[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 144 (Wednesday, October 15, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H9404-H9407]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL VISITOR CENTER
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 1442) to authorize the design and construction of a visitor
center for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 1442
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. VISITOR CENTER.
Public Law 96-297 (16 U.S.C. 431 note) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``SEC. 6. VISITOR CENTER.
``(a) Authorization.--
``(1) In general.--The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund,
Inc., is authorized to construct a visitor center at or near
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Federal land in the District
of Columbia, or its environs, subject to the provisions of
this section, in order to better inform and educate the
public about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Vietnam
War.
``(2) Location.--The visitor center shall be located
underground.
``(3) Consultation on design phase.--The Vietnam Veterans
Memorial Fund, Inc. shall consult with educators, veterans
groups, and the National Park Service in developing the
proposed design of the visitor center.
``(b) Application of Commemorative Works Act.--Chapter 89
of title 40, United States Code (commonly referred to as the
Commemorative Works Act) shall apply, including provisions
related to the siting, design, construction, and maintenance
of the visitor center, and the visitor center shall be
considered a commemorative work for the purposes of that Act,
except that--
``(1) final approval of the visitor center shall not be
withheld;
``(2) the provisions of section 8908(b) of title 40, United
States Code requiring further approval by law for the
location of a commemorative work within Area I shall not
apply; and
``(3) the Secretary of the Interior shall enter into a
written agreement with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund,
Inc. for specified maintenance needs of the visitor center.
``(c) Operation.--The Secretary of the Interior shall--
``(1) operate the visitor center; and
``(2) as soon as practicable, in consultation with
educators and veterans groups, develop a written interpretive
plan for the visitor center in accordance with National Park
Service policy.
``(d) Funding.--The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc.
shall be solely responsible for acceptance of contributions
for, and payment of expenses of, the establishment of the
visitor center. No Federal funds shall be used to pay any
expense of the establishment of the visitor center.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Pombo) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs.
Napolitano) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo).
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1442, which I introduced and that was amended by
the Committee on Resources, authorizes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Fund to establish an underground visitor center at or near the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial to better inform and educate the public about the
Memorial and the Vietnam War.
My colleagues may not remember, but back in 1979 Congress authorized
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to raise the necessary funds to
build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, known more commonly as The Wall.
The Fund met its goal, raising over $8 million. And on November 13,
1982, The Wall was opened to the public. I have no doubt that the Fund
will meet its goal for the visitor center.
The Fund has been integrally involved with the Memorial since 1982,
and I expect that it will also be integrally involved with the visitor
center. While the center will be operated by the Park Service, the
National Park Rangers will work side by side with volunteers and
educators from the Memorial Fund and other veterans' organizations in
assisting visitors as they seek a better understanding of the Memorial
and our involvement in the war.
Today over 4.4 million people annually visit the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial, the most visited Memorial in our Nation's capital. Some come
to ``The Wall That Heals'' to sketch the name of their fallen mother or
father, brother or sister on a piece of paper, while others come for a
solemn moment with a fallen comrade. It has become the quietest place
in our Nation's capital.
No Federal funds will go toward the design and construction of the
visitor center. Once completed, the maintenance costs will be shared by
the Fund and the National Park Service.
Once built, the visitor center and The Wall will work in synergy to
provide a profound educational experience unlike any other monument or
memorial. While the exhibits for the visitor center will be determined
once it is built, I expect that some of the 60,000 personal articles
that have been left by family members over the years at the Memorial
will find a permanent home.
A visitor center for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is the right thing
to do. It is our moral responsibility to provide a place where the
thousands of stories of profiles in courage can be told and shared with
fellow Americans.
Too many visitors to The Wall walk away not truly knowing the impact
the Vietnam War had on our country, the men and women who fought in
Vietnam and the lives of those families who lost their mothers and
fathers, sons and daughters. While there are the names of 58,235 men
and women on The Wall who made the ultimate sacrifice for democracy and
security, I do not know how the draft affected their families, who they
were, where they came from, or how they felt about the war. A visitor
center could begin to answer some of these questions.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial will offer the visitor a more
comprehensive understanding as to the evolution of the Memorial and why
America got involved in Vietnam in the early 1950s, committed itself
until 1973, making it our Nation's longest military conflict, spanning
six Presidential administrations and sacrificing the lives of over
52,000 Americans.
