Tom Lantos

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me first pay tribute to my good friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who has been such an indefatigable fighter for human rights across the globe and particularly with respect to China and Tibet. Let me also recognize the enormous contributions to this fight of the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Democratic leader, my friend and neighbor and colleague, representing San Francisco, and our distinguished colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox). Listening to my friend from New Jersey, I am reminded of a picture I have in my office as one enters, and that picture, one of the most precious photos of all times, shows a lone young Chinese man standing up to a line of tanks, defying totalitarian tyranny with courage and devotion to the principles that our Constitution was built on. Mr. Speaker, 15 years ago today, China's senior leaders huddled behind the walls of their compound near the Forbidden City. They had a critically important decision to make, whether to reach out to the students and workers gathered in Tiananmen Square and address their concerns about party corruption and lack of democracy or seek to squash the movement with force, if necessary. Sadly for the cause of freedom and justice and for the lives of thousands of young Chinese citizens, the leadership of China made the wrong decision. Instead of entering into a meaningful dialogue with those gathered in the Square, they launched a brutal crackdown on the democracy movement, killing thousands and imprisoning many more. China's leaders hoped that the world would forget the tragedy of Tiananmen Square, but fortunately for the cause of truth the victims of Tiananmen had mothers, mothers who have kept alive the memory of their slain children and demanded an apology from their government. For the past 10 years, Mr. Speaker, the Tiananmen Mothers Campaign has worked to document the brutal 1989 crackdown by collecting the names of real victims and recording their individual stories. In the face of enormous pressure from the Chinese Government, the Tiananmen Mothers have respectfully requested a government investigation into the massacre and a formal apology for this gross violation of human rights. For their bravery alone, these women deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, which I earnestly urge the Nobel Committee to award them. The Chinese Government has responded by putting the Tiananmen Mothers under house arrest and prohibited them from marking the June 4 anniversary in an appropriate manner. Once again, the government has made a shortsighted decision, repression, not dialogue. I am proud, Mr. Speaker, that the Congress of the United States stands today united with the victims of the Tiananmen massacre and with the families of the victims who will one day be feted as heroes in a free and democratic China. I wish that Europe would stand with the Tiananmen victims as well. Instead, the European Union is running headlong towards lifting the arms embargo it imposed on China, along with the United States, after the Tiananmen killings. In their desperate quest to earn some euros from the arms trade, France and Germany are pressuring the rest of the European Union to open the floodgates of weapons sales to China. Mr. Speaker, the weapons that the Europeans will sell to the Chinese will be used to intimidate those who wish to speak out for freedom and to kill those who refuse to be intimidated. These weapons may also be used against American forces some day if we are ever called on to defend Taiwan against an unprovoked attack by the mainland. Mr. Speaker, the member states of the European Union appear to have lost their moral compass; and they have forgotten that developed, democratic nations must make policy decisions which benefit human rights and international security but may harm mercantile interests back at home. It is my hope that this June 4th the European Union remembers those who were sacrificed in and around Tiananmen Square 15 years ago and will refuse to yield to Chinese pressure. With passage of our resolution, we will tell those who continue to battle for truth, justice and freedom in China that we have not forgotten their cause. I strongly support the passage of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Democratic leader.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This Congress always does its best work when it stands united. On this issue, my colleagues, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), and I stand shoulder to shoulder in striking a blow for freedom for the Chinese people.

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, it is with great honor and pride that I pay tribute to an extraordinary teacher, Dorothy Grace Boyajian. For the past 53 years, she has been an inspiration to many of her colleagues by dedicating herself to serving the children of the San Mateo-Foster City School District. Ms. Boyajian was born in Camden, New Jersey, and arrived in the Bay Area with her parents in 1938. She attended Turnbill Elementary School, and later returned to the same building as a teacher. She attended professional growth classes at San Francisco State University, Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley. Ms. Boyajian still lives in the home her father built in Burlingame. She supports three children through Child Care International. Mr. Speaker, Ms. Boyajian's extraordinary teaching has received many awards. She has won the Who's Who in Teaching Award twice, was inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame and was once judged to be one of the top 40 teachers in the United States. The litany of awards and honors bestowed upon her are indicative of the professional respect she has achieved, but Ms. Boyajian's true legacy is her students. Since her first days as a teacher 53 years ago, Dorothy Grace Boyajian has instilled in her students an important lesson that no matter how big the world is, they can and should play a part in it. As part of this lesson her students would write to famous dignitaries whose responses line the walls around her classroom. This led to a memorable moment when a local television show came to her classroom and showed responses from Queen Elizabeth II and the then First Lady Nancy Reagan. After a half century dedicating her life to teaching, Ms. Boyajian's passion for teaching and her commitment to this noble profession has not wavered. Ms. Boyajian has decided to retire in order to save the jobs of two of her younger colleagues. In what is truly the epitome of selflessness, Ms Boyajian recently reflected on her retirement by saying, ``I'll miss [teaching], but if it's going to help out some younger teachers, I'm willing to do it.'' It is a truly sad day when one of the most special