses were blocked at the
Ukrainian borders from crossing into Russian territory in search of
food. The Soviet regime rejected offers to assist the starving
population from international relief organizations, denying that the
famine was occurring in Ukraine. And the Soviet government even sent
1.7 million tons of grain to the West during the height of the famine.
[[Page H10456]]
Mr. Speaker, 65 years ago the Ukrainian people were suffering from an
horrific man-made catastrophe. It is a testament to their strength as a
people that today's Ukraine is progressing with democratic and economic
reforms, and is one of our strongest allies in the region.
I am proud to stand in support of H. Con. Res. 295, and I urge my
colleagues to join me in supporting this important resolution.
Mr. GILMAN. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Emerson). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res.
295.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was
agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________