[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 89 (Monday, June 15, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H6767-H6768]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING WINSTON CHURCHILL MEMORIAL IN FULTON, MISSOURI

  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 390) recognizing the Winston Churchill Memorial and 
Library in Fulton, Missouri, as ``America's National Churchill 
Museum,'' and commending its efforts to recognize the importance of the 
historic legacy of Sir Winston Churchill and to educate the people of 
the United States about his legacy of character, leadership, and 
citizenship, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 390

       Whereas the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library in 
     Fulton, Missouri, was built in 1964 and opened to the public 
     in 1969 to honor Sir Winston Churchill and to commemorate his 
     famous speech, the ``Sinews of Peace'';
       Whereas it was during the delivery of the ``Sinews of 
     Peace'' speech on the campus of Westminster College, in 
     Fulton, in 1946, that Sir Winston Churchill uttered the 
     famous phrase, ``an iron curtain has descended'', capturing 
     the essence of the emerging Cold War;
       Whereas Westminster College built the original Winston 
     Churchill Memorial, and is responsible for the finances, 
     operations, and collections management of the Winston 
     Churchill Memorial and Library;
       Whereas the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library closed 
     for significant renovations in 2005, and was transformed into 
     a state-of-the-art museum that reopened on March 5, 2006, in 
     recognition of the 60th anniversary of Sir Winston 
     Churchill's delivery of the ``Sinews of Peace'' speech;
       Whereas the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library now 
     features many new exhibits and an expanded research library 
     and archives, which more effectively incorporate the many 
     thousands of historical resources that the Memorial and 
     Library possesses;
       Whereas the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library now 
     better honors Sir Winston Churchill's contributions to the 
     fields of art and literature and provides an enhanced 
     historical and political analysis of his career because of 
     the recent renovations and improvements;
       Whereas the leadership of Sir Winston Churchill during 
     World War I, World War II, and the Cold War played a vital 
     role in shaping the history of the United States and the 
     world, and sacrifices made by Sir Winston Churchill and other 
     leaders during those conflicts preserved liberty, democracy, 
     and other founding principles of the United States for 
     generations to come;
       Whereas the ``Lessons of Leadership'' educational outreach 
     programs offered by the Winston Churchill Memorial and 
     Library use the resources of the Memorial and Library to 
     educate teachers and students about the life and leadership 
     of Sir Winston Churchill throughout World War I, World War 
     II, and the Cold War by means of on-site visits, classroom 
     curriculum development, distance learning, and other 
     educational initiatives;
       Whereas Sir Winston Churchill's mother was a United States 
     citizen and he was proud of his heritage from and connections 
     to the United States; and
       Whereas President John F. Kennedy, in 1963, declared Sir 
     Winston Churchill an Honorary Citizen of the United States, 
     the first person to be so honored: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes--
       (1) the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library in Fulton, 
     Missouri, as ``America's National Churchill Museum'';
       (2) the importance of the continuing collection, 
     preservation, and interpretation of the historical materials 
     held by the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library toward 
     enhancing the knowledge and understanding of Sir Winston 
     Churchill's historic legacy; and
       (3) the immense historical importance of World War I, World 
     War II, and the Cold War, and commends the ``Lessons of 
     Leadership'' offered by the Winston Churchill Museum and 
     Library educational outreach programs about the life and 
     leadership of Sir Winston Churchill during those conflicts.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from the 
Northern Mariana Islands (Mr. Sablan) and the gentlewoman from 
Washington (Mrs. McMorris Rodgers) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which 
Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House 
Resolution 390 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 390, which 
recognizes the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library for its work in 
honoring the historic legacy of the life and leadership of Sir Winston 
Churchill.
  Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in Woodstock in 
November 1874. A lifetime military man and politician, Churchill had 
the vision to recognize the threat that Adolf Hitler posed to the 
world. He was a staunch critic of appeasement. He supported a strategy 
of rearmament and military alliance building. His early anti-Nazi 
position facilitated his transition to the premiership at a time when 
his countrymen needed him the most.
  Winston Churchill contributed to the fields of art and literature. 
During his early days in the army, he composed military reports for the 
Daily Telegraph and penned several books, including, ``The Story of the 
Malakand Field Force,'' ``The River War,'' ``London to Ladysmith,'' 
``Liberalism and the Social Problem,'' and ``History of the English-
Speaking Peoples.''
  The memorial and library was constructed in 1964 and opened to the 
public in 1969. It is housed in a historic Wren church in Fulton, 
Missouri, on the campus of Westminster College where Churchill 
delivered his famous ``Sinews of Peace'' speech. The facility is home 
to numerous artifacts and information on Sir Winston Churchill. In 
addition to the story it tells, the museum provides a venue for 
artistic and historical exhibits, in addition to numerous social and 
cultural exhibits. It is an important part of Westminster campus life, 
with students utilizing its resources for research.
  I want to thank Representative Luetkemeyer for his leadership in 
bringing this important resolution forward. I ask my colleagues to 
support this important resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield such time 
as he may consume to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer).
  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. I am proud to rise today in support of House 
Resolution 390, a resolution recognizing the Winston Churchill Memorial 
and Library in Fulton, Missouri, as ``America's National Churchill 
Museum.''

