Sam Farr

Mr. FARR of California

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Chairman, I accept the point of order. We will work out the amendment with bipartisan support in conference.

Mr. FARR of California. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in support of this amendment. I want to speak about Colombia in a way that has not been spoken tonight on this floor and it has been a long day but I am the only Member to rise who has lived in Colombia. I lived there for 2 years. I represented this country as a member of the Peace Corps. Colombia is a beautiful country. It is one of the most diverse countries in the world. It is one of the oldest democracies in Latin America. It is now plagued; it is torn apart. The root causes of its problems right now are drugs and corruption from those drugs. Colombia has over $5 billion inside Colombia that is corrupt money. Think what that would do in your own State if that money was used for corruption. There is an obscene amount of money. This war on drugs, this displacement of people, as the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Sawyer) says, it has displaced a million and a half people, a million and a half people that do not have homes, do not have schools for their kids, do not have health care centers. These people become a problem in themselves because they have to resort to petty crime. So the only way we can begin solving the problem which is drugs in our country is to deal with the root causes of drugs in Colombia. That has got to be in this bill. A lot of people have talked about the problems of this bill, what it has, what it does not have. But, Mr. Chairman, there is a point when we have to stop our partisan bickering and say are we going to let a country continue to burn, a country continue to not have a solution to a problem or are we going to stand up and face the responsibility that we have been asked, not the only country to be asked, one of the countries to be asked to help with a plan that Colombians have derived. That plan is complete. But the one lacking part in it, the one lacking part in money is earmarking that money for the people who have been displaced. I hope this amendment is accepted, because this amendment does not spend any more money, it just takes $50 million and says you have got to deal with the homeless population, you have got to deal with the displaced people. If you do not deal with them, we cannot do all these other things. You cannot just attack this problem by dealing with the eradication of drugs. You have got to attack it in a comprehensive way. I think the bill speaks to a lot of points. This amendment makes it a better bill. I ask that it be supported.

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. FARR of California. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I understand that the chairman is reserving a point of order, and what I wanted to do is to explain my amendment and hope that we can work something out in conference here. This amendment earmarks existing funding for alternative development in the UNDCP, the United Nations Drug Control Program, for the countries of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia. The amendment enhances the accountability of this money by requiring that the funding go through USAID, be subject to congressional notification, and be monitored via the regular reporting process. The reason that it is important that we put this money in is that, indeed, if we are going to eradicate the crops, we have got to teach the camposinos how to grow something as an alternative. Just going in and eradicating crops, it will reappear. So what the UNDCP program has done is very effective and has an approval record in Bolivia and Peru. In this alternative, development is essentially the ability to wean farmers off growing coca or opium poppy and get them into a constructive alternative agricultural practice. What also happens to the region is they begin recovery from a drug culture to a legitimate private sector agricultural economy in a rural country and in a rural area; and it allows, essentially, what we have always been trying to promote is democratization, essentially, of building of communities. So what this amendment does is it takes existing funds and earmarks those to those four countries for the exact same purposes. Just in closing, I would like to sort of sum up what the UNDCP programs have done. They have had a 78 percent reduction in the hectares of illicit coca in Bolivia in the last 3 years, 78 percent in the last 3 years alone. In 2000, alternative development crops occupy 100,000 hectares of land, an area 10 times greater than that devoted to growing illicit coca. So this is particularly important as we move into Colombia, eradicate the crops, which is going to be done by the Joint Military National Police and then move in behind them with a program that has a proven track record of being able to work with the camposinos to get them into these alternative programs. As I said, the money is funded through our United States Department of International Development, and it is subject to notifying us on all aspects of it and keeping us informed with progress reports. So I would ask that we can get this amendment and work the best we can to get these earmarks in. I think it makes it a stronger bill. We have bipartisan support for this effort. Mr. Chairman, I am hoping we can get assurance that we can look at this in the conference committee.

Mr. FARR of California. I yield to the gentleman from Alabama.

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Chairman, I want to point out that this is a program that the funding is unique. It goes right to the program. It does not go through the United Nations. It goes through a separate account, the UNDCP.

