[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 48 (Thursday, March 22, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2006-S2007]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND WORK OF COURAGEOUS JOURNALISTS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we now proceed 
to S. Res. 404.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 404) recognizing the life and work of 
     war correspondent Marie Colvin and other courageous 
     journalists in war zones.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, 
the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements 
relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 404) was agreed to.

[[Page S2007]]

  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 404

       Whereas The Sunday Times reporter Marie Colvin was killed 
     during the shelling of a makeshift media center in the Baba 
     Amr neighborhood of the besieged Syrian city of Homs on 
     February 22, 2012, along with French photographer Remi 
     Ochlik;
       Whereas Ms. Colvin leaves behind a beloved family where she 
     grew up in the State of New York, was educated and began her 
     journalistic career in the United States, and throughout her 
     career as one of the foremost war correspondents of her 
     generation exemplified American values of humanity, 
     accountability, decency, transparency, and courage;
       Whereas Ms. Colvin worked with relentless bravery to report 
     on the recent uprising in Syria and to expose crimes against 
     humanity, human-rights violations, and the ravages of war in 
     conflict zones throughout the world, including the Balkans, 
     the Chechen Republic, Libya, and Sri Lanka, where she was 
     seriously wounded and lost vision in 1 eye;
       Whereas Ms. Colvin shed light on human-rights violations 
     through her courageous reporting on how these conflicts 
     affected the lives of individuals;
       Whereas the actions of Ms. Colvin in Timor-Leste are widely 
     credited with averting a massacre;
       Whereas Ms. Colvin said, ``Covering a war means going to 
     places torn by chaos, destruction, and death, and trying to 
     bear witness. It means trying to find the truth in a 
     sandstorm of propaganda when armies, tribes or terrorists 
     clash. And yes, it means taking risks, not just for yourself 
     but often for the people who work closely with you.'';
       Whereas the work of Ms. Colvin exemplifies the best 
     qualities of journalism;
       Whereas Ms. Colvin was awarded the 2000 Courage in 
     Journalism Award from the International Women's Media 
     Foundation for behind-the-lines action in Kosovo and the 
     Chechen Republic, twice named Foreign Reporter of the Year at 
     the British Press Awards, named the Journalist of the Year by 
     the Foreign Press Association in 2000, and named Woman 
     Journalist of the Year by the Foreign Press Association in 
     2010; and
       Whereas Ms. Colvin and brave journalists have lost their 
     lives serving as the conscience of the world: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) extends its sympathy to the families of Ms. Colvin and 
     other reporters who have died reporting from conflict zones;
       (2) recognizes the bravery of Ms. Colvin and other 
     correspondents and photographers who have lost their lives 
     while exposing the truth;
       (3) calls on the world community to honor the memories of 
     Ms. Colvin and other reporters; and
       (4) calls on the government of Syria to halt the brutal 
     attacks against the people of Syria and to respect their 
     human rights.

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