Eliot Engel

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I announce that I was necessarily absent from roll call votes 24, 25, 26, and 27. On roll call vote No. 24, I would have voted `aye.' On roll call vote No. 25, I would have voted `aye.' On roll call vote No. 26, I would have voted `aye.' On roll call vote No. 27, I would have voted `aye.'

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Dingell- Barton amendment, not as an ardent supporter of term limits, but as a supporter of fairness and truth and honesty. If we are going to pass a constitutional amendment on term limits for future Members of Congress, let us make sure it also covers current Members. Let it be immediate. Some of my colleagues here in the House have had the opportunity to serve this body for 20 years or more. Many of them will be voting for a term limits amendment today, but not the Dingell-Barton amendment. Mr. Chairman, I ask these long-serving Members, if they believe in term limits why have they served for so long? Why do they not want this to apply to them? Why do you want it to apply only to the next generation? Many proponents of other term limits amendments describe those of us who did not support those amendments with words such as ``arrogance'' and ``hypocrisy.'' I would say to them that the true arrogance is in support of term limits which are not applied immediately, and will allow them to serve 12 or 19 extra years on top of the 20 or so they have already served. If six terms is appropriate for future Members, then it must be applicable to those of us who are currently serving. If we are to limit the fundamental rights of all Americans to elect their representatives, we should do it without a hint of the hypocrisy that suggests that term limits are good, but not now, and only for the next generation of Congress Members.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate an important event in American political history, which may have been overlooked by many of my colleagues. On January 3, 1997, Americans for Democratic Action celebrated its 50th anniversary. ADA has a history of which all its members can be proud. In 1947, a group of activists gathered at the Willard Hotel and pledged themselves to a liberalism which moves with the times. As an ADA vice president, I can say with certainty that ADA has lived up to its vision. Since that day in 1947, ADA has been at the forefront of political discourse. In fact, ADA was the first national organization to call for the impeachment of Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal. ADA has also been a leader in opposition to issues such as the Vietnam war and apartheid in South Africa. ADA provides insightful analysis on a myriad of current issues including workers' rights, student opportunities, women's issues, health care, civil rights, the Federal budget, and defense spending. ADA's political advice and members in the field are an invaluable source of information for me and many other Members of Congress. I am especially pleased that ADA's two top officers, Henry Berger, who chairs the national executive committee, and Jack Sheinkman, our president, are both fellow New Yorkers. ADA's New York City chapter is one of the largest and most active in the Nation. ADA is not only one of the longest lived political organizations in this country, it also has a rich history on which it continues to build a vision for the future. I am proud to be an ADA member and look forward to working with this remarkable organization for the next 50 years.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I speak today of David Ford, a man I am happy to call a friend and a confidant--a man I am proud to know. He has served his community faithfully and well and it is with no little sorrow that I note his retirement as leader of the Democratic Party of Mount Vernon. When he came to Mount Vernon the Democratic Party was virtually nonexistent. He is leaving us with a vibrant and dominant party that has elected the first African-American mayor of a New York State city and the first African-American assemblyman from Westchester County. I went to Mount Vernon in 1992 when it was made part of my congressional district and I have never been sorry. It is rare to find someone who can be such a good friend and still give such wonderful advice. David is married to the former Eula Gadson and they have four children and four grandchildren. For the past two decades he has served as commissioner of Mount Vernon's board of water supply, a position which does not begin to tell the breadth of his involvement in his city and community. Among his honors are being named YMCA Man of the Year and a life member of the Mount Vernon NAACP. His abilities have attracted people from throughout Westchester County and the State seeking his guidance and counsel. David has made not only his city better but the time we live in. His wisdom and leadership have made us better than we would have been. Even with his retirement as leader of the Democratic Party, I look forward to sharing in that wisdom of many years to come.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to take this opportunity to comment on a couple of things that have been said over the course of the past few days. First of all, I want to comment on the ridiculous and intemperate remarks made by Governor Bush of Texas with regard to the Yankees and Bronx, NY, which I am proud to represent. When asked if he would be coming to Yankee Stadium to see the Yankees play, he made a remark about if he came he would have to carry his gun. I think that that is a remark that ill behooves a Governor of a great State and, quite frankly, if Governor Bush had cared as much about taking guns out of the hands of criminals and perhaps controlling, having some kind of gun control instead of signing legislation that allows people to carry concealed weapons, perhaps the streets would be safer for all of us. I would invite him to come to the Bronx, where crime has dropped tremendously; in fact, as the mayor of New York, who is a Republican, has pointed out, that New York City has led the way. There