Providing for the acceptance of a statue of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, presented by the people of Kansas, for placement in the Capitol, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 84, legislation introduced by the Kansas delegation to the U.S. House that will replace an existing statue of former Kansas Governor George Washington Glick, who served from 1882 to 1885, with a statue of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. This statue, which is presented from the people of Kansas to the U.S. Capitol, will serve as one of the two statues that our State is allowed to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

I want to particularly commend the bipartisan manner in which the dean of our House delegation, Representative Todd Tiahrt, has handled this matter. This marks the first time that a State has sought to replace one of its statues in the Capitol's Statuary Hall. Our actions were prompted by the enactment by the Kansas Legislature of Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 1617, in 1999, which memorialized Congress to authorize the replacement of Governor Glick's statue with the statue of President Eisenhower, and to replace the State's other statue, of the late Senator John J. Ingalls, with a statue of the famous female aviator, Amelia Earhart.

The 7\1/2\ foot tall bronze Eisenhower statue, which was privately funded by the Eisenhower Foundation of Abilene, Kansas, was sculpted by Jim Brothers of Lawrence, Kansas. The pose is taken from a famous photograph where General Eisenhower was talking with soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division on the day before the D-Day invasion. It is fitting that we enact this legislation on the fiftieth anniversary of President Eisenhower's first inauguration as president.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to serve as a member of the Executive Committee of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission, which has been tasked with proposing an appropriate permanent memorial in Washington, DC, for President Eisenhower, who served as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe in World War II and subsequently as the 34th President of the United States. Having served on that Commission since my first term in Congress, I have had many opportunities to review and reflect upon the outstanding legacy of service that Dwight Eisenhower selflessly provided to the American people. One of the best discussions of the Eisenhower legacy that I have examined, however, is the foreword that Professor Louis Galambos recently drafted for the Report on the Legacy Committee on Dwight David Eisenhower's Military Achievements, Presidential Accomplishments and Lifetime of Public Service, which was presented to our Commission in December 2002. Professor Galambos chairs this committee, and I ask unanimous consent to include his foreword in the Record at this point.

Foreword

(By Professor Louis Galambos)

Dwight David Eisenhower left the United States of America

and its people a great legacy that deserves our respect today

and in future generations. As a military leader, as the

nation's President, and as a citizen deeply dedicated to

democracy, Eisenhower compiled a record of public service

that has won for him a unique place in the history of this

country and the world in the twentieth century.

In the realm of military and national security affairs,

Eisenhower's vision, his character, and his outstanding

leadership are analyzed in the following report by General

Andrew J. Goodpaster, chair; Robert R. Bowie, and Carlo

D'Este. As supreme commander of the Allied military coalition

in World War II--in the Mediterranean and then in Northwest

Europe--General Eisenhower made the crucial and frequently

controversial decisions that led to victory. He held together

the military alliance. The shining moment for his command

came at D-Day in early June 1944, when he led his successful

Allied forces in the greatest amphibious invasion in history.

By the war's end in 1945, he was one of the most acclaimed

men of the century, and in the years that followed, this

distinguished public servant was in turn Chief of Staff of

the Army, President of Columbia University, and first supreme

commander of the military forces of the North Atlantic Treaty

Organization. He relentlessly promoted unity among the

nations allied in opposition to communist aggression, as he

did among the services in the U.S. military establishment.

One of his most important innovations after he became

President of the United States was to place all military

operations in a unified command structure. As President, he

led the nation through repeated challenges from the U.S.S.R.

and China and developed the basic strategy that would guide

our policy for the remaining three decades before the Soviet

collapse. He was masterful in his handling of the Suez Crisis

in 1956-57, and it was a tribute to his leadership that he

was able to keep the alliance with our leading European

allies together after peace was restored.

