Howard Berman

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. BERMAN. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3992, a bill that places Israel on the list of countries eligible to receive E 2 treaty investor visas, and I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I would like to begin by thanking Chairman Smith for his strong support of this bipartisan legislation and for moving it quickly through the Judiciary Committee and to the floor. I also want to thank, along with Chairman Smith, Chairman Gallegly and Ranking Member Lofgren of the Immigration Subcommittee, as well as Chairman Ros-Lehtinen of the Foreign Affairs Committee, for their support and authorship of this legislation. This legislation will encourage further investment by Israeli business leaders in the United States and lead to the creation of more jobs for American workers. The scope of the legislation is narrow, but at a time when so many Americans are looking for work and families are struggling to make ends meet, every little bit helps. Israel is one of our closest allies and a leading investor in the U.S. economy. H.R. 3992 will further strengthen the bonds between our two countries while helping to create U.S. jobs. There are many hundreds of Israeli companies present in the United States and hundreds of U.S. companies doing business in Israel. E 2 treaty investor visas will enable the business communities in both countries to expand their bilateral investment flow. Currently, there are over 75 countries whose nationals are eligible for E 2 treaty investor visas. These nations range from Albania to Togo to the United Kingdom. This bill adds merely one country, which is already a significant business partner and contributor to our economic strength. We should be doing everything we can to bring additional Israeli innovations and technologies to the United States. Israel is an incubator of entrepreneurship, already a global leader in security and defense technologies, medicine, agriculture, and clean energy. Our Nation will benefit greatly from bringing their innovations and scientific advancements to our shores; it would spur investment and introduce new products to the U.S. market. Recently, a Tel-Aviv biotechnology company developed an advanced cell therapy product that has been used in Israel to achieve a drastic reduction of the mortality rate in patients with deep wound infections. The company invested in an FDA-approved facility in the United States that is engaged in the clinical production of cells. This Israeli biotech company needs to temporarily transfer one of their executives to the United States to develop, direct, and to oversee local manufacturing to ensure a successful operation. An E 2 treaty investor visa would facilitate this process and allow other Israeli entrepreneurs to explore similar business opportunities with the confidence and assurance that they will be able to monitor their investments. By passing this bill, Israeli investors are one step closer to expanding their business to our country and creating jobs for American workers. Israel is a trusted friend and a special ally, and this legislation expands business opportunities that will provide economic benefits for both countries. I urge my colleagues to support its passage. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the remarks of the ranking member of the Immigration Subcommittee, Ms. Lofgren, be included in the Record.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, this bill arises from a tension between a 1963 statute providing foreign art collectors immunity from seizure and the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. It specifically stems from a 2007 court decision that broadened the expropriation exemption under the FSIA and allowed for suits on artwork already immunized under the 1963 law. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art and other museums have made clear to me the chilling effect of that decision on artistic exchanges. This bill resolves the inconsistency between the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act and the 1963 statute and protects critical cultural exchanges. Specifically, the bill would clarify that foreign states are immune from lawsuits that seek damages for artwork that may already be immune from seizure pursuant to a Presidential determination. I support this bill for several reasons: First, cultural and artistic exchanges are a powerful form of democracy that foster mutual understanding, and this bill would remove obstacles to such exchanges; Second, the bill is narrowly crafted. It provides sovereign immunity only in cases in which the President already immunized the artwork in question; Third, H.R. 4086 includes an exception for Nazi-era claims. This carve-out is consistent with longstanding American policy to seek restitution when possible for victims of the Nazi government, its allied governments and its affiliated governments. I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bill, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. BERMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am submitting the attached statement by World Food Program USA regarding the passing of our good friend and colleague, Congressman Payne. Statement From Rick Leach, President and CEO, World Food Program USA, on the Passing of Representative Donald Payne The entire staff and board of directors of World Food Program USA mourn the passing of Representative Donald Payne of New Jersey. Representative Payne was a tireless champion on behalf of the world's poorest, hungriest people, and his presence and efforts within the U.S. Congress will be missed. As Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Representative Payne played a key role in pushing forward U.S. policies to respond to the protracted crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan, as well as across the African continent. He was one of five members of Congress to accompany President Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton on a tour of six African nations, and he headed a presidential mission aimed at finding solutions to the political and humanitarian crisis in Rwanda. Due to his record of outstanding service, Representative Payne was chosen by President George W. Bush to serve for two terms as a congressional delegate to the United Nations from 2003 2007. Representative Payne travelled many times to countries in the worst throes of humanitarian crises, lending his voice and wielding his influence to help those people most in need. His many years of steadfast support, dedication, and hard work have improved the lives of millions of people in Africa, the United States, and across the globe. He will be remembered for all that he has contributed to the rights, well being, dignity and spirit of people across the world. He was a true humanitarian hero.