Doug Bereuter

Mr. BEREUTER

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule and of H.R. 1370, a bill to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank for 4 years. I thank the distinguished gentleman from California for yielding me this time. The Export-Import Bank is a crucial export promotion agency which provides insurance to lenders to facilitate the purchase of U.S. products abroad; in other words, to expand our export base. I appreciated the comments of the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts and the gentleman from California [Mr. Dreier]. Opponents have sometimes labeled the Export-Import Bank as a corporate giveaway. Actually, the truth of the matter is that the Export-Import Bank facilitates the purchase of U.S. products abroad, which in turn provides jobs in the United States. This Member doubts you will find any workers, even in one of the largest U.S. companies such as Boeing, who feel they are receiving welfare payments when they receive their paychecks at the end of a long week building state-of-the-art aircraft. Export-Import Bank is not a giveaway program. It is a jobs and trade program. As long as our competitors continue to provide export assistance, as the gentleman from Massachusetts just indicated, and in great quantities beyond what we provide, we need to have this legislation and this agency to keep us competitive. This Member contends that those who attack the Export-Import Bank as a wasteful government giveaway with little impact on international trade must really be living in a vacuum. If we compare the levels of support by our trade competitors, we will see that the United States lags far behind Japan, France, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom. U.S. companies have realized the importance of operating in a global economy and have made it clear that if the United States is not willing to help them to play ball by providing export promotion, they will have no choice but to take their production facilities abroad and thus their jobs and tax dollars overseas as well. As an example, one must only consider the recent decision by GE and Voith Hydro to seek German and Canadian export assistance to facilitate the purchase of equipment to be used in the Three Gorges Dam project in China. The Clinton administration has determined that Export-Import Bank participation in the Three Gorges project should not be available. Does that mean the project will not go ahead? No. Does it mean that U.S. firms will not participate? No. It simply means that foreign subsidiaries of U.S. companies will receive the assistance overseas, and they will build their products there. And they will spend their money there in other countries, and U.S. workers do not have jobs here. We must not unilaterally disarm ourselves in this important global economy. Therefore, this Member urges his colleagues to set aside the politically expedient rhetoric of attacking Export-Import Bank as corporate welfare and wake up to the fact that without the Export- Import Bank, the United States is unilaterally disarming in the global trade cold war. We must support U.S. products overseas. I urge my colleagues to support the rule and to support the reauthorization of this 4-year extension of the Export-Import Bank's life and the LaFalce amendment which will soon be subject to debate as well in the Committee of the Whole House. The LaFalce amendment, for example, will finally rename the agency to indicate what it does, and that is to make it the U.S. export agency, because this agency has nothing in the world to do with imports. This is an export arm of the American economy and of the American Government. I thank my colleague for yielding me this time.

Mr. BEREUTER

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Barrett] so much. It has happened in his own district.

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words as the designee of the manager. Mr. Chairman, I would like to engage a four-way colloquy with the chairman and two colleagues from adjacent districts, the gentleman from Iowa [Mr. Latham] and the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Barrett], regarding problems with the smuggling of illegal aliens in Nebraska and Iowa. Mr. Chairman, Nebraska and Iowa are major destinations for illegal aliens and alien smugglers due to extremely low unemployment rates, the number of meat-packing plants, and other labor-intensive industries, and due to the fact that two major interstate highways which cross the States, I-80 and I-29, are serving as what seems to be considered a low-risk corridor for smuggling aliens to other parts of our Nation. The Omaha INS office, which serves both States, could not respond to approximately 55 possible instances of alien smuggling, including 382 suspected illegal aliens in Nebraska and Iowa, because the INS did not allocate additional resources to respond. The INS Omaha District Office has a small staff when compared with nearby district offices. Additionally, it does not have a much needed antismuggling unit, in contrast to other interior INS districts in the United States. Mr. Chairman, do you agree that INS should allocate additional agents as part of an antismuggling unit to the Omaha District Office to fight the smuggling of illegal aliens into and through Nebraska and Omaha?

Mr. BEREUTER. I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky.

