[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 104 (Thursday, June 20, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S4188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 826. Mr. TILLIS (for himself and Mr. Durbin) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 1790, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2020 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle H of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1086. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE 
                   AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION AND THE 
                   GOVERNMENT OF BELGIUM BY WHICH THE COMMISSION 
                   WOULD ACQUIRE, RESTORE, OPERATE, AND MAINTAIN 
                   THE MARDASSON MEMORIAL IN BASTOGNE, BELGIUM.

       (a) Findings.--Congress make the following findings:
       (1) The Battle of the Bulge was the largest land battle of 
     World War II in which the United States fought, yielded more 
     than 75,000 American casualties over the winter of 1944-1945, 
     and stopped the final German offensive on the Western Front.
       (2) The Battle of the Bulge is the second largest battle 
     fought in the history of the United States Army.
       (3) Following the war, Belgian groups raised funds to 
     construct the Mardasson Memorial in Bastogne, Belgium, to 
     honor Americans killed, wounded, and missing in action during 
     the Battle of the Bulge.
       (4) The Mardasson Memorial, inaugurated in 1950, is a five-
     pointed American star with the history of the battle, the 
     names of the units that fought, and the names of the States 
     engraved in gold letters throughout.
       (5) The Mardasson Memorial, owned and maintained by the 
     Government of Belgium, and the only memorial to the United 
     States effort during the Battle of the Bulge, is in need of 
     extensive repair to restore it to a condition commensurate to 
     the service and sacrifice it honors.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress to 
     support an agreement between the American Battle Monument 
     Commission (hereinafter referred to as ``ABMC'') and the 
     Government of Belgium--
       (1) under the monument maintenance program of the ABMC, and 
     subject to the requirements of such program, by which the 
     ABMC would use its expertise and presence in Europe to 
     oversee restoration of the Mardasson Memorial in preparation 
     for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge; and
       (2) under the monument trust fund program of the ABMC, and 
     subject to the requirements of such program, by which the 
     ABMC assumes ownership and responsibility for the Mardasson 
     Memorial, ensuring that the Memorial stands for decades to 
     come, honoring American service and sacrifice, and inspiring 
     future generations.
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