[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 20996-20997]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      AGENT ORANGE AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 248, which was submitted 
earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will state the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 248) designating the month of August 
     2009 as ``Agent Orange Awareness Month.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 248) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 248

       Whereas between 1964 and 1973, 8,744,000 men and women 
     bravely served our Nation in the Vietnam War;
       Whereas an estimated 2,600,000 service men and women may 
     have been exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam;
       Whereas Agent Orange is an herbicide that was used during 
     the Vietnam War to kill unwanted plant life and remove leaves 
     from trees that provided cover for the enemy;
       Whereas the United States military sprayed more than 
     19,000,000 gallons of herbicide throughout South Vietnam, 
     with Agent Orange accounting for approximately 11,000,000 
     gallons of this amount;
       Whereas Agent Orange is an extremely toxic substance that 
     contains dioxin;
       Whereas the Department of Veterans Affairs has recognized 
     that certain cancers and other health problems are associated 
     with exposure to Agent Orange;
       Whereas John Baldacci, the Governor of the State of Maine, 
     has proclaimed August 2009 as ``Agent Orange Awareness 
     Month'' for that State;
       Whereas the State of Alaska has 76,000 veterans, the 
     highest population of veterans per capita, with 26,000 of 
     these being veterans of the Vietnam War; and

[[Page 20997]]

       Whereas, as a Nation, we are deeply grateful and thankful 
     for those men and women who bravely served during the Vietnam 
     War: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the month of August 2009 as ``Agent Orange 
     Awareness Month'';
       (2) calls attention to those veterans who were exposed to 
     Agent Orange and the adverse effects that such exposure has 
     had on their health;
       (3) recognizes the sacrifices that our veterans and 
     servicemembers have made and continue to make on behalf of 
     our great Nation, especially those veterans who were exposed 
     to Agent Orange;
       (4) reaffirms its commitment to our Nation's veterans; and
       (5) does not, by this resolution, authorize, support, or 
     settle any claim against the United States.

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