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CALLING ON FREE AND FAIR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN

THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN; URGING THE GOVERNMENT

OF ALBANIA TO ENSURE THAT THE JULY 3, 2005 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ARE CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE

WITH INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR FREE AND FAIR

ELECTIONS; AND RECOGNIZING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF

THE WORKERS’ STRIKES IN POLAND THAT LED TO THE

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SOLIDARITY TRADE UNION

MARKUP

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON EUROPE AND 

EMERGING THREATS

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON 

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

ON

H. Res. 326, H. Con. Res. 155 and H. Res. 328

JUNE 21, 2005

Serial No. 109–46

Printed for the use of the Committee on International Relations

(

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/international—relations 

(II)

COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 

HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois, Chairman 

JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa 

CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, 

Vice Chairman 

DAN BURTON, Indiana 

ELTON GALLEGLY, California 

ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida 

DANA ROHRABACHER, California 

EDWARD R. ROYCE, California 

PETER T. KING, New York 

STEVE CHABOT, Ohio 

THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado 

RON PAUL, Texas 

DARRELL ISSA, California 

JEFF FLAKE, Arizona 

JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia 

MARK GREEN, Wisconsin 

JERRY WELLER, Illinois 

MIKE PENCE, Indiana 

THADDEUS G. MCCOTTER, Michigan 

KATHERINE HARRIS, Florida 

JOE WILSON, South Carolina 

JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas 

J. GRESHAM BARRETT, South Carolina 

CONNIE MACK, Florida 

JEFF FORTENBERRY, Nebraska 

MICHAEL MCCAUL, Texas 

TED POE, Texas 

TOM LANTOS, California 

HOWARD L. BERMAN, California 

GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York 

ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American 

Samoa 

DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey 

ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey 

SHERROD BROWN, Ohio 

BRAD SHERMAN, California 

ROBERT WEXLER, Florida 

ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York 

WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts 

GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York 

BARBARA LEE, California 

JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York 

EARL BLUMENAUER, Oregon 

SHELLEY BERKLEY, Nevada 

GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California 

ADAM B. SCHIFF, California 

DIANE E. WATSON, California 

ADAM SMITH, Washington 

BETTY MCCOLLUM, Minnesota 

BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky 

DENNIS A. CARDOZA, California 

THOMAS E. MOONEY, SR., Staff Director/General Counsel 

ROBERT R. KING, Democratic Staff Director 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON EUROPE AND EMERGING THREATS

ELTON GALLEGLY, California, Chairman 

JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia 

PETER T. KING, New York, Vice Chairman 

THADDEUS G. McCOTTER, Michigan 

DARRELL ISSA, California 

TED POE, Texas 

J. GRESHAM BARRETT, South Carolina 

ROBERT WEXLER, Florida 

ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York 

SHELLEY BERKLEY, Nevada 

GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California 

ADAM B. SCHIFF, California 

BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky 

RICHARD MEREU, Subcommittee Staff Director 

JONATHAN KATZ, Democratic Professional Staff Member 

PATRICK PRISCO, Professional Staff Member 

BEVERLY HALLOCK, Staff Associate 

(III)

C O N T E N T S 

Page

MARKUP OF 

H. Res. 326, Calling for free and fair parliamentary elections in the Republic 

of Azerbaijan ......................................................................................................... 2

Amendment to H. Res. 326 offered by the Honorable Elton Gallegly, a 

Representative in Congress from the State of California, and Chairman, 

Subcommittee on Europe and Emerging Threats .......................................... 7

H. Con. Res. 155, Urging the Government of the Republic of Albania to 

ensure that the parliamentary elections to be held on July 3, 2005, are 

conducted in accordance with international standards for free and fair 

elections ................................................................................................................ 9

H. Res. 328, Recognizing the 25th anniversary of the workers’ strikes in 

Poland in 1980 that led to the establishment of the Solidarity Trade Union . 15

Amendment to H. Res. 328 offered by the Honorable Elton Gallegly ............. 19

LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD 

The Honorable Elton Gallegly: 

Prepared statement on H. Res. 326 .................................................................... 6

