Madam Speaker, I am very pleased that today the House is taking up S.J. Res. 28, a joint resolution approving the location of the commemorative work in the District of Columbia honoring former…
Madam Speaker, I am very pleased that today the House is taking up S.J. Res. 28, a joint resolution approving the location of the commemorative work in the District of Columbia honoring former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. This measure, which was approved by the Senate earlier this month; it is identical to H.J. Res. 78, which was introduced by Representative Jerry Moran of Kansas, with my original cosponsorship. With House approval of this measure today, this legislation will be sent to the President for his signature, marking an important milestone in the construction of a national memorial to President Eisenhower.
As a member of the Executive Committee of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission, established under Public Law 106-79 and Public Law 107-117, I have been working with my Commission colleagues to fulfill the laws' mandate that ``an appropriate permanent memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower should be created to perpetuate his memory and his contributions to the United States,'' and that the ``Commission shall consider and formulate plans for such a permanent memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower, including its nature, construction and location.'' I want to take this opportunity to thank my fellow Commissioners for their dedicated work on this project, and to take particular note of the contributions of Commission Chairman Rocco C. Siciliano and Commission Executive Director Brig. General Carl W. Reddel, USAF (Ret). Working in particular with my fellow Executive Committee members Senators Ted Stevens and Daniel Inouye, their tireless dedication to this project has been the primary reason we have moved so far so fast with this legislation. Their outstanding work is exemplified in the Commission's biographical essay about Dwight D. Eisenhower, which I include below:
The National Memorialization of Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower (October 14, 1890-March 28, 1969)
served as the 34th President of the United States and ranks
as one of the preeminent figures in the global history of the
twentieth century. Eisenhower was a central leader in the
victorious resolution of World War II but his lasting
significance in history lies in his deep commitment to
freedom, the Constitution and democracy, and his
contributions to defining and sustaining an international
peace for which many Americans died.
A serving officer in World War I, Eisenhower's unusual
abilities led to accelerated promotions at the outset of
World War II and his selection in December 1943 as Supreme
Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces. For this
position he was appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
and endorsed by General George C. Marshal1. He commanded the
largest and most complex amphibious assault in world history.
In this historic role, although he asked many Americans to
sacrifice their lives, he became one of the most popular
political figures in America and one of the most beloved
military leaders in American history.
Toward the end of World War II, Eisenhower was nominated by
President Roosevelt and approved by Congress for the rank of
five-star General. Upon retiring from military service, he
actively served as President of Columbia University from
October 1948 to January 1951. While in that position,
President Truman regularly sought his advice and counsel and
then recalled him to active duty, appointing him in December
1950 as the first
commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO)
military forces in Europe.
As the second presiding officer of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, replacing General Marshall in December 1945, he
oversaw the peacetime demobilization of American military
forces, recommended the continuation of universal military
training and strongly advocated the unification of the
armed forces.
As Eisenhower's two-term presidency began, American
democratic values and national security were threatened by
powerful adversaries. Passionately devoted to national
security through alliances with other nations, President
Eisenhower began his first administration when the Cold War's
global challenges had gone beyond Europe. Convinced that a
long-term strategy would be necessary to win this war,
President Eisenhower sought to contain the Soviet Union
militarily while building a prosperous economy. He understood
the political economy of warfare better than most of his
contemporaries and realized that excessive military
expenditures could undermine the nation itself. Knowing that
nuclear war was un-winnable and a threat to civilization,
President Eisenhower promoted the peaceful uses of atomic
energy, while skillfully and willingly deploying the most
advanced electronic and photographic technologies to ensure
American security. Simultaneously, he sustained strategic
nuclear deterrence. President Eisenhower inaugurated the
national security policies that guided the nation for the
next three decades, leading to the peaceful end of the Cold
War in 1989.
While undertaking strategic Cold War measures, President
Eisenhower assiduously pursued balanced budgets with
remarkable fiscal responsibility and without sacrificing
necessary public works. He introduced lasting innovations to
the institution of the presidency, creating the first White
House chief of staff, the first congressional relations
office, the first presidential assistant for national
security affairs and the first presidential science advisor.
He dramatically improved the transportation infrastructure of
the country with construction of the interstate highway
system and the St. Lawrence Seaway. The territory of the
United States was expanded with the addition of the new
states of Alaska (January 3, 1959) and Hawaii (August 21,
1959).
To address the increasing complexity of citizens' social
needs, President Eisenhower created the Department of Health,
Education and Welfare in 1953, improved Social Security by
increasing benefits and placing an additional ten million
Americans in the Social Security system, and dispensed free
polio vaccines. In 1957, he signed the first civil rights
legislation since Reconstruction.
The extraordinary accomplishments of Dwight D. Eisenhower
as president and military leader are enhanced in a series of
memorable addresses and speeches inc1uding--Guildhall Address
(London, 1945), Chance for Peace (Washington, 1953), Atoms
for Peace (United Nations, 1953), Open Skies (Geneva Summit,
1956) and the Farewell Address (1961). Similar to Washington,
Eisenhower became president and commander in chief after
leading his country and its allies to military victory in
Europe. His preeminent historical and national significance
is assured. The challenge in our national memorialization of
Dwight D. Eisenhower will be to honor all facets of his
extraordinary career of life-long public service in a
distinct, unique and enduring manner.
