[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 196 (Monday, December 19, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H9940-H9943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROVIDING FOR PLACEMENT OF STATUE OR BUST OF WINSTON CHURCHILL IN
CAPITOL
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend
the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 497) to provide for the
placement of a statue or bust of Sir Winston Churchill in the United
States Capitol.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 497
Whereas Sir Winston Churchill was Prime Minister of the
United Kingdom from 1940 through 1945 and from 1951 through
1955;
Whereas the United States and the United Kingdom led the
Allied Powers during World War Two;
Whereas President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Sir Winston
Churchill formed a
[[Page H9941]]
bond that united freedom-loving people throughout the world
to defeat tyranny in Europe and Asia;
Whereas, on December 26, 1941, Sir Winston Churchill
addressed a Joint Session of Congress;
Whereas during that speech, Sir Winston Churchill said,
``Sure I am that this day--now we are the masters of our
fate; that the task which has been set us is not above our
strength; that its pangs and toils are not beyond our
endurance. As long as we have faith in our cause and an
unconquerable will-power, salvation will not be denied us. In
the words of the Psalmist, `He shall not be afraid of evil
tidings; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.' Not all
the tidings will be evil.'';
Whereas December 26, 2011, is the 70th anniversary of this
speech to a joint session of Congress;
Whereas Sir Winston Churchill was made an Honorary Citizen
of the United States by an act of Congress in 1963;
Whereas Sir Winston Churchill was awarded the Congressional
Gold Medal in 1969;
Whereas Sir Winston Churchill's persistence, determination
and resolve remains an inspiration to freedom-fighters all
over the world;
Whereas the United Kingdom remains and will forever be an
important and irreplaceable ally to the United States; and
Whereas the United States Capitol does not currently
appropriately recognize the contributions of Sir Winston
Churchill or that of the United Kingdom: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the Architect of the Capitol place an
appropriate statue or bust of Sir Winston Churchill in the
United States Capitol at a location directed by the House
Fine Arts Board in consultation with the Speaker.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Connolly) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous
consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend
their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
I rise in support of H. Res. 497 and the placement of a statue or
bust of Winston Churchill here in the United States Capitol. Winston
Churchill was unique. An inspiration to millions around the world
during World War II, Winston Churchill's eloquence and courage brought
hope to those bound under the weight of tyranny and war.
His prose and his voice were direct and succinct. Churchill believed
in calling things by their rightful names. When he secretly met with
President Roosevelt in August of 1941 and signed the Atlantic Charter,
Churchill made sure that it referred specifically to ``Nazi tyranny.''
Always a straight shooter, Churchill called it like it was. In
retrospect, many people think that it's easy for that kind of
nomenclature to be used, but at the time, it was unique. During the
1930s, when voice after voice cautioned against taking too strong a
stance against Nazi Germany, Winston Churchill refused to ignore the
gathering storm.
In 1982, Mr. Speaker, I was a young, second-term Member of this
House. But I, like millions of Americans, was inspired that year by the
actions and words of our 40th President, who traveled across the
Atlantic in June of that year to address Parliament. He did so out of
an appreciation of the common liberty-loving and natural rights-
affirming heritage Great Britain and the United States had shared, and
which he thought must be protected at all costs.
And as he should have, President Reagan quoted frequently from
Churchill that day, for there was no other statesman in the 20th
century who had thought, who had contemplated, who had written, and who
had taught us about war, about the motives of man, and about the causes
of and necessities present for civilization to survive. That is why
Churchill's hatred of tyranny burned so deep, and why his warnings
about oppression before and after the war were so prescient.
{time} 1710
Mr. Speaker, during the long dark night of war in 1940 and 1941,
before the United States was there to aid its ally, Britain suffered
the horrors of attack after attack, as all others on the continent had
fallen and it was left alone, separated only by the channel from utter
destruction.
During Nazi bombing attacks on London, the great and majestic St.
Paul's Cathedral was badly damaged. It looked like it would crumble in
flames, but it did not. One of the most inspired images of the war is
of St. Paul's with smoke billowing all around it, standing tall,
refusing to fall, and reminding us of the things for which Britain was
fighting. And like that image, Winston Churchill's example does the
same, and so much more.