I know my colleagues who unselfishly served this country during the
Vietnam War with honor and duty, such as two of the original cosponsors
of the bill, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons), and the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), agree with me that the visitor center
is needed.
This bill represents a true bipartisan effort. I would like to thank
the Committee on Resources ranking member, the gentleman from West
Virginia (Mr. Rahall), the Committee on Resources vice chairman, the
gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons), and our colleague, the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), for their support and efforts in moving
this legislation forward.
I would also like to thank Jan Scruggs of the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial Fund and a number of his colleagues from veterans
organizations across the country, Don Murphy, Deputy Director of the
National Park Service and his staff, and David Watkins, of the minority
staff, for all of the hours that they put in working with the majority
staff in moving this bill forward.
Finally, I would like to thank my constituents, Leo Burke of
Stockton, California, a veteran of World War II, and Retired Air Force
Colonel Robert Frank of Pleasanton, California, a veteran of the
Vietnam War. Both have been instrumental in raising the awareness of
H.R. 1442 and support for the visitor center.
I would also like to thank the members of the Karl Ross Post Number
16 American Legion in Stockton, California, and the Vietnam War
veterans from the tri-valley area in my district for their support of
this legislation.
H.R. 1442, as amended, is supported by the majority, minority of the
Committee on Resources and the administration. It has been an honor for
me to serve in helping to move this much-delayed legislation forward.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1442 as amended. I look forward
to this important legislation becoming law.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
[[Page H9405]]
(Mrs. NAPOLITANO asked and was given permission to revise and extend
her remarks.)
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, any potential changes to the Vietnam
Memorial or any of these magnificent memorials on our National Mall
must be considered very carefully. The Wall is an incredibly powerful
tool for reconciliation and healing as we have heard, and, as I have
heard from many of my constituents, it is also a permanent record of
sacrifice and loss.
Millions of Americans feel a deep and personal connection to The
Wall, and we in Congress are its stewards.
In this instance a visitor center would allow the National Park
Service and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to provide visitors to
this wall a context that might further their understanding of the war.
For many visitors, the list of over 50,000 names inscribed on black
granite is certainly moving, but their personal understanding of, and
connection to, the events surrounding the conflict is very limited. A
small underground visitor center would become an a powerful tool in
expanding visitors' connection with the Memorial and its subject
matter.
Certainly, there is more work to be done even after this legislation
is enacted. How best to design and construct the center so that it will
not intrude upon The Wall itself or any other memorial on the Mall, as
well as how best to fund staff and maintain the center must all be
explored.
However, development of this legislation has become a cooperative
process, as we have heard, and the bill contains certain provisions
that will provide guidance on each of these issues as the process of
establishing the center moves forward.
Once completed, the Vietnam Memorial Visitor Center will be a welcome
and informative addition to our National Mall. The gentleman from
California (Mr. Pombo), the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall),
and all the cosponsors of H.R. 1442 are to be commended for their
efforts on this important legislation.
In addition, the contributions of the administration and the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial Fund were vital during this process. I urge my
colleagues to support H.R. 1442, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1530
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons), vice chairman of the Committee on
Resources and an original cosponsor of the bill.
(Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the committee, the
gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of a bill which will
authorize the building of a visitors center at the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial. I am proud to have assisted and supported the gentleman from
California (Mr. Pombo) and the leadership and the staff of the
Committee on Resources in bringing us one step closer to making the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitors Center a reality.
In this body, Mr. Speaker, I am but one of many who served our great
Nation in uniform during this period of our country's history. And
today we debate long-overdue legislation to create a visitors center at
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the most popular memorial in Washington
with more than 4 million visitors a year.
Etched row upon row the heroes listed on the wall continue to serve
our Nation still today. They serve to remind us of the price of
freedom.