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Rogers].

Mr. BEREUTER. I yield to the gentleman from Nebraska.

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, this Member thanks his distinguished colleagues and especially the distinguished gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Rogers], the chairman, for this colloquy with my two colleagues and I. I thank him for participating in the colloquy. Amendment No. 54 Offered by Mr. Smith of New Jersey

Mr. BEREUTER. I yield to the gentleman from Iowa.

Mr. BEREUTER

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I do rise in support of the rule, and I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, but I wanted to take this opportunity to speak about a subject that will be covered by the legislation which this rule makes in order, and that is the growing problem of alien smuggling facing Nebraska and other Midwestern States. Mr. Speaker, Nebraska and Iowa are a major destination today for illegal aliens and alien smugglers due to extremely low unemployment rates, the number of meat packing plants and other labor-intensive industries, and the two major interstate highways which cross our two States, I-80 and I-29. The Immigration and Naturalization Service, the INS district office in Omaha which covers all of Nebraska and all of Iowa, has responded to 25 alien smuggling cases, and I say responded because there are many that they have not been able to respond to, and they have arrested 754 illegal aliens since October 1, 1996. As I said, they could not respond to some approximately 55 possible instances of alien smuggling involving 382 suspected illegal aliens in Nebraska and Iowa because the resources needed to respond were unavailable. The INS Omaha district office has a staff of 19 special agents who handle all the enforcement responsibilities in the States of Iowa and Nebraska. The INS office in Denver has, on the other hand, 44 special agents, and the INS office in Kansas City has 32 special agents. While several of the larger districts in the INS central region have anti- smuggling units in place, the district covering Nebraska and Iowa does not. September 3 to September 5 the INS district office responded to 2 cases of suspected alien smuggling, apprehending 2 groups, one containing 33 illegal aliens and one containing 18 illegal aliens. However, it did not respond to a third incident concerning 14 suspected illegal aliens. The reason given by the INS district office was to respond to groups of illegal aliens smaller than 15 is discretionary, given its limited capability, and on that day the Omaha office did not have the necessary staff available due to the fact that some of those personnel from the Omaha office were on assignment in Guatemala, El Salvador, and south Texas. This is a prime example, I believe, of the limitations placed on this district office's enforcement duties because of limited resources. It is clear that the Omaha INS district office needs more personnel and specifically designating an antismuggling unit; this problem is not being addressed. In closing, this statement is intended to provide additional information explaining the reason for a colloquy that will be conducted with the chairman of the appropriation subcommittee, the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Rogers], by the gentlemen from Iowa, Nebraska. It is an important issue for my constituents and the States of Nebraska and Iowa, and it cannot be overlooked. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. BEREUTER

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, as the author of House Resolution 217, together with the distinguished chairman of the Committee on International Relations, this Member urges support for this simple and straightforward celebration of warm and cordial relations between Americans and the people of Austria. September 26 will mark the 52d anniversary of the conference that established the post-war Austrian Government. Recognizing the pivotal role played by the United States in the establishment of a free and democratic Austria, the Government of Austria has declared September 26, 1997, to be Austrian-American Day. All around the United States, our State legislatures have followed suit, declaring September 26 to be Austrian-American Day. Because of the rules of this body, we are not permitted to consider commemorative resolutions, or declare specific honorary days. However, this body can certainly join with the Government of Austria and the many State legislatures to note the long and positive history of Austrian-American relations. That is precisely what this House Resolution 217 does. Mr. Speaker, as perhaps the only Austrian-American presently to be serving in the House, this Member would urge adoption of House Resolution 217.

