Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to my friend, the distinguished gentleman from New York [Mr. Serrano].

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida [Ms. Brown]. (Ms. BROWN of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, may I have a colloquy with the gentleman?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged at this time to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from California [Ms. Pelosi], who has coauthored the pending legislation and has continued to bring clarity to this issue.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from California [Ms. Harmon]. (Ms. HARMON asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Levin]. (Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to my friend and colleague the distinguished gentleman from California [Mr. Lantos].

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Roemer]. (Mr. ROEMER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Neal].

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed from cosponsorship of H.R. 530.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my votes on rollcall votes 478, 479, 480, and 481 be shown in the Record at the appropriate places as ``no.'' I was unavoidably detained.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, let me address my colleague most immediately with reference to the fact that we have $2 billion invested in Haiti, and put the question rhetorically: How much of that was used in the structuring of an election that would satisfy the so-called requirements of the Haitian Constitution?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Missouri for yielding this time to me. We have a notorious tendency of not wanting to listen to certain people. I demand that the House be made in order, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, 9 years ago outside Lake Worth, FL, I walked over the bodies of Haitians who had washed up on the shore. One of them was a pregnant, nude woman, and that has stayed with me all of my life. All this little nation is asking of us is a little opportunity to restore democracy. That is all they are asking, and here we come with a superimposed notion, dictating our form of democracy within the framework of a year. It is absurd that we find ourselves in this position where democracy has to be according to our dictates in order for us to do business with even the most feeble of us. Mr. Chairman, we have had a habit in this body of addressing on the domestic front the most vulnerable among us, and now we move to the international front and continue that pattern. I say to my colleagues, ``Shame on you.''

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Let me suggest it was minuscule by comparison. I am fond of quoting my mother, and I choose at this time to do so. My mom says ``Give the prize to the one who tries,'' and she says that often. Haiti has tried over and over again to satisfy every single requirement that our government has put forward to require them to go forward in a meaningful manner. There has been but a year in the process of restoration of democracy, and I am fascinated by the little amount of resources that were devoted toward trying to help an 80 percent illiterate country to understand the basic dynamics of voting. The 1,000-plus candidates that were on the ballot alone required an immense amount of resources in order for the various persons to be widely known. We spend in some of our districts $1 million, and that is about how much money we spent during that period of time in trying to assist in the election. Do you know what I am going to ask the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Goss] is what is the real agenda here? I mean, the election was just held Sunday and Monday, and I hear my chairman of the Committee on International Relations saying that some of the votes were counted by candlelight. Absolutely, Mr. Gilman, they were counted by candlelight, for the reason that the people do not have electricity. Give me a break. They do not have computers. They do not have the knowledge that we have with reference to how to conduct an election. And many of us sat on the sidelines and waited until Sunday to go down there and find out precisely what was going on before we would say anything. What has the international community done with reference to the donors that said they were going to come forward and help this country? The money has been slow in coming. There is no infrastructure. People stood in long lines waiting to have an opportunity to vote. They voted probably as good as we do in this country, in many of our areas, rich and poor. Therefore, it is unwise of us to thrust on them at this time such a nebulous, vague, and uncertain mandate from this country as to how it is to conduct itself as a national government. Let me make it very clear: You do not have any more concern than anybody else. The so-called liberal left you said, Porter. That is the language he used, Charlie, liberal left. Then I am a proud member of that liberal left, and I gather then that you must be something other than liberal left. You do not have any more reason to support the taxpayers of this country than do I. You cannot wrap yourself around a flag or hide under the rug of the CIA and expect that from somewhere on earth is going to come this rumination