Tom Lantos

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield such time as he might consume to the distinguished member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, my good friend from New Jersey (Mr. Payne).

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of our time. Madam Speaker, before concluding, let me just say this is the ideal way this body works. We have set ourselves an important task: Teaching new democracies how a parliamentary body should work. And with some of our finest colleagues from the Republican and the Democratic side, we have succeeded during the last session of Congress; and under the leadership of David Price, we shall move ahead, teaching the practice of democracy across the globe from a practical point of view.

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 52) paying tribute to Reverend Waitstill Sharp and Martha Sharp for their recognition by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority as Righteous Among the Nations for their heroic efforts to save Jews during the Holocaust.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like first to recognize the outstanding efforts of the sponsor of this important measure, Congressman James McGovern, my good friend from Massachusetts, the distinguished member of the Rules Committee, who represents the area where the Reverend Waitstill Sharp, and his wife, Martha Sharp, who are honored in this resolution, lived. Recently, the Holocaust Remembrance Authority in Jerusalem honored the Reverend Waitstill Sharp and his wife, Martha, posthumously, as Righteous Among the Nations, for risking their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. They are only the second and third Americans to be so honored. Varian Fry, a distinguished American diplomat with whom the Sharps worked, was the first to be so honored. Mr. Speaker, the Sharps' story is one of courage and caring at vast personal sacrifice. They answered the call from the American Unitarian Association and left their two young children behind to travel to Europe twice to save the lives of Jews who were being persecuted and eventually killed. They spent many months in Czechoslovakia in 1939, returned to the United States for a brief period, and then in 1940 again went back to Europe under the auspices of the newly founded Unitarian Universalist Service Committee to aid more people in escaping the horror of the Nazi regime. In all, as a result of the efforts of the Reverend and Mrs. Sharp and their Unitarian colleagues, over 2,000 men, women and children were saved from the Nazi death machine. Mr. Speaker, it is particularly appropriate that this House acknowledge the selfless and courageous actions of the Sharps at this time. In just a few days, on January 27, men and women around the globe will commemorate the Second International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On November 1, 2005, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution and designated January 27 as an annual International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. This action was strongly endorsed and supported by my good friend, Kofi Annan, the recently retired Secretary General of the United Nations. January 27 was chosen as the day for this commemoration each year because January 27 was the date on which the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz was liberated by Allied troops in 1945 in the closing days of the Second World War. Two years ago on the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, along with the chronicler of the Holocaust Elie Wiesel and his wife, my wife Annette and I had the honor to be members of the United States delegation at Auschwitz representing our Nation at the solemn ceremonies marking that historic event with heads of state, diplomats, world leaders, and, most importantly, survivors of the Nazi atrocities. Mr. Speaker, the U.N. General Assembly resolution adopted 14 months ago urges every country to honor the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and encourages the development of educational programs on Holocaust history as part of our firm resolve to prevent genocides in the future. When this resolution was adopted, Secretary General Kofi Annan said, and I quote, ``There can be no reversing the unique tragedy of the Holocaust. It must be remembered with shame and horror for as long as human memory continues. Only by remembering can we pay fitting tribute to the victims. Millions of innocent Jews and members of other minorities were murdered in the most barbarous ways imaginable. We must never forget those men, women and children or their agony.'' Mr. Speaker, it is essential that we remember the horror and the reality of the Holocaust. A recent poll taken in the United Kingdom, one of the most advanced countries on the face of this planet, revealed the shocking ignorance of the Holocaust among young children in Britain. The poll reported that 28 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds were not certain that the Holocaust took place. This is both incredible and deeply disturbing. And I fear that the United Kingdom is not the only country where such results could be found. Even more disturbing are political phenomena like Iranian President Ahmadinejad who claim that the murder of 6 million Jews and others targeted by the Nazis and their collaborators during World War II was fabricated. This same Iranian leader recently convened a so-called ``conference'' in Tehran to bring together other Holocaust deniers. As the only survivor of the Holocaust ever elected to Congress, I am outraged at attempts to deny what I experienced and witnessed firsthand. The Holocaust, Mr. Speaker, did take place, and 6 million innocent men, women and children were massacred in this horrific genocide. International Holocaust Remembrance Day is a time for all of us to remember and to honor the victims, but it is also a time to remember those like the Reverend Waitstill and Martha Sharp, recognized as Righteous Among the Nations, who heroically stood up in the face of unspeakable evil and said ``no'' to the horrors of the Nazi genocide. They and the decent people who helped them deserve our gratitude, recognition, and admiration. The Sharps' remarkable story is a powerful reminder that all of us have a moral obligation to take action to end violence and to prevent and stop genocide, genocide which today is taking place in Darfur. We must educate our young people who do not know the significance of the Holocaust, and we must fight against the revisionist historians and phony leaders like Ahmadinejad. The world must be reminded that the Holocaust in fact did occur, that millions suffered untold agony and died. Mr. Speaker, recent atrocities like Rwanda and Darfur in Sudan remind us that our pledge ``Never Again'' has not been fulfilled. Let us learn from the Reverend Sharp and his courageous wife to have the fortitude and foresight to act against such evil. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I commend my good friend from Florida for her eloquent and powerful statement. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield such time as he may consume to my dear friend from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the author of this resolution, senior member of our Rules Committee.