Mr. BEREUTER

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, the Nation recently lost a true treasure with the passing of Richie Ashburn on September 9. Ashburn was a Hall of Fame baseball superstar and renowned broadcaster, but he never forgot his Nebraska roots. In addition to his annual visits back home, Ashburn made frequent references to his hometown of Tilden and the valuable lessons he learned while growing up in Nebraska. Richie Ashburn began his extraordinary athletic career in Nebraska where he starred in baseball, basketball, and track. Ashburn combined a natural athletic ability with determination and a strong work ethic. In the process, he set an enduring standard for athletes in northeast Nebraska and served as an inspiration for athletes across the State. Indeed this Member used a Richie Asburn Louisville Slugger when he played baseball for the Utica Legion team and for Utica and Seward in the Blue Valley League and the Cornhusker League. As a major league baseball player, Ashburn amassed an impressive record which eventually earned him enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. Outstanding from the beginning of his career, Ashburn received Rookie- of-the-Year honors in 1948. Year after year, he excelled at the plate and in the field. He retired with an amazing .308 batting average and had more hits than any other player in the 1950's. Ashburn was a defensive standout in centerfield and led the league in putouts by an outfielder nine times, tying a major league record. Ashburn was also a threat on the basepaths where he had 234 career stolen bases. Following his outstanding 15 years in the majors, Ashburn considered running for Congress, but settled instead on a career in broadcasting. As a broadcaster for the Philadelphia Phillies, Ashburn displayed remarkable wit, knowledge, and love of the game. He was a familiar and comfortable voice for Phillies fans for 35 years. Ashburn's impressive statistics in the major leagues demonstrate his greatness as a player, but they obviously don't reveal the remarkable qualities he displayed as a person. Ashburn was a humble man with a marvelous sense of humor. He also maintained the values he learned from his family in Nebraska--honesty, loyalty, decency, and a caring attitude. He truly had a genuine concern for all people which earned him numerous friends and lasting affection. Richie Ashburn will certainly be missed. This Member would like to commend to his colleagues the following editorials from the Norfolk Daily News and the Philadelphia Inquirer. The editorials highlight Richie Ashburn's impressive accomplishments in Nebraska and Philadelphia. [From the Norfolk Daily News, Sept. 10, 1997] Loss Mourned Accomplishments of Richie Ashburn will be remembered by many in area Just short of a half-century ago, Richie Ashburn was named ``rookie of the year'' by the Sporting News. He had compiled a .333 batting average in his first major league year; had stolen 32 bases to lead in that category even though he missed a month of the season. He was chosen as a starter in center field for the National League allstar team in that year, 1948. His reaction to the award was this: ``I only hope I will merit the honor by better playing next year.'' His career with the Philadelphia Phillies and finally with the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets, was marked by that determination and for continued high-level performance. A lifetime record of achievement in baseball led to belated recognition as a Hall of Fame member in 1995. Northeast Nebraskans followed this Tilden native's career closely, from his days with the Antelopes in the early 1940s, a Legion baseball team sponsored by the post in Neligh, to his stellar performance as a basketball player in the off- season for Norfolk Junior College. He had the strong support of parents, Mr. and Mrs. Neil Ashburn, who made a home for Richie and four of his young teammates in their first years in Philadelphia. His mother still lives in Tilden. His talent was not limited to playing baseball, but also included column-writing for a Philadelphia newspaper and a long career as an announcer for the Phillies. Now his career is closed with his sudden, unexpected death Sept. 9 at the age of 70. He has an extended family to mourn his loss. It consists of supportive relatives, of course, whom he came back to Nebraska to see regularly. But it also numbers thousands of aging baseball fans who still remember vividly his exploits on the field and are proud of his performance off of it. [From the Philadelphia Inquirer, Sept. 10, 1997] The Whiz Kid On the field and in the broadcast booth, Richie Ashburn was Philadelphia to the core Try to name a Philadelphian more beloved than D. Richard Ashburn. Can't be done, can it? Over half a century, Mr. Ashburn, the Phillies' Hall of Fame outfielder and longtime broadcaster who died suddenly yesterday, became woven deep into the fabric of a tough but loyal town. The threads running through his career were bedrock decency, consistency, dry wit and, of course, dashing athletic skill. When Mr. Ashburn had a heart attack in a New York hotel after broadcasting a ball game between two teams for which he played, the Phils and Mets, Philadelphians lost someone who helped define their sense of their town. He was, in the city's high accolade, a ``regular guy,'' a man who knew how to win and how to struggle, how to laugh and how to grieve, whom the rest of the nation never quite appreciated the way it should. As a player, the Nebraskan everyone called Whitey was one of his generation's best, but often overlooked on the national stage. He was an artist of the single in a game where home-run hitters hog the spotlight. A Philadelphian in an era when New York's Golden Age of Sport featured three legends playing his position: Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider. He didn't fret about that. He just kept doing with meticulous class all the little things--fielding his position, bunting runners along--that make winning possible. Fitting it was that he saved the National League pennant for the fabled 1950 Whiz Kids with a defensive play in the season's last game. Fitting it was also that baseball finally came to its senses and put him into its Hall of Fame in 1995--though sadly too late for him to savor the moment with his dead father, twin sister and daughter. At his induction, he shared the podium graciously with a more talented but less lovable Phillie, Mike Schmidt. Mr. Schmidt himself, scanning the sea of red caps and the record 200 chartered buses invading Cooperstown that day, observed that 'twas Whitey who'd lured most of them. In the broadcast booth, as on the field, Mr. Ashburn's work featured a Philadelphia-friendly mix: loyalty, warmth, honesty and understated humor that refused to take himself or anyone else too seriously. He was never the smoothest caller of a game, but he knew how to share a microphone, how to sum up excellence or disaster in one sage phrase, and how to put friendliness into the ``Welcome to Minnie from Royersford, celebrating her 90th today at the Vet'' messages it was his daily lot to read. A great ballplayer speaks to that piece inside people that yearns for heroes. A baseball broadcaster, more than any other sports announcer, becomes a piece of a city's daily conversation, a reliable bard whose word pictures fuel backyard debates and spice long commutes. Philadelphia was graced to have Richie Ashburn in those two roles over five decades. Whitey, you'll be missed.