that is going to give you greater say about something that every Member of the liberal left struggled for these people to have, the opportunity to have a democratic election. Every Member of the liberal left stood by them and said, ``We do not want you dying out in the ocean.'' Every Member of the liberal left said that it was wrong to hold them in Guantanamo. Every Member of the liberal left said that we had dual America standards, and everybody on earth knows that we had dual standards. Who, other than a handful of you, have complained about this election? Were there problems? Yes. And there were problems in Fort Lauderdale, and there were problems in Immokalee in your district. So do not commence to tell me that problems now are going to be reported arbitrarily by somebody unknown to the President of the United States, and that is going to be pursuant to the Constitution of 1987. Who, other than you, have complained? Did Brian Atwood complain? I did not hear him say that the election was a fraud, and it is his agency that was involved. Did the military complain? Six thousand of our troops are still there, and they shepherded as best they could an election of a fledgling country. I am tired of standing in this well and in this body and hearing people refer to the people of the liberal left. One day I will come forward and tell you all the things that the liberal left has done. My concern is what the conservative right has done to us all.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, are we contemplating Chief Justice Warren Burger's funeral today at 12:30, and is there going to be any time for those who may wish to attend to do so?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today before this distinguished body to express my strong support for the Day of the African Child and the efforts of UNICEF to help the children of Africa. The Day of the African Child was founded to commemorate the lives of the children who were massacred in Soweto, South Africa, on June 16, 1976. They joined together to rally against the sinister scourge of apartheid, and the Day of the African Child is a chance for us to unite against another blight; impoverishment. It is also an opportunity to bring public attention to a forgotten realm; a place where 30 million children are malnourished and many have lost their homes and families. These children's lives are irrevocably scarred by the mental wounds of the violence that ravages their homelands. However, it is also a time to reflect upon the many positive programs that have come to fruition. Many African nations have achieved real progress in attaining the needs of their children. Unfortunately, we are constantly reminded of the threat to the fragile lives of children by the civil strife that was most recently, and most graphically, illustrated in the carnage of Rwanda. That is why the theme of this years Day of the African Child is ``Children in Armed Conflict.'' Now in it's 5th year, the Day of the African Child utilizes the backdrop of the struggle and sacrifice of those heroic children in Soweto, to provide a forum for understanding and recognizing the many challenges that African children face today. It is a day to transcend the man-made boundaries that keep us apart, and to recommit and focus our efforts to the protection and development of our most precious resource. We must work together to stop the violence, illness, and instability that continue to plague the children of Africa. Rwanda is a recent example of the traumatizing and tragic effect armed conflict on children, the innocent victims. In the strife that has spread across Africa in the last decade, an estimated 2 million children have been killed. Children have borne witness to unspeakable acts of brutality. As the attention of the world community has been focused on other parts of the world in the last 10 years, the situation has not improved. The impact of the crises are just as severe as the famines and armed conflicts of the 1980's. More ominously, the reaction of the world to these tragedies has been dangerously slow, and donor fatigue is a prevailing ailment that taints relief efforts. However, the Day of the African Child is also a day to recognize and acknowledge the gains that African countries have had in helping the plight of their children. The situation is, indeed, grave, but contrary to popular misconception, African nations have taken considerable steps in improving the lives of their children. We must wholeheartly direct more resources toward education initiatives and community rebuilding. We do have the capability, resources, and the conditions that are favorable to succeed in creating a better life for our children. We can fight disease, illiteracy, and malnutrition with simple, low-cost solutions. It is estimated that a child in Africa can be educated for about $20 a day. With the goal of universal primary school access, the U.N. Children's Fund [UNICEF] has set the years between 1995 and 2000 as the target period to increase primary school enrollment and retention rate. This achievable goal of basic education is also geared to correct the tremendous disparity in the enrollment of female children. In addition, the United Nations has successfully carried out Days of Tranquility during which children are immunized against the six major childhood killers. Warring parties have also been convinced to let convoys carrying desperately needed food and medicine to the innocent women and children trapped in war-torn areas. For some the Day of the African Child will be a day to rejoice and enumerate the notable progress that has been achieved to ease the suffering of our planet's most precious citizens. For others, however, it will be a day to reflect, and to remind us, of the existing adversity and suffering that challenges all of us to preserve in our efforts. I urge all my colleagues to recognize this important day which not only acknowledges the struggles of the African youth, but of children everywhere, as they will someday inherit the mantle of freedom and liberty that we hold so dear.