Pete King

Mr. KING of New York

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me at the outset commend the ranking member the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for the tremendous assistance she has given me on this as she has on so many other issues that come before our subcommittee and also the work that she does for the State of New York. Mr. Speaker, one thing I should bring out is that on a personal level, I had the privilege of working with Prime Minister Blair several years ago on the Irish peace process. I saw firsthand at that time the sense of vision that he had, the sense of daring he had and the courage he had to do the right thing and the fact that he was the first British Prime Minister in history to be able to bring a settlement, to bring an agreement involving all the parties in the north of Ireland. To work with the Republic of Ireland and also to work closely with the United States is just one more demonstration of his courage and his ability to stand up and do what is right. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KING of New York. Reclaiming my time, I would say that when Tony Blair is here, that if we can arrange a private meeting with the ranking member from Massachusetts, I am sure he can impart unique wisdom to the Prime Minister of Great Britain, and that would really mean that the Prime Minister has earned his gold medal.

Mr. KING of New York. I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As I said at the outset, it is a great honor for me personally to be able to stand here and move this legislation today. I must say that I am sure some of my Irish ancestors are appreciating the improbability of this moment that I would be making such an impassioned defense for a British Prime Minister. The fact is, Tony Blair transcends national politics. He transcends pettiness and partisanship, and that is what we have tried to do here. Yes, obviously, there are differences between Members on this side of the aisle and certain policies of Tony Blair. We are not talking about his policies per se; we are talking about his courage, we are talking about his unique sense of dedication to democratic values and the fact that he is such a close ally of the United States, and that does transcend whatever differences there may be, and that should also transcend whatever differences we might have in recognizing the greatness of an individual and realizing the uniqueness of a very special relationship. But, if I could just add in closing, because I know there is going to be a record of this and we have gone over different debates, I would just thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for introducing the full column by Mr. Pollack. I would stand by that, and I would say that anyone reading that, any balanced person reading that would see that as an affirmation that weapons of mass destruction did indeed exist, and also honest differences as far as nuclear weapons. It is all there. I will allow the public to look at that, to read it, and come to their judgment. It certainly went far beyond as far as being reasoned, as far as being rational, some of the overheated rhetoric that has been coming forth from others here. And that to me is the type of debate we should be having, an intelligent debate. Also, I would say there is a difference between a parliamentary system and the system that we have. Indeed we fought a revolution in 1776 to establish our type of government. But in conclusion, let us get back to the main point. Tony Blair is a unique world leader, an outstanding world leader, a long and dear and absolutely loyal friend of the United States. For that, Mr. Speaker, he deserves this Gold Medal as much as any world leader ever has. I stand with him. I would hope that the overwhelming majority of this Congress would stand with him, stand with the United States Senate in acknowledging the uniqueness and the unique loyalty and sense of courage that Tony Blair has demonstrated.

Mr. KING of New York. I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I would say that the same critics in Britain who are criticizing Tony Blair's policy on the war would in fact be saying that he is moving his party to the right. So really I was quoting the equivalent critics in the British Parliament who are equivalent to those in this House. Those who oppose Blair's policy on Iraq, very similar to those on the other side who are opposing President Bush's policy on Iraq, are the same ones who are saying that he is moving his party toward the right. So I was just really quoting some of the ideological kinsmen of some of the opponents here today.

Mr. KING of New York. I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is really interesting listening to how certain people on the other side who are trying to turn this into a debate of weapons of mass destruction are raising the issue of credibility when their statements themselves seem to be at least lacking some credibility, to put it mildly. I would just emphasize we are talking about what was known and what was not known. Let us go back to last September when Vice President Gore said based at the time he was Vice President, he had absolutely no doubt that Iraq had an advanced program of weapons of mass destruction and those weapons were hidden throughout Iraq. That was Vice President Gore based on his access to intelligence. Just last month, President Clinton said he does not in any way fault President Bush on the issue of weapons of mass destruction because that is exactly what he was told when he was President of the United States. Just last Friday in the New York Times, Kenneth Pollack who was probably leading spokesman in the Clinton administration on the issue of Iraq said there was absolutely no doubt among any of the intelligence agencies in the world nor in the United States nor in the Clinton and Bush administrations that there were indeed weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. And it really is ironic that we have to look to a British foreign minister to stand with our government and give the United States the presumption of the doubt over Saddam Hussein when certain Members of the opposition party do not show that same level of support that Prime Minister Blair is showing, which I think is very significant; and it also demonstrates more than ever why Americans have such a high opinion of Prime Minister Blair. I would also say to the gentleman from Massachusetts, who was heaping praise on the Republicans for trying to set up this trans-Atlantic relationship with the British and was hoping that perhaps this may manifest itself here on the floor, I would also remind the gentleman and ask him if he supports the fact that Tony Blair is bringing the Labor Party from the left to the right and is certainly being criticized by those in the left in Britain. I wonder if he will also share that in his party and move his party more toward the center.

