Peter Deutsch

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the devoted men and women of the AmeriCorps Youth Pride Program. Youth Pride Program volunteers tutor and mentor 250 low-income youth to help ensure academic achievement in Florida City, Florida. It is both an honor and a privilege for me to pay tribute to such a noble effort. In addition to helping these students with their academics, the Youth Pride Program provides after-school activities to approximately 350 students. With a 90% decrease in school suspensions and detentions among those served, the success rate of this after school program has been outstanding. The Youth Pride Program is part of AmeriCorps, a national network of hundreds of community service groups throughout the United States. When President Clinton created AmeriCorps, he spoke about the virtue of service to the community. Like many Americans, I strongly believe that volunteerism provides extensive benefits to volunteer, recipients, and the community at large. Throughout our nation's history, we have relied on the dedication and action of our citizens to tackle the biggest challenges. I am pleased to say that the AmeriCorps Youth Pride Program adds to this revered tradition. I wish to congratulate the entire staff and volunteer network of the Youth Pride Program on a job well done. This is truly an achievement of which the entire South Florida community can be proud.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the invasion and forcible division of Cyprus. One quarter century after Turkish troops occupied Cyprus, beginning an unfortunate pattern of human rights violations, violence, and forcible evictions, thousands of Greek Cypriots are still unable to return to their ancestral homes, hundreds more are missing, and precious cultural and religious sites have been irreparably damaged. I believe, however, that renewed interest in the plight of occupied Cyprus will lead to positive diplomatic developments in the near future. Just last month, the leaders of the G-8 urged the U.N. Secretary General to invite the two sides to participate in comprehensive negotiations. The U.N. Security Council followed suit, adopting one resolution echoing this sentiment and another reiterating its commitment to a final settlement which restores the territorial integrity and independence of Cyprus. It is my hope that in upcoming meetings, President Clerides of the Republic of Cyprus and Mr. Denktash of the Turkish Cypriots will honor both the spirit and letter of these resolutions, negotiating in good faith to reach a solution which will restore peace, freedom, and security to Cyprus. I urge all of my colleagues to continue their drive for a resolution to the problems plaguing Cyprus these 25 years. We are faced with an historic opportunity to reinforce the support for a settlement shown by the international community, and to bolster our allies in Greece and Turkey in their quest for peace. We must continue to keep the peace process in Cyprus at the forefront of our foreign affairs agenda if we are to put an end to a quarter century of terrible injustice for the people of Cyprus.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, the South Florida community has lost a truly great leader. I am saddened that Margaret Blake Roach passed away at the age of 88 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on July 16, 1999. We mourn the loss of a woman whose legacy will undoubtedly be remembered for years to come. Margaret Roach was at the forefront of the social justice movement in Broward County for three decades. Well known as the founder and president emeritus of the Urban League of Broward County, Margaret was also the founding member of the Broward/South Palm Beach region of the National Conference for Community and Justice, formerly the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Her leadership was instrumental in the fight for social equality throughout South Florida and, indeed, the entire state of Florida as well. During her 24 years as an administrator in Broward County Schools and a trustee and former chairperson of the board of trustees in Broward County Schools and a trustee and former chairperson of the board of trustees at Broward Community College, Margaret Roach was very active in various civic matters. Though she retired from the school district in 1975, Margaret continued to work on behalf of children nationwide. She played significant roles in the United Way, Habitat for Humanity, and the Cleveland Clinic. It truly seems that there was no organization that worked for the greater good in Broward County in which Margaret Roach did not play a role. Mr. Speaker, while Margaret Roach's passing is a tremendous loss for the South Florida community, I can say without hesitation that her memory lives on through the work of the many organizations to which she dedicated her life. Margaret was an extraordinary human being who went above and beyond what she needed to be, because of her sincere desire to help others. For the thousands of lives she has touched, I thank and praise Margaret Blake Roach for her hard work, her leadership, and her compassion for others.