Mr. BEREUTER

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 562, as amended, and urge my colleagues to vote for this important measure. I thank the gentleman for his work on the legislation, his initiative, and this Member also felt that the comments of the gentleman from Iowa, the chairman, should have been compelling when he discussed the motivations and objectives of the legislation. But I am glad to see we seem to have arrived at an arrangement here which while it will not satisfy everybody, nevertheless permits, for example, the extenders to go ahead. Mr. Speaker, as the title of the bill implies, this measure protects senior citizens, one of the Nation's most exploited populations, from unscrupulous financial service providers. Recent years have seen the development of truly innovative financial tools to assist our aging population. Among these is the reverse mortgage. This product rewards seniors for exercising financial prudence by allowing them to have access to the equity they have built up in their homes without taking out a new first trust mortgage. Unfortunately, as mentioned a few moments ago, unscrupulous financial planners sometimes have been gouging seniors with inappropriate fees for information which is otherwise available free of charge. This measure authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to take appropriate actions to restrict unnecessary and excessive costs associated with reverse mortgages. The authority should enable HUD to maintain the reverse mortgage as a valued tool in financial planning for seniors, and protect them from being exploited unwittingly. In addition to the important protections provided to seniors, this measure also contains two other important provisions, among others, which this Member supports. First, the bill extends for two years section 538, the rural rental multifamily housing loan guarantee program. Legislation permanently authorizing the section 538 loan guarantee program passed the House on April 8, 1997, by an overwhelming bipartisan vote. Unfortunately, the other body has failed to consider this legislation for other extraneous reasons, I gather, and, thus, a more modest authorization is included in this measure. The section 538 loan guarantee program, which this Member authored with lots of help from his colleagues on both sides of the aisle, guarantees repayment of loans made by private lenders to either State housing agencies, nonprofit organizations, or for-profit investors, who build or rehabilitate affordable multifamily rental problems in nonmetropolitan areas. This innovative program is a prudent and cost- effective supplementary program to the traditional expensive Federal direct lending program. Another provision which this Member supports is a 2-year reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program, which the subcommittee chairman has mentioned, or NFIP. As a member of the Committee on Banking and Financial Services, this Member was actively involved in writing parts of the recently enacted NFIP reform legislation under the leadership of the gentleman from New York, Chairman Lazio. Therefore, this Member is pleased that the program will continue to operate at least somewhat more effectively for 2 more years until this Congress or some future Congress finally enacts the more fundamental reforms which are certainly needed. Note should be made that a problematic provision included in recent disaster assistance legislation has expired and is not extended by this bill. Specifically, a provision lowering the waiting period on new flood policies from 30 to 15 days has expired, and for the benefit of the American taxpayer it should not be resurrected. In closing, Mr. Speaker, this Member strongly supports this legislation and urges his colleagues and the Members of the other body to approve this measure as soon as possible.

