Title: A bill to express the sense of Congress regarding restoration and maintenance of the Mardasson Memorial in Bastogne, Belgium.
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
This bill expresses support for an agreement between the American Battle Monument Commission and the Belgian government (1) under which the commission would use its expertise and presence in Europe to oversee the restoration of the Mardasson Memorial in Bastogne, Belgium; and (2) by which the commission assumes responsibility for the memorial, ensuring that it stands for decades to come, in honoring American service and sacrifice and inspiring future generations.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2206 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2206

To express the sense of Congress regarding restoration and maintenance 
            of the Mardasson Memorial in Bastogne, Belgium.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 23, 2019

Mr. Tillis (for himself and Mr. Durbin) introduced the following bill; 
   which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To express the sense of Congress regarding restoration and maintenance 
            of the Mardasson Memorial in Bastogne, Belgium.

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

SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE AMERICAN 
              BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION AND THE GOVERNMENT OF BELGIUM 
              BY WHICH THE COMMISSION WOULD ACQUIRE, RESTORE, OPERATE, 
              AND MAINTAIN THE MARDASSON MEMORIAL IN BASTOGNE, BELGIUM.

    (a) Findings.--Congress make the following findings:
            (1) The Battle of the Bulge was one of the largest land 
        battles fought by the United States during World War II, 
        yielded more than 75,000 American casualties over the winter of 
        1944-1945, and stopped the last major German offensive on the 
        Western Front.
            (2) The Battle of the Bulge is a legendary battle in the 
        history of the United States Army.
            (3) Following the war, Belgian groups raised funds to 
        construct the Mardasson Memorial in Bastogne, Belgium, to honor 
        Americans killed, wounded, and missing in action during the 
        Battle of the Bulge.
            (4) The Mardasson Memorial, inaugurated in 1950, is a five-
        pointed American star with the history of the battle, the names 
        of the units that fought, and the names of the States engraved 
        in gold letters throughout.
            (5) The Mardasson Memorial, owned and maintained by the 
        Government of Belgium, is in need of extensive repair to 
        restore it to a condition commensurate to the service and 
        sacrifice it honors.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress to support an 
agreement between the American Battle Monument Commission (hereinafter 
referred to as ``ABMC'') and the Government of Belgium--
            (1) under the monument maintenance program of the ABMC, and 
        subject to the requirements of such program, by which the ABMC 
        would use its expertise and presence in Europe to oversee 
        restoration of the Mardasson Memorial in preparation for the 
        75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge; and
            (2) under the monument trust fund program of the ABMC, and 
        subject to the requirements of such program, by which the ABMC 
        assumes ownership and responsibility for the Mardasson 
        Memorial, ensuring that the Memorial stands for decades to 
        come, honoring American service and sacrifice, and inspiring 
        future generations.
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