PRINTER'S NO. 2033
No. 321 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY BRUBAKER, ERICKSON, BAKER, KASUNIC, ORIE, PUNT,
PIPPY, GREENLEAF, ROBBINS AND COSTA, MAY 8, 2008
REFERRED TO VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,
MAY 8, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing the President and the Congress of the United
2 States to enact bill S.70 of 2007, restoring the traditional
3 day of observance of Memorial Day.
4 WHEREAS, Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who
5 have died in this nation's service; and
6 WHEREAS, The United States observes Memorial Day as a time to
7 honor and reflect on those sacrifices; and
8 WHEREAS, Memorial Day was officially proclaimed by General
9 John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the
10 Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and it was first observed
11 on May 30, 1868; and
12 WHEREAS, Congress established Memorial Day as the last Monday
13 in May when it approved the National Holiday Act of 1971
14 (P.L.90-363) to ensure a three-day weekend for the Federal
15 holiday; and
16 WHEREAS, Traditional observance of Memorial Day has
17 diminished over the years as many Americans have forgotten the
18 meaning and traditions of Memorial Day and instead use that day
1 to celebrate the beginning of summer; and
2 WHEREAS, To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true
3 meaning of Memorial Day, President George W. Bush signed the
4 National Moment of Remembrance Act in 2000 (P.L.106-579),
5 designating 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day as the National
6 Moment of Remembrance to encourage citizens to pause and
7 remember our fallen soldiers; and
8 WHEREAS, To fully return the solemn spirit to Memorial Day,
9 this nation should also return to the traditional day of
10 observance of May 30 each year, regardless of the day of the
11 week on which it falls; therefore be it
12 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
13 memorialize the President and the Congress of the United States
14 to enact bill S.70 of 2007, which would designate the legal
15 public holiday of Memorial Day as May 30, call for the flying of
16 the flag at half-staff until noon that day and encourage
17 Americans to observe Memorial Day as a day of ceremonies for
18 showing respect for American veterans of wars and other military
19 conflicts; and be it further
20 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
21 the President of the United States, the presiding officers of
22 each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from
23 Pennsylvania.
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