Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chairman, going forward, my colleagues argue that we would lose $110 million that expires at the end of this year for FAA. I remind my colleagues that this is the United States Congress, and I have been here when we have extended the kinds of funds that would be made allocable to agencies by time. If we wanted to, the $110 million that has been discussed could be extended for 2 or 3 years, and FAA could be delayed in that particular undertaking with reference to so-called modernization. What they did in this particular measure, after we passed the measure last year, FAA then accelerated their process rather than sitting down and talking with the stakeholders such as the Members of Congress or pilots or air traffic controllers or airport operators or aviation operators and the general public; absolutely no discussion, and then put forward the measures that have come out now. That is the primary reason that I am on the floor. Sixteen thousand controllers and engineers believe this to be the case. For the Record I will include a letter from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. National Air Traffic Controllers Association, AFL-CIO, Washington, DC, July 23, 2007. Vote Yes on the Hastings-Poe-Filner-Bono Amendment to THUD Appropriations Dear Member of Congress: As the President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), representing over 16,000 controllers, engineers, architects, nurses and aviation safety professionals, I urge you to vote yes on the Hastings-Poe-Filner-Bono amendment to H.R. 3074, the FY08 Transportation Appropriations Act. Representative Alcee Hastings offered a very similar amendment to last year's TTHUD bill to prevent the FAA from consolidating Terminal Approach Control (TRACON) facilities, and it passed with 261 bipartisan votes. In the past, NATCA and the FAA have worked in tandem to identify air traffic control facility consolidations that could potentially make sense and to ensure that the process involves the important input from vital stakeholders. Unfortunately, the FAA is no longer taking into consideration the legitimate concerns of stakeholders such as Members of Congress, pilots, air traffic controllers, airport operators, aviation operators, and the general public. NATCA believes that the FAA must consider air traffic control facility consolidations/colocations using a transparent process because the Agency has an obligation to involve stakeholders in any Agency effort that could affect the safety and efficiency of the airspace. A full risk-assessment, including the Homeland Security implications of placing all of our radar functions in one location, must be conducted and made open to public scrutiny. A moratorium on consolidations is necessary to provide the opportunity for Congress to evaluate the specific operational need for proposed consolidations and prevent the Agency from moving ahead with flawed consolidation plans without a defined policy. We hope that you will support the efforts of our nation's professional air traffic control workforce in keeping our National Airspace System the safest in the world by supporting this amendment. Vote yes on Hastings-Poe-Filner- Bono. Sincerely, Patrick Forrey, President.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Path to Success Act. This important piece of legislation addresses a pressing social dilemma that has permeated American society, successfully wreaking havoc, fear, and violence indiscriminately in urban and rural communities alike. Gang-related offenses have peaked to astronomical numbers, making youth gangs an endemic feature of American life. Most of these gang members are engulfed in a cyclical culture of poverty, illiteracy, and homelessness which contribute to excessive recidivism rates. Youths who are particularly vulnerable for recruitment are quickly indoctrinated into lawlessness. The bill I am introducing today authorizes the Secretary of Education to award $20 million in grants to community colleges that agree to enter into and maintain partnerships with juvenile detention centers by providing juvenile ex-offenders with a supportive learning environment where they can attain marketable skills and credentials needed for their constructive re-entry into society. Under the bill, each community college will be encouraged to grant academic merit to eligible participants based on their distinctive academic backgrounds, learning curves, and concentration interests. Under this bill, community colleges who apply for these grants will be responsible for facilitating the academic, psychological, and social adjustment of juvenile ex-offenders who were detained for gang related offenses. These community colleges will serve as hubs for networks among local organizations that are committed to assisting youthful offenders' successful reintegration into society. With these grants, community colleges can work with different partners to employ intervention strategies to divert at-risk youth from crime by providing counseling, academic or vocational training, and professional development to eligible participants enrolled in the program. In fact, this legislation requires that community colleges partner with both public and private entities to facilitate internships, apprenticeships, and permanent employment opportunities for eligible participants. This feature of the outreach effort is especially relevant to ensure recidivism prevention. At this juncture, we must set precedence on determining pragmatic measures