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Then I would object, Mr. Chairman, because we have two additional speakers.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, reserving the right to object, and I will not object, may I ask how much time is left?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my opposition to the Burton amendment. While I have the utmost respect for my colleague on the International Relations Committee, and I believe that his amendment is truly well-intentioned, I think the amendment is short-sighted and counter-productive. Rather than streamline AID, the Burton amendment will undermine its ability to implement the activities that we in Congress have authorized. It will also destroy the reforms that AID has already implemented toward cost-cutting and program effectiveness. In 1992, President George Bush appointed George Ferris to head a Commission on the Management of AID. It was Ferris, a Republican appointee, who said, ``We know of no other agency that has increased its effectiveness to the degree that Brian Atwood has brought change and reform in AID. * * * What has been accomplished at AID should serve as an example for other departments and agencies of the Federal Government.'' If I understand my colleague from Indiana, these cuts will save the taxpayers money without harming our foreign policy and development goals. I disagree. To accommodate such drastic cuts, AID would have to lay off almost one-half of its direct-hire staff in the next year, which would force the agency to spend most of its remaining resources in contract termination costs, lease buyouts, transportation home for personnel, and on mandatory retirement and separation benefits which would have to be paid under the Foreign Service and Civil Service Acts. By mandating such drastic cuts in such a short time frame, this amendment would actually add millions of dollars to the cost of streamlining and downsizing our foreign aid programs. These cuts would force the agency to close down more than 20 overseas missions in addition to the 25 that they have already begun to close. This would force us to make impossible choices. Will we support new democracies or child survival programs? Foreign aid used to be writing checks to governments. But in recent years we have weaned ourselves off of direct payments, and have focused on helping [[Page H5721]] nations develop from the grassroots up. This policy shift was, correctly, mandated by Congress. I believe that most AID programs are an effective use of a very small amount of our taxpayers dollars. AID-backed training programs can stabilize new democracies in Latin America, and prevent famines in Africa. These are honorable goals which we must support. Therefore, I oppose the Burton amendment. Mr. Chairman, in my remaining time I wish to make an admission. That is that, No. 1, I supported the measure by my friend, the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Hoyer], last year, and I feel that it has great currency this year. However, the ranking member of this committee has very carefully pinpointed those areas of vital concern that all of us here should have. It is not that we do not recognize the horror and destruction that is going on in Bosnia. It is that there is at this time an increase in the UNPROFOR troops in that area. In addition thereto, the United Nations has ongoing discussions with all of our allies in that locale. The day before yesterday the Prime Minister of Hungary visited this august body, and some of us who met with him are mindful of his entreaty that we not do anything to exacerbate conditions there. Mr. Chairman, I understand where the gentleman from Maryland is coming from, and all of my colleagues and I stand with him and take no back seat to any Member in this House in being diametrically opposed to the continuing slaughter going on in Bosnia. However, we need a careful and reasoned approach, and not just something thrown together in just a few minutes in order for us to be able to arrive at such conclusions as we help our administration, that we help our allies, and that we help ourselves come to an understanding. There are no good solutions in Bosnia. I defy any man or woman of this House to come forward and say that they have the answer, and anyone that did have the answer would want to utilize it most immediately. Mr. Chairman, I urge defeat of the manager's bill, I urge defeat of the foreign aid bill, I urge the defeat of the bill of the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Hoyer], and the defeat of the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Burton].

