Howard Berman

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1866, and I urge my colleagues to vote for it. The Committee on the Judiciary favorably reported this legislation by voice vote on June 20. Prior to that, the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property passed the bill by a voice vote on May 22. It is a good step forward on the road of making reexamination a more attractive and effective option for challenging a patent's validity. The bill overturns, as the gentleman from Wisconsin mentioned, the 1997 Federal circuit decision In Re Portola Packaging. In that case, the Federal circuit narrowly construed the term ``substantial new question of patentability'' to mean prior art that was not before the examiner during an earlier examination. Because the PTO director can only order a reexamination if a ``substantial new question of patentability'' exists, the Federal court's decision in Portola effectively bars the PTO from conducting a reexamination based on prior art that was cited in the patent application. The Portola decision is troublesome because it prevents reexaminations from correcting mistakes made by examiners. Ideally, a reexamination could be requested based on prior art cited by an applicant that the examiner failed to adequately consider. However, after Portola, such prior art could not be the basis of the reexamination. By overturning the Portola decision, H.R. 1866 will allow reexamination to correct some examiner errors. Thus, this bill will accomplish an important, if narrow, objective. Madam Speaker, as far as I know, H.R. 1866 has not engendered any controversy, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BERMAN

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

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1886 and urge my colleagues to vote for it. It is largely noncontroversial. The Committee on the Judiciary's Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property passed it by a voice vote on May 22, and the full committee reported it favorably by voice vote on June 20. The bill represents a good, if small, step in improving the usefulness of the inter partes reexamination procedure for patents. Currently, the inter partes reexamination procedure places so many constraints on third-party requesters of such reexamination that, as some patent attorneys have stated, ``It would be legal malpractice to recommend a client initiate an inter partes reexamination.'' Among those constraints is the prohibition against a third party appealing an adverse reexamination decision to Federal court or participating in an appeal brought by the patentee. H.R. 1886 would allow an authority requester to appeal a reexamination decision to Federal court and to participate in an appeal by an applicant. By doing so, H.R. 1886 may make inter partes reexamination a somewhat more attractive option for challenging a patent. A third party will, at the least, now feel comfortable that the courts can be accessed to rectify a mistaken reexamination decision. While H.R. 1886 may not cure all the defects of inter partes reexamination, I believe it is a good start, and I urge my colleagues to vote for it. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I would like to take a moment to try and address the arguments made by my friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher), because I think that the thrust of his argument is actually served and met by our bill, not opposed. He is concerned, legitimately, about the likelihood that poorly financed independent inventors will have their patents challenged in expensive re-examinations requested by big corporations with deep pockets. The problem is, the way the law is now, those corporations do not go to reexamination. They ignore reexamination, because if they go to reexamination, their ability then to challenge in court on the issues they brought up in reexamination is eliminated. So they, instead of challenging the small, independent inventor in a relatively cheap, relatively quick, somewhat informal or more informal reexamination process, that is ignored and, instead, they wait until the patent is granted. Then they go into Federal court on lengthy, incredibly expensive litigation which can take years and years at enormous expense, which these corporations can afford if it is justified in the context of their own business plans, and grind that patent holder down in court. What we are trying to do, and it is really a small change, is to take away the roadblock that causes people who want to challenge the validity of a patent to ignore the reexamination procedure and go to court instead. That is to say that if they win in reexamination and the patent holder appeals to court to reestablish the validity of the patent and to throw out the reexamination decision to reverse the granting of the patent, that the person who filed for a reexamination or the third party who brought the reexamination request can participate in that appeal. If they cannot, they are not going to go to reexamination, they are just going to challenge the patent in court. H.R. 1886 in no way affects or enhances a challenger's ability to initiate a reexamination. It does not broaden the basis for doing this. The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Boucher) and I have some legislation that would do that and provide actually a more fulsome kind of a hearing. But we have not been able to persuade a majority of the subcommittee at this point that that is a good idea. All this bill does is leave the substantive law exactly the same, and maintain the requirement that the PTO director still find that a substantial new question of patentability has been raised