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1511) to award a congressional gold medal to Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss), the chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. (Mr. GOSS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. KING of New York. Reclaiming my time, I would say to the ranking member if he wants to introduce that legislation and obtain 290 signatures, certainly we will give it consideration at that time. We are very open- minded. We are very liberal on this side of the aisle. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), the chairman of the full committee.

Mr. KING of New York. I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would suggest to the gentleman that there was another option left out and that is the option that Vice President Gore spoke about last September, that the weapons are there, the weapons are hidden, and we will find them.

Mr. KING of New York. Reclaiming my time, the beauty of Tony Blair is unlike certain politicians he does not follow the polls. The fact is he stands up for what is right. In the fullness of time he will be vindicated. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, actually this has turned into the House of Commons. This is great. But reclaiming my time, I would say that the overwhelming, absolutely categorically overwhelming majority of those in the Labor Party who are opposed to Tony Blair resent also the fact that he is moving the party towards the center.

Mr. KING of New York. Reclaiming my time, it is very accurate. In fact, anyone who knows Claire Short, and I have known her for over 20 years, can say she was in the far left of the Labor Party. She was in the Blair cabinet very reluctantly, and she was one of those who was critical not just of his war policy but also of his domestic policies.

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Without getting into all of the merits or demerits of the gentleman's statement, I would note that if there is one person in the world who does not care what his poll ratings are, it is Prime Minister Blair. The fact that his disapproval numbers may be high is exactly one of the reasons why he has demonstrated courage. He stands up for what is right. He is not concerned about the naysayers. He is not concerned about the tides of public opinion as they may be that day. I would just again remind my colleagues that when the United States was at its darkest moment on September 11, 2001, the one leader who stood with us more than anyone else was Prime Minister Blair. He continues to stand with us. He can be proud of his record and we can be proud of our record if we do indeed award him this honor. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller). (Mrs. MILLER of Michigan asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is a distinct privilege today to be able to move this bill awarding a Congressional Gold Medal to British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Throughout our history, there has probably been no country that the United States has had a closer relationship with than Great Britain. Certainly we share certain immutable, transcendent values. Throughout our history we have stood together in a number of noble causes, probably dramatically manifested during World War II when Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt stood together to defeat the forces of fascism and Naziism. But there is probably no British Prime Minister who has been there when America needs him more than Tony Blair. Certainly during the Clinton administration, it was Prime Minister Blair who stood shoulder to shoulder with President Clinton in the war in Kosovo against Serb aggression, against the dictator Milosevic. But nothing more illustrated the unique relationship between the United States and Britain and the immense courage and dedication of Tony Blair than what happened after our Nation was attacked on September 11, 2001. The first foreign leader to come to this country to express his regrets while the smoke was still there, while the flames were still burning, visited the World Trade Center, visited New York and came here to our Nation's capital was British Prime Minister Tony Blair. When President Bush addressed a joint session of Congress on September 20, 2001, just 9 days after the brutal attack on the World Trade Center, it was Prime Minister Blair who sat here in the gallery expressing his solidarity with the United States. On that evening, President Bush said, ``Once again we are joined together in a great cause and we are so honored the British Prime Minister has crossed an ocean to show his unity of purpose with America. Thank you for coming, friend.'' Indeed, Tony Blair has been a friend of the United States but, just as important as that, he has been a friend and supporter of democratic values. He realizes the unique nature and relationship of the bonds between the United States and Britain and indeed between the United States and Europe. He has been a strong friend of the United States. Certainly in the recent war against Iraq, it was Tony Blair who resisted pressure both from the media, his own party and his own parliament to stand up and be with the United States. For all those reasons, and I am sure this debate will go on for a while, probably longer than we anticipated it would today, I stand in support of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. KING of New York

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of Taiwan's entry into the World Health Organization (WHO). Time and time again Taiwan has been thwarted from joining this international organization solely because of objections from the People's Republic of China. Most recently this occurred in May at the World Health Assembly in Geneva; even after Congress passed legislation (P.L. 108-028) authorizing the U.S. Government to implement a plan for Taiwan to obtain observer status and Secretary of Health Human Services Tommy Thompson publicly and firmly expressed U.S. support for Taiwan's inclusion in the WHO. The recent SARS outbreak in Asia has made it very clear how important it is to allow Taiwan to participate in the WHO. While the People's Republic of China was suppressing information and statistics about the disease and covering up its scope, Taiwan, on the other hand, was reporting freely and accurately on SARS. It immediately offered to work with the WHO yet was denied; only later were two WHO experts dispatched to Taiwan. In addition, Beijing was quite unhelpful in alerting the WHO and neighboring countries as to when and where this outbreak originated causing additional infections and deaths. We all have a responsibility to assist the WHO and inform the world when it comes to global health. For too long, however, Taiwan has not been given this opportunity because of political motivations. It is now time to allow Taiwan to join the WHO or at least allow it to obtain observer status. With the threat of outbreaks such as SARS sweeping across continents and infecting thousands, it is not only absurd but also immoral to keep the 23 million Taiwanese citizens from receiving its assistance. Taiwan, and the world for that matter, will be far better protected when it finally obtains WHO membership.

