Dan Burton

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, I did not yield to the gentleman only because I did not have the time, or I would have been happy to do so.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Well, I want to give them in a little more detail, if the gentleman wants that.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, during the debate to which the gentleman from West Virginia [Mr. Mollohan] refers, it was made very clear that many legal services corporations that did not want to abide by the new rules were forming shell corporations to get around that, so they could still involve themselves in social issues rather than really dealing with the problems of the poor. That is a fact, and I wanted to clarify that point. I think the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman will continue to yield, they are doing it deliberately to circumvent the law and the rules passed by the gentleman from Kentucky. That is the problem.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, I do not think the facts do show otherwise.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, when we debated my amendment last month to freeze development aid to India, a few of my colleagues had the audacity to suggest that India had cleaned up it human rights problems. They said that reports of continuing human rights abuses were questionable. Mr. Speaker, everyone who follows human rights developments around the world knows that India's abuses against Sikhs, Kashmiris, and others continue unabated. Some defenders of India praised its government for letting its notorious ``TADA'' law expire last year. This law, the ``Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act,'' gave the Indian Government blanket authority to arrest almost anyone and hold them in prison for 2 years without filing any charges. My colleagues will be interested to know that, even though the law was not renewed, tens of thousands of Sikhs continue to be held in prison without charge in Punjab. Asia Watch has reported that ``virtually everyone detained in Punjab is tortured.'' This says a great deal about the rule of law in India. Now I would like to inform my colleagues about an incident that occurred at the airport in New Delhi just 2 weeks ago. A 68-year-old Sikh, a citizen of England who had to get off an international flight because of heart problems, was severely beaten by India's intelligence service. His injuries were confirmed by the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture in London. Dr. Jagjit Singh Chohan was traveling to Bangkok from London. He was experiencing an acute heart condition on the flight, so during a layover in New Delhi, he was taken off the flight in a wheelchair to receive medical care. Instead, Dr. Chohan, who has been a peaceful advocate of an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan, received a severe beating. India's immigration officials refused to allow him to go to a hospital. While he was being held at the airport, roughly 20 officials from the Research and Analysis Wing [RAW], India's intelligence service came into the waiting area and beat this elderly man with their fists, kicked him, and whipped him with a leather belt. The beating lasted for about 10 minutes. He was then put back on the plane without any regard for his injuries or his problems and sent on to Thailand. Dr. Chohan was quickly returned to London, where he was examined by Dr. Forrest of the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture. Dr. Forrest identified 28 separate injuries. In his report, the Doctor reported, ``there was scarcely an area of his body that could be touched without causing pain.'' Mr. Speaker, the beating suffered by this 68-year-old man is just one example of the types of abuses suffered by the Sikhs of Punjab, the Muslims of Kashmir, the Christians of Nagaland, and others. Young men are picked up by security forces and disappear forever. Young women are gang-raped. Thousands are tortured. A prominent Sikh human rights activist, Jaswant Singh Khalra was arrested 10 months ago and has not been seen since. Despite the change in governments, his whereabouts are completely unknown. Many believe that he is being tortured in one of the many prisons in Punjab. These abuses happened under the Rao government. They are continuing under the new government. And they will continue to happen until the United States and other governments around the world take a strong stand against them. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the report from the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture be included in the Record at the conclusion of my remarks. I urge all of my colleagues who opposed my amendment to freeze our aid to India to pay close attention to the reports of human rights abuses that continue to flow out of India and really think hard about their position on this issue. India is not going to end its wide-scale abuses until we take a very firm stand and send a very strong message that they will not be tolerated. Medical Report on Dr. Jagjit Singh Chohal (By Dr. D.M. Forrest, MB ChB, FRCS.) I am a retired Consultant Surgeon. Until the end of 1987 I held Consultant appointments at three London Teaching Hospitals, where my clinical duties included the diagnosis and treatment of many forms of trauma and deliberate abuse. During my consultant career I served as an examiner for the Diploma of Child Health at the Royal College of Physicians, and was President of the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons, the Society for Research into Hydrocephalus, and the Paediatric Section of the Royal Society of Medicine. Since my retirement, I have devoted myself to the documentation and management of torture survivors and have studied the patterns of abuse currently practiced in many countries. I have written and lectured extensively on the subject of torture. I have edited and partly written ``Glimpses of Hell: Reports on Torture Worldwide,'' a textbook on torture. I have made a special study of Sikhs from the Punjab and have published a paper on the subject in the ``Lancet.'' I examined Dr. Jagjit Singh Choha at the Medical Foundation on 8:7:96. The following is his history as related to me. History He told me that he came to live in the UK 17 years ago, having retired from medical practice in a private clinic in India. On 6:7:96 he set out for a holiday in Thailand, flying on Thai Airways, flight 915. After eating a vegetarian meal on the first leg of the journey, he suffered chest and stomach pains. Fearing that the was suffering a heart attack, he alerted the crew. A doctor sitting next to him advised getting off the plane at the scheduled stop in Delhi. Arrangements were made for an ambulance to take him to hospital. On landing he was taken to the medical room, but just before he was taken to the ambulance in a wheelchair, about 20 plainclothes officers burst in and began to abuse and threaten him verbally. They pulled off his turban and shoes but not his other clothes and commenced beating him with fists, slaps and kicks and whipping with a leather belt about the head, back of the neck, limbs and lower trunk. They pulled his hair and beard, pulled him along the rough concrete floor, twisted his arms and ankles, concentrating on the left ankle when they learned that it had recently been fractured, and squeezed his testicles. The assault lasted about ten minutes and then his wrists were tied behind his back and he was bundled onto the plane which had delayed take off for half an hour waiting for him. After the two hour journey to Bangkok he was taken to the immigration Department and left for eighteen hours in a room with about 30 detained immigrants with no facilities and no medical attention. He was put on the next Thai Airline flight to Heathrow. past history He claimed to be healthy and active for his age, though aware of the possibility of hypertension and a heart attack. He took medication to avert this. He practised Yoga every day and was supple and physically active. He suffered amputation of the right hand many years ago and wears an artificial hand. Four months ago he suffered a fracture of the left fibula at the ankle, treated at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. on examination I examined him about eight hours after he landed. He had had no sleep since leaving Heathrow two days previously. He was in some distress and moved with great difficulty, having trouble climbing stairs and in removing his vest. There was scarcely an area of his body that could be touched without causing pain. Over the right temple there was an area of scalp 7x7cm that was reddened, with boggy swelling. There were similar areas 7x7cm on the left temple and, in front of this, 6x2cm at the left hairline. There was swelling and tenderness of the skin at the back of the neck. There was diffuse reddening and tenderness on the chin under the beard. There were faint contusions (bruises) on the tip of the right shoulder and point of the right elbow. On the left upper arm, just above the elbow there was a pair of very sharply and vividly demarcated red purple parallel contusions 5x1cm and 2x1cm 3cm apart, lesser surrounding bruising (a ``tramline'' bruise). There were three well defined circular contusions 1.5cm in diameter on the lateral aspect of the left wrist, each over a bony prominence. There was a small bruise on the middle of the left forearm. There was a vertical abrasion 5cm long on the back of the left wrist and a similar one 6cm long on the back of the forearm just below the elbow. There was a small abrasion on the right forearm just above the prosthesis. There were no bruises on the trunk, but the ribs were tender