that will mitigate gang violence. Gang violence presents an intricate challenge to communities around the United States, especially in areas where there is significant socio-economic duress. Ultimately, no one can cite the one definitive cause of community violence, poverty, neighborhood deterioration, or why Johnny cannot read. These types of contemporary problems have increasingly become more qualitatively complex. This is exactly why we cannot afford to adopt parochial methods to mitigate juvenile delinquency. Since it is virtually impossible for one agency to unilaterally solve intractable problems, every worthwhile effort requires collaboration and partnering among organizations to resolve the issue we see before us in this day and age. Education gives people hope and self-respect; it shows them that they can succeed by lawful means. The academic and vocational training is a critical component of this program especially since research has shown that the typical habitual offender is a person of little or no education. Madam Speaker, approximately 100,000 juveniles (ages 17 years and under) leave juvenile correctional facilities, State prison, or Federal prison each year. Juveniles released from secure confinement have a recidivism rate ranging from 55 to 75 percent. Even more, research has shown that the likelihood that young people will successfully transition into society increases with effective reentry and aftercare programs. Taking a comprehensive approach is the only pragmatic solution to stopping the spread of gang violence. By promoting communal networks, this legislation provides opportunities for the community to be instrumental in administering programs designed to reduce recidivism among ex-gang offenders, and deter gang violence and membership among other at risk youths. Juvenile delinquency is a complex phenomenon that has riveting effects. I firmly believe that this legislation will make significant progress in our battle against gang violence because it fully incorporates the community in the implementation process. Madam Speaker, it takes a network to fight a network. In order to provide a realistic, individualized, and creative response to public problems, we must design the right network. This legislation offers guidelines to determine and develop appropriate activation tools to respond to gang violence. I hope this bill would receive the bipartisan support that it deserves. I ask for my colleagues' support and urge the swift consideration of this bill.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment with my friends, Ms. Barbara Lee of California and Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, which emphasizes the need for HUD to place a greater priority on the security in our Nation's public housing communities. Indeed, I applaud the work of Chairman Olver and Ranking Member Knollenberg, and I am very supportive of their bill. However, a recent criminal act that occurred in the district that I am privileged to represent demands a response. I won't go into the details because it was a brutal act that was done allegedly by 10 young men in a project referred to, known as Dunbar Village. Until 2002, there was a program at HUD that funded security and safety in public housing communities. A footnote right here: I recently spoke with the inspector of HUD, who informed me that you cannot have good public housing without good security. However, in 2001, the Bush administration felt that the Public Housing Drug Elimination Program had a limited impact and did not reflect HUD's core mission. When the drug elimination program was consolidated with the public housing operating fund, a grant of $168,000 for securities services was cut just from the West Palm Beach Housing Authority, which overseas Dunbar village. Mr. Chairman, this incident has demonstrated that the Public Housing Drug Elimination Program had a far-reaching impact in reducing all forms of crime in public housing facilities. Our amendment sends a message to HUD to the tune of $20 million that the Department has a responsibility and the authority to fund security programs in public housing facilities around this Nation's communities. At this funding level, 10 percent of the $200 million increase in the account could fund security programs in over 100 public housing communities. These functions include employing security personnel, reimbursing local police for additional security services, making physical changes to improve security, funding community policing accreditation activities, as well as training and equipping voluntary tenant patrols. HUD should recognize this amendment and the despicable incident, like the one that occurred in my district, and others around this Nation as clear indication that they need to do more to improve the safety in their facilities. Unfortunately, it takes violent acts such as the one that I have discussed for us to open our eyes and for Congress to begin reversing funding trends and program adjustments that have left our communities vulnerable. This amendment does not place an undue burden on the desperately needed increase in the public housing operating fund. While all of the $200 million increase could be used for activities prioritized in this amendment, we rise today to call attention to the need for secure public housing. Once again, I commend Chairman Olver and Ranking Member Knollenberg for their work on this legislation and including the $200 million increase in the public housing operating fund. It is our hope that this amendment is a welcome contribution to their work. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to begin demanding that incidents like those experienced by the residents of Dunbar Village never occur again. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1239, the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Reauthorization Act. I introduced this legislation with my good friend, the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle). The widespread bipartisan support this legislation has received with 67 cosponsors and endorsement by the National Parks Conservation Association has demonstrated that black history is synonymous with American history as life experience shared by all citizens of America. I would like to thank Chairman Rahall and Mr. Don Young of the Natural Resources Committee for bringing this important legislation to the floor, and I would especially like to thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva), the subcommittee chairman, and his counterpart, Representative Rob Bishop, for their support. And my congratulations to Mrs. McMorris Rodgers on her recent addition to her family and her finding time to come and support this legislation as well. With passage of this legislation, I hope that the National Park Service will give the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom its due priority with adequate staffing to maintain the growing network. Toward that end, I would also like to thank the staff of the respective committees who helped to expedite this matter. Mr. Speaker, when I joined my esteemed former colleague, as did many other Members, and the person to whom I am referring is Representative Lou Stokes, in 1998, he led the effort to establish the National Underground Railroad to Freedom. I don't think any of us could have foreseen the emergence of the National Park Service as one of the largest stewards of black history in the United States. Nor could we have predicted the rapidly expanding support and interest for one of the most intriguing multicultural collaborations in the history of our Nation. The Network to Freedom is a key feature that diversifies engagement in interpretive opportunities of our National Park System. It has grown to 300 programs, sites, and partners in 28 States and the District of Columbia. This network is a national treasure of historic buildings, routes, programs, projects, and museums with thematic connections to the Underground Railroad. The legislation before us today appropriately adjusts the authorization levels for the Network to Freedom to reflect the growth of interest nationally, and the resulting expansion of opportunities. These adjustments will help to resolve the financial challenges facing the Network to Freedom that include the lack of consistent development grants and administrative support for affiliates. Mr. Speaker, this bill protects the interpretive interests of our National Park System by providing the necessary support staff and oversight for the Network to Freedom to exist in perpetuity. It is time to take a stand for the future of our national parks and American history. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and preserve a vital asset to the history of our Nation, the Underground Railroad.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1239, the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Reauthorization Act. I introduced this legislation in February with my good friend Representative Castle of Delaware as one contribution to the celebration of Black History Month. The widespread bi-partisan support this legislation has received with 67 cosponsors and endorsement by the National Parks Conservation Association has demonstrated that Black history is synonymous with American history as a life experience shared by all citizens of America. I would like to thank Chairman Rahall and Ranking Member Young of the Natural Resources Committee for bringing this important legislation to the floor. I would also like to thank Subcommittee Chairman Grijalva and Representative Rob Bishop for their support and minor adjustments to this legislation to meet the needs of the National Park Service administration. With passage of this legislation, I hope that the National Park Service will give the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom its due priority with adequate staffing to maintain the growing network. Mr. Speaker, when I joined my esteemed former colleague Representative Louis Stokes in 1998 to establish the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, I do not think we could have foreseen the emergence of the National Park Service as one of the largest stewards of black history in the United Sates. Nor could we have predicted the rapidly expanding support and interest for one of the most intriguing multicultural collaborations in the history of our Nation. In this polarized historical moment of American politics, remembering the Underground Railroad as a unifying narrative in our history could not be timelier. The sacrifice at the risk of death made by conductors and travelers of the Underground Railroad was an unprecedented contribution to the abolition of slavery. The contributors to this network included the members of the Society of Religious Friends, commonly referred to as the Quakers, as well as other concerned individuals. Thus, the Underground Railroad was one of the first synergistic partnerships that fostered the development of the thriving multicultural society that is the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, the