Mr. BEREUTER

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I wish to express my support for the resolution. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore [Mr. Gibbons]. Without objection, the previous question is ordered on the concurrent resolution.

Mr. BEREUTER

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Chairman, this Member would like to commend the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Livingston], the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, the distinguished gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Obey], the ranking member of both the full committee and the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and the distinguished gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Porter], the chairman of the subcommittee, for their exceptional work in bringing this bill to the floor. Mr. Chairman, the fiscal year 1998 Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Act contains several provisions regarding important rural health programs which benefit rural communities across the Nation, as well as continued funding for the Ellender Fellowships. Regarding rural health funding, this Member would like to specifically mention two programs which this Member strongly supports and has expressed this support together with other Members of the House Rural Health Care Coalition to the subcommittee. These programs are Rural Outreach Grants, and the National Health Service Corps. This bill includes $27.8 million for Rural Outreach Grants, which is the same as the fiscal year 1997 level and $2.7 million above the amount requested by the President. This important program supports projects that provide health services to rural populations not currently receiving them and that enhance access to existing services. The National Health Service Corps receives $120 million in this bill, which is a $4.6 million increase above both the fiscal year 1997 level and the amount requested by the President. One of the top health care concerns in rural America is the shortage of physicians and other health professionals due to the difficulties rural areas have in attracting and retaining primary health care professionals. The NHSC program addresses this need by providing scholarships to, and repays loans of, primary care professionals in exchange for obligated services in a health professional shortage area [HPSA]. The program also provides matching grants to States for a loan repayment program. These incentives for health professionals and physicians to serve in rural areas are greatly needed. This Member is also pleased that H.R. 2264 includes $1.5 million for Ellender fellowships. Earlier this year, this Member testified before the subcommittee regarding this important program. This amount is the same as the fiscal year 1997 level, even though the President's budget did not include any funds for the extraordinarily valuable citizen education program for American high school students. The Ellender fellowships are used to enable low-income students to participate in the highly successful Washington Close Up Program. Each year the Close Up Foundation awards thousands of Ellender fellowships, which included 3,942 students during the 1995-96 school year. Nationally, since 1971 over 480,000 students and teachers have participated in the Washington Close Up Program. Almost 94,000 of those participants received full or partial fellowships. Again, Mr. Chairman, this Member commends the distinguished gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Stokes], the chairman of the subcommittee, and the distinguished gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Obey], the ranking member of both the full committee and the subcommittee for their continued support of these important programs.

