[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 19085-19086]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF BALTIC STATES INDEPENDENCE

  Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 267) congratulating 
the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on the 20th 
anniversary of the reestablishment of their full independence, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 267

       Whereas the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and 
     Lithuania were occupied in June 1940 by Soviet forces through 
     the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and illegally incorporated into 
     the Soviet Union in August 1940;
       Whereas between June and August 1941, the Baltic nations 
     were invaded by Nazi Germany, subject to brutal repression, 
     and occupied as part of the Third Reich before being re-
     occupied by Soviet forces in late 1944 until they regained 
     their independence in August 1991;
       Whereas their forcible and illegal incorporation into the 
     Soviet Union and Third Reich was never recognized by the 
     United States;
       Whereas from 1940 to 1991, thousands of Estonians, 
     Latvians, and Lithuanians were executed, imprisoned, or 
     exiled by Soviet authorities through a regime of brutal 
     repression and Sovietization in their respective nations;
       Whereas despite the efforts of the Soviet Union to 
     eradicate the memory of independence, the Baltic people never 
     lost their hope for freedom and their long-held dream of full 
     independence;
       Whereas during the period of ``glasnost'' and 
     ``perestroika'' in the Soviet Union, the Baltic people played 
     a leading role in the struggle for democratic reform and 
     national independence; and
       Whereas in the years following the declaration and 
     subsequent restoration of full independence, Estonia, Latvia, 
     and Lithuania have demonstrated their commitment to 
     democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, and have 
     actively participated in a wide range of international 
     structures, pursuing further integration with European 
     political, economic, and security organizations: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) congratulates Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on the 
     20th anniversary of their declarations on the restoration of 
     independence from the Soviet Union and commends the 
     significant progress that they have since made, including 
     their membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
     (NATO) and the European Union (EU); and
       (2) calls on the President to continue to build on the 
     close and mutually beneficial relations the United States has 
     enjoyed with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania since the 
     restoration of the full independence of those nations.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Klein) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. KLEIN of Florida. I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution that 
congratulates Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on the 20th anniversary of 
their declarations on the restoration of independence from the Soviet 
Union.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank Representative Shimkus, the gentleman 
from Illinois, and a good friend of the Baltic people, for introducing 
this measure today.
  In June 1940, Soviet troops occupied the Baltic states under the 
auspices of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and then forcibly incorporated 
them into the Soviet Union. The following year, Nazi Germany invaded 
the Baltic states and illegally incorporated them into the Third Reich.
  The Soviet Union re-occupied the Baltic states in 1945 until they 
regained their independence in 1991. During this period of foreign 
domination, thousands of Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians were 
subject to brutal repression, exiled, imprisoned and even executed. The 
United States never recognized the incorporation of the Baltic states 
into the Soviet Union.
  I had a chance a few years ago to visit the states with a number of 
other Members, and we heard directly from the people, the government 
leaders about their level of appreciation to the United States for 
taking that position that they were never recognized as Baltic states 
under the Soviet Union.
  This policy gave rise to the principle of legal continuity, which 
held that they remained de jure independent during the period of 
illegal occupation.
  Furthermore, the people of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania never 
relinquished their hope for freedom and democracy. In August of 1989, 
the world watched as an estimated 2 million Balts--over one-quarter of 
the total population--formed a 370-mile human chain that spanned the 
three capitals in a peaceful act of solidarity and defiance of Soviet 
rule.
  Just over 6 months later, in March of 1990, Lithuania became the 
first of the Soviet republics to declare independence. Estonia and 
Latvia followed suit within weeks. All three regained their full 
independence in late August 1991, which was recognized by the Soviet 
Union on September 6.
  In the intervening 20 years, these states have made remarkable 
progress in reforming their political and economic systems. They have 
joined the family of European democracies, become members of NATO and 
the European Union. Indeed, all three Baltic states are valued 
participants in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan and have worked to 
build stability and prosperity throughout eastern Europe.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this resolution that celebrates an 
important anniversary of our Baltic allies. I urge my colleagues to 
join me in recognizing the close relations that our nations have 
continued to enjoy.
  I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1620

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 267, 
congratulating the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on 
the 20th anniversary of their declarations on the restoration of 
independence from the Soviet Union.
  It is hard to believe that two decades have passed since the world 
witnessed the tremendous events that took place in Eastern Europe and 
the former Soviet Union. We saw countries in that region emerge from 
decades of communist brutality to bravely shake off the shackles of 
Soviet oppression. Those events forever changed the world.
  Along with the memories of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the 
victory of the trade union Solidarity in the historic election in 
Poland, of course we recall the inspirational act by 2 million people 
living in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania who linked hands to form a 
human chain almost 400 miles long in a peaceful protest against Soviet 
rule.
  After decades of oppressive Soviet occupation, the Baltic peoples 
remained committed to one day regaining independence and living in 
freedom. That dream, of course, became a reality in 1991 when the three 
Baltic nations gained full independence from the Soviet Union. But you 
know, in those final days leading up to independence, I will never 
forget being in Vilnius with Steny Hoyer and other members of the 
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. We were there to 
stand in solidarity with President Landsbergis who was under an ever-
present threat that the Black Berets, the Soviet storm troopers, were 
poised to take over the Parliament building and to take over the 
executive branch. They killed people at a TV tower. There was actually 
a gun turret there. There was a tank.
  We went up and visited and to pay our respects to the people who had 
been slain just days before. I will never forget as the gun turret 
moved in the direction of our delegation, and especially Don Ritter, 
who was a member of that delegation, who had the audacity to get too 
close to the tank. That is

[[Page 19086]]

how much of a hair trigger the Soviet troops had in Vilnius in February 
1991.
  Again, I want to thank Mr. Hoyer. He and I and others on that 
delegation--he was the head of that delegation. We were there like 
Freedom Riders, being there, physically present, to try to chill any 
attack on President Landsbergis' government.
  But it was the people themselves in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, 
the Baltic States, who took it upon themselves to stand up to the 
tyranny, and they prevailed, as did the others in Eastern Europe and 
the Soviet Union. So we rise to congratulate them and to pay our 
profound respect for their courage in bringing about democracy to those 
great nations. They are captive nations no more.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, again, I think that when we think 
back to Eastern Europe from decades ago, the type of place it was under 
Soviet dominance and occupation, it is a different place today. Those 
of us who have a chance as Americans to travel to these three countries 
have seen tremendous change.
  We know that the fight that they have, and the respect they have for 
the United States is strong because we held and stood with them during 
the time of the Soviet occupation. We appreciate their belief in 
freedom and democracy. We share that with them.
  One little side note: When I was in Lithuania, a number of us were 
interested in encouraging Lithuania to continue to move forward quickly 
with Holocaust restitution, which has been languishing for quite some 
time, and we encourage them to move quickly before many of these 
survivors perish by natural causes.
  But we are here today to celebrate. This is a very big milestone. And 
of course we ask Members of this body to support this resolution.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Klein) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 267, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as amended, was 
agreed to.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``Concurrent resolution 
congratulating the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on 
the 20th anniversary of their declarations on the restoration of 
independence from the Soviet Union.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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