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, we will work those differences out, hopefully, in conference. Point of Order

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I want to rise in support of this amendment, also as a cosponsor of the amendment. I would like to take issue with my colleague who just pointed out that this will not make this a better bill. Obviously, this amendment makes this a much better bill. In reading the amendment the beginning says, ``None of the funds appropriated in this title for military assistance may be made available to the government of Colombia until the President submits to Congress a certification that Colombia has done the following things: that Colombia has agreed to implementing a strategy to eliminate Colombia's total coca and opium poppy production by the year 2005 through a mix of alternative development programs, by manual eradication,'' and so on. It goes on to say, ``The head of the Colombian Armed Forces has been granted and is exercising authority that is identical to that held by the head of the Colombian National Police to summarily dismiss Colombian Armed Forces personnel for gross violations of human rights.'' It goes on to say, ``The Colombian Armed Forces are assuring that they are cooperating with civilian authorities in investigating Colombian Armed Forces personnel who have credible evidence of gross human rights violations,'' and so on. This bill says we can have a waiver only by the United States President. Guess what? It is the same waiver that this Congress approved when Senator Leahy added it in the 105th and 106th Congresses. It is the same waiver that is in the law now, is the waiver that is being repeated here. Is it a stronger bill with this amendment? Absolutely. I would urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this amendment. It makes it a better bill for us to make sure that if, indeed, we are going to be involved in conflict in Colombia dealing with civilian populations, that we are going to abide by the world standards on human rights protection, and it allows for monitoring those protections so that we in Congress can be certified that it is doing a good job. I ask for support of the amendment.

Mr. FARR of California

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, today I honor a man who has dedicated his life to serving in the U.S. Army and has pursued all of his military endeavors with the highest degree of bravery and courageousness. Lieutenant Colonel Steve Inada will be retiring from active duty on June 1, 2000, after over twenty years of service to his country. Born in Marina, California, Steve enlisted in the Army through the University of California at Berkeley ROTC program in April 1978. Throughout his military career, LTC Inada's valiant service has resulted in, among other things, his receipt of various personal awards including: an Army Service Ribbon; a National Defense Ribbon; an Armed Forces Reserve Ribbon; an Army Achievement Medal; a Joint Service Achievement Medal; an Army Commendation Medal; a Joint Commendation Medal; three Meritorious Service Medals; a Joint Meritorious Service Medal; and he will soon receive a Retirement Medal. A life of dedication to his country has also earned Steve a Joint Meritorious Unit Award, an Airborne Badge, a Joint Staff Badge and an Office of Secretary of Defense Badge. We should all aspire to lead a life of public service similar to that of LTC Inada who has time and time again placed his country before himself. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me and our colleagues in recognizing the many contributions which LTC Inada has made as a member of the U.S. Army. At each assignment, he has functioned as an invaluable asset to his division. Although well deserved, LTC India's retirement is a loss for the U.S. Army. I wish Steve many years of happiness as he enjoys his golden years.

Mr. FARR of California

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, today I honor a man who dedicated his life to democratic causes and was an avid participant in local Democratic Party politics. Richard Selby passed away unexpectedly on January 6, 2000 at the age of 73. A native of Oakland, Dick was involved in national as well as international affairs. He was a former representative of the International Monetary fund and also served as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer. On the national front, Dick was a retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve and was active in both the National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) and the Retired Officers Association. In his capacity as legislative liaison for the local NARFE Chapter, Dick kept the membership well-informed about current federal legislative issues. Locally, Dick was the chairman of the Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Building's board of directors. Dick was a tireless volunteer in community affairs and Democratic campaigns. He was an avid letter writer and was known for his candor and wit. Richard Selby will be greatly missed by those who knew him personally and professionally. Dick is survived by his wife Mary Selby of Aptos; five daughters, Leigh and Anne Selby, both of Aptos; Lynn Selby of San Francisco; Cindy Shaner of Wooster, Ohio; Robyn Barker of Sugarland, Texas and his brother Alan Selby of Santa Rosa.

Mr. FARR of California

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor a long time friend and community member. James Bliss served his community well as a long time forester for the Department of California Forestry. James was born in Portland, Oregon. He lived in Monterey County for over twenty-five years, during which time he attended Monterey High School and went on to study in California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. My father, former State Senator Fred Farr, helped to get him his first job as a seasonal firefighter with the California Department of Forestry. He then went on to serve for thirty-four years with the Department of Forestry, retiring as Deputy Chief for Command and Control in the Sacramento headquarters. His loyalty and integrity were recognized in an article by the San Francisco Examiner hailing him as ``The Cool Field General Whose Enemy was Fire.'' His career did not end there. After his retirement he went on to work as general manager of R.C.C. Consultants Inc. James will be forever remembered by dear family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Annette; his son, James Shelby; his daughter, Shannon Dudek; his brother, Todd Bliss; his sister, Teri Cotham; and his father, Edwin Bliss.