Mr. BEREUTER

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, this Member rises in strong opposition to the amendment of the distinguished gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Burton]. In that capacity and in that opposition, I join the chairman of the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, the chairman of the Committee on International Relations, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, and other distinguished colleagues that have commented in opposition and will comment. As mentioned previously, we need to reemphasize that India is the world's largest democracy and it is making dramatic progress. Despite civil unrest and terrorism, it has maintained 50 years of unbroken democratic rule since it gained its independence in 1947. Indians enjoy the benefits of the rule of law, a strong judiciary, and a vigorous and independent free press. There are persistent and disturbing human rights problems in India. The Government of India does not deny this fact. But the gentleman's amendment seems to ignore the remarkable progress that this 50-year-old regime has enjoyed. The improvements in the standard of living for the people of India are undeniable, and India's commitment to democracy and improved human rights has repeatedly been demonstrated. I noted what the gentleman from California [Mr. Berman] had to say about the progress in Punjab, and that is exactly right. There have been several encouraging, specifically encouraging, developments in the past year that deserve to be recognized. In Punjab, a State racked by violent confrontations in the 1980's and the 1990's, the opposition clearly won an election that was notably well run and inclusive bringing to power the Sikh party. Unrest has now subsided in Punjab. In Kashmir, though violence continues, there is now an elected government which is setting up a state human rights commission. The United States assistance program to India seeks to promote and institutionalize democratic values and human rights. The United States is working closely with India on population, health care, family, welfare, and environmental concerns. The United States needs to maintain and strengthen this relationship. Mr. Chairman, I would say to my colleagues, we have had remarkable initiatives and progress from India with respect to Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan in just the last year. The Burton amendment would damage the foundation of our relationship with India on this, the 50th anniversary of its independence, and would achieve nothing but the alienation of the Indian Government from the United States. Put simply, Mr. Chairman, this amendment does not serve American interests nor promote American influence in India. The arguments for the amendment do not reflect the general trend of human rights practices or progress in India today. We should not have to beat back such amendments every year. Mr. Chairman, India is a nation of increasing economic and political importance to Asia and to the world. While issues of contention remain between the United States and India, this body will not contribute to the resolution of such contentious issues by cutting off a major part of assistance or all assistance as provided by this Burton amendment or ones that may follow. Now is the time to send a very positive signal of support and understanding to the Government of India by voting against this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the Burton amendment.

Mr. BEREUTER

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman, the School of the Americas was established to heighten the professionalism of the military establishments throughout the Americas. Approximately 60,000 young Latin American and Caribbean officers have graduated from the SOA since its creation in 1946, the vast majority of whom have served their nations honorably and responsibly. Mr. Chairman, opponents of the School for the Americas focus on the excesses of a few notorious graduates. This Member is the first to acknowledge that some very unsavory characters have managed to attend the school. But such criticism overlooks the overwhelming majority, well over 99 percent, of honest, capable, intelligent officers who study at the School of the Americas. They return to their homes and serve their nations honorably and with distinction. And this Member would remind his colleagues that graduates of the SOA are personally responsible for the return of democracy in nations such as Bolivia and Argentina, and many of the school's graduates have lost their lives while combating drug lords in Colombia and Peru. Focusing on a few bad apples does a disservice to the commissioned and noncommissioned officers who have attended the School for the Americas and who subsequently fought terrorists and narcotraffickers in the jungles of Latin America. While the early focus of the institution was on combating Soviet- backed insurgencies, in recent years the school's emphasis has shifted toward combating drug trafficking and responding to rural disease and environmental degradation. One very positive result of the recent attention to the school has been a much greater emphasis on human rights. Every student at the school is now exposed to a rigorous formal and informal training program in basic human rights. Specific classes and case studies are used to enhance the training and to make U.S. concerns unambiguously clear. The roles and rights of civilians, clergy and human rights observers and U.N. personnel are integrated into the training program. While the SOA has rightly increased its emphasis on human rights, this Member believes that there is a basic value in encouraging military officers from Latin America and the Caribbean to study and to train in the United States. An institution such as the SOA, which annually hosts approximately 1,300 students from almost 20 countries, provides a level of professional training that is not otherwise available. Moreover, exposure to the U.S. lifestyle, values, and ideals offers important lessons for the future military leaders of Latin America. Mr. Chairman, opponents have pointed to three manuals that were for a short time used by the school. It is true that these manuals had short passages, in one instance less than a sentence, that were inconsistent with U.S. Army doctrine. When discovered, these manuals were immediately withdrawn and destroyed. The school now employs U.S. Army training manuals that are appropriate and which are now being translated, and have been translated into Spanish. This Member would tell his colleagues that the School of the Americas does not employ confidential torture manuals, nor does the SOA in any way engage in such heinous exercises as training its students to keep their shock victims alive for interrogation as some have alleged. This body should not participate in this wrongful demonization of the School of the Americas. Mr. Chairman, the training at the School of the Americas does far, far more good in encouraging appropriate human rights practices than any possible harm which could come from even a perversion of such an education program that some former student might practice. It is time to end this misguided attack on the SOA. This Member wishes he could guarantee to his colleagues that no future graduate of the SOA will ever abuse human rights or undermine civilian government, but obviously this is impossible. What this Member can guarantee is that every effort will continue to be made to fully indoctrinate the students on respect for human rights and democracies. The training at the school undoubtedly does far, far more good than any hypothetical harm which would come from even a perversion of such an educational program some future student might practice. This Member must say, therefore, that it is time for this body and for certain organizations outside of this body to abandon this misguided attack on the School of the Americas. I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment and send a message to the organizations, get your facts straight, catch up with reality. It is time to stop and get off this hobby horse. The School of the Americas is an important institution for the United States and for democracy throughout the hemisphere.

