Steny Hoyer

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers), and, Mr. Speaker, based upon the gentleman's representation, if that is all this technical amendment does, then I will certainly withdraw my reservation of objection. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his explanation. As this technical amendment was explained to me, Mr. Speaker, current Postal Service reporting requirements are continued with a modification which conforms those reports to the way the House now administers Members' allowances. I understand that there are additional technical amendments to this section which need to be worked out but that this particular amendment is time-sensitive, and that staff will present additional amendments for committee consideration in the next few months. Is that the gentleman's understanding?

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I have no intention of objecting, but I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) for the purposes of explaining the bill in question.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Kucinich amendment. I have written a Dear Colleague letter at the request of the fire services of this country, both paid and volunteer. I understand that letter has been quoted from by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) and perhaps others. I appreciate the reference of the gentleman from California. The amendment of the gentleman from Indiana, as I think the gentleman from California has said, has an objective that all of us I think support. The issue is the impact of the legislation if not amended as the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) proposed. I support the amendment offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich). As cochair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, I want to share with the House what I believe this legislation's impact would be on fire fighters. Despite what this amendment would say, this legislation, absent the Kucinich amendment, might well endanger the lives of the brave men and women in the fire service. Why? Why? Because I believe this amendment, if it fails to pass, the disclosure of hazardous material will decrease. Disclosure will decrease, and one of these days a fire fighter in the Members' districts or mine will have to respond to a fire or Hazmat incident, and they are not going to know what they are dealing with. That is critically important, that they have a prenotice and knowledge of what the fire may be dealing with, what causes it and what fumes are being presented by the fire, and other matters of critical safety concerns to our fire fighters. They are not going to know what they are dealing with, and someone is going to get hurt or killed. While some argue that this legislation still allows a regulatory agency to fine the offending small business, that is not the point. I do not think any of us are really interested in fining small businesses. I know I am not. Any fine we can levy after the fact, however, is of little solace to many fire fighters or their surviving families. Mr. Chairman, I am a strong proponent of small business. It is a critical element in our economy. I, too, want to relieve them from needless and redundant paperwork. In fact, we have done some things to accomplish that objective in years past. I, too, want to relieve them from having to pay onerous fines from accidental or inadvertent paperwork errors. However, without this Kucinich amendment, I very much fear that the legislation will encourage and result in the failure to notify, consistent with local and national requirements, our local firefighting departments, paid or volunteer, of the hazards they may face in a critical situation where there would be no time to find out or to in fact solve the breach after the fact. So that is why I rise in support of the Kucinich amendment.

Mr. HOYER. That is the concern.

Mr. HOYER. I appreciate the gentleman's observation. We will look forward to working with him.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate two things, I suppose. First of all, I appreciate the fact that the gentleman recognizes that we are raising a legitimate concern, which I think is the import of the gentleman's comments and subsequent actions; and secondly, that he has taken action which he believes will ameliorate the fears that we have, or perhaps not eliminate, but certainly ameliorate. The problem, I say to my friend, the gentleman from Indiana, is that if we give to businesses, and although we call them small businesses, in this case it is up to 1,500, I believe, employees.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, reserving my right to object, obviously I will not object, but under my reservation, I am pleased to yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), chairman of the House Committee on Administration.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time under my reservation, I certainly join the chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), in his remarks. It is entirely appropriate that the House join the Senate, expressing its regrets to the Senate, expressing its profound regret to the family of Scott Bates, who, as the chairman indicated, served with distinction for over three decades the United States Senate and this country. It is a loss not only for the Senate, not only for the Congress, but for our country as well. Mr. Speaker, reserving my right to object, I am pleased to yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the retirement of Francis B. Francois; Executive Director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Mr. Francois will retire in February after 19 years with AASHTO. In addition, during his tenure he also served on the Executive Committee of the Transportation Research Board. Francis Francois was born and raised on an Iowa farm and earned an engineering degree at Iowa State University