Almost 70 years ago to the day, Prime Minister Churchill risked his
life in a U-boat attack in a secret voyage across the Atlantic. On
December 26, 1941, in an address to a joint session of Congress, he
said: ``I avow my hope and faith, sure and inviolate, that in the days
to come the British and American peoples will, for their own safety and
for the good of all, walk together in majesty, in justice, and in
peace.'' This is a charge to which I hope this Congress will still
aspire.
Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution, I urge my colleagues to
support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this
resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Winston Churchill, who was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1940
to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955, is one of the foremost world
figures of the 20th century. He was renowned for leading his nation
through most of World War II. And in addition to his well-known oratory
skills, Churchill was a talented writer and painter. And he's the only
British Prime Minister to receive the Nobel Prize in literature for his
numerous works, including the six-volume set ``The Second World War.''
Churchill served in the British House of Commons and as a Cabinet
Minister in several posts before being selected as Prime Minister in
1940. A great ally to the United States during World War II, Churchill
was the architect of the Grand Alliance between the United States and
the Soviet Union. He forged a strong relationship with President
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and the two had numerous historic meetings
shaping the direction of the war and what came after it. One such
meeting resulted in the creation of the Atlantic Charter, which later
led to the creation of the United Nations.
As with other historical figures, Mr. Speaker, Churchill's life was
fraught with complexity and contradictions. He held antediluvian views
with respect to race, for example, which was long a point of contention
with respect to the peoples of India and his relationship specifically
with Gandhi.
During World War I, he was First Lord of the Admiralty; and it was he
who set in motion the failed assault at Gallipoli in a futile effort to
capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople in hopes of securing a
sea route to Russia. That failure forced him out of the government, and
it was years before he would return warning of the threat Hitler
presented in Germany.
That ability to define injustice and pursue actions with clarity of
purpose in the absolute face of evil no matter what the consequences is
one of the traits that helped him transcend his human flaws and foibles
and enter the ranks of the great statesmen of the 20th century.
He stood alone in the 1930s, issuing jeremiad after jeremiad about
the Nazi threat; and his peers were heedless, tragically heedless, of
his warning. His years in the political wilderness then showed
consummate courage and resolve. He never lost the clarity of
recognition of evil, and in fact that extended into a decade later when
he warned in a Missouri speech about Stalin's Iron Curtain.
In recognition of his contributions to our Nation and our
international alliances, Churchill was the first person to be made an
honorary citizen of the United States. And it is fitting that we now
recognize the 70th anniversary of his address before a joint session of
Congress, mentioned by Mr. Lungren of California, by requesting to have
a statue of him displayed here in the Capitol.
If would not be the first time Churchill's life work has been honored
in this
[[Page H9942]]
Capitol. A bronze statuette of Churchill presented to the Joint
Committee on the Library was in fact placed in Statuary Hall from 1985
to 1986, and it has since been on display in the Ways and Means
Committee of the House.
Mr. Speaker, I support the resolution honoring a great American ally,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure
to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the author
of this resolution and distinguished Speaker of the House.
Mr. BOEHNER. I thank my colleague for yielding.
As they've pointed out, next week, December 26, marks the 70th
anniversary of Winston Churchill's address to a joint meeting of the
Congress.
Less than 3 weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor,
Churchill arrived in Washington to begin coordinating military strategy
with the President and leaders of Congress. During his address, he
warned the Congress of the difficult path that lay ahead. He spoke of
the many disappointments and unpleasant surprises that were going to
await us.
Regarding the Japanese aggressors, he asked, ``What kind of a people
do they think we are? Is it possible that they do not realize that we
shall never cease to persevere against them until they've been taught a
lesson which they and the world will never forget?''
Churchill's joint address became known as the ``Masters of Our Fate''
speech. In it he said, ``Now we are the masters of our fate. As long as
we have faith in our cause and an unconquerable willpower, salvation
will not be denied us.''
In declaring war against the Axis powers, Churchill said, ``the
United States--united as never before--have drawn the sword for freedom
and cast away the scabbard.''
This resolution will honor the former British Prime Minister by
placing a bust of him in the United States Capitol. The British,
similarly, have a statue of Abraham Lincoln in the park across from
their Parliament.
