[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.

                          ____________________