Network to Freedom is a key feature that diversifies engagement in interpretive opportunities of our national park system. It has grown to 300 programs, sites, and partners in 28 states and the District of Columbia. This network is a national treasure of historic buildings, routes, programs, projects, and museums with thematic connections to the Underground Railroad. The legislation before us today appropriately adjusts authorization levels for the Network to Freedom to reflect the growth of interest nationally and the resulting expansion of opportunities. As a part of a concerted movement to overcome the funding challenges that threaten all national parks, this legislation moderately expands the operating funds of Network to Freedom to an authorization for appropriations up to $2 million and establishes appropriate oversight for grant funds. These adjustments will help to resolve the financial challenges facing the Network to Freedom that include the lack of consistent development grants and administrative support for affiliates. Mr. Speaker, this bill will protect the interpretive interests of our National Park System by providing the necessary support staff and oversight for the Network to Freedom to exist in perpetuity. It is time to take a stand for the future of our National Parks and American history. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and join me in preserving a vital asset to the history of our Nation: the Underground Railroad.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, as Chairman of the Helsinki Commission I rise to introduce a concurrent resolution which addresses the current political uncertainty in Ukraine, a country of strategic importance to the United States. My resolution urges all sides to abide by the agreement signed by Ukraine's leadership on May 27th, providing for a new round of parliamentary elections to be held on September 30th, and encouraging the holding of these elections in a free, fair and transparent manner in keeping with Ukraine's commitments as a participating State of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. I have just returned from Ukraine which hosted the 16th annual Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE. While in Kyiv, I met with President Yushchenko and other prominent Ukrainian officials. My colleagues and I received assurances from Kyiv that Ukraine would not backtrack on the path to political reform and good governance. Ukraine's current political conflict is the result of the ongoing power struggle that President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich have been engaged in since Yanukovich became Prime Minister last August. Rooted in hastily conceived constitutional reforms, the ongoing power struggle threatens to undermine Ukraine's hard-fought and substantial democratic gains, especially those won since the 2004 Orange Revolution. On April 2nd, President Yushchenko issued a decree dissolving the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, asserting that the Prime Minister was attempting to monopolize power by forming a veto-proof parliamentary majority through illegal means, and called for new parliamentary elections. The parliament refused to disband and questioned the legality of the presidential decree. After several weeks of tension and standoff, violence was averted and an agreement was reached: President Yushchenko, Prime Minister Yanukovich and Parliamentary Speaker Moroz came together in support of holding pre- term parliamentary elections at the end of September. Madam Speaker, it is important to recognize that Ukraine has made genuine democratic gains since the Orange Revolution. The December 2004 presidential vote was hailed as a stirring example of the triumph of peaceful protest and democratic ideals. Just over a year ago, as head of the OSCE-led International Election Observation Mission to Ukraine, I was pleased to declare that country's parliamentary elections were also free and fair. I am pleased that Ukraine has once again invited the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to observe the September 30 elections. Moreover, Ukraine for the last two years has been designated by Freedom House as a ``free'' country, in contrast to the ``partly free'' assessment it held during its first 13 years of independence. Nevertheless, democratic institutions and the rule of law in Ukraine are still emerging and lacking in their ability to safeguard democratic gains. It is this fragility, especially the lack of constitutional clarity in delineating the separation of powers that made it possible for the power struggle to ripen into a full-blown political crisis in recent months. However, it is heartening to see that more serious turmoil was averted through careful and constructive dialogue and capped by an agreement involving the country's leading political figures. First and foremost, my resolution calls for the leadership and political parties of Ukraine to abide by the May 27th agreement and conduct elections as scheduled for September 30th. The dispute between the president and prime minister must be resolved in a manner consistent with Ukraine's democratic values and national interest, and in keeping with its OSCE commitments. Madam Speaker, prolonged political uncertainties regarding the government's delineation of powers is clearly not in Ukraine's interest, and that nation's political leaders need to stand together in support of free, fair and transparent elections as a way out of the current impasse. While