and then went on to earn a law degree at the George Washington University. A registered patent attorney, Mr. Francois resides in Bowie, MD with his wife Eileen where they have raised five children. Known as a skilled parliamentarian, Mr. Francois served 18 years as an elected official in Prince George's County including nine as a County Councilman. While serving the County, Mr. Francois was a member of many boards and associations including the National Association of Counties and the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Area Transit Authority. Having the vision for a regional approach to solving problems, he earned the reputation of being ``Mr. Goodwrench'' and ``Mr. Fixit.'' Mr. Speaker, Mr. Francois is a person dedicated to solving problems, serving people and setting plans in motion. In 1973, Mr. Francois was named ``Washingtonian of the Year'' by the Washingtonian magazine. He is also well published on such topics as the important role of counties in state government, urban water resources and the responsibility of regional decisionmaking. Mr. Francois will be missed by AASHTO as well as the people of Prince George's County. Mr. Francois has the vision of an all-purpose reformer. I know my colleagues will join with me in congratulating Francis Francois and his family on his retirement and wishing them all the best as Mr. Francois enters what we all hope will be his most exciting adventures to date.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dedicated volunteer and advocate, Leo Smith. Mr. Smith, a tireless defender of social justice, died Wednesday, January 13th at the age of 80 after a lifetime of standing up for what he believed in. Remembered by many as conscientous, Mr. Smith belonged to many church and public service groups including several that looked out for the rights of seniors. Working with a Southern Maryland group that aimed to improve housing conditions and eliminate open-air drug markets, he was often a mentor and a leader. Mr. Smith was a founding member of the local chapter of the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) and was the La Plata Richard R. Clark Senior Center's representative in 1994. It was in that year that the AARP, Sheriff's office, State Police and La Plata police signed an agreement to form TRIAD to both reduce crime and help seniors become more aware of protecting themselves. Occasionally described as controversial because he went all out for what he believed, Mr. Smith was described by one of his co-workers as ``a selfless community servant''. The seniors of Charles County and the citizens of Southern Maryland will sorely miss his enthusiastic spirit and informed voice. Leo Smith was born in Washington, DC and served in WWII in the U.S. Navy. He worked for 30 years for the U.S. Government in Greenbelt at NASA. He is survived by his wife Mary, five sons and six daughters.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, in the 105th Congress the Republican majority changed House rules to allow the creation of a nearly $8 million ``reserve fund'' for unanticipated committee expenses. With the advent of biennial committee funding, setting aside resources for unforeseeable contingencies makes sense. No one can know with certainty 2 years in advance what demands House committees may face. If contingencies do not arise, and the funds are not needed, they can be used to reduce the public debt. But somewhere a good idea went awry. Republican leaders used the reserve not as a rainy-day fund for unforeseen contingencies, but as a slush fund for their partisan projects. Most of the nearly $8 million was eventually disbursed, not for committee expenses a reasonable person would consider unforeseeable, but instead for political investigations of the administration and the working men and women of organized labor. And under procedures established by the Republican leadership, these millions were disbursed without any vote of the House. Committees devised their plans for partisan investigations, often without even informing the minority. If Speaker Gingrich approved of a plan, the majority of the House Oversight Committee rubber stamped it in a ``ministerial'' act, and the money flowed. There was no floor debate, vote, or accountability to the American people for how millions of dollars were to be spent. To improve accountability and bring the process into the open, last March I introduced House Resolution 387, to require a House vote before any disbursements could be made from the reserve fund. Unfortunately, the Rules Committee did not approve this reform. Today, I reintroduce it with the cosponsorship of the ranking Democrat on every legislative committee of this House. I had hoped that with a new Speaker who spoke so eloquently on opening day about bipartisanship and meeting the Democratic minority half way, reintroducing this resolution might be unnecessary. But the rules adopted by the majority that same day again permit creation of a slush fund, from which disbursements may be made without a floor vote, thereby signaling the majority's intention to proceed as before. Until it is clear that the reserve fund will be used solely as a hedge against unforeseen contingencies, rather than as petty cash for political sideshows, then the House should debate and vote on how those funds will be used. When Democrats controlled this House, the only way committees could get more funds for unanticipated needs was through debate and approval of a supplemental expense resolution on this floor. That is the time- honored, open process that lets the public see what's going on and know whom to hold accountable. By contrast, under Republican control, committees can get more money through a process essentially hidden from public view and for which most Members are not accountable. The lack of openness and scrutiny creates an opportunity for partisan mischief, and the majority yielded to temptation in the last Congress. In this new Congress, let's not repeat our mistake. Let's following through on the Speaker's promise of bipartisanship and cooperation.