[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 97 (Monday, July 18, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8426-S8427]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 198--COMMEMORATING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1980 
WORKER'S STRIKE IN POLAND AND THE BIRTH OF THE SOLIDARITY TRADE UNION, 
 THE FIRST FREE AND INDEPENDENT TRADE UNION ESTABLISHED IN THE SOVIET-
                     DOMINATED COUNTRIES OF EUROPE

  Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Sarbanes, 
Mr. Lugar, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Biden, Mr. Inouye, 
Mr. Talent, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Santorum, Mr. Coburn, Mr. 
Brownback, Mr. Obama, Mrs. Boxer, and Mr. Nelson of Florida) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 198

       Whereas, on May 9, 1945, Europe declared victory over the 
     oppression of the Nazi regime;
       Whereas, Poland and other countries in Central, Eastern, 
     and Southern Europe soon fell under the oppressive control of 
     the Soviet Union;
       Whereas for decades the people of Poland struggled 
     heroically for freedom and democracy against that oppression;
       Whereas, in June 1979, Pope John Paul II, the former 
     Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, returned to Poland, his homeland, and 
     exhorted his countrymen to ``be not afraid'' of the Communist 
     regime;
       Whereas, in 1980, the Solidarity Trade Union (known in 
     Poland as ``NSZZ Solidarnosc'') was formed in Poland under 
     the leadership of Lech Walesa and during the 1980s the 
     actions of its leadership and members sparked a great social 
     movement committed to promoting fundamental human rights, 
     democracy, and the independence of Poland from the Soviet 
     Union (known as the ``Solidarity Movement'');
       Whereas, in July and August of 1980, workers in Poland in 
     the shipyards of Gdansk and Szczecin, led by Lech Walesa and 
     other leaders of the Solidarity Trade Union, went on strike 
     to demand greater political freedom;
       Whereas that strike was carried out in a peaceful and 
     orderly manner;
       Whereas, in August 1980, the Communist Government of Poland 
     yielded to the 21 demands of the striking workers, including 
     the release of all political prisoners, the broadcasting of 
     religious services on television and radio, and the right to 
     establish independent trade unions;
       Whereas the Communist Government of Poland introduced 
     martial law in December 1981 in an attempt to block the 
     growing influence of the Solidarity Movement;
       Whereas the support of the Polish-American community was 
     essential and crucial for the Solidarity Movement to survive 
     and remain active during that difficult time;
       Whereas the people of the United States were greatly 
     supportive of the efforts of the people of Poland to rid 
     themselves of an oppressive government and people in the 
     United States lit candles in their homes on Christmas Eve 
     1981, to show their solidarity with the people of Poland who 
     were suffering under martial law;
       Whereas Lech Walesa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 
     1983 for continuing his struggle for freedom in Poland;
       Whereas the Solidarity Movement persisted underground 
     during the period when martial law was imposed in Poland and 
     emerged in April 1989 as a powerful national movement;
       Whereas, in February 1989, the Communist Government of 
     Poland agreed to conduct roundtable talks with leaders of the 
     Solidarity Movement;
       Whereas such talks led to the holding of elections for the 
     National Assembly of Poland in June 1989 in which nearly all 
     open seats were won by candidates supported by the Solidarity 
     Movement, and led to the election of Poland's first Prime 
     Minister during the post-war era who was not a member of the 
     Communist party, Mr. Tadeusz Mazowiecki;
       Whereas, the Solidarity Movement ended communism in Poland 
     without bloodshed and inspired Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and 
     other nations to do the same, and the activities of its 
     leaders and members were part of the historic series of 
     events that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 
     1989;
       Whereas, on November 15, 1989, Lech Walesa's historic 
     speech before a joint session of Congress, beginning with the 
     words ``We the people'', stirred a standing ovation from the 
     Members of Congress;
       Whereas, on December 9, 1989, Lech Walesa was elected 
     President of Poland; and
       Whereas there is a bond of friendship between the United 
     States and Poland, which is a close and invaluable United 
     States ally, a contributing partner in the North Atlantic 
     Treaty Organization (NATO), a reliable partner in the war on 
     terrorism, and a key contributor to international efforts in 
     Iraq and Afghanistan: Now, therefore, let it be
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) declares August 31, 2005, to be Solidarity Day in the 
     United States to recognize the 25th anniversary of the 
     establishment in Poland of the Solidarity Trade Union (known 
     in Poland as the ``NSZZ Solidarnosc''), the first free and 
     independent trade union established in the Soviet-dominated 
     countries of Europe;
       (2) honors the people of Poland who risked their lives to 
     restore liberty in Poland and to return Poland to the 
     democratic community of nations; and
       (3) calls on the people of the United States to remember 
     the struggle and sacrifice of the people of Poland and that 
     the results of that struggle contributed to the fall of 
     communism and the ultimate end of the Cold War.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate the birth of 
one of the greatest democracy movements in the 20th century: the Polish 
Solidarity movement. I am proud to join my friend Senator Voinovich in 
submitting a sense of the Senate honoring the people of Poland on this 
special anniversary.
  On August 31 of this year, Poland will celebrate the 25th anniversary 
of the 1980 shipyard strikes in Gdansk and the creation of the 
Solidarity Trade Union, the first independent union established behind 
the Iron Curtain.
  This date has a special meaning for me, and for the thousands of 
Polish Americans, who danced in the streets when Solidarity won freedom 
for Poland after decades of war and oppression. The history of Poland 
has, at times, been a melancholy one. Every king, kaiser, czar or 
comrade who ever wanted to have a war in Europe always started by 
invading Poland. But we know that while Poland was occupied, the heart 
and soul of the Polish nation has never been occupied. Poland has 
always strived to be part of the West in terms of its values and its 
orientation.
  So in 1980, when an obscure electrician named Lech Walesa, working in 
the Gdansk shipyard, jumped over a wall proclaiming the Solidarity 
movement, he took the Polish people and the whole world with him, to 
bring down the Iron Curtain.
  At first, we had reason to hope. The fledgling Solidarity movement 
won a major victory in August 1980, forcing Poland's communist 
government to accept a list of demands from the striking workers. The 
government released political prisoners, promised to permit the 
broadcast of religious services, and agreed to permit the activities of 
independent trade unions.
  But just before Christmas 1980, our hopes were dashed that Poland 
would soon be free. The Soviets were worried