and there was pain on compression of the chest. There was tenderness, swelling and slight bruising on the outer aspect of the left thigh. There was tenderness and diffuse bruising on the other aspect of the right thigh just above the knee. Both patellae were bruised, swollen and tender. There was a bruise 4x3cm on the inner aspect of the left shin 10cm below the knee and a similar one 4x7cm on the inner aspect of the right shin 25cm below the knee. All movements of the neck and spine were limited by pain. The shoulders were tender and he was unable to raise the arms above the horizontal. Rotation, particularly internal rotation was grossly limited by pain. Flexion of both knees was limited by pain. Both ankles were swollen and extremely tender. All movements were limited, especially twisting of the left ankle. interpretation He attributes all his pain and bruising to a beating at Delhi airport. The reddening and swelling in the scalp was due to punches and pulling of the hair, and that on the chin to pulling of the beard. They are consistent with this. He believes that the ``tramline'' bruise on the left arm was the result of a blow from a leather belt. The appearance is absolutely typical of a lesion inflicted with a stiff, flat weapon approximately 3cm wide. A leather belt would fit this description. It is not in a position to have been caused by ropes binding him. The abrasions on the forearm below the elbow and on the back of the wrist are attributed to being dragged across a rough concrete floor. They are of a nature and distribution to fit in with this explanation. He believes that the pain and stiffness of the shoulder and ankle joints resulted from the deliberate twisting as well as the beating. The treatment he describes would account for this. opinion If it is true that this elderly man was previously fit and able to practice yoga, then his present condition must indicate a number of very severe injuries. All the numerous bruises are recent, showing no signs of yellowing. They appear to be contemporaneous and the most likely dating for all of them is within a very few days. The lack of bruising on the trunk would be satisfactorily explained by his statement that his clothing, including a substantial jacket, were not removed. The tenderness of the ribs indicates severe injury such as would be caused by kicking. He has severe limitation of movement, especially of the neck, spine, shoulders, knees and ankles. This is consistent with his story of beating and twisting of the limbs. No routine medical or rheumatic disease would satisfactorily explain the findings. In my opinion, the medical findings amply support Dr. Chohan's account of his treatment at Delhi airport, and no other reasonable single explanation would cover all his lesions.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, every year, the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations honors Americans from all ethnic backgrounds with its Ellis Island Medal of Honor. This year, I was deeply honored to be one of the recipients of this prestigious award. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of this year's honorees. It is a distinguished group of Americans, including my colleagues, Senator Spencer Abraham, Congressmen Ben Gilman, Ray LaHood, Tom Manton and Charlie Rangel. The Ethnic Coalition of Organizations is dedicated to pursuing harmony between all ethnic groups. This is a goal which I applaud. I would like to enter into the Record a press release announcing these awards, and a list of these distinguished award recipients. Ellis Island Medals of Honor Awards Gala the 10th annual ellis island medals of honor awards ceremony--neco chairman william denis fugazy leads dramatic ceremony dedicated to late medal recipient, congresswoman barbara jordan Ellis Island, NY, May 19.--Standing on the hallowed grounds of Ellis Island--the portal through which 17 million immigrants entered the United States--a cast of ethnic Americans who have made significant contributions to the life of this nation, among them Gov. George E. Pataki, U.S. Rep. Charles B. Rangel, NYC Police Commissioner Howard Safir, and ``street singer'' Arthur Tracy, today were presented with the coveted Ellis Island Medal of Honor at an emotionally uplifting ceremony. NECO's annual medal ceremony and reception on Ellis Island in New York Harbor is the Nation's largest celebration of ethnic pride. This year's 10th annual event was dedicated to the memory of U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan, a 1990 Ellis Island Medal recipient, who recently passed away. Representing a rainbow of ethnic origins, Pataki, Rangel, Safir, Tracy, and other Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients, including Baltimore Orioles baseball team owner Peter Angelos, entertainer Jerry Vale and NAACP President Hazel Dukes, among others, received