The Eisenhower Presidency (1953-61) was distinguished above

all by peace and prosperity. As the report by Daun van Ee

(chairman), Michael J. Birkner, and John H. Morrow, Jr.,

demonstrates, Eisenhower, who was firm when directly

challenged, was nevertheless always prepared to make the kind

of fruitful compromises that were as essential to

international relations as they were to democratic government

at home. He brought the Korean War to an end and then

prepared the U.S. defense establishment for a long struggle

to maintain the containment policy without damaging the

American economy or breaking down the civil liberties that

were essential after the Soviet Union launched its Sputnik

earth satellite in 1957. Fear that the United States had

fallen behind the communist countries and was threatened by

long-rang atomic attacks yielded a sense of panic and a rush

to respond. Eisenhower responded by calming the public fear

while guiding the government towards eventual victory, both

in space and armaments, at a reasonable cost. Steering

between war and conciliation, President Eisenhower dealt

forcefully with the Chinese effort to seize the islands

off the mainland held by America's Chinese Nationalist

allies. Through-out, he insisted on a show of good faith

before he would negotiate in summit conferences, and he

sought always to avoid unrealistic expectations about what

such meetings could accomplish. As the French and British

empires collapsed, he worked hard to maintain the support

of these allies in Europe while helping to ease them out

of their colonial possessions. At home, he stayed on the

Middle Way, seeking to balance the budget (a goal achieved

for three budget years), facilitate creative change in

civil rights for African-Americans, and promote economic

development with a new federally sponsored interstate

highway system. Challenged on civil rights in Little Rock,

Arkansas, he forcefully demonstrated that neither mobs nor

a belligerent governor could defy the federal courts. The

keys to his leadership as president were ``strength and

civility.'' Eishenower's presidency was indeed a triumph

of character.

Central to the Eisenhower legacy was his relationship to

the American public, a relationship based securely on a

shared democratic ethic. Michael Beschloss (chairman), Kiron

Skinner, and Richard Norton Smith explore the manner in which

Eisenhower's basic values were shaped by his upbringing in

Abilene, Kansas, where he learned from an early age to

balance team play with leadership, cooperation with

competition, and individual striving with service to others.

In the years that followed he never lost his faith in the

ability of the people to decide for themselves who their

leaders should be and what policies they should implement.

His values were reinforced at the U.S. Military Academy, and

the motto ``Duty, Honor, Country,'' became the bedrock for

his life of service to the nation. In effect, the story of

that life of service became an essential part of his legacy

to the people he loved and led. As a leader, he was

interested in making society and its basic institutions

successful and efficient. Precise about responsibilities and

authority, he was a relentlessly positive and forceful

commander and executive. He worked endlessly and effectively

to promote cooperation and compromise in every institution he

served. His conviction as President that the middle way

between extremes was the best way for a democracy to succeed

was deeply grounded in his fundamental values and his

experiences as a military officer, president of a leading

educational institution, and commander of the military forces

in Europe for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. While

promoting individualism and cooperation, he fully understood

that the United States could not always avoid conflict and

needed strong national programs if the country was going to

continue to lead the free world against communist aggression.

He improved and strengthened the nation's military forces,

established the guiding principles for U.S. exploration of

space, and promoted the transportation infrastructure the

country needed for national security and economic prosperity.

By blending traditional American values with a vigorous

emphasis upon internationalism, he helped usher the nation

into a new age.

Madam Mr. Speaker, history marches on, and it is fitting that our State honors one who spent his formative years in Kansas with this resolution today. As the Kansas delegation's lone Democrat, however, I feel I should say a few words about Governor George Washington Glick, whose statue will now be removed to a place of honor in the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka. George Glick was the first Democrat to be elected Governor of Kansas, in 1882; his statute was sent to the U.S. Capitol in 1914, which was the only time in the 20th century when Kansas had both a Democratic governor and a Democratically-controlled Legislature. Governor

Glick is also remembered for establishing a livestock sanitary commission that curbed an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. I know that many Kansas students of history will welcome the return of his statute to our home State, and I thank my delegation colleagues for their collegial work in support of this measure.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for moving this legislation quickly.

