Tom Lantos

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), an important member of the House Committee on International Relations.

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

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I want to commend all of my colleagues who spoke on behalf of this important resolution. Madam Speaker, we have no further requests for time and we yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of this resolution. Madam Speaker, I first would like to commend the chairman of our committee, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), for moving forward with this legislation so expeditiously. This important resolution commends India on its celebration of Republic Day which occurs on January 26. While we may be a few weeks late in commemorating this important event, our enthusiasm for reaffirming the strong and unbreakable ties between the United States and India remain strong. Madam Speaker, a new chapter in the bilateral relationship between the United States and India was opened with President Clinton's historic visit to India 4 years ago. President Clinton and Prime Minister Vajpayee broke decades of ice which covered our relationship and ushered in a new and unprecedented form of cooperation between our two great democratic nations. The most dramatic demonstration of our new friendship with India was India's immediate offer of full cooperation in the war on terrorism after the September 11 tragedy and its willingness to allow the use of Indian bases for counterterrorism operations. But in so many other ways, the tenor and tempo of our bilateral cooperation has continued to improve remarkably over the past 4 years. Security cooperation between the United States and India has increased significantly, with the United States providing funds for military assistance, counternarcotics aid, and other forms of military training. We are working with the Indian government to rationalize India's economy to promote American investment in India and to accelerate India's economic growth. We are also working closely with the Indian government to tackle the spread of HIV/AIDS. As the executive branch moves forward with the implementations of the Global HIV/AIDS bill approved by us last year, it is critically important that funding for India be increased. In short, Madam Speaker, the United States and India are developing close partnerships on key security, political and humanitarian matters, partnerships that will further strengthen the already close ties between our two great nations. But there is no stronger relationship between the United States and India than our shared commitment to democracy and civil society. We are truly natural allies. We must also be mindful at all times of the enormous strides taken by Prime Minister Vajpayee towards peace with Pakistan. Time and again it has been India that has reached out to its neighbor in the cause of peace. I fervently hope that this time the discussions between the two nations will finally bear fruit. India is the world's largest democracy with almost a billion people. Its democratic form of government rests solidly on the Indian constitution. So as we commemorate the day that India formally adopted its constitution, we celebrate the strength of India's democracy, the vitality of the Indian people and U.S.-Indian friendship. I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 15. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), a distinguished member of the Committee on International Relations who has a long-standing special interest in this region.

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

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

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Macedonia is a deeply divided country ethnically, and President Trajkovski was a powerful force in bringing peace and reconciliation to the Slav and Albanian communities. We shall remember him as a man of peace. I urge all of my colleagues to join us in voting for this resolution. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join my good friend Mike Honda as a cosponsor of H. Res. 56, a bill that commemorates the suffering of the Japanese-American, German-American and Italian-American communities during World War II by recognizing February 19 as a National Day of Remembrance. It is my sincere hope and belief that establishing a National Day of Remembrance will increase public awareness about the loss of civil liberties that were suffered by individuals as well as entire families in this country during World War II. I recently had the privilege to speak to the San Mateo Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens Leagues (JACL), whose mission is to secure and maintain the civil rights of Americans of Japanese ancestry and others who have been victimized by injustice. Several of the members attending the talk were, in fact, children of parents who had been interned in camps, and some had even been interned themselves. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the JACL, and also Former Representative Norm Mineta, whose leadership has been instrumental to ensuring that the American public is educated about this tragedy. As we are all well aware, following the issuance of Presidential Executive Order No. 9066 on February 19, 1942, tens of thousands of Americans were evicted from their homes, rounded up, and sent to internment camps across the western United states. In San Francisco, this program began in earnest on April 1, 1942, when all persons of Japanese ancestry--whether they were American citizens or not--were notified to report for ``relocation.'' In my own Congressional district, 7,800 people were assembled against their will at the San Bruno Tanforan Racetrack, which was recently portrayed in the movie ``Sea Biscuit.'' Mr. Speaker, I submit that it is not only in retrospect that the internment of the Japanese appears absurd and unacceptable. As early as 1946 Harold Ickes, President Roosevelt's own secretary of the Interior, characterized the mass detention of Japanese Americans as a ``mass hysteria over the Japanese,'' he noted, ``we gave the fancy name of `relocation centers' to these dust bowls, but they were concentration camps.'' Mr. Speaker, ultimately the way we treated Japanese Americans was inexcusable. Moreover, the enormous human suffering and violation of civil liberties that this policy caused vastly outweighed any purported national security benefit derived from the government's internment policy. Mr. Speaker, the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II is one of the most ignominious and repugnant acts that our Nation has committed. Americans of Japanese descent, some of whom had been in our nation for generations, were herded into internment camps, and denied the basic human rights afforded to all other Americans. Although we have taken the first steps toward recognizing the insidiousness of the internment policy, apologies and reparations are not enough by themselves. Indeed, we ought to be reminded on a regular basis of the dangers of fanaticism. Today, as we face a new set of challenges to civil liberties in our Nation, it is imperative that we work together to preserve our basic freedoms. After the September 11th tragedy, Arab, South Asian, Muslim and Sikh Americans faced real threats to their safety. Many immigrant communities were concerned that America's legitimate anger towards the foreign terrorist who masterminded and carried-out September 11th would be turned towards them. We must constantly be vigilant that his does not occur, and establishing a national day of remembrance is a laudable step toward this necessary goal. As the only Member of this body to have survived the Holocaust I bring a unique perspective to today's debate. As an oft quoted saying goes, ``Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it,'' and this legislation is the first step to ensuring that all Americans learn from the mistakes of our Nation's past mistreatment of Japanese-, German-, and Italian-Americans. I applaud Congressman Honda for introducing it, the Japanese American Citizens' League for endorsing it, and urge all of my colleagues to vote for it.