has been a reduction in crime across the country. I think President Clinton deserves credit, Congress deserves credit, and local officials deserve credit. But New York City has led the way in the drop in crime, and so has Bronx, NY. And so I just think that Governors ought to think about what they say before they go shooting their mouths off and making intemperate remarks. I also wanted to comment on some of the remarks made by Senator Dole the past couple of days where he has been very critical of President Clinton's foreign policy. I want to say that I think that the President, certainly over the past couple of years, has shown great leadership in terms of foreign policy. One only needs to look around the world. One needs to look at Bosnia, where ethnic cleansing was going along until the United States stepped in firmly and stopped it. Has everything been a 100 percent success? Nothing is 100 percent success, but we know under President Clinton's leadership we have ended most of the killing in Bosnia and the United States has shown leadership and only the United States can show that type of leadership. In the Middle East, we saw the accords signed and we saw a potential unraveling of the peace accords in the Middle East. It took a great courage, in my opinion, for President Clinton to have called Mr. Arafat and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and King Hussein to the White House to try to get calmer heads to prevail, to try to start a dialog, to try to ensure that the peace process is put back on track. That was done 5 weeks before his reelection. I think that took an inordinate amount of courage for him to do it. As Prime Minister Netanyahu said, what else do you expect the President of the United States to do? He tried to bring the parties together. That is what he has done in terms of his leadership. In Iraq, I was one of those Democrats that broke with my party and supported President Bush on the Persian Gulf war. Frankly, if President Bush's administration had done the job it was supposed to do, we would have been rid of Saddam Hussein. Many of us could not understand why he was allowed to stay in power after American triumphs in the Persian Gulf war. And so now I think it ill behooves Senator Dole and others to point fingers and criticize when, quite frankly, during those days leading up to the Persian Gulf war, when this House had the great courage and the Senate did as well to pass my resolution declaring Jerusalem the undivided capital of Israel, it was Senator Dole back in those days of 1990 who criticized it, said he had been to Arab capitals and all the Arab leaders wanted to talk about was this terrible resolution which should not have been passed. One of the so-called Arab leaders that he spoke with in those days traveled to Baghdad and spoke with Saddam Hussein and was very concerned about what Saddam Hussein thought. And then several months later we were battling him in the Persian Gulf; so frankly I do not think that Bob Dole is in any kind of position to criticize President Clinton in that regard. Northern Ireland; we can go on and on. The President has tried very, very hard to say that the United States needs to play a leadership role, I think in world affairs. And again Senator Dole when he was here was cutting back foreign aid, cutting back American involvement overseas. I think we make a terrible mistake if we move back to the isolationist policies, as friends of my friends on the Republican side of the aisle seem to think, moving back 100 years ago. When communism collapsed, suddenly many of my friends on the other side of the aisle did not think the United States ought to play a role, a major role, in world affairs. I think we need to be engaged if we are the leaders of the world, the leaders of the free world and the leaders of the world as we are. Then with leadership comes responsibility. No one anointed us the leader of the world; we claim that mantle, and we ought to act that way. So I think we ought to be helping these countries, we ought to be doing what we can. We cannot be the policemen of the world, but we need to pick and choose and show American determination and American leadership, and that is what this President has done, and that is why I support him.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, today begins a new program to help the developmentally disabled come into the mainstream of life. The Gateway Day Habilitation Center, a not-for-profit organization, will work to help their consumers achieve further independence and integration into the community at large. In describing the philosophy of Gateway, Sylvia Lask, the director of community relations, says Gateway has as its goal a high quality of life to be achieved, in part, by gainful employment. Gateway will also help society embrace the developmentally disabled to foster the development of a variety of meaningful relationships. It will provide such day-to-day skills as cooking, money handling, domestic skills, reading, mathematics, writing, basic safety, travel training, therapeutic exercises, and many others. Gateway deserves the praise and cooperation of all of us for the goals it has adopted in helping our fellow citizens.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, a true success story of the Bronx is Monroe College and its president, Stephen J. Jerome. The college was founded in 1933. This year Mr. Jerome celebrates his 30th anniversary at the school with the New York State Board of Regents authorizing its confirming baccalaureate degrees and the school dedicating King Hall, a 100,000- square-foot building housing offices for student services as well as the learning center, gymnasium and cafeteria. Mr. Jerome, who was raised in the Bronx, joined the school in 1966 as an instructor and was named president in 1978. He is fond of saying that Monroe changes people's lives. The extent of that change can be seen in an enrollment comprising students from more than 40 countries, many of whom are first generation college attendees or recent immigrants. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to salute Stephen J. Jerome and Monroe College.