[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 28, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1288-S1290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BURR (for himself, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Blunt, 
        Mr. Carper, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Corker, Mr. Cornyn, 
        Mr. Cotton, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Enzi, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. 
        Gardner, Mr. Graham, Ms. Heitkamp, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. 
        Isakson, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Manchin, 
        Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. McConnell, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Paul, Mr. 
        Perdue, Mr. Portman, Mr. Thune, Mr. Toomey, Mr. Wicker, Mr. 
        Daines, Mr. Scott, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Warner, Mr. Roberts, Mrs. 
        Ernst, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Heller, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Moran, Ms. 
        Collins, Mr. Hatch, and Mr. Sasse):
  S.J. Res. 53. A joint resolution honoring the life of William 
``Billy'' F. Graham, Jr; considered and passed.

                              S.J. Res. 53

       Whereas William ``Billy'' F. Graham, Jr., was born on 
     November 7, 1918, in Charlotte, North Carolina;
       Whereas, in 1939, Reverend Graham was ordained by Peniel 
     Baptist Church in Florida;
       Whereas Reverend Graham studied at Florida Bible Institute 
     and graduated from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, in 
     1943;
       Whereas Reverend Graham married his wife of nearly 64 
     years, Ruth McCue Bell, in 1943;
       Whereas Reverend Graham had 3 daughters, 2 sons, 19 
     grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren;
       Whereas, in 1950, Reverend Graham founded the Billy Graham 
     Evangelistic Association, which is based in Charlotte, North 
     Carolina;
       Whereas Reverend Graham preached to nearly 215,000,000 
     individuals in more than 185 countries and territories on 6 
     continents;
       Whereas Reverend Graham provided spiritual counsel for 
     every President since Harry Truman;
       Whereas Reverend Graham prayed with members of the Armed 
     Forces in combat zones in South Korea and Vietnam;
       Whereas Reverend Graham spoke against the communist Soviet 
     Union, saying, ``Communism has decided against God, against 
     Christ, against the Bible, and against all religion.'';
       Whereas Reverend Graham--
       (1) fought for racial integration;
       (2) invited Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to preach with him 
     in New York City in 1957; and

[[Page S1290]]

       (3) bailed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., out of jail when 
     Dr. King was arrested for protesting segregation;

       Whereas, following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 
     2001, Reverend Graham spoke words of hope and comfort to the 
     people of the United States at the Washington National 
     Cathedral;
       Whereas Reverend Graham authored 34 books, including the 
     bestselling autobiography, ``Just as I Am'', which began by 
     discussing his early days on a dairy farm in North Carolina 
     and continued through his career as a preacher and 
     evangelist; and
       Whereas Reverend Graham received numerous honors, 
     including--
       (1) the North Carolina Award for Public Service;
       (2) the Presidential Medal of Freedom;
       (3) the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award; and
       (4) the Congressional Gold Medal: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That 
     Congress--
       (1) extends its sympathies to the family of William 
     ``Billy'' F. Graham, Jr.; and
       (2) honors--
       (A) the life and ministry of Reverend Graham; and
       (B) the contributions of Reverend Graham to--
       (i) the State of North Carolina;
       (ii) the United States of America; and
       (iii) the moral and religious lives of millions of 
     individuals.

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