democratic elections will not, in and of themselves, resolve all of the challenges facing Ukraine in strengthening the rule of law and delineating power among the branches of government, they are a critical stepping-stone in Ukraine's democratic consolidation and should serve as a further testament of Ukraine's commitment to a democratic future. As this resolution underscores, Congress has been a staunch supporter of the development of democracy and respect for human rights and the rule of law in Ukraine since the restoration of that nation's independence in 1991. The consolidation of democracy and the rule of law in Ukraine will further strengthen that country's independence and sovereignty, enhancing Ukraine's aspirations for full integration with the West and serving as a positive model for other former Soviet countries. I urge my colleagues to support this timely resolution as a demonstration of Congress's interest, concern, and support for the Ukrainian people.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, on July 14, 2007, the Russian Federation lost one of its great leaders, although I am certain he would steadfastly reject such a characterization of himself. He certainly wasn't a famous political figure, or a wealthy philanthropist, or a brilliant scientist, and his name was rarely found on the pages of the major media. Gennadi Kryuchkov's leadership was in the spiritual realm. He was a courageous and principled leader of the unregistered Evangelical Baptist Church in the Soviet Union in the days when merely sharing one's religious faith with a neighbor could lead to a ``discussion'' at the local police station or the feared KGB office, and actively preaching the Gospel without permission from the government was usually good for a ticket to one of the many forced labor camps that comprised the infamous Gulag. Born in 1926, Gennadi Kryuchkov came to faith in 1951, and became active in an unregistered congregation of Baptist believers. In 1960, when he felt the officially registered Baptist organization had too deeply compromised itself with Soviet authorities by submitting to repressive new regulations, he became one of the leaders of the Initsiativniki, the unregistered and essentially underground network of congregations that defied Caesar's intrusion into the spiritual realm. Gennadi Kryuchkov became president of the underground church council and the late Georgi Vins was chosen as secretary. In May 1965, Pastor Kryuchkov and Pastor Vins led an open march on Communist Party headquarters in Moscow to protest government restrictions on believers in the Soviet Union. According to church council statistics, by 1972 the unregistered or ``reform'' Baptist church numbered around 450 congregations and 18,000 members. Another reputable source reported in the mid-1980s that there were 2,000 reform Baptist congregations with approximately 70,000 adult members. I would add parenthetically that in April 1979 Georgi Vins and four other Soviet dissidents were expelled from the Soviet Union in exchange for two convicted Soviet spies. In August 1985, the Helsinki Commission, of which I am honored to serve currently as Chairman, heard Pastor Vins' dramatic testimony on the plight of the unregistered Baptist church at Congressional hearings in Buffalo, New York, devoted to the subject of Soviet forced labor practices. Meanwhile, as a result of his determination to preserve the freedom to worship without state interference, Pastor Kryuchkov was arrested and sentenced to three years in labor camp from 1966 to 1969. In 1970, under threat of continued persecution, he went into hiding and spent 20 years working underground, preaching to fellow believers in clandestine gatherings, publishing ``illegal'' religious literature, and staying one step ahead of the KGB. Only when the chains of religious repression in the Soviet Union were cast off as a result of the new thinking that characterized the government of Communist Party General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, was Pastor Kryuchkov able to emerge from the shadows and return to his family and loved ones in the Tula Oblast, still fervently preaching the Scriptures and standing fast for separation of church and state. Madam Speaker, like the Soviet Union itself, the days of cruel religious persecution and militant atheism in Russia are pretty much a thing of the past. But let us not forget the courage and persistence of church leaders like Gennadi Kryuchkov, who, like the ``Remnant'' of Old Testament times, kept the flame of faith of burning during the dark days of persecution.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great concern to recognize the one year anniversary of the capture of three Israeli soldiers. Over one year ago, Hezbollah terrorists infiltrated into Israeli territory and attacked two IDF armored jeeps patrolling the border with Lebanon, killing three soldiers and kidnapping two: Eldad Regev, 26, of Kiryat Motzkin and Ehud (Udi) Goldwasser, 31, of Nahariya. Weeks earlier, on June 25, Gilad Shalit, 20, of Hila, was abducted by Hamas in the Gaza strip. As an original cosponsor of House Resolution 107, a resolution which calls for the immediate and unconditional release of these Israeli soldiers held captive by Hamas and Hezbollah, I was extremely pleased that it passed the House unanimously on March 3th of March. This critical piece of legislation demanded that Hamas release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, and required Hezbollah accept the mandate