teachers who has touched so many lives, has to retire due to budget cuts. Mr. Speaker, the impact that Dorothy Grace Boyajian has made on the people of San Mateo County is immeasurable. From the dolls her students have given to her for her collection, to getting stopped on the street by former students and told how she has affected their lives, there is no doubt that Ms. Boyajian is a teacher admired by many. Other teachers who have been lucky enough to work with her have described her as a mentor, and an inspiration to those who strive to make students feel like dignitaries themselves. Mr. Speaker, another example of Ms. Boyajian's effect on the community can be seen by the fact that the San Mateo County Board of Trustees has declared that June 4, 2004 will be Dorothy Grace Boyajian Day, and the San Mateo-Foster City School Board will rename the Sunnybrae Elementary School, where she taught over the last 20 years, the Dorothy Grace Boyajian Elementary School for the day. Teachers like Ms. Boyajian do not come along everyday, and seeing her retire, though well deserved, will certainly be hard on the community. I hope that all those who follow the path that Ms. Boyajian embarked upon over a half century ago find the same riches that she has found, the riches that you find in the hearts and minds of children. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Dorothy Grace Boyajian, whose life has been dedicated to teaching the children of the Peninsula.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, on May 31st we will commemorate Memorial Day. Across our great land, thousands of American flags, proudly waving, will mark the final resting place of those who gave their lives so that we in the United States and people in other lands might enjoy the blessings of liberty. We are deeply saddened by their deaths, but eternally grateful for their sacrifice. One such sacrifice in freedom's name was made on March 22, 2004, when a 20-year-old Marine Lance Corporal Andrew S. Dang's life was cut short in a gun battle during patrol near Ar Ramady, Iraq. Cpl. Dang was from Foster City, California, and he graduated from Aragon High School. Those who knew Andrew Dang best describe him as someone with a passion for science and technology who spent his free time building robots and rockets. He was one of the founding members of Aragon's renowned robotics team and by his senior year, he was taking multiple advanced placement classes in physics and chemistry. He also excelled in athletics as a wrestler and football player. The oldest of three brothers raised by a single mom, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps less than a year ago to make a better future for himself and to give back to his country. His life had just begun when bullets stole it away. Mr. Speaker, the commemoration of Memorial Day will be a difficult time for Cpl. Dang's family and friends, filled with vivid memories of a bright, enthusiastic and popular young man who will never come home. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to remember Mr. Dang and his fellow soldiers who served and made the ultimate sacrifice.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, May 20, 2004 will mark the 50 year anniversary of Congressional action which authorized broadcasting to Belarus. This is an anniversary, which I note with some regret. It is unfortunate that we still need to broadcast to Belarus, and it is unfortunate that democracy and freedom of speech have not made greater progress there. The transition to democracy and genuine freedom of speech in the former communist countries has never been easy. Belarus, a former Soviet republic that regained its independence when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, is an exception when compared to its neighbors, such as Ukraine and Russia. Since elected President in 1994, Alexander Lukashenka has relentlessly curbed independent media outlets in Belarus. As his regime became increasingly authoritarian, leaders of the democratic opposition have disappeared; civil society activists have been routinely detained, beaten by Special Forces, imprisoned and fined by government courts; and numerous NGOs have been closed. Belarus is the only country in Europe where Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) continues to broadcast as it did during the darkest days of the Cold war--exclusively from abroad and relying primarily on short wave radio. Mr. Speaker, RFE/RL listeners in Belarus greatly appreciate this service provided by U.S. taxpayers. The atmosphere of fear does not stop people from expressing their feelings of gratitude and support. A priest from a regional town writes to RFE/RL: ``When I listen to your programs I think that it is God who is speaking trough your waves to Belarusians.'' A listener from Minsk, the country's capital, writes: ``Radio Liberty is doing more for democracy in Belarus than all the opposition taken together.'' A former member of parliament, Uladzimer Kudinsky, imprisoned by the Lukashenka regime, was listening to the RFE/RL Belarus service over a radio smuggled into prison and found out that due to international pressure he was to be released in a week. The ground breaking reporting of the RFE/RL Belarus service helped discover and document illegal arms deals between the Lukashenka regime and Saddam Hussein. It is a tradition of the Belarus service to step in and give an outlet to those who the government tries to muffle--opposition leaders, journalists from banned newspapers and magazines, children from the only Belarusian language high school which was shut down by the authorities, and civil society activists who are harassed and arrested. For 50 years the FRE/RL Belarus service was the major and most popular independent voice from abroad broadcasting domestic and international news into a state-controlled media environment and it has been carrying out this mission with professionalism, courage and dedication. Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in commending the Belorusian service of REF/RL for its persistence and professionalism on this 50th anniversary. The Belorusian listeners of the RFE/RL who tune in to its broadcasts, truly hear a ``voice of freedom''--objective coverage of events within and outside of Belarus and, perhaps even more precious, a sense of solidarity with the world communities of democracies and hope for freedom for themselves.