Mr. FARR of California

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed as a cosponsor of H. Res. 396.

Mr. FARR of California

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a local entrepreneur and community personality whose leadership and innovation profoundly affected all who knew and worked with him. Mr. Larry Michels passed away on November 8, 1999 at the age of 68. Born in Chicago, Illinois on January 17, 1931, Larry was the founder and genius behind Santa Cruz County's largest high-tech enterprises, Santa Cruz Operation. Launched with his son and current Chief Executive Officer, Doug Michels, out of a small Victorian house in Santa Cruz's downtown periphery, the father and son team's visionary approach and determination created Santa Cruz Operation into a business of 1,200 fiercely loyal employees. The company found a niche in the high-tech industry by placing the Unix operating system on Intel-based computers which propelled Santa Cruz Operations to the forefront of the Unix software movement. Described as a passionate and dynamic leader who inspired the ``loyalty and admiration of many employees,'' (Doug Michels, SCO CEO) Larry resigned his position in 1992 and retired to Evergreen, Colorado where he soon returned to his entrepreneurial roots taking an active role in launching and developing startups as well as re-engineering existing companies. It is a combination of Larry's natural talent and creative genius, his vivacious and dauntless personality as well as his hardworking and determined spirit that makes him such a memorable and respected member of the community. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me and our colleagues in recognizing the valuable contributions of Larry Michels whose leadership in our community has profoundly impacted and influenced the many who were privileged to know and work with him through the years. The products of Mr. Michels' genius continue with us today through his homegrown company, Santa Cruz Operations. Mr. Larry Michels will be missed and his years of achievement and innovation will not be forgotten. Larry is survived by his companion, Geri Snyder; sons, Doug, Jordan and David Michels; daughter, Dia Michels; sister, Barbara Michels; former wife, Loni Michels; and seven grandchildren.

Mr. FARR of California

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a woman who for almost five decades captivated readers with her poignant and charismatic writing as a columnist in three local newspapers. Lillian Baker Woodward passed away on November 16, 1999 at the age of 95. Born on January 17, 1904 in Seattle, Washington, Lillian majored in journalism at the University of Oregon where she met, fellow journalism student and future husband, Donald Woodward. Married in 1926, Donald and Lillian Woodward led a traditional life with Lillian as a homemaker and Donald in the real estate business. In 1948, the couple moved to Moss Landing where they established a fuel dock, marine supply store and boat brokerage business. As ``one of the real true pioneers of Moss Landing'' (Phil DiGirolamo, Phil's Fish Market), Lillian captured the lives of the local people as well as chronicled the ending of the Monterey Bay's sardine era through industry changes and impacts on the community. After Donald's death in 1962, Mrs. Woodward continued to write and publish prolifically throughout the remainder of her life. Lillian Woodward was much more than a local journalist, described as ``force that held the [Moss Landing] community together'' (Monterey County Herald, 11/17/99), Mrs. Woodward touched everyone near and far who read her chronicle. She will be sorely missed by the many people who were privileged to know her both personally and through her writing. Lillian is survived by two sons, Donald and Richard; a daughter, Virginia W. Stone; and many loved grandchildren and great- grandchildren.