their awards in the shadow of the historic Great Hall, where the first footsteps were taken by the millions of immigrants who entered the U.S. in the latter part of the nineteenth century. ``Today we honor great ethnic Americans who, through their achievements and contributions, and in the spirit of their ethnic origins, have enriched this country and have become role models for future generations,'' said NECO Chairman William Denis Fugazy. ``In addition, we honor the immigrant experience--those who passed through this Great Hall decades ago, and the new immigrants who arrive on American soil seeking opportunity. Everyone came here with little more than the clothes on their backs. But all they needed was hope and opportunity.'' Mr. Fugazy added, ``It doesn't matter how you got here or if you already were here. Ellis Island is a symbol of the freedom, diversity and opportunity--ingredients inherent in the fabric of this nation. Although many recipients have no familial ties to Ellis Island, their ancestors share similar histories of struggle and hope for a better life here.'' One of the emotional high points of the day came when the words spoken at the 1990 event by the late Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, one of the first African-Americans to accept the Ellis Island medal, were replayed over the public address system after this year's ceremony was dedicated to her memory. Mr. Fugazy recalled how the ailing Jordan flew to New York, dramatically arriving in a wheelchair with a team of medical personnel. Established in 1986 by NECO, the Ellis Island Medals of Honor pay tribute to the ancestry groups that comprise America's unique cultural mosaic. To date, some 500 ethnic American citizens and native Americans have received medals. NECO is the largest organization of its kind in the U.S., serving as an umbrella group for 75 ethnic organizations and whose mandate is to preserve ethnic diversity, promote ethnic and religious equality, tolerance and harmony, and combat injustice, hatred and bigotry. Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients are selected each year through a national nomination process. Screening committees from NECO's member organizations select the final nominees, who are then considered by the Board of Directors. Among this year's recipients were Michigan Senator Spencer Abraham; members of the U.S. Congress Thomas Manton, Benjamin Gilman, Danny L. Burton, and Ray Lahood; Justices Anthony Celebrezze and Damon J. Keith; Sam DiPiazza (Vice Chairman, Coopers & Lybrand); Rabbi Marc Schneier; ASPCA President Roger Caras; WCBS News executive Jerry Nachman; Christopher Komisarjevsky (Burson-Marsteller USA President); Air Force Major General Marcelite J. Harris, and Air Force Lieutenant Colonel William Gregory (astronaut); and former New York Mets Manager Jeff Torborg. (Please refer to media kit insert for a complete list of 1996 honorees and previous recipients.) Past Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients have included several U.S. Presidents, entertainers, athletes, entrepreneurs, religious leaders and business executive such as Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, George Bush, Richard Nixon, Mario Cuomo, Christine Todd Whitman, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Michael Douglas, Gloria Estefan, Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Elie Wiesel, Muhammad Ali, Mickey Mantle, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Barbara Walters, Terry Anderson and Dr. Michael DeBakey. congratulations to the 1996 ellis island medal of honor recipients Hon. Spencer Abraham, Lebanese, United States Senator; Sarkis Acopian, Armenian, Conservationst; Hon. Wendell R. Anderson, Swedish, Community Leader; Peter Angelos, Esq., Hellenic, Attorney; Robert Annunziata, Italian, Business Leader; Nicola M. Antaki, Syrian, Business Leader; Carl J. Bazarian, Armenian, Community Leader; Martin S. Begun, Russian, Educator/Community Leader; Bruce Bendell, Eastern European, Buisness Leader; James M. Benson, Swe/Eng/Ire/Scot/ Ger/Fr, Business Leader; Kenneth Berg, Russian, Business Leader; A. Steve Betzelos, Hellenic, Business/Community Leader; Lena Biorck Kaplan, Swedish, Community Leader; W. Paul Brogowski, Polish, Business Leader; Hon. Dan Burton, Welch, Member of Congress; John J. Cali, Italian, Business Leader; Roger A. Caras, Eastern European, Author; John A. Cavanagh, Irish, Business Leader; Hon. Anthony Celebrezze, Italian, U.S. Circuit Court Judge; Andreas D. Comodromos, Cypriot, Business/Community Leader; Anthony D. Dalesandro, Italian, Business Leader; Tarik S. Daoud, Arabic, Business/ Community Leader; Ruda B. Dauphin, Polish, Media Director; Bettie Dawood, Lebanese, Business/Community Leader; Countess Nadia de Navarro-Farber, Bulgarina, Real Estate Developer; Jean-Jacques de Saint Andrieu, French, Business