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, when a country is at war, rule number one is that the sacrifice must be shared. Congress must support our citizen soldiers who answer the call of duty, but who face ongoing financial obligations in their civilian lives. Our Reserves and our National Guard are doing a superb job, but thousands of them are suffering significant hardships due to the discrepancy between their civilian and military pay. Abandoning them financially is unacceptable. Yet, for the second time in 2 years, the Committee on Rules has rejected my amendment which would have immediately eliminated the pay gap for Federal employees and provided significant incentive for State and municipal governments to do the same. Instead of delaying financial assistance for 1 year, as the bill we are considering proposes, my amendment would have wiped out the pay gap for Reservists and National Guardsmen immediately. Mr. Speaker, for the soldiers who suffer from the pay gap, the proposal in the legislation we are considering is too little and too late. In a time of war, it is unconscionable to impose all of the sacrifice on one segment of society. Yet, the administration and the Republicans in this House continue to back massive tax cuts for the wealthiest, placing financial burdens on other groups, including the Reservists and members of the National Guard who are already sacrificing so much for all of us. It is an outrage that this body is not allowed to vote, not allowed to vote on providing members of our National Guard and our Reserves some financial relief. My amendment, which would provide immediate help to the tens of thousands of Reservists and members of the National Guard, was ruled out of order. Why? Because the Republican leadership is convinced that were we to debate my amendment freely on this floor, it would pass overwhelmingly. It is an outrage to the Reservists and members of the National Guard that we are denied that opportunity. I urge all of my colleagues to oppose this unfair, unequitable and undemocratic rule. Parliamentary Inquiry

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and to commend the millions of Asian Americans who have contributed so much to make this a great nation. I am fortunate to have the great privilege to represent the ethnically diverse 12th Congressional District of California that has one of the largest populations of Asian Pacific Americans in the United States and the largest population of Filipinos outside of the Philippines. - This month we celebrate the many Asian and Pacific Islander cultures that enrich our community. The Asian Pacific American community is quite diverse and includes some two-dozen distinct ethnic groups who came to this country from around the world. Their diverse cultures come together under a common umbrella and their presence in my community adds a wonderfully distinct flavor. I would be remiss to selfishly consider the impact on San Francisco and San Mateo alone, because the nation as a whole have benefited from the assimilation of the Asian Pacific American population. We know the architecture of I. M. Pei and Maya Lin, we see the reporting of Connie Chung and Ann Curry, we listen to the music of Yo Yo Ma, we watch the movies of Lucy Liu and Pat Morita, we cheer Kristi Yamaguchi and Greg Louganis at the Olympics. Our lives have been made easier with companies like Yahoo! Inc. and Computer Associates, founded by Jerry Yang and Charles Wang, respectively. George Artani wanted to make a better stereo system and succeeded when he founded, now the most popular electronics producer, Kenwood. Military life has also proven conducive to many in the community, and many have excelled. Major General Antonio Taguba exposed the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal, and General Eric K. Shinseki became the Chief of Staff for the Army in 1999. The advanced strides can be measured in the heights reached by the public officials. In government we depend on the leaders like San Francisco Supervisor Fiona Ma, our distinguished colleagues in the Senate, Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, and here in the House of Representatives, my good friends from California, Robert Matsui and Mike Honda. Sec. Mineta also represented California for 20 years before becoming the first Asian American to be appointed to a cabinet-level position when he was appointed Secretary of Commerce by President Clinton. Our appreciation of their culture has come full circle. Today we celebrate, but in the not too distant past, racist and nativist sentiments met the newest immigrants with severe prejudice. Many who came faced strict quotas and unfair immigration laws, and suffered horrible prejudice and barbarous discrimination. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, we interned 114,000 persons of Japanese descent, whether or not they were citizens. In San Francisco, 7,800 Japanese Americans were rounded up, taken to the Tanforan Racetrack in San Bruno and housed in the stables. ``Relocation Camps'' were built, but as President Roosevelt's Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes described them, they were nothing more than concentration camps. Although interned by their country, many Japanese heroes fought for the freedom that their government took from them. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was a regiment made up of persons of Japanese descent from the continental U.S. and Hawaii. The unit became the most decorated unit for its size in U.S. history. The Honorable Daniel Inouye earned the Medal of Honor fighting for the 442nd. The Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934 gave the Philippines its independence, but reclassified Filipinos as aliens rather than citizens, and reduced the amount of people who could legally immigrate to 50 per year. President Roosevelt used the Tydings-McDuffie Act to conscript the Filipino army into service against Japan. After fighting so courageously for our government, in 1946 Congress denied them the benefits that all other veterans received, especially disabled veterans. Today I am trying to correct this injustice and have cosponsored H.R. 664 to give Filipino Americans residing as a legal alien, or citizens of the U.S. the same health and pension benefits that all other veterans of World War II receive. Since 1977, the month of May has been set aside to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. This is the time that we can renew our focus on the problems that face the Asian Pacific American community, problems like affordable housing, immigration concerns, and racial profiling, and we can celebrate the accomplishments of the community. I would like to thank my colleague Mr. Mike Honda for his leadership on the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and on H.R. 56, supporting the goals of the Japanese American, German American and Italian American communities in recognizing of a National Day of Remembrance, of which I am also a cosponsor. Their vibrant community and array of perspectives have been firmly woven into the fabric of America. I am extremely proud to serve so many Asian Pacific Americans as their Congressman.