I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak about a resolution that is very important to me. House Concurrent Resolution 84 officially receives on behalf of the United States a statue of General Dwight D. Eisenhower from the people of Kansas.

Every day visitors to our Capitol are impressed by the diverse manner in which each of the 50 States has chosen to memorialize their favorite sons and daughters. Each State is permitted to provide two statues for display in the Capitol pursuant to an 1864 act of Congress which created the National Statuary Hall. While new statues have been introduced as each State fills their allotment, prior to this resolution no State has replaced one of their statues. So this is a historical event in our Nation's Capitol.

For the past 89 years, the statue of Governor Glick has served as one of Kansas' memorials in our Nation's Capitol. Like other States, Kansas selected individuals it wished to memorialize in the early years of the 20th century. While Governor Glick's contributions to Kansas' political development are notable, many Kansans have long wished for our statues to be replaced by individuals with whom visitors to the Capitol can more readily identify and that reflect Kansas' contributions to the Nation and world.

It is in that spirit that I introduced this resolution, which is cosponsored by the entire Kansas delegation. It will provide for the replacement of Governor Glick's statue with a representation of one of our Nation's most prominent figures, a Kansan, General Dwight D. Eisenhower. General Eisenhower is an instantly recognizable international

figure and fully embodies what is best about Kansas and the spirit of its people. The statue of Governor Glick will find a new home in a prominent location at the State capital in Topeka, Kansas, where Kansans will appreciate its historical value.

Born in 1890, Dwight David Eisenhower grew up in Abilene, Kansas, as the third of seven sons to David Jacob and Ida Elizabeth Stover Eisenhower. He was a capable athlete, and this resulted in his appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in September 1915 and thus began one of the most illustrious military careers in the history of our Armed Forces.

Stationed in Texas as a second lieutenant, he met and subsequently married Mamie Geneva Doud. In his early Army career he excelled in staff assignments, serving under Generals John J. Pershing and Douglas MacArthur. After Pearl Harbor, he was called upon by General George C. Marshall to assist in developing the strategy by which the Allies would eventually overcome the Axis Powers. Shortly thereafter he was named the Commander in Chief of the Allied forces in North Africa in November 1942. In December 1943 Eisenhower received the assignment that would eventually secure his place in history when he was appointed the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force. As Supreme Commander, he oversaw Operation Overlord that brought together the land, air and sea forces of the Allied armies in what became known as the largest invasion force in human history.

After leading the Allies to victory, Eisenhower briefly served as president of Columbia University before being named Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. While in Paris, Republican emissaries persuaded him to return home and run for President in the 1952 election, which he won in a landslide. As a two-term President, Eisenhower oversaw the end of the Korean War, sought to contain Communist expansion, ordered the desegregation of the United States Army, and oversaw the development of the interstate highway system, among other major accomplishments. The 1950s are remembered as an idyllic period in American history, in no small part due to Eisenhower's principled leadership.

Due to the magnificent example of his life of public service, the great State of Kansas has chosen to honor Dwight D. Eisenhower by having his statue placed in the United States Capitol. General Eisenhower embodied all that was and is great about Kansas and has long been considered Kansas' most revered son. He is also one of our Nation's most revered sons; and in a city that prides itself on honoring our Nation's heroes, I find it regrettable that we have neglected to honor Dwight D. Eisenhower with a memorial in our Nation's capital. This year marks the 50th anniversary year of his inauguration as President. We still like Ike, and it is an appropriate time to commemorate the important contributions he made to our Nation.

We have chosen to remember Dwight Eisenhower as a soldier rather than as President and Commander in Chief because of the extraordinary courage he demonstrated in leading our Nation to victory in the Second World War. It is important to note that there is currently no one of that era honored in the United States Capitol; so as much as this statue will honor the life and service of Dwight David Eisenhower, it will also serve as a memorial to an entire generation of men and women who, together, rose to confront a challenge that threatened our civilization. My family, like those of many Americans, includes a number of individuals who served in our Armed Forces during this period. It is only fitting that we remember the sacrifices that the Greatest Generation and their leader, Dwight D. Eisenhower, made on our behalf.