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2925, the Antitrust Health Care Advancement Act of 1996, which would ensure that the antitrust laws permit full utilization of private cooperative initiatives and help make the Nation's health care system more efficient. H.R. 2925 provides that when doctors, nurses, and hospitals form integrated joint ventures to offer health care services, their conduct will be reviewed on the basis of its reasonableness--the rule of reason test--for compliance under antitrust laws. The measure would provide more choices for consumers while allowing for greater competition in the marketplace. Health care provider networks [HCPN's] comprised of doctors, hospitals and other entities which provide health care services--can produce increased competition for health care services. Their formation can lead to lower costs while providing a high quality of care. Physicians and other health care professionals are more than qualified to strike the proper balance between conserving costs and meeting the needs of the patient. Current antitrust laws, however, hinder the formation of HCPN's by prohibiting them to engage in joint pricing agreements. H.R. 2925 would eliminate this obstacle by conforming agency enforcement practices to the manner in which courts have interpreted the law. Antitrust law states that agreements among competitors that fix prices or allocate markets are per se illegal. Where competitors unite in a joint venture, however, agreements or prices or other terms of competition are not generally unlawful. Price setting conduct by these joint ventures should be evaluated under the rule of reason, that is, on the basis of reasonableness, by considering all relevant factors that may affect competition. H.R. 2925 addresses these concerns by applying the rule of reason test to HCPN's. Enactment of this measure would lead to increased competition, greater choice of services, and the delivery of quality health care at a lower price. While I urge the House to consider H.R. 2925 before the end of the session, I am encouraged by new guidelines recently released by the Department of Justice which state that the rule of reason test will now be applied to HCPN's. While I would still like to see H.R. 2925 enacted into law, I believe that the new guidelines are a major step towards the recognition of HCPN's as viable entities in the health care field and I commend the Justice Department for its decision.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. I thank my friend from Ohio for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I just would not feel right if I did not add my words of praise to our late colleague, Ted Weiss, and just to state how happy I am that we are naming this courthouse in New York City in Foley Square after Ted Weiss. I had the honor and privilege of knowing Ted for about 25 years, when he was a member of the New York City Council and I was a member of the New York State Assembly and we worked together many, many times on many, many projects. Of course with his colleagues here in the U.S. House of Representatives, I worked very closely with Ted on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and on many different pieces of legislation. When you look and you think back on a career, and I know it has been stated by my colleagues, there is no one who was more decent, more caring, than Ted Weiss. He was not afraid to take unpopular stands. He did not care if there was a bill which 434 colleagues voted for. If he felt strongly against it, he got up and said so and voted his conscience each and every time. I think that all of us always respected him both on this side of the aisle and the other side of the aisle even when they disagreed with him. He was a very gentle person, he was a person who really cared about the district he represented. With reapportionment, I represent a portion of the Bronx called Riverdale which Ted had represented under the old lines, and I know the people in my district, in Riverdale, felt very, very close to Ted Weiss and felt that he had provided them with excellent representation throughout the years. I remember at his funeral, which was in Manhattan, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people were there. It was so packed that you could not even get into the funeral. Person after person eulogized him and all said the same thing. The word ``decent'' kept coming up. The words ``really caring about people'' kept coming up. The is how I will always remember Ted, as a good friend, someone who truly served his constitutes, someone who loved this country, and someone who cared about people. So I want to commend my colleagues for this bill. It is fitting tribute to Ted Weiss. When I go to Manhattan and to the courthouse, as I know I will on occasion, I will always think of, at Foley Square, my good friend Ted Weiss. I am just delighted to be a part of this and to pay tribute to a wonderful, wonderful guy.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I would say to my colleague from Pennsylvania if this is not politics being played, I do not know what it is. We can have all the briefings we want, the fact of the matter is the support for our men and women ought to be forthcoming and it ought to be done the way the Senate did, passed it virtually unanimously. We ought to stop playing politics and support our troops. We ought to support our men and women. We ought not to let Saddam Hussein control the situation. Quite frankly, as someone who supported President Bush when it came to the Persian Gulf War, if President Bush had done what he should have done and removed Saddam Hussein we would not be in the position we are right now. So I think that we ought to stand behind our President. We ought to stand behind our men and women. We ought to not play politics just because there is an election coming up 6 weeks from now. We ought to do what is right. We ought to do what the Senate did, and we ought to pass some kind of resolution supporting our men and women. The fact that we have been briefed or have not been briefed or have not been briefed enough is totally irrelevant. The fact is we should be supporting our President in a bipartisan fashion the way Congress has always done and support our men and women.