Prepared statement on H. Con. Res. 155 ........................................................... 13

Prepared statement on H. Res. 328 .................................................................... 18

The Honorable Eliot L. Engel, a Representative in Congress from the State 

of New York: Prepared statement on H. Con. Res. 155 .................................... 13

(1)

CALLING ON FREE AND FAIR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 

IN THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN; URGING THE GOVERNMENT OF ALBANIA TO ENSURE THAT THE JULY 3, 2005 

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ARE CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR FREE 

AND FAIR ELECTIONS; AND RECOGNIZING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WORKERS’ STRIKES IN POLAND THAT 

LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SOLIDARITY TRADE 

UNION 

TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2005

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON EUROPE AND EMERGING THREATS, COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, Washington, DC. 

The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 5:18 p.m. in room 

2200, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Elton Gallegly (Chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding. 

Mr. GALLEGLY. I call to order the Subcommittee on Europe and 

Emerging Threats. Pursuant to notice, I call up the resolution H. 

Res. 326, for the purposes of markup and move its recommendation 

to the Full Committee. Without objection, the resolution will be 

considered as read and open for amendment at any point. 

Today, the Subcommittee on Europe and Emerging Threats is 

marking up three resolutions. Two are related to upcoming parliamentary elections in Europe, and the third is to commemorate 

the 25th anniversary of Solidarity. 

The first item on the agenda is H. Res. 326, a resolution I introduced calling for the Government of Azerbaijan to ensure their upcoming parliamentary elections are peaceful, free, and fair. 

[H. Res. 326 follows:]

2

1

IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 326

Calling for free and fair parliamentary elections in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 16, 2005

Mr. GALLEGLY (for himself, Mr. WEXLER, and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey)

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee

on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Calling for free and fair parliamentary elections in the

Republic of Azerbaijan.

Whereas the Republic of Azerbaijan is scheduled to hold elections for its parliament, the Milli Majlis, in November

2005;

Whereas Azerbaijan has enjoyed a strong relationship with

the United States since its independence from the former

Soviet Union in 1991;

Whereas international observers monitoring Azerbaijan’s October 2003 presidential election found that the pre-election, election day, and post-election environments fell

short of international standards;

Whereas the International Election Observation Mission

(IEOM) in Baku, Azerbaijan, deployed by the OrganizaVerDate Mar 21 2002 09:38 Aug 16, 2005 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\EET\062105M\21974.000 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL

21974a.AAB
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2

•HRES 326 IH

tion for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and

the Council of Europe, found that there were numerous

instances of violence by both members of the opposition

and government forces;

Whereas the international election observers also found inequality and irregularities in campaign and election conditions, including intimidation against opposition supporters, restrictions on political rallies by opposition candidates, and voting fraud;

Whereas Azerbaijan freely accepted a series of commitments

on democracy, human rights, and the rule of law when

that country joined the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe as a participating State in 1992;

Whereas, following the 2003 presidential election, the Council

of Europe adopted Resolution 1358 (2004) demanding

that the Government of Azerbaijan immediately implement a series of steps that included the release of political prisoners, investigation of election fraud, and the creation of public service television to allow all political parties to better communicate with the people of Azerbaijan;

Whereas, since the 2003 presidential election, the Government of Azerbaijan has taken some positive steps by releasing some political prisoners and working toward the

establishment of public service television;

Whereas a genuinely free and fair election requires that citizens be guaranteed the right and opportunity to exercise

their civil and political rights, free from intimidation,

undue influence, threats of political retribution, or other

forms of coercion by national or local authorities or others;


21974a.AAC
4

3

•HRES 326 IH

Whereas a genuinely free and fair election requires government and public authorities to ensure that candidates

and political parties enjoy equal treatment before the law

and that government resources are not employed to the

advantage of individual candidates or political parties;

and

Whereas the establishment of a transparent, free and fair

election process for the 2005 parliamentary elections is

an important step in Azerbaijan’s progress toward full integration into the democratic community of nations: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) calls on the Government of the Republic of

3 Azerbaijan to hold orderly, peaceful, and free and

4 fair parliamentary elections in November 2005 in

5 order to ensure the long-term growth and stability of

6 the country;