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her comments, and I thank her also for her leadership in so many different efforts directed at ensuring that human rights are observed, not just in the United States but around the world. Mr. Speaker, continuing under my reservation, I am pleased to join with the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) in support of this concurrent resolution, which provides for the annual remembrance for victims of the Holocaust in the Rotunda of the Capitol, on Tuesday, April 13, 1999. I want to join with the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) in recognizing that this resolution was for many years introduced by one of our finest Members, Sidney Yates from Illinois. Sidney Yates retired last year, and so the chairman of our committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) and I, along with some of our colleagues, are introducing it. But he stood as a giant on behalf of those who would not let this generation or generations yet to come forget the Holocaust. There is no occasion more important for the international community and for humanity than to remember the tragedy that occurred in the 1930s and 1940s, the massive loss of life and the tragic reality of man's inhumanity to man. It is appropriate, Mr. Speaker, that we use the Rotunda, the scene of so many historic events, to draw attention again to one of the great tragedies in human history, and to remind ourselves that such events must never, never, never again be permitted to occur. We perhaps delude ourselves that in this great country this could not happen. I like to believe and do believe that is true, but we know just a short time ago in Texas we had an African-American dragged from the back of a truck and brutally murdered. That was because he was an African-American. We know too that in the State of Wyoming we had a young man, I think he was 19 years of age, perhaps a little older, lose his life because of his sexual orientation. We see today a slaughter in Kosovo, men, women and children shot at close range in the face, unarmed. What Days of Remembrance seeks to do is to make sure that we remember man's inhumanity to man and be vigilant to its recurrence. In this country we are fortunate to have a system that intervenes and acts and imposes the law. But, unfortunately, there are too many nations where might makes right, as it did in Nazi Germany. The ceremony on April 13 will be part of the annual Days of Remembrance sponsored by the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, and is intended to encourage citizens to reflect on the Holocaust, to remember its victims, and to strengthen our sense of democracy and human rights. We talked just a little earlier in this session about Dante Fascell and his chairmanship on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Basket three of that document says specifically that there are certain international principles which apply to every Nation in dealing with its own citizens, and that those standards of the international community must be observed if a Nation is expected to be a full, participating, respected member of the international community. Other events remembering the Holocaust will be occurring throughout the country. Each year the ceremony has a theme geared to specific events which occurred during the Holocaust. The gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) referred to the sailing of the St. Louis on May 13, 1939, 60 years ago. Just as so many refugees came from Europe and other parts of the world, they came to the United States. They came to a nation that has a Statue of Liberty that says, ``Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.'' Mr. Speaker, the lamp may have been lifted, but the door was closed. That was a tragedy, not only for the 900 plus souls that sailed on the St. Louis, but as well for a Nation that perceived itself as a refuge from tyranny and despotism. They went, as the Chairman said, then to Cuba, and again, the door was closed. Both the United States and Cuba refused the ship entry. It was, therefore, forced to return to Europe whence it came, where the passengers were dispersed, having no place to go, through several countries. And the tragedy is that a portion of those 936 souls were lost in the Holocaust, murdered because they were Jews, not because of any action they had taken, not because of any crime they had committed, but simply because of their religion and their national origin. An effort is being made to document the fate of these passengers through the use of worldwide archival materials, information provided by Jewish communities and other sources. Mr. Speaker, Members of the Congress realize the importance of remembering the victims of the Holocaust and encouraging continuing public reflections on the evils which can occur and tragically are occurring in our world today. Mr. Speaker, there are 435 of us in this House elected by our neighbors to represent them. Eleven million people by some counts, and far greater by others, including 6 million Jews, lost their lives before the Allies achieved victory and put an end to the Nazi death camps. And while the remembrance commemorates historical events, the issues raised by the Holocaust remain fresh in our memories as we survey the scene in several parts of the world, even today. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank and congratulate the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) for introducing this on the first day of our session. His leadership on this issue was important, and I know his commitment is as real as any in this body, because this is such an important resolution to pass. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas).