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Ohio just made a very impassioned statement. It is understandable, given his personal knowledge of a victim. But I just would like the gentleman to think about the fact that the noncommissioned officers and officers that come to this school do not come with a table that has nothing written on it. They come bringing some values themselves. What we are attempting to do with the School of the Americas is, in some cases, a very difficult task of changing the whole culture of a military in a government. If you had visited Guatemala or El Salvador like this gentleman in the early 1980's, you would understand about the progress that has been made and the great difficulty we had in getting the right kind of people to come to the school in the first place. I would just like to suggest we have made dramatic progress, and in the absence this, we are going to have a much deeper problem in the hemisphere.

Mr. BEREUTER

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, this Member highly commends to his colleagues this editorial which appeared in the Norfolk Daily News on August 18, 1997. Work Unfinished--More To Be Done Regarding Budgets; Voters Themselves Must Do Reminding For his part, President Clinton saw the five-year budget legislation as a measure that would ``renew our nation and restore its promise.'' And on the Republican side, House Speaker Newt Gingrich said, ``We have proven together that the American constitutional system works, that slowly, over time, we listen to the will of the American people.'' He added that he does not intend to abandon the spirit of cooperation that led to the agreement. The president is being criticized by liberals within Democratic ranks for having compromised too much; the speaker for having given in too readily. It was a contentious process, as are many decisions in a democracy. The plan is surely flawed, but it did provide evidence that the message from the voters about having something done about recurring federal deficits and high levels of taxation was heard. It is important now to realize that this is unfinished business. There is much more to be done to reduce the burden of taxation and the rates of growth in federal spending. Voters themselves are the key to whether this will be produced in the future. If they insist, more progress is possible.

Mr. BEREUTER

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, this Member highly commends to his colleagues this editorial which appeared in the Omaha World-Herald on August 4, 1997. GOP Contract With America Has Been a Blueprint for Action Democrats spent $2 million attacking the Republican Contract With America in the congressional elections of 1994. The contract helped deliver the first GOP majority in the House in 40 years. Yet Democrats continued to malign it as a) typical cynical campaign rhetoric that would be abandoned or b) a mean-spirited contract ``on'' America that would go nowhere. As the current budget agreement and the Taxpayer Relief Act move toward enactment, it's worth noting how many major policy changes can be traced back to the Contract With America. The first provision of the contract was enactment of a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. That effort failed. But the No. 1 issue on Capitol Hill these days is balancing the federal budget. Democrats as well as Republicans are congratulating themselves for approving a budget designed to achieve balance in five years. The ground rules of budget debate have shifted profoundly. The need for fiscal balance is no longer the issue; the debate is over how to accomplish it. A corollary to the balanced-budget amendment was a grant of line-item veto power to the president, which Bill Clinton gladly accepted. On taxes, the $500-per-child income tax credit destined to become law was a major provision of the GOP contract. Other contract provisions in the current tax bill are: expanded individual retirement accounts for home ownership and education; a reduction in estate and capital-gains taxes; expansion of the home office deduction; and American Dream Savings Accounts--IRA-style accounts to which families can contribute up to $4,000 a year. Welfare reform was another priority in the contract. The crux of the proposal was the elimination of welfare as an open-ended entitlement and the establishment of a two-years- and-out rule. Clinton twice had vetoed welfare-reform bills. But in 1996 his top campaign adviser, Dick Morris, told him that as the 1992 candidate who had promised to ``end welfare as we know it,'' Clinton might fatally wound his re-election bid by rejecting welfare reform a third time. Clinton signed into law the welfare policy derived from the Republican contract. Roughly two dozen other proposals in the contract have become law. Among them are tougher enforcement of the death penalty, stricter review of government regulation of business, raising the tax-free earnings limit for people on Social Security, tax incentives for adoption and for care of a dependent old person, spousal IRAs and tax relief for small businesses. The contract was a device unprecedented in national electoral politics: Here is a specific checkist of exactly what we propose to do: elect us and hold us to it. Advocates called it a straightforward masterstroke. Critics called it an ill-advised piece of political hokum. Three years alter, there is no doubt that the GOP meant what it said in the Contract With America. Even the White House has embraced much of it. Much of what it contained is now the policy of the United States, thanks to the persistence and foresight of the Republican Congress.