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 556, which condemns the Government of Iran for its persecution, imprisonment, and sentencing to death of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. Pastor Youcef is a 34-year old father of two who was arrested over two years ago for the crime of converting from Islam to Christianity. In October 2009 he was tried and found guilty of apostasy--and sentenced to death-by-hanging. More recently, the Iranian Supreme Court upheld the sentence. Iranian law requires that a man accused of apostasy be given three chances to recant his beliefs and return to Islam. Pastor Youcef was given his three chances. In every instance, Youcef refused. Nothing, not even the threat of death, would discourage him from remaining true to his faith. He proved himself as religiously committed as he is physically, and morally, courageous. Mr. Speaker, last September President Obama said, Pastor Nadarkhani has done nothing more than maintain his devout faith, which is a universal right for all people. . . . A decision to impose the death penalty would further demonstrate the Iranian authorities' utter disregard for religious freedom, and highlight Iran's continuing violation of the universal rights of its citizens. Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us condemns the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of religious minorities and for its repression of freedom of thought and of religion, and calls for the immediate release of Youcef Nadarkhani and of all other individuals held or charged on account of their religion. The House of Representatives should stand in solidarity with Pastor Youcef. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this important resolution.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, two of the least noticed and most dangerous trends of recent years have been Azerbaijan's rapidly growing military budget and its increasing bellicosity toward Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh. Last June, during Azerbaijan's largest military parade since the Soviet era, President Aliyev vowed to avenge the deaths of Azerbaijani soldiers killed during the 1988 1994 Nagorno- Karabakh war and declared that ``the war isn't over yet; only the first stage is over.'' He then boasted that Azerbaijan's defense budget is twenty times larger than it was just eight years previously and larger, in fact, than the entire budget of Armenia. Mr. Speaker, it is particularly appropriate that today, February 27--the anniversary of the 1988 Azerbaijani pogrom directed against its own Armenian population in Sumgait--that we commit ourselves to stopping these ugly threats. Armenian history is drenched in tragedy. Everybody knows about the Armenian Genocide, even if, sadly, only a minority of my colleagues has been willing to recognize it officially. But fewer know about the hundreds of thousands of Armenians murdered under the Ottoman regime in the nineteenth century. And fewer still, it seems, know about the pogroms and ethnic cleansing that Armenians living in Azerbaijan suffered at the hands of Azerbaijanis as the Soviet Union was breaking up. The Sumgait pogrom that we recall today lasted three days and resulted in the murder of hundreds of Armenian civilians. Other anti- Armenian pogroms took place in Kirovobad November 21 27, 1988, and in the Azerbaijani capital Baku January 13 19, 1990. During this era, there were media reports of Armenians being hunted down and killed in their homes. The systematic pattern of all these attacks suggested that something even more sinister than a mob uprising was at work. Mr. Speaker, Azerbaijan seems bent on destroying every last vestige of the Armenian presence in Azerbaijan. For example, there is videotaped evidence of the Azerbaijani government's December 2005 systematic desecration and destruction of an ancient Armenian cemetery, including thousands of intricately-carved grave-stones in Djulfa, in a section of Azerbaijan near the Turkish border. I believe our State Department still has not adequately examined this incident, and I call on it to do so. Today is a solemn day as we recall this history of murder, displacement, and destruction, but it is this very history that underscores the importance of self-determination for Nagorno-Karabakh. I call on the Administration to press the Azerbaijani government to cease its bellicose rhetoric and to stop its headlong rush to war now and to adhere strictly to the principled basis of the Minsk Process, namely, the search for a peaceful, negotiated solution for Nagorno-Karabakh. I likewise call on the Administration to redouble its efforts to achieve a solution for Nagorno-Karabakh. And, on this day when we once again reflect on the brutality Armenians have suffered, and endured, for centuries, I once again call on the Administration simply to acknowledge history and to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay respects to my friend, producer and director, Gilbert Cates who passed away on October 31, 2011 at the age of 77. Let this congressional insert serve as a tribute to his memory and celebration of his meaningful life. Born June 6, 1934, in New York City to Jewish parents, Mr. Cates was a member of the fencing team at Syracuse University studying pre-med but changed his major to Theater after an experience teaching actors to sword fight during a student production of Richard III. Gilbert began his career directing a number of feature films-- including two Oscar nominated films--I Never Sang for My Father, in 1970, and Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams, in 1973. He also produced and directed Broadway and off Broadway plays, most notably the productions of I Never Sang for My Father and You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running. Hailed as a director with a propensity for taking on challenging themes, in 1984 Gilbert directed Consenting Adult, a made-for-TV feature which focused on homosexuality and was followed up in 1989 with Do You Know the Muffin Man?, a story centered on child molestation. Mr. Cates received Emmy nominations in the Best Director category for both projects. During his tenure as president of the Directors Guild of America, DGA, Gilbert led the guild's negotiations committee and four times headed contract negotiations with producers, leading the guild through a