[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 262-264]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL PRAYER ACT OF 2011

  Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 2070) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to 
install in the area of the World War II Memorial in the District of 
Columbia a suitable plaque or an inscription with the words that 
President Franklin D. Roosevelt prayed with the Nation on June 6, 1944, 
the morning of D-day, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2070

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``World War II Memorial Prayer 
     Act of 2011''.

     SEC. 2. PLACEMENT OF PLAQUE OR INSCRIPTION AT WORLD WAR II 
                   MEMORIAL.

       The Secretary of the Interior--
       (1) shall install in the area of the World War II Memorial 
     in the District of Columbia a suitable plaque or an 
     inscription with the words that President Franklin D. 
     Roosevelt prayed with the Nation on June 6, 1944, the morning 
     of D-Day;
       (2) shall design, procure, prepare, and install the plaque 
     or inscription referred to in paragraph (1); and
       (3) may not use Federal funds to prepare or install the 
     plaque or inscription referred to in

[[Page 263]]

     paragraph (1), but may accept and expend private 
     contributions for this purpose.

     SEC. 3. COMMEMORATIVE WORKS ACT.

       Chapter 89 of title 40, United States Code, (commonly known 
     as the ``Commemorative Works Act'') shall not apply to this 
     Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Johnson) and the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands 
(Mr. Sablan) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.


                             General Leave

  Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. 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 bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Today, I rise in support of legislation that I sponsored, the World 
War II Memorial Prayer Act of 2011.
  This legislation directs the Secretary of the Interior to install at 
the World War II Memorial a suitable plaque or an inscription with the 
words that President Franklin Roosevelt prayed with the Nation on the 
morning of the D-day invasion.
  This prayer, which has been entitled ``Let Our Hearts Be Stout,'' 
gave solace, comfort and strength to our Nation and our brave warriors 
as we fought against tyranny and oppression. The memorial was built to 
honor the 16 million who served in the Armed Forces of the United 
States during World War II and the more than 400,000 who died during 
the war.
  Prior to introducing the legislation, I spoke to many World War II 
veterans in Ohio and asked them if they thought putting this prayer on 
the memorial would be appropriate. The answer was a resounding yes.
  Furthermore, the Nation's largest service organization, the American 
Legion, is supportive of this legislation. The American Legion in a 
support letter said that this legislation would bolster the meaning of 
the memorial and would also give strength and encouragement to future 
generations.
  It seems to me that if the remaining veterans of World War II are 
supportive of the prayer being added, we as a country should honor that 
request.
  Unfortunately, the administration and the Department of the Interior 
don't think it's that easy. Last year, the Department of the Interior 
testified before the Natural Resources Committee that this legislation 
would ``necessarily dilute the central message of the memorial.'' Now, 
I don't know how the administration came to this position because I 
don't see how a nondenominational prayer that gave solace and comfort 
and strength to our Nation during one of the most pivotal days of World 
War II and one of the most memorable days in our Nation's history would 
dilute the central message of the memorial. In fact, I think it would 
do exactly the opposite and would only strengthen the central message 
of the memorial.
  To his credit, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar testified during 
a hearing last year that he personally disagreed with his own 
Department's testimony on the legislation. However, since his 
testimony, neither the Department of the Interior nor the 
administration has changed their official position on this legislation. 
I am hopeful after a bipartisan vote today on this legislation that the 
administration may have a change of heart.
  Fortunately, you don't have to just take my word for it because today 
we are honored to be joined by George ``Poppy'' Fowler of Coolville, 
Ohio. Poppy is 88 years young and served 3 years, 10 days, 1 hour and 
10 minutes in the United States Navy during World War II. He flew 35 
missions in Air Group 15 on a SB2C Helldiver as both a rear gunner and 
photographer.
  I had the pleasure of escorting Poppy last fall on an honor flight 
trip to visit the World War II Memorial, and he and I became friends.

