15 May 1998 Source: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aaces002.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Congressional Record: May 14, 1998 (Extensions)] [Page E871-E874] From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:cr14my98-54] RESOLUTIONS APPROVED BY THE NATIONAL SOCIETY DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION ______ HON. BOB LIVINGSTON of louisiana in the house of representatives Thursday, May 14, 1998 Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to insert the following resolutions passed by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) into the Congressional Record. The resolutions were passed by the DAR at its 107th Continental Congress which was held on April 22, 1998. NATIONAL ID--ALL PERSONAL DATA Whereas, The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution grants ``The Rights of the people to be secure in their person, house, and effects''; and most losses of their individual freedoms have come as a result of governmental programs ``to assist and make safe'' all of which are seemingly benign when taken individually; Whereas, Massive numbers of regulations and laws and a national ID enforced by a powerful bureaucracy, are characteristic of communism, fascism, and totalitarianism and, proposed legislation on encryption would necessitate giving a third party ``the ability to read all E-mail, listen to telephone calls and read computer files'', precluding privacy from government agencies; and Whereas, Data consolidation into a national identification card is an approaching eventuality with the implementation of the military MARC card, the Employment Authorization Reader Card, bar coding, Social Security Card, Governmental Employment Card, biometric ID, and compilation of education, legal, family and health history; therefore, be it Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution must continue to remain vigilant in regard to the encroachment on our constitutionally guaranteed liberties and freedoms, and oppose further increasingly invasive expansion of government into our daily lives and oppose data consolidation into a national identification card. Emergency Resolution the nato expansion treaty Scheduled for U.S. Senate vote the week of 4/20/98 Whereas, Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty obligates each NATO member to [[Page E872]] ``agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all''; Whereas, Expanding NATO to include Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic will further obligate the United States to defend not only the borders but the NATO defined ``interests'' of Eastern Europe, and could result in further deployment of United States troops throughout the world; and Whereas, The Treaty will add nothing to the territorial security of the United States, but will stretch an already thin United States military across an ever expanding area, increasing the risk to American servicemen, who will be fighting under United Nations command; therefore, be it Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution does not view the NATO Expansion Treaty as in the best interest of the United States, and is opposed to any treaty that will undermine Congress' Constitutional responsibility to declare war, place United States troops under United Nations command and commit the United States to permanent involvement in foreign conflicts and wars. preamble Lord Thomas Macaulay Letter to an American Friend, 23 May 1857, ``. . . The average age of the world's greatest democratic nations has been 200 years. Each has been through the following sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith. From faith to great courage. From courage to liberty. From liberty to abundance. From abundance to complacency. From complacency to selfishness. From selfishness to apathy. From apathy to dependency. And from dependency back again into bondage.'' Can we escape this fate? commemorative dedications observe the centenary of the death of a daughter: frances e. willard (September 28, 1839--February 17, 1898), NSDAR #243; Chicago Chapter Charter & Ft. Dearborn Member The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, at the Seventh Continental Congress in 1898, mourned ``the death of one of its most distinguished members''. This year will mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Frances Elizabeth Caroline Willard, a remarkable woman. Through the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), she educated millions to the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and drug use. As a suffragist for the rights of women and children, she helped create protection for them in working for their education and women's right to vote, the eight hour work day, equal pay for equal work, uniform marriage and divorce laws, prison reform, and she worked as a tireless advocate for the sanctity of the home. Author, educator, worker for peace and improvement of the human condition through passive demonstrations of strength, she made the nation and then the world conscious of the newly found resource of women. She trained women, encourage them to achieve at their highest potential and then helped to provide a door through which they could enter into service. She was an integral part of many organizations, including the NSDAR, that a century after her death still continue their missions. In 1905, her statue was placed in Statuary Hall in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. as an honored Illinoisan, the first woman to stand among the figures of great Americans of the United States. Today, Frances Willard is a reminder to all women that they can ``Do Everything'' to which they set their minds and hearts. The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution pays tribute to this famous American. a patriot & a pioneer Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee, one of the founders of the NSDAR, its first Librarian General and a co-founder with General George M. Sternberg of the DAR Hospital Corps in April 1898. She recruited qualified nurses for the Spanish American War. She was appointed Acting Assistant Surgeon, U.S.A., in charge of army nurses on August 29, 1898; this empowered her to organize the Army Nurse Corp. After the war, in 1900, when the Army Reorganization Act was being written, Dr. McGee, at General Sternberg's request prepared the Army Nurse Corps section of the act which was not changed until 1947. Her indomitable spirit lives on in the Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee Award to the Outstanding Army Nurse of the year. Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee was a patriot and a pioneer physician and deserves this centenary acknowledgement. HISTORIC VIEW OF THE UN AND THE NSDAR Whereas, In 1946, the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution adopted a resolution in support of the United Nations as an instrument to ``promote international understanding and permanent peace'' but at the same time began a ``constructive campaign of education to prevent the confusion of this plan of world responsibility with any plan of World Government involving world citizenship, universal currency, free trade, and the dominance of the United States by other nations''; Whereas, The NSDAR continued to view the UN as a world organization of sovereign nations working together for world peace and understanding, while opposing any form of world government, but by 1955, citing UN assaults upon the Constitution of the United States, the NSDAR resolved that it was ``clear that a CONCEALED purpose (of the UN) is to destroy the sovereignty of the United States of America in order to build a WORLD GOVERNMENT without the right of secession'', and in 1958, for the first time, by an overwhelming vote, requested the United States to withdraw from the UN; and Whereas, Over the years the NSDAR has objected to various UN commissions, special agencies and treaties and, believing control of the military is an essential ingredient of sovereignty, has also opposed agreements such as the Program for General and Complete Disarmament ``creating a permanent UN peacekeeping force subjecting American troops to international control''; therefore, be it Resolved, That every DAR member be mindful that upon application for membership, she pledges allegiance to the United States of America and agrees to support its Constitution, and as stated in the NSDAR Handbook, ``DAR Membership is incompatible with any form of international, regional or world government which would dilute American sovereignty, supersede our constitutional rights and guarantees or limit our nation's independence.'' WORLD HERITAGE SITES JEOPARDIZE AMERICAN LAND SOVEREIGNTY Whereas, Independence Hall, cradle of American liberty, and 20 other uniquely American properties have been designated World Heritage Sites in direct violation of Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution which authorizes Congress to make ``all needful Rules and Regulations respecting Property belonging to the United States''; Whereas, The World Heritage program, under the control of UNESCO mandates that natural Heritage Sites in the United States can be designated Biosphere Reserves under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program, and 47 Biosphere Reserves have been selected in the United States covering 50 million acres, land in which economic development, property rights and population dispersion are to be centrally managed by agencies of the United Nations; and Whereas, In an effort to preserve federal, state and private property rights, The American Land Sovereignty Protection Act, currently before the United States Senate, would end United States participation in the United Nations Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage programs and eliminate the designation of all sites in the United States unless approved by Congress; therefore, be it Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution be aware of the danger posed to freedom by the UNESCO controlled World Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserve programs in which sovereign United States land is to be managed by the United Nations in accordance with international goals and dictates; and support the American Land Sovereignty Protection Act which would require consent of Congress, state and local authorities before submitting any American site to international supervision. UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE CONVENTION Whereas, The United Nation's Framework Convention on Climate Change, signed in Japan in 1997, will mandate massive energy cuts, resulting in the loss of millions of jobs, exacerbating the exodus of energy dependent industry, and affecting all business, including agriculture; Whereas, This will cause living standards to plummet and food prices to soar, while giving rise to a new global regulatory bureaucracy and forcing American industry to relocate in the 128 under developed countries exempt from the treaty, such as China, India and Mexico; and Whereas, The government's own satellite program over the past 18 years shows a slight cooling, and many prominent climate scientists consider the global climate convention or treaty to be flawed and its goals unrealistic ``. . . based solely on unproven scientific theories, imperfect computer models . . . and unsupported assumptions that catastrophic global warming follows from the burning of fossil fuels . . .''; therefore, be it Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution oppose the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change which would result in deindustrialization of the United States, drastically lowering living standards