PRINTER'S NO. 3222
No. 265 Session of 1988
INTRODUCED BY WASS, S. H. SMITH, LIVENGOOD, CESSAR, MRKONIC,
HESS, WAMBACH, BELFANTI, BILLOW, WOZNIAK, DUFFY, McHALE AND
BOWLEY, MAY 2, 1988
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MAY 3, 1988
A RESOLUTION
1 Urging the President and the Congress of the United States to
2 maintain the high priority of the issue of America's
3 prisoners of war and missing in action.
4 WHEREAS, The 12 years after the Vietnam War have witnessed
5 the triumphant return of 566 military and 25 civilian prisoners
6 of war from Southeast Asia; however, there currently remain more
7 than 2,436 Americans still missing or otherwise unaccounted for
8 in Indochina; and
9 WHEREAS, The families of servicemen and civilians missing in
10 Indochina still suffer untold grief and uncertainty due to lack
11 of an adequate accounting; and
12 WHEREAS, The President has declared the issue of America's
13 missing or otherwise unaccounted for in Indochina a matter of
14 high national priority and has high level dialogue with the
15 governments of the Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic and the
16 Socialist Republic of Vietnam on this issue; and
17 WHEREAS, The Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in February 1984,
18 promised to accelerate the resolution of this humanitarian issue
1 and, in February 1985, indicated it was interested in normal
2 relations with the United States; and
3 WHEREAS, There is a growing body of evidence that Americans
4 continue to be held captive in Indochina; therefore be it
5 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
6 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania support the President's pledge of
7 high national priority to resolve the status of more than 2,436
8 Americans still missing and unaccounted for in Indochina; and be
9 it further
10 RESOLVED, That the strongest signal that can be sent to the
11 governments of Vietnam and Laos is the united voice of the
12 American people, demanding that the United States Government and
13 Congress take more decisive and aggressive action to secure the
14 freedom of our POW's; and be it further
15 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the
16 President and the Congress of the United States to ensure that
17 this issue remains one of highest national priority and to
18 accelerate efforts in every possible way to obtain the immediate
19 release of Americans who are still being held captive in
20 Indochina; and be it further
21 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
22 the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, to
23 the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each
24 member of Congress from Pennsylvania, and to the legislatures of
25 the 50 states.
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