Political Quotes

“I rise today to take note of the enduring support by the American people and by this body for the cause of democracy and human rights in Poland. It is difficult to acknowledge so much time has passed, but it was 40 years ago this week, on December 13, 1981, that the Soviet-backed communist government and General Wojciech Jaruzelski declared a state of war in Poland. People called it ``martial law;'' in fact, it was quite literally a war declared by a government on its own people. The U.S. Senate, led by the late statesman and Senator from New York, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, acted quickly to adopt S. Res. 268. On December 15, on the last day of the first session of the 97th Congress, this body adopted by vote of 95 to 0, S. Res. 268, ``on the imposition of martial law in Poland.'' The resolution declared that: ``it is the clear and unassailable right of the Polish people collectively to determine their own future'' It also directed that: ``the President and his Administration should consult intensively with our allies to develop a concerted and sustained response to the threat to the democratization process in Poland.'' By 1989, thanks to continuing support for the people of Poland that this Senate expressed 40 years ago today, democracy prevailed in Poland.…”