before ordering a reexamination. It in no way lowers the barrier for requesting an inter partes reexamination; it just makes it a marginally more attractive option because they are no longer prejudiced from raising an issue in court, and are perhaps persuaded by the reexamination decision. Everyone in the patent world recognizes that a patent which has survived reexamination is a much stronger patent, much more likely to be upheld in court. I would contend that the small, independent inventor has an interest in a vital reexamination process, not one that just exists on the books and is never utilized because the person who wants to challenge that patent is afraid they are going to be estopped from ever going to court; if they lose or if they win, that they will not be able to participate in an appeal of the decision, of the PTO Office. So I understand where the gentleman is coming from, but I think if we look through this bill, it is really very, very modest. This was not at the heart of the negotiation that enabled the original patent reform bill to go through several years ago, and I think it is a bill worthy of support. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, we rise today to pay tribute to an exceptional individual and good friend, Judge Aviva K. Bobb, Supervising Judge of the Family Law Department of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Judge Bobb will be honored on September 29, 2001 with the Levitt & Quinn Family Law Center Award for Outstanding Community Service. Judge Bobb has served in the Los Angeles Superior Court since 1994. She previously served for 14 years in the Los Angeles Municipal Court where she was the presiding, assistant presiding, and supervising judge. Before appointment to the bench, she served as the Executive Director of the San Fernando Valley Neighborhood Association and as the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. She is a graduate of Boalt Hall School of Law. In 2000, she was named to her current post as Supervising Judge of the Family Law Department, where she has established a national reputation as an outstanding expert in how to address problems resulting from divorce and child custody questions. In addition to her distinguished career on the bench, Judge Bobb is a member of the Judicial Council of California, where she served on the Court Technology Advisory Committee and the Task Force on Trial Court Employees. Judge Bobb has also generously given her time, energy and resources to numerous committees of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and presently is a member of the Family Law Section Executive Committee. She has been the chair of the California Judges Association Court Administration Committee and vice chairperson of the Judicial Council's Presiding Judges Advisory Committee. Her many contributions to our community include service on the Board of Directors of Bet Tzedek Legal Services, Public Counsel, the Western Center on Law and Poverty, and as a trustee of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles. Judge Bobb has been the recipient of the Boalt Hall Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award in 1994 and the Judicial Excellence Award of the National Council on Alcoholism of the San Fernando Valley in 1989. The Levitt & Quinn Family Law Center Award is a very special award because it is given only to those who have dedicated themselves to alleviating social problems within the community at the city, county or state level. It is our distinct pleasure to ask our colleagues to join with us in saluting Judge Bobb for her outstanding achievements, and to congratulate her on receiving this prestigious award.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2048. This bill was marked up and favorably reported by voice vote by the Committee on the Judiciary on July 24. It is wholly non-controversial. It requires the Attorney General in consultation with the State Justice Institute to submit a report to the House and Senate Committees on the Judiciary regarding the effectiveness of the institute. The report will be due no later than October 1, 2002. The SJI is a useful project. Congress created it in 1984 to provide funds to improve the quality of justice in State courts. Congress also directed the SJI to facilitate enhanced coordination between State and Federal courts and develop solutions to common problems faced by all courts. It was last reauthorized in 1992. That expired in fiscal year 1996. While the Committee on Appropriations has continued to appropriate approximately $7 million annually for the State Justice Institute, it has not been formally reauthorized since 1996 by the authorizing committee of the Committee on the Judiciary. The ultimate purpose of the SJI report mandated by this legislation is to aid Congress in reauthorizing the SJI. With the information from this report, Congress can ensure that SJI reauthorization is accomplished with all due diligence. The Attorney General did issue a study of its effectiveness in 1987, but this report provides little information, as the SJI did not become operational until 1987. So we need a new report to help inform future legislation to reauthorize it. H.R. 2048 is a good bill, and I ask my colleagues to support it. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my good friend, Henry L. ``Hank'' Lacayo, an outstanding individual who has dedicated his life to public service and social activism. On august 5, 2001, the Destino 2000 Vision Committee and the Ventura County Community Foundation will celebrate Hank's 70th birthday and will honor him for his many years of service on behalf of the people of Ventura county, the State of California, and the Nation. For more than 45 years, Hank has distinguished himself as a union representative for the United Auto Workers and as a recognized national labor leader throughout the United States. After serving in the Air force, he went to work at North American Aviation's Los Angeles Division. I had the privilege of meeting Hank during the early 1960s when he was elected President of UAW Local 887 which represented more than 30,000 workers at North American Aviation. Although at that time we were on opposite sides of two political factions, in retrospect the differences that loomed large then now seem pointless. Throughout the years that followed, we worked well together on many important labor issues. Hank was one of the early supporters of Cesar Chavez and helped convince the UAW to give the farm workers much needed financial assistance. In 1974, the UAW recognized Hank's excellent work and named him Administrative Assistant to then-UAW President Leonard Woodcock. He was later appointed National Director of the UAW's political and legislative department. Hank would later go on to serve within numerous presidential administrations, beginning with President Kennedy, as a labor relations advisor. In addition to his work with labor unions, Hank has been active in the Latino community. He is a founder and National President Emeritus of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. Furthermore, Hank helped found the Mid-West-North-East Voter Education Project (today the US Hispanic Leadership Institute) and served as its first President and Chairman of the Board. He was also the first Latino to serve on the prestigious US Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. Hank has been recognized on numerous occasions and has been the recipient of a number of prestigious awards. These include the Walter P. Reuther UAW Distinguished Award, the National Hero Award (US Hispanic Leadership Institute) and the Patriotic Service Award (US Department of Commerce). These accolades and the tribute from the Destino 2000 Vision Committee and Ventura County Community Foundation all recognize Hank's devotion and commitment to the plight of workers. In addition to his many professional accomplishments, Hank and his wife Leah have raised four wonderful children. It is my distinct pleasure to ask my colleagues to join with me in wishing Henry L. ``Hank'' Lacayo a happy 70th birthday and in saluting him for his years of public service.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Chairman, I would say to my friend, the gentleman from New Jersey, he keeps confusing sanctions with travel bans. The gentleman has supported, this body has supported, a law which has been in effect now for 7 years which says, when we impose sanctions, we can no longer restrict the right of Americans to travel. Iran sanctions, yes. Banning Americans from going to Iran, no. That is existing Federal law. I hear and I understand the evils of the Castro regime and the stories. Are they worse than any of the stories of the gulag in the Soviet Union, or Communist China during the cultural revolution, or North Korea, or any other place where Americans have an unimpeded right, and always did, to travel? Why? Because it is in America's foreign policy interest to establish contact with the people of those countries. People-to-people diplomacy is the most effective diplomacy. Why is Castro still in and the Soviet Union collapsed? What a great policy we have. He is the longest-standing leader in the world. Boy, has American policy worked. By the way, to my friends on the other side of the aisle, people who make compelling arguments frequently about the absurdity of some government regulation, the notion that a Federal agency, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, decides who can go and who cannot go, whether we like the purpose of the trip or whether we do not. Micromanaging the details of the individual American's right to go to a place and establish those contacts I suggest to Members is totally inconsistent and an anathema to the entire philosophy of the GOP party. This is the most absurd kind of regulation, that seeks to determine which relatives have positive purposes, which people have negative purposes. It does not work. Government cannot handle that. This is a relic of another time. Make this Cuba situation the same as Iran, Russia, all the other authoritarian regimes where Americans are permitted to exercise their constitutional right to travel. Vote for the substitute and against the underlying amendment.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) yielding me the time. I also appreciate very much the parliamentary predicament that she has been in. The gentlewoman from California is trying to deal with a critical emergency affecting millions and millions of people. She is trying to ensure that HIV/AIDS pharmaceutical are available to the people in third world countries. Forced by the parliamentary maneuvering up to now, she has been required to present an amendment which goes far beyond HIV/AIDS pharmaceuticals. It goes far beyond pharmaceuticals. It covers all copyrighted material, patented material and creates this compulsory license mechanism. So she has been forced to present an amendment which I think a lot of people, certainly me, think is overbroad. Mr. Chairman, I ask the gentlewoman in the time she has yielded to me whether she would consider a unanimous consent request to bring this language back to the whole purpose of her Herculean efforts here to make these pharmaceuticals accessible to people who desperately need them?

Mr. BERMAN. I yield to the gentlewoman from California.

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, point of order.