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

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, first I want to thank my dear friend, the distinguished chairman of the committee, for yielding me time and for his leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, last week our Nation paused to remember and to recognize the extraordinary life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today I rise in strong support of H.R. 390, the Preservation of Records of Servitude, Emancipation, and Post-Civil War Reconstruction Act, which will help eliminate a little-known and rarely recognized vestige of slavery. This important legislation, which passed the Government Reform Committee last year by a unanimous vote, will open the way for African Americans to trace their ancestry from the critical period immediately following the end of slavery in this country. Mr. Speaker, for most Americans, researching their genealogical history involves searching through various historical records, almost all of which have been properly archived as public historical documents. Unfortunately, African Americans face a unique challenge due to our Nation's history of discrimination and slavery. Instead of simply looking up wills, birth and death certificates, or other traditional genealogical research documents, African Americans are forced to identify the names of former slave owners and then hope that these owners kept accurate records of pertinent property tax and probate information. Compounding the difficulty of this problem, Mr. Speaker, is that many of these records of servitude and emancipation are frequently inaccessible, stored in farmhouses and schools throughout the South. Even when researchers are able to locate the records, they find them poorly catalogued and inadequately preserved from deterioration and decay. While some States and some localities have undertaken efforts to collect these documents, and they need to be commended for their endeavors, a national effort to preserve these important pieces of public and personal history is necessary to ensure that they are readily and easily accessible to all Americans. H.R. 390, my legislation, builds on the success of the Freedmen's Bureau Records Preservation Act, which Congress passed and the President signed into law 6 years ago. That law required the archivists of the United States to catalogue the genealogical and historical records into a searchable indexing system and was the first step toward ensuring easy access. Passing H.R. 390 is the next step necessary to complete this preservation project for our entire Nation. Mr. Speaker, my bill tackles the problems of poorly catalogued and inadequately preserved records in two ways. First, it will make sure that the records of servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil War reconstruction currently being stored within the various agencies of the Federal Government will be properly preserved and accessible in a single electronic site. Second, the searchable index will allow individuals to access information in seconds rather than months or years to build their own personal histories. Since many of these records are held in non-Federal public and private collections around the country, my legislation authorizes the National Archives to distribute grants to the States, academic institutions, and genealogical associations to locate, preserve, and establish on-line databases of these important records. These grants will ensure that families doing research in my home State of California or anywhere in the country will be able to find post-Civil War reconstruction items easily accessible in a single electronic site. The searchable index will allow individuals to access information in mere seconds. The Federal and local records covered by my legislation are not only of personal importance to the families involved, Mr. Speaker, they are historically significant to all of us. They document the reuniting of our Nation and the historic moment of transition for slaves from the status of property to citizens, a time when our country finally began to right a horrible moral wrong. We need to take the process another step now by ensuring that those records and the lessons they hold are preserved for all eternity. I want to thank Chairman Waxman and Ranking Member Tom Davis, both cosponsors of my legislation, for their continued support of this measure. I also want to thank my friend and colleague Elijah Cummings for all his efforts on this important measure. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this commonsense recognition that justice at long last must be made.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the achievements of Rabbi William A. Greenebaum of Monterey County, CA, who is celebrating 50 years in the Rabbinate. From the American Civil Rights movement to the Allocations Panel for United Way, Rabbi Greenebaum has spent his days working to improve the lives and spirits of the elderly, the powerless, and the poor. Rabbi Greenebaum was born in Philadelphia to a rabbinical family that included a grandfather and great uncle who held prominent positions in the Jewish community. Rabbi Greenebaum received his bachelor's degree in Ancient and Medieval History from the University of Cincinnati in 1948, and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in Hebrew Letters as well as a Doctor of Divinity Honorus Causa from the Hebrew Union College in 1957. Shortly after his ordination as a rabbi from the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Rabbi Greenebaum enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served as Jewish Chaplain for two years in San Antonio, Texas. After his military service, he served