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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 641 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 641

 Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the founding of Radio Free Europe/
                             Radio Liberty.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 14, 2009

  Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself, Mr. Inglis, Mr. McCotter, Mr. Poe of 
    Texas, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Burton of Indiana, and Mr. 
 Bilirakis) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the founding of Radio Free Europe/
                             Radio Liberty.

Whereas Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) was founded in 1949 with the 
        mission to promote democratic values and institutions by broadcasting 
        unbiased and factual information and ideas to audiences behind the 
        communist ``Iron Curtain'';
Whereas many East European and Russian leaders, including Vaclav Havel of the 
        Czech Republic, and the late Boris Yeltsin of the Russian Federation, 
        have testified to the important role RFE/RL broadcasts played in ending 
        the Cold War;
Whereas the former President of Estonia, Lennart Meri, nominated RFE/RL for the 
        Nobel Peace Prize in 1991;
Whereas Nobel laureate and former President of Poland, Lech Walesa testified to 
        the role played by RFE/RL in Poland's struggle for freedom when he 
        stated that its influence ``cannot even be described. Would there be 
        earth without the sun?'';
Whereas RFE/RL programs were so comprehensive that communist authorities relied 
        on secret transcripts of the broadcasts for information they could not 
        obtain from the local media they themselves controlled;
Whereas RFE/RL was subjected to efforts to undermine its operations through 
        offensive actions launched by communist regimes and intended to 
        discredit the broadcasts;
Whereas the communist Soviet KGB and Warsaw Pact intelligence services 
        penetrated the radio stations with their spies, jailed sources, and even 
        resorted to violence in attempts to intimidate RFE/RL staff;
Whereas RFE/RL Bulgarian Service correspondent Georgi Markov was murdered in 
        London in 1978, evidently by the Bulgarian communist intelligence 
        service;
Whereas the Romanian communist security service detonated a bomb at RFE/RL's 
        headquarters in Munich, West Germany, in 1981, critically injuring six 
        employees;
Whereas today, after having played a significant role in the collapse of 
        communism, RFE/RL continues to provide news, information, and open 
        discussion of domestic and international issues to countries where free 
        and independent media are not permitted, or are not yet fully 
        established;
Whereas RFE/RL broadcasts in 28 languages to 30 million listeners in Eastern and 
        Southeastern Europe, Russia, the Caucasus, the Middle East, and Central 
        and Southwest Asia;
Whereas RFE/RL employees and freelance journalists are subject to intimidation 
        and oppression by the authorities of regimes in many countries to which 
        RFE/RL broadcasts; and
Whereas RFE/RL has a proven history of promoting freedom and liberty in 
        oppressive and autocratic regimes through news broadcasts based upon the 
        principle that the first requirement of democracy is a well-informed 
        citizenry: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the 60th anniversary of the founding of 
        Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and honors its 
        contribution to promoting freedom and liberty around the world; 
        and
            (2) commends the employees and reporters of RFE/RL for 
        their commitment to provide fair and unbiased news to people 
        living under oppressive regimes.
                                 <all>
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