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I do not believe that the unanimous consent request has been made.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my very good friend, Dominick J. Rivetti, retiring Chief of the Police Department of the City of San Fernando. It has been my great pleasure to know Dominick for more than a decade and to see first hand his strong commitment to the City of San Fernando and the safety of its residents. I've had the opportunity to work with him on many issues both in his capacity as Chief and also as head of the Los Angeles County Chiefs of Police, especially with regard to the enactment, extension and expansion of the federal ``Cops on the Beat'' program and the maintenance of funding for the L.A. County Narcotics Task Force. Over the many years of our friendship, I have developed enormous admiration for his integrity, his dedication and his competence. Dominick is retiring after thirty-one years of distinguished service in law enforcement with the San Fernando Police Department. He began his career as a police officer and worked his way through the ranks of the Department, enjoying more and more responsible positions until he was named Chief of Police in December of 1985. During his 15-year tenure as Chief, Dominick has developed many innovative programs and under his able leadership, the San Fernando Police Department has thrived as a community friendly, highly effective law enforcement agency. Dominick's achievements are perhaps understood best through his personal philosophy toward law enforcement. He not only believes that the Department should protect the community, but that the Department must be an integral part of the community. Under his guidance, the Department has made San Fernando a safer, more peaceful place, embracing the notion that this can best be accomplished through earning and maintaining the support of the community. It is noteworthy that in the past five years, violent crime in San Fernando has dropped more than 50 percent and overall, crime has been reduced by 44 percent. Dominick has directed his Police Department to use its resources so as to get more officers on the street and into the community. He has seen to it that programs for young people such as DARE and special youth at risk prevention/intervention programs have been implemented. These programs help keep children from falling through the cracks by redirecting their energy and activities from potentially dangerous ones to constructive ones. Dominick's commitment to public service extends beyond his official law enforcement duties. He has been an active member of the San Fernando Kiwanis Club, the San Fernando Rotary and the Board of Directors Northeast Valley Jeopardy Program. He also has taught at UCLA and the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department North Academy. It is my distinct honor and pleasure to pay tribute to my good friend Dominick Rivetti. He will be greatly missed by the City of San Fernando, but he will be leaving an extremely competent, honored Police Department and a safer community as his legacy. I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing him many happy, healthy and productive years ahead.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Justice Stanley Mosk, who died last month after serving 37 years on the California Supreme Court. He was California's longest serving Justice, a highly respected, even revered judge who delivered almost 1,700 opinions in his remarkable career. He was repeatedly honored for his contributions to the caliber of our judiciary and the quality of justice meted out by our courts in California. He was a distinguished lawyer, a renowned author and an outstanding jurist. I have had the honor of knowing Justice Mosk and his family for many years and he was, to me, one of those special people who had a profound influence on my political life. He was a tremendously impressive individual who embodied a unique combination of political savvy and legal scholarship with an abiding commitment to justice. From 1939 to 1942 he served as executive secretary and legal adviser to the Governor of California, and for the 16 years from 1943 to 1959 he was a judge of the Superior Court in Los Angeles. After serving in the Coast Guard Temporary Reserve during the early days of World War II, Judge Mosk left the Superior Court bench and enlisted in the army as a private. He served until the end of the war and then returned to the court. In 1958, Mosk was elected Attorney General of California with more than a million vote margin over his opponent, the largest majority of any contest in America that year. He was overwhelmingly re-elected in 1962. He was the first person of the Jewish faith to be elected to a statewide office after a campaign in which his religion was made an issue and his decisive victories were enormously important to Jewish candidates who followed him into public service, because it established the fact that their religion would not be a factor in California elections. He was appointed to the state's high court in 1964 by then-Governor Pat Brown. Justice Mosk loved being on the court and hated the thought of retirement, but fearing that his age was slowing him down, he had reluctantly decided to step down this year. He died the day he planned to submit this resignation letter to Governor Davis. Justice Mosk fought doggedly for civil rights and individual liberties. He threw out restrictive real estate covenants that kept black families out of white neighborhoods and opened professional golf to nonwhites. He barred prosecutors from removing jurors on racial grounds. He declared that handicapped parents could not be stereotyped and automatically disqualified from raising their own children. He was revered for his independence as well as his intelligence, his dedication to equal justice and his wisdom and common sense. In November of 1998, Justice Mosk offered this list of his top priorities should he be reelected to the Supreme Court: (1) Properly apply the law, (2) Independence and impartiality, and (3) Justice. He can be no better eulogized than by this short list, which be honored throughout his brilliant career. I ask my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute to Justice Stanley Mosk, a legal giant of California.