Throughout the United States, teachers and students are benefiting
from the educational programs of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. We
must ensure that this noble effort continues beyond America's
classrooms. It must continue when those students visit our Nation's
capital. It must continue when they visit the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial. The underground visitors center must be there on that sacred
site. The visitors center will create a profound learning experience
for all Americans, a place where veterans and family members come to
remember and often to mourn, a place where love is openly displayed,
love for those lost in Vietnam.
The visitors center will teach our children the lessons we learned as
soldiers and as a country. In the best traditions of war memorials, the
visitors center will ensure that future generations will always
remember the sacrifices that were made by our servicemembers for their
country, for their freedom.
It will educate our country's youth and continue the wall's work of
healing our Nation. I cannot think of a more appropriate place for a
visitors center than on the hallowed grounds of the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial.
The Vietnam War was controversial. However, there is no controversy
about the bravery and sacrifice of the men and women who answered the
call of duty. Former President George H.W. Bush, himself a former
combat pilot, wrote of the legislation that we debate today, ``This
center will remind all Americans that we owe these soldiers a debt of
gratitude.''
I echo the President's sentiments. Let us take up this historic step.
Let us create a center to recognize our courageous Vietnam veterans.
Let us establish this visitors center so every future generation
understands the sacrifices made and as a Nation we will never forget.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to pass this historic
legislation as a tribute to those who have served our country.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding
me time.
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I certainly want to commend my good
friend, the chairman of the Committee on Resources, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Pombo), and also our ranking member, the gentleman from
West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), for their outstanding leadership in
bringing this legislation to the floor. More especially, I want to
commend also my good friend, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons)
and my good friend, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), for
their outstanding contributions in making this legislation a
possibility.
Mr. Speaker, as an original cosponsor, I rise today in support of
H.R. 1442, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitors Center Act.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 1982; and with some
4.4 million visitors each year, it is the most visited memorial in
Washington, D.C.
This memorial stands as a testament to the sacrifices made by the men
and women during the Vietnam War. Their names are engraved in the wall
to honor their memory and serve as a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice
they made on behalf of our Nation. Some of them are my own relatives
and friends; their names are on that wall.
H.R. 1442 is designed to enhance public education at the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial. Specifically, it would authorize the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial Fund to design and construct an underground visitors
center for the memorial. The fund would also promote the educational
experience for the public, an experience culminating in self-guided
tours, displays of collections and mementos of the fallen soldiers and
exhibits discussing the historical significance of the memorial and the
Vietnam War.
Mr. Speaker, as a Vietnam veteran, I am painfully aware of the
sacrifices made by these men and women in defense of freedom. I am
honored to have been able to support this legislation which I believe
is crucial in educating the public about the Vietnam War, as well as
preserving the memory of our fallen men and women in the military.
Mr. Speaker, this memorial is more than just a reminder of the events
before, during, and after that tragic war in Vietnam. This memorial
should also serve as a reminder to our national politicians and
military leaders of our Nation never, never to take lightly the matter
of putting our soldiers, our sailors, our Marines, and our Air Force
personnel in harm's way. It should be only if there is absolutely clear
evidence that the security and safety of our Nation is at risk.
I need to remind my colleagues we did not win the war in Vietnam. And
[[Page H9406]]
for a former Secretary of Defense to confess years later and publicly
stating that as a matter of policy we were wrong to be in Vietnam, tell
that to the parents and the wives and the brothers and sisters and the
relatives of some 58,000 brave men and women who lost their lives in
that terrible conflict, and some 400,000 who were wounded and maimed
for life. And I cannot help it also, Mr. Speaker, but to state for the
record that some 2 million Vietnamese, included among them tens of
thousands of innocent women and children needlessly killed in that
terrible conflict.
It is my sincere hope that this memorial will stand as a center for
learning and telling the American people the real truth of what
happened in that dark 10-year period of our Nation's history.
Mr. Speaker, I would like again to take this opportunity to thank my
good friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), and the ranking
member of this committee for their continued leadership and commitment
in honoring the Vietnam Memorial. I urge my colleagues to support this
legislation.
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to
speaker in favor of H.R. 1442, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor
Center Act.
