[House Report 107-589]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



107th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     107-589

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TO AUTHORIZE THE PLACEMENT IN ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY OF A MEMORIAL 
  HONORING THE WORLD WAR II VETERANS WHO FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE OF THE 
  BULGE

                                _______
                                

 July 18, 2002.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

   Mr. Smith of New Jersey, from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 5055]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Veterans' Affairs, to whom was referred the 
bill (H.R. 5055) to authorize the placement in Arlington 
National Cemetery of a memorial honoring the World War II 
veterans who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, having 
considered the same, reports favorably thereon without 
amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.

                              Introduction

    On July 9, 2002, the Subcommittee met and unanimously 
ordered H.R. 5055 reported favorably to the full Committee.
    On July 16, 2002, the full Committee met and ordered H.R. 
5055 reported favorably to the House by voice vote.

                      Summary of the Reported Bill

    H.R. 5055 would:

    1. Authorize the Secretary of the Army to place in 
Arlington National Cemetery a memorial marker honoring veterans 
who fought in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II.
    2. Provide the Secretary of the Army exclusive authority 
to approve an appropriate design and site for the memorial 
authorized.

                       Background and Discussion

    The Battle of the Bulge is one of the most famous battles 
in U.S. history. In September 1944, Adolph Hitler and the 
German High Command planned a winter offensive with the 
objective of splitting the Allied forces. Hitler believed that 
a surprise attack on Allied forces, which had fewer men and 
long supply lines, would impel Allied leaders to negotiate an 
armistice, after which time the German army could move to 
defeat the Soviet Union.
    On December 16, 1944, German forces attacked in the 
Ardennes Forest area of Belgium, and the Allies were caught off 
guard. General Dwight Eisenhower countered and divided the 
command of the Allied forces around the ``bulge'' created by 
the German offensive. One group was lead by General Bernard Law 
Montgomery, British Commander of the Twenty-First Army Group, 
the other by General Omar M. Bradley, American Commander of the 
Twelfth Army Group. General George Patton's Third Army also 
moved in to relieve the defenders of the bulge.
    Just weeks into the assault, the Germans began a tactical 
withdrawal; by January 28, 1945, Hitler's armies were in full 
retreat. The German failure at what became widely known at the 
Battle of the Bulge essentially signaled the end of the German 
Army. Total German defeat was accomplished within a few months 
thereafter; in April 1945 Hitler committed suicide and on May 
7, 1945, Germany surrendered.
    More than one million men fought in this epic battle, the 
largest land battle of World War II. In scope and number of 
participants, no American engagement in our history was more 
costly or massive. At its conclusion, 62,000 U.S. 
servicemembers were wounded and 19,000 were killed, the British 
had casualties of 1,400 with 200 killed and 100,000 Germans 
were killed, wounded or captured. Winston Churchill called it 
``the greatest American battle of the war.''
    H.R. 5055 would enable a group of Battle of the Bulge 
survivors to replace the modest and decaying plaque at 
Arlington National Cemetery commemorating this battle with a 
more appropriate memorial.

                      Section-By-Section Analysis

    Section 1(a) would authorize the Secretary of the Army to 
place in Arlington National Cemetery a memorial marker honoring 
veterans who fought in the European theater of operations 
during World War II in the battle known as the Battle of the 
Bulge.

    Section 1(b) would provide exclusive authority to the 
Secretary of the Army to approve an appropriate design and site 
within Arlington National Cemetery for the memorial authorized 
under subsection (a).

                    Performance Goals and Objectives

    The reported bill would authorize a new memorial in 
Arlington National Cemetery commemorating the Battle of the 
Bulge. The Cemetery's performance goals and objectives are 
established in annual performance plans and are subject to the 
Committee's regular oversight.

              Statement of the Views of the Administration

    The Committee did not request the views of the 
Administration.

               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

    The following letter was received from the Congressional 
Budget Office concerning the cost of the reported bill:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                     Washington, DC, July 17, 2002.
Hon. Christopher H. Smith
Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 5055, a bill to 
authorize the placement in Arlington National Cemetery of a 
memorial honoring the World War II veterans who fought in the 
Battle of the Buldge.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Melissa E. 
Zimmerman, who can be reached at 226-2840.

            Sincerely,
                                            Dan L. Crippen,
                                                          Director.

    Enclosure.
                              ----------                              


               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

H.R. 5055, A BILL TO AUTHORIZE THE PLACEMENT IN ARLINGTON NATIONAL 
  CEMETERY OF A MEMORIAL HONORING THE WORLD WAR II VETERANS WHO FOUGHT IN 
  THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, AS ORDERED REPORTED BY THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON 
  VETERANS' AFFAIRS ON JULY 16, 2002

    H.R. 5055 would authorize the Secretary of the Army to 
place a memorial honoring veterans who fought in the Battle of 
the Bulge within Arlington National Cemetery. The design and 
placement of the memorial would be subject to the Secretary's 
approval.
    Based on information provided by Arlington National 
Cemetery, CBO expects that a private veterans organization 
would pay for the design and construction of the memorial. The 
cemetery would incur costs to construct the foundation for the 
memorial, host groundbreaking and dedication ceremonies, and 
maintain the memorial. CBO estimates that these costs would be 
insignificant. Because the legislation would not affect direct 
spending or receipts, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply.
    H.R. 5055 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    The CBO staff contact is Melissa E. Zimmerman. This 
estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

                     Statement of Federal Mandates

    The preceding Congressional Budget Office cost estimate 
states that the bill contains no intergovernmental or private 
sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.

                 Statement of Constitutional Authority

    Pursuant to Article I, section 8, of the United States 
Constitution, the reported bill is authorized by Congress' 
power to ``provide for the common Defense and general Welfare 
of the United States.''

                                  
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