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, let me say, with all due respect to the majority leader, I do not think our being briefed has one thing to do with congressional support for our men and women who are putting their lives on the line. Whether or not we feel we have been briefed, I have something here where we had a briefing by the State Department. There have been several other briefings. I think we should just support our men and women over there. I think it is very, very clear, unfortunately, that the Republicans here are playing politics, and frankly want to embarrass the President as much as possible.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the San Fili Fraternity Club of Westchester, Inc., on the occasion of its 36th anniversary. The organization was founded in 1960 with the express purpose of uniting immigrants from the town of San Fili, located in Calabria, Italy. These hardworking and industrious people felt it was important to maintain the heritage and traditions of their ancestral home. The San Fili Club has served as a central meeting place to foster this pride. In addition to promoting their culture, the San Fili Fraternity Club has contributed tremendously to the betterment of the entire community by supporting local charitable causes and awarding educational scholarships. The spirit of volunteerism and civic responsibility exhibited by its membership has served as a vibrant and positive force within Westchester County. I have had the opportunity to witness first hand the incredible drive and commitment of their membership. The parents of my administrative assistant, John and Rose Calvelli, have served in several positions of responsibility within the organization. They are truly representative of the calibre of people who have contributed to San Fili's philanthropic activities. On the evening of Sunday, September 15, members and friends of the San Fili Fraternity Club will be hosting a dinner dance to celebrate their many accomplishments and reaffirm its ongoing mission to promote and preserve the rich heritage of San Fili for present and future generations. I applaud them and look forward to supporting their many worthwhile initiatives in the coming years.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I recommend to my colleagues this column and reading list prepared by Neal Sher, former Director of the Department of Justice's Office of Special Investigations and, more recently, executive director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. While Mr. Sher suggested these books for summer reading, I propose to my colleagues and all Americans that they be read year round. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the text of an article by Neal Sher entitled ``A Congressional Jewish Summer Reading List'' be printed at this point in the Record. A Congressional Jewish Summer Reading List (By Neal Sher) By all accounts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a warm and enthusiastic reception on Capitol Hill earlier this month. His address to a joint meeting of the House and Senate was a smashing success as he was repeatedly interrupted by applause and standing ovations. The image widely conveyed--the speech was broadcast worldwide--was that of a love affair between Israel's new leader and the American Congress. Nothing wrong with that. Moreover, I am told that Netanyahu's private meetings with congressional leadership also went exceedingly well. The prime minister not only stayed on messages (he conceded nothing with respect to his views on the peace process, to the chagrin of some U.S. officials), but also, his experience with and understanding of our political scene enabled him to impress and charm his hosts. No doubt about it: Bibi's first foray to the Hill as prime minister could not have gone better. For those of us who care deeply about Israel, this is nothing but good news. But let's not fool ourselves. The prime minister's reception was part of the obligatory honeymoon period. As Netanyahu undoubtedly knows, it will take much more than personal charm and gravitas to keep this, and any future, Congress staunchly pro-Israel. Although no one can predict with certainty what the next Middle East developments will be, there are enough hot-button issues (the future of settlements, Jerusalem, terrorism) to be concerned about the potential for tension in U.S.-Israel relations. To be sure, the Clinton Administration has been the most pro-Israel administration in history. No contest there. But the White House is only part of the equation. The key battles are fought in the halls of Congress, where we must not lose sight of an essential fact of political life: The pro-Israel agenda needs constant attention and nurturing. This becomes clear when one analyzes the makeup of Congress: well over 50 percent of members have been elected within the last six years, and that number is certain to grow after November. More critically, the overwhelming majority were born after the Holocaust and the creation of the State of Israel. We know these to be turning points in the history of our people; our legislators may view them as simply historical events with which they cannot identify. Although that is understandable, the fact remains that many of our lawmakers lack a crucial historical perspective. Dwindling is the number of veteran members who lived through World War II and/or the tough formative years of Israel's existence. Their support for Israel was much more from the ``gut,'' as we say; they felt it in their kishkas. This void of historical and emotional background among the younger members can be filled only through constant attention and education by the pro-Israel community. To that end, I would like to respectfully recommend to members of Congress-- as they prepare to leave Washington from the summer recess--a few books for vacation reading. There is, of course, a great wealth of