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, on March 30th, the Congressional Human Rights Caucus held a groundbreaking Members' Briefing entitled, ``International Disability Rights: The Proposed UN Convention.'' This discussion of the global situation of people with disabilities was intended to help establish disability rights issues as an integral part of the general human rights discourse. The briefing brought together the human rights community and the disability rights community, and it raised awareness in Congress of the need to protect disability rights under international law to the same extent as other human rights through a binding UN convention on the rights of people with disabilities. Our expert witnesses included Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Mark P. Lagon; the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Ecuador to the United Nations, Ambassador Luis Gallegos; the United Nations Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Johan Scholvinck; the distinguished former Attorney General of the United States, former Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and former Governor of Pennsylvania, the Honorable Dick Thornburgh; the President of the National Organization on Disability (NOD), Alan A. Reich; Kathy Martinez, a member of the National Council on Disabilities (NCD); and a representative of the United States International Council on Disabilities (USCID) and Executive Director of Mental Disability Rights International, Eric Rosenthal. As I had announced earlier, I intend to place the important statements of our witnesses in the Congressional Record, so that all of my colleagues may profit from their expertise, and I ask that the statement of Cathy Martinez be placed at this point in the Congressional Record. ``International Disability Rights: The Proposed United Nations Convention,'' March 30, 2004, Washington, DC NCD is an independent federal agency whose members are appointed by the President to advise the President, the Administration and Congress on disability policy issues. NCD supports House Concurrent Resolution 169, which expresses the Sense of Congress that the U.S. should support a UN Convention on the rights of people with disabilities. As a group composed of some 600 million people worldwide, people with disabilities are a sizable global population. More compelling, however, than the sheer magnitude of this population, is the appalling history regarding the denial of even the most basic human rights of people with disabilities in both the developed and the developing countries. Even in the 21st century, the Department of State Country Reports has revealed that people in psychiatric facilities are restrained in cages and are subjected to serious human rights abuses. In the late 1990s, governments in many countries in Europe, Asia, and North America acknowledged long histories of the sterilization of people with disabilities. Additionally, there is evidence of denial of the right to vote and conscious utilization of inaccessible polling places constituting an abrogation of the democratic rights of people with disabilities in all regions of the world. As more and more countries face aging societies the public dialogue is becoming more and more critical about whether people, as they age, will be allowed to stay in their community. Within the last thirty years the United States Congress has led the way in adopting law after law which mandate a range of choices for American citizens with disabilities equivalent to that for American citizens without disabilities: education, transportation, employment, and communication. With the passage of the proposed MICASSA legislation, this range of choices would be extended to include the right of people with disabilities to choose where they receive personal assistance services and care. The UN Convention is one way for the US to share its technical expertise and legislative achievements, provide technical assistance and the exchange of knowledge, skills, and experience to help reduce the learning curve for countries that are ready to implement new solutions. Something I've observed through my years of experience in international development is how powerful it is when the disability leadership from other countries understands how people with disabilities in the US have been able to organize themselves into an influential constituency. Disability leaders from all over the world come to this country and marvel at things we now take for granted. For example, I hosted disability leaders from Russia a few years ago. They spent a lot of time taking pictures of each other in elevators, on ramps, on bus lifts, on the accessible Metro, reading Braille menus in restaurants, and using our telephone relay services. In other words, we have a lot to share. NCD believes the people of the United States would be well served by being involved in the historic process of drafting a Convention, and by ensuring that this Convention benefits from the American experience in implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act. U.S. disability legislation, with its core principles of choice, independence, and integration, is one of America's greatest democratic achievements. The U.S. must continue to show its leadership through its support of and involvement in the proposed Convention, in order to protect, preserve, and enforce the rights of people with disabilities everywhere. The passage of Resolution 169 will be an important step in helping to ensure that people with disabilities in other countries have the same opportunity to attain equality. The U.S. cannot afford to ignore the burgeoning momentum for the development of an international disability Convention. The United States has plenty to gain by constructive participation in the effort to fully integrate disability fully into the international human rights agenda. United States interests abroad, such as our foreign assistance work, can only be bolstered by a UN Convention. The economic cost to society of excluding people with disabilities is enormous. No nation in the world will achieve its full potential for economic development while it leaves out people with disabilities. US government support for a strong UN convention will be a validation of this country's commitment to include disability issues as a meaningful priority of US foreign policy. Effective international collaboration in the drafting process will require consultation with and full participation by disability leaders and their allies in the United States and abroad. By supporting a strong Resolution, by consulting with disability groups, and by the inclusion of people with disabilities in the drafting process, the US will establish its role as a leader in international disability rights consistent with its commitments to citizens with disabilities at home.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), my good friend and our distinguished colleague.

