Henry Hyde

Mr. HYDE

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 10 minutes. (Mr. HYDE of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Barr], the distinguished gentleman who played a key role in the shaping of this bill.

Mr. HYDE. It was not a wing, I would tell the gentleman. Wing implies more than one.

Mr. HYDE. No. That is an easy question to answer. Just yes or no.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, is the gentleman aware that at the World Trade Center there were no suicide bombers? Is the gentleman aware that at Oklahoma City there were no suicide bombers?

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 405, I call up the conference report on the Senate bill (S. 735), to prevent and punish acts of terrorism, and for other purposes.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HYDE. I do not know.

Mr. HYDE. That is right.

Mr. HYDE. As you get older.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Buyer], a valued member of the committee.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman talked about the Hamas wing of the Republican Party. I think that is a little extravagant. Does the gentleman want to withdraw that?

Mr. HYDE. Point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I want to say to my dear friend, and he really is my dear friend, from New York that this Hamas situation is terribly unfortunate, it is very painful to me. But I would say to the gentleman, I know some Democrats who trusted the Sandinistas more than they trusted Ronald Reagan, who attended meetings in Nicaragua and ordered our embassy people out. There may be some present here today. So it happens on both sides and it is regrettable, in my opinion.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the gentleman from New York [Mr. Schumer] for his cooperation. He has been very helpful on this bill, and I did not want to let the time pass without doing that. Mr. Speaker, we do not abolish habeas corpus. I keep hearing that. We strengthen habeas corpus by forbidding its abuse. That is what we do. Now, I am the last one to instruct the newest member of the Committee on the Judiciary from California on the Constitution. I am the last one. I am not going to instruct her. I am going to instruct the world that the sixth amendment does not apply to deportation proceedings. That is a civil matter, not a criminal matter. I just thought I would throw that in the hopper. There are no secret trials. There is classified information which will remain classified, but a fair summary of that is given to the alien and that has to be adequate to prepare a defense. If it is not, the proceedings are over. Now, groups supporting this legislation are Citizens for Law and Order; the National Troopers Coalition, 45,000 members; the Christian Coalition; the Anti-Defamation League; the Leon and Marilyn Klinghoffer Foundation; Families of Pan Am 103 Lockerbie; Survivors of the Oklahoma City Bombing; International Association of Chiefs of Police; National Association of Police Organizations; the Law Enforcement Alliance of America; National Sheriffs' Association; National Rifle Association; International Association of Fire Chiefs; the Governor of the State of Oklahoma, a Republican; the attorney general of the State of Oklahoma, a Democrat; the National Association of Attorneys General passed a resolution that was unanimous; and the National Association of District Attorneys. All of these folks love the Constitution and would not do anything to damage it or brutalize it. Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Florida [Mr. McCollum], the chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime. (Mr. McCOLLUM asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield on that point?

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, there is so much said here that is not so. There are no secret hearings. Nobody gets deported. Even an alien terrorist does not get deported unless the evidence that convicts him is introduced in trial; in open trial, no secret trials, no secret hearings. In addition, talking about shredding the Constitution, the National Association of Attorneys General has sent us a letter signed by 34 attorneys general of 34 States supporting habeas in the bill. The National Association of District Attorneys has a unanimous resolution. So the talk about shredding the Constitution is just far of the mark.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Schiff], and ask that he yield to me in return.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Oklahoma [Mr. Lucas], in whose district the Federal building rests that was bombed.

Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the conference report on S. 735.