material on Israel and Jewish history and, no doubt, every reader has his or her own favorites. My suggestions are, I believe, excellent starting points because they are not only powerful resources, they are good reads as well. The Abandonment of the Jews, by David Wyman. A riveting, impeccably researched book that documents the utter failure of the American government to undertake any serious or meaningful efforts to rescue the Jews of Europe until the World War II was nearly over. The duplicitous role of State Department officials--who simply did not want an influx of Eastern European Jews--is set forth in infuriating detail. Wyman also describes how the U.S. Jewish community, which lacked political sophistication and clout, failed to mount any effective effort in this life-and-death struggle. Night, by Elie Wiesel. An overpowering personal account of the unthinkable by the man I believe to be the moral conscience of our times. Survival of Auschwitz, by Primo Levi. Levi, an Italian chemist who took his own life several years ago, provides one of the most moving and powerful accounts of the Holocaust. Jews, God and History, by Max I. Dimont. Dimont tells the story of our people throughout history and how Jews have made major contributions to every society in which they have lived. The Siege, by Connor Cruise O'Brien. An enlightening and effective book about Israel and the myriad of conflicts and difficulties she has confronted (and still confronts). Exodus, by Leon Uris. For my money, no reading list such as this one is complete without this classic. Finally, for those interested in history, justice and intrigue, I must recommend The House on Garibaldi Street, which recounts the capture of Adolf Eichmann. The kidnapping put the Mossad on the map, and the Eichmann trial helped legitimize the Israeli legal system in the eyes of the world. Written by Isser Harel, the legendary Mossad Chief who directed this daring operation, it reads like a mystery novel. It is, however, the definitive account of what really happened. By the way, although my list is offered for Congress, you also cannot go wrong with any of these selections. At a time when there is so much lamenting about the future of our people, we must remember the past.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, in answer to the previous speaker, I do not think anybody cannot say that this is not a political bill. This is frankly a cynical attempt at the last day before we break for the summer recess to be able to go home and tell the American people, we did something about terrorism. That is what this is all about. That is why the Republican majority is doing this. I just had this bill handed to me. It is 30 pages long. I got it a half an hour ago. I am trying to read it and look at it. As best I can figure out, there are two studies in this bill. The bill tells law enforcement and other officials to do what they are already capable of doing without this legislation. To me this is Congress at its worst. The American people are not stupid. This is not antiterrorism legislation. This is a Republican majority phony legislation. This is just simply saying we did something, when in reality we have done nothing. The American people are not stupid. If we really want to craft a bill, a good bipartisan bill that does something on terrorism, we need to have the input of both Democrats and Republicans. Mr. Speaker, terrorist acts are not acts against Republicans or acts against Democrats. They are acts against Americans. As Americans, all of us, Democrats, Republicans, independents, we ought to be working together to craft bipartisan legislation. There were negotiations with the White House. If the negotiations did not work, we ought to come back and do it again. But not to kind of sneak this through in the wee hours of the morning. We all went home last night. We did not know that this was happening. This morning the radio said that antiterrorism legislation was dead. Lo and behold we have new legislation and not even the bill that we saw this morning, half an hour ago, and we are supposed to vote intelligently on this? This is really not bipartisanship. This is Congress at its worst. Some of us have amendments that we would like to offer that we think would really give real teeth to antiterrorism legislation. We are precluded from offering it under this rule. This rule ought to be defeated.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, Nellie A. Thornton was a wonderful person who labored long and hard for her community and the people in it. Her influence and good works spread beyond the borders of Mount Vernon, where she lived and taught, to being named as one of the 100 most influential black leaders in the Nation. She was the first black woman principal to be hired in Mount Vernon, NY, and she served as a principal there for 22 years. She was the organizer and first president of the Greater Hudson Valley Chapter of Links, Inc., where she was instrumental in organizing a program to bring children to visit parents in the Bedford Hills Correctional Center. As a member of the Grace Baptist Church, she was selected by the church to the Wall of Honor for her faithfulness and dedication. She was also invited to the signing of the 1991 Civil Rights bill by then President Bush and by President Clinton to his Inauguration. The city of Mount Vernon declared March 29, 1989, as Nellie Thornton Day. She is especially missed by her husband, Daniel Thornton, and their children, Danielle and Gabrielle, and by all of us who know of the great work she has done. To further honor her memory, Mount Vernon is renaming a school in her honor and on May 29, 1996, will officially open the Nellie Arzelia Thornton Elementary School. What she has done is an inspiration to all who want to further the goal of making America a truly equal home for all its peoples. Her name and her spirit lives on, and for this we should all be thankful.