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. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I first would like to commend my good friend and cochairman of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf), for introducing this critically important legislation. We are all deeply indebted to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) for speaking out for human rights in Sudan and, in fact, for human rights around the globe. Mr. Speaker, just 2 weeks ago, we solemnly remembered the 10th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide, where the world stood by and allowed the slaughter of 1 million innocent people in 100 days. In the aftermath of that horror, the international community again pledged never again to stand by and allow an atrocity to emerge without taking preventive action. Yet, as we speak, the Sudanese Government has mobilized its military forces and Arab militias, called the Janjaweed, to carry out a scorched earth policy of indiscriminate killing and the removal of non-Arab African civilians from their homes in Darfur in western Sudan. Both USAID and the United Nations have described these atrocities as ethnic cleansing, and the Committee on Conscience of our own Holocaust Memorial Museum has issued a genocide warning for Darfur. Mr. Speaker, Khartoum and its brutal militias are systematically torturing, raping and killing thousands of innocent civilians, based solely on their identity. The Janjaweed, the Arab terrorists, have looted and burned villages and depopulated entire areas with impunity, in direct violation of international law. We estimate that as many as 30,000 civilians may have been slaughtered and over 1 million driven off their land into unprotected camps for the internally displaced and refugee camps across the border in Chad. If we allow Khartoum to continue this mayhem, probably over 100,000 will die by the end of the year. We cannot allow this to happen. Khartoum must be stopped. I am convinced, Mr. Speaker, that the only thing Bashir and his cronies understand and respond to is strength and the resolve of the international community, led by our own government. Bashir and those responsible in his government, including his vice president, Ali Taha, are masters at manipulating the international community by holding hostage the prospects of humanitarian access in Darfur and the peace process in Kenya, while conducting a vicious campaign of terror against innocent civilians. Khartoum has even treated with contempt our own government's efforts to bring humanitarian relief to the suffering people in Darfur by delaying visas to American disaster workers. Cynically and arrogantly, Khartoum stalls while innocent men, women and children suffer. Mr. Speaker, in response to widespread global criticism, Bashir now has issued a presidential decree appointing a committee to investigate the egregious human rights violations carried out in Darfur by his own government and their Arab allies. First, Khartoum deliberately designed a strategy to drive thousands of black Africans from their homes. In the process, Arab militias were directed to commit unspeakably horrible acts. Then, when the international community expresses outrage, the government that committed the crimes appoints a committee to investigate itself. I find it ludicrous and absurd for us to continue to play along with Khartoum's game and to accept this blatant attempt to disavow knowledge of well-documented atrocities that Bashir and his people directed their armed forces and the Arab militias to commit. Mr. Speaker, as we debate this resolution, Arab terrorists of the Janjaweed are killing men, kidnapping children, raping women and burning villages. There must be an urgency about our work in addressing this crisis; and Darfur, therefore, must assume the highest priority. I challenge President Bush's Secretary of State Colin Powell and Kofi Anan, the Secretary General of the United Nations, to exercise their leadership and to stop this nightmare from continuing. I also challenge the European Union and the African Union. Appallingly, African nations recently ensured Sudan a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Commission in spite of its attack on the people of Darfur, motivated exclusively by sickening racism. Mr. Speaker, I call upon President Bush to withhold any normalization of relations with the Sudan. We must demand of Khartoum an immediate cessation of violence in Darfur and the disarming of Arab terrorists according to the cease fire agreement they signed. Khartoum must allow protective units and humanitarian agencies full and immediate access to Darfur. Khartoum also must address the legitimate grievances of those living under the tyranny of this regime. The United Nations Human Rights Commission must convene immediately on this crisis to shed light on the atrocities and to galvanize international support for the victims of Darfur. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, we must do what is necessary to end this conflict in Sudan and to bring security to the long suffering people of Darfur. If Khartoum continues its intransigence, the President should consider target sanctions against those responsible for these atrocities and undertake extraordinary measures to get food, medicine, clothing, and shelter to those in desperate need. Our credibility and our reputation as a humane Nation depend on this. We do not have the luxury of failure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, today we mark the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's historic ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. This monumental decision effectively overturned the egregious standard of ``separate but equal'' and truly opened the schoolhouse doors for all children in America. The decision was a watershed event in U.S. history. It represents the moment in time when the U.S. government no longer sanctioned discrimination against a person solely based on the color of their skin. Most importantly, the decision established the fundamental right of access, granting everyone the ability to gain an education and excel in America. Mr. Speaker, even though this nation officially banished slavery and attempted to fully integrate the former slaves into society with the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution, equality did not come immediately. States enacted laws to circumvent the intention of these post-Civil War amendments. Then in 1896 the Supreme Court codified the usurpation of rights in the decision that allowed for ``separate but equal'' facilities for African Americans, in essence endorsing an official government policy of segregating black and white citizens. Shortly after that shameful decision, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded and soon began its legacy of fighting legal battles that address social injustice. One of the most prominent lawyers from the NAACP legal team was a young man named Thurgood Marshall, who graduated first in his class from Howard University School of Law in 1933, and joined Julian Dugas, Charles Houston and Oliver White Hill to advocate for the NAACP in the nation's courtrooms. After a series of legal successes, Thurgood Marshall scored one of the greatest legal victories when he and Charles Houston successfully argued Brown v. Board of Education before the Supreme Court in 1954. The success of this case was enhanced by the Court's unanimous decision. This was largely thanks to Chief Justice Earl Warren, who recognized that proponents of segregation might see a divided decision as vulnerable to being revisited in later years. Furthermore the Chief Justice wisely recognized that failing to get the support of all the Justices would carry less weight with the Eisenhower Administration and the general public. Mr. Speaker, despite the lofty promises of desegregating schools with all deliberate speed that the Supreme Court offered when it decided Brown v. Board of Education, some communities still suffer from de facto segregation. Even more troubling are the disputes that still exist. Part of the problem stems from schools being largely based on housing patterns and funded by local property taxes. A school with a majority African American or Latino population, especially in large cities, is less likely to have proper textbooks, experienced and prepared teachers, and adequate classrooms of manageable size as a result of these funding imbalances. Unfortunately, this means these schools are often rated the worst and produce unprepared students, along with having high drop-out rates. Students at these schools have limits placed on their access to a quality education. Mr. Speaker, we are all aware that students who go to impoverished schools are less likely to take college preparatory or advanced placement classes, and in the hyper-competitive world of college admissions the classes are mandatory to gain entrance. A quality education has the power to break the cycle of poverty that has plagued minority communities. We are the richest country in the history of the world, and it is unconscionable that schools are failing their students. Mr. Speaker, as we stand in the shadow of this extraordinary decision half a century after it was made, we in Congress should recommit ourselves to the doctrine of Brown v. Board, which Chief Justice Warren stated so eloquently 50 years ago when he said, ``We conclude that, in the field of public education, the doctrine of `separate but equal' has no place.''

