Sept. 28, 2004 Washington, DC (JBANC) --- H.RES.752, a resolution "expressing continued support for the construction of the Victims of Communism Memorial" passed by voice vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on September 28, 2004. Rep. John Shimkus(R-IL-19) introduced the legislation on July 22, 2004. There were seven co-sponsors: Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO-2), Rep. Christopher Cox(R-CA-48), Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-10), Rep. Steve King (R-IA-5), Rep. William O. Lipinski (D-IL-3), Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ-4), and Rep. Mark E. Souder (R-IN-3). Below are Rep. Souder's comments submitted for the Congressional Record. Comments of Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) September 28, 2004 U.S. House of Representatives Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H. Res. 752, expressing continued support for the construction of the Victims of Communism Memorial. In 1993, recognizing ``the deaths of over 100,000,000 victims in an unprecedented imperial communist holocaust,'' Congress authorized the construction of the Victims of Communism Memorial in our Nation's capital, ``so that never again will nations and peoples allow so evil a tyranny to terrorize the world.'' Today, H. Res. 752 reaffirms the importance of the Victims of Communism Memorial and reminds our nation that the men and women whose sacrifice the memorial honors must not be forgotten. Over the past year, significant strides have been made toward the realization of the memorial, including the consideration of a potential location. Several months ago, the National Park Service recommended a site for the Victims of Communism Memorial at Maryland and Constitution Avenues, NE. In July, I and 26 other Members of Congress wrote to the chairman of the National Capital Memorial Commission, encouraging the commission to approve this site for the memorial. Later that month, the commission met to consider this location for the memorial. Citizens representing the Baltic-American, Vietnamese-American and Polish-American communities expressed their strong support for the memorial. They spoke of its importance both for their own communities in commemorating those who have suffered under communist oppression and for our whole nation, which has shared in the struggle against communism. That day, the commission unanimously approved the site for the Victims of Communism Memorial. The Victims of Communism Memorial continues to make its way through the approved process for its site and design. Now that the National Capital Memorial Commission has approved a location, the site must also be approved by Neighborhood Advisory Commission 6-C for Capitol Hill, the Commission on Fine Arts, and the National Capital Planning Commission. The Memorial must then go through the same procedure for design approval. These are important and exciting steps on the way to establishing the memorial to honor over 100 million victims of communism. It is vital that we as Americans remember the sacrifice so many brave men and women have made in the hope of achieving freedom from communist tyranny. Our Nation has long struggled along with them as the leader in fighting communism. This history is also very personal for the estimated 26 million Americans who trace their heritage to former communist countries. When the Victims of Communism Memorial is constructed, it will provide our Nation with a place to commemorate the lives and heroism of those the memorial honors, and to remember the terrible cost of communism. This is a message that neither we nor future generations of Americans can afford to forget. I urge my colleagues to support the efforts to establish the Victims of Communism Memorial and H. Res. 752. |
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