[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 111 (Thursday, August 2, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H5323-H5324]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING UKRAINE ON TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF REESTABLISHMENT OF ITS 
                              INDEPENDENCE

  Mr. TANCREDO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on International Relations be discharged from further consideration of 
the resolution (H. Res. 222) congratulating Ukraine on the tenth 
anniversary of reestablishment of it independence, and ask for its 
immediate consideration in the House.

[[Page H5324]]

  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Colorado?
  Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, later this 
month on August 20, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert) has 
authorized a delegation of Members of this House to travel to Ukraine 
to help the Ukrainian people and to celebrate with them in their 
celebration of the tenth anniversary of Ukrainian independence. It is a 
celebration of victory that belongs to the people of Ukraine, and I 
thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) for her help in bringing 
this resolution forward and delivering it to the people of Ukraine 
later this month.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. SCHAFFER. Further reserving the right to object, I yield to the 
gentlewoman from Ohio.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. 
Schaffer) who co-chairs the Ukrainian Caucus with myself; we have 
several dozen Members who are participants in that. For dropping this 
resolution, H. Res. 222, congratulating Ukraine on the tenth 
anniversary of the reestablishment of its independence, we ask for the 
unanimous approval of the membership.
  Mr. Speaker, it is important to remind ourselves and think about the 
fragile beginnings of our own Republic, after 10 years, where were we. 
We did not even have a Constitution in place, and it took us almost a 
century more to grant civil rights to all of our people. And voting 
rights did not come until almost another 70 years later to women, then 
in the mid-20th century to minorities.
  So we see the struggle of this democratic Nation, this democratic 
Republic, to provide greater and fuller, more robust liberties to all 
of her people. We look at Ukraine after 10 years, she has been building 
broad and durable relations with the 1994 charter for Ukrainian-
American partnership, friendship and cooperation, and also her 
distinctive partnership since 1997 with NATO.
  Ukraine has done many things that the West has asked, including 
dismantling her nuclear arsenal. On June 28, 1996, Ukraine's parliament 
voted to adopt a democratic constitution of the Ukraine, providing for 
presidential and parliamentary elections, and we are about to embark on 
the third set of parliamentary elections.
  Mr. Speaker, I would say to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. 
Schaffer) and, indeed, our entire membership that Ukraine has been 
trying to pursue friendly relations with her neighboring countries and 
has been consistently pursuing a course of European integration with a 
commitment to ensuring democracy and prosperity for its citizens. The 
road has not always been easy.
  Mr. Speaker, it still has many rough bumps in that road, certainly 
the full development of free press and independent media; the 
development of a rule of law and a judicial system; a legislative 
branch of the government that participates fully and equally with the 
executive. And as we move this resolution forward, we want to walk 
alongside Ukraine on this journey, and we urge her to join with the 
community of freedom-loving nations and European nations, and hopefully 
in our lifetime see her fully integrated into the European and trans-
Atlantic set of institutions that we have all come to respect and love.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and urge this 
resolution's swift passage. I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Hastert), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lantos), the gentleman from California (Mr. Gallegly), 
the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), all Members who have supported 
this resolution at the authorizing level, the gentleman from Colorado 
(Mr. Tancredo), and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) who 
shares our interest in moving Ukraine forward.
  Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her help and 
leadership on this important issue.
  Mr. Speaker, Ukraine faces certain challenges. There is no question 
about that, and the United States is prepared to pay whatever 
supportive role it can to help promote private property ownership, 
freedom of speech, human rights and political stability. Despite all of 
those challenges, and some of them are not coming soon enough, the 
economic growth in Ukraine is opening up Ukrainian people to a 
tremendous amount of prosperity that they have not experienced before.
  As I said before, there are lot of political figures that we have had 
a chance to meet over time, but the tenth anniversary of Ukrainian 
independence is a victory and celebration for the people of Ukraine. 
Their hope for freedom, democracy and an enduring, independent nation 
is our hope as well, and we are anxious to get to Ukraine and celebrate 
this monumental event with them.
  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 resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 222

       Whereas the proclamation on August 24, 1991 of the 
     independence of Ukraine led to the disintegration of the 
     Soviet Union;
       Whereas Ukraine and the United States, proceeding from 
     their shared commitment to democratic values, have expressed 
     their determination to build broad and durable relations in 
     the 1994 Charter for Ukrainian-American Partnership, 
     Friendship and Cooperation and Ukraine is a country that 
     maintains a distinctive partnership with NATO since 1997;
       Whereas on June 28, 1996, Ukraine's Parliament voted to 
     adopt the democratic Constitution and Ukraine has conducted 
     its presidential and parliamentary elections according to it, 
     moving further away from the former communist model of one-
     party totalitarian rule; and
       Whereas Ukraine since its independence has successfully 
     transferred from a colony of the Soviet empire into a viable, 
     peaceful state, which established exemplary relations with 
     all, neighboring countries and consistently pursues a course 
     of European integration with a commitment to ensuring 
     democracy and prosperity for its citizens: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that--
       (1) as a leader of the democratic nations of the world, the 
     United States commends and congratulates the people of 
     Ukraine on the tenth anniversary of Ukrainian independence;
       (2) the President and Parliament of Ukraine should continue 
     their efforts to maintain the balance of powers between the 
     executive and legislative branches of government and ensure 
     that their cooperation is aimed at furthering democratic 
     reforms and strengthening civil society based on the rule of 
     law; and
       (3) the United States should continue to assist in building 
     a truly independent Ukraine through encouraging and 
     supporting democratic and market-economy transformations in 
     Ukraine, keeping the doors of European and Trans-Atlantic 
     institutions open to this nation.

  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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