7 (2) calls upon the Government of Azerbaijan to

8 guarantee the full participation of opposition parties

9 in the upcoming elections, including members of op10 position parties arrested in the months leading up to

11 the November 2005 parliamentary elections;

12 (3) calls upon the opposition parties to fully

13 and peacefully participate in the November 2005

14 parliamentary elections, and calls upon the Govern15 ment of Azerbaijan to create the conditions for the

16 participation on equal grounds of all viable can17 didates;


21974a.AAD
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4

•HRES 326 IH

1 (4) believes it is critical that the November

2 2005 parliamentary elections be viewed by the peo3 ple of Azerbaijan as free and fair, and that all sides

4 refrain from violence during the campaign, on elec5 tion day, and following the election;

6 (5) supports recommendations made by the

7 Council of Europe on amendments to the Unified

8 Election Code of Azerbaijan, specifically to ensure

9 equitable representation of opposition and pro-gov10 ernment forces in all election commissions;

11 (6) urges the international community and do12 mestic nongovernmental organizations to provide a

13 sufficient number of election observers to ensure

14 credible monitoring and reporting of the November

15 2005 parliamentary elections;

16 (7) recognizes the need for the establishment of

17 an independent media and assurances by the Gov18 ernment of Azerbaijan that freedom of the press will

19 be guaranteed; and

20 (8) calls upon the Government of Azerbaijan to

21 guarantee freedom of speech and freedom of assem22 bly.

Æ


21974a.AAE
6

Mr. GALLEGLY. In the most recent elections in that country, the 

2003 Presidential elections, international election observers found 

that they fell short of the international standards, including numerous instances of voting fraud, restrictions on political rallies, 

and intimidation against political opponents. Since the Presidential 

election, Azerbaijan has taken a number of steps by releasing some 

political prisoners and opening up their airwaves to opposing viewpoints. 

I urge the Government of Azerbaijan to build on this progress 

and conduct elections that are fair and free of fraud or intimidation. In addition, as stated in the resolution, I call upon both proand anti-government political parties to fully and peacefully participate in the parliamentary elections. The United States and 

Azerbaijan have enjoyed a strong relationship since Azerbaijan 

gained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Azerbaijan has also made improvements in its election procedures since 

2003. However, it is important that progress continues to be made 

and that the November parliamentary elections are viewed both in 

Azerbaijan and abroad as free and fair. 

My office has worked very closely with Representative Chris 

Smith and his office, Rob Wexler and his office, the Helsinki Commission, and the State Department in drafting this resolution. 

I will be offering a technical amendment to H. Res. 326. However, I would like to see if there is anyone else that has an opening 

statement. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Gallegly follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE ELTON GALLEGLY, A REPRESENTATIVE IN

CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON

EUROPE AND EMERGING THREATS

H. RES. 326

Today, the Subcommittee on Europe and Emerging Threats is marking up three 

resolutions. Two are related to upcoming parliamentary elections in Europe and the 

third is to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Solidarity. 

The first item on the agenda is H. Res. 326, a resolution I introduced calling on 

the Government of Azerbaijan to ensure that their upcoming parliamentary elections are peaceful, free and fair. 

In the most recent elections in that country, the 2003 presidential elections, international election observers found that they fell short of international standards, including numerous instances of voting fraud, restrictions on political rallies and intimidation against political opponents. 

Since the presidential election, Azerbaijan has taken a number of steps by releasing some political prisoners and opening up their airwaves to opposing viewpoints. 

I urge the Government of Azerbaijan to build on this progress and conduct elections that are fair, and free of fraud or intimidation. In addition, as stated in the 

resolution, I call upon both pro and anti-government political parties to fully and 

peacefully participate in the parliamentary elections. 

The United States and Azerbaijan have enjoyed a strong relationship since Azerbaijan gained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Azerbaijan has 

also made improvements in its election procedures since 2003. However, it is important that progress continues to be made and that the November parliamentary elections are viewed both In Azerbaijan and abroad as free and fair. 

My office has worked closely with the Rep. Chris Smith’s office, Mr. Wexler’s office, the Helsinki Commission and the State Department in the drafting of this resolution. 