Leader; Hon. Dennis DeConcini, Italian/English, United States Senator (Ret); Ramon Abi-Rashed DeSage, Lebanese, Industry Leader; Fernando M. DeSousa, Portuguese, Community Leader; Federick W. Devine, Irish, Labor Leader; Richard ``Bo'' Dietl, German/ Italian, Business Leader/Author; Nicholas P. DiPaolo, Italian, Business Leader. Samuel A. DiPiazza, Jr., Italian, Business Leader; Hazel N. Dukes, African, Community Leader; Most Rev. John A. Elya, Lebanese, Religious Leader; Hon. Albert J. Emanuelli, Italian, Justice, New York State; Michael D. Francis, Esq., Austrian/Russian, Business Leader; Mario J. Gabelli, Italian, Business Leader; Hon. Benjamin Gilman, Member of Congress; Joesph J. Grano, Jr., Italian, Business Leader; George L. Graziadio, Italian, Business Leader; Lt. Col. William Gregory Albanian, Astronaut; Eugene P. Grisanti, Polish/Italian, Business Leader; Nahum Guzik, Russian, Business Leader; John Kaare Hagen, Norwegian, Business Leader; Antoine C. Harovas, M.D., Hellenic, Physician; Maj. Gen. Marcelite J. Harris, African, Government Leader (Military); John E. Herzog, Hungarian, Business Leader; Arthur E. Imperatore, Italian, Business Leader; Joseph P. Jarjura, Lebanese, Business/ Community Leader; Norman Katz, German, Business Leader; Joseph Kazickas, Lithuanian, Business Leader; Hon. Damon J. Keith, African, Circuit Judge; John J. Kelly, Irish, Business Leader; Christopher Komisarjevsky, Russian, Business Leader; Murray Koppelman, Polish/Russian, Community Leader; Leo Paul Koulos, Hellenic, Business Leader; Hon. Ray Lahood, Labanese, Member of Congress; Carmella La Spada, Italian, Humanitarian; Bennett S. LeBow, Eastern European, Business Leader; Daok Lee, Korean, Educator/Community Leader; Anthony Lomangino, Italian, Business Leader; Hon. Thomas J. Manton, Irish, Member of Congress; Scrafin U. Mariel, Puerto Rican, Business/Community Leader. Charles H.McCabe, Jr., Irish, Business Leader; Paschal McGuinness, Irish, Labor Leader, Brian McLauhlin, Irish, Labor Community Leader; Dennis McSpedon, Irish, Labor Leader; Haroutine Mekhjian, M.D., Armenian, Cardiac Surgeon/Community Leader; Spiros Milonas, Hellenic, Business Leader; Luis A. Miranda, Jr., Puerto Rican/Latino, Educator/Community Leader; Hugo M. Morales, M.D., Hispanic, Eductor/Community Leader; Thomas J. Moran, Irish/Italian, Business Leader; Bruce A. Morrison, Irish, Government/Community Leader; James H. Moshovitis, Hellenic, Business Leader; Jerome A. Nachman, Rumanian/Russian, Journalist; Dr. Julius R. Nasso, Italian, Business Leader; Ricahrd T. Nasti, Italian, Business Leader; Vincent Natrella, Italian, Community/Political Leader; Paul Nussbaum, German, Business/Community Leader; Harry L. Pappas, Hellenic, Business Leader; Hon. George E. Pataki, Hungarian/ Irish/Italian, Governor--State of New York; Ludovit Pavlo, M.D., Slovak, Physicial/Community Leader; John A. Payiavlas, Hellenic, Business Leader; Maryanne K. Peneachio, Polish, Hoeaker; Fammioe Petallides-Holiday, Cypriot, Business/ Community Leader; Joseph, M. Pizza, Italian, Business Leader; William F. Plunkett, Jr., Esq., Irish, Attorney; Hon. Charles B. Ragnel, African, Member of Congress; Kiewoong Walter Rhee, Korean, Community Leader; Nicholas L. Ribis, Italian, Business Leader; Joe E. Rodriguez, Puerto Rican, Business Leader; Mauro C. Romita. Italian, Business Leader; Jack Rosen, Easter European, Business Leader. Rustum Roy, Asian Indian (East), Educator/Researcher/ Author; Hon. Howard Safer, Russian, New York City Police Commissioner; Louis P. Salvatore, Italian, Business leader; S. Gary Schiller, Austrian/German, Community Leader; Rabbi Marc Schneier, Viennese, Religious/Community Leader; Martin E. Segal, Russian, Business Leader/Patron of the Arts; John T. Sharkey, Irish, Business Leader; Steven H. Shepsman, Eastern European, Business Leader; Rolland G. Smith, Genglish/Irish, Journalist; John L. Soldini, Italian/Irish, Educator/Labor Leader; Hon. Nicholas A. Spano, Italian, New York State Senator; Sonja B. Stefanadis, Hellenic, Community Leader; Robert M. Stutman, Russian Business Leader; Philip Suarez, Puerto Rican, Business Leader; Lou Switzer, African, Business Leader; Rosemarie Taglione, Danish/Italian, Business Leader; Joseph H. Talfour, Sr., Slovak, Attorney, Business/ Community Leader; Marilyn Jordan Taylor, Scottish, Architect; Raymond C. Teatum, Irish, Public Official; Fred S. Teng, Chinese, Business/Community Leader; Dr. Nick John Topetzes, Hellenic, Educator/Community Leader; Jeffrey A. Torborg, Swedish/German/English, Major League Baseball Plaoyer, Coach, Manager, Broadcaster; Arthur Tracy, Russian, Entertainer ``The Street Singer''; Pauline Trigere, French, Business Leader; Jerry Vale, Italian, Singer/Entertainer; Dennis R. Washington, Norwegian, Business Leader; John S. Wilcha, Czecholsovakian, Business Leader; Dr. John D. Young, Chinese, Business Leader; Brad Zackson, Rumanian/Russian, Business Leader.