I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 65 

To recognize the extraordinary performance of the Armed Forces in achieving 

the military objectives of the United States in Iraq, to encourage the 

President to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United 

States to observe a national day of celebration commemorating military 

success in Iraq, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 6, 2009 

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees 

on Foreign Affairs and Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently 

determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To recognize the extraordinary performance of the Armed 

Forces in achieving the military objectives of the United 

States in Iraq, to encourage the President to issue a 

proclamation calling upon the people of the United States 

to observe a national day of celebration commemorating 

military success in Iraq, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Military Success in 

3 Iraq Commemoration Act of 2009’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) The invasion of Iraq by the United States 

7 Armed Forces was one of the best executed military 

8 operations in the history of modern warfare. 

9 (2) The Armed Forces successfully toppled the 

10 regime of Saddam Hussein and captured the key cit11 ies of a large nation in only 21 days. 

12 (3) The Armed Forces in Iraq performed mag13 nificently in capturing or killing key enemies of the 

14 United States, including key operatives of al Qaida; 

15 Tariq Aziz, the former deputy prime-minister of 

16 Iraq; Uday Hussein and Qusay Hussein, the sons of 

17 Saddam Hussein and two of the regime’s most ac18 complished practitioners of cruelty, barbarism, and 

19 terror; Ali Hassan al-Majid, better known as ‘‘Chem20 ical Ali’’; and the dictator of Baghdad himself, Sad21 dam Hussein. 

22 (4) Because of the skill and dedication of the 

23 members of the Armed Forces, the entire world has 

24 now been assured that Iraq does not possess weap25 ons of mass destruction that could threaten the 


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1 United States or any member nation of the inter2 national community. 

3 (5) The success of the military operations con4 ducted by the Armed Forces in Iraq and the depos5 ing of Saddam Hussein removed a significant threat 

6 to the security of United States allies in the Middle 

7 East region. 

8 (6) The Armed Forces performed magnificently 

9 in conducting military operations designed to ensure 

10 that the people of Iraq enjoy the benefits of a demo11 cratically-elected government governing a country 

12 that is capable of sustaining itself economically and 

13 politically and defending itself militarily. 

14 (7) Since March 2003, the Armed Forces have 

15 trained more 160,000 Iraqi security personnel. 

16 (8) In June 2004, the Armed Forces facilitated 

17 the transfer of sovereignty from the Coalition Provi18 sional Authority to the interim Government of Iraq, 

19 which governed Iraq until December 2005 when na20 tional elections were held in which more than 8 mil21 lion Iraqi men and women voted in elections that 

22 were free and fair. 

23 (9) In October 2005, Saddam Hussein was cap24 tured by the Armed Forces and turned over to the 


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1 Government of Iraq to stand trial on charges of 

2 crimes against humanity. 

3 SEC. 3. DECLARATIONS OF POLICY CONCERNING ACHIEVE4 MENT OF THE OBJECTIVES OF THE AUTHOR5 IZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE 

6 AGAINST IRAQ RESOLUTION OF 2002. 

7 Congress makes the following declarations of policy: 

8 (1) The Authorization for Use of Military Force 

9 Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107– 

10 243; approved on October 16, 2002) is the basis of 

11 authority pursuant to which the President launched 

12 the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. 

13 (2) Public Law 107–243 authorized the Presi14 dent to use military force against Iraq to achieve the 

15 following two objectives: 

16 (A) To defend the national security of the 

17 United States— 

18 (i) by disarming Iraq of any weapons 

19 of mass destruction that could threaten the 

20 security of the United States and inter21 national peace in the Persian Gulf region; 

22 (ii) by ensuring that the regime of 

23 Saddam Hussein would not provide weap24 ons of mass destruction to international 

25 terrorists, including al Qaida; 


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1 (iii) by changing the Iraqi regime so 

2 that Saddam Hussein and his Baathist re3 gime no longer pose a threat to the people 

4 of Iraq or Iraq’s neighbors; and 

5 (iv) by bringing to justice any mem6 bers of al Qaida bearing responsibility for 

7 the attacks on the United States, its citi8 zens, and interests, including the attacks 

9 that occurred on September 11, 2001, 

10 known or found to be in Iraq. 

11 (B) To enforce all relevant United Nations 

12 Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq. 

13 (3) The objectives of Public Law 107–243 de14 scribed in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph 

15 (2) have in fact been achieved. 

16 SEC. 4. PROCLAMATION FOR NATIONAL DAY OF CELEBRA17 TION COMMEMORATING MILITARY SUCCESS 

18 IN IRAQ. 

19 Congress encourages the President to issue a procla20 mation calling upon the people of the United States to 

21 observe a national day of celebration commemorating mili22 tary success in Iraq. 


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1 SEC. 5. GRANTS FOR STATE AND LOCAL ACTIVITIES COM2 MEMORATING MILITARY SUCCESS IN IRAQ. 

3 (a) GRANTS.—The Secretary of Defense may award 

4 grants to State and local governments for the following 

5 purposes: 

6 (1) To conduct suitable activities commemo7 rating military success in Iraq. 

8 (2) To create appropriate memorials honoring 

9 those who lost their lives securing military success in 

10 Iraq. 

11 (b) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to be ap12 propriated to the Secretary of Defense such funds as may 

13 be necessary to carry out this section. 

14 SEC. 6. GRANTS FOR VETERANS OF OPERATION IRAQI 

15 FREEDOM. 

16 (a) GRANTS.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

17 shall award to each veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom 

18 a grant in the amount of $5,000. The purpose of the grant 

19 is to facilitate the veteran’s transition to civilian life. 

20 (b) AUTHORIZATION.—There are authorized to be ap21 propriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs such funds 

22 as may be necessary to carry out this section. 

Æ 


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