Winston Churchill was the best friend America ever had. I ask my
colleagues to join me in honoring his legacy of persistence,
determination, and resolve.
Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes
to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Harper), the distinguished
chairman of the Subcommittee on Elections for the Committee on House
Administration.
Mr. HARPER. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I rise today in support of H. Res. 497, providing for the placement
of a statue or bust of Sir Winston Churchill in the United States
Capitol.
Mr. Speaker, much has been said and written about Winston Churchill.
Most prominently, he served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
from 1940 through 1945 and again from 1951 through 1955. But he was so
much more.
During the 20th century's darkest hour, Winston Churchill warned of
the approaching evil, stood tall when it arrived, and inspired his
citizens and ours, and liberty-loving people around the world, to
fight, to persevere, and to never surrender before victory was assured.
He knew that the long road of our humanity-affirming progress could
not end and was not going to end in defeat to tyranny.
Mr. Speaker, we are, in fact, one week away, as has been said, from
the 70th anniversary of Churchill's address to a joint session of
Congress. On December 26, 1941, with our Nation still in shock after
the attack on Pearl Harbor and simultaneous defeats and setbacks across
the Pacific, and more than 2 long years since the invasion of Poland,
Prime Minister Churchill, as this resolution reminds us, said: ``Sure I
am that this day--now we are the masters of our fate, that the task
which has been set us is not above our strength, that its pains and
toils are not beyond our endurance. As long as we have faith in our
cause and an unconquerable willpower, salvation will not be denied
us.''
Mr. Speaker, World War II was a cataclysmic conflict which engulfed
the world in 6 long and bloody years and took approximately 60 million
lives.
{time} 1720
Whole continents were engulfed in flames. Europe as we knew it was
overrun. Poland, Belgium, France, Italy, Norway, Finland, Denmark,
Greece, and many others all were conquered by the Nazi inferno, until
only Britain stood alone. And in those days, Churchill, his people, the
heroic Royal Air Force, and the courage summoned from the depths of
their character rose to meet the evil face to face.
Mr. Speaker, Winston Churchill was made an Honorary Citizen of the
United States by an act of Congress in 1963. He was awarded the
Congressional Gold Medal in 1969. His strength, fortitude, and resolve
have stood, and will forever stand, the test off time; and his life and
example will be one of those guiding lights to which we always look in
troublesome days, whenever they should appear.
It is more than appropriate to have a statue or bust of Sir Winston
Churchill in our great Capitol, and I support H. Res. 497.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes
to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), a distinguished member of the
Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Winston Churchill, born to a British
father and an American mother. Winston Churchill, to me, is the person
of the 20th century that is an example of a leader that motivated the
free world in its defeat of the tyrants of tyranny.
His importance to us here today is not only because he served as
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 when our two
nations battled together to save civilization from the grips of the
Nazis and the Japanese, but also because of his steadfast unwillingness
to ever surrender. He still serves as a guiding light to America and to
free peoples throughout the world.
In World War II, during the Battle of Britain, London endured
systematic bombing by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights, which
destroyed or damaged over a million London homes and killed more than
40,000 British citizens. To bolster resolve among the British people,
Winston Churchill gave the following speech:
``Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous states
have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all of the
apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail.
``We shall go on to the end; we shall fight in France; we shall fight
on the seas and the oceans; we shall fight with growing confidence and
growing strength in the air. We shall defend our island, whatever the
cost may be.
``We shall fight on the beaches; we shall fight on the landing
grounds; we shall fight in the fields and in the streets; we shall
fight in the hills.
``We shall never surrender.''
Mr. Speaker, history shows Britain never did surrender. And along
with the United States and the rest of the Allies, they defeated
tyranny and the zeal of the Nazi to enslave peoples in the East and the
West.
Today our country faces many daunting problems. The world is still a
very dangerous place, and there are those who would snuff out the flame
of freedom. We can learn from the resolve of Winston Churchill. Our
Nation will get through tough times, both home and abroad, just as the
Allies did in World War II.
Americans need to be strong and courageous, not timid and weak; work
together and remember, as Churchill so eloquently encouraged the
British people in 1940, that some things are worth fighting for. And,
Mr. Speaker, America is one of those noble ideals.
And that's just the way it is.
Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to
reclaim my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. I thank the gentleman and the Speaker and
the chairman for their kindness and recognition for 2 minutes today.
Coming in from Houston, I had the privilege of being with Reservists
that
[[Page H9943]]
visited one of my hospitals that serves military families and, of
course, the soldiers and veterans. They serve them on the issue of
posttraumatic stress disorder.
I say that because it was a feeling of warmth and family, first
acknowledging, as I wear this yellow ribbon, of those who have come
home and those who have done their duty.
I believe that the acknowledgment of Sir Winston Churchill is an
appropriate action for this Congress, but really on behalf of the
American people. And I read quickly this quote in brief of his words:
``Sure I am that this day, now, we are the masters of our fate; that
the task which has been set us is not above our strength.''
Although this was in the context of World War II, I plead with my
colleagues who are all arriving back by train, bus, airplane, and car,
that this is a time that is within our strength to not, in any way,
yield to the tasks and not accomplish on behalf of the American people.
We are masters of our fate.
We have before us the Senate conference on the payroll tax and
employment extension. Vote on it. Vote together in a bipartisan manner.
Realize that there are differences, but that we have another day, as
was devised by the Senate, by February, to be able to debate this
issue.
The American people thought this was settled.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I yield the gentlelady an additional 30
seconds.
Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. People who are hungry for payroll tax
relief, $1,000; people who are looking for the unemployment extension;
those who are getting $1,000, those who would be beneficiaries of the
400,000 jobs, and those who will be beneficiaries of the unemployment
extension that will help them pay their mortgage or help them pay their
rent or food or the necessities of life, putting those monies into the
economy, the American people thought we were finished, thought we had
compromised, thought we had risen to our higher angels.
And so, if our soldiers and those who are returning can do their job,
I'm pleading, in a bipartisan manner, let us vote for the Senate bill.
Let us move this forward, and let us realize that we are the masters of
our fate.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
Returning to the subject at hand, we have the great portrait of
General Lafayette here in the House Chamber, one of seven honorary
citizens of the United States, Winston Churchill being another.
Winston Churchill was, as is evident, one of the great men of the
last century, one for whom inspiration was a way of life, and one who,
as the Speaker said just a few moments ago, was the best ally that the
United States has ever had.
As a young boy, having been born somewhat after World War II, I
remember with fascination seeing this figure on television. He seemed
to remind me of every newborn baby I've ever seen. They all look like
Winston Churchill without the cigar. You wondered what was it that made
this man great. And you began to read history. You began to talk with
your father who had served in World War II about what this man was, and
you realized this was someone who, in his youth, was involved in
cavalry charges, and in his oldest age, was leader of a country at the
beginning of the thermonuclear world.
Talk about the span of time and the span of greatness and the ability
to perceive, through all of that time, despite his mistakes, being a
fallible man, perceive the greatness of the individual and the
opportunity that democracy gives to individuals as no other form of
government does.
{time} 1730
At the time when he criticized Nazi Germany, it was not something
that all then said. The late Christopher Hitchens, in an April 2002
article in ``The Atlantic,'' said this:
But alone among his contemporaries, Churchill did not
denounce the Nazi empire merely as a threat, actual or
potential, to the British one. Nor did he speak of it as a
depraved but possibly useful ally. He excoriated it as a
wicked and nihilistic thing. That appears facile now, but was
exceedingly uncommon then. In what was perhaps his best ever
speech, delivered to the Commons 5 days after the Munich
agreement on October 5, 1938, Churchill gave voice to the
idea that even a ``peace-loving'' coexistence with Hitler had
something rotten about it. ``What I find unendurable is the
sense of our country falling into the power, into the orbit
and influence of Nazi Germany, and of our existence becoming
dependent upon their good will or pleasure.''
That was an uncommon statement at the time. That was a courageous
statement at the time. That was a visionary statement at the time.
It is to honor that vision, it is to honor that ally, it is to honor
that person who was dedicated to the best of Western civilization, who
was one who stood with very few at a time when that civilization was
threatened as never before.
Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to be on the floor to offer this
resolution to allow for, to authorize, a statue or bust of Winston
Churchill here in the United States Capitol.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time as I urge my
colleagues to vote for this resolution.
Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 497.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________