Jim Brothers, a native Kansan and the sculptor of the statue, chose to sculpt Eisenhower as he spoke to the troops the day before the D-Day invasion at Normandy, June 6, 1944, a day that he often reflected on as the defining moment in his life and which certainly was the defining moment of the Second World War. General Eisenhower was aware of the tremendous risks involved in an Allied invasion of Europe, and his decision to proceed with Operation Overlord was a true test of his character and leadership. His strength in the face of enormous adversity, willingness to shoulder the burden of responsibility alone, and unflagging determination to succeed galvanized the more than 2 million soldiers under his command and led to the ultimate Allied triumph.

The life of Dwight David Eisenhower reminds us that freedom is not free, that it has been bought with blood and sacrifice. When faced with adversity during the Second World War and at other points in his life, Dwight Eisenhower never shirked from his responsibility to the men that he commanded, the obstacles before him, and the Nation that he loved. Given the current challenges facing our great Nation, Dwight David Eisenhower's example is particularly important today.

Today we honor Dwight David Eisenhower so that we may demonstrate to our children and to our children's children that courage matters as much today as it did in 1944. Let us celebrate the courage that he never failed to demonstrate over the course of his remarkable life.

On a final note, I would like to encourage the American public to visit Abilene, Kansas, where both President Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie, are buried in the Place of Meditation on the grounds of the Eisenhower Center and Presidential Library and Museum, a premier historical institution that is recognized around the world.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, how appropriate today as we are engaged in battle abroad that we pause to honor Dwight David Eisenhower, and how appropriate that the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt), the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Ryun), the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran) and the great State of Kansas have chosen to erect this statue that will be on display in our Rotunda on June 4 and will then later be moved to a permanent spot in recognition of the great achievements of Dwight David Eisenhower.

I join with the chairman and the entire Kansas delegation in saluting and recognizing this great American, Dwight David Eisenhower.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 84, which would provide for acceptance of a statue of the late President Dwight Eisenhower, presented by the people of Kansas, for placement in the Capitol as part of the National Statuary Hall Collection. Once presented, the statue will become the property of the American people.

The concurrent resolution would also authorize use of the Rotunda of the Capitol on June 4, 2003, for a ceremony presenting the statue of the United States and providing for its display in the Rotunda for six months, after which it would be moved by the Architect of the Capitol to a permanent location in the Capitol selected by the Joint Committee on the Library (JCL).

This is a common form of resolution that Congress has often passed when states are submitting statues for the National Statuary Hall Collection. There is no legal requirement for us to take this action in order to accept the new statue from Kansas, and the practice has not always been followed, but it has been a fairly common practice since the 19th Century.

The arrival of the Eisenhower statue will be historic in one way because this is the first statue ever presented by a state to replace an existing statue in the Statuary Hall Collection. Pursuant to P.L. 106-554, the Legislative Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001, enacted in 2000, states are now allowed to replace their existing statues no more frequently than once every 10 years, subject to the approval of the Joint Committee on the Library. No state may ever have more than two such statues as part of the Collection.

On October 9, 2002, members of the Joint Committee, by a written poll, approved the Eisenhower statue as a replacement for that of George Washington Glick, a former Kansas Governor in the 1880's, whose statue was received in the U.S. Capitol in 1914. Disposition of the Glick statue, which remains the property of the United States in the meantime, will also be determined by the Joint Committee on the Library. Pursuant to the statute, ownership of any replaced statue shall be transferred back to the state, subject to JCL approval. I am hopeful that the State of Kansas will find a suitable location for this statue.

Madam Speaker, this concurrent resolution is sponsored by the entire Kansas delegation and honors Kansas' most famous son, President Eisenhower. He is certainly a worthy recipient of being honored by a statue in America's most prestigious collection here in the Capitol. I would also like to compliment Representative Dennis Moore, Jim Moran, Jim Ryan, and Todd Tiahrt of the Kansas delegation for their work on this effort to honor President Eisenhower and I appreciate the opportunity to join with them in this effort by managing this bill for the Minority.

