[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 124 (Friday, October 6, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10117-S10118]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE CONGRESS ON THE NEED FOR CONSTRUCTION OF 
             THE WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL ON THE CAPITAL MALL

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, on behalf of myself, Mr. Inouye, Mr. 
Stevens, and Mr. Thurmond, I send to the desk a concurrent resolution 
and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will state the concurrent resolution 
by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 145) expressing the 
     sense of Congress on the propriety and need for expeditious 
     construction of the National World War II Memorial at the 
     Rainbow Pool on the National Mall in the Nation's Capital.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, our former distinguished majority leader, 
Mr. Dole, has headed up, together with others, an effort across 
America, and indeed from abroad, to raise the funds and otherwise 
provide for a memorial to be erected in the Nation's Capital in memory 
of those who served in World War II, and indeed those who were not in 
uniform but here on the homefront who, in every other respect, 
supported that heroic effort during that period from the day beginning 
December 7, 1941, to and including the surrender of Japan in August of 
1945.
  Mr. President, as we all know, World War II was the defining event of 
the 20th century for the United States and its wartime allies with more 
than 16,000,000 American men and women serving in uniform in the Armed 
Forces. Over 400,000 Americans gave their lives for our nation and more 
than 600,000 were wounded. In addition, countless Americans back home 
in the

[[Page S10118]]

United States organized and sacrificed to give their unwavering support 
to those in uniform.
  Today, there are less than 6,000,000 surviving World War II veterans 
and we mourn the passing of greater than 1,200 veterans each day.
  Mr. President, this is why the construction of the National World War 
II Memorial must follow an expeditious and critical path to completion. 
In 1994, legislation was enacted which approved the location of a 
memorial to this epic era in an area of the National Mall that includes 
the Rainbow Pool.
  Since July 1995, the National World War II Memorial site and design 
have been subject to 19 public hearings that have resulted in an 
endorsement from the State Historic Preservation Officer of the 
District of Columbia, three endorsements from the District of Columbia 
Historic Preservation Review Board, and most significantly, four 
approvals from the Commission of Fine Arts and four approvals from the 
National Capital Planning Commission. In July of this year, the 
Commission of Fine Arts approved the design of the memorial followed by 
final architectural design approval by the National Capital Planning 
Commission on September 21, 2000.
  Mr. President, it is my feeling that construction of this magnificent 
memorial, which has received a thorough review and given final approval 
by all jurisdictional authorities, should begin without delay. It is 
imperative that this fitting tribute to those brave and patriotic 
Americans be completed and dedicated while surviving veterans are still 
alive.
  I ask my Senate colleagues to support this resolution and allow our 
World War II veterans, veterans of the most devastating war the world 
has known, to see and be a part of the memorial they so fiercely 
deserve.
  Mr. President, I sought to get the cosponsorship of all those in this 
body who served in World War II. The ability to do this, time-wise, 
precluded that, but I am certain that almost all would have joined. 
Therefore, it is a particular privilege for me to submit this to the 
Senate. Congressman Stump will introduce the identical measure in the 
House of Representatives.
  Mr. President, I ask that we take action on this resolution.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate on the concurrent 
resolution?
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 145) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 145

       Whereas World War II is the defining event of the twentieth 
     century for the United States and its wartime allies;
       Whereas in World War II, more than 16,000,000 American men 
     and women served in uniform in the Armed Forces, more than 
     400,000 of them gave their lives, and more than 670,000 of 
     them were wounded;
       Whereas many millions more on the home front in the United 
     States organized and sacrificed to give unwavering support to 
     those in uniform;
       Whereas fewer than 6,000,000 World War II veterans are 
     surviving at the end of the twentieth century, and the Nation 
     mourns the passing of more than 1,200 veterans each day;
       Whereas Congress, in Public Law 103-422 (108 Stat. 4356) 
     enacted in 1994, approved the location of a memorial to this 
     epic era in an area of the National Mall that includes the 
     Rainbow Pool;
       Whereas since 1995, the National World War II Memorial site 
     and design have been the subject of 19 public hearings that 
     have resulted in an endorsement from the State Historic 
     Preservation Officer of the District of Columbia, three 
     endorsements from the District of Columbia Historic 
     Preservation Review Board, the endorsement of many Members of 
     Congress, and, most significantly, four approvals from the 
     Commission of Fine Arts and four approvals from the National 
     Capital Planning Commission (including the approvals of those 
     Commissions for the final architectural design);
       Whereas on Veterans Day 1995, the President dedicated the 
     approved site at the Rainbow Pool on the National Mall as the 
     site for the National World War II Memorial; and
       Whereas fundraising for the National World War II Memorial 
     has been enormously successful, garnering enthusiastic 
     support from half a million individual Americans, hundreds of 
     corporations and foundations, dozens of civic, fraternal, and 
     professional organizations, state legislatures, students in 
     1,100 schools, and more than 450 veterans groups representing 
     11,000,000 veterans: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) it is appropriate for the United States to memorialize 
     in the Nation's Capitol the triumph of democracy over tyranny 
     in World War II, the most important event of the twentieth 
     century;
       (2) the will of the American people to memorialize that 
     triumph and all who labored to achieve it, and the decisions 
     made on that memorialization by the appointed bodies charged 
     by law with protecting the public's interests in the design, 
     location, and construction of memorials on the National Mall 
     in the Nation's Capitol, should be fulfilled by the 
     construction of the National World War II Memorial, as 
     designed, at the approved and dedicated Rainbow Pool site on 
     the National Mall; and
       (3) it is imperative that expeditious action be taken to 
     commence and complete the construction of the National World 
     War II Memorial so that the completed memorial will be 
     dedicated while Americans of the World War II generation are 
     alive to receive the national tribute embodied in that 
     memorial, which they earned with their sacrifice and 
     achievement during the largest and most devastating war the 
     world has known.

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank the Chair, the floor staff, and 
the staffs of many Senators who were able to clear this resolution. I 
appreciate that.
  I note the presence of another colleague on the floor. I would like 
to consult the Republican floor staff before I address the Senate 
further.
  Mr. President, I understand our distinguished colleague wishes to 
address the Senate for a period of time. How much time will he require?
  Mr. WYDEN. Five minutes will be plenty.

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