strike in 1987. He was instrumental in orchestrating the merger between the Radio & Television Directors Guild and the Screen Directors Guild in 1960. Well known for producing some 14 Academy Awards broadcasts between 1990 and 2008, Gilbert is famed for recruiting Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg as well as David Letterman, Steve Martin, Chris Rock and Jon Stewart as hosts. He also served on the Academy's Board of Governors from 1984-1993, and won an Emmy in 1991 for the 63rd annual Oscars, returning to the board in 2002 and serving as its Vice President from 2003-2005. In 1990, Gilbert became the Dean of UCLA's newly combined School of Theater, Film and Television, a post he held until 1998, after which he continued to educate young filmmakers as a professor. As a result of his many professional accomplishments, Mr. Cates received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He also received the DGA's prestigious President's Award and the Guild's Robert Aldrich Award for service, as well as having received the DGA's Honorary Life Membership. Gilbert was a loving husband and father. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Judith Reichman, four children, two stepchildren and six grandchildren. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the life and achievements of Gilbert Cates.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to mark the loss of a titan of education in Los Angeles, Shirley Levine, who passed away on January 9, 2012. The entire Los Angeles community suffered a great loss in her passing. Shirley Levine served as an educator in the LA Unified School District before founding the Abraham Joshua Heschel School in 1972. Encouraged by several local leaders, such as Rabbi Harold Schulweis and Mark Lainer, Shirley laid the groundwork for a school that would fuse humanistic values, a love of Judaism, and unparalleled secular studies. She originally opened the school in North Hollywood, CA, but Heschel quickly outgrew facilities at Adat An El and Valley Beth Shalom synagogues, among other locations, and the school eventually found a permanent home in Northridge, CA. As noted by Rabbi Jan Goldstein, the rabbi-in-residence during Heschel Day School's early years, each institution was forever impacted by Shirley's vision and passion. As Heschel's Congressman during the 1980s and 1990s, I watched the school mature into a powerful source of moral strength in the San Fernando Valley community, with thousands of roots that trace back to Shirley's instruction and guidance. I have seen these roots firsthand-- many of my constituents are current students and graduates of Heschel, as are some of my staff and close family friends. I can see Shirley's legacy through the activism and Jewish vitality of these individuals. One graduate related to me stories of weekly Sabbath gatherings in every classroom at Heschel, and how meaningful it was to mark that day each week with peers. The week had an anchor, with the Sabbath as the focus. That epitomizes Shirley's approach--she created an institution with a warm, welcoming environment, one imbued with Jewish and humanistic values. I am also aware that many graduates credit Shirley for making them the person they are today, especially those who spent an inordinate amount of time for disciplinary reasons in Shirley's office. Shirley's son, Darren, stated during Shirley's eulogy that his mother's lasting message is: ``Be passionate about what you do, treat others with compassion, and take actions to make the world a better place.'' I am inspired by the passion in which Shirley led her life; I am mindful of the compassion she imbued in her students; and I am grateful to Shirley for indeed making our community a better place. My condolences go out to Shirley's husband, Arnold; children Mark, Darren and Marci; and the entire Heschel family.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 2867, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2011, and the Senate amendments to the bill. I want to initially start out by thanking the sponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from Virginia, Frank Wolf, for his leadership on the issue of international religious freedom; Senator Durbin for his efforts to strengthen the bill; my chairman, Ileana Ros- Lehtinen, for her management of this whole process that's finally going to get this reauthorization hopefully passed and sent to the President. We're fortunate to live in a country that was founded by religious refugees on principles of tolerance. And we strive to adhere to article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This right includes the freedom to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. But elsewhere around the world, religious freedom and human rights are routinely violated. Countless men, women, and children face violence, persecution, and discrimination because of their faith. Unfortunately, intolerance is not restricted to just a few countries. Violent extremist attacks have taken place in the Middle East and South Asia. The regimes in North Korea and Iran actively repress religious freedom. Apostasy and blasphemy laws have fueled discrimination against religious minorities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. Other religious minorities like the Tibetan Buddhists, Uighur Muslims, Ahmadis, and the Bahais face violence in government restrictions, and anti-Semitism is still prevalent around the world. More than ever, we need the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to continue its important work to support the right to practice one's religion freely around the globe. This bipartisan bill before us today reauthorizes the Commission, known as USCIRF, for another 3 years. The bill also contains some sensible reforms that will strengthen USCIRF's efforts to monitor and report on the status of freedom of religion abroad. These reforms include the process of selecting the chair, term limits for service for the members of the Commission, travel regulations, and a GAO study on improving the effectiveness and coordination of all the U.S. Government bodies that focus on international religious freedom. In particular, I would like to thank Mr. Wolf for agreeing to include a provision that clarifies that USCIRF is subject to the same workplace protections and civil rights laws as the rest of the Federal Government. With this piece of legislation, USCIRF will be able to more effectively carry out its mission and be the Commission it was intended to be. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. May I inquire of the Chair how much time I have.

