I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2440
To provide for commemoration of the victory of freedom in the Cold War.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 1, 1999
Mr. LAZIO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Armed Services
A BILL
To provide for commemoration of the victory of freedom
in the Cold War.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Commemoration of the
Victory of Freedom in the Cold War Act’’.
SEC. 2. COMMEMORATION OF THE VICTORY OF FREEDOM
IN THE COLD WAR.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings:
(1) The Cold War between the United States
and the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
was the longest and most costly struggle for democ-
racy and freedom in the history of mankind.
(2) Whether millions of people all over the
world would live in freedom hinged on the outcome
of the Cold War.
(3) Democratic countries bore the burden of the
struggle and paid the costs in order to preserve and
promote democracy and freedom.
(4) The Armed Forces and the taxpayers of the
United States bore the greatest portion of such a
burden and struggle in order to protect such prin-
ciples.
(5) Tens of thousands of United States soldiers,
sailors, Marines, and airmen paid the ultimate price
during the Cold War in order to preserve the free-
doms and liberties enjoyed in democratic countries.
(6) The Berlin Wall erected in Berlin, Ger-
many, epitomized the totalitarianism that the United
States struggled to eradicate during the Cold War.
(7) The end of the Union of Soviet Socialist Re-
publics on December 26, 1991, marked the end for
Soviet totalitarianism, and thus the end of the Cold
War.
(8) December 26, 2001, is the 10th anniversary
of the fall of the Soviet Union.
(b) COLD WAR MEDAL.—(1) Chapter 57 of title 10,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
‘‘§ 1133. Cold War medal: award
‘‘(a) AWARD.—There is hereby authorized an award
of an appropriate decoration, as provided for under sub-
section (b), to each person who served honorably in the
armed forces during the Cold War in order to recognize
the contributions of those person to United States victory
in the Cold War.
‘‘(b) DESIGN.—The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff shall, under regulations prescribed by the President,
design for purposes of this section a decoration called the
‘Reagan-Truman Victory in the Cold War Medal’. The
decoration shall be of appropriate design, with ribbons and
appurtenances.
‘‘(c) PERIOD OF COLD WAR.—In this section, the
term ‘Cold War’ shall mean the period beginning on Sep-
tember 2, 1945, and ending on December 26, 1991.’’.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such
chapter is amended by adding at the end the following
new item:
‘‘1133. Cold War medal: award.’’.
(c) PARTICIPATION OF ARMED FORCES IN CELEBRA-
TION OF ANNIVERSARY OF END OF COLD WAR.—(1) Sub-
ject to paragraphs (2) and (3), amounts appropriated for
operation and maintenance for the Army shall be available
for the purpose of covering the costs of the Armed Forces
in participating in a celebration of the 10th anniversary
of the end of the Cold War to be held in Washington, Dis-
trict of Columbia, on December 26, 2001.
(2) The total amount of funds available under para-
graph (1) for the purpose stated in that paragraph may
not exceed $15,000,000.
(3)(A) The Secretary of Defense may accept con-
tributions from the private sector for the purpose of reduc-
ing the costs of the Armed Forces described in paragraph
(1).
(B) The amount of funds available under paragraph
(1) for the purpose set forth in that paragraph shall be
reduced by an amount equal to the amount of contribu-
tions accepted by the Secretary under subparagraph (A).
(d) COMMISSION ON VICTORY IN THE COLD WAR.—
(1) There is hereby established a commission to be known
as the ‘‘Commission on Victory in the Cold War’’ (in this
subsection to be referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’).
(2) The Commission shall be composed of twelve
members, as follows:
(A) Two shall be appointed by the President.
(B) Three shall be appointed by the Speaker of
the House of Representatives.
(C) Three shall be appointed by the majority
leader of the Senate.
(D) Two shall be appointed by the minority
leader of the House of Representatives.
(E) Two shall be appointed by the minority
leader of the Senate.
(3) The Commission shall have as its duty the review
of the expenditure of funds by the Armed Forces under
subsection (c) before the participation of the Armed
Forces in the celebration referred to in paragraph (1) of
that subsection, whether such funds are derived from
funds of the United States or from amounts contributed
by the private sector under paragraph (3)(A) of that sub-
section.
(4) In addition to the duties provided for under para-
graph (3), the Commission shall also have the authority
to design and award medals and decorations to current
and former public officials and other individuals whose ef-
forts were vital to United States victory in the Cold War.
(5) The Commission shall be chaired by two individ-
uals as follows:
(A) One selected by and from among those ap-
pointed pursuant to subparagraphs (A), (D), and
(E) of paragraph (2).