Mr. FARR of California

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, just barely five weeks ago the world celebrated a new millennium. There were fireworks and galas and celebrations galore. We all hoped to wipe the slate clean and begin a new year, a new era--free of our old prejudices, free of our old nightmares. That was a lofty goal and I endorse it wholeheartedly: we ought to strive for peace and harmony every chance we get. A new year and new millennium is as good a chance as you can get. But that doesn't mean forgetting the sacrifices of those who have gone before us, or forgetting the history that has shaped our lives. This weekend in Salinas in my home district, the community will honor Harold Gordon. Remember the Academy Award-winning film ``Life is Beautiful''? Harold Gordon is ``Life is Beautiful'' for real. Harold Gordon was a shy, happy child growing up in Poland when suddenly the world turned dark. He, along with the rest of his family, was trundled off to the Polish ghetto, then work camps, then concentration camps. Most of his family was killed. All of his friends disappeared. Auschwitz, Dachau, Buchenwald . . . these are words that instill fear in all of us, even though we did not live through the torture of those places. But Harold Gordon knows it first hand. In the movie ``Life is Beautiful'' the child survives the concentration camp because his father is clever enough to hide him each day. The child is led to believe that he is playing a game with the SS soldiers. Harold Gordon and his father survived the concentration camp through no special gimmicks. There was no fantasy and no games. This was life-and-death reality at its worst. And yet, Harold Gordon has written of his experience during that awful time a book that is an inspiration to us all. The Last Sunrise is Harold Gordon's memoir of his daily struggles to avoid the gas chambers and give strength to those around him, even though he was just a boy at the time. I marvel at Mr. Gordon's ability to present a story of death at a pace that reads like a Number One Bestseller on the New York Times book list. You simply cannot put it down. I think the appeal of The Last Sunrise is that its real story is not even that of the war or of the concentration camps. It is a story ultimately of hope and survival. Despite the gruesome realities of daily existence, Harold carried with him the belief that human spirit will overcome, that the power of humanity will survive beyond the walls of the concentration camp. Certainly, even those who lost their lives during this terrible time in mankind's history have not been forgotten but serve daily as a reminder to us all not ever to let it happen again. At one point, Harold asks himself, ``Why was I being spared?'' The answer to that question is: so we can all learn from Harold's experience. It is the same question we should all ask ourselves: why are we here and what is it that we bring to this life that will benefit others? Harold found the answer by writing a most compelling book to remind us of the value of life, the power of hope and the inspiration of another day. Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, I commend to you The Last Sunrise and hope that you will join me in honoring Harold Gordon.

Mr. FARR of California

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California very much for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, what a great day for the State of California. All of us in this House know the honor of being sworn in as a Member of the House of Representatives, the only place in Washington where everyone has to be elected in order to take the oath of office. It is a distinct pleasure that we honor another Californian in that regard, a person who has a great deal of experience in public life, and brings to this Chamber experience as a member of the board of trustees with a community college, was elected to the California State Assembly, was elected as the first pro tempore, the first Latino pro tempore in California history to that job, served in the California State Senate, and now is elected to serve his district in Southern California. He is following in the footsteps of a great Member of this House, George Brown. We all remember the great service that he gave to this country and the deeds that he left, the great record that he left. So Joe Baca comes to us with his own career of distinction, and I think he will be a great addition to this House. So I congratulate you. On behalf of the California Democratic delegation, which I am Chair of, along with the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), who is Dean of the Republican delegation from California, and as a joint bipartisan effort, we welcome the newest Member of our delegation, a delegation which has had over eight Members elected in special elections. So we know the special moment you are having right now, you are sharing with your family who is watching this on C-SPAN, and we appreciate the fact that you are here today to get sworn in. Congratulations on a great race and a great election.