I will be offering a technical amendment to H. Res. 326. However, I first want 

to recognize Congressman Wexler for a statement.

7

Ms. BERKLEY. Well, thank you, Mr. Gallegly. As a co-sponsor of 

this resolution, I strongly support its passage and urge the Subcommittee to report if favorably to the Full Committee. 

Mr. GALLEGLY. Very good. Mr. McCotter, do you have an opening 

statement? 

I have an amendment at the desk which, without objection, will 

be considered as read. As I mentioned in my opening statement, 

the amendment is technical in nature. It simply clarifies some of 

the clauses in the preamble of the resolution. The amendment does 

not change the resolution in any substantive manner. 

[The information referred to follows:]

Mr. GALLEGLY. Are there any questions anyone would like to add 

on the amendment? 

[No response.] 

Mr. GALLEGLY. Then the question occurs on the amendment. All 

in favor, say aye. 

[A chorus of ayes.] 

Mr. GALLEGLY. Any opposed? 

[No response.] 

Mr. GALLEGLY. The ayes have it, and the resolution is passed. 

Are there any other amendments? 

[No response.] 

Mr. GALLEGLY. Hearing no further requests, the question occurs 

on the motion to report H. Res. 326 favorably, as amended. All in 

favor, say aye. 

[A chorus of ayes.] 

Mr. GALLEGLY. Any opposed? 

[No response.] 

Mr. GALLEGLY. The motion is approved, and the resolution is reported favorably. Without objection, the resolution will be reported 

favorably to the Full Committee in the form of a single amendment 

in the nature of a substitute incorporating the amendment adopted 

here today. Without objection, the staff is directed to make any 

technical and conforming amendments. 


21974a.eps
8

Pursuant to notice, I call up resolution H. Con. Res. 155 for purposes of markup. I move its recommendation to the Full Committee. Without objection, the resolution will be considered as read 

and open for amendment at any point. 

[H. Con. Res. 155 follows:]

9

1

IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 155

Urging the Government of the Republic of Albania to ensure that the parliamentary elections to be held on July 3, 2005, are conducted in accordance with international standards for free and fair elections.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 17, 2005

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. ENGEL) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Urging the Government of the Republic of Albania to ensure

that the parliamentary elections to be held on July 3,

2005, are conducted in accordance with international

standards for free and fair elections.

Whereas the United States maintains strong and friendly relations with the Republic of Albania and appreciates the

ongoing support of the people of Albania;

Whereas the President of Albania has called for elections to

Albania’s parliament, known as the People’s Assembly, to

be held on July 3, 2005;

Whereas Albania is one of 55 participating States in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

(OSCE), all of which have adopted the 1990 Copenhagen


21974b.AAB
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2

•HCON 155 IH

Document containing specific commitments relating to

the conduct of elections;

Whereas these commitments, which encourage transparency,

balance, and impartiality in an election process, have become the standard by which observers determine whether

elections have been conducted freely and fairly;

Whereas, though improvements over time have been noted,

the five multiparty parliamentary elections held in Albania between 1991 and 2001, as well as elections for local

offices held between and after those years, fell short of

the standards in the Copenhagen Document to varying

degrees, according to OSCE and other observers;

Whereas with OSCE and other international assistance, the

Government of Albania has improved the country’s electoral and legal framework and enhanced the capacity to

conduct free and fair elections;

Whereas subsequent to the calling of elections, Albania’s political parties have accepted a code of conduct regarding

their campaign activities, undertaking to act in accordance with the law, to refrain from inciting violence or hatred in the election campaign, and to be transparent in

disclosing campaign funding; and

Whereas meeting the standards in the Copenhagen Document

for free and fair elections is absolutely essential to Albania’s desired integration into European and Euro-Atlantic institutions, including full membership in the North

Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as to Albania’s progress in addressing official corruption and

combatting organized crime: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That Congress—


21974b.AAC
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3

•HCON 155 IH

1 (1) welcomes the opportunity for the Republic

2 of Albania to demonstrate its willingness and pre3 paredness to take the next steps in European and