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter).

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation, I am pleased to yield to my good friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), the chairman of the Committee on International Relations.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, those of us who have the great privilege of serving in this body because of our election from our constituencies come to this floor every day and walk the halls of this Capitol which we revere. Every day we see the faces of and know the names of some who serve this institution so well. They are individuals who care as deeply for their country as those of us who are elected to serve in this body, and their quiet, unassuming competence adds to the quality of service that we give to the American public. Mr. Speaker, I rise to note sadly, as others have done, the passing of a friend, the passing of a servant of this House, a servant of the people, as we are all servants of the people. His name was Charles ``Bill'' Malry. Some of my colleagues may not know the name, but they saw him in the Speaker's Lobby. They would see him in the cloakroom. He facilitated the operations of this House. He was born May 6, 1936, in Greer, South Carolina, and was raised in Washington. He served in the Army until 1962. After his return from the Army he worked at the O Street Market here in Washington, D.C. In 1966, 32 years ago, he started working here in the Capitol, where he worked until his death the very night the President delivered his State of the Union message. Billy was in the cloakroom, on duty, assisting Members, facilitating our work. God took him home. Billy enjoyed entertaining people as well as music and photography. He was a real person, a warm person, a caring person. He cared about each one of us. Those of us who had the privilege of being his friend will never forget him. He was the father of five children: Renee, Charles, Charles Jr., Michael and Tonya. His mother, Frances Malry Allen, nine grandchildren, as well as four brothers and seven sisters are left behind. Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of going to the church here in Washington, and I talked to his mother, and I congratulated her for raising a son who had done so much for his country and so much for each of us. Billy's smile and warmth and service will be missed. Bill Malry served his country well.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished ranking member, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson), for yielding this time to me, and I thank the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) for bringing this measure to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I was a sophomore at Coral Gables High School in the fall of 1954, and there was a gentleman running for Congress. I was 15 years of age, and the gentleman's name was Dante Fascell. I did not know him, but that was the first congressional race I ever focused on because we had a Problems of Democracy class, and we studied the congressional election. Mr. Speaker, Dante Fascell was elected to the Congress that year, and 27 years later, in 1981, I was elected to the Congress. Dante Fascell had already served from 1955 to 1981, and was one of the senior Members. I had met Dante Fascell on numerous times before my election to Congress, and we had become good friends. In 1976 Speaker O'Neill appointed Dante Fascell chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. That is now known as the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and it is a vital factor in European peacekeeping, in a focus on human rights and conflict resolution. It is playing a major role in Bosnia and a major role in Kosovo. The OSC, a very vibrant organization, was formed in August of 1975 when 35 signatory States, including the United States and Canada, joined with 33 European states in forming the Organization on Security, then called the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Dante Fascell was a vital founding member of that organization. As the Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe from 1976 to 1985, he forged U.S. policy in many ways regarding security and cooperation in Europe. Upon his becoming Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in 1985, I was privileged to be recommended by him and then appointed by Speaker O'Neill to succeed him as chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Mr. Speaker, those who did not know Dante Fascell missed knowing a very decent, able, giving, caring, effective American and Member of this body. Dante Fascell was the epitome of a bipartisan Member of the House. He worked without respect to party. He worked on behalf of the best interests of the United States of America and the best interests of the world community. He was, in many ways, an international citizen. I had the opportunity to attend the North American Assembly on numerous occasions with Dante Fascell and others, and