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the Peace Corps' 43rd anniversary. Since 1961, over 170,000 Peace Corps volunteers in 137 countries have taught English as a second language in dimly lit classrooms, planted rice seedlings in water-covered fields, shared accounting practices with women cooperatives of local markets, conducted workshops under palm trees on the benefits of long-term nursing, and successfully accomplished many other worthy development projects. Among this legion of volunteers are seventeen residents of my district in San Mateo County, California. They are Corrine Basanez, Qamrul Bhuiyan, Martha Cheng, Sonya Chi, James Choy, Emily Doan, Joann Gaasland, Michael Henley, Jonathan Kahn, Angela Lee, Celina Lee, Andrew Lind, Eileen McCarthy, Michelle Pena, Doreen Peterson, Peter Rabover, and Shona Simpson. I applaud all of them for the dedication and commitment. Mr. Speaker, Peace Corps volunteers promote American values and world understanding, and, thus, are our country's best ambassadors in the villages and towns in which they live and work. Upon their return to the United States, Peace Corps volunteers share their experiences with family, friends, and the community at large, thereby exposing Main Streets across America to foreign cultures and customs. As a result, the Peace Corps experience enriches not only foreign countries, but also the volunteers and our nation. In fact, the State Department, USAID, and Congress have benefitted from the experiences of Returned Peace Corps volunteers within their ranks. Mr. Speaker, in the last session, Chairman Hyde and I, in collaboration with other Members, crafted the Peace Corps Expansion Act of 2003 to better equip the Peace Corps to recruit, train, and support current and future volunteers during the next four years. The Act also facilitates the work of Returned Peace Corps volunteers as they carry out the mission of the Peace Corps--helping people in developing countries meet basic needs, promoting understanding abroad of U.S. values and ideals, and promoting a better understanding by our citizens of other cultures and societies. Significantly, the Act also encourages greater diversity within the Peace Corps and among volunteers to ensure better that all the faces of America are reflected in the faces of Peace Corps volunteers and staff, as the agency seeks to double the number of volunteers by 2007. I am pleased to say that this House passed the Peace Corps Expansion Act of 2003 with overwhelming bipartisan support. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want again to salute the many thousands of Peace Corps volunteers across the globe who are currently serving their country and the many more who have returned home to continue contributing to their communities. They are the reason for National Peace Corps Week.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this amendment sponsored by my good friend and fellow Californian Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren. This amendment clearly recognizes that crimes committee against pregnant women are especially egregious acts that should be subject to more stringent punishment. Specifically, this amendment would make it a separate Federal crime to cause, whether intentionally or not, a prenatal injury or the termination of the pregnancy of the victim during commission of a number of specified Federal offenses. Mr. Speaker, I am certain all of my colleagues will agree that any violent crime against a person is deplorable in and of itself; however, crimes against expectant mothers are especially heinous and should be dealt with more severely. I applaud Congresswoman Lofgren for introducing this amendment. While I strongly support the amendment we are debating and am a cosponsor of similar legislation that was introduced by Congresswoman Lofgren--the Motherhood Protection Act (H.R. 2247)--I feel an obligation to express my concerns and my strong opposition to the underlying legislation we are considering today, H.R. 1997, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. Although these two bills appear similar at first blush, they are based on completely different premises. The Lofgren amendment is based on the belief that when the normal course of pregnancy is disturbed by a violent crime, the mother is robbed of her chance to bring a child into this world. Such an act is intolerable and the offender should be subjected to additional punishment. On the other hand, Mr. Speaker, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act extends victim status beyond the expectant mother and assigns legal status and protection to an unborn embryo or fetus. I believe this is nothing more than a thinly-veiled attempt to undermine the rights of women established in Roe v. Wade. Assigning legal rights to an unborn embryo or fetus is the fist step in granting ``personhood'' to an entity which does not yet meet the current threshold for the legal definition of a person. Passing this legislation would be the beginning of the slippery slope that will ultimately be used to limit a woman's right to choose. Mr. Speaker, the legislation we are considering today is simply a politically-motivated effort by some of our colleagues to chip away at the underlying basis of Roe v. Wade. We, as legislators, have the responsibility to see through these extremist and extreme views, and to enact legislation that does not threaten our citizens with the loss of their Constitutional rights. Mr. Speaker, a crime against a pregnant woman is an appalling and deplorable act that deserves the severe punishments specified in the Lofgren amendment. Without this amendment, the adoption of the Unborn Victims of Violence Act is simply a deplorable effort to take away from the women of this country the rights for which many have fought. I urge all of my colleagues to support the Lofgren substitute amendment to protect expectant mothers.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to the Peninsula Sinai Congregation on the occasion of its 36th Anniversary. From its humble beginnings the Peninsula Sinai Congregation has grown to include 252 member families in Foster City, California, located in my Congressional District and has become an integral part of the community's social and moral fabric. In 1967, four pioneers organized the first meeting of the Peninsula Sinai Congregation in a San Mateo church. As the population of the congregation increased it was forced to move, first to the Peninsula JCC and later to its own facility in Foster City, California in 1979. At that time there was one small building that included an education wing comprised of four classrooms, a kitchen and the Col. David J. Reina Memorial Library. Five years later the facility was expanded to include a sanctuary/social hall and as well as administrative offices. Finally in May 2000, the Congregation completed a substantial remodeling, which included the creation of a dedicated sanctuary, a lounge, a full catering kitchen as well as additional classrooms and an expansion of the library. Mr. Speaker, from four pioneers the Sinai Peninsula Congregation is now a full service religious center, providing a Jewish education for its members from cradle to grave. In addition to Hebrew school programs for children in grades 3-10, the Congregation has a very active Adult education program. This program includes ``How to'' instruction about rituals and holidays, as well as Adult Bar and Bat Mitzvah opportunities for adult members who had not yet experienced this celebrated rite of passage. Mr. Speaker, the Peninsula Sinai Congregation also hosts an annual Chen Shapira Memorial Concert as its major fundraiser for the Chen Shapira Jewish Culture Fund. This fund is named after the late Chen Hayim Shapira who was born in Israel but emigrated to San Francisco in 1965, and dedicated his life to broadening Jewish education and promoting Jewish and Israeli music and culture in the Bay Area. Although Mr. Shapira passed away in 2000, this fund continues his work by supporting positive Jewish cultural awareness. Mr. Speaker, in the Jewish tradition the number 18, called ``chai,'' is considered lucky, and since 36 is 18 doubled, the number 36 is known as ``double chai'' is also considered lucky. Therefore, on the celebration of the Peninsula Sinai Congregation's double chai anniversary, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Peninsula Sinai Congregation on its extraordinary growth and wish the congregation continued successes in the future.