Cass Ballenger

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time, and also the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) for coming up with this bill. Madam Speaker, I am fortunate to have many Montagnard tribesmen living in my district, so it is a pleasure today to be able to speak out in favor of this bill, H.R. 2833. Today, we have an opportunity to send a clear message to Hanoi that human rights abuses will not be forgotten with the passage of a resolution to codify the trade agreement recently negotiated between the U.S. and Vietnam. Vietnam's record on human rights has remained poor, with very few real improvements. Government crackdowns on religious groups and political dissidents continue today. In a 1999 State Department report, it said, ``In areas populated by ethnic minorities, authorities allow little discretion in practicing their faith.'' One particular group that bears heavy-handed Hanoi treatment are the Montagnard people of the Central Highlands. Since 1975, the Montagnards have been singled out, in part for their past assistance to the United States, their strong commitment to the Christian religion, and a traditional way of life. In February of 2001, several thousand Montagnard protestors gathered for a series of peaceful demonstrations throughout the Central Highlands. These peaceful demonstrations were forcibly stopped by the Vietnamese military, using helicopter gunships and tanks. In addition, refugees that did escape to Cambodia are being sought now by Hanoi for their return and, in some cases, bounties are offered by the Vietnamese Government to ensure their return. With these events occurring on a daily basis, it is imperative that the international community know that the United States remains committed to improving the human rights situation in Vietnam. The bill we are debating now, H.R. 2833, the Viet Nam Human Rights Act, is a positive step forward in that direction. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. By passing this resolution, we will reaffirm our resolve to help the Montagnards, along with other ethnic minorities in the same position. The Montagnards fought hard alongside members of the United States Army Special Forces in the war in the North. Do not give up the fight for them now. I urge all my fellow Congressmen to vote yes on H.R. 2833.

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on International Relations be discharged from further consideration of the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 89) mourning the death of Ron Sander at the hands of terrorist kidnappers in Ecuador and welcoming the release from captivity of Arnie Alford, Steve Derry, Jason Weber, and David Bradley, and supporting efforts by the United States to combat such terrorism, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, on October 12, 2000, 10 men, including five Americans, were abducted from an Ecuadorean oil field. On January 31, 2001, Ron Sander of Sunrise Beach, Missouri, was brutally murdered by his captors. The hostages spent 141 days in captivity and endured malnutrition, isolation, and physical and mental abuse. On June 23, 2001, Colombian National Police General Jose Leonardo Gallego's anti-kidnapping unit, working with the U.S. authorities, arrested 59 people, including eight men accused of abducting the 10 oil field workers in Ecuador. We thank General Gallego for his good work in bringing these criminals to justice. Please join me in supporting this resolution expressing condolences to the family of Ron Sander and welcoming the release of the American captives back home.

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time. As most of my colleagues know, I have continually criticized the Norwood-Dingell-Ganske bill because of the liability language which threatens the employer-based system of health care. The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood) continually promised me that my company back home in North Carolina would not be sued because of his legislation. I did not believe him. I had 250 insured employees to worry about who might lose their insurance if the trial lawyers got their way. Well, with the adoption of the Norwood compromise amendment crafted with President Bush, I am now confident that employers will be protected when voluntarily providing health insurance, just as the gentleman from Georgia told me they would. The Norwood amendment excludes employers from being held liable for selecting a health plan, choosing which benefits are available under the plan or advocating on behalf of an employee for coverage. This amendment also adds the ability for employers to choose a designated decision-maker who will have the sole liability for benefit determinations. These are all essential to protect the employer-based system of health care, protect them from trial lawyers. Mr. Chairman, in an ideal world, Congress should be considering legislation to tackle the problem of 45 million uninsured Americans. Unfortunately, we are not there yet. But we can make a good start by not only voting for the Norwood compromise amendment, but also the Fletcher amendment to increase access to health care. Through medical savings accounts and associated health plans, we will finally begin attacking the looming problem of the uninsured. By voting for both the Norwood compromise amendment and the Fletcher access amendment, we protect both employees and employers under the successful employer-based system in place today and start to provide health care for millions more. Mr. Chairman, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote for these amendments and with their adoption, the final passage of the Bipartisan Patient Protection Act. Protect us all from the trial lawyers.