as industry is forced to relocate in under developed countries exempt from the convention, and in a new global regulatory bureaucracy which would further destroy sovereignty. INJUSTICE FOR ALL--WORLD COURT Whereas, a global treaty conference to establish a world tribunal supported by the General Assembly of the United Nations, and already considered by many as an accomplished fact, will be held during June, 1998 in Rome to begin the treaty ratification process to establish an International Criminal Court (ICC); Whereas, The definition of the new World Court of War Crimes is loosely defined and presently includes genocide, crime against humanity and war crimes with power to add other categories such as ecological crimes; and serious concerns are being raised about a tribunal dedicated to the creation of precedents in international law by judges from countries that are culturally alien to American values and outside the common law tradition, with no procedural rights or immunities as guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights; and [[Page E873]] Whereas, The United States will be expected to provide most of the enforcement personnel for the ICC, and American military personnel on United Nations peacekeeping forces will be at risk of being targeted with war crime charges; therefore, be it Resolved, the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution oppose any efforts to surrender our nation's sovereignty to the United Nations by establishing the International Criminal Court, a world tribunal that will override the United States Constitution, the American legal system, and our inherent rights. THE AMERICAN HERITAGE RIVERS INITIATIVE (AHRI) Whereas, The American Heritage Rivers Initiative (AHRI), implemented by Presidential Executive Order 13061, allows federal takeover of 10 American rivers initially and ultimately as many as 114, establishing vaguely defined ``river communities'' including watershed areas \1\; --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ The Mississippi River watershed area drains over 40% of the United States. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whereas, Although communities are encouraged to submit future plans for their river designation, the final decisions will be made by the AHRI Committee which is appointed by the President's Council on Environmental Quality, leaving nonelected state administrators, employees and nongovernmental organizations (NGO's) in control of designated rivers; and Whereas, U.S. Representative Helen Chenoweth--Idaho has introduced legislation to stop federal funding of the AHRI, an initiative which imposes another layer of federal bureaucracy, violates constitutional and statutory law, reduces the states' domain and restricts private property rights; therefore, be it Resolved, The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution oppose the American Heritage Rivers Initiative, a maneuver by the Executive Branch to thwart the powers reserved to Congress regarding regulation of navigable waters, to curb jurisdiction of states over land use planning as well as to restrict water rights, local zoning and individual property rights. CENSUS 2000: SUPPORT FULL ENUMERATION VERSUS SAMPLING Whereas, The Constitution of the United States mandates the enumeration of the population every ten years for the purpose of apportioning Congressional representation and determining the distribution of funding for government programs among the states which is essential to provide statistical information to be utilized in drawing district boundary lines which effect Congressional and local elections; Whereas, In order to reduce the estimated cost of 4.8 million dollars for Census 2000, the Bureau of the Census is exerting pressure to change from the traditional method of full enumeration to a sampling procedure of unproven accuracy, in which only a percentage of the population would be counted; and Whereas, The information recorded in past census records is an invaluable tool for genealogists, historians and sociologists and should continue to be so; therefore, be it Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution support the Constitutional requirement of full enumeration of the Census 2000 which will provide important and necessary information to the United States Government and its people. NO TO PUERTO RICAN STATEHOOD Whereas, When the House of Representatives recently voted by a margin of one to enable Puerto Rico to become the 51st state, the public was unaware that this was on the Congressional agenda although the President of Puerto Rico and his associates had retained 30 Washington, D.C. firms to lobby for statehood; Whereas, The per capita income of Puerto Rico is half that of our poorest state, more than one half of its population would qualify for welfare, and 80% do not speak English and are resistant to learning English; yet as a state, Puerto Rico would have two Senators and probably six Representatives, the latter to be taken from the 50 States since the House of Representatives is capped at 435 members; and Whereas, The reason given for statehood by a number of prominent Americans of Hispanic descent is that Puerto Rico's present commonwealth status does not meet the United Nations' criteria for ending colonialism; therefore, be it Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution oppose making Puerto Rico the 51st state which, with more than one half of its population qualifying for welfare, would create a severe financial drain on taxpayers, would receive Congressional representation at the expense of other states, and would lead to social polarization, not assimilation, considering its different language and culture which its leaders have declared will be maintained. FAST TRACK TRADE AUTHORITY Whereas, Article I, Section 8, of the United States Constitution gives to