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1477, the Iran Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act of 1999, of which I am an original co-sponsor. This provision, which passed the House of Representatives in the 105th Congress by an overwhelming margin, would ensure that we hold the International Atomic Energy Agency accountable for its programs in Iran, and would reinforce our commitment to peace and stability in the Persian Gulf. Despite its plentiful oil and gas resources, Iran has sought for years to complete the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant on its Persian Gulf coast. Iran is a notorious sponsor of international terrorism, and as such its plans to utilize nuclear energy should not go unchecked by the United States and our allies. I have little faith that a nation which thinks nothing of murdering innocent civilians and of rounding up innocent Jews and throwing them into jail on trumped-up charges possesses the commitment to safety that would prevent such a reactor from being a threat to the entire Gulf region, if not the world. The November 1998 pact between Iran and Russia to expedite the construction at Bushehr is illustrative of the urgency of this threat. As a nation, we need to pay close attention to the progression of this project, and we should ensure that we do not contribute to Iran's acquisition of technology or expertise during the course of this project which could contribute to its procurement of nuclear weapons know-how. As Iran continues to build its military arsenal--testing engines for ballistic missiles capable of carrying warheads to Israel and other nations in the region, we should make sure that our money--both directly and indirectly--does not help Iran's conquest of nuclear technology. This measure, which would withhold assistance to the IAEA pending certain State Department certifications, is a necessary step toward that goal. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I stand today to protest tonight's reception honoring two officials of the Castro regime, which makes a statement to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and the world that the United States considers a Communist dictator to be a good trading partner. I am troubled by the fact that tonight two of Castro's officials will be hosted at a Capitol Hill event for the first time in 40 years. Maria de la Luz B'Hammel and Igor Montero Brito should not have been granted visas to visit the United States, and they should not be welcomed as spokespeople for the opening up of trade between the United States and Cuba. It is important that we remain vigilant in bringing to light the continuing deplorable behavior of Castro and his regime. Castro uses food as a weapon, cutting off the rations of those who speak out against his destructive and oppressive policies. He has destroyed his own country, and trade with him will not only be an affront to American ideals of human rights and freedom, but will also be disastrous for our economy. There are those who look upon trade with the Castro regime as a panacea for the problems of our agriculture industry. In reality, trade with Castro will actually open up our markets to cheap products made with cheap labor in Cuba. Castro's agricultural products will be inexpensive because they will be made by overworked and underpaid workers in a country with no labor rights. His products may harm the environment, as they will be produced by a government without a system of checks and balances over environmental policies. And they will be dumped on the U.S. market, because Castro has never possessed nor does he now possess the ability to cooperate meaningfully with other nations. Trade with Cuba will eventually be possible, but never under this tyrannical regime. To suggest otherwise, as tonight's reception does, is to forget our commitment to the ideals of freedom and democracy-- ideals that Castro does not and will never share.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Nadler substitute. In the 103rd Congress, I was an original cosponsor of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. I would take second place to no one in this Chamber in terms of a concern about religious liberty protection. I take that very, very seriously. I understand the intent of this legislation as well. But I think all of us who have looked at this legislation realize that the legislation will have an incredibly unfortunate consequence and that would be to allow the overturning of anti-discrimination statutes in the United States of America, statutes which are really at a fundamental core of the American experience. There are well-intentioned, good arguments on both sides of this legislation. I think we come to this in one of our really better moments as an institution. But I really ask and I really plead with my colleagues who are contemplating not supporting the Nadler amendment to really spend the time to understand specifically what the effect of this legislation would do. It will in fact, and I do not think there is an argument about this at all, it would in fact change protection that exists under present law against discrimination, whether Federal, whether State, whether county or local discrimination statute. It would force them into courts. And I think all of us understand that there will be many cases, and we do not know the exact percentage of those cases, that the standards of compelling State interest will not be met. And that really is the issue in front of us, that in terms of actual discrimination that is protected against today, if this legislation were to pass those protections would not exist and, in fact, that discrimination would occur. And in the balancing that we are trying to do, it would not, under any circumstance with the Nadler substitute, deal with some of the parade of horribles that I support the protections of that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Canady) mentioned previously in terms of religious schools, dictating hiring practices of churches. I urge my colleagues, I implore my colleagues to support the Nadler substitute.