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, Americans deserve to know when they need electricity that a steady supply will be ready and available. Unfortunately, California's consumers and business cannot count on steady electricity this summer. That is not right. It is time to place the peoples' quality of life and family budgets before politics. California needs to solve its electricity crisis with a balanced, long-term plan that uses technology to provide clean, reliable electricity for all the families in the Golden State. Leaders in California have a responsibility to make sure that electricity is plentiful and affordable. Californians are suffering because their State government increased government regulations of the energy industry. Today politicians in California are demanding additional government regulations as a pathway to relief from consequences of their earlier government regulations. This is the wrong approach; and by avoiding the real source of the problem, it can only prolong the electricity crisis. Mr. Speaker, this problem took years to develop, and it will not be fixed overnight. California needs to solve its electricity shortage with a broad and balanced plan that taps a variety of sources to produce a sufficient supply of electricity.

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 212) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance presents a unique opportunity to address global discrimination, as amended.

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The forthcoming World Conference Against Racism ought to represent an opportunity for the people and the governments of the world to look for ways to address the ongoing harm caused by continuing racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance, as the formal title of the conference refers to them. Both in our own Nation and around the world, clashes between communities, whether at their origins, based on ethnic, tribal, clan, racial, national, religious or caste differences have a tremendously debilitating effect on our lives. This is almost self-evident. Yet it is worthwhile to provide, through the United Nations, the opportunity for representatives of governments and civil society to sit down and exchange experiences in dealing with ongoing racism and related forms of intolerance, and other vestiges. In addition, we can and should take the opportunity to frame a declaration and a plan of action on the topic of the conference that expresses the sentiments of the world's governments. The current administration, along with the Members who are cosponsoring this resolution, hope that a conference will be a positive, forward-looking one. The gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) has framed a sensitive, appropriate resolution that expresses our hopes with regard to this conference. But he and I, and our administration, do not share certain concerns as we approach the conference. The opportunity of a world conference on anything always seems to present an irresistible opportunity to some in the international community to hijack the conference and move it into areas far from its real purposes, and so we have in the draft declaration language, which can only be understood as intended to minimize the Holocaust and to indicate that the only State worthy of condemnation by name in the world is Israel. We also have efforts to bring in issues such as compensation for actions of the distant past, such as the transatlantic slave trade. Mr. Speaker, today in Geneva, a Preparatory Conference is underway to see if some of these issues can be worked out. If they are not worked out, the administration will use the only leverage it really has, which is to absent itself, at least at the high level, from the conference. That is altogether proper as far as I am concerned. Mr. Speaker, this resolution makes no threats. It merely sets out our position, and it does so in admirable terms, and it should be supported by my colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 191) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United Nations should immediately transfer to the Israeli Government an unedited and uncensored videotape that contains images which could provide material evidence for the investigation into the incident on October 7, 2000, when Hezbollah forces abducted 3 Israeli Defense Force soldiers, Adi Avitan, Binyamin Avraham, and Omar Souad.