I am very proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation which
authorizes the design and construction of a visitors center to enhance
the experience of visitors to the Vietnam Memorial. I will not ever
forget the impact that the wall had on me when it was first
commemorated in 1982. At that time the sacrifices made by American
soldiers, Marines, Navy, and Air Force in Vietnam were so fresh on
everyone's conscience. However, as years pass, the Vietnam War becomes
the subject of a history text book rather than a reality of life.
The sacrifices made by Vietnam veterans must not simply fade into the
past. We owe much more to the soldiers who answered the call to duty
and who sacrificed for our freedom. Today, most of the visitors to the
wall were not alive during the Vietnam era. Many do not fully
understanding the message on the wall. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Visitors Center will ensure that Americans now and also future
generations will learn and understand the true history of the Vietnam
War.
I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) for his
leadership on this matter so that we can continue to honor the
sacrifices made by our many brave Americans.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman
from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me
time. I thank her for her leadership and the gentleman from California
(Mr. Pombo) for his leadership as well.
Let me say what we all know, that there are no veterans, and I think
all would agree, that are more deserving than Vietnam veterans, no
veterans that got a rawer deal at home and in the field. We cannot do
enough. They still are the homeless veterans, not simply the returning
veterans.
I support this memorial. And I support it because it has been put
underground. But I come to the floor to remind people that that is not
where it always was. It was above ground. Now it is going underground
and still there is a lot of work to be done to make sure that it is in
keeping with the Mall itself. The Mall is becoming a crowded urban
area, rather than the Mall it was meant to be.
The Vietnam Memorial, anybody who goes there knows that people who
come to the Vietnam Memorial need some place to go. Some people that
come, they bring so many things with them. They leave items. It is the
most visited memorial. It is a shrine. It is not simply a memorial.
So the need for some place for people to be is apparent here. We have
to be very careful, however, as we get pressure from various groups.
For example, there is another memorial, because after this wonderful
shrine was put there, some came forward and said, we do not like that
so we want another one. And so there is another one there which, of
course, people ignore because the place where people come is the place
where there was a competition. And pursuant to that competition was
this extraordinary memorial that could not be improved upon. But there
was political pressure, and there is another memorial there that looks
like all the other memorials in Washington.
And it is political pressure that I come to the floor to remind
people of because political pressures are making our Mall a place where
our generation is using up all of the space.
There is a portion of the Senate bill, when this goes to conference,
to access the so-called reserve, the access from the White House to the
Jefferson Memorial, the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. It is unfair
to future generations to say, look, I am sorry there is no space there,
but we had a lot of things that we wanted to commemorate.
Mr. Speaker, I want to read a letter from the National Capital
Planning Commission that reluctantly approved, or said it supported,
this memorial but warned the Congress, ``While we applaud efforts of
the Vietnam Memorial Fund to seek ways to ensure the visitors center
will not visually intrude on the historic open space of the Mall, the
Commission is concerned that if this center is approved, Congress will
soon find itself under increasing pressure to authorize similar
education centers at other memorials throughout the monumental core,
including the Vietnam Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Martin
Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and the FDR Memorial.''
My position on all these memorials is the same. Martin Luther King,
when people wanted to memorialize him before 25 years, no, no
exceptions. He had to wait 25 years. We wanted an African American
memorial on the Mall, I was against it. It is not going to be on the
Mall. We have to have one policy.
I think we have done the right thing here. But this is a real warning
to the Congress that it does not have a lot more space left on that
Mall.
Hon. Craig Thomas,
Chairman, Subcommittee on Nationnal Parks, U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Thomas: I am writing to express the views of
the National Capital Planning Commission with regard to S.
1076, a bill that would authorize a visitor education center
at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
As I stated previously in testimony before the Senate
Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Commission is
supportive of the establishment of a visitor education
center. We believe such a center could help inform the
millions of visitors to the nation's capital--including
thousands of school-aged children--who are eager to learn
more about the complex history of the Vietnam conflict and
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. However, the Commission is
concerned that locating an education center at the site of
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial would set an unwelcome
precedent for additional education centers at other memorials
across the Mall. Instead, we believe there are alternative
ways to provide visitors to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
with an education center that would be more consistent with
Commission policies and avoid setting a precedent for
additional visitor centers on the Mall.