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to an extraordinary man and an excellent judge who has dedicated his life to the people of San Francisco. Judge Lenard D. Louie currently presides in the San Francisco Superior Court. Born in San Francisco, Judge Louie attended both the University of San Francisco and Hastings School of Law. Upon graduation, he passed the bar and began his public service career as a Deputy District Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco. During the sixteen years that Judge Louie was a prosecutor he proudly points out that he ``handled everything from the most Mickey Mouse of cases to the heaviest of homicides,'' experiences that would later serve him well when he became a Judge. Mr. Speaker, after sixteen years of tireless public service as a prosecutor for the City and County of San Francisco, Lenard Louie was appointed to a seat on the San Francisco Municipal Court by then Governor Deukmejian. After serving admirably on that bench for three years, Governor Deukmejian then appointed Judge Louie to a seat on the San Francisco Superior Court, a position he continues to hold to this day. At the Superior Court Judge Louie utilizes a tough but fair approach, described by many as politely banging heads, in handling cases. In fact, he is often described as the Emperor of Settlements for his ability to squeeze both sides into agreement. In addition to his public service in the judicial system, Judge Louie is an active participant in the Chinese American community. He is a past National President of the Chinese American Alliance, a member of the Board of the Chinese Times Newspaper Association and an active member of the Louise Fong Kwong Family Association. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Judge Lenard D. Louie for his tireless hard work and exemplary service to the people of San Francisco and extending our best wishes to his wife Lily, his daughters and his grandchildren.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute to Martha Laffer Ziegler who passed away during the congressional recess. Martha served as the District Representative in my congressional office from 1981 until 1985, but her public service long predated our association, and she continued to work for the community after she moved on to the private sector. Martha Ziegler played an active role in the political life of San Mateo County for nearly four decades beginning in the 1960s. She developed her political skills working to elect Governor Edmund G. ``Pat'' Brown in 1958 and 1962. She fought for civil rights, women's rights, and the environment, and was an advocate against the Vietnam war. With a reputation as a skilled political organizer, she directed numerous campaigns in San Mateo County, including the McGovern presidential campaign in 1972. In 1980, Martha joined me in my first campaign for Congress. In that year of the Reagan landslide, Mr. Speaker, I was the only Democratic challenger to defeat an un-indicted Republican incumbent. I am grateful for Martha's help in that effort. After my election, I asked Martha to be my District Representative in my office in San Mateo, California. We worked together for four years, until she took a position in the private sector. She continued to play an active political roll, serving as a member of the Northern California Steering Committee for the Gore presidential campaign in 1988. She also assisted in fund raising for the Clinton-Gore campaigns in 1992 and 1996. Mr. Speaker, Martha Laffer was born in Jewell, Kansas, in 1926. She received a degree in economics from the University of Kansas in 1947 and on June 17, 1948, married Robert Boynton Ziegler. They settled in the Bay Area, where her husband established a medical practice, and in 1957 they moved to Redwood City. Martha and Robert Ziegler were the parents of four children--Robert, Nancy, David and Daniel. In addition to her extensive community and political service, Martha was a devoted wife and mother, lover of animals, and wonderful cook and gardener, with a passion for music and literature. She was a singer, first with the West Bay Opera Company and later with the California Bach Society, which she co-founded in 1974 with music director Edwin Flath. Mr. Speaker, in 1990, Martha and Bob Ziegler moved from Redwood City to Heraldsburg, California, where they were winegrowers and active in the community for over a decade. Martha passed away in Heraldsburg last December. I invite my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to her.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to rise in support of H. Res. 512, congratulating the New England Patriots for winning Super Bowl XXXVIII. The Patriots victory is again cause for celebration on both coasts as fans in San Mateo, California and the San Francisco Peninsula join in celebrating native son Tom Brady, the MVP Quarterback for the Super Bowl champion Patriots. Under the glaring lights of Reliant Stadium in Houston, and before an estimated worldwide audience of one billion viewers, Tommy Brady, as he is known in San Mateo, showed the remarkable poise and the expert leadership that his teammates and Patriot fans have come to expect. He calmly guided his team down the field toward Super Bowl victory in what may have been the greatest Super Bowl of all time. In fact, during the game's final drive, with the game tied, and under what must have been great pressure, Tom Brady rose to the task by completing four out of five passes to set up the game-winning field goal. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to support this legislation as well as to pay tribute to Tom Brady, who from his days of flag football on Portola Drive in San Mateo, to the fields at Juniperro Serra High, to the University of Michigan, to the National Football League and being named Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXVI and XXXVIII, has always played with confidence and charisma and found success at every level. It is obvious from watching Tom Brady play that he truly loves the game of football. He always smiles, and his enthusiasm and confidence is infectious to his team. As one of his wide receivers said, ``You can't say enough about that kid. He has a tremendous amount of confidence, and it rubs off on everyone else.'' Now, only 26 years of age, and the youngest quarterback to have two Super Bowl MVP awards and two Super Bowl Championship rings, fans around the league anxiously await his future accomplishments. His stellar performances as well as uncanny ability to guide his teams to come from behind victories has reminded many of another quarterback with Bay area ties, former San Francisco 49er and Hall of Famer, Joe Montana. On behalf of the city of San Mateo and football fans everywhere, I wish him continued success in his already remarkable career and strongly urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H. Res. 512.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2264, the Congo Basin Forest Partnership Act, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote in support of it. I want to thank Secretary of State Colin Powell, Congressman Clay Shaw and all cosponsoring members of Congress for making the preservation of the Congo River Basin a priority. While it is unfortunate that the other body cut the authorization of funds for fiscal year 2005 for this initiative, the $18.6 million for 2004 will send a strong signal for the need for U.S. investment to preserve the Congo River Basin. The Congo River and its tributaries make up the most extensive network of navigable waterways in Africa and carry a volume of water second only to the Amazon River. Some of us think first of the Congo River Basin as one of the largest and more important ecological regions of the world, which it is. But, what is more important, it is the home to some of the world's poorest people who have suffered some of Africa's bloodiest conflicts. More than two and a half million people have perished in Eastern Congo as a result of the most recent Congo civil war, with millions left displaced and in unimaginable destitution. Throughout the central African region, poverty rates are among the lowest in the world. Life expectancy ranges from 42 years in the Central Africa Republic to 52 in the Congo Republic. The overall forest area of the Congo River Basin is declining rapidly as a result of the unchecked growth of timber exports, destructive agricultural expansion, and fuel wood demand for a growing population. These practices are unsustainable if the assets of the Congo River Basin are to be used to improve and sustain the lives of the people who live there. Mr. Speaker, this legislation represents a unique opportunity to help the people of Central Africa turn their biggest asset--the natural resources of the Congo River Basin--into a viable economic base. The Congo River Basin Partnership is an economic development and conservation program for the six countries of Central Africa. The partnership will combine the preservation of some of the world's richest and most pristine ecosystems with economic development in order to alleviate poverty throughout the region. Conservation programs will help develop a network of national parks and protected