4 Euro-Atlantic integration by holding parliamentary

5 elections on July 3, 2005, that meet the Organiza6 tion for Security and Cooperation in Europe

7 (OSCE) standards for free and fair elections as de8 fined in the 1990 Copenhagen Document;

9 (2) firmly believes that the citizens of Albania,

10 like all people, should be able to choose their own

11 representatives in parliament and government in free

12 and fair elections, and to hold these representatives

13 accountable through elections at reasonable inter14 vals;

15 (3) supports commitments by Albanian political

16 parties to adhere to a basic code of conduct for cam17 paigning and urges such parties and all election offi18 cials in Albania to adhere to laws relating to the

19 elections, and to conduct their activities in an impar20 tial and transparent manner, by allowing inter21 national and domestic observers to have unob22 structed access to all aspects of the election process,

23 including public campaign events, candidates, news

24 media, voting, and post-election tabulation of results

25 and processing of election challenges and complaints;


21974b.AAD
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•HCON 155 IH

1 (4) supports assistance by the United States to

2 help the people of Albania establish a fully free and

3 open democratic system, a prosperous free market

4 economy, and its rightful place in European and

5 Euro-Atlantic institutions, including the North At6 lantic Treaty Organization (NATO); and

7 (5) encourages the President to communicate to

8 the Government of Albania, to all political parties

9 and candidates, and to the people of Albania the

10 high importance attached by the Government of the

11 United States to this parliamentary election as a

12 central factor in determining the future relationship

13 between the United States and Albania.

Æ


21974b.AAE
13

Mr. GALLEGLY. The second item on the agenda today is the consideration of H. Con. Res. 155, a resolution supporting free and fair 

elections in Albania introduced by my colleague and friend, Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey, the Vice Chairman of the 

International Relations Committee. The resolution urges Albania to 

hold its July 3 parliamentary elections in accordance with international standards. 

This election is not only important as Albania works to develop 

its democratic system, but they will set the tone for the nation in 

the months and years ahead as it strives to become a fully democratic member of European and Euro-Atlantic institutions. The 

United States and Albania have strong ties and share common objectives on many issues, such as defeating international terrorism, 

stopping human trafficking in the Balkans, and fighting narco-trafficking. We are also working closely with the Albanian Government 

on maintaining stability and achieving economic prosperity 

throughout the region. 

I strongly support our friendship with Albania and support this 

resolution which encourages Albania to continue down the road toward developing strong and stable democratic institutions. 

I urge the passage of H. Con. Res. 155. Is there anyone else that 

would like to make a statement? 

[The prepared statements of Mr. Gallegly and Mr. Engel follow:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE ELTON GALLEGLY, A REPRESENTATIVE IN

CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON

EUROPE AND EMERGING THREATS

H. CON. RES. 155

The second item on the agenda today is the consideration of H. Con. Res. 155, 

a resolution supporting free and fair elections in Albania introduced by my colleague 

and friend, Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey, the Vice Chairman of the 

International Relations Committee. The resolution urges Albania to hold its July 3 

parliamentary elections in accordance with international standards. 

This election is not only important as Albania works to develop its democratic system, but they will set the tone for that nation in the months and years ahead as 

it strives to become a fully democratic member of European and Euro-Atlantic institutions. 

The United States and Albania have strong ties and share common objectives on 

many issues, such as defeating international terrorism, stopping human trafficking 

in the Balkans and fighting narco-trafficking. We are also working closely with the 

Albanian government on maintaining stability and achieving economic prosperity 

throughout the region. 

I strongly support our friendship with Albania and support this resolution which 

encourages Albania to continue down the road towards developing strong and stable 

democratic institutions. 

I urge the passage of H. Con. Res. 155. I will now turn to Congressman Wexler 

for the purposes of making a statement. 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE ELIOT L. ENGEL, A REPRESENTATIVE IN

CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK

H. CON. RES. 155

I would like to thank the Chairman and the Ranking Member for expediting consideration of H.Con.Res. 155, urging Albania to hold its July 3 parliamentary elections in accordance with international standards. I would also like to thank the lead 

sponsor, Chris Smith, for his work on this legislation. These elections are not only 

important as Albania works to develop its democratic system, but they will set the 

tone for the Balkan nation in the months and years ahead. 