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to take note of the 80th birthday of lyricist Hal David, whose work has produced some of the most enduring musical moments of the century and brought immense pleasure to generations of music lovers. Few people probably realize how many of the words to songs they know and love were written by Hal David. Between '62 and '72, his lyrics were everywhere. Artists as diverse as Paul McCartney, the Pet Shop Boys, Manic Street Preachers, Prince and Elvis Costello cite his work as being influential to their own. Millions of people have been enchanted by the work of this master wordsmith. We have all smiled at the wit and wisdom in the words to ``Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head'', ``Do You Know the Way to San Jose'', ``What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love'', ``Always Something There to Remind Me'', and many many others. Hal's lyrics are clever, but come straight from the heart and shine with honesty and sincerity. To say that Hal has been repeatedly honored for his talent is to make an understatement of some magnitude: ``Raindrops'' won an Academy Award, three other of his songs were nominated for Oscars, several more are in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and more than 20 won gold records. His work, of course, has earned him a special spot in the Songwriters' Hall of Fame, which he now serves as Chairman of the Board. Filmgoers are very familiar with his work. The lyrics for the scores to ``Alfie'', ``What's New Pussycat'', ``The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'', and ``Moonraker'', among others are his. Together with his long-time collaborator Burt Bacharach, he wrote six songs featured in ``My Best Friend's Wedding.'' His Broadway show, ``Promises, Promises'' was awarded a Grammy and nominated for a Tony award. The sheer volume of classic popular songs that bear his name is breathtaking and his hits are really too numerous to list. Not content with just making music, Hal's years have been filed with service to civic and charitable organizations on both the East and the West coasts. He has contributed his valuable time to the New York City Food Bank and the Artist's Committee for Kennedy Center Honors. He is a Founder of the Los Angeles Music Center and a member of the Board of Governors of Cedars Sinai Medical Center. As a past President and current member of the Board of Directors of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), he is known for his work on the protection of intellectual property and the preservation of artists' rights. It's hard to imagine that an artist of his accomplishments could be an unassuming, friendly guy, but Hal David is one of the nicest individuals imaginable. I'm sure you will all want to join me in thanking him for all the joy his music has brought to our lives and in wishing him many happy returns and very best wishes.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding individual and a good friend, Jonathan Friedman, who is celebrating his 50th birthday on June 3, 2001. Jonathan is a wonderful person, full of integrity and honesty, dedicated to improving the world around him, and an all-around good guy. Jonathan and I have been friends since the early 60's when we worked together in the California Federation of Young Democrats. He was only in high school, but even then he was extremely interested in politics. In the Young Dems, he was a master debater on the Resolutions Committee and was known for providing a fresh and interesting insight which challenged previous policies of the Young Democrats. Jonathan's contributions to the Democrats for Israel Club and the California Democratic State Central Committee are equally impressive and indispensable. Jonathan has enjoyed a distinguished career since receiving his M.B.A. at Wharton Graduate School, where he majored in finance. His educational background, which includes a B.A from UCLA, enabled him to enter the business world in 1975 as a securities analyst and later as an Assistant Vice President at Equitable Life. His interest and acumen in the financial arena continued to grow and led to a position with the Ford Foundation in New York. He made his way back to Los Angeles to serve as an investment consultant at the J. Paul Getty Trust. After a successful stint there, he turned his skills and savvy to the retail market by starting his own jewelry business, Miller Gems. I frequently turn to Jonathan for analysis of legislative proposals in tax and financial matters. His counsel in these areas (and many others) has been invaluable to me. Jonathan also finds time in his busy schedule to be of service to the Jewish community in Los Angeles and nationwide. He serves as a member of the Jewish Community Relations Council which fosters equal protection and justice for all, and he is a long-time member of the American Israel Policy Action Committee. Jonathan is also a volunteer board member of the Friends of the UCLA Library. So it is with special joy that I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing my good friend, Jonathan Friedman, a very happy 50th Birthday and many happy returns. His friendship has added immeasurably to my life.