[[Page S8427]]

that Solidarity's growing popularity threatened their tight grip on the 
people of eastern Europe. Under pressure from Moscow, Poland's 
communist government declared martial law. Thousands of Solidarity 
leaders were arrested and imprisoned, including Lech Walesa. The 
borders were sealed, airports were closed and a curfew was imposed.
  Through the dark days of martial law, Polish Americans stood by our 
cousins abroad, working to support the Solidarity movement. We found 
ourselves troubled and fearful for our friends and relatives in Poland, 
but we never doubted that Poland would one day regain its freedom. 
Polish peoples everywhere, whether we live here, as fully American 
citizens, or in Poland, know that the heart and soul of Poland lie with 
democracy and lie with freedom.
  Even though the Solidarity movement was driven underground, it 
continued to grow. Under Lech Walesa's leadership, and with the support 
of Poland's native son, Pope John Paul II, Solidarity grew from a trade 
union into a national movement demanding freedom and independence for 
Poland.
  In 1989, Solidarity won the right for the Polish people to hold 
elections for the National Assembly. They elected a majority in the 
Assembly supported by Solidarity and Poland's first non-communist Prime 
Minister in the post-war era.
  Poland's peaceful march to freedom offered a beacon of hope to all 
those in Europe suffering under communist rule. And in December 1989, 
just weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Lech Walesa was elected 
President of Poland.
  Today, the United States and Poland are close partners and good 
friends. As Polish troops fight side-by-side with American troops in 
Afghanistan and Iraq, I hope our colleagues will join us in celebrating 
the birth of the Solidarity movement and honoring the people of Poland, 
whose heroic and peaceful resistance hastened the end of the Soviet 
Union and the emergence of one Europe, whole and free.
  Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I rise to speak on behalf of a 
resolution to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Polish worker's 
strike of 1980, an important day in history for Poland, Eastern Europe 
and for democracy world-wide.
  In 1980, while Poland was still very much under the control of the 
former Soviet Union, Lech Walesa formed the Solidarity Trade Union. In 
July and August of that year, he and other members of the Solidarity 
Trade Union led a worker's strike to demand greater political freedom 
in Poland.
  That August, the Communist government in Poland yielded to the 
demands of the workers. In doing so, Lech Walesa and the Solidarity 
Trade Union won the release of all political prisoners held by the 
Polish government, forced that government to broadcast religious 
services on television and the radio, and won the right to establish 
other trade unions.
  By late 1981, the Communist government, in an attempt to regain 
absolute control, instituted martial law in order to drive Lech Walesa 
and the Solidarity Trade Union underground. However, the seeds of 
freedom had already begun to grow in Poland, and throughout Eastern 
Europe.
  On December 9, 1989, Lech Walesa was democratically elected President 
of Poland, signaling an end to Communist rule in Poland. Two years 
later, that failed ideology was dead in the Soviet Union itself.
  As a strong supporter of NATO expansion, I was proud to welcome 
Poland and two other former Warsaw Pact members into NATO in May of 
1999. I have long said that NATO expansion is the best way to guarantee 
that freedom and democracy continue to thrive in Eastern Europe, 
Southeastern Europe, and the Baltic states. The acceptance of Poland 
into the alliance, as well as the acceptance of eight other former 
Eastern Bloc nations, may not have been possible were it not for the 
Polish worker's strike of 1980.
  Now, twenty-five years after the historic strike, Poland has become a 
staunch ally of the United States. Poland's contributions to the war on 
terror have been tremendous.
  Today, we honor Lech Walesa and the people of Poland who risked their 
lives to restore liberty in Poland and to return Poland to the 
democratic community of nations.

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