                              {time}  1240

  When the Natural Resources Committee scheduled a hearing on this 
legislation, I invited Poppy to come testify before the committee, and 
he graciously accepted the offer and came out to testify at his own 
personal expense.
  Here is a brief excerpt of Poppy's testimony at the hearing: ``I 
feel, with no doubt, that it would be appropriate that this prayer be 
inscribed in some manner at the World War II Memorial. Those reading 
this prayer will be able to recall the sacrifices made by our military, 
also those on the homefront. This prayer came at a perilous time, yet 
it was answered in victory at a dear cost of lives. Today, this prayer 
can pertain to any military action. Under present circumstances, it is 
also appropriate.''
  Now, I don't think anybody or anyone in this body could be more 
succinct and articulate than Mr. Fowler, and I thank him again for 
coming to Washington to testify on behalf of this legislation and for 
being here for today's debate and final vote in the House.
  Before I close, I also want to thank my fellow Ohioan, Chris Long, 
for his tireless efforts to gain support and momentum for this 
legislation. This legislation wouldn't be on the House floor today 
without Chris' efforts.
  Like Poppy, I have no doubt that the prayer should be included among 
the tributes to the Greatest Generation memorialized on the National 
Mall, and I strongly urge all of my colleagues to support this 
legislation.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2070 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to 
install at the World War II Memorial a plaque or inscription with the 
text of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's prayer on June 6, 1944--
D-day. The committee considered this legislation in November. We have 
no objections.
  I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) as much time as he 
may consume.
  Mr. KUCINICH. I want to thank my friend, Mr. Sablan, and the Members 
for pursuing this important legislation. I rise on behalf of not just 
myself but of a now departed World War II combat veteran by the name of 
Frank J. Kucinich, Sr. He was proud to serve this country. He served in 
the Pacific theater. But all veterans come together to pay respect not 
only to those who served but to a President who on June 6, 1944, as the 
Nation was preparing for that D-day invasion, said the following, 
``With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our 
enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. 
Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations, into 
a world unity that will spell a sure peace--a peace invulnerable to the 
schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in 
freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil. Thy will be 
done, Almighty God. Amen.''
  Those words by President Franklin Roosevelt, upon the occasion of D-
day, June 6, 1944, should not only be inscribed--as my friend in his 
work will make sure of it, with the consent of this Congress--on a 
plaque for a suitable presence in the memorial, but should also be 
reflected upon on a daily basis to remind us of the sacrifices that 
people have made for this country and to remind us that the ultimate 
objective of those sacrifices is peace, peace within our Nation and 
peace among people around the world.
  And so it is in that spirit of human unity and in recognition of the 
importance of this legislation that I ask all of our colleagues to join 
with us in approving it.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for 
their support. May I ask if the minority bill manager has any 
additional speakers? We do not.
  Mr. SABLAN. No, I don't, Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, today the House considered the World War II 
Memorial Prayer Act, which I cosponsored and was

[[Page 264]]

pleased to vote in favor of. The bill directs the U.S. Department of 
the Interior to include President Franklin D. Roosevelt's prayer with 
the nation on D-day at the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC.
  It is not possible to overstate the importance of D-day in World War 
II, or the enormity of the battle the 160,000 Allied troops faced. The 
victory there allowed 100,000 soldiers to start to march across Europe 
to defeat Hitler and the Nazi forces. The battle came with an enormous 
cost; 9,000 soldiers were killed or wounded, including thousands of 
American troops there to help liberate Europe and win the war.
  At home, as the battle was being waged on the beaches of Normandy, 
President Roosevelt led the nation in a prayer over the radio. The 
moving prayer concluded with these words:

       With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces 
     of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and 
     racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and 
     with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a 
     sure peace--a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy 
     men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, 
     reaping the just rewards of their honest toil. Thy will be 
     done, Almighty God. Amen.

  As the author of the original legislation to create the World War II 
Memorial, I think it is fitting to include President Roosevelt's prayer 
at the Memorial grounds. The prayer is not only important historically, 
but it allows us to honor those for whom the country was praying, but 
also those at home who were comforted by this prayer.
  It will be 25 years ago next month that an important question was 
posed to me at a fish fry in Jerusalem Township, Ohio, by a World War 
II veteran, Roger Durbin. Mr. Durbin was a veteran of World War II and 
he wanted to know why there was no memorial for the war in our nation's 
capital. We set to work together, and 17 years later the nation 
dedicated the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, 
DC. Unfortunately, Roger passed away before the dedication. But I am 
sure he would be pleased with the passage of this bill here today.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Johnson) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 2070, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.

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