September 7, 1979
Page 23562
INVITATION TO POPE JOHN PAUL II TO ADDRESS JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS
Mr. HEINZ. Mr. President, as we all know, Pope John Paul II will soon make a historic visit to the United States. Especially since this will be the first time a Pope has ever visited our Nation's Capital, it would be entirely appropriate that he be invited to address a joint session of Congress.
To that end, I, along with a number of my Senate colleagues, have addressed a letter to the distinguished Speaker of the House of Representatives requesting that he extend an invitation to the Pope.
Mr. President; the text of the letter and the names of the signers follows:
WASHINGTON, D.C.,
September 5, 1979.
Hon. THOMAS P. O'NEILL, Jr.,
Speaker,
House of Representatives,
Washington, D.C.
DEAR MR. SPEAKER: His Holiness Pope John Paul II will be visiting the United States in October with a stop in Washington. This stop marks the first time in history a Pope has visited this country's capital. As the Pope is a world leader, a head of State, and has labored on the behalf of world peace and human dignity, I urge you to extend to him an invitation to address a joint session of Congress.
I hope you will give this request your prompt consideration.
Sincerely,
John Heinz, Daniel P. Moynihan, John C. Danforth, Malcolm Wallop, Richard G. Lugar, Ted Stevens, Rudy Boschwitz, John W. Warner, Jacob X. Javits.
William Proxmire, Patrick J. Leahy, Harrison Williams, Bob Packwood, Spark M. Matsunaga, Richard S. Schweiker.
Donald W. Riegle, Jr., Alan K. Simpson, J. Bennett Johnston, Nancy Landon Kassebaum, S. I. Hayakawa.
Jennings Randolph, John Glenn, Jim Sasser, Max Baucus, Bill Bradley, William S. Cohen, Strom Thurmond, Charles H. Percy, Pete V. Domenici, David F. Durenberger, Walter D. Huddleston.
William V. Roth, Jr., Thad Cochran, Howard H. Baker, Jr., Jesse Helms, Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., Robert J. Dole, John H. Chafee, Lawton Chiles, Edmund S. Muskie.
Howard M. Metzenbaum, Paul S. Sarbanes, Wendell H. Ford, Russell B. Long, James A. McClure, Carl Levin, Sam Nunn, Quentin N. Burdick, Mark Q. Hatfield.
Edward Zorinsky, David L. Boren, Thomas F. Eagleton, Richard (Dick) Stone, Dale Bumpers, Lloyd Bentsen, John Culver, Paul E. Tsongas, Gordon Humphrey, Robert T. Stafford, Herman E. Talmadge.
Paul Laxalt, Harrison Schmitt, Alan Cranston, John C. Stennis, Abraham Ribicoff, Frank Church, John A. Durkin, John Tower, Harry F. Byrd, Jr., Claiborne Pell, David H. Pryor, Birch Bayh, Henry M. Jackson.
George McGovern, Dennis DeConcini, Edward M. Kennedy, Larry Pressler, Roger W. Jepsen, Warren G. Magnuson, Howell Heflin.