Dante Fascell was appropriately perceived as a leader in that organization, which is an adjunct of NATO. Dante Fascell has been missed in this body since he left. When he left the Congress, he returned to practice law in his beloved Florida. I had the opportunity of talking to him on numerous occasions, and I lament his loss. Dante Fascell was a good and decent man, who raised his hand and swore to defend the Constitution of the United States. No Member has done his duty better than Dante Fascell. We do ourselves proud by passing this legislation and honoring Dante Fascell. Dante Fascell honored this institution and the people's House through his service. He served the people of Florida for over 30 years with such distinction that Floridians felt compelled every two years to return him to this body. I am honored to join with the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson), my good friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), and all the Members of this body, to say to Dante Fascell, thank you and farewell. You were honored while you were here, and you are honored still.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an extraordinary woman, Mrs. Ruth Ann Hall of Waldorf, MD who passed away on January 18, 1999. Her passing is a tremendous loss for her family and all the people who knew her. Ruth Ann graduated from Charles County Community College and the University of Maryland and was a teacher for the Charles County Public Schools for more than 20 years. She was voted outstanding teacher of the year in the mid-1980s, was a past president of the Education Association of Charles County and was active in many political associations. Christa McAuliffe, one of our country's best known teachers, used as her credo: ``I touch the future, I teach.'' Ruth Ann touched, indeed she embraced and shaped, the future. Ruth Ann fought tirelessly for children and for their teachers. She advocated public policies that would benefit our students and recognize the critical importance and inestimable worth of those we entrust to expand the minds of our children, our teachers. Ruth Ann was the embodiment of excellence and enthusiasm. She inspired her students and colleagues. She was what every parent would want for their children--a person with great ability, who loved children and enriched their lives and shaped their future and, in turn, our country's future. Her love of politics was a joy to behold. She was a leader--by example, by conviction, by courage, and by extraordinary competence. Ruth Ann Hall was, in sum, one of those very special people who make a difference. She was a good and decent person, whose goals and ideals motivated her actions. I extend my deepest sympathy to Ruth Ann's husband, Bob; her parents George and Anna Collier, her brother George Collier, Jr., her son and daughter-in-law, Bruce and Laura Ann Johnson, and her granddaughters, Kaitlyn and Eryn Johnson. Ruth Ann Hall will be remembered as an outstanding teacher, a loving wife and mother, and a very special friend to all who knew her.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the appointment of my good friend, Mrs. Sally Jameson as executive director of the Charles County Chamber of Commerce. For the past 6 years, Sally has been affiliated with the Charles County Chamber of Commerce; 5 of those years she served the Legislative Committee. Prior to her appointment, Sally was the director of the Waldorf Jaycee Community Center since it opened in 1992. Today, it has evolved as a focal point for Charles County and is currently undergoing expansion. Mr. Speaker, she is working with the Charles County public schools on a student exchange with students in Walldorf, Germany, and with the Charles County commissioners on a twin-city establishment between Waldorf, MD and Walldorf, Germany. Sally is a life-long resident of Charles County and resides in Bryantown with her husband, Gene and two children, Donnie and Michelle. Mr. Speaker, I am convinced that Sally will be a tremendous asset to the Chamber of Commerce and southern Maryland. I am proud to be her Representative in Congress and I ask you and the remainder of my colleagues to join with me in acknowledging the appointment of this fine American.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Meghan Elizabeth Price, who was the President of the Student Government Association at the University of Maryland, College Park. Meghan tragically died in a car accident on December 29, 1998. She was a senior Government & Politics major and was preparing to attend law school in the fall. She is survived by her parents, Karlyn ``Susan'' Price and John ``Sonny'' Price, as well as her brother Jonathan. Meghan was a respected student leader in College Park. She served in many leadership positions on campus. Prior to her election as President in October, she held the positions of Vice-President of Campus Affairs, Legislative Director, and the Cambridge Community Legislator for the Student Government Association. While