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, Herbert Warshavsky has been a leading member of the real estate profession in New York City and, for the past 20 years, has been executive director of the Associated Builders and Owners of Greater New York. His dynamism and ability has caused the organization to grow and prosper. Through his hard work and industry, the ABO trade show has become the largest business event for the buildings industry in the New York metropolitan area. Mr. Warshavsky has also performed important civic duties in his hometown of Lawrence, NY, where he has served as an official with the United Fund and as president of the Lawrence Civic Association, as deputy mayor and, currently, as chairman of the Village Planning Board. In short, he has worked hard in his profession and in his civic life to bring prosperity to both. I wish all the best to Herb, his wife Rosita, and their children, Bruce, Alan, and Sharon.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, with more people living longer in our country, the care of the elderly ill is a growing concern. A new type of care among nursing homes and health care providers is called sub- acute care and is for otherwise seriously ill people needing such treatments as ventilator support, respiratory care, complex IV therapy, peritoneal dialysis, and pain management. For relatively brief stays, these patients can be given constant and detailed attention in a nursing home to curtail overcrowding at hospitals. The Split Rock Nursing Home and the Eastchester Park Nursing Home, both in the Bronx, are initiating this type of care, a first in the New York City area. Both facilities, which have 440 beds and are owned by the Zelmanowicz family, have been operating for 25 years and 30 years respectively. They can provide this care for less than the cost in hospitals, saving money and other resources for the more gravely ill. It also makes life and treatment easier for these patients and their families to have this type of treatment in the usually friendlier confines of a nursing home. The Split Rock and the Eastchester Nursing Homes are accredited and progressive long-term care facilities serving the diverse communities of the northeastern Bronx. I want to use this opportunity to congratulate Naomi Zelmanowicz, M.D., Abe Zelmanowicz, and Rebecca Rich for the years they have spent making life more worth living for the elderly in the Bronx.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I honor two good friends and neighbors, Miriam and Jerome Berlofsky, who are celebrating 35 years of marriage this November. The Berlofskys are active and vital citizens in my home community of Co-op City. Since 1951, Jerome has been a knight in the Fraternal Order Knights of Phythias, Kingsbridge Lodge No. 810, and participated in many of the altruistic endeavors of that organization. Miriam joined the Pythias Sisters in 1960 and has worked tirelessly in many capacities, culminating in her election as grand chief of the State of New York in 1984. The Berlofskys have always been active in their faith as members of the Traditional Synagogue of Co-op City and holding several important positions. They are charter members of the AARP Co-op City chapter and they bring culture and entertainment to the community as members of the Bronx Concert Singers. This is just a partial list of the many good deeds performed by the Berlofskys. Perhaps more than anything else, however, they are most proud of the enduring love and the joy they have had in raising their son, Rodger. On this special occasion I want to join with their family and friends in wishing them happiness and good health.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, Raymond Torres is a banker with long experience in the city of Yonkers and more importantly, a man who has given his experience and talent to the YWCA and many other community organizations. He has instilled a keen sensitivity to the community into his corporate activities, giving both expertise and financial assistance to organizations who need it. His contributions have enhanced the abilities of nonprofit organizations to provide critical services and programs for the people of Yonkers. By his work he has helped to stabilize the southwest segment of the city and strengthen the city's economic base. His community activities also include serving as vice chairman of the community school board. Mr. Torres, branch manager of the Hudson Valley Bank, and his wife Aurelia have two daughters. He is a YWCA Man of the Year and Yonkers is fortunate to have among its citizens the likes of Raymond Torres.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, a community is most fortunate when it has among its citizens, those who make things happen. Louis Vlahopoulos is such a person. He emigrated from Greece in 1970 and since his arrival operated a wholesale ice cream distributorship, a parking and garage repair shop and, finally, a restaurant--the Galaxy restaurant in Getty Square, Yonkers downtown heart. The restaurant has grown over the years so that five extra people are now employed to serve all those to come to enjoy their food and to catch up on the news of the day. Mr. Vlahopoulos has deeply involved himself in community projects such as the Downtown Yonkers Management Association. He has worked diligently with the city to get more police in the area and to clean the streets. His support of the YWCA has earned him the title of Man of the Year. He and his wife have three children. He makes Yonkers a better place to live and work.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill. I want to commend the work that Chairman Gilman and Mr. Gejdenson have done in putting together a bill that helps microenterprise development and a bill which we can all support. Microenterprise development has proven to be an effective way to help the world's poor work their way to a better standard of living for themselves and for their country. This bill establishes special authorities under the Foreign Assistance Act for microenterprise grants and loans. It signals the importance of focusing on loans to the poorest of the poor and providing such assistance through private voluntary and nongovernmental organizations. Again, it is the perfect example of the private sector working together with government in a partnership that works and helps people. This bill should strengthen one part of the U.S. foreign assistance program. Again, I commend Chairman Gilman and Mr. Gejdenson for their efforts. This bill adopts a balanced and thoughtful approach. I strongly urge its adoption.