Mr. FARR of California

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Wisconsin very much. It is a pleasure to be on the floor with the gentlewoman, a very distinguished Member of this body who has so much compassion for people all over the globe, and particularly for the people of Colombia. My introduction to Colombia was back in 1963. I was a young college graduate who just applied for the Peace Corps and was told that I was going to be accepted to a Peace Corps program in Colombia, South America. I was excited about it. I had traveled through Latin America when I was in college working as a factory worker in Argentina, and I fell in love with Colombia the minute I stepped off the plane. It is a country, an incredibly beautiful country with lots of green. Obviously the green is well known around the world because it is the major exporter of emeralds. Colombia, as a Peace Corps volunteer, was the best 2 years of my life. I lived in a very poor barrio. We did not have much running water or electricity. Sewage was inadequate. But the people were so genuine and so friendly, and so much so that when my mother passed away with cancer when I was in the Peace Corps I came home, and immediately went back to Colombia, and my father, I brought my two sisters to Colombia. My youngest sister, Nancy, who was in high school at the time, 17 years old, unfortunately was killed in an accident in Colombia. Rather than being very bitter about the country, we ended up falling in love with the country because the people were so friendly to our family and realized what a plight we were going through, and how much tragedy we were bearing. The thing that I hope we can do tonight is put a human face on a country that we hear a lot about. It is a country that the Americans know of, Colombia, and unfortunately know of it for two reasons, one very negative, which is drugs, a country that grows the drugs and processes the drugs that are so destructive to our lives here in the United States and around the world. Unfortunately, we are the purchaser of those drugs and so we have this problem of those who produce and those who buy and use. And this relationship, Colombians always tell us that if we did not buy the drugs, they would not produce them. And we always say if they did not produce them, we would not buy them. And this is a battle where we have sort of lost sight of what this country is all about. I hope tonight we can get into some of those issues. So put a human face on a country that is unique in its geographical location. It is the only country in South America that borders on both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. It is a country much bigger than most think by looking at a map. The third largest country in Latin America. It is bigger than California, Texas, Montana and Illinois all combined for about 625,000 square miles. It is a huge country. It has 38 million people. The people are spread out in Colombia in many big cities. The most urbanized of all Latin America countries. The Colombian market is bigger than that of the market of New York and Texas put together. It is a remarkable country because not only does it touch both oceans, but it starts almost at the equator and goes up to 20,000 feet with snowcapped mountains close to the shore. So it has every kind of microclimate and can grow anything. Colombia is the second most diversified country in the world. It grows more fruits and vegetables than any other country in the world; and, obviously, that makes it a climate that is attractive to growing things that are illegal. And with the poverty in the country, we can see why the drug crops expanded there. Mr. Speaker, the issue now is how do we take a country and really get it on its feet? In many ways Colombia, despite all of the problems that it has had with drugs, has remained an economically strong country with an honest economy. It is one of the strongest in Latin America. It has had a longer period of growth with an average of 4.5 percent per year for the last four decades. Between 1990 and 1995, it has grown at 4.2 percent. This is the longest sustained record of economic growth in the Americas. In all of the Americas. Colombia has outperformed the United States. Now Colombia is in the midst of a recession after more than 30 years of unbroken growth. It is in the midst of problems, turmoil, but it is a democratic country. It had a remarkable turnout in its election for its president, President Pastrana, despite the pressures on people not to vote. It has political factions in the country that are historical between the rebels, between banditos or mafiosos as they are known. So it has got a collection of interests where people are trying to defend their own private lands with privately hired mercenaries, so we have private armies, a public army, a national police. They have rebels, and they have other factions that play in the shadows of all of these. So we as the United States are now giving aid to Colombia. We have given an awful lot of that aid in the military section primarily for suppressing drugs. The country has now come to the United States. The President has met with our President. They have sat down and worked out an agreement that encourages that Colombia needs to get its own act in order, so to speak. It has done so by coming up with a plan. It has taken that plan not only to the United States but to its allies in Europe and asked for help. Now, we are on the verge of the last night of the session of the first year of the 106th Congress. The big vote here tomorrow night will be the vote on appropriating monies and particularly the foreign aid money. Colombia is not getting a great deal of that money, unfortunately, because other priorities have taken its place. And I think that we have to recognize that if we are a country that is going to ask them to extradite their criminals, the people they are arresting in their country, in violation of their laws and our laws, and extradite these people to the United States so that they can be tried, sentenced, and imprisoned here, at great risk to the Colombian politicians and to the Colombian government, that they are doing that at the request of our government, and in turn we need to think comprehensively about how we are going to give them enough aid. Not just military aid, but compassionate aid to help the people help themselves in a better life. Mr. Speaker, I know that the gentlewoman from Wisconsin has come to discuss some of that; and I really, really appreciate it. I appreciate the gentlewoman being a new face in Congress with a new slant on the Colombian situation. It is so healthy for this body, which has sort of been debating the macho military aid by essentially people that are pro-military and pro-national police, to say that if we just help them we are going to really help the country. When we know and the gentlewoman knows, particularly the first voice that has really come in and talked about the plight of women in this culture, and the fact that we are not going to win this war on poverty; we are not going to win the drug war; we are not going to win the political war or any war just by might. We are going to have to win that war through education. We are going to have to win that war through help with understanding family planning in countries like this. We are going to have to have micro-loan programs and do what we did in the Peace Corps. Unfortunately, the Peace Corps left Colombia because it became too dangerous. But there are some 8,000 returned volunteers from Colombia, Americans who have lived in Colombia for at least 2 years who have learned the language and the culture, and who are very passionate about those years that they spent there and are wanting to see the country regain its incredible grandeur that it can and to develop the wonderful culture and people and particularly the opportunity for tourism. Making it safe for people to travel, safe for our sons and daughters to go and be educated in their great universities and essentially a much better cultural, educational, political interchange leads to support of a country through tourism and microtourism. Mr. Speaker, I think that Colombia, because it is on both oceans, has so many opportunities for small economic development programs that would enhance the plight of people in rural areas by allowing them to have kind of ecotourism expand. So I appreciate the gentlewoman bringing these issues to the floor of the United States Congress tonight on the verge of our significant vote tomorrow night.