14

The United States and Albania have strong ties that go well beyond government 

relations. For that reason, we believe it important to support the people of Albania 

and their right to choose their elected representatives freely and fairly. 

In the 15 years since Albania’s brutal communist dictatorship came to an end, the 

country has struggled in its transition. While some elections have been problematic, 

there have been improvements over time, and now the country has a real chance 

to achieve the same international election standards that the United States, Canada 

and all of Europe adopted in 1990. Between now and election day, the real issue 

is whether the authorities, political parties and other stakeholders have the will to 

abide by the laws, regulations and a code of conduct. The active U.S. congressional 

interest expressed in this resolution can encourage all involved to do the right thing. 

A good election process will have enormous benefits for Albania. Domestically, it 

will enable the next government to take stronger measures to address the official 

corruption and combat the organized crime which together thwart stronger economic 

recovery. Internationally, it will enable Albania to take the next steps to joining 

NATO and the European Union. Supporting Albanian elections today will only 

strengthen our relations in the future. 

I will be in Albania for the July 3rd elections and will lead a delegation of Albanian Americans monitoring that the polling and counting will be done in accordance 

with international standards. This resolution will help make the case for a good 

election. 

As the lead Democratic sponsor of this resolution, I urge the Subcommittee to favorably report H.Con.Res. 155 to the full Committee.

Ms. BERKLEY. I would like to thank the Chairman for bringing 

this to the Committee’s attention. I am a co-sponsor of H. Con. Res. 

155. I strongly support its passage and urge the Subcommittee to 

report it favorably to the Full Committee. 

Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. McCotter, anything? 

[No response.] 

Mr. GALLEGLY. There are no amendments. The question then occurs on the motion to report the resolution H. Con. Res. 155, favorably. All in favor? 

[A chorus of ayes.] 

Mr. GALLEGLY. Any opposed? 

[No response.] 

Mr. GALLEGLY. The ayes have it. The motion is approved, and 

the resolution is to be reported favorably. The staff is directed to 

make any technical and conforming amendments. 

Pursuant to notice, I call up resolution H. Res. 328 for purposes 

of markup and move its recommendation to the Full Committee. 

Without objection, the resolution shall be considered as read and 

open for amendment at any point. 

[H. Res. 328 follows:]

15

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IV

109TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 328

Recognizing the 25th anniversary of the workers’ strikes in Poland in 1980

that led to the establishment of the Solidarity Trade Union.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 17, 2005

Mr. GALLEGLY (for himself, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr.

KANJORSKI, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. ENGEL, and Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

International Relations

RESOLUTION

Recognizing the 25th anniversary of the workers’ strikes

in Poland in 1980 that led to the establishment of the

Solidarity Trade Union.

Whereas, although Victory in Europe on May 8, 1945, resulted in liberty and democracy in many nations, Poland

and other countries of Central and Eastern Europe fell

behind the repressive Iron Curtain of the Soviet Union;

Whereas for more than four decades Poland and the nations

of the Soviet Bloc struggled under authoritarian rule;

Whereas in June 1979, Pope John Paul II, the former Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, returned to his homeland for the

first time and exhorted his countrymen to ‘‘be not

afraid’’ of the Communist regime;


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•HRES 328 IH

Whereas in July and August of 1980, Polish workers in the

shipyards of Gdansk and Szczecin went on strike to demand greater political freedom;

Whereas workers’ committees, led by electrician Lech Walesa,

coordinated these strikes and ensured that the strikes

were peaceful and orderly;

Whereas in August 1980, the Communist government of Poland yielded to the 21 demands of the striking workers,

including the release of all political prisoners, the broadcasting of religious services on television and radio, and

the right to establish independent trade unions;

Whereas the Communist government of Poland introduced

martial law in December 1981 in an attempt to block the

growing influence of the Solidarity movement;

Whereas the Solidarity Trade Union and its 10,000,000

members became a great social movement committed to

promoting fundamental human rights, democracy, and

Polish independence from the Soviet Union;

Whereas in February 1989, the Communist government of

Poland agreed to conduct talks with the Solidarity Trade

Union that led to elections to the National Assembly in

June of that year, in which nearly all open seats were

won by candidates supported by the Solidarity Trade

Union, and led soon after to the election of Poland’s first

non-Communist Prime Minister in the post-war era, Mr.