Therefore, Madam Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to support this effort to honor President Eisenhower by joining the Kansas Delegation, Chairman Ney and myself in voting for this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, if I might reclaim my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to associate myself with the remarks of the gentlemen from Kansas and join with them in saluting Dwight David Eisenhower and also rising on behalf of George Washington Glick. I know that the good people of Kansas and the Representatives here will make sure that this historic figure, as well, receives his just place back in Kansas.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 84) providing for the acceptance of a statue of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, presented by the people of Kansas, for placement in the Capitol, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 84. This legislation provides for the acceptance of the statue of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, presented by the people of Kansas, for placement in the Capitol.

The Capitol's National Statutory Hall Collection started in 1864 to let each State honor two of its famous own. About half the statues joined the collection in the late 1800s and the early 1900s.

A bronze statue of Dwight D. Eisenhower, better known as ``Ike,'' will replace the statue of the former Governor, George Washington Glick.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was a small-town boy from Kansas who grew up to be one of America's greatest military commanders and 34th President of the United States, from 1953 to 1961. Although his mother was a pacifist who morally opposed war and violence, Eisenhower believed that a strong military was the key to keeping peace. Hence, he decided at a young age to become a military officer.

Eisenhower commanded 420,000 American soldiers in field training in Louisiana, working alongside his West Point colleague George Patton. Impressed with Eisenhower's planning skills, General George Marshall made him liaison between American and British strategic planners in London, where he made such a favorable impression on British Prime Minister Winston Churchill that Churchill had him appointed supreme commander of ``Operation Overlord,'' the Allied assault on Nazi- occupied Europe.

Eisenhower was a hero, loved and admired by the American public.

Madam Speaker, this resolution was brought to us by the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt). I appreciate our ranking member, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), and members of both sides of the aisle moving so promptly on a measure that is important not only to Kansas to honor one of their own, but also to the Nation, and the debt of gratitude we have to Dwight D. Eisenhower who led us into victory and made the world a safer place.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

(Mr. LARSON of Connecticut asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Madam Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt).

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Ryun).

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Connecticut.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking minority member, and I also thank the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt) for his hard work on this issue. I rise today to speak on behalf of House Concurrent Resolution 84. With this bill, a statue of our 34th President and a favorite son of Kansas will adorn the halls of this great institution.

Born in Texas, but raised in Abilene, Kansas, Dwight D. Eisenhower was a small-town boy who led our military through the harsh days of World War II and then led our Nation in the trying times of the Korean Conflict. However, throughout Eisenhower's career, he always remained true to his Kansas roots. Ike understood early on in his life how important the military was to the protection of our Nation and decided to pursue a career as an Army officer. After graduating from West Point, he was transferred around the world from Panama to the Philippines.

During World War II, Ike's talents and character were recognized by everyone who worked with him. He quickly rose through the ranks from lieutenant colonel to five-star general in just 4 short years. He commanded the Allied forces, landing in North Africa and was the Supreme Commander on D-Day. After the war, Eisenhower became the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and was the Supreme Commander of the forces of the newly created NATO. Due to his well-proven leadership and strong popularity with the American people, Eisenhower was heavily courted by both political parties to run for the Presidency. Finally, he agreed to become a Presidential candidate under the Republican banner. Eisenhower resigned the Army and 5 months later won the Presidency in a landslide election.

During his two terms as President, Eisenhower worked tirelessly to bring peace and economic prosperity to the American people. Ike signed a cease-fire agreement between North and South Korea, pursued the policies of containment against the Soviet empire, desegregated the military, balanced the Federal budget, and signed the landmark Interstate Highway Act. After leaving the Presidency, Eisenhower returned to private life and enjoyed his final days with his family.

This great general, great President, and great American holds an important place in American history and in the hearts and minds of the American people. He will soon hold a rightful place in the halls of the Capitol.