areas, and help local communities better manage the forest and wildlife. People of Central Africa, some of whom live on less than 25-cents per day, will be able to develop sustainable means of livelihood through conservation agriculture and integrated ecotourism programs. Mr. Speaker, with substantial international efforts, the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo that engulfed the region has come to an end. The Congolese and other nations in the region are disarming and demobilizing armed groups, planning for national elections, and embracing the rule of law. This is the beginning of a new beginning for post-colonial Central Africa. The politics of the Cold War failed the region, the post-Cold War neglect turned Central Africa into a human disaster. We don't know how long it will take to establish a stable region in the heart of Africa, but we do know we must start. Mr. Chairman, the Congo River Basin Initiative has created a window of opportunity to help the people of Central Africa rebuild their communities, establish local economies, and bring health care and other resources to their countries. This initiative will help demonstrate that the stewardship of the Congo River Basin is the joint responsibility of Central African countries and the international community. It is important to note that the first international meeting of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership met in Paris in January of this year to launch a strong effort for international cooperation to preserve the Congo River Basin. Together, we must end the deforestation and wildlife depletion and support the appropriate use of forest resources. I support this bill and urge my colleagues to vote in favor of its passage.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, on January 23, 2004, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a dramatic report on the human rights situation in Azerbaijan, our ally in the war on terrorism. HRW contends that Azerbaijan is experiencing its gravest human rights crisis since it gained its independence from the Soviet Union. The report depicts rape, electric shock, severe beatings and forced confessions as routine weapons of the government against the supporters of the political opposition. Mr. Speaker, according to the HRW report, ``In the aftermath of the election, nearly 1,000 people were arrested, among them opposition leaders, local opposition party members, activists of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) who supported the opposition, journalists, and election officials and observers who challenged the fraud.'' To date, many opposition leaders and their supporters remain in detention with no legal representation. Reports of firings from jobs and police harassment are widespread throughout the country, and the government of Azerbaijan is making few attempts to hide its efforts to crush the opposition permanently. Heidar Aliev ruled Azerbaijan with an iron fist for years, even before the country achieved independence. Last summer it began to become apparent that, due to ill health, he would be unable to run for re-election. With this development, many in Azerbaijan had high hopes that they would finally be able to participate in free and fair elections. The democratic forces were also buoyed by the fact that Azerbaijan became a member of the Council of Europe and that the intense scrutiny of the international community would usher in a new era of democracy and respect for human rights in the country. These hopes were crushed by the government's well-organized campaign to ensure the succession of President Aliev's son, Ilham Aliev, to the presidency despite the efforts of a sizeable international election monitoring team. After Aliev's ``landslide victory,'' the government unleashed a brutal campaign against the opposition without any high- level protest from the international community, including the United States. Last October, I wrote a letter to the Under Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, Ambassador A. Elizabeth Jones, and later published an op-ed in the Christian Science Monitor, asking the Bush administration to hold Aliev's feet to the fire on democracy issues. I believe that Azerbaijan, a secular majority-Muslim country, could have been an example of pro-American democracy in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Instead, the people of Azerbaijan are governed by the first post- Soviet dynastic transfer of power, setting a negative example throughout the region and adversely affecting U.S. national security. If the Bush administration takes a strong stance on the post-election crackdown in Azerbaijan, it will reinforce its commitment to spreading democracy and respect for human rights worldwide.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the distinguished senator of the 11th senate district of California, my good friend, Mr. Byron Sher. My Congressional district overlaps with many of the communities in Senator Sher's district, and this has afforded me the opportunity to work closely with the Senator on numerous issues. Byron has based his long and productive political career upon the strong foundations of a distinguished academic pedigree. After an ambitious undergraduate career, he earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1952 and then was a Fulbright Research Scholar in New Zealand. Byron went on to teaching positions at some of the leading law schools around the country, including Southern Methodist, University of Southern California and Harvard Law School. Currently, he is an emeritus professor of law at Stanford University. Mr. Speaker, Byron has been active in local and regional government since he came to Palo Alto in 1957, and since then, he has repeatedly shown his commitment to the community through dedicated public service. He was a member of the Palo Alto City Council for 9 years and served two terms as mayor. In addition, for many years, Byron has been an active participant in local, State, and national environmental boards. As a member of the California State Legislature, Byron has many notable achievements, however I wish to take a moment to mention some of the numerous legislative successes that Senator Sher has accomplished in the area of environmental protection. He is the author of landmark laws to protect California's environment, including the California Clean Air Act, the Integrated Waste Management Act, the Surface Mining Reclamation Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and the nation's first law to prevent toxic contamination from leaking underground storage tanks. He also authored laws to strengthen California's timber regulations and added new rivers to California's Wild and Scenic River System, safeguarding them for future generations. He is consistently rated among the top legislators by the most respected environmental, consumer, law enforcement, education and housing groups. I applaud his conscientious hard work on the part of our community and California. It is always a privilege to pay tribute to an extraordinary public servant on his retirement from a long and illustrious career of public service. What makes Byron so special though, is that this is his second such retirement from public service. After eight terms in the California Assembly he was term limited out of office. In 1996, however, he found a way to continue his service to the people of California, winning a special election to fill a vacancy in the State Senate. Now having exhausted almost every public office available, we on the Peninsula wait with excitement to learn how Byron will use his exceptional talents to continue to give back to our community and the nation at large. Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Byron Sher as he completes a record of distinguished service in the California State legislature. The people of San Mateo County and the people of California have been well served by his extraordinary leadership and advocacy in both the State Assembly and the State Senate. I extend my personal best wishes to Byron and his family for a relaxing and well-deserved retirement.