[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 32 (Tuesday, March 14, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H882-H884]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENSE OF HOUSE THAT AMERICANS SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN MOMENT OF SILENCE 
                         REGARDING ARMED FORCES

  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 698) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives that all Americans should participate in a moment of 
silence to reflect upon the service and sacrifice of members of the 
United States Armed Forces both at home and abroad.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 698

       Whereas it was through the brave and noble efforts of the 
     Nation's forefathers that the United States first gained 
     freedom and became a sovereign nation;
       Whereas there are more than 1,300,000 active component and 
     more than 1,100,000 reserve component members of the Armed 
     Forces serving the Nation in support and defense of the 
     values and freedom that all Americans cherish;
       Whereas the members of the Armed Forces deserve the utmost 
     respect and admiration of their fellow Americans for putting 
     their lives in danger for the sake of the freedoms enjoyed by 
     all Americans;
       Whereas members of the Armed Forces are defending freedom 
     and democracy around the globe and are playing a vital role 
     in protecting the safety and security of all Americans;
       Whereas the nation officially celebrates and honors the 
     accomplishments and sacrifices of veterans, patriots, and 
     leaders who fought for freedom, but does not yet officially 
     pay tribute to those who currently serve in the Armed Forces;
       Whereas all Americans should participate in a moment of 
     silence to support the troops; and
       Whereas March 26th, 2006, is designated as ``National 
     Support the Troops Day'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that all Americans should participate in a 
     moment of silence to reflect upon the service and sacrifice 
     of members of the United States Armed Forces both at home and 
     abroad.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Virginia (Mrs. Drake) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Butterfield) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 698 calls on all Americans to take a 
moment and reflect on the sacrifices that our young men and women in 
the United States military make every single day. I am honored to 
support this resolution.
  Today we stand here, not as Republicans or Democrats, not as liberals 
or conservatives, but as Americans, able to put our differences aside 
and remember the commitment and sacrifices of those who are willing to 
go into harm's way to preserve the very freedoms we sometimes take for 
granted.
  As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I sometimes have

[[Page H883]]