Congress the power ``to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several states'', and the Framers of the Constitution, after extensive debate, relegated this power to Congress as a check and balance on the President's authority to make treaties and conduct foreign policy; Whereas, The North Atlantic Fair Trade Act (NAFTA) set a precedent when it passed Congress by using a ``fast track'' procedure not found in the Constitution, and the President of the United States is now requesting extension of ``fast track'' authority to pass multinational trade agreements; and Whereas, ``Fast track'' authority will restrict Congressional input to twenty hours of debate, and will limit the Congressional vote to `yes or no', while prohibiting all rights to amend executive trade agreements; therefore, be it Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution recommend NAFTA be rescinded and oppose extension of ``fast track'' trade authority to the President of the United States, whereby the Constitutional right of Congress to act on trade agreements would be eroded and power would be transformed to the Executive. AMERICAN FAMILY Whereas, Remembering that the NSDAR motto ``God, Home and Country'' focuses attention on the importance of God-- spiritual values and morals, home--one's own dwelling place and that of their immediate kindred, comprising parents and children, and constituting the fundamental social unit in society, and country--the United States of America to which we pledge our allegiance; Whereas, Since 1973, the family income has declined necessitating many families with both parents in the work force and children in day-care; the quality and parental control of many schools has been diminished; many types of media have overwhelmed American life altering moral standards; the pervasive influence of drugs, alcohol and violence has compromised the safety of the family; and the roles of both mother and father have been eroded by government and societal intervention; and Whereas, Before passing laws, Congress and State Legislatures should consider the effects of law on the family, communities should support solutions so that families are nurtured and encouraged; families should increase their involvement in school matters; parents should carefully guide their family consumption of media and assume their responsibility as family leaders of moral standards, thus producing families with high moral standards and conscientious citizens; therefore, be it Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution proudly proclaim its motto ``God, Home and Country'' as an example to the nation. MILITARY STRENGTH Whereas, In the last five years the government has downsized United States military forces by 40%, thus not only calling into question our ability to handle two conflicts in different parts of the world simultaneously, a stated military goal, but also endangering our status as the preeminent military power in the world; Whereas, Although this country now has no defense against ballistic missiles, and although the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and missile technology is increasing around the world to an alarming degree among nations of doubtful friendliness, our government, citing the constraints of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the former Soviet Union, is opposed to a space based missile defense system, the most economical and efficient kind of middle defense; and Whereas, The administration has just released to China our most advanced missile technology even though China threatened the United States with a missile strike on Los Angeles at the height of the Taiwan crisis, is arming rogue nations world wide, and its military strategist have written a book on how to win the coming war with the United States; therefore, be it Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution recommend the following steps by the United States Government for the safety of the nation: 1. Rebuild the nation's armed forces so that there can be no doubt that the United [[Page E874]] States is the preeminate military power in the world and able to handle two conflicts simultaneously in different parts of the globe, a stated military goal, 2. Stop any further high technology transfers to China, 3. Cancel the 1972 Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty with the former Soviet Union and its constraints on missile defense, and 4. Fund the manufacture and deployment of a space based Anti-Ballistic Missile Defense System for the protection of the American homeland. REAFFIRMATIONS 1. C H I N A SPELLS TROUBLE (1997) Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution oppose the granting of Most Favored Nation trading status, the leasing of the Long Beach naval base or any other American port facility, any joint military training exercises and the sale of military technology or hardware to communist China. 2. RESTORE CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT (1997) Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution supports enumerated powers legislation which would require Congress to cite constitutional authority for all legislation, and further supports efforts to abolish the use of unbridled Executive Orders, restore Constitutional balance with strict limitation of Presidential power, thereby preserving the rights of the citizenry as intended by the Founding Fathers. 3. UNITED STATES PATENT RIGHTS (1997) Resolved, That the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution stands opposed to the restructuring of the United States Patent and Trademark Office and to laws and international agreements that encroach on United States patent and trademark laws and Constitutional rights to ``writings and discoveries'' which rob inventors/writers/ designers of their creative endeavors and allow worldwide use of their efforts.