[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 1622]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                CONGRATULATING THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 41, submitted earlier 
today by Senators Kennedy, Kerry, and Reed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will state the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 41) congratulating the New England 
     Patriots on their victory in Super Bowl XXXIX.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I welcome this opportunity to 
congratulate the New England Patriots for winning yesterday's exciting 
Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21.
  What a year our sports teams in New England have had. The Patriots 
won the Super Bowl and the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. It 
doesn't get much better than that.
  The Patriots deserve great credit for another brilliant season. They 
have shattered the NFL record by winning 21 straight games. The 
previous record was held by the Miami Dolphins in 1972, who won 15 
straight games.
  With nine seconds left in the game yesterday, Rodney Harrison 
intercepted his second pass of the day, clinching the Patriot's second 
straight Super Bowl and their third Super Bowl championship in 4 years.
  All three of those Super Bowl victories were by the same narrow 
margin--three points. In their two previous Super Bowl victories, they 
won by last-second field goals. This year, the field goal came earlier, 
but the game was no less a cliff-hanger.
  Deion Branch, a wide receiver of the Patriots, was a special hero in 
the game. He tied a Super Bowl record by catching eleven passes, and 
was named the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player. Quarterback Tom Brady, 
as usual, was outstanding. There were many other heroes as well on both 
offense and defense, and it took all their skill and great teamwork to 
put points on the scoreboard. In fact, they sacked the quarterback four 
times and had three interceptions, two by Rodney Harrison.
  Much of the credit in the victory also goes to Bill Belichick and his 
two outstanding Assistant Coaches, Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weiss, who 
made sure that the team was well prepared with the strongest possible 
game plan every week throughout the season, and especially for the 
playoffs and the Super Bowl.
  Finally, I congratulate Patriots owner Bob Kraft for his strong 
support of the team, and for his very generous tribute to all the 
Patriots fans as well. He was right when he said this Super Bowl 
victory would not have been possible without the strong support of 
millions of Patriots fans throughout New England.
  The pending resolution commends the Patriots for their dramatic 
victory. I urge the Senate to approve it, and I hope very much we'll be 
back here in 2006 to pass a similar resolution.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution and the preamble be agreed to en bloc, the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc, that any statements related 
to the resolution be printed in the Record at the appropriate place as 
if read, without intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 41) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               S. Res. 41

       Whereas, on Sunday, February 6, 2005 the New England 
     Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 in Super Bowl 
     XXXIX, in Jacksonville, Florida;
       Whereas this victory is the second consecutive Super Bowl 
     championship for the New England Patriots and their third 
     Super Bowl championship in the past four years;
       Whereas all three Super Bowl victories by the New England 
     Patriots were cliffhangers and were won by three points in 
     each game;
       Whereas the New England Patriots have set a National 
     Football League record this season by winning 21 consecutive 
     games;
       Whereas Head Coach Bill Belichick and Assistant Coaches 
     Romeo Crennel and Charlie Wiess of the New England Patriots 
     brilliantly created successful game plans throughout the 
     season;
       Whereas wide receiver Deion Branch of the New England 
     Patriots tied a Super Bowl record by catching eleven passes 
     and was named Most Valuable Player in the Super Bowl;
       Whereas extraordinary efforts by other players of the New 
     England Patriots, including Tom Brady, Troy Brown, Teddy 
     Bruschi, Corey Dillon, David Givens, Rodney Harrison, Willie 
     McGinest, Richard Seymour, Adam Vinatieri, and Mike Vrabel, 
     also contributed to the Super Bowl victory;
       Whereas the offensive linemen of the New England Patriots, 
     Matt Light, Joe Andruzzi, Dan Koppen, Stephen Neal, and 
     Brandon Gorin deserve great credit for protecting quarterback 
     Tom Brady and blocking for running back Corey Dillon in the 
     Super Bowl; and
       Whereas owner Bob Kraft of the New England Patriots 
     deserves great credit for his strong support of the team, and 
     for his gracious acknowledgement that the Super Bowl 
     Championship would not have been possible without the strong 
     support of the millions of fans throughout New England.
       Resolved, That the Senate of the United States 
     congratulates the New England Patriots on their dramatic 
     victory Super Bowl XXXIX.

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