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, at the Conference on Anti-Semitism of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held in Berlin on April 28th, our very distinguished Secretary of State Colin Powell headed the United States delegation. It was my advice that the Secretary personally lead the American delegation to this conference because his presence would give the issue of European anti-Semitism the high-level attention it needs and deserves. Today, Europe faces a disturbing rise in anti-Semitic rhetoric and anti-Semitic violence. I recently attended the inauguration of a new Holocaust museum in my native Hungary. Two days earlier, Hungarian police arrested a man plotting to blow it up. The decision to target a Holocaust memorial reveals the profound connection between the great nightmare of the mid-twentieth century and the racist threats that Jews around the world continue to face today. Because of this intolerance, I co-founded the Congressional Task Force Against Anti-Semitism with a bipartisan number of Members of Congress. This organization is devoted to raising awareness and fighting the sickness of anti-Semitism wherever and whenever it occurs. On behalf of the Task Force, I would like to thank and commend Secretary Powell for his efforts at the Berlin Conference. Mr. Speaker, as usual, Secretary Powell's remarks are eloquent and powerful, and they contain the wisdom of a man who has fought bigotry and racism himself during a lifetime of service to our nation. His emphatic reminder that ``political disagreements do not justify physical assaults against Jews in our streets'' is particularly welcome. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the full text of Secretary Powell's address to the Berlin Conference against anti-Semitism be placed in the Record, and I urge all of our colleagues to give the Secretary's excellent speech their thoughtful attention. Remarks at the Conference on Anti-Semitism of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Thank you very much, Mr. Moderator, Chairman Passy, Minister Fischer, Fellow Ministers and Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen. It is a great pleasure for me to be here representing President Bush and the people of the United States. Chairman Passy, let me thank you for your leadership in planning and organizing this important conference on anti- Semitism. I also wish to extend my sincere appreciation to the German Government and to my good friend Joschka Fischer for hosting our gathering and for taking a strong stand against this age-old yet active and evolving form of intolerance. And let me take this occasion to honor President Rau, not just for opening the conference, but also for his leadership against anti-Semitism and on so many other compelling moral issues during his 52 years of distinguished public service to Germany and to the world. Berlin is a fitting backdrop for our meeting. The firestorm of anti-Semitic hatred that was the Holocaust was set here in Berlin. The Holocaust was no ordinary conflagration, but a colossal act of arson, unprecedented in scale with the annihilation of a people as its purpose. Six million Jews and millions of other men, women and children perished in the flames of fascism. European civilization as we thought we knew it was rent asunder. Yet, it was also here in Berlin that a new, democratic Germany rose from the ashes of the Second World War. And in this city, a new Europe, whole and free, was born after the fall of that other great tyranny of the 20th century: communism. Now, in the opening decade of the 21st century, we, 55 democratic nations of Europe, Eurasia and America, have come to Berlin to stamp out the new fires of anti-Semitism within our societies, and to kindle lights of tolerance so that future generations will never know the unspeakable horrors that hatred can unleash. When President Bush visited the Auschwitz death camp last year he renewed the United States' commitment to oppose anti- Semitism with these words: ``This site is a sobering reminder that when we find anti-Semitism, whether it be in Europe, in America or anywhere else, mankind must come together to fight such dark impulses.'' Today, we confront the ugly reality that anti-Semitism is not just a fact of history, but a current event. At a planning session for this conference, Benjamin Meed, the President of the American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors, said ``Sixty years after the Holocaust I never thought that I would be invited to a meeting on anti-Semitism in Europe.''; Indeed. We are appalled that in recent years the incidence of anti- Semitic hate crimes has been on the increase within our community of democratic nations. All of us recognize that we must take decisive measures to reverse this disturbing trend. Our states must work together with non-governmental organizations, religious leaders and other respected figures within our societies to combat anti-Semitism by word and deed. We need to work in close partnership to create a culture of social tolerance and civic courage, in which anti- Semitism and other forms of racial and religious hatred are met with the active resistance of our citizens, authorities and political leaders. We must send the clear message far and wide that anti- Semitism is always wrong and it is always dangerous. We must send the clear message that anti-Semitic hate crimes are exactly that: crimes, and that these crimes will be aggressively prosecuted. We must not permit anti-Semitic crimes to be shrugged off as inevitable side effects of inter-ethnic conflicts. Political disagreements do not justify physical assaults against Jews in our streets, the destruction of Jewish schools, or the desecration of synagogues and cemeteries. There is no justification for anti-Semitism. It is not anti-Semitic to criticize the policies of the state of Israel. But the line is crossed when Israel or its leaders are demonized or vilified, for example by the use of Nazi symbols and racist caricatures. We must send the clear message to extremists of the political right and the political left alike that all those who use hate as a rallying cry dishonor themselves and dishonor their cause in the process. Regrettably, my country has its share of anti-Semites and skinheads and other assorted racists, bigots and extremists, who feed on fear and ignorance and prey on the vulnerable. As a nation of many united as one, we are determined to speak out and take action at home and abroad against anti- Semitism and other forms of intolerance and to promote the rights of persons belonging to minorities. As President Bush has said: ``America stands for the non-negotiable demands of human dignity.'' Fortunately the overwhelming majority of Americans are repelled by these hate-mongers and reject their vicious ways, their vicious views, their vicious attitudes. Overwhelmingly the American people embrace diversity as a national asset and tolerance is embraced as a civic virtue. Our laws and our leaders reflect those enlightened sentiments. Not only do we believe that combating hatred is the right thing to do, we think that promoting tolerance is essential to building a democratic, prosperous and peaceful world. Hatred is a destroyer, not a builder. People consumed by hate cannot construct a better future for themselves