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 191, sponsored by my friend, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk). The United Nations has done important work in Lebanon over the years, keeping the peace as best it could in an area where stability has been threatened by the presence of various Lebanese and Palestinian factions and by Israeli responses to them. Recently, it seems to have failed in part of its mission. Lebanese- based Hezbollah fighters were able to cross into Israeli territory and kidnap three Israeli soldiers. It turns out that a videotape that may well provide information to help resolve the kidnapping, although not the kidnapping itself, was made by the U.N. forces. After denying the existence of the tape for some time, it now appears that the tape does exist. The U.N. should do all it can to help resolve the disappearance of the men, including the provision of relevant evidence. The case has attracted widespread attention, not least in northern Illinois. I appreciate the diligent efforts of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk) and his constituents, as well as the efforts of his cosponsors, in keeping this humanitarian nightmare from fading from our memories pending its final, and I hope its peaceful and successful resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, as the chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere of the Committee on International Relations, I have had a great deal of time and effort spent on the Andean area of this hemisphere; and if there is a place in this world that deserves some kind of financial aid, this is it, both in the military and also because of the fact that we have created a drug problem in this country and have made people in much weaker areas like the Andes region develop the idea of growing drugs there. We need to support those areas. We need to support them in every way we can. Over half of this money that is involved here is for peaceful purposes. Mr. Chairman, I noticed on the amendment that it applies all of this money to child survival and health programs. I was reading in record of the bill that, and not everybody talks about this, there is $434 million, and then it is $474 million in the bill. That is $45 million above the President's request and above $315 million last year. There is also $100 million in our supplement. Mr. Chairman, the Child Survival and Health Program funds, and this is the part that I found interesting, it funds $295 million just for child survival, maternal health; for vulnerable children, $25 million; and for HIV-AIDS, $434 million. For other infectious disease, I checked on that, tuberculosis and others that generally spring up following on HIV-AIDS, and reproductive health and voluntary family planning, that also fits the HIV-AIDS program. Then there is a grant to UNICEF. Again, much of this could be applied to HIV-AIDS. When we add it all up, there is over $1 billion 387 million that can be used in this particular area, much more than anybody has been willing to talk about so far. I would just like to say that the Andean region deserves every consideration that we can give it because we have created the problem that exists there. The use of drugs in this country has created a monstrous drug problem in all of the Andean region; and it is, in my considered opinion, very important that we continue to support that area, especially since the people in Europe and the other parts of the world who have the same drug problem are doing nothing to assist.

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Chairman, first I would like to thank the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman Kolbe) for allowing me to speak on this bill. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the foreign operations bill, and especially the provisions that fund the U.S. support of the war on drugs in the Andes. Over the years, I have traveled to the Andean region a number of times to see firsthand the efforts being made to stop drug trafficking. Although these efforts are nothing short of heroic, the war has yet to be won. Last year I worked with the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker Hastert) and many other colleagues to develop and pass Plan Colombia, an aid package which so far has done much to fight the production and trafficking of illegal drugs in the region's biggest producer, Colombia. During my visits, I met with officials of the Columbian National Police and the U.S.-trained army counternarcotics battalions who are now stationed at the front of this drug war. I am convinced that the tide is finally rising to our advantage. This is a credit to the bravery of the Colombians and the support of the United States. Changing course now, as some of my colleagues have proposed, would be a fatal mistake for Colombia, the Andean region, and the United States, and especially our children. Mr. Chairman, let us face it, illegal drugs are killing our children. In every congressional district in America, hospital emergency rooms are treating young children who overdose on illegal drugs. Some of these kids die. Recent statistics show that 90 percent of the cocaine and 70 percent of the heroin seized in the U.S. originated in Colombia. So why are there amendments being offered to cut funding for the Andean Counterdrug Initiative and the drug crop eradication programs when it appears that the counternarcotics effort in the region is just starting to have some success? I have long supported the U.S. efforts to support the brave work of the Columbian National Police and the newly-formed counternarcotics battalions of the Colombian Army to fight the drug trafficking. Plan Colombia is a sound policy which is only now beginning to be fully implemented. The counternarcotics initiative contained in this bill will ensure that work being done under Plan Colombia will continue. With time, the appropriate equipment, and continued support from the United States, Colombia and its Andean neighbors will be able to strike a blow to drug trafficking in their own countries, and thereby greatly reduce the amount of illegal drugs ending up in our streets with our children. I believe that fighting the drug trafficking is in the national interest of the United States. We must fully support Colombia and its neighbors for as long as it takes to win this drug war. Cutting funding for the Andean Counterdrug Initiative now is wrongheaded, dangerous, and could jeopardize the future of the democracy in the Andes, as well as the lives of American children. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and was not present for Roll Call votes 233, 234, and 235 on July 17, 2001. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on Roll Call vote 233 and ``nay'' on Roll Call votes 234 and 235.

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, headlines earlier this month credited widespread consumer conservation with the recent drop in gasoline prices. Those headlines told all of us how much power we really had to reduce the energy demand through conservation. The Republican energy package introduced next month will include incentives to encourage conservation wherever possible. Conservation is a cornerstone of our energy policy and will be a dominant part of our energy package. We are committed to helping this Nation meet its growing energy needs. We will implement a pragmatic and diverse energy policy that includes greater production of diverse energy supplies. But that package will place an equal reliance on bold and visionary conservation measures. It will include incentives that encourage research into energy efficiency no one has yet dreamed of. Congress and the White House are committed to a national energy policy founded on conservation, research and the prudent increase in energy production. Together, these initiatives will help us meet our energy needs through the coming century.