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Toni and John Schulman, my good friends who will be honored this evening by the American Jewish Committee. They will be presented with the prestigious 2001 Social Concern Award for their many contributions and tireless efforts to help others, especially children. The American Jewish Committee is dedicated to the protection of civil and religious rights worldwide and its members take pride in honoring individuals who actively participate and generously give their time to this effort. The AJC's Social Concern Award recognizes the contributions and accomplishments of individuals who dedicate their time and good works to improve the lives of people in their community. Toni and John Schulman embody the spirit of this award and are role models for all of us. Toni and John have given their love, energy and devotion to better the quality of life for children of all religious, racial and ethnic backgrounds. They are people of enormous integrity, great generosity and myriad accomplishments. I have had the pleasure of knowing the Schulmans for many years and have worked with John on a number of issues of concern to Warner Bros., where he serves as Executive Vice President and General Counsel. John is a member of the Board of Directors of Bet Zedek Legal Services, California Legal Corps and the Constitutional Rights Foundation, and is involved with the Youth Law Center. All of these organizations provide free services, legal counseling and many other beneficial services for children. Toni is a Trustee of both United Friends of the Children and the Alliance for Children's Rights. United Friends annually helps thousands of Los Angeles children who are victims of abuse, abandonment or neglect. The Alliance is the City's only free legal service organization devoted entirely to helping children living in poverty. Toni and John are, to put it simply, wonderful people who give unstintingly to others. I am honored to express the gratitude of the community for their tireless service and to congratulate them on this recognition of their outstanding work. Please join me in saluting Toni and John Schulman for their many important and praiseworthy endeavors.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, yesterday marked the one year anniversary of President Chen Shui-bian's inauguration as President of Taiwan. As the first member of the opposition to assume that office, his election was an extremely important milestone in the development of Taiwan's democracy. It's easy to forget that less than 15 years ago Taiwan was still under martial law. The changes we've seen in that short time span are nothing less than remarkable. Taiwan has become a true multiparty democracy that respects human rights and the rule of law. It is a shining example in a region where many countries remain under the control of one man or one party. Taiwan and the United States share a common commitment to the ideals of democracy and freedom. The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which forms the official basis for friendship and cooperation between the United States and Taiwan, continues to provide a strong foundation for the bond between the people of both countries. That bond is sustained and made stronger each day by the large Taiwanese-American community, which has made innumerable contributions to our nation's social, economic and political life. As we celebrate the strength of Taiwan's democracy, we must also recognize the many challenges still faced by that country. Despite its many positive contributions to the international community, much work remains to be done to ensure Taiwan's appropriate participation in a variety of international organizations, including the World Health Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization. In addition, we must do everything possible to ensure that Taiwan's legitimate defense requirements are adequately addressed. On his first anniversary in office, I wish President Chen Shui-bian every success in meeting these and other challenges. I also want to extend my warmest welcome to President Chen as he visits New York City on his way to Central America.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a remarkable woman, a distinguished business leader and a great friend--Dori Pye--who is retiring as President of the Los Angeles Business Council (LABC) after 30 years of service. Dori is being honored by the LABC at a dinner on May 17, 2001 for her outstanding contributions to the business community. I have known Dori from her days at the Westwood Chamber of Commerce, when I was a newly elected state Assemblyman, nervous and apprehensive about speaking to such an august group. Dori, in her inimitable manner, soothed my anxiety and made me feel welcome. From that day forward, we developed a close and very rewarding relationship. Dori's tenure was highlighted by the innovative programs, projects and invaluable resources she brought to LABC and to the City of Los Angeles. She established the LABC's Annual Urban Architectural Awards Program which is designed to recognize outstanding construction and landscaping projects; and she established and continues to run the nationally recognized Leadership LA Program, which prepares business professionals for leadership roles in the community. As President of LABC, Dori was the spokeswoman for the Los Angeles business community in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. I have witnessed firsthand how her strong voice, persuasive logic and general savvy helped bolster the cause of the Los Angeles business community. Anyone who has seen her syndicated show, ``Inside LA,'' knows that Dori truly understands the special idiosyncracies of her home town. She has hosted this program for ten years, during which she has interviewed individuals from all walks of life. She delved into LA's toughest issues and in the process, created a spirited and interesting show that was a favorite of the viewers of Los Angeles. Dori has also served Los Angeles through her tireless work with numerous community, professional and charitable organizations including the Southern California Association of Chamber Executives where she served as President, the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, the American Heart Association, and the Los Angeles International Airport Advisory Committee, among many others. Dori's good works have been recognized by local, state and national legislators and by the City of Hope, which awarded her the ``Spirit of Life Award.'' It is my great pleasure and honor to ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Dori Pye, an extraordinary individual and a very special friend.