Spencer Bachus

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3591) to provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to former President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy Reagan in recognition of their service to the Nation.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, 20 years ago, the United States was mired in an economic malaise. As a Nation, we were experiencing the worst economic chaos since the Great Depression. Interest rates were as high as 21 percent, making owning a home an impossible dream for most Americans. Inflation rates were 12\1/2\ percent. They ate into savings. We had an unemployment rate of 7\1/2\ percent. Eight million Americans were out of work. We had oil shortages, a stagnant economy. And we even had something that economists said could never happen, high inflation at the same time as low economic growth. A new term had to be coined by economists. That term ``stagflation.'' To restore the economic vitality, President Reagan championed a four- point solution: reduce tax rates across the board, regulatory reform, slow the growth of Federal spending, and focus monetary policy on price stability. As a result of his economic program, we had 92 straight months of economic expansion, the second longest period of peacetime economic growth in the history of the country; and, indeed, this was the start of a period of economic growth which, with the exception of a 9-month recession during the early 1990s, has continued to this day. Foreign policy. Most of us remember President Reagan and his successes there. He had an aggressive foreign policy record that was distinguished by the fight against international terrorism and communism in Africa, Asia, and Central America. Ronald Reagan squarely faced Soviet Union, called it the Evil Empire, and faced it down. He even dared to call upon Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall, something that no one felt possible. And it fell, along with Soviet Communism. He ended the Cold War and made history. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record a letter that I have received from Mikhail Gorbachev saying ``The award of the Gold Medal of the United States Congress to Ronald Reagan is a fitting tribute to the 40th President of the United States, who will go down in history as a man profoundly dedicated to his people and committed to the values of democracy and freedom.'' The International Foundation for Socio-Economic and Political Studies (The Gorbachev Foundation), Moscow, March 15, 2000. The following is the text of Mikhail Gorbachev's tribute to Ronald Reagan on the occasion of the award of the Congressional Gold Medal: The award of the Gold Medal of U.S. Congress to Ronald Reagan is a fitting tribute to the fortieth president of the United States, who will go down in history as a man profoundly dedicated to his people and committed to the values of democracy and freedom. Together with Ronald Reagan, we took the first, the most important steps to end the cold war and start real nuclear disarmament. It was not easy to break the ice of mistrust that had been building up for decades. But at our very first meeting in Geneva I felt the president's readiness for dialogue. This honest and respectful dialogue eventually bore fruit. The human rapport between us and our families continued after we completed our duties in government. On this important occasion I salute Ronald Reagan. My warmest greetings to Nancy Reagan and members of the Reagan family, whose care and support have been so important to Ronald during the past few years. I am confident that succeeding generations will duly appreciate the accomplishments of President Reagan. Mikhail Gorbachev. Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan's presidential legacy as the great communicator has continued even in his twilight years. As a victim to Alzheimer's disease, he comforted a Nation by saying, I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that, for America, there will always be a bright dawn ahead. He brought to the presidency a sense of confidence in the American way, restored U.S. pride, and reenergized America's leadership on the international front. Under his leadership, an entire Nation reawakened confident, optimistic, bold, and proud. As one historian wrote, ``Reagan does not argue for American ideals, for American values. He embodies them.''

