24. Baltic Freedom Day

Public Law 101-309 [S.J. Res. 251], 104 Stat. 264, approved June 18, 1990

JOINT RESOLUTION Designating "Baltic Freedom Day".

Whereas the people of the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have cherished the principles of religious and political freedom and have recently held mass demonstrations calling for freedom and independence;

Whereas from 1918 to 1940, the Baltic States existed as independent, sovereign nations and as fully recognized members of the League of Nations;

Whereas 1990 marks the 50th anniversary of the invasion, seizure, and illegal incorporation of the Baltic States into the Soviet Union against the national will and the desire for independence and freedom of the Baltic people;

Whereas 1990 also marks the 50th anniversary of the continued policy of the United States of not recognizing the illegal forcible occupation of the Baltic States by the Soviet Union;

Whereas, due to Soviet and Nazi collusion, the Baltic States suffered a loss of one-third of their population by the end of World War II;

Whereas, under Soviet occupation, the native Baltic peoples have been deported from their homelands to forced labor and concentration camps in Siberia and elsewhere;

Whereas the people of the Baltic States have unique indigenous cultures, national traditions, and languages, which have been threatened by decades of russification;

Whereas the Soviet Union has introduced into the Baltic States ecologically unsound industries without proper safeguards, and the presence of those industries has critically endangered the environment and well-being of the Baltic people;

Whereas, as part of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev's campaign of openness, restructuring, and democratization, the Soviet leaders have officially acknowledged the illegality of the secret protocols to the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which led to the Soviet military invasion of the Baltic States in 1940;

Whereas, in the spirit of openness and democratization, the Baltic peoples are affirming their right, upheld by international law and by the Soviet Constitution, to restore full independence through parliamentary and peaceful means; and

Whereas the United States, as a member of the United Nations, has repeatedly upheld the right of nations to self-determination: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That

(1) the Congress recognizes the continuing desire and right of the people of the Baltic States for freedom and independence; (2) the Congress, in keeping with the policy of the United States to deny recognition of the Soviet occupation of the Baltic States, urges the Soviet Union to recognize the sovereignty of the Baltic States and to yield to the rightful demands of the Baltic peoples for independence from foreign domination and oppression, as guaranteed by Principle Eight of the Helsinki accords, to which the Soviet Union is a signatory;

(3) June 14, 1990, the anniversary of the first mass deportation of the Baltic peoples from their homelands in 1941, is designated as "Baltic Freedom Day", as a symbol of the solidarity of the people of the United States with the aspirations of the captive Baltic people; and

(4) the President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe Baltic Freedom Day with appropriate ceremonies and activities, and to submit to the Congress within 60 days a statement articulating specific actions the United States Government is taking, in fulfillment of the intent of the nonrecognition principle to

(A) support the peaceful restoration of the independence of the Baltic States; and

(B) to encourage Soviet support for a peaceful transition to independence and democracy in the Baltic States.

25. National POW/MIA Recognition Day

Public Law 101–355 ([H.J. Res. 467], 104 Stat. 416, approved August 10, 1990

JOINT RESOLUTION Designating September 21, 1990, as "National POW/MIA Recognition Day", and recognizing the National League of Families POW/MIA flag. Whereas the United States has fought in many wars;

Whereas thousands of Americans who served in those wars were captured by the enemy or listed as missing in action;

Whereas many American prisoners of war were subjected to brutal and inhuman treatment by their enemy captors in violation of international codes and customs for the treatment of prisoners of war, and many such prisoners of war died from such treatment; Whereas many of these Americans are still missing and unaccounted for, and the uncertainty surrounding their fates has caused their families to suffer acute hardship; and Whereas the sacrifices of Americans still missing and unaccounted for and their families are deserving of national recognition and support for continued priority efforts to determine the fate of those missing Americans: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF NATIONAL POW/MIA RECOGNITION DAY.

September 21, 1990, is hereby designated as "National POW/ MIA Recognition Day". The President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to recognize that day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

SEC. 2.1 RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL LEAGUE OF FAMILIES POW/MIA FLAG.

The National League of Families POW/MIA flag is hereby recognized officially and designated as the symbol of our Nation's concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, thus ending the uncertainty for their families and the Nation.

136 U.S.C. 189.

26. Polish American Heritage Month

Public Law 101-388 [S.J. Res. 289], 104 Stat. 742, approved September 20, 1990

JOINT RESOLUTION To Designate October 1990 as "Polish American Heritage Month".

Whereas the first Polish immigrants to North America were among the first settlers of Jamestown, Virginia in the seventeenth century;

Whereas Kazimierz Pulaski, Tadeusz Kosciuszko, and other Poles came to the British colonies in America to fight in the Revolutionary War and to risk their lives and fortunes for the creation of the United States;

Whereas Poles and Americans of Polish descent have distinguished themselves by contributing to the development of arts, sciences, government, military service, athletics, and education in the United States;

Whereas the Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791, was modeled directly on the Constitution of the United States, is recognized as the second written constitution in history, and is revered by Poles and Americans of Polish descent;

Whereas Poles and Americans of Polish descent take great pride and honor the greatest son of Poland, His Holiness Pope John Paul the Second;

Whereas Poles and Americans of Polish descent and people everywhere applauded the efforts of Solidarity's leader Lech Walesa and the Polish Government in holding a Round Table conference in February-April 1989, which led to a peaceful transition to a multiparty democracy;

Whereas Americans of Polish descent and Americans support the struggle of the Polish people to move toward a free-market economy; and

Whereas the Polish American Congress is observing its forty-sixth anniversary this year and is celebrating October 1990 as Polish American Heritage Month: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That October 1990 is designated "Polish American Heritage Month", and the President of the United States is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe such a month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

27. German-American Day

Public Law 101-413 [H.J. Res. 469], 104 Stat. 898, approved October 11, 1990 JOINT RESOLUTION To designate October 6, 1990, as "German-American Day". Whereas the tricentennial of the arrival of the first German immigrants to the United States was celebrated on October 6, 1983; Whereas such day was proclaimed by the President to be GermanAmerican Day in honor of the contributions made by German immigrants to the life and culture of the United States;

Whereas such contributions should be recognized and celebrated every year; and

Whereas the German-American Friendship Garden, symbolic of friendly relations between West Germany and the United States, was dedicated in the District of Columbia on November 15, 1988: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That October 6, 1990, is designated as "German-American Day". The President is requested to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe such day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

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