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I would just like say to my colleague who just spoke, he made my case. He made my case. They thumb their nose at the rest of the world. They sell chemical biological weapons to the rest of the world, they sell military equipment to street gangs in the United States of America. They violate the security of Taiwan by trying to interfere in their elective process, by starting war games. There are 10 million people, count them, 10 million people in Communist gulags that are slave laborers, that are making products they are selling to the rest of the world, and we are concerned about the almighty dollar to such a degree that we say, oh, we are not going to pay any attention, we are going to grant them MFN. Mr. Speaker, we need to send Communist China a message and let the rest of the world know very clearly that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated by this country. If they want to do business with the free world, they have to act like a democratic society.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, every American values his or her privacy. The people who work for this Government are no exception--408 individual Americans who worked for previous administrations, Republicans, had their files taken from the FBI, and we believe that many of them were going to be used for dirty political tricks in the future. Some people say, ``Well, it was a political mistake. The White House made a mistake.'' It was not one mistake. It was 408 individual requests. Four hundred eight. Bernie Nussbaum, the counsel to the President's name, was on each one of those requests. He said he did not know anything about it. If he did not know anything about it, who requested those files? This is not the book 1984 where Big Brother looked into every one of our lives. This is supposed to be a free democratic society. Yet 408 people had their files, which are supposed to be secret, exposed to others at the White House and many of those things were leaked to other people they should not have been leaked to. This is something that needs to be fully investigated and the FBI should not be the only one to do it.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I was kind of distressed today when I turned on the television set and saw the report that came out from the Senate Banking Committee on Whitewater. I was not upset about the report; I was upset about how it was presented by the media and that it was pooh-poohed as though it was nothing significant. The fact of the matter is it is very, very significant and there were some very real possibilities of violations of law and obstruction of justice. For instance, Hillary Rodham Clinton, the President's wife, said she did not know anything about or have copies of the billing records from the Rose Law Firm that dealt with Castle Grande in the Whitewater episode. Yet 2 years after they were subpoenaed by the independent counsel, 2 years after they were requested by the Congress of the United States, they were found in her living quarters in the library right next to her bedroom. Not only that, her fingerprints and the fingerprints of Vince Foster were all over the documents. For her to say that she did not know that those documents were there, did not have any idea or recollect where they were and they were next to her bedroom for 2 years and many believe were taken out of Vince Foster's office right after his death is just hard to believe. The billing records contradict her previous sworn statements that she did very little work on the Castle Grande real estate project which helped bring about the downfall of Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan and the conviction of Jim Guy Tucker of Arkansas. The records document that Mrs. Clinton had 14 meetings or discussions concerning Castle Grande and drafted an important legal document. She said she had nothing to do with it. That is just one thing. Second, during the last week of May, the House was scheduled to vote to hold White House counsel Jack Quinn in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over thousands of pages of documents concerning another matter called Travelgate. At the last moment he turned over 1,000 pages of documents. However, the White House has refused to turn over 2,000 pages of documents that are more sensitive and have to do with this scandal. The White House is claiming executive privilege so it can keep these documents secret; they must contain some very damaging information. These documents include 600 pages relating to Vince Foster, whose body was mysteriously found over at Fort Marcy Park. They include a 54- page analysis of custody and disclosure of Foster's travel office file, a 22-page chronological analysis of the handling of Foster's documents, and 33 pages