[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 20]
[Senate]
[Pages 28527-28528]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           VETERANS DAY 2003

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 264, a sense-of-the-
Senate resolution regarding Veterans Day, which was introduced earlier 
today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 264) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate regarding Veterans Day 2003.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, November 11 was originally known as 
Armistice Day to celebrate the end of World War I. In 1938, Congress 
declared November 11 a national holiday in the hopes that the world 
would never ever again see a battle so fierce and so devastating as 
that First World War, but that was not to be.
  Only a few years later, World War II broke out in Europe. America 
would lose 407,000 servicemen in battle. Henceforth, the movement began 
to recognizes our heroes in uniform.
  In 1954, President Eisenhower proclaimed November 11 Veterans Day. He 
told the Nation at that time that it

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was his ``earnest hope that all veterans, their organizations, and the 
entire citizenry will join hands to ensure proper and widespread 
observance of this day.''
  Today, nearly 50 years later, we join hands to pay tribute to that 
very special group of people who have brought our country such honor, 
whose courage and whose sacrifice have secured our liberty: the men and 
women of the Armed Forces; people such as Senator Daniel Inouye, who 
fought so valiantly in World War II and earned the highest award that 
can be bestowed, the Medal of Honor; Senator McCain, who served with 
singular courage and sacrifice in Vietnam; Senator Stevens, a World War 
II Air Force pilot, who earned two distinguished Flying Crosses, two 
Air Medals, and the Yuan Hai medal from the Republic of China. John 
Warner, Chuck Hagel, and Fritz Hollings are also Members of this 
distinguished body who served in battle with honor and with courage.
  It is because of them and over 46 million veterans since our Nation's 
founding that we are today free--free to debate in these Halls of 
Congress, free to raise our families with the values that we choose. It 
is because of the sacrifices of these special Americans that we have 
the freedom to live as fully and as completely as our imaginations will 
allow, to realize those blessings of liberty.
  The last 2 years have put these blessings in stark relief. On 
September 11, when our enemies struck, and the billows of smoke were 
rising out of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon here in 
Washington, DC, and in that pulverized plane on a Pennsylvania field, 
we saw that determined face of evil.
  But as clear as the blue sky above--and who will ever forget that 
bright, stark, blue sky on that morning?--we saw the blessings of 
liberty. We relearned that freedom indeed is precious and that freedom 
must be defended.
  Since that day a new generation of men and women have heard the 
calling--so young yet so brave. They are taking the battle to the 
enemy. The men and women in the Armed Forces are proving every day that 
America is a courageous and a compassionate nation, and that our cause 
is just.
  We are blessed to have such heroes among us. Today we honor them as 
well. We are working with the President to improve our veterans' 
quality of life by securing the benefits afforded to them for their 
service. Access to quality care is critical to our veterans. Veterans 
hospitals have been the focal point of veterans' health care delivery.
  We are also working to improve the hospital system to allow disabled 
veterans to collect, over 10 years, the portions of their pensions that 
they do not receive under current law. Veterans with combat-related 
injuries and those who are considered 50-percent disabled would qualify 
for these benefits. It is our intent to have this legislation enacted 
this year.
  For our future veterans, we have expanded funding to support our 
troops. In the 2004 emergency Iraq-Afghanistan supplemental 
appropriations bill, military personnel salaries and benefits were 
increased to $17.8 billion for Guard and Reserve troops activated for 
duty.
  In addition, much of the funding in this supplemental appropriations 
bill will be used to support military operations and provide needed 
equipment to our troops overseas.
  We are also working to help our fighting men and women by improving 
veterans health care and the TRICARE program for our armed services. 
The recently enacted supplemental bill increases TRICARE benefits to 
thousands of members of the Guard and Reserve.
  In these and other concrete ways, we are working hard to support 
those whose serve us so ably. In doing so, we not only recognize their 
contribution, we recognize the great purpose of our Nation.
  In the midst of the Revolution, the great essayist Thomas Paine told 
his fellow Americans:

       These are the times that try men's souls. The summer 
     soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink 
     from the service of their country, but he that stands it now 
     deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.

  Today we express our love and thanks to the men and women who have 
stood to defend our freedoms in battles past, and to all of the 
soldiers today in the field, I thank you. America thanks you.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed 
to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon 
the table, and that any statements relating to this matter be printed 
in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 264) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 264

       Whereas tens of millions of Americans have served in the 
     Armed Forces of the United States during the past century;
       Whereas hundreds of thousands of Americans have given their 
     lives while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States 
     during the past century;
       Whereas the contributions and sacrifices of the men and 
     women who have served in the Armed Forces of the United 
     States have been vital in maintaining our freedoms and way of 
     life;
       Whereas the more than 700,000 brave Americans who have 
     sacrificed their lives while serving in the Armed Forces of 
     the United States have ensured that the Nation, which is 
     founded on the principles of freedom, justice, and democracy, 
     shall endure;
       Whereas Armistice Day was first proclaimed by President 
     Woodrow Wilson in 1919 to commemorate the November 11, 1918, 
     armistice between the Allies and the Central Powers that 
     ended the fighting of World War I;
       Whereas on June 1, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower 
     signed into law the Act proclaiming November 11 as Veterans 
     Day (Public Law 83-380);
       Whereas on October 8, 1954, in anticipation of the first 
     nationwide observance of Veterans Day in 1954, President 
     Dwight D. Eisenhower issued a presidential proclamation 
     regarding that Veterans Day which states that ``[o]n that day 
     let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who 
     fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign 
     shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us 
     reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring 
     peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain'';
       Whereas on November 10, 2003, President George W. Bush 
     issued a presidential proclamation regarding Veterans Day 
     2003 which states that ``[t]oday, our veterans inspire new 
     generations of Americans as we work to defeat terrorism and 
     advance peace. In respect for and recognition of the 
     contributions our service men and women have made to the 
     cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has 
     provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year 
     shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor 
     veterans'';
       Whereas in 2003 the Senate is in session on November 11 
     despite that date being a public holiday to honor veterans; 
     and
       Whereas it is proper that the Senate observe the day with 
     appropriate tributes and commemorations even as it conducts 
     the Nation's business: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate--
       (1) that the war dead of the Nation, and veterans of the 
     Armed Forces of the United States, alive or dead, are to be 
     honored for their contributions and sacrifices to preserve 
     the Nation and the principles of freedom, justice, and 
     democracy that all Americans hold dear;
       (2) that Veterans Day 2003 shall be commemorated with 
     appropriate tributes to all veterans of the Armed Forces of 
     the United States for their contributions and sacrifices, and 
     most especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice; and
       (3) that all Americans shall be encouraged to join the 
     Senate in honoring and paying tribute to veterans of the 
     Armed Forces of the United States, both on Veterans Day and 
     throughout the year.

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