[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 104 (Wednesday, July 27, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9201-S9202]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMEMORATING 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF 1980 WORKERS' STRIKE IN POLAND

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           NATIONAL ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER AWARENESS DAY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Judiciary Committee be discharged en bloc from further consideration of 
S. Res. 198 and S. Res. 201 and that the Senate proceed en bloc to 
their consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the clerk will report the 
resolutions by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 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.
       A resolution (S. Res. 201) designating September 14, 2005, 
     as National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolutions.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions and 
preambles be agreed to en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid upon 
the table en bloc and that any statements relating thereto be printed 
in the Record, with no intervening action.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolutions (S. Res. 198 and S. Res. 201) were agreed to.
  The preambles were agreed to.
  The resolutions, with their preambles, read as follows:

                              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.

                              S. Res. 201

       Whereas Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (also 
     known as AD/HD or ADD), is a chronic neurobiological 
     disorder, affecting both children and adults, that can 
     significantly interfere with an individual's ability to 
     regulate activity level, inhibit behavior, and attend to 
     tasks in developmentally appropriate ways;
       Whereas AD/HD can cause devastating consequences, including 
     failure in school and the workplace, antisocial behavior, 
     encounters with the justice system, interpersonal 
     difficulties, and substance abuse;
       Whereas AD/HD, the most extensively studied mental disorder 
     in children, affects an estimated 3 percent to 7 percent 
     (2,000,000) of young school-age children and an estimated 4 
     percent (8,000,000) of adults across racial, ethnic, and 
     socioeconomic lines;
       Whereas scientific studies clearly indicate that AD/HD runs 
     in families and suggest that genetic inheritance is an 
     important risk factor, with between 10 and 35 percent of 
     children with AD/HD having a first-degree relative with past 
     or present AD/HD, and with approximately 50 percent of 
     parents who had AD/HD having a child with the disorder;
       Whereas despite the serious consequences that can manifest 
     in the family and life experiences of an individual with AD/
     HD, studies indicate that less than 85 percent of adults with 
     the disorder are diagnosed and less than one-half of children 
     and adults with the disorder are receiving treatment;
       Whereas poor and minority communities are particularly 
     underserved by AD/HD resources;
       Whereas the Surgeon General, the American Medical 
     Association (AMA), the American Psychiatric Association, the 
     American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), 
     the American Psychological Association, the American Academy 
     of Pediatrics (AAP), the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute of Mental 
     Health, among others, recognize the need for proper 
     diagnosis, education, and treatment of AD/HD;
       Whereas the lack of public knowledge and understanding of 
     the disorder play a significant role in the overwhelming 
     numbers of undiagnosed and untreated cases of AD/HD, and the 
     dissemination of inaccurate, misleading information 
     contributes to the obstacles preventing diagnosis and 
     treatment of the disorder;
       Whereas lack of knowledge, combined with the issue of 
     stigma associated with AD/HD, has a particularly detrimental 
     effect on the diagnosis and treatment of AD/HD;
       Whereas there is a need to educate health care 
     professionals, employers, and educators about the disorder 
     and a need for well-trained mental health professionals 
     capable of conducting proper diagnosis and treatment 
     activities; and
       Whereas studies by the National Institute of Mental Health 
     and others consistently reveal that through proper and 
     comprehensive diagnosis and treatment, the symptoms of AD/HD 
     can be substantially decreased and quality of life for the 
     individual can be improved: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates September 14, 2005, as ``National Attention 
     Deficit Disorder Awareness Day'';
       (2) recognizes Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder 
     (AD/HD) as a major public health concern;
       (3) encourages all people of the United States to find out 
     more about AD/HD and its supporting mental health services, 
     and to seek the appropriate treatment and support, if 
     necessary;

[[Page S9202]]

       (4) expresses the sense of the Senate that the Federal 
     Government has a responsibility to-
       (A) endeavor to raise public awareness about AD/HD; and
       (B) continue to consider ways to improve access to, and the 
     quality of, mental health services dedicated to the purpose 
     of improving the quality of life for children and adults with 
     AD/HD; and
       (5) calls on Federal, State and local administrators and 
     the people of the United States to observe the day with 
     appropriate programs and activities.

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