the great distinction of traveling with my colleagues and meeting and 
listening to these brave men and women; and in talking with these young 
men and women, I can never help but to come away inspired by the 
strength of their convictions.
  Last year, I was honored to fly aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt as 
it was preparing for its recent deployment and spend the night aboard 
the massive aircraft carrier. It was there that I was able to see 
firsthand the thousands of 18- and 19-year-olds who transformed the 
Roosevelt from a floating piece of metal into the most powerful tool of 
American foreign policy.
  I gained a deeper understanding of the sacrifices that these young 
sailors endure in defense of our Nation. Many of them will work on that 
flight deck and in the bowels of the ship for 17-hour days enduring a 
heat much worse than we ever experience on a summer day here in 
Washington. When they finally get some rest at the end of a long and 
grueling day, it is in cramped quarters with little or no privacy.
  I was astounded by the dedication, professionalism, and heart of the 
young men and women who make up her crew. They truly show that the 
legacy of the Greatest Generation lives on in the spirit of our youth.
  Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, the Theodore Roosevelt came home to 
Norfolk, which I proudly represent, at the end of its 6-month 
deployment to the Middle East, where it launched over 5,000 sorties in 
support of the global war on terror. This resolution is for those brave 
sailors, as well as all the brave men and women who have time and time 
again answered the call and proudly served this Nation when its 
principles and values have come under attack. They have never wavered 
in their defense of freedom and their sacrifice should never be 
forgotten, least of all by us here in Washington.
  I would like to thank Mr. Knollenberg for introducing this very 
important resolution and for his commitment and dedication to our 
fighting men and women.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise in support of House Resolution 698, which 
expresses the sense of the House that all Americans should reflect upon 
the service and sacrifice of members of the United States Armed Forces. 
I want to thank and recognize the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. 
Drake) for her leadership on this matter. I also want to acknowledge 
the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg) for bringing this measure 
forward.
  Mr. Speaker, there are over 2.4 million men and women in uniform, who 
have volunteered to defend this Nation. Today, over 281,000 of these 
extraordinary individuals are deployed in over 120 countries around the 
world. Active and reserve component personnel are answering the call to 
duty in the global war on terror, as we, the homeland, defend 
challenges back at home.
  It is only fitting, Mr. Speaker, that we recognize the service and 
sacrifice they make each and every day. The resolution before us calls 
upon all Americans to participate in a moment of silence and reflect 
upon the service and sacrifice that is being made by our Armed Forces, 
both here at home and abroad.
  I would like to take this opportunity to also remind all Americans 
that in the coming months, May, in particular, the month of May, will 
be National Military Appreciation Month. It is another opportunity for 
us to recognize and honor those who serve and have served in our Armed 
Forces. I urge my colleagues to work with their communities to raise 
awareness and honor those who chose to serve their Nation in uniform.
  Today we have thousands of soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, and 
Coast Guardsmen who serve in harm's way.
  I urge our communities throughout this Nation to reach out to those 
brave and honorable Americans and recognize their contributions by 
adopting a servicemember or unit or a family that is left behind. While 
we should take a moment to reflect upon these sacrifices these 
individuals are making, there are also tangible efforts that Americans 
can take to show their love and appreciation to our Armed Forces.
  I urge all Americans to continue their strong support for our troops 
and to express their support in appropriate venues.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this great 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg), the sponsor of the bill.
  Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Virginia 
for allowing me to speak on this very important resolution today.
  Mr. Speaker, last month, I came across a story of a young constituent 
of mine, Alexandra McGregor, who started a grass-roots campaign for a 
National Support the Troops Day.
  After watching a news report about a fallen soldier, Alexandra began 
to think of all the days set aside to honor great Americans. Her idea 
for a National Support the Troops Day was hatched because of her belief 
that our active duty troops should be honored in the same way as 
veterans, Presidents, and other great Americans.
  Alexandra was inspired to contact local, State, and Federal officials 
about her idea. She even went so far as to write to one high school in 
each State to encourage them to participate in a National Support the 
Troops Day.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand here today because of Alexandra and those like 
her who wish to show their appreciation to the troops.
  Currently, the U.S. officially honors the service veterans and 
patriots with designated national holidays. However, there is no 
official national day of recognition for active duty troops. We need to 
honor these men and women and show them that Americans across the 
country are appreciative of their hard work and sacrifice.
  This resolution calls for Americans to participate in a moment of 
silence on March 26 to recognize our active duty troops. Mr. Speaker, 
this is no arbitrary day. Alexandra choose this day because it is the 
birthday of her late grandfather, a World War II veteran.
  Today, there are over 1.3 million active duty troops both here at 
home and abroad. These men and women range from first-year military 
academy cadets to colonels and generals fighting in the global war 
against terrorism. Although we cannot thank them all individually, they 
all deserve our respect and admiration for their dedication to this 
great country. This resolution will honor our active duty troops as 
they deserve to be honored. On March 26, we will stand and salute these 
brave men and women.
  With this resolution, it is my hope that our troops will know that 
the American people, from a 16-year-old girl in Waterford, Michigan, to 
the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, are grateful for 
their service. With our country at war, it is more important than ever 
to show our appreciation for our troops.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to ask for support of this 
resolution. I appreciate very much those that have joined in support of 
this resolution and for the support of the dedicated, courageous, 
heroic men and women of our Armed Forces.
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to 
the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo).
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House 
Resolution 698, offered by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Knollenberg) to express the sense of this body that all Americans 
should participate in a moment of silence to reflect upon the service 
and the sacrifice of the members of the United States Armed Forces, 
both at home and abroad. Our Nation is unified in support of our men 
and women who sacrifice to keep us free.
  This past year, Mr. Speaker, the U.S. Territory of Guam lost several 
servicemembers in combat. The toll seems unbearable to those who have 
lost loved ones, and in many ways it is. But the price that these men 
and women were willing to pay and ultimately did can be understood when 
one takes a simple moment to stop and notice what our way of life 
provides for us: liberty, freedom, and democracy.
  Our Nation's fallen heroes know that freedom is not free. They died 
to protect our liberty so that we can remain