Since 1991, the Commission has consistently expressed
objection to constructing additional elements to the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial. In our view, the memorial succeeds in
evoking a powerful, emotional response precisely because of
its simplicity. The memorial presents a complete and timeless
tribute whose impact could be diminished if it were coupled
with an education center whose main focus would be historical
interpretation and exhibit. In addition, as you may be aware,
in September 2001, this Commission, along with the Commission
of Fine Arts and the National Capital Memorials Commission,
adopted the Memorials and Museums Master Plan to guide the
location of new memorials and related structures in the
nation's capital. The Plan sets forth a policy stating that
visitor services at memorials in Area I, which includes the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, ``should be limited to only small
information kiosks and restroom facilities and should not
contain buildings or interior housing exhibits, displays,
collection, or other interpretive products and programs
normally found in museums, visitor centers, or education
centers.''
While we applaud efforts of the Vietnam Memorial Fund to
seek ways to ensure that the visitor center will not visually
intrude upon the historic open space of the Mall, the
Commission is concerned that if this center is approved,
Congress may soon find itself under increasing pressure to
authorize similar education centers at other memorials
throughout the Monumental Core, including the Korean War
Veterans Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Martin
Luther King, Jr. Memorial, or the FDR Memorial. Additional
structures at these sites would further diminish the Mall's
cherished open landscape.
[[Page H9407]]
As we move forward to implement the Memorials and Museums
Master Plan, we anticipate working with the National Park
Service on a study that will provide a comprehensive
assessment of landscape conditions, land use, and visitor
services on and adjacent to the Mall. We expect the study
will examine alternatives for educating visitors about
memorials located on the Mall.
We look forward to working with the Committee on this
important issue. Please do not hesitate to contact our
General Counsel, Ash Jain, or myself at (202) 482-7200 if we
can be of any further assistance.
Sincerely,
Patricia E. Gallagher, AICP,
Executive Director.
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from California (Mr. Cardoza).
Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this
legislation. I want to thank its sponsor, my good friend, the gentleman
from California (Mr. Pombo), the chairman of our committee, for his
leadership on this issue.
Just a few weeks from now on November 11, our Nation will observe
Veterans Day. I believe one of the most moving tributes to our veterans
is in fact this Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall which honors the service
and sacrifice of over 3.5 million Americans who served in Southeast
Asia during that conflict.
Our Nation suffered the loss of 58,000 men and women and more than
300,000 came home injured or wounded. The Vietnam wall honors those we
lost and pays a testament to their sacrifice. The fact that the wall is
the most visited monument in Washington speaks to the experience it
offers to every visitor.
As impressive as the wall is, I believe we can enhance the experience
by establishing a facility to educate visitors about the sacrifices
that our troops made during the conflict. The legislation we are
considering today would authorize the creation of an underground
educational visitors center within the memorial's existing 2-acre site.
The facility will feature photographs of those who were killed or
remain missing, as well as some of the more 60,000 items that have been
left at the wall over the last few years.
The visitors center would be funded by private donations through the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, a nonprofit organization that raised
money to build the memorial wall.
Earlier this year I was pleased to take part in a Committee on
Resources hearing on the grounds of the national Mall next to the
memorial. I believe an educational visitors center will serve as an
important learning tool for the millions of visitors who will visit the
wall each year, especially those too young to remember the conflict in
Vietnam.
Through the passage of this legislation today, we can help the
American school children and the public at large have a greater access
to the information about service, sacrifice, and patriotism for those
whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Wall.
{time} 1545
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I just wanted to thank my speakers for coming in and supporting this
important piece of legislation, and I am only sorry I did not get on
the gentleman from California's (Mr. Pombo) bill early enough because
it would have been something that would be tremendously important. My
brother served in Vietnam.
I urge my colleagues to support and endorse this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I want to thank the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) and
the gentleman from California (Mr. Cardoza), two of my California
colleagues who have worked so hard on this legislation and others over
the past several months to make this a reality, and I think that their
support is well-known amongst the veteran community, and I thank them
for their work.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1442, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1442, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________