[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7818]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 552.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 552) recognizing the 150th 
     anniversary of the State of Minnesota.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider 
be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 552) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 552

       Whereas Minnesota was established as a territory on March 
     2, 1849, and became the 32nd State on May 11, 1858;
       Whereas Minnesota is also known as the ``Gopher State'', 
     the ``North Star State'', and the ``Land of 10,000 Lakes'';
       Whereas Minnesota's name comes from the Dakota word 
     ``minesota'', meaning ``water that reflects the sky'', and 
     Native Americans continue to play a defining role in 
     Minnesota's proud heritage;
       Whereas the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul were 
     established after the completion of nearby Fort Snelling, a 
     frontier outpost and training center for Civil War soldiers;
       Whereas more than 338,000,000 tons of Minnesota iron ore 
     were shipped between 1940 and 1945 that contributed to the 
     United States military victory in World War II, and an 
     additional 648,000,000 tons of iron ore were shipped between 
     1945 and 1955 that boosted post-war economic expansion in the 
     United States;
       Whereas, in 1889, the Saint Mary's Hospital, now known as 
     the Mayo Clinic, opened its doors to patients in Rochester, 
     Minnesota, and is now known worldwide for its cutting-edge 
     care;
       Whereas Minnesota continues to be a leader in innovation 
     and is currently home to more than 35 Fortune 500 companies;
       Whereas Minnesota houses over 30 institutions of higher 
     education, including the University of Minnesota, a world-
     class research university where the first open heart surgery 
     and first bone marrow transplant were performed in the United 
     States;
       Whereas farmland spans over half of Minnesota's 54,000,000 
     acres and the agriculture industry is Minnesota's 2nd largest 
     job market, employing nearly 80,000 farmers;
       Whereas Minnesota is the Nation's number one producer of 
     sugarbeets and turkeys;
       Whereas Minnesota is a national leader in the production 
     and use of renewable energy, which helps our Nation reduce 
     its dependency on foreign sources of oil;
       Whereas the Mall of America located in Bloomington, 
     Minnesota, is the Nation's largest retail and entertainment 
     complex, spanning 9,500,000 square feet and providing more 
     than 11,000 jobs;
       Whereas Minnesota has 90,000 miles of lake and river 
     shoreline, which includes the coast of Lake Superior, the 
     largest of North America's Great Lakes;
       Whereas the Minneapolis-St. Paul area is nationally 
     recognized for its parks, museums, and cultural events; and
       Whereas the people of Minnesota have a timeless reputation 
     of compassion, strength, and determination: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate congratulates the State of 
     Minnesota on its 150th anniversary and the contributions it 
     continues to make to America's economy and heritage.

                          ____________________