Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising.

Bill: 118-hres-1440
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9]
Introduced: 2024-09-11
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2024-09-11
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:

tv_txt: IV 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1440 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 11, 2024 Ms. Kaptur (for herself, Mr. Turner , Mr. Keating , and Mr. Smith of New Jersey ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising.

Whereas on August 1, 1944, the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa, AK) launched a daring uprising against the Nazi German occupation of Warsaw in an attempt to liberate the capital before the arrival of the Red Army, to strengthen the international position of the Government of the Republic of Poland in exile in London, and to prevent Stalin’s aim to subordinate and Sovietize Poland; Whereas the Warsaw Uprising was the largest single military operation of the Polish Underground State and the largest urban uprising against the Nazis during World War II; Whereas the uprising lasted for 63 days, and during that time, the Polish Home Army, poorly armed and equipped, relying on limited resources based on their own production, allied airdrops and acquiring of weapons, fought bravely against regular Nazi German formations, a much larger, better-equipped force; Whereas the Warsaw Uprising resulted in the estimated deaths of between 150,000–200,000 Poles including around 16,000–18,000 insurgents and resulted in the forced deportation of a further 650,000 civilians Warsaw, of which 150,000 were sent to Nazi labor and concentration camps; Whereas approximately 60,000 people died in planned extermination with the orders of Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler, specifically in the district of Wola in Warsaw; Whereas the old city of Warsaw was leveled to the ground following the Uprising and it took years to rebuild what was lost; Whereas the Warsaw Uprising was ultimately crushed by the Nazis, it served as a symbol of Polish resistance and courage. It marked the Polish commitment to independence and freedom, freedom away from occupation, foreign powers, imposition; the freedom to cultivate and freely celebrate Polish culture, religion, language; Whereas the Kotwica symbol, initially a World War II emblem of the Polish Underground State and Home Army, over time came to symbolize the phrase Polska Walcząca ( Fighting Poland ) and became an emblem for the Polish struggle to regain independence; Whereas the Warsaw Uprising was a major turning point in World War II, it helped to hasten the defeat of the Nazis, symbolizing that Poland would not surrender, and it inspired other uprisings in occupied Europe; Whereas the United States and Poland have a long and close friendship, dating back to the American Revolution; and the United States provided significant financial and material assistance to Poland following World War II, which helped to rebuild Warsaw and other Polish cities; Whereas the United States and Poland are both committed to the principles of democracy, freedom, and human rights and the United States also provided support to the Polish Solidarity movement, a labor union that played a leading role in the fight against communism in Poland which culminated in the fall of communism in Poland in 1989; Whereas the United States and Poland are both members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and are both committed to working together to ensure security in Europe and globally; Whereas the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising is an opportunity to remember and honor the sacrifice of the Polish people who fought for their freedom and independence; Whereas the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising is an opportunity to remember the importance of standing up for freedom and democracy, powerful symbols of resistance and hope; Whereas the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising is an opportunity to remember the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides and to remember the legacy of the Warsaw Uprising and other efforts of resistance including the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and to stand against all forms of intolerance and discrimination, including antisemitism; Whereas the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising is also an opportunity to reaffirm the strong friendship between the United States and Poland: Now, therefore, be it resolved, That the House of Representatives— (1) commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising; (2) honors the memory of the Polish people who fought and died in the Warsaw Uprising; (3) expresses its deepest gratitude to the Polish people for their sacrifice during the Warsaw Uprising, which was a phenomenon on the scale of occupied Europe and became a symbol of courage in the fight for independence for subsequent generations of Poles; (4) reaffirms the strong friendship, and diplomatic, cultural and political ties between the United States and Poland; and (5) calls on the President to work with the Polish Government to ensure that the Warsaw Uprising and the spirit of Polish bravery and commitment to freedom is never forgotten.