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, as you are aware, at the start of the 20th century the state of child labor conditions in our country was so deplorable that it was not uncommon for children to be working 60 or 70-hour weeks in the hardest forms of labor--in our nation's mines, mills and in the farm fields. It was these conditions that the National Consumers League was created to alleviate. Through the hard work and dedication of its members, the National Consumers League was able to secure the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938. This monumental legislation has been the backbone for ensuring that American workers are treated fairly and humanely. Specifically, the legislation enacted sweeping reforms to the use of child labor in our country that were designed to prevent the exploitation of youth workers. In the 60 years since the passage of this extraordinary legislation our economy has changed dramatically. It is appalling to learn that in our great country, the occupational injury rate for children and teens is more than twice as high than it is for adults. In fact, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimates that every year 230,000 teens are injured on the job. I am certain that all of my colleagues will agree with me that these statistics are a national disgrace and are totally unacceptable for a civilized, advanced society such as ours. That is why I introduced H.R. 3139, the Youth Worker Protection Act, a bill that will modernize America's child labor laws. I am also honored to report that in 2003, just like 1938, the National Consumers League was instrumental in the drafting of this legislation and I am confident that with their support we will be successful in securing its passage. I am delighted that Linda Golodner, President of the National Consumers League and a tireless advocate to advance progressive chance in our country was standing next to me when I introduced the Youth Worker Protection Act. Her eloquence on the need for reform to our nation's child labor laws should be shared with our Congressional colleagues, Mr. Speaker, and I therefore request that her statement be placed in the Congressional Record. Statement of Linda Golodner Thank you for coming today. I'm Linda Golodner, president of the National Consumers League and co-chair of the Child Labor Coalition. I am joined today by Congressman Tom Lantos and Maggie Carey from Beverly, Massachusetts. More than one-hundred years ago, Florence Kelley, first executive secretary of the National Consumers League, led a national effort to press Congress for tough laws to protect working children. Her goal was achieved in 1938 with the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which includes child labor provisions. The Act addresses child labor and the workplace realities of the early 20th century--not the early 21st century. The early reformers would I am sure find it inconceivable that these hard fought child labor laws have not been revisited since that time. Updates to the Fair Labor Standards Act are long overdue. Our nation's most vulnerable workers--many of whom are too young to have a driver's license--deserve 21st-century protection from unsafe and inappropriate working conditions. The National Consumers League and our more than 40 member organizations in the Child Labor Coalition have been working since for almost 15 years to protect the health, education, and safety of working minors. We have advocated for stronger child labor enforcement and for higher penalties for those who violate the law--especially those that result in a young worker's serious injury or fatality. We have focused on child labor reform that reflects the realities of today's workplaces and today's educational needs. Young people who choose to have after school jobs should not have to compromise their education to do so. Yet, many do. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, a 16- and 17-year-old can try to juggle as much as 40 hours of work per week, in addition to their 30 hours of school. Combined, this is more work than is expected of most adults in this country. Whether short-sighted about their own education or facing coercion from employers, many young people work too many hours. Studies show that when teens work over 20 hours a week while school is in session that their grades go down and often alcohol and drug abuses escalates. Many work well over 20 hours a week in after-school and weekend jobs. Teen worker injuries are also escalating. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has raised estimates on youth worker injuries from 200,000 in 1992 to 230,000 in 1998. Every year, between 60-70 young people die in the workplace. Outdated child labor laws--written in the 1930s--cannot and do not adequately protect our nation's young workers from workplace hazards. We have high expectations for the passage of the Youth Worker Protection Act. Our highest expectation is that passage of the bill will lead to fewer injuries, fewer deaths, and remove the too often scenario of a youth's first job being his last job. I will leave it to Congressman Tom Lantos to tell you how. We have high expectations that the passage of the bill will put youth employment in its proper place--as a positive first experience in the world of work. But the first job of any young person today is education--Education that will prepare that teenager to be a productive worker tomorrow. No teenager expects that they will get hurt on the after- school or weekend job. And, as a nation, we are not assuring young people that the law protects them from harm in the workplace. The passage of the Youth Worker Protection Act would be a step in the right direction. But for now, it is the National Consumers League commitment to teen workers and their parents to arm them with information they need to think twice when choosing that job. Check out www.nclnet.org/ childlabor for new materials about laws that do exist and how to avoid dangerous work, including NCL's five worst teen jobs. This fall, nine American families won't enjoy the back-to- school festivities as usual. Nine families are mourning the deaths of their children over this last summer. The cause of death? Workplace injuries. Every 30 seconds, a young worker under the age of 18 is injured on the job. On average, every five days, one of the injuries is fatal. Such losses are indefensible. Especially deaths from workplace injuries, which could have been prevented with stronger laws protecting young workers and stronger government commitment to enforcement and prosecution under the law.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) an average of 230,000 teenagers are injured on the job each year and even more shocking is the fact that an average of 67 teen workers die each year from injuries sustained while on the job. That means a teen worker dies from work related injuries in this country every 5 days. These are horrific statistics, and I believe that Congress must enact legislation to prevent these unnecessary deaths. The grave nature of these unfortunate accidents is made clearer when given a human face. While I was preparing this legislation, I discovered the story of Adam Carey, a 16 year-old boy who died while working on a golf course in Massachusetts. Adam's death was the result of an accident while he was driving a golf cart between the clubhouse and the driving range. Under Massachusetts state law, youths Adam's age were prohibited from driving golf carts. I was honored to stand by Adam's mother, Maggie Carey when I introduced H.R. 3139, the Youth Worker Protection Act, to modernize our nation's child labor laws. Among other things, the Youth Worker Protection Act would increase the penalties for employers who violate laws designed to protect children. I am proud to dedicate this legislation to her son's memory and I ask that her poignant story be included in the Congressional Record so that my colleagues can humanize statistics of young workers who die from injuries suffered on the job once every 5 days. Statement of Maggie Carey Good Morning. I'd like to begin by telling you a little bit about myself, my family, and what has brought me here today. Again, my name is Maggie Carey. I am from Beverly, Massachusetts, a small city on the north shore of Boston. I have worked as an Obstetrical Register Nurse, with my focus being Labor and Delivery, for over 30 years. My husband Richard works in maintenance and grounds keeping for a local hotel chain. We have been married for 30 years and were the proud parents of 3 beautiful children. Our oldest daughter Robin is 28 years old and has met the challenge of Downs Syndrome, Leukemia and open-heart surgery. Our son Jonathan who will be 27 in November has had open-heart surgery as a child as well, now works successfully in the computer software field in California. Our youngest son Adam would have been 19 this past March. Through the years as parents, one of our roles was to teach our children the importance of responsibility for themselves and as part of a community. We hoped to show them through example, what that means and how to achieve it. In that way they would become