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the real cause of the rolling blackouts and out-of-control energy prices in California. Governor Davis and his big government cronies caused California's energy crisis through their backward and politically motivated approach to energy. Bowing to pressure from radical environmentalists and advice from his pollsters, Governor Davis increased regulation of the energy industry, thus prohibiting increased energy production and limiting modernization of infrastructure. The Davis approach is the wrong approach. Now, in order to save his political future, Governor Davis has put political advisors on the government payroll. Not only do Californians have to pay outrageous prices to cool their homes, but they now have to pay for consultants to tell Governor Davis how to minimize the political damage caused by his mishandling of California's energy needs. Even California's Democrat State comptroller has said that she will not pay for Davis's political expenses with the taxpayers' dime. Throughout this crisis, Gray Davis has been seeking political remedies instead of looking for positive solutions to solve the real- life problems of his citizens. All the while, California families are suffering. It is time for the Governor to take a stand and do what is right for California, instead of what is right for his career.

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a resolution concerning the persecution of the Montagnard peoples in Vietnam. The Montagnards are indigenous peoples of the Central Highlands of Vietnam who have long suffered discrimination and mistreatment at the hands of successive Vietnamese governments. In the 1960's and 1970's the Montagnard freedom fighters were the first line in the defense of South Vietnam against invasion from the North, fighting courageously beside members of the Special Forces of the United States Army, suffering disproportionately heavy casualties, and saving the lives of many of their American and Vietnamese comrades in arms. Today the Montagnards are singled out by the Vietnamese government due to their past association with the United States, their strong commitment to their traditional way of life and to their Christian religion. Due to this persecution, many Montagnards have attempted to flee Vietnam to other countries, including Cambodia. The Royal Government of Cambodia has announced that Montagnards found in Cambodia who express a fear of return to Vietnam will be placed under the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees rather then forcibly repatriated to Vietnam. Unfortunately, it appears there is a policy of systematic repatriation of Montagnard asylum seekers to Vietnam by some officials of the central government. There also are credible reports that Vietnamese security forces are operating openly in the Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri provinces of Cambodia to repatriate Montagnards. My resolution urges the government of Vietnam to allow freedom of religious belief and practice to all Montagnards, return all traditional Montagnard lands that have been confiscated, allow international humanitarian organizations to deliver humanitarian assistance directly to Montagnards in their villages, and to withdraw its security forces from Cambodia and stop hunting down refugees. It also commends the Royal Government of Cambodia for its official policy of guaranteeing temporary asylum for Montagnards fleeing Vietnam and urges the Cambodian government to take all necessary measures to ensure that all officials and employees of the local, provincial, and central governments fully obey the policy of providing temporary asylum. Finally, this resolution has the Department of State make clear to the Government of Vietnam that continued mistreatment of the Montagnard peoples represent a grave threat to the process of normalization of relations between the governments of the United States and Vietnam. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Montagnard peoples of Vietnam by cosponsoring this resolution.

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, it is very unfortunate that Californians have to go through these blackouts, and it is unfair to the people in California. But what is really unfair is that Californians have a Governor who refuses to take leadership and responsibility for this problem. California politicians have done a disservice to the Californians. Gray Davis has been asleep at the switch. It is time to stop pointing fingers and start solving problems. Instead of spending $30,000 a month on political consultants and polls, and instead of pointing fingers, Gray Davis needs to find solutions to increasing electricity in his State to stop blackouts. Governor Davis should put people before politics. Mr. Speaker, blackouts in California leave the State's economy dead. When California dies, America's economy becomes seriously ill. What we need is answers and solutions, not partisan, attack-style politics. We all need to work together, both Democrats and Republicans, to solve California's problems. Creating a balanced, fair and comprehensive energy plan for the future that utilizes our coal and our natural gas will safeguard our national economy and secure an adequate livelihood for all Americans.

