Martin Frost

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Hoyer]. (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FROST asked and was given permission to include extraneous material.)

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, this select committee is not only completely unnecessary but also completely political. It is being created to investigate a policy issue and nobody is claiming wrongdoing. Make no mistake about it, the rule we are discussing is pure politics and nothing else. The creation of this committee and the subsequent expenditure will amount to $1 million of work for the Dole campaign. The issue my Republican colleagues claim needs investigating, the issue of Iranian arms shipments to Bosnia and Croatia, has been common knowledge to every single Member of this House since early 1994 and absolutely no one objected to those shipments. In fact, in October of that same year, Congress voted to look the other way on enforcing the arms embargo. Furthermore, the Intelligence Oversight Board determines that there was no covert action and no violation of laws whatsoever. Mr. Speaker, here are the facts: Everyone knew these arms transfers were taking place; nobody objected; a majority of the House voted not to enforce sanctions; and absolutely no one is accusing the White House of any wrongdoing. So why on earth, Mr. Speaker, do my Republican colleagues want to spend $1 million to investigate nothing at all? Frankly, I don't see how anyone can stand here and tell me this ridiculous, trumped up charade which is scheduled to end the week before election day is anything more than a cheap political stunt. And, may I remind the House, Mr. Speaker, that the creation of this committee is being dictated by the same leadership that is asking congressional committees to perform opposition research for the Dole campaign. Mr. Speaker, I think the Republican leadership ought to be ashamed. They are creating a whole new congressional committee just because they can and it is wrong. They are actually trying to spend $1 million to investigate something no one objected to 2 years ago, and, on top of that, they are demanding the committee finish its work a week before election day. I don't think the creation of this committee could be any more transparent, Mr. Speaker. If this issue really needs to be investigated, which I doubt, and if it is not a political move, then why can't it take place in the existing structure of one of the standing congressional committees? Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question in order to conduct this investigation within the existing structure of the Foreign Affairs Committee and using the existing resources instead of an additional $1 million. If the previous question is not defeated, I urge my colleagues to vote against the resolution to keep our legislative branch out of presidential politics: It's a waste of money; it's a waste of time; and it's insulting to the American people. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Doggett].

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut [Mr. Gejdenson]

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado [Mrs. Schroeder].

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton].

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Moran].

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I would inquire of the time remaining on each side.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California [Mr. Berman]. (Mr. BERMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. Skaggs].

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia [Mr. Wise].

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following material for the Record:

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Chairman, Amber Hagerman was a little 9-year-old girl who loved to ride her bicycle. She was bright and pretty, and was out riding that bicycle on January 13 in Arlington, TX, when someone came along and took her away. That person or persons molested her and killed her. We do not know who took her, but we do know that a little girl, just a child, was brutally murdered and her body left to be found. Mr. Chairman, this case occurred in my congressional district, but I am sure that events like this have happened, sadly, in every corner of our country, in our cities and in the heartland. Whoever took Amber did not know and did not care that she was an honor student who made all A's and B's. They did not care that she was a Brownie, who had lots of friends, and who loved her little brother dearly. They did not care that her whole life was ahead of her, and that her parents wanted to watch her grow into the lovely young woman she promised to be. Mr. Chairman, this amendment that I am offering is named for Amber. This amendment would increase the number of child sex abuse cases that can be brought in Federal court. It imposes a two-strikes-and-you-are- out penalty by requiring that any sex offenders whose cases are in Federal court will be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole upon their second conviction. I had hoped through the introduction of a broader bill to extend these provisions to the states, but, for now, I believe this is a good first step. However limited the jurisdiction of the Federal Government might be in these cases, if just one child is saved from Amber's fate, then this amendment will have served its purpose. Mr. Chairman, I am outraged to think that convicted sex offenders are out in our streets, where they are free to prey upon our children. I hope that the Committee on the Judiciary will hold hearings later this year on another part of my broader bill which is also crucial to protecting our children from sex offenders. I have proposed a centralized information system to allow law enforcement to track sex offenders across state lines, and that new tool, along with these new stiffer penalties, will make it safe for little girls like Amber to ride their bicycles without being afraid. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is an important step in protecting our children. I urge my colleagues to support this effort and to vote for the Amber Hagerman Child Protection Act.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. FROST