successful, productive, and ethical young adults. We began at an early age encouraging them to have their own paper routes. Even our daughter Robin was able to have one with our assistance. As they got older, we encouraged them to have part time jobs after school, on weekends and during summer vacations. Our daughter as a volunteer would come to work with me on weekends and collate blank charts to be used when new patients arrived. My son Jonathan worked as a bagger and cashier at a local grocery store. We continued to teach them the value of a dollar, how to earn it, save it, and manage it appropriately. Little did we know that by trying to teach these important values it would cost us dearly. In August of 2000, our then 16-year-old son Adam began working at a local country club as a bag room attendant. On September 16, 2000, only 3\1/2\ weeks later, his life would come to an end while working at a job that seemed so perfect for him. Adam loved golf, people and being outdoors. He was driving a golf cart as part of the job. He was using the cart to retrieve golf balls, wash them, and return them to the golf barn. He had been in the pro shop just prior to the accident and we were told that when he got back on the cart he hit a deck that was only about 10 feet away. On impact Adam's heart was ruptured. Supposedly no one witnessed the accident even though it was the busiest day of the season at the club and it was right near the practice green, so exactly what happened is unknown. What we do know is the devastating effect that the loss of our son has had on our entire family. What we also know is that child labor laws had been violated and continues to be violated every day in our country. Approximately 20 or so violations were found that day alone. Most importantly the one affecting Adam under Massachusetts General Laws, which prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from operating any type of motor vehicle of any description while employed. Many people and agencies investigated the accident, but the only action taken against the employer was a $1000 fine by OSHA for having failed to report the accident within 8 hours. The Attorney Generals Office opted not to pursue any action, because the only avenue they have is through the criminal courts. They rarely prosecute unless the company is guilty of grossly repetitive behavior. Supposedly this was the employer's first offense, but in reality it was the only time they were caught. Even though the law is clear, it has become acceptable practice for teens to operate these carts for many years now due to non-enforcement. Since when can a death not be considered serious enough to pursue charges? So, is it the second, third or one-hundredth death they may pay attention to. From what I have learned, even if they had pursued the case and had found them guilty, the punishment is so minimal that it is not financially sensible to spend the money and resources to enforce these laws. Most of the child labor laws have not been updated since the 1930's. As we all know the world we live in is very different 70+ years later. What few changes that have been made have been to weaken the laws. We as a society have had much to say about child labor in other countries, yet we do nothing about our own. SHAME ON US!!! We spend a lot of time looking at issues, making laws, but that is wasted time and energy if we aren't out there enforcing them. It is vital for our children's future to have adequate ways and means to penalize the offenders. And then there are workman's compensation laws, which you would think would encourage employers to put child safety first. Again this is not true. For teens, the employers financial liability is minimal because the majority of them do not have dependents and their jobs are temporary and part time. This again is not an incentive for employers to obey the laws. I am not saying all employers are not concerned about teens safety. Some are very responsible. Others aren't even aware of most of these laws, although it is their responsibility. Our family has endured many trials and tribulations through the years. We have always been able to pick up the pieces and continue on with the help of loving, supportive family and friends. The death of our beloved son Adam has been almost too much to bear. How do we fill the huge gap in our hearts that used to be Adam? He was so full of life and had so much love to give. His friends describe him as always happy with a smile on his face. He would do anything to make people laugh. We miss that smile! We miss his energy! We miss his whole being! What do we tell his special needs sister Robin when she asks almost every day, why can't we bring him back? There are really no words that can express fully to anyone what losing a child does to your soul. I hope that none of you will ever know how this feels. We go on each day. We go to work. We maintain our home, because we must, for the rest of our family. But nothing will ever be the same. What I am here today to say is that this should never have happened and that there are many ways that we can address these issues. The availability and easy access to educational materials for parents, young workers and especially employers must be improved. The proposed legislation that Congressman Lantos is submitting today will address some of these issues. One of these being civil penalties in an amount that would have a significant impact on employers. If there is anything that we can do in memory of our son it would be to somehow prevent this from happening to another child, another family. Thank you and God bless and guide you in all the decisions you make.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, last summer this House in an overwhelming bipartisan fashion adopted H.R. 1950, the foreign relations authorization bill which, among other provisions, authorized the establishment of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) and the creation of a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Today, this House will consider the conference report for the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill as a part of the Omnibus Appropriations bill that we are considering. In it will be authorizing language for the MCA and the MCC which largely reflects many of the priorities and structures incorporated in the MCA bill that Democrats and Republicans so painstakingly crafted in the Committee on International Relations. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight one specific aspect in the creation of a Millennium Challenge Corporation. I believe that the MCC will face a variety of management issues as it begins to administer the MCA. It is critical that the corporation have access to the best advice available to help frame its initial organizational structure and guide its subsequent operations, particularly in developing and fine-tuning policies, procedures and processes. I strongly encourage the chief executive officer or the interim CEO of the corporation to seek advice from organizations with managerial expertise--such as the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA)--in designing and launching the Millennium Challenge Corporation. The report, which accompanied the MCC legislation reported from the Committee on International Relations made such recommendation, and I believe that it is important that we take note of this counsel since we are passing this legislation in a somewhat different from today. Mr. Speaker, I also would like to make a brief comment on section 534 of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2004 as it relates to assistance to Lebanon. Mr. Speaker, last year, this House adopted the conference report to H.R. 1646, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 2003, which became Public Law 107-228, included section 1224, a provision restricting foreign assistance to Lebanon until it fully took control of its borders. This provision, which derives from an amendment I offered to the bill and which prevailed on the House floor, reads as follows:

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 330, the International Human Rights Equality Act, addresses one of the most underreported areas of human rights violations, the persecution of an individual solely on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. At our recent press conference, Martin Ornelas-Quintero, Executive Director, of the National Latina/o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Organization, eloquently highlighted the global prevalence of these violations. I ask that his statement be included at this point in the Congressional Record. Statement by Martn Ornelas-Quintero, Executive Director, The National Latina/o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Organization (LLEGO) Good morning. I want to thank Congressman Lantos and resolution co-sponsor Congressman Shays for their work, and also all the human rights organizations here today that stand together in support of this important resolution. My name is Martin Ornelas-Quintero, executive director of LLEGO, the National Latina/o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender organization. I would like to read an excerpt from a letter sent by LLEGO to the honorable Richard Maduro, president of Honduras in September of this year In the city of San Pedro Sula, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and transsexual community is confronting persecution, harassment, mistreatment and humiliation because of this attempt to defend the human rights of other LGBTT community members. Specifically, we wanted to bring attention to the case of La China. La China, born as Elkyn Suarez--along with the LGBTT community members, demands that the police of San Pedro Sula begin to conduct more exhaustive investigations into the deaths of members of the LGBTT community so that these murders do not go unpunished, as they have in the past. Ms. Suarez was a witness to the murder of David Yanez and has served as a witness for the state during the prosecution case. Under international scrutiny, Elkyn has maintained her composure and courage to confront representatives of the police force who, instead of protecting the citizens of San Pedro Sula, have violated their promise to protect the law and have become criminals themselves. -We are aware that the Honduran government has measures at their disposal to protect witnesses in criminal cases. We in the international community want to make sure these measures are available for all inhabitants of Honduras with regard to their sexual orientation or gender identity. We make a call to the community to support and bring attention to this case and the need for the Honduran government to protect all of its citizens. We are aware that in the case of La China Suarez, the police offered its protection for a limited time and have withdrawn it. Given the threatening conditions the LGBTT community of San Pedro Sula lives in every day, we want to emphasize the necessity for this protection to continue until all the individuals related to the case are found and judged. Our greatest concern at the moment is the life of Ms. Suarez, and we would appreciate support and assistance in facilitating her protection'' (Letter to Honorable Licenciado Ricardo Maduro, Presidente de la Republica, y la Honorable Aguas Ocana Navarro, Primera Dama de Honduras, dated September 15, 2003). Ms. Suarez, a Honduran transgender woman, witnessed the murder of another transgender woman by two police officers. After testifying against the men, Ms. Suarez was reluctantly given witness protection. Unfortunately, Ms. Suarez, who was unemployed at the time, had to find money not only for her own food and shelter needs, but had to feed and provide lodging for her ``protectors.'' The two police officer, although accused and charged, ``miraculously'' slipped out of police custody. Also, ``miraculously,'' witness protection services for Ms. Suarez were curtailed. Finding her life in danger, she fled--with the help of Amnesty International and LLEGO--to Guatemala. There, the paramilitary tried to kill her. Again, with assistance from Amnesty and LLEGO, she fled to the Netherlands, where she today waits to be granted asylum. This is just one example of the dangers LGBTT people face everyday all over the world. We cannot sit idly while our brothers and sisters are being harassed, tortured and murdered often for simply being who they are. This is why we applaud and wholeheartedly endorse the resolution introduced today by Congressman Tom Lantos and Congressman Christopher Shays.''

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, last Thursday I introduced the Implements of Torture Export Control Act of 2004, a bill to make it impossible for those who torture people abroad to misuse U.S. produced equipment for that purpose. This measure is similar to an amendment that was adopted on a bipartisan basis in the Committee on International Relations in the 107th Congress as part of legislation to reform the U.S. export control system. Mr. Speaker, I introduced H.R. 3541 out of concern that the U.S. and other Western nations are exporting crime control and torture equipment to human rights abuses around the world. This bill would write into law a standard that should be an axiom of U.S. human rights foreign policy: the United States, while it seeks to improve respect for the basic human rights of person throughout the world, ought not to sell to torturers implements that make it easier for them to inflict pain and suffering on their helpless victims. Mr. Speaker, in the right hands, crime control equipment can protect the innocent. In the wrong hands, it is used on the innocent. Amnesty International reports that governments that regularly use torture against detained persons frequently use crime control equipment from the U.S. and other Western suppliers as ready-made implements of torture. Existing export regulations require general licenses for the export of many types of crime control equipment, leaving whole categories of criminal equipment free to be exported without any specific review. It is true that most of this equipment, including electroshock discharge weapons, can be purchased domestically by private U.S. citizens for ``self-defense'' purposes. However, private U.S. citizens--as well as U.S. law enforcement officials--can be reliably prosecuted for any abuse of these implements as torture tools. Exports of these same items, however, to countries that use torture as part of official or condoned practice should be regulated because they may have unreliable or nonexistent systems of judicial accountability for torture abuse. No U.S. exporter should ever want to sell its products to governments, or government-supported groups, that will use the labor of American workers to torture their citizens. But U.S. exporters do not have the resources to know the totality of the practices of their prospective customers. It is up to the U.S. Government to ensure that American products do not go to abusive governments. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3541 would do a number of things: It would require that the Secretary of Commerce create a list of crime control an detection instruments and equipment especially susceptible to abuse as implements of torture. It would require that an individual export license of all such items unless the export is to a major ally, and requires that applications are reviewed by human rights experts in the U.S. government. It would prohibit export of all such items to any country if the government of such country has engaged in acts of torture until the Secretary of State has determined stopped such acts for the previous twelve months. To allow legitimate trade, however, such items could be exported to a particular end-user if the Secretary of State has determined that such end user has not engaged in acts of torture. Perhaps most importantly, the bill completely prohibits the export of certain equipment that is particularly susceptible to abuse as equipment of torture, such as electroshock stun belts, leg irons and other restraints that have sharp or serrated edges, batons or clubs fitted with spikes and other items that are similarly susceptible to misuse. Mr. Speaker, in 1979, the Congress recognized that crime control equipment required special review, but current law needs updating and reform. I urge all my colleagues to support this common-sense addition to the Export Administration Act, and ensure that American crime control products are not abused instead to torture the innocent.