[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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