[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 19668-19669]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF VICTIMS OF COMMUNISM 
                                MEMORIAL

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 752) expressing continued support for the 
construction of the Victims of Communism Memorial.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 752

       Whereas section 905 of the FRIENDSHIP Act (40 U.S.C. 1003 
     note) authorizes the construction of a memorial to honor the 
     victims of communism;
       Whereas in 2004, a location for the Victims of Communism 
     Memorial is to be selected and construction of the Memorial 
     in the District of Columbia is scheduled to begin;
       Whereas construction of the Memorial is supported by the 
     Baltic-American community and other ethnic communities in the 
     United States; and
       Whereas it is necessary for the people of the United States 
     to be reminded of the importance of the Memorial and continue 
     to support its progression: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives expresses 
     continued support for the construction of the Victims of 
     Communism Memorial.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Radanovich) and the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. 
Bordallo) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich).
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 752 introduced by the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) would express the continued support of the House 
of Representatives for the construction for the Victims of Communism 
Memorial in the Nation's capital. I urge adoption of the resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we have no objection to the consideration of this 
measure.
  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H. Res. 752, 
expressing continued support for the construction of the Victims of 
Communism Memorial.
  In 1993, recognizing ``the deaths of over 100,000,000 victims in an 
unprecedented imperial communist holocaust,'' Congress authorized the 
construction of the Victims of Communism Memorial in our Nation's 
capital, ``so that never again will nations and peoples allow so evil a 
tyranny to terrorize the world.''
  Today, H. Res. 752 reaffirms the importance of the Victims of 
Communism Memorial and reminds our nation that the men and women whose 
sacrifice the memorial honors must not be forgotten.
  Over the past year, significant strides have been made toward the 
realization of the memorial, including the consideration of a potential 
location. Several months ago, the National Park Service recommended a 
site for the Victims of Communism Memorial at Maryland and Constitution 
Avenues, NE. In July, I and 26 other Members of Congress wrote to the 
chairman of the National Capital Memorial Commission, encouraging the 
commission to approve this site for the memorial. Later that month, the 
commission met to consider this location for the memorial. Citizens 
representing the Baltic-American, Vietnamese-American and Polish-
American communities expressed their strong support for the memorial. 
They spoke of its importance both for their own communities in 
commemorating those who have suffered under communist oppression and 
for our whole nation, which has shared in the struggle against 
communism.
  That day, the commission unanimously approved the site for the 
Victims of Communism Memorial.
  The Victims of Communism Memorial continues to make its way through 
the approved process for its site and design. Now that the National 
Capital Memorial Commission has approved a location, the site must also 
be approved by Neighborhood Advisory Commission 6-C for Capitol Hill, 
the Commission on Fine Arts, and the National Capital Planning 
Commission. The Memorial must then go through the same procedure for 
design approval.
  These are important and exciting steps on the way to establishing the 
memorial to honor over 100 million victims of communism. It is vital 
that we as Americans remember the sacrifice so many brave men and women 
have made in the hope of achieving freedom from communist tyranny. Our 
Nation has long struggled along with them as the leader in fighting 
communism. This history is also very personal for the estimated 26 
million Americans who trace their heritage to former communist 
countries. When the Victims of Communism Memorial is constructed, it 
will provide our Nation with a place to commemorate the lives and 
heroism of those the memorial honors, and to remember the terrible cost 
of communism.

[[Page 19669]]

This is a message that neither we nor future generations of Americans 
can afford to forget.
  I urge my colleagues to support the efforts to establish the Victims 
of Communism Memorial and H. Res. 752.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 
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. Radanovich) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 752.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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