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I would like attention to be directed to one of many problems on the outdated Davis-Bacon Act of 1931. As my colleagues know, this law requires the State and local construction projects receiving over $2,000 in Federal aid must adhere to the Federal prevailing wage, which on average is 17 to 22 percent higher than the State level. Because of these higher wages, State and local construction projects can cost up to 38 percent more than they would have without the act. This enormous waste of taxpayers dollars is proof that the Davis- Bacon Act should be modernized. In the 70 years since its introduction, the act has never been adjusted for inflation and has not been amended according to current construction standards. Meanwhile, inflated Davis- Bacon costs continually hinder emergency relief efforts and federally- assisted construction projects because of the additional costs communities must pay if they receive a mere $2,000 in Federal aid. Because this $2,000 minimum was set in 1931 and has never been adjusted, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble) and I have introduced H.R. 2094, the Davis-Bacon Modernization Act, which would increase the threshold from $2,000 to $100,000. While many of my colleagues believe this number is not high enough, I believe it is a good start. Let us make this law more reasonable and, above all, helpful. I urge my colleagues to help communities across the country to get more bang for their buck. Cosponsor and support the Davis-Bacon Modernization Act.

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time to speak here. Mr. Chairman, many critics for the national endowments believe funding given to the NEA goes only to museums in big cities. As a former member of the National Council, I can assure the Members that rural communities receive more funding than ever through Challenge America and arts education programs. Challenge America is a major NEA initiative that was newly funded by Congress in fiscal year 2001. The legislation provided $7 million for arts education and public outreach activities. One of the challenges of the Challenge America program is to target areas of this country that have been underrepresented among NEA grant recipients. This year, 400 small grants will be provided for these underserved communities. Of the funding appropriated for NEA by Congress, more than 40 percent is directed to State and regional art agencies, which in turn make grants and offer services to community- based arts organizations in our communities. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I think everybody here could get a map. This is a map of North Carolina, with all of the direct grants and indirect grants that are applied using the National Endowment. Each State can have this map. In North Carolina. We had ten direct grants and 75 indirect grants. One of the really important ones, as far as I was concerned, is that we brought into Hickory, North Carolina, a thing called a Fry Street Quartet. It was helped paid for by the NEA. The Hickory school system had a spring program founded by a teacher there named Dellinger, currently the director of an orchestra at the Hickory school. Chamber music study has always been part of the program at Hickory, North Carolina. It has been expanded. Currently the program has 198 students in grades six to twelve. It is unbelievable what has been used by our community to attract new industry and new jobs by the outstanding effort by the community in developing the National Endowment. It is hard to say how many industries and jobs we have brought into our community because of its support of the arts.

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, California's Governor has decided to hire high-priced Democrat spin-meisters instead of addressing the emergency crisis in his State. Taxpayers will subsidize Mark Fabiani and Chris Lehane at $30,000 per month to boost Governor Gray Davis in the media as California's energy crisis further drops his poll numbers. Instead of repairing California's energy crisis, the Governor is using taxpayer dollars to repair his image. This $30,000 in consultant fees that will be charged to the taxpayers is more than the Governor earns monthly himself. The Governor has had plenty of time to implement a solution. He knew over a year ago he had a problem; yet Gray Davis has refused to address that problem. He kept putting it off and putting it off and putting it off. It becomes blatantly obvious that the Governor is more concerned about repairing his image than helping the people of his State. Rather than working with the President and the White House to help California, the Governor is trying to find ways that high-priced PR men can exploit the energy crunch to his advantage.

Mr. BALLENGER

Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, as a person who has been heavily involved in the drug war in Central and South America, I want to speak out in praise of the work of the Coast Guard. In their effort to reduce the drug flow into the United States, no one has done more and received less recognition than the United States Coast Guard. They work to interdict the fast boats that cover the Caribbean with the flood of drugs and should be commended for the results that they have shown. If other branches of the services were doing a comparable job of fighting this war, we would be in a much stronger position to face the future. The Coast Guard continues to deliver services without complaint in spite of the shortages of funds provided to them and the difficulties and dangers in their job. I wish other government participants would demonstrate the same level of commitment to fighting the war on drugs as the U.S. Coast Guard. Today I stand to applaud their efforts and urge this Congress to renew its commitment to this valued service.