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is my honor and pleasure to speak in favor of House Concurrent Resolution 155, which is a resolution which I have authored. I have spent many, many years in this Congress bringing forth the case of the Albanian people in Kosova before this Congress, and I am delighted to see this resolution on the floor. I want to thank my good friend, the gentleman from Nebraska, Mr. Bereuter, as well as the gentleman from New York, Chairman Gilman, and also the gentleman from New Jersey, Chairman Chris Smith, who has played a major role, a very, very helpful role, in bringing forward the terrible human rights violations so that this Congress understands that. I also want to thank the cosponsors of the bill, the people who have agreed to sponsor the bill with me, the gentlewoman from New York [Ms. Molinari], the gentleman from California [Mr. Lantos], the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Porter], the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Levin], the gentleman from New York [Mr. King], the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Torricelli], the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Moran], the gentlewoman from New York [Mrs. Kelly], the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Bonior], the gentleman from California [Mr. Miller], and the gentleman from California [Mr. Rohrabacher]. I want to thank them all for their support as well. Mr. Speaker, I have recently, just last week, come back from a trip to Kosova where I had the honor of cutting the ribbon and hoisting the American flag at the opening of the new USIA office in Prishtina, which is the capital of Kosova. I can tell my colleagues that, as we hoisted the American flag in our new office, there were throngs of people across the street chanting USA, USA, and free Kosova, free Kosova. Indeed, the human rights violations in that region of the world are nonexistent. Let me say a little about Kosova. Kosova is an area contained in what is now Serbia, former Yugoslavia, which contains at least 90 percent ethnic Albanians. These ethnic Albanians have no political or civil rights whatsoever. The situation there is very bleak and grim and seems to be getting worse, not better. I have often said that, if we allow the incidents in Kosova to remain unchecked, Bosnia would be a tea party compared with what might happen to the people in Kosova, because the nationalism there is just as terrible as it was in Bosnia. With the repression of the Albanian majority, I shudder to think what might happen if the United States might turn the other way. House Concurrent Resolution 155 simply says that the outer wall of sanctions shall remain in place against Serbia until there are improvements in the human rights situation in Kosova. The outer wall of sanctions prevents Serbia from joining certain international organizations, including monetary organizations, which they are eager to join. I must say that in visiting Kosova I also visited Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and met with Serbian President Milosevic and made it clear to him as well that the United States was not prepared to lift the outer wall of sanctions until we saw substantial improvement in the human rights situations in Kosova. I relayed this to the Serbian authorities in Kosova as well. The resolution also demands the restoration of all human and political rights in Kosova. I must say that the Albanian Parliament there was elected more than 4 years ago and was never allowed to meet, under threat of jail and repression. None of its leaders were allowed to meet. The 4 years have come and gone, and, as a result, they have never met and have no political rights. It also commends the opening of the United States Information Agency office. This is a small step but a step in the right direction. I have often said that we need to have an American presence on the ground in Kosova with the American flag flying. It sends very important messages to two parties, one to the ethnic Albanians there, again comprising over 90 percent of the population. It tells them this United States has not abandoned them, that the United States stands by them, that the United States will continue to monitor the situation and that we will not tolerate lack of human rights for all peoples in Kosova. It also sends a very important message to the Serb Government, particularly Serb President Milosevic. It says to him again that the United States is engaged; the United States is watching; that the United States will not tolerate the abuses, human rights abuses of the majority in Kosova. So I believe it sends a very, very important message. It is also significant, the fact that, since we are closing consulates and closing offices around the world due to budgetary constraints, here is the one place where we are opening an office. So it further emphasizes the United States concern with the lack of human rights in Kosova. As my friend from Nebraska said, there was an expulsion of international observers again by the Serbs, so we do not have international observers observing the human rights situation in Kosova. So the United States Information Agency office is all the more important, and we must have international observers back as soon as possible. The resolution also and very importantly says that the President ought to send a presidential envoy to help mediate the situation there between the Albanians and the Serbs. We have seen in other parts of the world, notably Northern Ireland, where a United states envoy was appointed. We have seen in Bosnia, for instance, where, with United States envoys, the United States is involved, and the United States grabbed the bull by the horns so to speak to prevent further atrocities from happening. I believe very strongly, and