Tadeusz Mazowiecki;

Whereas the Solidarity movement ended communism in Poland without bloodshed, inspiring other nations under Soviet control to do the same and leading to the fall of the

Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989;


21974c.AAC
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•HRES 328 IH

Whereas on November 15, 1989, Lech Walesa gave a historic

speech before a joint meeting of the United States Congress with the opening remarks ‘‘We the People . . .’’,

which stirred a standing ovation from the Members of

Congress;

Whereas on December 9, 1990, Lech Walesa was elected

President of Poland;

Whereas the support of the United States and the PolishAmerican community was essential to the survival and

success of the Solidarity movement; and

Whereas a bond of friendship exists between the United

States and Poland, which is among the strongest allies of

the United States, a contributing partner in the North

Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a reliable partner

in the Global War on Terrorism, and a key contributor

in Iraq and Afghanistan: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That, the House of Representatives—

2 (1) recognizes the 25th anniversary of the

3 workers’ strikes in Poland that led to establishment

4 of the Solidarity Trade Union;

5 (2) honors the struggle and sacrifice of the citi6 zens of Poland who risked their lives to restore de7 mocracy to their country and to return Poland to

8 the democratic community of nations; and

9 (3) offers Poland as a model for other nations

10 struggling to emerge from authoritarian rule and es11 tablish a flourishing representative government.

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21974c.AAD
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Mr. GALLEGLY. H. Res. 328 is a resolution recognizing the 25th 

anniversary of the workers’ strike in Poland in 1980 that led to the 

establishment of the Solidarity Trade Union. H. Res. 328 conveys 

our recognition of the important role played by Solidarity in setting 

in motion the liberation of the nations of Eastern and Central Europe and the fall of the Soviet Union. It also honors the struggle 

and sacrifice of the people of Poland who risked their lives to restore democracy to their country. 

Solidarity began in the shipyards of Gdansk with Polish workers 

unwilling to submit to the tyranny of the Communist regime in Poland, even after nearly 40 years of oppression. A local electrician, 

Lech Walesa, coordinated the Solidarity strikes and ensured that 

the strikes were peaceful and orderly. After months of strikes, the 

Communist government yielded to the demands of the striking 

workers, including the release of all political prisoners, the broadcasting of religious services on television and radio, and the right 

to establish independent trade unions. 

Throughout the 1980s, Solidarity grew to become a national 

movement with 10 million members, and Lech Walesa went on to 

become the first President of Poland after the fall of the Berlin 

Wall. Solidarity has had a critical role in establishing the democratic institutions that today are flourishing in Poland. 

I urge passage of H. Res. 328 and would ask if my colleague, Ms. 

Berkley, would have any opening comments. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Gallegly follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE ELTON GALLEGLY, A REPRESENTATIVE IN

CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON

EUROPE AND EMERGING THREATS

H. RES. 328

The third resolution on today’s agenda is H. Res. 328, a resolution recognizing the 

25th anniversary of the workers’ strikes in Poland in 1980 that led to the establishment of the Solidarity Trade Union. 

H. Res. 328 conveys our recognition of the important role played by Solidarity in 

setting in motion the liberation of the nations of Eastern and Central Europe and 

the fall of the Soviet Union. It also honors the struggle and sacrifice of the people 

of Poland who risked their lives to restore democracy to their country. 

Solidarity began in the shipyards of Gdansk with Polish workers unwilling to submit to the tyranny of the communist regime in Poland even after nearly forty years 

of oppression. A local electrician, Lech Walesa, coordinated the Solidarity strikes 

and ensured that the strikes were peaceful and orderly. After months of strikes, the 

Communist government yielded to the demands of the striking workers, including 

the release of all political prisoners, the broadcasting of religious services on television and radio, and the right to establish independent trade unions. 

Throughout the 1980’s, Solidarity grew to become a national movement with 10 

million members, and Lech Walesa went on to become the first president of Poland 

after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Solidarity also had a critical role in establishing 

the democratic institutions that today are flourishing in Poland. 