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the gentleman: You argue that this amendment would save money. Am I correct that AID would have to lay off at least half of their employees, and would that not be very costly in terms of retirement and all of the buyout benefits that come along with that in addition to the number of agencies that would be---- Mr. BURTON Of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, let me just say when we downsize Government there are going to be short-range problems, but long-term, long-term major cash savings, and I believe this amendment long term will save a great deal, more than the $65 million that it will save initially, and I think that this is something the American people want us to do. They want to see us economizing Government and not continue to see runaway costs which have bankrupted this Nation, and so I think this amendment is a good one, and I hope my colleagues will see fit to vote for it. Burton Amendment Cuts Aid to India Washington, DC.--Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN), Chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, today won approval of an amendment to the foreign aid bill which would dramatically cut aid to India and other countries that consistently oppose U.S. interests at the U.N. By including developmental assistance to the list of aid programs which would be denied these countries, Burton's amendment puts some real teeth into the foreign aid bill. The bill, as reported by the International Relations Committee, ties U.S. economic assistance directly to the voting patterns of other countries at the U.N. If a country votes against the U.S. more than 75% of the time, it would be ineligible for economic support funds, International Military and Education Training (IMET) funds, and Foreign Military Financing, three relatively modest programs. The Burton Amendment adds Development Assistance, which is a more substantial program, to the list. For example, India which has voted against the U.S. more than any other country, from 81% to 95% of the time would lose $70.4 million in developmental assistance and $364,000 in IMET funds next year alone. ``This is American taxpayers' money we are talking about here. There is no reason [[Page H5716]] for us to be giving American money to countries who do not support our policies. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect countries who receive our assistance to vote with us 25% of the time. Most countries who do not support the U.S. in the U.N. are noted human rights violators, such as Cuba, Sudan, North Korea, Iran, and India. We should not be supporting countries like this,'' said Burton after the debate. Burton has been a consistent critic of India's human rights record, speaking frequently about torture and extrajudicial killings of Sikhs in Punjab, Muslims in Kashmir, and Christians in Nagaland. During debate today, he spoke passionately on the House floor about India's long record of abuses. All major human rights groups have condemned India as one of the most notorious human rights violators in the world. It is no surprise that India almost always votes against the U.S. at the U.N. According to Asia Watch, ``Virtually everyone detained in Punjab is tortured.'' Amnesty International says, ``Torture (in Punjab and Kashmir) and ill treatment is widespread and in some cases systematic, resulting in scores of deaths in police custody.'' Even our own State Department reported, ``Over 41,000 cash bounties were paid to police in Punjab for extrajudicial killings of Sikhs between 1991 and 1993.'' This month in Kashmir, Indian troops burned to the ground a centuries-old mosque and hundreds of Muslim homes in the neighborhoods surrounding it. ``It is absolutely grotesque and inhumane to torture human beings in any way, but the government of India makes it a routine practice. There are certain standards to which we should hold countries who receive U.S. aid, and India is no exception. I believe we should cut ALL aid to India until they quit their murderous reign of terror in Punjab and Kashmir, and start supporting U.S. policies at the U.N.,'' said a determined Burton. The foreign aid bill does not cut money from humanitarian food aid, international narcotics control, or antiterrorism programs, even in countries which are effected by the substantial cuts. human rights in india at a glance Disregard for Religious Sites and Figures May 1995--Indian troops in Kashmir burn to the ground the centuries-old walnut wood mosque in Charar-e-Sharies, along with hundreds of homes around it. December 1992--Hindu mobs destroy the historic Babri Mosque in Ayodhya as Indian troops stand by and watch. December 1992--Gurdev Singh Kaonke, one of the most revered leaders of the Sikh religion, is arrested, tortured and killed in police custody. June 1984--Indian soldiers launch an all out attack on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest shrine of the Sikh religion. 