H. RES. 111 TO FORM A SELECT COMMITTEE ON POW/MIA AFFAIRS

On Friday, April 11, 2008, at 10:00 am a meeting was hosted in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C. by the staff of Representative Peter King (R-NY) who was responsible for introducing H. Res.111. H. Res. 111 has enjoyed a significant majority of co-sponsors since the end of 2007. Unfortunately, House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has held up the establishment of a Select Committee.

Inasmuch as the resolution has not moved forward, Roger Hall (POW Litigation Fund) arranged for the aforementioned meeting among the staff of Rep. King, Speaker Pelosi, the House Rules Committee, and the representative veterans and POW activist organizations, to impress upon Speaker Pelosi the importance of establishing a committee.

Among the organizations represented were the National Vietnam & Gulf War Veterans Coalition and member organizations: VietNow and Rolling Thunder. Roger Hall and Rolling Thunder executive director, Artie Muller, addressed those gathered, and William LeGro, Col. USA (ret) - military intelligence who served on the staff of the infamous Senate Select Committee (1992), provided an in-depth insight on the failure of the first committee which all of us had hoped would have resolved the POW/MIA issue.

Many points were made by the veterans and POW activists in attendance, and a representative of the staff of the House Rules Committee offered insights as to what options were available to get the Committee established in view of the delay.

In the final analysis, the Committee, if established, should only exist under the law until the termination of the 110th Congress, approximately 8 months. The Senate Select Committee existed for a year and one half. Unfortunately, our options are limited; nevertheless, it is better to have a Committee of short duration than no Committee at all. The Committee, if established, could commence operations and be re-established with the 111th Congress. It will admittedly require an additional effort but it would be more efficient rather than wait until the next Congress to begin the process all over again.

In order to ensure that Speaker Pelosi was aware of our presence and concern, Coalition Chairman, John Molloy, suggested that all in attendance visit Speaker Pelosi's office after the meeting and make our presence and position known by signing the guest book and leaving correspondence and literature. Sadly, not everyone who attended the meeting joined in our endeavor, however, Rolling Thunder National and Chapters from Kentucky and North Carolina, VietNow, Vietnam Veterans of America, Veterans of Modern Warfare, Korean War Veterans Association, as well as the National Vietnam & Gulf War Veterans Coalition visited not only Speaker Pelosi's office but also the Office of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. Through our efforts Speaker Pelosi will surely be informed of our visit.

It is important that we understand that whenever we visit the nation's capital when Congress is in session, an effort should be made to make your presence and concerns known on the Hill. A personal visit will be recorded and perhaps remembered more than an email.

In the meantime, contact Speaker Pelosi's office at (202) 225-4965 and ask her to establish H. Res. 111--immediately! You might also contact Governor Schwarzenegger's office at (916) 445-2941 and ask him to use his influence to induce Speaker Pelosi to ACT NOW.


John J. Molloy
Chairman