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the University of Miami's championship victory in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) College World Series. It is both an honor and a joy for me to recognize the Hurricanes on their triumphant season. On Saturday, June 19th, the Miami Hurricanes defeated the Florida State Seminoles by a score of 6 to 5 to win this year's NCAA baseball championship. This is the third championship for Miami and it is a fitting end to a stellar, yet challenging, season in which the 'Canes won 50 games, while losing only 13. The road to the championship was filled with adversity since the season's beginning as the Hurricanes lost three top hitters to the pros, and six more players to injuries. However, the team overcame these challenges with outstanding performances on Saturday by players such as Kevin Brown and Mike Neu, whose efforts were symbolic of their team's outstanding talent and hard work throughout the season. Coach Jim Morris deserves a great deal of credit for winning his first national baseball title in six years with the University of Miami. Since 1994, he has led the Hurricanes to very successful seasons, each concluding with heart-wrenching losses in the College World Series. This past Saturday, Coach Morris's perseverance and dedication finally paid off. I wish to congratulate Coach Morris and the University of Miami baseball team for a well deserved victory, a victory of which the entire university and the south Florida community can be very proud.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Temple Kol Ami in Plantation, Florida, on the occasion of its 25th Anniversary. It is a pleasure for me to have the opportunity to celebrate the congregation's longstanding commitment and outstanding service to the Broward County community. For the past quarter century, Plantation has witnessed the steady growth of Temple Kol Ami within the Jewish community. From its humble start of just a few members in 1975, the Temple has flourished into a congregation of over eleven hundred families. With this dramatic growth of its membership, Temple Kol Ami responded to the demand for new space with various additions over the years including a new sanctuary and the recent dedication of the Elizabeth Shoshanna Harr Education Center. This extensive expansion of the organization is a testament to the Temple's strong community involvement and outreach efforts. Over the course of the past 25 years, Temple Kol Ami has consistently maintained sharp focus on the needs of the congregation. Throughout these years of amazing development, the Temple has continued to serve its members and community while upholding the customs of Jewish life within the traditions of Reform Judaism. While upholding a tradition of excellence in spirituality, the Temple has also made the teaching of Judaism a top priority through the establishment of an Early Childhood Program, a Religious School, Adult Education Programs, and a Day School. Mr. Speaker, Temple Kol Ami has spent the last twenty five years demonstrating its strong commitment to the spiritual well-being and Jewish education of its congregation while maintaining an excellent standard of community involvement. I am extremely proud to celebrate this anniversary with the members of Temple Kol Ami, for their devotion to the Jewish faith and contributions to the surrounding community are truly evident during this glorious time of reflection upon their 25 years of success.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Betty Bauman, soon to be named Woman of the Year by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA). Ms. Bauman's extraordinary vision and enthusiasm has made her an exemplary contributor to the sportfishing community, and I congratulate her on this well deserved award. Betty Bauman has become a fishing guru to thousands of women through her ``Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!'' weekend saltwater fishing seminars in Florida. Ms. Bauman's ``no-yelling school of fishing'' features a non- intimidating environment, hands-on training, a real fishing expedition, and a fish filleting and cooking class. Held in conjunction with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Marine Fisheries, the program is in its third year and now attracts more than 600 women annually. Betty Bauman's success in attracting women to her fishing weekends demonstrates her intense dedication to increasing the overall participation in sportfishing, a fundamental goal of the ASA. Furthermore, her life-long enthusiasm for the sport is reflected in her notoriety within the fishing community. Through her efforts she has successfully cultivated a love of sportfishing within new participants, introducing a broader cross-section of society to the complete fishing experience. Mr. Speaker, through her unique vision and entrepreneurial spirit, Betty Bauman has contributed a great deal to the sportfishing community, making her especially deserving of this award. I wish to convey a heartfelt congratulations to Betty and her family for this honor, as well as many thanks to her for working to enrich the lives of the entire South Florida community.