[[Page H884]]

free. In many cases, they gave so others could also have a chance to 
live as we do, because we believe freedom-loving democracies will live 
at peace with us.
  So as we honor all who serve with this resolution, I especially honor 
those who have made the greatest sacrifice. A moment of silence is 
especially appropriate for these fallen heroes, men and women, to whom 
we owe a debt of gratitude that is simply unpayable.
  It allows us to reflect on our freedom; but mostly, Mr. Speaker, it 
captures the enormity of their individual sacrifices. Forever, each has 
fallen silent. For those who love them, there is consolation in knowing 
that our Nation will remember their sacrifice.
  So let us take a moment to reflect upon and honor their memory. 
Today, as I read off the names of Guam's fallen heroes in the war on 
terror, I ask, Mr. Speaker, that we observe a brief moment of silence 
here today in this House on this floor to honor these men and women who 
sacrificed and continue to sacrifice like they did:
  Specialist Christopher Wesley; First Lieutenant Michael Aguon Vega; 
Sergeant Yihjyh Lang Chen; Corporal JayGee Meluat; Sergeant Skipper 
Soram; Specialist Jonathon Pangelinan Santos; Staff Sergeant Steven 
Bayow; Specialist Derence Jack; Sergeant Wilgene Lieto; Specialist 
Richard Naputi; and Specialist Kasper Dudkiewicz.
  Now for a brief moment of silence.
  God bless our service men and women, and God bless our great country, 
the United States of America.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller).

                              {time}  1500

  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in very, very 
strong support of this resolution offered by my colleague from the 
great State of Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg).
  Mr. Speaker, since September 11, 2001, our Nation has been at war 
against the cowardly terrorists who attacked our Nation on that 
horrible day. The men and the women who served in our Armed Forces have 
made tremendous sacrifices to make America and the world a safer place.
  They toppled the Taliban and they brought freedom and democracy to 25 
million people in Afghanistan. Because of that service and that 
sacrifice, Mr. Speaker, Afghanistan today is a partner and an ally in 
the war on terror, instead of the friendly host of our enemy.
  For the past 3 years, the Armed Forces have been engaged in Operation 
Iraqi Freedom. That mission has been very long, very difficult, and the 
sacrifices have been many. But the mission is being achieved. The Iraqi 
people have gone to the polls three times and are now finishing the 
work on establishing a Democratic national unity government.
  Once democracy takes root in Iraq, freedom will have gained another 
foothold in a part of the world where it is so desperately needed. None 
of these incredible accomplishments would have been possible without 
the sacrifice of our men and our women in uniform.
  All of our volunteer military, made up of citizen soldiers, are the 
best emissaries of freedom our Nation has to offer. These are men and 
women willing to give up their lives to spread freedom and to make our 
Nation more secure. And for that we owe them a debt which can never be 
repaid.
  The least we can do as Americans is to pause to reflect on everything 
that they have sacrificed, for the incredible service that they have 
given to the cause of freedom. And so to every soldier in the Army, to 
every airman in the Air Force, to every sailor in the Navy, to every 
Marine, to every member of the National Guard or the Reserves, to every 
brave member of the Coast Guard, thank you.
  Thank you for your service and thank you for your sacrifice. Thank 
you all for serving the cause of freedom. Every American should observe 
the moment of silence asked for by this resolution and reflect upon all 
of our Armed Forces and all that they have done to protect our 
freedoms, our liberty, our democracy. And following that moment of 
silence, we should also personally thank every service member that we 
meet in our everyday lives.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this very important 
resolution.
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution and 
thank the gentleman (Mr. Knollenberg) for introducing it. No matter 
what one's views are on the Iraq war, or war in general, our men and 
women in uniform sacrifice a great deal so that we may live freely.
  It is a fact of life that in every war anyone who serves in war runs 
the very real risk of losing their lives. This is a tremendous burden 
that few of us can ever imagine. However, from the moment they rise in 
the morning, every U.S. soldier knows that they could fall in the line 
of duty that day.
  Unfortunately, 2,309 U.S. soldiers have paid the ultimate price in 
Iraq and 278 have died in Afghanistan. Thousands have died in the wars 
that the U.S. has fought--Vietnam, World War I and World War II, Korea, 
Desert Storm and others. All of these soldiers, regardless of when they 
served, deserve our thanks, our prayers, and our respect.
  This burden is shared by not only every man and woman that puts on 
the uniform, but each of their families, too. In order to adequately 
honor those that have fallen, we must continue our responsibility to 
those that they have left behind.
  Mr. Speaker, we must show our support for these fallen heroes and 
their families. This resolution is a small way of showing our 
gratitude.
  I strongly support this resolution and thank our soldiers for their 
service. My prayers are with those who have lost their lives and their 
families.
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Drake) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 698.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________