The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Senate section on pages S5094-S5095 on May 10, 2004.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 356--CONDEMNING THE ABUSE OF IRAQI PRISONERS AT ABU
GHRAIB PRISON, URGING A FULL AND COMPLETE INVESTIGATION TO ENSURE
JUSTICE IS SERVED, AND EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR ALL AMERICANS SERVING
NOBLY IN IRAQ
Mr. FRIST (for himself, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Allard, Mr. Allen, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Bayh, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Biden, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Bond, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Breaux, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Bunning, Mr. Burns, Mr. Byrd, Mr. Campbell, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Carper, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Chambliss, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Coleman, Ms. Collins, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Corzine, Mr. Craig, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Dayton, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Dodd, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Ensign, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Graham of Florida, Mr. Graham of South Carolina, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Hollings, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Kyl, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Levin, Mr. Lieberman, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Lott, Mr. Lugar, Mr. McCain, Mr. McConnell, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Miller, Ms. Murkowski, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Nickles, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Reed, Mr. Reid, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Santorum, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Smith, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Specter, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Sununu, Mr. Talent, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Warner, and Mr. Wyden) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
S. Res. 356
Whereas the United States was founded on the principles of representative government, the rule of law, and the unalienable rights of individuals;
Whereas those principles are the birthright of all individuals and the fulfillment of those principals in Iraq would benefit the people of Iraq, the people of the Middle East, and the people of the United States;
Whereas the vast majority of Americans in Iraq are serving courageously and with great honor to promote a free and stable Iraq and through such service are promoting the values and principles that the people of the United States hold dear;
Whereas Americans serving abroad throughout the history of the United States, both military and civilian, have established a reputation for setting the highest standards of personal, professional, and moral conduct;
Whereas in January 2004, a member of the United States Armed Forces reported alleged abuses perpetrated in Abu Ghraib prison during November and December 2003;
Whereas an inquiry into those alleged abuses was ordered in January 2004, and that inquiry is reported to have found numerous incidents of criminal abuses by a small number of Americans based in Iraq;
Whereas the reaction to the alleged abuses is having a negative impact on the United States efforts to stabilize and reconstruct Iraq and to promote democratic values in the Middle East and could affect the security of the United States Armed Forces serving abroad;
Whereas Congress was not informed about the extent of the alleged abuses until reports about the abuses became public through the media;
Whereas success in the national security policy of the United States demands regular communication between the President, the agencies and departments of the executive branch, Congress, and the people of the United States;
Whereas, in an interview on May 5, 2004, the President stated ``First, people in Iraq must understand that I view those practices as abhorrent. They must also understand that what took place in that prison does not represent America that I know. The America I know is a compassionate country that believes in freedom. The America I know cares about every individual. The America I know has sent troops into Iraq to promote freedom--good, honorable citizens that are helping the Iraqis every day.'';
Whereas in that interview the President further stated
``It's also important for the people of Iraq to know that in a democracy, everything is not perfect, that mistakes are made. But in a democracy, as well, those mistakes will be investigated and people will be brought to justice. We're an open society. We're a society that is willing to investigate, fully investigate in this case, what took place in that prison. That stands in stark contrast to life under Saddam Hussein. His trained torturers were never brought to justice under his regime. There were no investigations about mistreatment of people. There will be investigations. People will be brought to justice.''; and
Whereas the pursuit of truth and justice are core principles of the United States, and if the Government of the United States conducts a full investigation of the alleged abuses and holds accountable the individuals who are responsible for such abuses, the people of Iraq and of the Middle East will witness how a democracy upholds the rule of law and protects the rights of individuals by administering justice in a swift, transparent, and fair manner: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) commends all Americans serving nobly abroad who are advancing the ideals of freedom and democracy, and working, through the individual and collective actions of such individuals, to improve the lives of all the people of Iraq;
(2) condemns in the strongest possible terms the despicable acts at Abu Ghraib prison and joins with the President in expressing apology for the humiliation suffered by the prisoners in Iraq and their families;
(3) urges the Government of the United States to take appropriate measures to ensure that such acts do not occur in the future;
(4) believes that it is in the interests of the United States and of the people of the United States that the appropriate committees of the Senate, exercising the oversight responsibilities of such committees, and the President, through the appropriate departments or agencies of the executive branch, conduct a full investigation of the abuses alleged to have occurred at Abu Ghraib; and
(5) urges that all individuals responsible for such despicable acts be held accountable.
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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 105--DESIGNATING THE SECOND WEEK OF MARCH
2005 AS ``EXTENSION LIVING WELL WEEK''
Mr. GRASSLEY submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:
S. Con. Res. 105
Whereas the health and well-being of the family is crucial to the functioning of the Nation and to providing adults and youth with the necessary skills and knowledge to help them achieve the best quality of life possible;
Whereas psychologically, socially, and emotionally strong families provide strength for future generations;
Whereas Extension is a nationwide educational network through the land-grant universities, funded cooperatively through the Department of Agriculture, State governments, and local county, city, and parish governments;
Whereas Extension provides non-biased, research-based information through informal education to help adults, youth, families, farms, businesses, and communities;
Whereas Extension education programs are developed at the grassroots level to meet local needs, and are available in nearly every county and parish in the United States and its territories, from the biggest to the smallest;
Whereas information offered by Extension is provided by scientists and researchers at land-grant universities, and is made practical and relevant by Extension educators working at the local level;
Whereas Extension Family and Consumer Sciences educators are advocates for education for families so that the families might gain skills for a full and productive life; and
Whereas the designation of the second week of March 2005 as
``Extension Living Well Week'' is a fitting tribute to the National Extension Association for Family and Consumer Sciences professionals who provide education that is critical to the quality of life of adults, youth, individuals, and families, including food preparation, food safety, nutrition, financial management, healthy lifestyles, home and work environment and safety, relationship and parenting skills, and much more: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That Congress--
(1) designates the second week of March 2005 as ``Extension Living Well Week'';
(2) encourages the people of the United States to take advantage of the educational opportunities that Extension Family and Consumer Sciences educators provide, education that can help them in raising kids, eating right, spending smart, and living well; and
(3) requests that the President issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to conduct appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs to demonstrate support for Extension Family and Consumer Sciences educators as they teach adults and youth and promote optimum health and wellness of families in the United States through the ``Living Well'' campaign.
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