Tenth Anniversary Of Poland's Succession To Nato

Floor Speech

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, September 1, 2009, and September 17, 2009, mark the 70th anniversary of Poland's invasion on the west by Nazi Germany and on the east 3 weeks later by the Soviet Red Army. It triggered the start of World War II. World War II began with the invasion of Poland.

Poland suffered the loss of more citizens, percentage-wise, during that war--over 20 percent of its people--under domination by the Nazis and Communists than any other nation. You would think that to mark these historically important and solemn occasions on this 70th anniversary our Congress and our President would have passed a commemoration supporting Poland's struggle for liberty and its recent democratic advances. You would think that our Nation, a nation that owes so much to Poland for inspiring our own struggle for freedom at our Nation's founding, and to its great generals, Thaddeus Kosciuszko, chief engineer of our Continental Army, and Casimir Pulaski, who saved the life of General George Washington, that we would have risen to praise the 10th anniversary of Poland's succession to NATO and its support of our current military engagements in the war on terror.

This year Poland will mark one decade as a signatory of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an intrinsic part of the United States' strategic foreign policy. September 17 should have been a reverent commemoration of an extraordinary effort that cost so many lives but seeded and bequeathed a powerful sense of freedom and democracy inside the Nation of Poland that ultimately yielded solidarity and strikes that began in 1956 until the final solidarity victory in 1989 and the collapse of the Berlin Wall. September 17 should be a day that commends the valiant people of Poland for their historic struggle against fascism and communism and commemorates the sacrifices made by the Polish people, including those who have since become American citizens.

On that day, our President should have called for strength and partnership in the NATO organization, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, European Union alliances, and continued friendship with our Polish allies in the furtherance of freedom's cause. We should have honored the historic ties that our two great nations have fashioned over two centuries.

Instead, on September 17, on the very anniversary date of the heinous Communist invasion of Poland, our government and the Obama administration chose to withdraw support of the proposed antiballistic missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. Whatever one's views of the merits or demerits of that defensive system, the choice of that date to announce this historic withdrawal is truly an insult to the Nation of Poland and to the people of Poland. Our Nation not only owes Poland an apology, we owe her affirmative support.

The United States has had diplomatic relations with this region since they were first established in April 1919--after having been wiped off the maps of Europe for over a century--with the then-newly formed Polish Republic, while the two nations have enjoyed consistently warm bilateral relations since 1989. The Polish Government has been a strong supporter of continued American military and economic presence in Europe. We have a shared love of freedom and democracy. They have supported our global war on terror, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and our coalition efforts in Iraq.

Why did the administration do this? Poland cooperates closely with American diplomacy on such issues as democratization, nuclear proliferation, human rights, regional cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe, and U.N. reform. Now is definitely the moment for this Congress and the administration to restore a level of credible relationship with Poland in order to continue an abiding friendship that should not be smeared by this really tactless decision to announce this consequential defense decision on September 17, a date which hearkens back to some of the worst memories that Poland has as part of her history.

I besiege this Congress and the administration to correct a great mistake.

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