of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 to release Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. My efforts to assist in the release of these soldiers began in July 2006 when I wrote to American Red Cross' Interim President Jack McGuire urging the American Red Cross to apply pressure to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to assess the well-being of these three Israeli soldiers. In that letter, I admonished Hezbollah and Hamas for continuously failing to accede to basic standards of humanitarian conduct and denying competent medical personnel and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross access to the Israeli captives. Hezbollah's and Hamas' blatant disregard for international law and the malicious uncertainty they have unleashed on the captured soldiers' families is simply heartless. This obvious disrespect for humanitarian law warrants an international response. Having met with Karnit Goldwasser, the wife of kidnapped Israeli soldier Ehud Goldwasser, I am even more committed to advocate for the plights of these brave soldiers. I will continue to intensely oppose terrorist activities that compromise human life to advance a drastic agenda. These illegitimate actions only solidify the United States' commitment to support Israel as the only true democracy in the Middle East and achieving peace in the region. Over the past few years, we have watched violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories spiral out of control. Clearly it is time for the United States to become more actively engaged in the region. While we continue to consume ourselves with our own war against terrorism, we cannot forget that Israel has been waging its own war against terrorism, as well as its own fight for democracy, for more than 55 years. Today, I stand with my colleagues in sending a message to the people of Israel: The support Israel enjoys from the United States is stronger today than it has ever been. I will continue to lend my vigorous support and unwavering commitment to the welfare and survival of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders. We cannot remain silent on this grave issue: we owe it to these brave soldiers, their families, and to ourselves. Silence would only tell the rest of the world that these actions have become acceptable. I urge my colleagues to continue to unequivocally condemn these acts and pray for the return of these brave soldiers and peace in the region.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the ordering of the yeas and nays be vacated with respect to the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 2547, as amended, to the end that the Chair put the question de novo.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing a Resolution relating to human rights problems in the Republic of Azerbaijan. I am pleased to be joined by Representative Thaddeus McCotter and Representative Gary Ackerman as original co-sponsors of the Resolution. The Resolution calls on the Government of Azerbaijan to release Farhad Aliyev and his brother, Rafiq, from detention during trial. Both of them have been detained in solitary confinement from October 2005 until today, when their trial is already in progress. It also calls on Azerbaijan to assure that their right to a fair and open trial before an independent and impartial tribunal is honored. Importantly, the resolution calls on the Azeri government to fulfill all its international obligations respecting the rule of law, including those relating to Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), among others. Farhad Aliyev, a pro-market advocate and former government minister, was originally arrested on charges of complicity in an alleged attempted coup d'etat during the 2005 parliamentary elections. He is now facing trial on unrelated financial charges. Rafiq, the former president of the oil company Azpetrol, was arrested the same day on minor customs violations, and is being tried on similar financial charges. The 2007 Freedom House Country Report has this to say about the rule of law in Azerbaijan: ``The judiciary is corrupt, inefficient and subservient to the executive branch. Arbitrary arrest and detention are common, particularly for members of the political opposition. Detainees are often held for long periods of time before trial, and their access to lawyers is restricted.'' From the beginning, the arrest and trial of Farhad and Rafiq Aliyev have been marked by numerous violations of international legal norms, a view shared by independent observers, including the OSCE, the Council of Europe and many human rights organizations, not to mention the U.S. State Department. The Aliyevs have been systematically denied due process and a fair and open trial, as well visitation by family, medical and international legal advisers. As the Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), and having served as an election observer in Azerbaijan, I am aware that international human rights organizations, and the U.S. State Department, have raised concerns about human rights in Azerbaijan, including lack of free elections, arbitrary arrest and detention, and imprisonment of journalists, among other issues. I am particularly concerned about the ongoing crackdown on independent journalists. The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media has often criticized Azerbaijan about its violations of media freedoms, noting that at present there are more journalists in jail in Azerbaijan than in any other OSCE state. This resolution calls on the Government of Azerbaijan to release these journalists from prison and to identify and prosecute those who have been attacking reporters and editors. I am well aware of the challenges and opportunities presented by the countries in the Caucasus region. Azerbaijan is a country with vast potential and is an important economic and strategic ally of the United States. I respect the role it is playing in the war on terror. But this is all the more reason for the U.S. Congress to urge the government in Baku to comply with its international human rights commitments. Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Houston for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 287, a resolution, as has been stated by both my good friends, that celebrates the 500th anniversary of the first use of the name ``America.'' I'd like to especially thank the original cosponsors that worked with me to introduce the legislation: Majority Leader Steny Hoyer; and the leaders of the Americans Abroad Caucus, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Congressman Joe Wilson. I also want to thank the chairman and ranking Republican of the Foreign Affairs Committee, my good friend, Chairman Lantos, and my good friend from Florida, we came here together, my colleague, Representative Ros-Lehtinen, for supporting this legislation and bringing it to the floor today. Finally, I would like to express my deep appreciation to Representative Eliot Engel and his staff for their help in moving this resolution forward. I would be terribly remiss if I did not mention a young man in my office, that this is among his first experiences, Alex Johnson, who found the work, not robbery, to bring this forward along with my legislative director, David Goldenberg. It is important to recognize the collaborative community initiative that has emerged to commemorate this occasion. The Americans Abroad Caucus and the national initiative for similar proclamations in all 50 States coordinated by the America 500 Birthday Organizing Committee have established a foundation for this important resolution to be taken up for floor consideration today. This resolution transcends the simple acknowledgment of the first use of a term on a map, but, rather, commemorates scientific achievement toward a shared understanding of the world. It is this world which increasingly exchanges culture, technology, and scientific advancement that thrives through shared understanding and the innovation we celebrate today. When German cartographer Martin Waldseemuller first used America to identify a previously uncharted continent on his, previously mentioned by Ms. Jackson-Lee and Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, 1507 map of the world, I doubt that he truly realized the magnitude of his achievement. His choice of the term ``America'' to memorialize the voyages of Amerigo Vespucci shifted the geographical understanding of the world and established a term that would be attributed with symbolic identity in the centuries to come. This symbolic identity is the source of pride that continues to motivate me and all of us to serve this great Nation. It is this American spirit which guides our role in the world and should motivate all Americans to work towards a renewed commitment to positive international relations. My colleagues should know that the last remaining copy, and I believe Ms. Jackson-Lee pointed it out in her remarks, remains as a trust, as a top treasure of the Library of Congress. I would encourage my colleagues and citizens in this country to visit and see this treasure which established the geographical origin of the American identity. Again, I thank Chairman Lantos, Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen, and Representative Engel for their work on this. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and join me to commemorate the origin of the term which has resulted in an international American identity.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Am I correct that the first two suspensions have been addressed and the third is scheduled for now and House Resolution 287 is the fourth?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of a dear international colleague who passed away this weekend. A world renowned diplomat, Edouard Brunner began his career in the Swiss Foreign Ministry in 1956. Rising through the ranks, he served as the Swiss Secretary of State from 1984 to 1989. He then went on to serve as Ambassador to the United States from 1989 to 1993. In 1991, U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar appointed him to a parallel role as his special envoy to the Middle East, replacing Gunnar Yarring of Sweden. Following this position, he served as Special Representative of the Secretary General of the UN for Abkazia from 1993 and 1994, where he led a U.N. mission that brokered a truce ending 2 years of fighting between the Georgian government and separatists in the Black Sea province of Abkhazia. He is often cited for coming out of retirement in 1998 to address concerns related to his beloved country during the Nazi era, which with his involvement, provided an acceptable solution to the international community. However, it is through our work within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that I came to know him. Appointed to head the Swiss mission in 1972, Brunner played a key role within the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), which served as a multilateral forum for dialogue and negotiation between the East and West and