in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as Assistant Rabbi, led Congregation Beth Torah in their efforts to build a synagogue in Prairie Village/Overland Park, Kansas, served as Rabbi in Flint, Michigan, and also in Fremont, California, where he met Nancy, his wonderful wife of 35 years. In 1972, Rabbi Greenebaum enlisted in the active duty U.S. Army and served as Chaplain in Columbia, South Carolina, Heidelberg, Germany, and Monterey, California. After his retirement in 1990, he continued to serve as a civilian chaplain to the Jewish military community in the Monterey Bay region until 2001. Since his retirement in 1990, Rabbi Greenebaum has continued to serve the Monterey Bay Area full time; as a member of the Board of Directors and substitute rabbi for Congregation Beth Israel in Carmel Valley; interim rabbi for Temple Beth El in Salinas, California; as Assistant District Commissioner for the Boy Scouts of America; as a Monterey County Civil Grand Juror; and as a member of the distinguished Allocations Panel for the Monterey County chapter of the United Way. Rabbi Greenebaum also spends many hours visiting the sick, elderly, and others in his community who are in need of spiritual comfort. In the 1960's, Rabbi Greenebaum met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when they both addressed the National Bar Association Convention in Milwaukee. In 1969, he was appointed Chairman of the Flint, Michigan, Human Relations Commission and served as President of the Flint Ministerial Association. He served as volunteer Jewish Chaplain at the Kansas State Prison and at the Federal Penitentiary in Leavenworth. In 1962, the mayor of Kansas City appointed Rabbi Greenebaum to the Cuban Refugee Committee where he helped the city prepare for and welcome more than one hundred Cuban refugees to Missouri. The principle of Tikkun Olam, ``world repair'' through social action and justice, has guided the actions of Rabbi Greenebaum throughout his life. As a prominent community leader, human rights activist, and helping friend, he has given countless hours, tears, and moments of laughter to many who would otherwise have suffered alone, while building religious and civil institutions to support spiritual values and integrity in every sphere of our community lives. Madam Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in honoring Rabbi William A. Greenebaum for more than fifty years of outstanding dedication and public service. His deeds are a strong example and inspiration to us all.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to reintroduce H.R. 390, the Preservation of Records of Servitude, Emancipation, and Post-Civil War Reconstruction Act. This important legislation, which passed the Government Reform Committee unanimously last year, will ensure that African-Americans who want to trace their family's history in our country are not prevented from doing so because of inadequate preservation and access to the records. Madam Speaker, as you are aware, for most Americans, researching their genealogical history involves searching through municipal birth, death, and marriage records--almost all of which have been properly archived as public historical documents. However, African-Americans in the United States face a unique challenge when conducting genealogical research due to our Nation's history of slavery and discrimination. Instead of looking up wills, land deeds, birth and death certificates, or other traditional genealogical research documents, African-Americans must often try to identify the name of former slave owners, hoping that the owners kept records of pertinent information, such as births and deaths. To compound this difficulty, African-American genealogists find that most current records of servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil War reconstruction are frequently inaccessible, poorly catalogued, and inadequately preserved from decay. While some states and localities have undertaken efforts to collect these documents with varying degrees of success, there has not been any national effort to preserve these pieces of public and personal history to make them readily and easily accessible to all Americans. Madam Speaker, in 2000, both the House and Senate unanimously passed the Freedmen's Bureau Records Preservation Act, which became Public Law 106-444, and required the Archivist of the United States to create a searchable indexing system to catalogue the genealogical records from the post-Civil War Reconstruction period. This law was the first step towards ensuring that many of these valuable and important records are appropriately accessible to genealogists and historians, and based on its success we now recognize the need to expand the scope of the original law or risk losing other critically important historic documents. Madam Speaker, H.R. 390, the Preservation of Records of Servitude, Emancipation, and Post-Civil War Reconstruction Act, tackles the problems of poorly catalogued and inadequately preserved records in two ways. First, it will make sure that records of servitude, emancipation, and post-Civil War reconstruction currently being stored within the various agencies of the federal government will be properly preserved. This will protect a vast amount of genealogical information, including records from the Southern Claims Commission Records, the Records of the Freedmen's Bank, the Slave Impressments Records, and even Slave Payroll Records and Slave Manifests. By providing the Archivist of the United States with the resources necessary to preserve, maintain and electronically catalogue these important records we can eliminate many of the barriers that African-Americans encounter when trying to engage in a proper genealogy search. However, since many of these records are disbursed around the country in non-federal depositories, this legislation would also authorize the National Archives to distribute grants to the States, academic institutions, and genealogical associations in order to preserve and establish online databases of these important local records of servitude, emancipation, and post- Civil War reconstruction. These grants will ensure that families doing research in my home State of California or anywhere in the country will access to these treasure troves of genealogical information without having to leave the comforts of their computer chair. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to be joined by colleagues from both sides of the aisle who are original cosponsors of my legislation and particularly appreciate the support of my good friends and colleagues, Tom Davis, and Elijah Cummings, whose assistance in drafting this bill has been monumental. I would urge the rest of our colleagues to support this legislation and hope that we will be voting on this bill soon.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007. This bill is a result of the tireless efforts of my esteemed colleagues Diana DeGette and Mike Castle. I am proud to count myself among the more than 200 Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle who have cosponsored this legislation. It is a bipartisan, bicameral bill that passed both Houses of Congress last year. It was one of the very few truly bipartisan bills to leave this building during the previous Congress. Unfortunately, despite all the public support, despite all the bipartisan support, despite all the hope millions of Americans invested in this legislation, the President decided to invoke his first, and only, veto. This important piece of legislation authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, to support research involving embryonic stem cells, regardless of the date on which the stem cells were derived from an embryo. There are stringent ethical guidelines included in this bill. First among them requires that researchers work only with stem cells from embryos that would have otherwise been discarded by fertility clinics. Furthermore, the legislation stipulates that embryos can be used only if the donors give their written consent and receive no money or other inducement in exchange for the embryos. These strict ethical standards are critical to the advancement of this ground breaking science. The scientific community has the opportunity to ease the suffering of thousands of Americans and their families. A new round of federally funded stem cell research is desperately needed in order to find cures and treatments for diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, ALS, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. The State of California recognized early on the extraordinary significance of stem cell research. The people of California voted for Proposition 71 to provide $3 billion to unleash the dynamic force of medical research and unlock the promise of life saving scientific research. Researchers in my district are already hard at work and with the enactment of this legislation the scientific community in the bay area will be unshackled. They will lead the way to help those who have been stricken with debilitating diseases. Mr. Speaker, it is my great hope that this legislation will soon be on the President's desk awaiting his signature. I urge the President to listen to the will of Congress and the pleas of the American people and sign this bill into law.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. LANTOS. Let me first say, I strongly agree with my good friend from Virginia in opposing genocide. Genocide has nothing to do with this legislation. Let's make that clear. Mr. Speaker, my friends on the other side are misrepresenting provisions in H.R. 1 that strengthen and reform the Proliferation Security Initiative. They are attempting to exhume an old tactic: Scare the American people with the specter of the all-powerful, irresistible military machine that is the United Nations. Of course, Mr. Speaker, this characterization is as absurd as ever and has about as much substance as Shakespeare's Banquo's Ghost. But it is part and parcel of the irrational opposition to all things multilateral even when multilateral and international institutions clearly benefit American interests. In fact, Mr. Speaker, our bill seeks to use international law to our benefit. Our bill seeks to broaden the Proliferation Security Initiative's authorities under international law to help us convince more nations to support U.S. efforts to stop and prevent the illicit trade in dangerous items of proliferation concern. It does not relinquish any responsibility to the United Nations. Current international law gives no basis for partners in the Proliferation Security Initiative to intercept shipments related to weapons of mass destruction. One cannot overcome this weakness by ad hoc assemblages of coalitions of the willing. Even the White House has admitted that international law is weak in this regard and needs to be strengthened. Mr. Speaker, the motion to recommit would in fact weaken U.S. counter proliferation efforts by undermining effective action at the United Nations to increase Proliferation Security Initiative's global legitimacy and authority. Mr. Speaker, we will never allow any other government or international organization to control what actions we take to safeguard U.S. national security, but we will use international tools that are available to us in the real world to protect America regardless of the purely ideological preferences of some on the other side. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose the motion to recommit, and yield the balance of the time to my good friend from Missouri, the distinguished chairman of the committee on Armed Services, Ike Skelton.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I do not oppose the bill.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this conference report, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, India today is the preeminent state in South Asia. It is becoming a political and economic powerhouse of over 1.1 billion people with a thriving economy and a vibrant democracy. By these and other measures, India is a state that should be at the very center of our foreign policy and our attention. Regrettably, during the Cold War our two countries were unnaturally estranged by the dynamics of the international system. Slowly, during the 1990s our countries' interests began to converge and our relationship warmed. Then, Mr. Speaker, 6\1/2\ years ago President Clinton made a historic trip to India and ushered in a new era of cooperation between our two great democratic nations. Washington and New Delhi have wisely built upon the foundations that President Clinton laid. Today they expand this mighty architecture of cooperation and friendship by approving, on a strongly bipartisan basis, the Henry J. Hyde United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act of 2006. With this legislation, the House of Representatives steps forth into the spotlight to offer its judgment on one critical element of this new relationship, civilian nuclear cooperation, and it establishes the process by which Congress will in the near future review and vote on the final agreement to implement such cooperation. This expansion of peaceful nuclear trade with India will usher in a new partnership between India and the United States based on our shared objective of preventing the spread of dangerous nuclear technology to countries and groups that would use it for evil purposes. This is not the administration's bill, Mr. Speaker. Their original proposal sought to give the President complete authority to waive all restrictions under current law that would have complicated implementation of the U.S.-India nuclear trade and to severely limit congressional oversight by securing a preapproval for whatever agreement the U.S. and India conclude. There would have been no effective subsequent review by the Congress. By contrast, at our insistence, this legislation strikes the right balance between giving the President the necessary flexibility to negotiate the best agreement possible with New Delhi while at the same time preserving congressional oversight and the right of consent to the resulting agreement. Mr. Speaker, this conference report follows the model laid out in the Hyde-Lantos legislation overwhelmingly approved by the House last July. It ensures that Congress will have the final word on whether or not the final agreement for cooperation with India can become law. This conference report will provide the President with only partial authority to waive current provisions of U.S. law to allow peaceful nuclear-related trade with India to take place. But cooperation could only take place after Congress has approved the agreement of cooperation itself. Mr. Speaker, the legislation will help fashion a partnership with India to further U.S. nonproliferation goals. The passage of the conference report will also adopt the implementing legislation for the U.S.-IAEA additional protocol. That legislation will finally allow us to bring that protocol in force which will promote the U.S. goal of all states adopting the enhanced safeguards contained in the additional protocol. Mr. Speaker, this is a historic day for this House and for the United States. I urge all of my colleagues to give their full support to this conference report and to help usher in a new day in U.S.-India relations. Mr. Speaker, it is only fitting that on the last day of this session of Congress, Chairman Hyde is chairing a bipartisan agreement done with cooperation in both Chambers. H.R. 5682 represents the right way of legislating, ample preparation, consideration of all ideas, bipartisan cooperation, cordial relations with the other body, and keen attention to institutional prerogatives. It is especially fitting that it will be forever identified with the outgoing chairman of the House International Relations Committee. And if it weren't for his astonishing array of accomplishments, the Henry J. Hyde United States- India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act could easily become known as the crowning achievement of the gentleman from Illinois. But the fact is, Mr. Speaker, this groundbreaking legislation is but one of the innumerable milestones in Henry Hyde's impressive record of public service. Henry is retiring from Congress after choosing not to seek a 17th consecutive term. He would have loved to stay with us longer, but as he recently told an interviewer, Father Time and Mother Nature have a way of beating up on me. By contrast, Mr. Speaker, I am confident that history will be kind to Henry Hyde. A member of the International Relations Committee since 1982, Henry has been a key figure in crucial debates and decisions about war and peace, international arms control, the expansion of NATO, United Nation's reform, and halting the spread of HIV/AIDS, which he has astutely compared to the bubonic plague in its tragic scope. Henry has also served with great distinction on the Judiciary and the Intelligence Committees, but I will let another speak to his achievements there, and of course the continued, devoted support by his constituents through 16 terms in Congress speak volumes about his work on behalf of his district. It was in the political caldron of Chicago that Henry Hyde became