Mr. KING of New York

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the recent harassment and intimidation of Burmese citizens carried out by General Than Shwe and his military regime. Various attacks have been committed under his command against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and members of the National League for Democracy (NLD). This is yet another example of how Than Shwe's regime continues to employ terror and brutality as a means of retaining power over the Burmese people. While traveling outside of Rangoon recently, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's convoy was attacked by members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), the political arm of Than Shwe's military regime. Yielding machetes, hundreds of USDA members forcibly stopped the convoy, surrounded it, and beat on the doors with their fists and other objects. Mr. Speaker, in Burma's most recent election, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD were elected to represent the people of Burma winning 82 percent of the seats in parliament. But Than Shwe has refused to honor their will and let those who have been legitimately elected govern. His military regime continues to systematically abuse the human rights of the Burmese people through its campaign of torture, imprisonment, forced child labor, and murder. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the democracy movement have never resorted to the use of violence despite the savage treatment it receives. In fact, for her peaceful efforts to bring about change, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Sakharov Prize, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Mr. Speaker, we must continue to support Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD while at the same time increasing political pressure upon Burma's military regime. Democracy must be restored to this country. I would like to thank President Bush for his strong statement to this effect last April and I urge my colleagues to join in this effort.

Mr. KING of New York

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to the leadership demonstrated by Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian. During his three years in office, President Chen has worked diligently to strengthen the friendship between Taiwan and the United States. I have had the privilege meeting with President Chen in the United States and in Taiwan. The relationship between our countries stands as a great example of the cooperation and understanding that can be reached between two nations that share the goals of fostering democracy and human rights, protecting the world against terrorism, and expanding the global economy through trade. We are extremely grateful for the friendship and support Taiwan has extended us during our own country's very difficult times. President Chen immediately and publicly lent his country's unwavering support to the War on Terrorism. Taiwan has also agreed to devote financial resources and other humanitarian assistance to the recently freed peoples of Afghanistan and Iraq. As Taiwan and Asia experience the threat of SARS, we see how critical it is to admit Taiwan (or at least allow it observer status) into the World Health Organization (WHO). While some nations suppressed information about this outbreak, Taiwan reported freely on it and offered to work with WHO in combating SARS. The 23 million people of Taiwan ought to be included in the international medical community's efforts to control infectious diseases and the world not deprived of the benefits Taiwan can offer it. Mr. Speaker, under this President's guidance, Taiwan's vibrant democracy has continued to thrive, human rights have been safeguarded, and freedom of the press has never been stronger. For these reasons I urge all my colleagues to join me in congratulating President Chen.

Mr. KING of New York

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the lives of the seven astronauts who perished on Saturday as they returned from space aboard the space shuttle Columbia: Commander Rick D. Husband, Pilot William C. McCool, Payload Commander Michael P. Anderson, Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Mission Specialist David M. Brown, Mission Specialist Laurel B. Clark, and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon. These brave people risked their lives to further mankind's understanding of science, medicine, and the universe in which we live. While we send our condolences to their family, friends, and co- workers, we remember that these individuals died while living out a dream. We cannot forget or neglect this dream. It is our obligation to continue this legacy. Our hearts go out to the families of these courageous individuals. We will never forget them nor their quest to advance mankind.

Mr. KING of New York

Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to hail the upcoming wedding of my good friend Peter Dillon Cairney to Anna Christine Lee in Portland, Oregon on February 1, 2003. I bring this merger to the attention of the Congress because in addition to his other exploits, Pete Cairney served his country well as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps, rising to the rank of Captain and serving in Operation Desert Storm. Pete Cairney is a true American and a true New Yorker, born in Queens where, like his literary soul mate Jimmy Breslin, he was born in the shadow of manual labor. Pete went on to graduate from St. John's University where he earned a B.S. degree at the University of Notre Dame where he received an M.B.A. degree. His fiancee Anna Christine is a native Oregonian who received her B.S. and M.A. degrees from George Fox University and is currently a sales director. I ask all my colleagues to join me in wishing this great couple many years of health and happiness.