38 other temples throughout Punjab are attacked, killing thousands of Sikhs. What Human Rights Groups Say Asia Watch: ``Virtually everyone detained in Punjab is tortured.'' Amnesty International: ``Torture (in Punjab and Kashmir) and illtreatment is wide-spread and in some cases systematic, resulting in scores of deaths in police custody.'' State Department Human Rights Report (1994): Over 41,000 cash bounties were paid to police in Punjab for extrajudicial killings of Sikhs between 1991 and 1993. Graphic Examples of Torture and Murder, Punjab and Kashmir Extrajudicial murders of Sikh youth are a common occurrence. Between 1986 and 1994, 6,017 unidentified Sikh victims of Indian police were cremated in the District of Amritsar alone. There are 13 districts in Punjab. It has been estimated that security forces have had over 25,000 unidentified Sikhs cremated or dumped in rivers during this period. In January 1995, the water level of the Sirhind Canal was lowered for repair work. One dozen bodies of young Sikh torture victims were found at the bottom of just one short section of the canal with their hands and feet bound. There are hundreds of miles of canals throughout the province. In January 1993, Indian paramilitary forces in Kashmir burnt to death at least 65 Kashmiri civilians in the town of Sopore. Soldiers deliberately set fire to five separate areas of the town. They also dragged shopkeepers out of their shops and shot them in the streets. The torching of entire Kashmiri villages by Indian forces is a common tactic. In 1994, Sikh activist Kanwar Singh Dhami was imprisoned along with his pregnant wife and son. He and his wife were tortured in front of each other. When the police were unable to extract an untrue confession from Mr. Dhami, they hung his wife up by her heels (she was six months pregnant) forcing her to have a miscarriage. In Amritsar district in 1993, Indian police brought a Sikh youth they had tortured and thought was dead to the hospital for an autopsy. After the police left, the doctors discovered that the young man was miraculously still alive and revived him. The police returned several hours later after hearing that the man was alive. They took him out of the hospital, killed him again, and brought him back to the same hospital for his autopsy. don't support indian tyranny with american tax dollars--vote for the burton amendment to cut aid to india Here are some relevant facts about India and Indian- occupied Khalistan: India votes against the United States at the United Nations 84 percent of the time, more than any other U.S. aid recipient. India is helping Iran build up it military arsenal. Human Rights Violations Indian newspapers recently reported that 25,000 Sikhs were either cremated as ``unclaimed bodies.'' or thrown in canals and rivers. The White Paper on State Terrorism in Punjab cites S.S. Ray, Indian Ambassador to the U.S., as the ``butcher of Bengal'' and the ``butcher of Punjab.'' Over 41,000 cash bounties were paid to police officers for killing Sikhs, according to the US State Dept. Over 120,000 Sikhs killed since 1984. Over 150,000 Christians killed since 1947. Over 43,000 Kashmiri Muslims killed since 1988. Tens of thousands more languish in Indian prisons without charge or trial. Amnesty International reports hundreds of Sikhs have disappeared. Asia Watch reports ``virtually everyone detained in Punjab is tortured.'' Police operate over 200 torture centers (police stations) in Punjab, Khalistan. Police routinely pick up Sikh youths and demand ransom of tens of thousands of rupees for their safe release. Otherwise, the youths are tortured and killed. Sikhs who die of torture are listed as being killed in an ``encounter'' with the police. Despite the recent repeal of TADA, the other ``Black Laws'', giving the regime sweeping powers to detain anyone for any reason and kill Sikhs without fear of persecution, remain on the books. India has not allowed Amnesty International to conduct an independent human-rights investigation in Punjab, Khalistan, since 1978. India recently attacked an ancient mosque in Kashmir which houses the mausoleum of the venerated Sheik Nooruddin Wali. In December 1992, Hindus destroyed the Babri mosque in Ayodhya. In June 1984, India attacked the Golden Temple in Amristar, the holiest shrine of the Sikh Nation. The Chicago Tribune reports that a nun was stabbed 36 times by right-wing Hindu fundamentalists. By these actions, India displays its religious intolerance. The Indian newspaper Hitavada reported in November that the late Governor of Punjab, Surendra Nath, was paid $1.5 billion by the Indian regime to foment terrorism in Punjab, Khalistan, and in Kashmir. The State Department says that the human-rights situation is getting worse. India's Nuclear Threat to World Peace India has recently announced successful tests of the Akash antiballistic missile, India's equivalent of the Patriot. India has deployed Prithvi missiles, which have a range of 250 kilometers, on the Pakistani border and has successfully tested other missiles like Agni, Thrishul, etc. Last year, India launched the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, which can be made to carry nuclear warheads. India spends over 20% of its research and development budget on the development of nuclear weapons. Only 2% goes to education and health. Khalistan's Right to Self-Determination No Sikh has ever signed the Indian constitution. The Sikh leadership declared Khalistan independent on October 7, 1987. The movement to liberate Khalistan is peaceful, democratic, and nonviolent. Former Member of Parliament Simranjit Singh Mann has been held in a windowless cell for four months for the ``crime'' of speaking out for Khalistan. The Supreme Court of India ruled that asking for Khalistan is not a crime. According to India Abroad, 96 percent of the Sikhs in Punjab, Khalistan did not vote in India's February 1992 elections there. India has 500,000 troops in Punjab, occupied Khalistan, alone--more than Britain had in the entire subcontinent during its rule. Khalistan, Kashmir, and Nagaland continue to be denied their right to self-determination. India has 18 official languages. It is a polyglot like the former Soviet Union. It is not one country.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, does that mean that Members could ask for a division on any of the manager's amendments that are in there?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I have a further parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Chairman.