culminated in the Helsinki Final Act in 1975. In 1994, the CSCE changed its name, becoming the OSCE. Over the years, in a testament to his dedication to the organization and its standing in the world, Brunner remained active within the OSCE both formally and informally. In 2005, during my presidency of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Brunner and I, in his capacity as chairman of the Swiss Foundation for World Affairs, held a Colloquium on the Future of the OSCE. A report on the findings of the colloquium was then provided as a report to the then-OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel. A major goal of the colloquium and subsequent report was to give new impetus to political dialogue and provide strategic vision for the OSCE. The initial purpose of the Helsinki Accords had been to expand cooperation in the areas of security, economic, and humanitarian affairs. Additionally, for the first time, it afforded a systematic review of human rights practices in the Soviet Union and all other signatories of the accords. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of independent states from its territories, spanning from Europe into Asia, questions of the expanding role of the OSCE in politico-military, election observation, and relationships with other multilateral organizations were being raised. Working together, Brunner and I were not only able to encourage and host the colloquium, but also actively succeeded in addressing those concerns, and establishing a path forward that addressed the new challenges of the 56 participating states of the OSCE. In my current role as chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation Europe, I will sorely miss Brunner's counsel at the OSCE, but know that his memory will live on through his extraordinary contributions to this organization that has been instrumental to peace and security here in the United States as well as throughout Europe. He will not be forgotten.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Does the gentleman remember the last couple of weeks here who participated in causing the delay?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Would the gentleman yield?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Does the gentleman remember that you did the exact same thing last year?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, the underlying legislation moves our country in a better direction, providing improvements long overdue to our entire Nation. Our investments today will ensure that our children and grandchildren will have water and air that is cleaner, natural landscapes and historic structures that are protected, and arts and humanity centers that are bolstered. This bill fulfills past due obligations to our underserved communities and to our entire planet. Republicans in the last Congress and in the current administration have continued to fail to effectively fund the environmental and conservation needs of the American people and its natural resources. Today, under the Democratic leadership, we are reversing this trend and restoring funding to vital programs and agencies, fulfilling our promise to this Nation and to this Earth. The investments this bill makes are of vital importance today, and their benefits will be felt for years to come. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment with my good friend, Congressman Michael Castle of Delaware, to the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2008. Our amendment designates $1 million of the increase in appropriations to the National Park Service for operations and grants affiliated with the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Madam Chairman, Members on both sides of the aisle agree that the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom is a phenomenal resource of the National Park Service. Interest in the network continues to grow within affiliates in 28 States and the District of Columbia now operating since its inception in 1998. More opportunities than ever are now available for families throughout the Nation to engage in interpretive learning experiences related to the significant triumph of the underground railroad. Madam Chair, the President's request of $493,000 for the operation demonstrates a slight increase for the network, but the true problem lies in the lack of grants for affiliates. The grant opportunities for network affiliates have only been funded three times since the establishment of the network in 1998 and woefully less than the $2.5 million authorized in the establishing legislation. Our amendment is not just about preserving black history. Madam Chair, it is about preserving American history, and we cannot let our history be forgotten. Indeed, once Congress establishes a phenomenal program such as this, it should be ready to take the necessary action to ensure its perpetuity. This is our past and we must be faithful stewards of it. I would like to thank Chairman Dicks and Ranking Member Tiahrt for their help in bringing this timely amendment to the floor today. Madam Chairman, I would like to, at this time, yield to my friend, Mr. Castle.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I yield to the gentleman from Washington.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. That is correct.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I yield to the gentleman from Kansas.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Reclaiming my time, thank you, Chairman Dicks, Ranking Member Tiahrt, and Governor Castle.