Tom Lantos

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman), a member of the Committee on International Relations. (Mr. SHERMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend for yielding. There is no one who favors granting veto power to any new Security Council member. It is a fact that with Russia moving in a totalitarian direction and China being a nondemocracy, adding democratic nations as permanent members of the Security Council will enhance our influence, but we are in accord of not granting veto power to any new member.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume to commend my friend from Indiana for presenting this very useful amendment, which we are very pleased to accept. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to my good friend, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Davis). (Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to my friend from Iowa the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific (Mr. Leach).

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition, although we accept the gentleman's amendment.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I just heard the gentleman advocating for flexibility for our Secretary of State. Does this flexibility extend to the bill as a whole, in the gentleman's view?

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), my friend and colleague.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS. I thank the chairman for yielding to me. Mr. Chairman, this is yet another occasion that Chairman Hyde and I stand shoulder to shoulder on attempting to reform the United Nations. I strongly concur with the chairman, this is overkill. It is over- overkill. Using the gentleman's logic, it is difficult to see why he is not proposing a 95 percent automatic dues cut-off. But maybe upon reflection he might propose that on a future occasion.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle).

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez), the chairman of the Democratic Caucus. (Mr. MENENDEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to yield the balance of my time to my distinguished Republican coauthor, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays).

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I yield for the purpose of making a unanimous consent request to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson). (Ms. WATSON asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate my good friend for yielding. I merely wish to express my support for the gentleman's amendment. I think it is worthwhile and ask my colleagues to vote for it.

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

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. I could not be more specific, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) be allowed to make his statement.

Mr. LANTOS. As much time as he requires.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of the time to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt).

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt)

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I want to commend my friend from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry) for his very useful amendment. In substance we are in agreement with the amendment; but as I will point out when we offer our substitute, the punitive portions are particularly absurd in this instance. Any permanent member of the Security Council can veto U.N. action. Assuming that China would veto action in the instance described by my friend from Nebraska, the United Nations would not be able to mount the action called for, yet we would penalize the U.N. for a veto by a member state. That is why the automaticity of the 50 percent withholding is simply illogical. It makes no sense. The substance of the gentleman's amendment is sound and valid. We have no objections to it, and I want to commend him for his initiative. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.