of handwritten notes that were in his briefcase that nobody even knew about until just now. His briefcase was empty when they found it, and they started talking about it. They found two little pieces of paper that was allegedly a suicide note, but nobody has ever mentioned these 33 pages of documents that they are trying to keep the Congress from seeing. Then we have now the confidential FBI files. The White House asked for and received files on 408 people, Republicans, and they were sought without justification. The Secret Service has said there was no way that they could have accidentally provided the White House with this out-of-date list. Usually, almost always, when the White House asks for evidence or an FBI background check on somebody, it is prospective, to find out if there is anything wrong with that person before they hire them and bring them into the Government. These were people who had already been investigated and they went back and got 408 files of Republicans, and we believe it was because they wanted to find some dirt on them that they could use in later political campaigns for political purposes. The files of two of the Travel Office employees, Billy Dale and Barnaby Brasseux, were requested with the explanation that they were seeking access to the White House. This was several months after they had been fired from the White House. Apparently the White House was not content with launching an unjustified FBI investigation of these two men. They apparently decided to dig up a little dirt on them themselves. The FBI Director appointed by Bill Clinton, Louis Freeh had this to say about the incident in his report to the public. This is an appointee by the President himself. He called the White House actions ``egregious violations of privacy.'' He went on to say, ``The prior system of providing files to the White House relied on good faith and honor. Unfortunately, the FBI and I were victimized.'' That is really a criticism, a severe criticism, of the White House and their policies. Once again, Craig Livingstone is at the center of a White House dirty tricks operation. He will be called before our committee to testify before too long. As you will recall, earlier in 1993, he was seen by a Secret Service agent leaving the White House counsel's suite with a box of documents from the deceased assistant to the President, Vince Foster. However, it does not stop there. Craig Livingstone is 37 years old. He is a midlevel White House aide. He would not be gathering these political intelligence reports from the FBI without authorization from somebody up above. We need to find out who that was and whether there was obstruction of justice or a violation of the law.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. There was no precondition whatsoever.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, I would like to just restate what my colleague has stated. That is that we are not cutting aid to India. We are going to give them the same amount of developmental aid we did last year. We are just not giving them an $8.3 million increase, and we are doing that to send them a message. A lot of my colleagues have just said this is going to be a cataclysmic experience if we do this. That does not make any sense. My colleagues know it. The fact of the matter is that all we want to do is send a signal that the United States will not tolerate these human rights abuses. Some of my colleagues have talked about Libya and other terrorist states and the kinds of human rights abuses that are going on there. They are right, there are horrible human rights abuses. But we do not give them aid. Wherever we do give aid and there are human rights abuses, we should cut that aid to send a signal. We are our brother's keeper. Almost every speaker who spoke here tonight has admitted there are human rights abuses in Kashmir, Punjab, Jagaland and elsewhere in India. So we know what is going on. They say there is a human rights commission in India. What would you expect them to say? They are government-sponsored. They are going to say things are getting better. But listen to what the paper said just last week. This is the Washington Post: Human Rights Watch Asia said state-sponsored militias are committing grave human rights abuses, including summary executions, torture, and illegal detention in the only Muslim majority state in mostly Hindu India, and it is going on in Punjab as well. Let me say to my colleagues one more time: Put yourself in the place of people who live in Punjab, Kashmir, Nagaland, and elsewhere in India. You have got a wife. You have got a kid. You have got a son. You have got a husband. They take your husband out in the middle of the night and you do not see him again. They find his body in a canal with his hands wrapped together and a gag in his mouth. Your wife is taken out in the middle of the night, they