Mr. BEREUTER

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to vacate the request for a recorded vote on the Bereuter amendment, Number 53, on H.R. 2159.

Mr. BEREUTER

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman. Under my reservation, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee].

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her comments. Under my reservation, I would like to continue very briefly. America's relations with India are strong and are improving, and has in recent years experienced extraordinarily successful elections. The social and economic progress it has achieved in the last five decades is truly remarkable, and it has laid a foundation, a strong one, for India's future. The United States and India have developed into important trading partners. Indian-Americans are making enormous contributions to both countries. Similarly, Pakistan is an extremely important friend to the United States. Pakistan's commitment to democracy was most recently evidenced in the February 1997 elections, which brought about a change of government. Pakistani-Americans have also made major contributions to American society, and our relationship has proven mutually beneficial. It is this Member's understanding that the distinguished gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], the chairman of the Committee on International Relations, will be leading a delegation to India and Pakistan in the coming month, in part to celebrate this momentous occasion. Such a delegation is appropriate and timely, and this Member certainly congratulates the chairman on his decision to lead such an important delegation. The resolution itself calls for an official appointed House delegation to visit the two countries within the next anniversary year. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 157 is a bipartisan effort sponsored by this Member, the distinguished ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, the gentleman from California, Mr. Berman, the distinguished chairman of the committee on International Relations, Mr. Gilman, and the ranking Democrat of the Committee on International Relations, Mr. Hamilton, as well as distinguished members from the House leadership, the gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Gingrich, House Speaker; and the gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Bonior, the Democratic whip. I would urge and expect to have support for this resolution.

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. BEREUTER

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, this Member is extremely pleased with the recently-agreed-to historic budget agreement which provides the first Federal tax relief in 16 years in a balanced and fair manner. The taxpayer Relief Act, which we are considering today, is part of a very important budget agreement that provides major tax cuts to middle- income Americans, just as we have always said it would. It is a balanced, equitable measure that will give direct, immediate tax relief to low-middle and middle-income Americans. This Member is especially pleased that H.R. 2014 includes the capital gains provisions in a balanced tax relief package that will benefit low-middle and middle-income American families. Also, the $500-per- child tax credit, a variety of education-related benefits, and significant increase in inheritance or ``death'' tax exemptions mean that low- and middle-income families are direct beneficiaries of the legislation before us. Furthermore, the tax relief package provides for expanded IRA's which remove some of the barriers imposed by the Tax Code to private savings, thus encouraging financial planning for education and first-time home purchases. This Member would also like to thank his colleagues who assisted in ensuring that efforts to repeal the ethanol tax exemption have been defeated. We have stopped the assault on ethanol, and we have kept our promise to farmers and ethanol producers. Finally, Mr. Chairman, this Member's only regret is that the Taxpayer Relief Act does not include prospective indexing of capital gains for inflation. This provision would have allowed middle-income Americans in the future to invest with confidence that inflation would not devour the return on their investments. However, prospective indexing of capital gains could be accomplished in subsequent legislation and this Member will support such efforts. Mr. Speaker, this Member supports the Taxpayer Relief Act and urges his colleagues to join him in voting ``yes.''