I urge the passage of H. Res. 328. I will now turn to Congressman Wexler for the 

purposes of making a statement.

Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Chairman, I remember, long before I came to 

Congress, watching the Polish workers’ strikes and the Solidarity 

trade movement unfold on television. I cannot fail to recall what 

an extraordinary moment that was for not only the people of Poland, but for all democracy-loving people throughout the world. I 

had the opportunity to travel to Poland in January and see for myself firsthand the strong support of the Polish people not only of democracy but of the United States of America. They are a key partVerDate Mar 21 2002 09:38 Aug 16, 2005 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 F:\WORK\EET\062105M\21974.000 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL
19

ner in NATO, and I very strongly support passage of this resolution 

and urge the Subcommittee to report it favorably to the Full Committee. 

Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. McCotter? 

Mr. MCCOTTER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, too, was able to go 

to Poland with the gentlelady from Nevada and my colleague, Representative Steve Israel. 

In 1980, I distinctly remember Solidarity for perhaps a strange 

reason. I remember, after John Lennon was shot, Time magazine 

had a portrait of him on the cover. In the little inset in the corner 

of the picture was a red Soviet tank, and then it said, ‘‘What is 

next in Poland?’’ So it is hard to believe that it has been 25 years 

since these momentous events occurred. 

What is not hard to believe is, having been to Poland and seen 

the warmth, honor, dignity, and courage of the Polish people, why 

they were the people who struck the first blow in eastern Europe 

that led to the end of the evil empire that was the Soviet Union 

and the Communist totalitarian system. 

There were those who have always asked, in this day and age, 

where is the heart of Europe? In my mind, Mr. Chairman, which 

is why I am honored to support this resolution, if someone wants 

to find the heart of Europe and its soul, they need look no further 

than the people of Poland. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. GALLEGLY. Thank you, Mr. McCotter. 

Mr. Chandler, did you have anything you would like to add? 

Mr. CHANDLER. I do not need to add anything, Mr. Chairman, 

other than I cannot believe it has been 25 years. 

Mr. GALLEGLY. Time has really flown. It was a very historic day 

for me, and I was honored to have the opportunity to hear Lech 

Walesa address the House in a joint session. I do not know if there 

is anyone here on the Subcommittee that was here at the time, but 

it was an historic time in this Nation’s history. 

As I mentioned in my opening statement, I have an amendment 

to the resolution. The amendment reflects conversations with Congressman Lantos’s office regarding the role played by Solidarity in 

the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of Communism in Central 

and Eastern Europe. The amendment is one of calculation and does 

ont change the resolution in any substantive manner. 

[The information referred to follows:]


21974b.eps
20

Mr. GALLEGLY. Is there anyone that would like to make a comment regarding the amendment? 

[No response.] 

Mr. GALLEGLY. Hearing no request, the question occurs on the 

amendment. All in favor, say aye. 

[A chorus of ayes.] 

Mr. GALLEGLY. Any opposed? 

[No response.] 

Mr. GALLEGLY. The amendment passes. 

Are there any further amendments? Do you have another? 

Mr. ENGEL. I do not have an amendment, Mr. Chairman. I just 

ask for unanimous consent on the Albanian resolution, that was 

just passed, to include my statement into the record in the place 

that debate was taking place. 

Mr. GALLEGLY. Without objection, any Member may insert comments into the record on any of the measures that were considered 

today. 

Mr. ENGEL. Thank you. 

Mr. GALLEGLY. With no further requests for an amendment, the 

question occurs on the motion to report resolution H. Res. 328 favorably, as amended. All in favor will say aye. 

[A chorus of ayes.] 

Mr. GALLEGLY. Any opposed? 

[No response.] 

Mr. GALLEGLY. The motion is approved, and the resolution is reported favorably. Without objection, the resolution will be reported 

favorably to the Full Committee in the form of a single amendment 

in the nature of a substitute incorporating the amendments adopted here today. Without objection, the staff is directed to make any 

technical and conforming amendments. 

Having no other business on the agenda today, the Subcommittee 

stands adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 5:31 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]

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