[[Page H6768]]

  Before I discuss the details of the bill, I would like to thank the 
many folks who helped make this possible. First, I want to thank my 
predecessor in Congress, Kenny Hulshof, who first introduced this 
resolution in the 110th Congress. Kenny laid the groundwork for the 
passage of this bill, and I am honored to finish the work that he 
began.
  Also, from the moment I first introduced the resolution, the Missouri 
delegation was at my side. To be sure, I am extremely pleased that 
every member of the Missouri delegation signed on as an original 
cosponsor of my resolution, and I want to thank them for all their 
continued support.
  I also want to thank the many other Members of this body who 
supported me in this endeavor, many of whom are Churchill enthusiasts 
themselves. I am truly honored to be in such good company. I look 
forward to welcoming all of them to my district when they bring their 
families to visit America's National Churchill Museum.
  Most of all, I want to thank President Forsythe, president of 
Westminster College, at whose campus the museum is located, and his 
dedicated staff, Angie Robinson, Rob Crouse, and countless others.
  I also want to recognize the museum's executive director, Dr. Rod 
Havers, for his daily devotion, expertise, and passion to the upkeep 
and expansion of this remarkable museum.
  Much has been written about one of the greatest figures of the 20th 
century, Sir Winston Churchill, a man with a literary bent and a deep 
devotion to public affairs. He was a Nobel Prize winner, an artist, a 
keen strategist, and a brilliant politician. He was also instrumental 
in bringing an end to World War II.
  On March 5, 1946, Winston Churchill delivered his historic ``Iron 
Curtain'' speech on the campus of Westminster College in Fulton, 
Missouri. With a current population of close to 13,000 and a then-
population of 7,000, Fulton was and still is the perfect stopover in 
the rolling green hills of central Missouri. There, the man Harry 
Truman called ``that great world citizen,'' Winston Churchill, marked 
the beginning of the Cold War with the words that were heard around the 
globe. Today, the speech is regarded as perhaps one of the most 
important that Churchill ever delivered.
  The speech contained certain phrases, ``the special relationship,'' 
``the sinews of peace''--which at once entered into general use and 
which have since survived. However, it's Churchill's mention of the 
Iron Curtain that attracted immediate international attention and 
shaped public opinion in the United States and Western Europe. He said, 
``From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron 
curtain has descended across the continent.''
  Russian historians date the beginning of the Cold War from this 
speech. And in its drawing together of several themes to a climax, 
Churchill's speech may be regarded as one of the finest in the 20th 
century. It certainly changed the way the democratic West viewed the 
communist East.
  The astounding achievements of Winston Churchill's life are a 
testament to his dedication to protecting liberty for all people. 
Churchill did not merely hate tyranny; he despised it, and he reviled 
communism.

                              {time}  1630

  The contempt he breathed for dictators renewed his Iron Curtain 
speech in Fulton, Missouri, and strengthened the West's faith in the 
superiority of democracy and the inevitability of its success.
  The Winston Churchill Memorial and Library was founded in 1969. The 
museum is a 16th-century church designed by Christopher Wren that was 
painstakingly relocated, brick by brick, from London, England, to 
Fulton, Missouri, and is the only museum in the Nation that exists for 
the sole purpose of honoring the life and extraordinary legacy of 
Winston Churchill. I might mention that it underwent a multimillion 
dollar renovation just a couple years ago.
  The bill we consider today recognizes this museum as the world-class 
facility that it is and the historical significance of the site.
  I urge all my colleagues to join me in passing this important 
legislation.
  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, as I was listening to the gentleman from 
Missouri make a statement, I couldn't help but notice that the Winston 
Churchill Memorial and Library is actually a source of pride for him 
and for his constituents in Missouri, and I encourage my colleagues on 
both sides of the aisle to please support the passage of House 
Resolution 390.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands (Mr. Sablan) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 390, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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