[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16705]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             TO PRESERVE THE MT. SOLEDAD VETERANS MEMORIAL

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 5683, which was received 
from the House.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 5683) to preserve the Mt. Soledad Veterans 
     Memorial in San Diego, California, by providing for the 
     immediate acquisition of the memorial by the United States.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (H.R. 5683) was ordered to a third reading, was read the 
third time, and passed.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I want to pause for a moment and comment on 
the bill we just passed. I am proud that the Senate, in this bill, is 
choosing to protect an important memorial that honors our Nation's 
fallen veterans.
  With the passage of this legislation, the Mt. Soledad Veterans 
Memorial Protection Act--this memorial being in San Diego, CA--I 
believe we pay a real tribute to our fallen veterans. This memorial 
will be controlled, with this legislation, by the Federal Government, 
which will ensure that the men and women it memorializes will continue 
to be so honored.
  The memorial is very important to our veterans. It is a key symbol of 
our religious freedom.
  Just a very brief comment on the history. Since 1954, a 29-foot cross 
has stood atop Mt. Soledad in San Diego memorializing the American war 
dead of World War I, World War II, and the Korean War conflict.
  Over the years, the memorial has grown and now includes six large, 
concentric walls covered with granite plaques commemorating individual 
service men and women, bollards, pavers, and a flagpole proudly flying 
the American flag. The Mt. Soledad Memorial, in its entirety is a world 
class war memorial.
  In 1989, a plaintiff who claimed to be offended by the memorial sued 
the city for its removal. The city of San Diego went to great lengths 
to divest themselves of the property by selling it to a private party 
who could choose to keep the memorial cross. That sale was blocked, 
however, by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Last year, the voters 
of San Diego passed a ballot measure providing for the donation of the 
memorial to the Federal Government, but again that transfer was blocked 
by the courts.
  This bill, H.R. 5683, which we just passed, directs the Federal 
Government to acquire the property and enables the Mt. Soledad Memorial 
to be federally owned and continue to memorialize Americans who have 
fallen in service to their country. I do commend my colleagues for 
taking this significant step.

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