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Chairman, let me respond to the gentleman from Pennsylvania, because he and I agree. We should not let the Europeans dictate our military policy. But, in fact, under the present status quo, they are directing our military policy. In fact, President Clinton, in a letter to us in October, and I am going to introduce that, when asked when will we withdraw our armed forces, he said, ``Our armed forces will be withdrawn from operations based on the assessment of the progress of civil implementation, and that depends on our European allies.'' Here is the progress of that civil implementation. There has been no progress. As General Klaus said, we could be there 10 years.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Chairman, let me say this, we have an agreement here, and I think there is a consensus building which ought to pass this amendment. What that consensus is is that the military needs more money. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the chairman of the full committee, said they may need money to withdraw from Kosovo. But if we do not approve this amendment, if we do not approve this bill, there is no money there. Well, let me say something to every Member. Every cent of the money in the bill will go to the military if this amendment passes. This amendment does not stop any funding of our military. All the funding, every penny will go to our armed services. If our allies live up to their commitments, if they deliver what they promised, look again, this is what they promised. This is what they promised. This is what they promised. But look on that right-hand side as to what they deliver. If they deliver what they promised, every cent will go to the military to be used in Kosovo. Now, if they do not deliver what they promised, then as the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the chairman of the committee, said, our troops need to come home. That is what we provide. If they do not deliver on their promises, the money is available to bring the troops home. But every cent of the money is available under the amendment. Wesley Clark testified before the Senate, and he said the failure to have civil implementation is threatening the peace. It is threatening the military victory. We have either got to have a speedier implementation, or we need withdrawal. Let me quote to my colleagues one other thing. How long are we going to be in Kosovo? Well, General Klaus Reinhardt last week said, ``I am talking 5 years and it could be 10 years.'' ``I am talking 5 years and it could be 10 years.'' The reason we fail to commit the forces necessary to keep the peace, World War II lasted 4 years and World War I, 2 years. Korea lasted 3 years. Do we want to commit our third graders to Kosovo?

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Chairman, first of all, let me say that I am a cosponsor of the main legislation, and I fully endorse the legislation and the purpose of the legislation. Now, one thing that this legislation does is it looks at the OPEC nations and we look at the assistance that we are giving to the OPEC nations. In this regard we have heard testimony that the United States gives $415 million worth of assistance to the OPEC nations. We have heard testimony that we have 10,000 troops in these OPEC nations. What my amendment says is not only do we consider these assistance programs and this foreign aid, but we also look at something else that we cannot overlook, and that is the fact that through the World Bank, through the IMF, through the Asian Development Bank, through the African Development Bank, through the multilateral development banks we are also, as a contributor to these banks, pumping billions of dollars into these countries. It may come as some surprise to Members of this body, but through the multilateral development banks we have given $4.4 billion worth of loans to Algeria alone, $30 billion to Indonesia, and $3.7 billion to Venezuela. What my amendment says, when we look at OPEC and the price gouging that they are doing, the fact that they are yanking our chain, we need to not only look at direct aid, but we need to look at aid that the multilateral development banks are giving to these countries. And let me say this. We are dealing literally with billions of dollars worth of aid. And if we are going to have a comprehensive approach to using all leverage under our control, then we must also consider this multilateral aid. If we do not, we have an incomplete remedy here. Punishing or withholding assistance from the OPEC nations is a short- term solution. The long-term solution to our problem is increasing our domestic oil production. These are some figures that I think will astound the American people. In 1973, when we had the Arab oil embargo, we were importing only 35 percent of our oil needs. In 1991, at the time of the Gulf War, we were importing 46 percent. Only 9 years later, we are now dependent on foreign sources for 56 percent of our needs. When we depend on these sources for 56 percent of our oil needs, we are going to be dependent. We are going to be at their mercy. So the long-term solution is to urge the President to open our domestic oil fields to exploration, make us less dependent on foreign oil, and get us out of this dependency on foreign oil. But until such time, we simply must take all action we can. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment. I will introduce it at a more appropriate time.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney).