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in tribute to the life of Shel Silverstein, acclaimed children's author. I am deeply saddened that Shel Silverstein passed away at the age of 66 in Key West, Florida, on May 10, 1999. We mourn the loss of a man whose legacy will be remembered for years to come. Mr. Silverstein is best known for his children's poetry, but I think it is safe to say that his poetry is enjoyable to adults as well. I, myself, am quite familiar with his works, as my daughter Danielle is a big fan of his poetry. Indeed, I am sure that many of my colleagues would recognize his work which includes Falling Up, A Light in the Attic, and Where the Sidewalk Ends. Over the course of his career, Shel Silverstein won numerous awards for his work, including the Michigan Young Readers Award for Where the Sidewalk Ends. His books, which Shel illustrated himself, are packed with humor and colorful characters, and sold over 14 million copies throughout the course of his life. This is truly a testament to the widespread appeal of his work. Though books such as the Giving Tree were the catalyst which led to Shel Silverstein's international acclaim, few people realize that Shel began his career in the 1950s while serving with the United States armed forces in Japan and Korea. While stationed overseas, Mr. Silverstein began drawing cartoons for ``Stars and Stripes,'' the American military publication. Apart from his success as a writer of poetry, Shel Silverstein was also successful in his attempts to write country-western music. In 1969, Johnny Cash made the Silverstein-penned tune ``A Boy Named Sue'' into a bonafide hit. Loretta Lynn made Shel's song ``Ones on the Way'' famous as well. In 1980, Shel even recorded an album of his own called ``The Great Conch Train Robbery.'' This title clearly shows Shel's fondness for his home in Key West, as the title references the car of his friend Buddy Owen, owner of B.O.'s Fish Wagon, one of Shel's favorite places to eat. Mr. Speaker, while Shel Silverstein's passing is a tremendous loss for our nation and the world, I can say without hesitation that his kindness and generosity will be missed especially by the Key West community. He was an extraordinary human being, but we are lucky to have so many wonderful memories of his life and work.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to encourage all my colleagues to support the Missing, Exploited, and Runaway Children Protection Act. Today I would like to focus on one specific facet of this Act, the authorization of Congressional support for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Since 1984, the Center has proven to be an invaluable resource for state and local governments who struggle each day to recover missing children and to prevent the exploitation of children. Through its toll-free hotline, its training programs for state and local professionals, and its coordination of recovery programs, the Center is a focal point mobilizing citizens and communities in the pursuit of safety for all of America's children. The convergence of public and private resources in pursuit of this common goal has resulted in the recovery of more than 40,000 children--40,000 children who could have been lost without the contributions of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The Center is particularly important to South Florida because one of its affiliated programs, the Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Training Center, was established by Congress in 1996 in memory of my constituent, Jimmy Ryce, the son of Don and Claudine Ryce. In 1995, at 9 years of age, Jimmy was abducted and brutally murdered while walking home from school. The Ryce Center, a joint project of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, trains Chiefs of Police and Sheriffs in the most up-to-date methods of searching for missing children. The Ryce Center promotes swift, effective investigative response to missing and exploited children cases, provides comprehensive training in case investigations, ensures the consistent and meaningful use of reporting systems, and promotes the use of important national resources to assist in these cases. The Ryce Center is an invaluable resource to law enforcement officials throughout the country, and in just a few short years has made enormous strides in changing the way America deals with cases of missing and exploited children. In the face of a problem which none of us should have to face, Don and Claudine have turned their personal tragedy in to a positive effort to help ensure the safety of millions of American children just like Jimmy. I urge all of my colleagues to support the passage of this bill. General Leave