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday my good friend from Connecticut, Rep. Christopher Shays, and I introduced H. Con. Res. 330, The International Human Rights Equality Act. I would like to specially thank my good friend from Massachusetts, Rep. Barney Frank, and my good friend from Ohio, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, for their support at our press conference yesterday on the occasion of the introduction. Our landmark legislation shines a bright light on one of the most underreported and unrecognized areas of egregious human rights violations, the international persecution of individuals based on their real or perceived sexual or gender identity. Supported by 44 of our colleagues, we believe very strongly that we must send a clear message that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people must be treated with the same dignity and respect as every human being, and not with hatred and violence that they face in all too many places in the world. Ongoing persecutions against the LGBT community include arbitrary arrests, rape, torture, imprisonment, extortion, and even extra judicial executions. The scope of these human rights violations is staggering, and for the victims, there are few avenues for relief. Some countries create an atmosphere of impunity for rapists and murderers of gays and lesbians by failing to prosecute or even to investigate violence targeted at these individuals because of their sexual orientation. Not only do some countries refuse to sanction these abuses, but often, agents of the State perpetrate them. And believe it or not, at the outset of the 21st Century there are still countries that advocate the death penalty for people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. We simply cannot ignore the number and frequency of such grievous crimes any longer. As our legislation makes clear, the international community has long established a legal framework for the protection of international human rights, based on the individual human being. The world community voluntarily agreed upon these legal instruments, and we have to demand vigorously that the parties to those treaties fulfill their obligations. We must demand that all countries obey international norms, particularly those countries that have become a party to international human rights treaties. None of these instruments, which are the foundation for a peaceful and civilized world community, exempt anybody from the protection of their human rights because of gender, race, origin or age, and most certainly there are no exceptions from full protection on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Our legislation urges the Administration to develop a new strategy in our foreign policy to directly combat these outrageous violations, and tear away the veil of silence or ignorance on those tragic developments all over the world, which have a devastating impact on the lives of each individual affected. Our Resolution details just a few examples of violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered individuals in countries as wide ranging as Mexico, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Nepal, among others. My colleagues and I are committed to protecting human rights wherever they come under attack. I will work hard to create a broad bipartisan coalition to support this legislation in this Congress and beyond. Our legislation has the wide support of the human rights community, and I would particularly like to thank Amnesty International, the Human Rights Campaign, Human Rights Watch and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, as well as National Latina/o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Organization (LLEGO), for their input and support.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, my friend and distinguished colleague from Connecticut, Rep. Christopher Shays, and I recently introduced H. Con. Res. 330. On the occasion of the introduction of our bill, we were joined by several important representatives from the NGO community, who eloquently expressed the wide support our legislation has already received. I would like to include their outstanding statements at this point in the Congressional Record, with my deepest gratitude for their support and advice. Statement by Michael Heflin, Director, Amnesty International USA Outfront Program On behalf of Amnesty International I would like to commend Congressmen Tom Lantos and Christopher Shays for their strong leadership on this issue as well as the more than forty other members of Congress who have agreed to be original co- sponsors of this historic resolution. Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have documented the widespread abuse of the fundamental human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people throughout the world. These abuses include the imprisonment, torture and in some cases killing of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people by their own governments. Some 70 countries still criminalize homosexuality. Sentences for conviction under these statutes vary, but often include lengthy jail sentences and in some cases include torture or even imposition of the death penalty as a legally sanctioned punishment. As we sit here this morning, there are many who sit in jail cells and face the prospect of torture simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. In Egypt, for example, over the past two years, Amnesty International and other human rights groups have documented the arrest of over 100 men simply on the basis of their alleged sexual orientation. Ironically, Egypt is one the few countries in the Middle East that does not explicitly outlaw homosexuality but has charged the men under a vaguely worded law prohibiting ``habitual debauchery.'' Many of these men report having been brutally tortured while imprisoned. We also believe this number is only the tip of the iceberg and there are probably many cases that we have not yet documented. Of those arrested, some have now been freed but the arrests continue. At this moment, Amnesty considers at least 15 men in Egyptian prisons to be ``prisoners of conscience'' in jail solely on the basis of their alleged sexual orientation. Egypt is not alone and similar arrests have also been made in many other countries in recent years including Malaysia, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Saudi Arabia, just to name a few. Even when not criminalized, discrimination and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people by both governmental authorities and civilians remains widespread throughout much of the world. Too often states fail to hold the perpetrators of such violence accountable, creating a climate of impunity--in violation of international human rights standards that require states to protect the human rights of all of their citizens. In recent years, Amnesty International has documented patterns of violence including murder and physical assault, particularly targeted against transgender people and gay men in a number of countries, including for example, Honduras, Guatemala, and Ecuador. In many of these cases the police were complicit or did nothing to investigate these crimes or hold those responsible accountable. Lesbians often face a double layer of discrimination and abuse resulting from both their gender and their sexual orientation. These violations are often particularly difficult to document because they most often occur in the community and the family, but include forced marriage and sometimes even rape employed as a method to cure lesbians of their deviant sexuality. The United States has not been a leader either at home or abroad in advancing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human rights. While this resolution recognizes the need to continue to make progress in this country toward the full recognition of the basic human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, it also spells out the U.S. government's obligation to combat human rights violations against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people around the world. Despite the U.S. government's overall lack of leadership on these issues, some progress is being made. Over the last few years the State Department has begun to document some of these abuses in its annual reports. We hope that this resolution will encourage the State Department to continue to make improvements in its documentation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights abuses around the world. We also believe much more can and must be done by the U.S. government if it is to play a leadership role in protecting global lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human rights. Through this resolution, we are calling for the U.S. government to develop a comprehensive strategy for combating these abuses. This strategy must include the U.S. government's taking a positive and proactive position in favor of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human rights when these issues are discussed and debated in international forums. It is only through adoption of the recommendations of this resolution, including development of such a comprehensive strategy, that the U.S. government can begin to fulfill its obligations under international human rights standards to advance the human rights of all people.