this resolution says very strongly, that the United States envoy there would be very, very important. On the appointment of a presidential envoy, I raised this with Mr. Milosevic the other week in Belgrade. While he rejected it and said it would be meddling in Serbian internal affairs, I believe that it is something that we should continue to pursue and something that we should do. Now, let us talk about the lack of freedoms that the Albanians have in Kosova. They are constantly harassed by Serbian police and the Serbian presence. There is 80 percent and higher unemployment amongst the Albanian population because there has been wholesale firings and expulsion of Albanian workers in hospitals, in universities, in schools. So the Albanian population has no hope of getting jobs or being employed. I have said to the Serbian authorities when they talked about wanton actions of terror, I said I was absolutely opposed to terror; but I thought despair breeds terror, and right now the Albanian population is in despair. They are in despair because there is no hope for the future with the situation just the way it is. With our European allies recognizing Serbia, many of the Kosovars feel even more abandoned. So the United States is the one country in the world that holds the promise of opportunity to them so that they know that the United States has not abandoned them. That is why when they were yelling USA, USA, those American flags were being flown. They were waving American flags and handing me and other members of our delegation flowers. It was really something to behold. The Albanian language is repressed. Albanian schools are repressed. Albanian health facilities are repressed, so basic health care cannot be gotten by the average Albanian. And again this Congress has provided, other Congresses have provided $6 million of humanitarian assistance to Kosova. I saw firsthand on the ground what our American dollars are doing so that mothers who have never had any kind of health care whatsoever can go to these clinics, helped in large part by American funds and governmental funds and private donations so that these women can have their babies in clean surroundings for the first time attended to by medical doctors. Again, these Albanian doctors who have been fired from their jobs are all volunteering and have a tremendous spirit of all for one and one for all. So this resolution, I believe, goes a long way in sending a very, very important message in that area of the world, both to the Albanians, who are repressed by the Serbian authorities, and to the Serbs and Mr. Milosevic that the United States again is engaged and the United States says the sanctions will not end until there are human rights improvements and we demand the restoration of all human and political rights. Mr. Speaker, I think that this Congress ought to be commended. In some of our other legislation we passed similar legislation involving the points of House Concurrent Resolution 155, but this is the first time that we are actually having a freestanding resolution. For that, I think that the Committee on International Relations, the gentleman from New York, Chairman Gilman, the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton], and others are to be commended. I think that this Congress is about to be commended because the United States again is looked upon as a champion of freedom by so many people in the world, but certainly by the ethnic Albanians in Kosova. They know that the United States is the champion of freedom. This little small effort says to them we have not abandoned you, we will not forget you, we will be there until all human and political rights are restored in Kosova. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record documents relating to this topic. U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, July 19, 1996. Hon. Eliot Engel, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Engel: Thank you for your June 11 letter to President Clinton regarding the situation in Kosovo. The State Department has been asked to respond on his behalf. We appreciate and are gratified by your comments concerning the Administration's deep engagement in the search for a peaceful, equitable solution in Kosovo. Like you, the Administration is fully committed to ensuring that all the people of Kosovo have the ability to participate fully in the life of the region. Early in his term, President Clinton reaffirmed President Bush's ``Christmas Warning'' of a military response to Serb- instigated violence in Kosovo. Likewise, a key requirement for lifting the ``Outer Wall'' of sanctions is progress towards resolving the situation in Kosovo. These sanctions apply to membership in the United Nations and other international organizations; normalization of our bilateral relations; and membership in the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and other International Financial Institutions. Milosevic is very eager to overcome these sanctions and we have left him with no doubts how to do so. While we share your concern regarding the situation in Kosovo, we do not believe that there is a need for a special envoy to deal solely with this issue. Assistant Secretary John Kornblum, who leads our efforts in the former Yugoslavia, has made Kosovo a priority. He meets frequently with President Milosevic and always makes clear that there must be progress on Kosovo if the ``FRY'' is to emerge from the shadow of the Outer Wall. In fact, every high Administration official who has met with Milosevic has insisted on the need to act on Kosovo. In addition to continuing pressure on the Belgrade authorities, Secretary Christopher and Ambassador Kornblum have met with Dr. Rugova and other LDK leaders on several occasions. It is our hope that these contacts will lead to serious talks between the parties on the future of Kosovo. We are hopeful that both sides will soon be prepared to sit down and discuss a peaceful solution to the situation in Kosovo. Sincerely, Barbara Larkin, Acting Assistant Secretary, Legislative Affairs.

Mr. ENGEL

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