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor to join the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles' Real Estate & Construction Division in paying tribute to Jona Goldrich, for his generous service to a great variety of worthy organizations and causes and to the Jewish community worldwide. Jona has given tirelessly of his every resource, including the most cherished--his time--to improve the lives of his fellow citizens. He is to be saluted at a special dinner in his honor on May 31st in Los Angeles. Jona is one of the most active supporters of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles in its mission to provide a wide array of agencies and programs with funds for food, shelter, health care, education, counseling, rescue and resettlement for individuals in need. Jona came to the United States as an immigrant and created a real estate company so successful that he is widely acknowledged to be one of the most important and successful developers and managers of housing in the state of California. His distinguished career in real estate has earned him honor and recognition from virtually every professional organization in his field, including the ``Man of the Year'' award from the National Housing Conference. He has received accolades from numerous charitable groups for his work on behalf of those in need of affordable housing. As a member of the Chairman's Council of the Weingart Center, he has worked tirelessly to provide leadership and to seek innovative solutions to break the cycle of homelessness in Los Angeles. Jona was born in Lvov, Poland in 1927. Out of fear for his life, his parents smuggled him out of Europe in 1942. He was sent to refugee camps in pre-Israel Palestine and later served in the Israeli Navy and the Merchant Marines in the military actions of 1948 and 1949 that resulted in the creation of the State of Israel. In 1953, he immigrated to the United States, traveling by bus from Boston to California and settling in Los Angeles because its climate reminded him of Israel. Teaming up with Sol Kest, he formed G & K Industries, an innovative leader in the Southern California real estate market. Among the great accomplishments of this important company is the development of the Marina Pointe Apartments in Marina del Rey. The great energy that has made Jona so successful in his business endeavors also fueled his tireless work on behalf of the Jewish people and the cause of remembrance. He has been honored with the National Conference of Christians and Jews Humanitarian Award, the American Jewish Congress Civil Achievement Award, and the President's Club Award of the B'nai B'rith, among many others. He is a member of the American Friends of Tel Aviv University and a great supporter of the Israel Philharmonic. Among the greatest achievements, of Jona and his wife, Doretta are their two outstanding daughters, and among the greatest pleasures they enjoy is time spent with their grandson and granddaughter. It is a great pleasure today to honor Jona Goldrich as a great champion of the Jewish Community in California and in Israel and to congratulate him on his philanthropic and professional service. We take pleasure in inviting our colleagues to join us in this salute to Jona.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, we are honored to pay tribute to Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles and the ``FAMMY 2001'' honorees, Sanford Weiner and Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. Sandy Weiner and Zev Yaroslavsky will be given the ``FAMMY 2001'' Award at this year's JFS Dinner Gala on June 24, 2001. JFS is one of Los Angeles' largest and oldest social service agencies. It is an organization dedicated to preserving and strengthening the lives of individuals and families. The staff helps rehabilitate the homeless and provides care for senior citizens, individuals with disabilities and people with AIDS. They also counsel troubled families, help recent immigrants navigate complicated INS procedures, and offer counseling and advocacy to battered women and their children. JFS is an extremely important organization that makes a real difference in the lives of many people. We are very pleased that JFS has chosen to honor the past president and former chair of the JFS Immigration and Resettlement, Save-A-Family and Fiscal committees, Sandy Weiner, with the ``FAMMY 2001'' Award. His extraordinary record of community service and his unyielding and successful work to expand JFS have earned him this award. His work within the Jewish community is legendary. He has been an active member and support of many organizations including the Jewish Federation, the American Jewish Congress, Americans for Peace Now and the Progressive Jewish Alliance. We have known Sandy for more than 40 years, since we were students, and are proud to call him a friend. His selflessness, dedication, and accomplishments are inspirational. Like Sandy Weiner, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky is also both an old friend and a worthy recipient of a ``FAMMY 2001'' Award. Zev helped the JFS gain recognition as the agency with expertise in helping older people, and he worked to get the agency critical funding to expand these services. When Zev was a City Councilman, he helped JFS obtain the funding that started Home Secure, a program to provide free safety modification for renters and homeowners with limited incomes--a program that now serves over 2000 households in the Los Angeles area. Zev's energy and passion are legendary. He is well respected by the citizens of Los Angeles for his remarkable leadership and his responsiveness to the needs of his constituents. We are proud to have him represent us on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and we are privileged to call him a friend. Mr. Speaker, it is our distinct pleasure to ask our colleagues to join with us in saluting Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles, Sanford Weiner, and Los Angeles County Supervisor, Zev Yaroslavsky, for their commitment to improving the lives of many in our community.