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 144, I was unavoidably absent from the Chamber. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 141, the Vento amendment, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' Announcement by the Chairman Pro Tempore

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate it, and I appreciate the gentleman putting the best spin possible on these riders. But I would still, as my colleagues know, mention to the gentleman that the Solicitor's opinion would prevent these open pit mines from putting toxic waste on our lands, on Federal lands, and by the rider that we have put in the bill, which I am sure it was not at the gentleman's initiative that it was put in the bill, it would exactly do that. It would allow hundreds of acres of pristine Federal lands to be stacked up with waste product, toxic waste product. I mean it is beyond comprehension that we are allowing that to happen.

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman would continue to yield, I mean he is legislating. That overrides every other piece of legislation that exists that specifically allows that to occur.

Mr. DEUTSCH. If the gentleman would continue to yield, again I think if our concern is the teachers' unions, there will be a lot better ways, and I think the teachers of America and the children of America and the American people would be a lot happier dealing with that investment a different way. I mean we are talking about hundreds of acres of land that you and I own as American citizens, pristine national forest areas.

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, no bill is perfect, as we all know, but this bill is less than perfect. This House passed a much cleaner bill. Our colleagues in the Senate, although the Speaker and the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations and the subcommittee chairman worked very hard to take out some of the pork and some of the riders, they did not. And the facts are we have some environmental riders in this bill that are almost beyond our imagination that they are in the bill. There are three environmental riders, and I think it is important for our colleagues to know that they are in the bill. One repeals the Mining Act of 1872 and effectively lets open-pit mines take their waste and put it on our Federal land. So we are talking about several hundred acres of pristine Federal land with toxic waste from open-pit mines. It is incredible, it is almost beyond the straight-face test that that is in fact what this legislation does. But that is exactly what this legislation does. Another thing that it does is it stops hard mining regulations which would have required bonding for open-pit mines, so that when they do not clean up their mess, it cannot get cleaned up. The third environmental rider deals with oil royalties. All of us know that this is going on. On Federal land there is a 12-percent royalty that is supposed to be paid. And what is being done is there is a gaming of the system, that companies are charging their subsidiaries a price one-tenth of the actual price, eliminating 90 percent of the tax. In effect, we will be saving a hundred million dollars of their money but costing us a hundred million dollars of our money. These riders ought to be taken out of the bill. We will have that opportunity in a motion to recommit later on this evening. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague, the gentleman from the State of Washington (Mr. Inslee).

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am going to try to maybe point out specific things. I actually wonder about commercial fishing in Glacier Bay, if that really fits the criteria of emergency criteria under the statute that we have. To hold off funding our troops in Kosovo, bringing that as an issue, I do not know, I just find it shocking. I mean, that is the only words that I can think of. I use Yiddish on the floor, chutzpah. I mean it really is chutzpah. Everybody in America knows what chutzpah is. One does not have to speak Yiddish to understand. It is amazing that they would have that. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Inslee).

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the effort of the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) in this area. This House is the people's House, and we are here to do the people's business. For any of the people of America who were watching C-Span last night and watching the conference report, I do not think they were watching the people's business. I think it was an unfortunate public example of what we know goes on privately many, many times. There is a statute which talks about emergencies. We are literally dealing with the most serious things this Congress can talk about and deal with, literally, a military operation going on in Kosovo, American men and women whose lives are in harm's way today, and then by I guess it is just the arrogance of power, just absolute arrogance is the only way I can describe some of my colleagues, particularly in the Senate, in the other body, that want to put in just absolutely awful, obscure, terrible, self-centered special interest riders onto legislation dealing with a true crisis. Think about how outrageous what is going on in this building today is. In the 7 years that I have been here, this is the worst example. We have seen special interests, we have seen pork barrel stuff, but what hypocrisy, what tragic, absolutely beyond-the-pale arrogance, when men and women of our armed forces are in harm's way, to play these games. This is not a game. There are some of my colleagues who might believe that it is a game, but it is not a game. Yet, that is exactly what is going on. Shame on those Members, and hopefully more people are watching on C-Span and more people are seeing what they are going to do, and guarantee that those people who are involved in this shameful activity never return to this Congress or to the United States Senate. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Watt).

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 7(c) of rule XXII, I hereby notify the House of my intention tomorrow to offer the following motion to instruct House conferees on H.R. 1141, the 1999 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act. The form of the motion is as follows: Mr. Deutsch moves that the managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the Senate amendment to the bill H.R. 1141 be instructed to disagree to any provision not contained in, or directly related to, the following: (1) H.R. 1141, as passed by the House; (2) H.R. 1664, as passed by the House.