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.