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, today marks the 86th anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian genocide. I rise today to commemorate this terrible chapter in human history, and to help ensure that it will never be forgotten. On April 24, 1915, the Turkish government began to arrest Armenian community and political leaders. Many were executed without ever being charged with crimes. Soon after the government deported most Armenians from Turkish Armenia, ordering that they resettle in what is now Syria. Many deportees never reached that destination. From 1915 to 1918, more than a million Armenians died of starvation or disease on long marches, or were massacred outright by Turkish forces. From 1918 to 1923, Armenians continued to suffer at the hands of the Turkish military, which eventually removed all remaining Armenians from Turkey. The U.S. Ambassador in Constantinople at the time, Henry Morgenthau, stated ``I am confident that the whole history of the human race contains no such horrible episode as this. The great massacres and persecutions of the past seem almost insignificant when compared to the sufferings of the Armenian race in 1915.'' We mark this anniversary of the start of the Armenian genocide because this tragedy for the Armenian people was a tragedy for all humanity. It is our duty to remember, to speak out and to teach future generations about the horrors of genocide and the oppression and terrible suffering endured by the Armenian people. Sadly, we cannot say that such atrocities are history. We have only to recall the ``killing fields'' of Cambodia, mass killings in Bosnia and Rwanda, and ``ethnic cleansing'' in Kosovo to see that the threat of genocide persists. We must renew our commitment never to remain indifferent in the face of such assaults on humanity. We also remember this day because it is a time for us to celebrate the contribution of the Armenian community in America--including hundreds of thousands in California--to the richness of our character and culture. The strength they have displayed in overcoming tragedy to flourish in this country is an example for all of us. Their success is moving testimony to the truth that tyranny and evil cannot extinguish the vitality of the human spirit. The Armenian struggle continues to this day. But now with an independent Armenian state, the United States has the opportunity to contribute to a true memorial to the past by strengthening Armenia's democracy. We must do all we can through aid and trade to support Armenia's efforts to construct an open political and economic system. Adolf Hitler, the architect of the Nazi Holocaust, once remarked ``Who remembers the Armenians?'' The answer is, we do. And we will continue to remember the victims of the 1915-23 genocide because, in the words of the philosopher George Santayana, ``Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.''

Mr. BERMAN

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my fellow Adat Ari El congregant's Sybil and Mannon Kaplan. On Sunday evening, June 3, 2001, Adat Ari El--the first Conservative synagogue in the San Fernando Valley--will celebrate the Kaplan's longstanding dedication and service to our temple and community. The Kaplans have been members of Adat Ari El for more than 35 years and their contributions are legion. They have selflessly involved themselves in a variety of causes. Sybil is a devoted former L.A. Unified School District teacher and community activist. She has served on both the Temple and Sisterhood Board of Directors and is a founding member and past President of the Associates of the Jewish Home for the Aging. She also helped establish the San Fernando Valley Region of the Jewish National Fund and served as President and Chairman of the Board. Manny, while acting as the managing partner for the last 24 years of the accounting firm of Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co. LLP, has also found time to devote himself to community service. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Adat Ari El Endowment Fund and he has previously served in many other capacities within Adat Ari El, including the Presidency. He is also the current Chairman of the San Fernando Valley Region of the Jewish National Fund and President of the Valley College Patron Association. He has held many other positions and has served on the Board of Directors of such important organizations as the United Jewish Fund and the University of Judaism. Manny also was the President of Camp Ramah. I am honored to know the Kaplans personally. I have great respect and admiration for their accomplishments, their integrity, and their civic spirit. It is with great pleasure that I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting Sybil and Mannon Kaplan for everything they've done and continue to do.