hold you at gunpoint and they take her out and gang rape her, because they know it is going to hurt her and you and everybody else, because of your Muslim beliefs. Those things are going on today. They take your son out and they remove a kidney because they want to use that for somebody that needs a kidney transplant, and that has happened as well. These are not happening in the past, as many of my colleagues have said. They are going on today, right this minute. There are 550,000 troops in Kashmir and Punjab, and these things are going on as we speak. So I just want to say to my colleagues tonight, if you care about your brothers around the world, if you care about human rights, I am not asking for the moon, I am just saying, do not give them any more money than you gave them last year. And the American taxpayers will applaud you for it. Because they do not want you to give that additional money anyhow. And all you are going to be doing by cutting a paltry $8.3 million is sending a signal. We do not want any more gang rapes for women. You would not want them in the United States. We do not want any torture, throwing people in canals with their hands bound and gagged. We want that to end, we want your government to stop these things and if you do that, we will applaud you and we will start working with you.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, my colleague mentioned that there were a number of countries that had human rights violations that were getting our aid. I would like to say to my colleague, I have no objection whatsoever to him or any Member of this body proposing a cut in aid to any country that violates human rights, that violates women's rights, that gang rapes women and tortures people and throws them into rivers with their hands bound, and gagged. I think that those kinds of countries should be penalized. We should hold them up to public scrutiny throughout the world. When we talk about Egypt torturing people, I will support the gentleman's amendment if he wants to cut some of their aid.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, if there is a gun pointed at an individual's back taking that person to the polls, and that person goes in and votes, they are not going to turn in a blank ballot. The gentleman knows that and I know that. When we talk about Punjab and Kashmir, we are talking about two areas that are very similar in many respects and not so similar in others, except in one respect, and that is there is torture and human rights violations going on by 1.1 million Indian troops, and that is the problem.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, let me say this. This is an article that is less than 1 month old. The gentleman talked about the free elections. On May 24, this is a report here in the Washington Newspapers, armed troops, armed troops herded Kashmirians to the polls yesterday for the rebellious state's first elections in 7 years, forcing Kashmirians to participate in an Indian Government election they wanted no part of. So they literally forced them to vote.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, briefly, the gentleman just said that U.N. Human Rights Commission said they were making real progress. I want to read to him one paragraph from the Washington Post on May 19, less than a month ago. They said Human Rights Watch Asia said State- sponsored militias are committing grave human rights abuses, including summary executions, torture, and illegal detention in the only Muslim majority state in mostly Hindu India. This is less than 1 month ago. And if I might say one more thing briefly, and that is this. Does the gentleman really think not giving them an additional $8.3 million is going to hurt our economic ties with them?

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the way the gentleman has presented his arguments. I would just like to ask one question rhetorically and that is this: If you lived in a neighborhood and you were a Muslim in Kashmir and they held you at gunpoint in your home and a bunch of soldiers took your wives down the street, out in the streets and gang raped them, do you think you would want to rebel and fight back?

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. I just want to say to my colleague that I have been to a lot of meetings with Christians and Muslims around this country. The Muslims are very sensitive because they feel like they are being depicted as terrorists. Probably 97, 98, 99 percent of them are very patriotic Americans and law abiding. I think it is real important that we in the Congress of the United States bear that in mind when we are debating issues of this magnitude.

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. The inadvertent depiction, I hope, that Muslims in America are out to overthrow our government, at least that is the way I interpreted it.