Mr. BERMAN. I do support the motion, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. BERMAN. Yes.

Mr. BERMAN. There is language in the bill with respect to restrictions. There is a waiver in the bill for those restrictions, and there is an extension of non-applicability of those provisions until 2020.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I think I am the last speaker on my side of our side who intends to speak on this issue. How much time remains?

Mr. BERMAN. The chairman of the committee, the gentlelady from Florida, has the right to close. Am I correct in that assumption?

Mr. BERMAN. Is the gentleman from Ohio, if I may ask through the Chair, the last speaker on his side?

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, in that case I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. BERMAN. I do not oppose the motion.

Mr. BERMAN. I appreciate the gentleman for yielding. Section 603 was not stripped from the bill, and section 603 does not prohibit the administration from engaging diplomatically on this issue.

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes. This bill may represent our last chance to find a peaceful means to pressure the Iranian regime into stopping its nuclear weapons program. Within the next year, possibly in the next 6 months, this program may become irreversible unless we act now. We know that sanctions are having an impact in Iran. President Ahmadinejad recently said that Iranian banks ``cannot make international transactions anymore.'' Just this weekend, Iran's Central Bank governor said ``the situation of sanctions is harder than a physical fight.'' With this bill before us today, we intend to make his fight much harder. No sanctions can be deemed truly effective until Iran ends its nuclear weapons program. We know that Iran is steadily increasing its stockpile of low-enriched uranium, moving its centrifuges to a hardened underground facility and making progress in other ways towards a nuclear-weapons capability. We need to do more and faster. H.R. 1905 builds on past efforts by imposing sanctions on foreign commercial enterprises that do business with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, by widening the scope of sanctions on human-rights abusers, and by other means. But one of the most important elements of this bill is my measure to impose sanctions on Iran's Central Bank, which provides key financial support for Iran's nuclear- weapons and terrorism activities. This measure would cut Iran entirely off from the world's banking system, dealing an unprecedented blow to Iran's economy. This may cause short-term difficulties for the world's oil market. And it may rankle some of our allies. But it is necessary because stopping Iran's nuclear program is of paramount strategic importance-- and we are running out of time. Mr. Speaker, our absolute goal must be to stop Iran's nuclear weapons program. That's the goal of this bill. We may have only a few more months to deal peacefully with this crisis. There is no time to lose. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the Democratic whip for the House, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 306, and I yield 3 minutes to one who has been a leader in this effort for a very long time, my colleague and neighbor from California (Mr. Schiff).

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to add an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from California from my allotted time.