or for their children. So much of the misery and instability around the world today is caused or exacerbated by ethnic and religious intolerance, whether it's central Africa or the Middle East, Northern Ireland or Cyprus, Kosovo or Darfur. The distance from prejudice to violence, intolerance to atrocity, can be perilously short. The lessons of the Holocaust are timeless and urgent. In this new century, it is more important than ever for our leaders and citizens to counter anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred whenever and wherever they meet them. It is especially important that we instill in our children values and behaviors that can avert new calamities. The sixteen-nation Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research has done a great deal already to increase understanding among young people of the Holocaust and its enduring lessons. And we welcome the growing interest on the part of other countries to join that Task Force. Tolerance, like hatred, is a learned behavior passed from one generation to the next unless the new generation is educated differently. Let tolerance be our legacy. May future generations of schoolchildren read that in the early decades of the 21st century, mankind finally consigned anti-Semitism to history, never to darken the world again. The United States delegation, led by former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, is here to listen. They're here to learn and to share best practices against anti-Semitism. We will have the benefit of Mayor Koch's direct experience dealing with hate crimes in the world's most ethnically diverse metropolis in my hometown, New York City. Our delegation also draws expertise from Members of our Congress and from close partnership with non-governmental leaders doing pioneering work in the tolerance field. The exchange of insights and ideas among our delegations here in Berlin should form a solid basis for practical action by each of our nations. There is much yet that we can do in key areas of law enforcement, legislation and education to follow up on the decisions we took last December in Maastricht. That's why I'm pleased that last week the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe committed all of our 55 states to take further concrete actions against anti-Semitism. The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in Warsaw will play a central role. This office now has a clear mandate to work with member states to collect hate crimes statistics, to track anti-Semitic incidents and to report publicly on these matters. The office also will help states develop national legislation against hate crimes and promote tolerance through education. And I know that in the course of your deliberations here other ideas will arise as to how we can put action behind our words, and whether we have institutionalized these actions in a proper way. So, my friends, here in Berlin, the 55 democratic nations of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have come together and will stand together and we will declare with one voice: ``Anti-Semitism shall have no place among us. Hate shall find no home within a Europe whole, free and at peace.'' Thank you, Mr. Moderator.

Mr. LANTOS

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

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

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, let me first thank him for his most generous observations, and let me again say how deeply we will miss his enormous contributions to this body as he assumes new and bigger responsibilities.

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

Mr. LANTOS

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

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter); the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach); the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega), the ranking member; and the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) for bringing this important resolution before us. And I particularly want to commend my neighbor and colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender- McDonald), for introducing this very important resolution. She has been a true leader on Indian-Americas issues, and we are all grateful to her. Mr. Speaker, America is a Nation of immigrants and is the world's preeminent power because of the diversity of its people and the strength each ethnic group has brought to our Nation. It is hard to think of an ethnic group that has made such an enormous contribution to our Nation in such a short period of time as America's more than a million and a half citizens of Indian descent. In business, in science, in academia, in medicine, Indian Americans have assumed leadership roles; and they have given back to the communities in which they live. In the field of medicine alone, our Nation is blessed to have over 35,000 Indian-American physicians, many of whom work with residents of rural and inner city communities. Another 10,000 Indian-Americans are currently in medical school or are working as interns. Indian-Americans have also made enormous contributions to the economy of our country, and to my district in particular. Technology firms in Silicon Valley depend heavily on the brain power of our Indian-Americans. Over 300,000 Indian-Americans are working in cutting-edge technology firms, and they play a critical role in generating new start-up companies. In academia, more than 5,000 Indian-Americans today serve as faculty members at institutions of higher learning. Two Americans of Indian ancestry have been awarded the Nobel Prize, one in medicine, one in physics. In the cultural world, millions of Americans have relied upon self- help books and spiritual teachings of men like Deepak Chopra or enjoyed the cinematic productions of M. Night Shyamalam. Of course, Mr. Speaker, we all remember the unique contribution and sacrifice made by Dr. Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian American to fly in the U.S. space shuttle. While Dr. Chawla perished in the horrendous Columbia shuttle disaster, we must never forget her enormous contributions to science and to our space program. Indian Americans have also worked to further develop the political, economic and security ties between the United States and India. These ties between our nations are unbreakable. After all, the world's largest democracy and the world's oldest have much in common. India has become a vital American ally in the fight against global terrorism. In the same manner that the United States and India have forged strong economic and commercial links, so too have we strengthened our partnership for peace and our collaboration to battle terrorist groups who wish to destroy freedom and democracy both in India and the United States. Mr. Speaker, we currently have over 75,000 Indians studying at our institutions of higher learning. I have no doubt that these young Indian men and women will be the next generation of leadership in India's political, economic and cultural worlds. Their experience in the United States will ensure positive relations between our two great nations for generations to come. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of our colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 352. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone).