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

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, the measure of any society is how it protects and nurtures its children and how it respects and honors its elders. I would like to think that our Nation takes care of its very youngest and very oldest citizens and that in doing so we are an honorable and just society. But, Mr. Speaker, there are those among us who violate these societal guidelines and for whatever reason abuse the trust children have placed in adults and pick the vulnerable and elderly to be victims of violence. H.R. 2974, while applicable only to Federal crimes, draws a line in the sand and states clearly, through the enhancement of penalties, that we as a society will not tolerate such crimes against our most vulnerable citizens. This legislation will not stop these heinous crimes, but at the very least we can take this small step to ensure that those who commit these offenses at a Federal level will be swiftly and surely punished. It is the least we can do to protect our society. I am especially gratified, Mr. Speaker, that the Committee on Rules has granted a germaneness waiver to allow the consideration of an amendment I will offer to this bill. My amendment, which is a part of H.R. 3180, the Amber Hagerman Child Protection Act, which I introduced in March, would create new Federal jurisdiction over sexual offenses against children and would require life sentences without the possibility of parole upon conviction in Federal court of a second sex crime against a child. I will offer this amendment with the concurrence of the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. McCollum], and I believe it is one that every Member of this body can support. This amendment, like this legislation, will not itself stop the commission of heinous crimes like the one that took the life of little Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old who lived, went to school, and played in Arlington, TX, in my congressional district. But perhaps enactment of this amendment will keep someone off the streets and out of our neighborhoods who might otherwise commit a crime like the one that snuffed out the life of that innocent little girl. I have three daughters and it is inconceivable to imagine that they, like Amber, might have been snatched away while we turned away for a moment. Mr. Speaker, these matters are not partisan issues. Regardless of political philosophy, we all agree that children are our most previous resource and our elders are repositories of the histories of our families and our lives. In honor of them, I urge support for this rule, for this bill, but especially for the memory of Amber Hagerman. Mr. Speaker, I include the following material for the Record:

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

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, it was with great regret that I learned of the retirement of Representative Sam Gibbons. One of our most esteemed Members, and the dean of the Florida delegation, Sam Gibbons has decided to retire after spending 34 years working on behalf of America's families. As a young man, Sam Gibbons won the Bronze Star for parachuting into Normandy during World War II. After the war, he became a lawyer and served in both the Florida State House and Senate before being elected to Congress. During his tenure in Congress, Sam Gibbons has worked to enact meaningful legislation concerning Medicare, Medicaid, pension reform, and trade. In fact, Sam Gibbons was the floor manager during the 1960's for President Johnson's antipoverty package, which created Head Start and the Job Corps among other programs. In addition, as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee in 1994, Sam guided a new world trade pact, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, through House passage. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve in the House with Representative Gibbons. Clearly, Sam's hard work and dedication to public service have improved the lives of all Americans, and he will be sorely missed. I wish him well in his retirement.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, my friend Donnie Mintz was buried yesterday in New Orleans--the victim of a heart attack that took his life too soon at age 53. Donnie led a remarkable life and will be missed by many. Donnie and I met 38 years ago in 1958 when we were teenagers attending a leadership training institute of the National Federation of Temple Youth in Kresgeville, PA. Two southern boys at a camp of highly talented teenagers, mostly from the Northeast and Midwest, Donnie and I became lifelong friends. Our lives intersected many times in the years that followed. Donnie was elected regional president of the Southern Federation of Temple Youth [SOFTY], and I was elected vice-president of the Texas-Oklahoma Federation of Temple Youth [TOFTY]. Later, Donnie was elected national president of the temple youth movement, and I was elected national treasurer. Donnie attended Columbia University in New York where he became a Fulbright scholar and ultimately returned to Louisiana to earn a law degree from Tulane. While he attended Tulane, Donnie helped establish the annual direction speakers series and later was named to the Tulane Leadership Hall of Fame. Though at different schools, we were members of the same college fraternity, Zeta Beta Tau, and served in the same Army Reserve program [JAG] but in different cities. During those years, we would see each other at Army Reserve summer camps. We shared a love for politics and talked about it often. I always thought Donnie Mintz would be elected to public office long before I would be. But Donnie's life took a different path. He built a successful law firm in New Orleans, was active in a variety of civic causes and served numerous Jewish organizations on both a local and national level. Donnie served as chairman of the Anti-Defamation League's national advisory board. He also was one of a few Jewish lay leaders chosen to meet with Saudi Arabia royalty when Israel's contacts with that country were minimal. He was granted a papal audience. In addition, Donnie served as chairman of the Louisiana Health Care Authority, the Board of Commissioners for the Port of New Orleans, the Downtown Development District and the United Way. He was also president of the Metropolitan Area Committee, Kingsley House, Touro Synagogue and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. Donnie also served on the board of directors for the New Orleans Symphony. His passion was for the city of New Orleans. Though a decided underdog, he ran two very competitive campaigns for mayor falling just short each time. After his attempts for mayor, Donnie returned to his law practice and pursued strengthening black-Jewish relations. He was extremely interested in the subject because as Tulane Law School Dean John Kramer said, ``he felt the bridges ought to be there. He felt the strong minority communities were the Jewish and the black communities, and the last thing that should happen was that they should be turned against each other. He never gave up.'' He and his wife Susan raised two talented children, Michelle and Arthur, and always had time for me and my family whenever we visited New Orleans. And when my career took me to the House of Representatives, he hosted receptions in his home, introducing me to his friends. My most vivid memory of Donnie comes from that leadership institute in the summer of 1958. On one of the first days of the program, we took some time off to play softball. When Donnie came to the plate for the first time, he laid down a perfect bunt and raced to first base. As he reached the bag, he stumbled, landed hard and suffered a concussion. Near the end of the 2-week institute, we played softball again. Donnie now recovered from a serious injury, came back up to bat. On the first pitch, he laid down a bunt identical to the one on the play when he had been hurt, and beat the throw to first. Donnie was not intimidated by adversity. He never backed off from a challenge and he lived his life at full speed. Donnie Mintz touched the lives of many people. His city, his State and his Nation are better because of him. He will be missed.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I will ultimately vote for the conference report. However, I again urge a ``no'' vote on the previous question on the rule. If the previous question is defeated, I intend to offer an amendment to the rule which would provide that the House will have adopted a concurrent resolution directing the Clerk to correct the enrollment of this conference report by adding language granting law enforcement agencies new wiretap authority. Mr. Speaker, the text of the amendment is as follows: At the end of the resolution, add the following: Section . Upon the adoption of this resolution, the House shall be considered to have adopted a concurrent resolution directing the Clerk of the House to correct the enrollment of S. 735 and consisting of the text contained in the next section of this resolution. Section . Resolved by the House of Representatives (The Senate concurring), that in the enrollment of the bill (S. 735) the Terrorism Prevention Act, the Clerk of the House of Representatives shall make the following corrections: At the appropriate place, add the following:

Mr. FROST. 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. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, much has been said about the tragic anniversary we will observe tomorrow. The loss of 168 men, women, and children in Oklahoma City because of an irrational and immoral act, has left a scar on our national psyche that will never really heal. But, Mr. Speaker, if something good is to come from such tragedy, then let it be a greater awareness that the freedoms we enjoy in this great Nation are indeed precious and that they are in need of protection. Let us never forget those who died, those whose blood was spilled, those whose lives were irrevocably and irreversibly changed. Let us honor them by working diligently to protect the freedoms that embody the moral fabric of this great country of ours. The barbarous actions of one individual or of a group cannot be allowed to undermine the freedoms and liberties that constitute the American way of life. But, as we know all too well, in the world today, we must be ever vigilant and ever ready to come to the aid of those ideals we all hold so dear. This legislation has come about because of the act of a terrorist. The conference report is not perfect: some Members may oppose it because of provisions relating to habeas corpus reform. Others may oppose it because it does not contain new wiretap authority for law enforcement officials to trace and track homegrown as well as international terrorists operating within our borders. But, I submit, it is the best we can produce when we must balance the need to vigorously defend and protect our safety while simultaneously defending and protecting our freedoms and liberties. I hope the legislation before us achieves that end. This conference agreement does give us some tools which will help protect our shores and our people from the threat of international terrorism. The conference is to be commended for including new authorities to identify and designate foreign terrorist organizations, to prohibit fundraising on behalf of such terrorist organizations, and to exclude or remove alien members of those groups from our country. These authorities are essential if we are to begin to deal effectively with the unwelcome and unwanted intrusion of international terrorism. However, Mr. Speaker, because the conference report does not contain language granting law enforcement agencies new wiretap authority, I am going to oppose ordering the previous question on this rule. While I am gratified that the conferees did include new powers to deal effectively with international terrorism, there is a concern that the fight against domestic terrorism is seriously handicapped because the wiretap authorities requested by the Department of Justice are not part of this agreement. Therefore, a vote against the previous question is a vote to enhance this legislation by granting new wiretap authority that will allow law enforcement officials to keep up with the modern technologies used by almost every American, including those who plan barbarous acts like the one which killed 168 men, women, and children 1 year ago tomorrow. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Schumer].