entranced with politics early in life. He grew up as an Irish Catholic Democrat, but strayed from the faith in time to vote for Dwight David Eisenhower for President, so he became a Republican sometime in the 1940s. But, Mr. Speaker, I prefer not to dwell on the things that divide me from my dear friend, Henry Hyde. Rather, I would like to point out that both of us came of age during the Second World War, and this has formed our world views and forged our common value, and it is on this basis that we have often seen eye to eye and found ourselves shoulder to shoulder in struggles that consistently have been of service to our national security from the intricacies of key institutional agreements to the staggeringly complex issues involved in the fight against global terrorism. Henry has held a firm grip on the gavel in the International Relations Committee these past 6 years, through some of the most pivotal and riveting challenges of our times. He wielded his authority with fairness, intellectual honesty and no small amount of wit. As The Washington Post noted in 1998, he has managed to maintain a reputation for evenhandedness, for patience and restraint, a remarkable feat for someone known both for his savagely held beliefs and for his keen sense which way the wind blows. Mr. Speaker, the International Relations Committee flourished under Henry Hyde's direction. It will be daunting for me to take up the gavel as Henry Hyde leaves us, Mr. Speaker. Anyone who knows him will understand how much Henry will be missed in our committee and in this House. Earlier this week, we commemorated Henry's contributions by lending his name to a room in this very building of the Capitol. He will, therefore, always have a place here, and what is far more important, he will have a place in the hearts of his colleagues. Some of us may disagree with some of his policies, but he is one of the institutional treasures around here, a true gentleman of the House. Mr. Speaker, section 104(b)(2) requires that the President determine that India and the IAEA have completed all legal steps required prior to signature for an IAEA-India safeguards. That agreement must apply safeguards in perpetuity in accordance with IAEA standards, principles and practices. It references IAEA Board of Governors Document GOV/1621 (1973) as one of the IAEA guiding documents relating to standards for perpetuity of safeguards. I attach that document for the Record. Safeguards (b) THE FORMULATION OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS IN AGREEMENTS UNDER THE AGENCY'S SAFEGUARDS SYSTEM (1965, AS PROVISIONALLY EXTENDED IN 1966 AND 1968) Memorandum by the Director General (1) A substantial number of Governors have urged that there should be a greater degree of standardization than in the past with respect to the duration and termination of such agreements as henceforth be concluded under the Agency's Safeguards System (1965, as Provisionally Extended in 1966 and 1968) for the application of safeguards in connection with nuclear material, equipment, facilities or non-nuclear material supplied to States by third parties. To achieve this, it is recommended that the following two concepts should be reflected in these agreements: (a) That the duration of the agreement should be related to the period of actual use of the items in the recipient State; and (b) That the provisions for terminating the agreement should be formulated in such a way that the rights and obligations of the parties continue to apply in connection with supplied nuclear material and with special fissionable material produced, processed or used in or in connection with supplied nuclear material, equipment, facilities or non- nuclear material, until such time as the Agency has terminated the application of safeguards thereto, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 26 or 27 of the Agency's Safeguards System. A short exposition with respect to the application of these concepts is annexed hereto. (2) The proposed standardization would appear likely to facilitate the uniform application of safeguards measures. It is furthermore to be noted that the combined operation of the two concepts would be consistent with the application of the general principle embodied in paragraph 16 of the Agency's Safeguards System.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Ackerman), a senior distinguished member of the International Relations Committee and one of our outstanding experts on U.S.-India relations.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), a distinguished member of the International Relations Committee, my good friend, a recognized expert on U.S.-India relations.

Mr. LANTOS. Yes, we do.

Mr. LANTOS. We are very grateful for your gesture. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson- Lee), my friend.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of our time. I share my opponent's concern about the danger of nuclear proliferation. This legislation is the exact opposite of nuclear proliferation. It opens up for the first time in history all of India's current civilian nuclear plants and all future nuclear plants to international control. This is a control measure. It is a measure which will dramatically enhance the historic strategic cooperation between the democratic state of India and the United States of America. When historians will look at this historic vote we are about to take, they will view this as the most significant vote for democracy, peace, and control of nuclear weapons in the 21st century. The Senate voted 85 to 15 for this legislation. It passed the House on a bipartisan basis, overwhelmingly. Tonight we have an opportunity to reaffirm that vote, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.