Mr. FARR of California. Will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman yielding to me. I wanted to point out that this Plan Colombia I think is very exciting because it outlines not just a military approach, and a national police approach, and a law enforcement approach to preventing crime and to stopping the drug traffickers and so on, but it really is a plan about education of the country. It is a plan about economic revitalization through land reform and having more people have a stake in the outcome. It is about a plan about economic development at the micro level, at the rural level, at the barrio level. I mean, it is interesting. I do not think we ever outlined it as Peace Corps volunteers some 30 years ago when we were serving there, but what this plan reflects is many of the things that young Americans, professionals recognize that the country needed to do. It is almost as if the ideas that we are espousing have caught up with the government, and they are now wanting to implement it. I think that is really courageous of the government because, obviously, if they just went out and said all we want to do is get money for military purposes to eradicate the drug program, I think the countries would be more interested, but they are going far beyond it. They are looking into programs that would, and I have a list here just asking for $50 million for the year 2000 for the Agency of International Development in the area of human rights to do things like train judicial officials so that they can investigate and prosecute on human rights claims. One can have violations of human rights, but if one does not have the ability to document them and one does not have the ability and the court, get access to the court and standing before the court, have a court that is honest, a system that, indeed, will listen to the law and listen to the facts and then will sentence people and hold them in sentence and not let them off, this is all a process where the ability is there, but not necessarily a comprehensive training of how one puts it all together.

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, it is very hard, I do not know, we can imagine it, but it is very hard to sort of project this on another country, because we take it so much for granted. We feel secure in our workplace. We feel secure in our communities. Now, there is always exceptions to that with crime, but we do not wake up every morning thinking today is the day something awful is going to happen to me or my child or my spouse when they go to work. But in Colombia, that happens. There is not a sense of individual security. One is not secure in one's workplace. One is not secure on the street. If one does have money or resources one will be a target of, perhaps, kidnapping. People know who the people are with wealth. If one has wealth, one has to hide it, or one lives a prisoner of one's wealth. One cannot really go out and enjoy society. I had friends who told me that their children were in school, and they would get a picture, like picture postcards with the crosshairs of a rifle on their children's faces as they exited school, meaning that somebody had taken a picture of these children through a scope of a rifle, showing that they know what school they are going to, when they are getting out, and that they could shoot them at any time they wanted to. If that does not strike fear into a family. So what happens is if one does have means, one wants to leave. That is the worst thing that can happen to a country is to take the talent, the educated talent, and leave, because it takes a dedication of a total society. One of the things that you did not mention that I think I am so impressed with is just, what, 2 weeks ago, Colombia, in a demonstration of its own self, of its country, asked people to march in a march they called No Mas. They did it, I believe, in eight of the major cities in Colombia. Anywhere between, depending on the count, 6 to 10 million people marched. That is one in about every eight persons or less that lives in Colombia. No other country in the world, to my knowledge, has ever turned out that many people to march in protest of what is occurring to the society. I think we ought to be very encouraged as Americans that Colombians feel strong enough about the problems in their country that they are willing to demonstrate in that type of fashion, in a peaceful fashion, with so many people. I do not think we have ever had a demonstration in the United States, and we are a much bigger country, of that many people.

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I have a question, and it is a question that I think we both know the answer to, but it bears asking, and that is: Why should the American public care about Colombia? It is one of many countries in Latin America. It is historically very dear, I think, to our country. Our President Kennedy traveled to Bogota. The airport was named after him. Many schools were named after the President. It is a country that has had a lot of people come to the United States to be educated. I think there is about almost a half a million Colombians living in the greater Washington area. I mean, there is a lot of connection. But for those people in the gentlewoman's State and in my State of California, or others around who are listening to this and who are watching Congress in its foreign aid appropriations who are saying, well, we have enough problems here in the United States, why should we give any money to a country overseas and particularly one country that is producing all of these drugs that we seem to be addicted to? Why should we be helping them at all?

Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to hear that. Colombians are very entrepreneurial. As the gentlewoman talked about agriculture, the one thing that has really hit our district probably more so than drugs is how successful the Colombians have been in growing flowers. I represent an area in California which has a substantial number of flower growers, and they are really hurt by the Colombian imports. I mean, it is a good news-bad news story. It is a good news for Colombia that they have been able to be so successful that they have a $4 million export business to the United States and have 80 percent of the entire U.S. market for cut flowers. We have given them free rein to have that because we do not charge them any tariffs where we do charge other countries. So it is good news for them and it has been bad news for our flower growers. Hopefully, we can negotiate with Colombia and make some differences about that.