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), a member of the Committee on International Relations.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, on March 30th, the Congressional Human Rights Caucus held a groundbreaking Members' Briefing entitled, ``International Disability Rights: The Proposed UN Convention.'' This discussion of the global situation of people with disabilities was intended to help establish disability rights issues as an integral part of the general human rights discourse. The briefing brought together the human rights community and the disability rights community, and it raised awareness in Congress of the need to protect disability rights under international law to the same extent as other human rights through a binding UN convention on the rights of people with disabilities. Our expert witnesses included Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Mark P. Lagon; the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Ecuador to the United Nations, Ambassador Luis Gallegos; the United Nations Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Johan Scholvinck; the distinguished former Attorney General of the United States, former Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and former Governor of Pennsylvania, the Honorable Dick Thornburgh; the President of the National Organization on Disability (NOD), Alan A. Reich; Kathy Martinez, a member of the National Council on Disabilities (NCD); and a representative of the United States International Council on Disabilities (USCID) and Executive Director of Mental Disability Rights International, Eric Rosenthal. As I had announced earlier, I intend to place the important statements of our witnesses in the Congressional Record, so that all of my colleagues may profit from their expertise, and I ask that the statement of Mr. Scholvinck be placed at this point in the Congressional Record. Presentation by Johan Scholvinck Mr. Chairman, thank you for inviting me to this historic briefing on the proposed UN Convention on the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities. It is an honour and a pleasure being here with you. I will confine my remarks to describe the situation faced by persons with disabilities in developing countries. I believe that the disheartening picture that will emerge from what I am about to say will be further proof of the need for a UN Convention. First let me cite some statistics: 80 percent of people with disabilities and their families live in a developing country. Between 400 and 500 million people living in a developing country have a disability. Persons with disabilities are often trapped in a cycle of poverty and exclusion. For 150 million of them, disability has been caused by malnutrition and contagious diseases while conflicts and war accounts for a few millions, As many as 1 in 5 of the poorest people have a disability. These are staggering figures. Furthermore, persons with disabilities are frequently cut off from employment opportunities and suffer unemployment rates far higher than that of the non-disabled workforce. In many developing countries, it is estimated that 80 percent or more of the disabled are unemployed, which further contributes to their high incidence of poverty and social exclusion. While persons with disabilities also face similar challenges in developed countries the situation is far worse in developing countries where both disability benefits and vocational rehabilitation services may be virtually non- existent. In such cases, the disabled are often left dependent, destitute and despairing. Given the relatively small size of the formal labour market in most developing countries, particularly in rural areas where many of the disabled live, opportunities for integration of persons with disabilities through employment largely rest on informal work, particularly self-employment. Unfortunately, persons with disabilities are often denied loans by banks and lenders. Improving the living conditions of persons with disabilities in developing countries is an overlooked developmental challenge. As James Wolfensohn, the President of the World Bank once said, ``unless disabled people are brought into the development mainstream, it will be impossible to cut poverty in half by 2015 as agreed to by more than 180 world leaders at the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000''. So is the goal to give every girl and boy the chance to achieve a primary education by the same date. Every child is unique and has a fundamental right to education. Yet in developing countries, only a small minority of disabled children is in school. Less than 10 percent of children with disabilities attend formal education and over 9 in 10 are illiterate. When denied the basic right of education, disabled people become severely restricted in terms of their economic, social and political opportunities as well as the prospects for their personal development. Without an education it is more difficult to secure a job, particularly one that pays a decent wage, to participate actively and fully in the community and to have a meaningful voice in policy making, especially on issues that directly concern the affected population. Given the dynamics of disability and health, access to adequate health care services is essential for the promotion of independent living for the disabled. Health services play a critical role in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illnesses and conditions which can cause physical, psychological and intellectual impairments. Yet for the majority of persons with disabilities living in developing countries, poverty precludes access to these vital services-- either because health care facilities and practitioners are not sufficiently available, or there are not enough funds to purchase needed medications and devices. Particularly dramatic is, beyond the lack of orthopedic surgeons, the greatly insufficient number of medical rehabilitation centers to help people adapt to disabling conditions. According to the World Health Organization, at most only 5 percent of the disabled in developing countries have access to rehabilitation services. The potential for enhancing the possibility of persons with disabilities to carry on independent lives rests on the integration of the disabled into the general community, rather than placing them in exclusionary institutions or relegating them into ``colonies'' of disabled. Community Based Rehabilitation programmes, which are in the process of becoming fairly well established in industrialized countries tend to be part and parcel of these strategies, but remain rare in developing countries. In developing countries, persons with disabilities are often excluded from the mainstream of the society, discriminated against and denied their human rights. Violations of the human rights of persons with disabilities are seldom addressed in society. Many disability legislation and policies are based on the assumption that persons with disabilities are simply not able to exercise the same rights as non-disabled persons. Consequently, the situation of persons with disabilities is often addressed in terms of rehabilitation and social services. In many countries, existing provisions do not provide for the rights of disabled persons in all their aspects--that is, political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights--on an equal basis with persons without disabilities. Furthermore, anti- discrimination laws often have weak enforcement mechanisms, thereby denying opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate on the basis of equality in social life and development. Mr. Chairman, the adoption of the UN Convention will not provide a magic wand in overcoming the dismal conditions faced by persons with disabilities in developing countries. However, without such an instrument their chances of becoming fully integrated in their societies will remain infinitely difficult to attain.