105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 63
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas on June 5, 1947, in a speech at Harvard University,
then-Secretary of State George C. Marshall proposed the
establishment of a joint American-European program to
provide assistance, ‘‘so far as it may be practical for us
to do so,’’ to assist the countries of Europe to recover
from the devastation of World War II, and that program
was subsequently called ‘‘The Marshall Plan’’ in recogni-
•HCON 63 EH
tion of the pivotal role of Secretary of State Marshall in
its establishment;
Whereas then-President Harry S Truman had earlier enun-
ciated the principle of assisting democratic countries
which faced the threat of communist aggression and thus
laid the foundation for the Marshall Plan with the ‘‘Tru-
man Doctrine’’ which provided economic and military as-
sistance to Greece and Turkey, and this farsighted policy
represented a reversal of longstanding United States pol-
icy of avoiding peacetime involvement in foreign military
and political affairs;
Whereas the Marshall Plan was developed, refined, and en-
acted with the broad bipartisan involvement of the Con-
gress of the United States, including in particular the ef-
forts of Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg of Michigan and
Congressman Christian A. Herter of Massachusetts;
Whereas 
the 
Congress 
provided 
an 
estimated
$13,300,000,000 to assist the sixteen European countries
which participated in the Marshall Plan during the four-
year period of its existence, and this material contribu-
tion represented a significant sacrifice by the American
people;
Whereas the assistance provided under the Marshall Plan
served to ‘‘prime the pump’’ to stimulate the economies
of the participating European countries and resulted in
an average growth of 41 percent in industrial production
and an average growth of 33.5 percent in per capita
gross national product during the four years of the pro-
gram;
Whereas the spectacular economic revival of the countries of
Western Europe would not have been possible without the
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creativity, technical skills, managerial competence, and
hard work of the European peoples; nevertheless, the
Marshall Plan was a vital element in assisting the Euro-
pean peoples in the postwar economic recovery;
Whereas the multinational economic cooperation required and
encouraged by the Marshall Plan was a significant impe-
tus in fostering transnational European economic co-
operation and unity which ultimately helped to pave the
way for the North Atlantic Treaty, in developing the
multifaceted relationship between the United States and
the countries of Europe, and in contributing to the estab-
lishment of the European Union; and
Whereas 1997 marks the 50th anniversary of the original
speech by Secretary of State George C. Marshall calling
for the establishment of the Marshall Plan: Now, there-
fore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress—
(1) urges all Americans on the 50th anniversary
of the Marshall Plan to reflect upon the significance
of this program as a concrete embodiment of the
commitment of the United States to fostering peace-
ful relations with and the economic prosperity of the
countries of Europe;
(2) reaffirms the commitment that was ex-
pressed in the original Marshall Plan (‘‘Economic
Cooperation Act of 1948,’’ sec. 102, Public Law 80–
472) was enacted—namely, that ‘‘intimate economic
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and other relationships exist between the United
States and the nations of Europe,’’ that extensive
and friendly relations with the nations of Europe
and with the community of European nations is vital
to the promotion of ‘‘the general welfare and na-
tional interest of the United States’’ and that the
prosperity and security of Europe are essential to
‘‘the establishment of a lasting peace’’; and
(3) acknowledges and commends the efforts of
those countries which originally participated in the
Marshall Plan to assist the countries of Central and
Eastern Europe and the newly independent republics
of the former Soviet Union in their efforts to develop
market economies and democratic political systems
as a reflection of the same generous spirit that moti-
vated the people of the United States to help these
Western European countries fifty years ago.
Passed the House of Representatives May 21, 1997.
Attest:
Clerk.