she was the Vice-President of Campus Affairs she helped to found the Flagship Initiative, which is a student initiated effort to lobby the General Assembly for increased funding for the University of Maryland, College Park. She also worked closely with University of Maryland Officials, including the President and the Athletic Director, to improve the quality of life for all of the members of the University of Maryland community. Meghan's activism began before she arrived in College Park and extended beyond just the College Park community. She attended Southern Garrett High School where she was a member of the Student Council for four years and was the President her senior year. She was also the Drum Major of the Marching Band, and a four-year member of the softball team. In addition she interned at EMILY's List and volunteered on my re-election campaign. Meghan was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa Fraternity and a graduate of the College Park Scholars Public Leaders Program. She participated in the Blind Skiers Program at Wisp and the annual University of Maryland Holocaust Memorial Vigil. It is regrettable the such a young, motivated and inspirational leader is lost so early in life. Meghan touched so many people in her short time with us and set an example that will shine forth for all to see, even in her absence. I join with the University of Maryland community in expressing my sorrow in the loss of a visionary leader and an admired human being. May God bless those she left behind.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that any references to the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight and the Committee on National Security in House Resolution 7 adopted on January 6, 1999, be changed to the Committee on Government Reform and the Committee on Armed Services, respectively, and that the election of Mr. Dixon of California to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence by the adoption of House Resolution 7 be vacated.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise with a combination of deep sorrow and great anger. Numerous times on the floor of this House I have risen and talked about war crimes in Bosnia. I have talked about Slobodan Milosevic branded by the State Department under George Bush as a war criminal. I have talked about the necessity of us confronting Slobodan Milosevic, not the Serbian people, but the leader of the Serbian Government, confronting him in a way that he clearly understood the West was serious; that the West would not tolerate genocide in Europe. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, in Bosnia, as all of us know, some 250,000 people lost their lives, over 2 million refugees were created by ethnic cleansing--the greatest tragedy in Europe since the Second World War. Mr. Speaker, tragically, when dictators and despots are are not confronted effectively, the lesson of history is that they repeat their atrocities. Just the other day we saw such atrocities committed. When Ambassador Walker called it genocide, which truly it was, a crime against humanity--people lying on the ground, children, women shot at close range, in their faces and in the backs their heads--Slobodan Milosevic told Ambassador Walker to ``Get out of my country''. Mr. Speaker, as you may know, I'm the ranking member on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Helsinki Commission. In that capacity, I have traveled to Bosnia and to Kosovo, been to Pristina, talked to leaders, Albanian leaders and Serbian leaders. Tragically, there was no avenue for communication offered by the Serbian authorities. They would say that there are atrocities committed on both sides, and they would be correct. But, Mr. Speaker, as was the case in Bosnia, the overwhelming responsibility for the crimes against humanity which were committed in Bosnia, and are now being committed in Kosovo, are the responsibility of Slobodan Milosevic. Now, you will recall, Mr. Speaker, that when I and others made those accusations, the response was, ``Oh, no, that is in Bosnia, not in Serbia. That is Karadzic, Mladic, and other Serbian leaders in Bosnia itself, not me,'' said Slobodan Milosevic. ``I am not responsible. I want to stop the war. I want to ensure the safety of people.'' Now, Mr. Speaker, there is no mask, there is no curtain, there is no veil. In point of fact, the world has seen the reality of Slobodan Melosevic's determination to accomplish his ends by whatever means possible--no matter how illegal they may be, no matter how evil they may be, no matter how many opponents' lives are lost, no matter that they are innocent women and children, old men, noncombatants. Slobodan Milosevic does not care. Mr. Speaker, we focus on a lot of things in America, but we need to focus on the fact that we are the leader. And in that position we have a responsibility to come together with the rest of Europe to make sure that genocide has a consequence, that genocide is stopped, that people are saved.