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from New York has mentioned the Cardinal's important work with the inner-city Catholic schools, and I think that that bears repeating again. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella) said that students from racial and ethnic minority groups make up 52 percent of that enrollment. Twenty-one percent of them are not Catholic. Amazingly, the New York Catholic high school graduation rate is 99 percent, which is a testimony to the Cardinal.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman New York (Mr. Fossella), who is the original sponsor of the resolution. (Mr. FOSSELLA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, today we honor a great American, the Cardinal of New York, John O'Connor, a spiritual leader who has been guiding the 2.3 million Catholics in the Archdiocese of New York for 16 years, and millions more in the Navy and Marines as a chaplain for 27 years. The Cardinal endured military combat when he was called to minister to those entrusted to his care on the battlefields and in the jungles of Vietnam. A general from the Third Marine Division in Vietnam said of him, ``No one was more effective in sustaining for all Marines of any religion a particular morale.'' Cardinal O'Connor has been more than a spiritual guide for Catholics. He has served as a witness of Christ in his love for others and his heroic stance against moral decay and in his personal relationship with Christ. Above all else, his love for God has been the motivation for his love for all other persons. His love for others has led him to reach out to those with physical disabilities. He has stood with disabled persons and their caregivers and supported them as cherished members of the church. In doing so, he has made them more visible, and the result often is greater acceptance and inclusion on the local level. He has reached out to those suffering from alcoholism and emotional illness. In the early 1980s, he opened the first treatment center exclusively for AIDS patients in a New York City hospital. His love for the truth has led him to preach lively and clearly against offenses to human dignity. A reoccurring theme of the Cardinal's preaching is that each person has immense value and dignity. That dignity is rooted in our relationship to God being made in his own image. The Cardinal has preached against hatred based on race or religion, against the abuse of women, against the destruction of the unborn, and against injustice in the political and judicial system. His stands against racism are as strong as his outspokenness against abortion. Indeed, for the Cardinal, both racism and abortion are rejections of God and both demand the response of love. He has said, ``It is God who gave life and God who made life in its diversity. The defilement of the human person is a defilement of God,'' the Cardinal has said. In a mass in Harlem, he said that people cannot achieve community merely on the basis of respect for each other or honoring authority; it must be on the basis of love. On Pentecost 1990 following a gang slaying of a black teenager, the Cardinal declared racism a sin and an outrage and led a cathedral mass congregation in a pledge to, and I quote, ``treat all men and women of every race and culture with the respect and dignity that is their right as persons made in the image and likeness of God.'' The Cardinal said, and again I quote, ``The church has always taught that the only answer to hate is love. There are no blacks, no whites, no Asians, no Hispanics, only children of God. This city; tragically, this country, has been filled far too long with the hatred we call racism. It is a sin, it is an outrage,'' said the Cardinal. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. BACHUS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3557) to authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to John Cardinal O'Connor, Archbishop of New York, in recognition of his accomplishments as a priest, a chaplain, and a humanitarian.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Reynolds).

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Sherwood).

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Cardinal O'Connor's prayers, his sacrifices, and his personal chastity are a model of how to achieve personal fulfillment and happiness for all of us. As the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) has said, the Pope has praised Cardinal O'Connor as a strong shepherd of men. In fact, Cardinal O'Connor has been called a spokesman for the Pope in the United States. Cardinal O'Connor led the negotiations to restore relations between the Vatican and Israel, and he has proclaimed the Pope's message against a culture of death. But more than a spokesman, he has been a living witness to the civilization of love, which is at the heart of the Pope's message for the new millennium. Among those that he has shown particular love and sacrifice for are the disabled and their caregivers; for victims of racism, whether from race or religion; the elderly; innercity youth; AIDS victims; the unborn; military personnel; and those with mental illness and alcoholism. To close, Mr. Speaker, I will simply say this, today, by honoring Cardinal O'Connor we honor all those who put their faith into action each and every day to build a new civilization of love, to treat all men and women of each race and culture with the respect and dignity that is their right as persons made in the image and likeness of God. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella), the sponsor of this bill, and I commend him and the New York delegation.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra).

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3557, the bill just considered.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2336) to amend title 28, United States Code, to provide for appointment of United States marshals by the Attorney General, as amended.

Mr. BACHUS

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In recent years, the House Committee on the Judiciary has strongly supported and greatly appreciated the indispensable work of the border patrol in combating both illegal immigration and drug smuggling. It was truly gratifying, I think, to all of us to hear the testimony of the gentleman from El Paso, TX (Mr. Reyes) talk about the difficult and dangerous work that they do. Some of us may know, but I think it is worth noting that he served with the border patrol for some 22 years. He had an illustrious career with them and was a border patrol chief. It is the gentleman from Texas that introduced this resolution. What does the resolution do? It honors the border patrol on the occasion of their 75th anniversary. How fitting that the person that introduced that resolution and the primary speaker on the floor was the gentleman from Texas. This resolution, because he introduced it and because it is such a worthy and distinguished anniversary, has bipartisan, widespread support. I would like to conclude by not only thanking the gentleman from Texas but also thanking the chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith). He had business in the district and could not be here. I am managing this legislation for him. I would also like to commend the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Immigration the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).