Tom Lantos

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I deeply regret that once again the time of this House and its members will be spent dealing with the so-called ``partial birth abortion'' issue. I would emphasize that the term ``partial birth abortion'' is not a medical term, but rather a political term which the sponsors of this legislation have created in order to shock people into supporting this legislation. I will not be able to cast my vote today when the roll call is taken on this pernicious piece of legislation, so I would like to take this opportunity to indicate my views on the underlying legislation (H.R. 760) and on the Greenwood/Hoyer/Johnson (of Connecticut) amendment that will be offered to this bill. Mr. Speaker, the amendment in the nature of a substitute that our colleague from Pennsylvania, Mr. Greenwood, is offering makes it unlawful to knowingly perform an abortion after the fetus has become viable, unless, in the medical judgment of the attending physician, it is necessary to preserve the life of the woman or to avert serious adverse health consequences to her. I am not in support of the Congress substituting its judgment for that of a physician in a matter of medicine and health, but clearly this amendment is a substantial improvement over the original text of H.R. 760. I want to commend our colleagues--Mr. Greenwood, Mr. Hoyer, and Ms. Johnson of Connecticut--for offering this amendment. If I where able to be here for the vote on this amendment, I would cast my vote in favor. Mr. Speaker, even if the more reasonable and moderate language of the Greenwood Amendment is approved by this house, however, I would cast my vote against this bill if I were here when the House considers final passage later today. Even with the Greenwood language, the House is being asked to specify that a rarely utilized medical procedure is illegal. It seems to me that it is not particularly useful for the Congress of the United States to tell physicians how to practice medicine. The matter of terminating a pregnancy is a deeply personal and private matter, and it ought to be left to the woman and her physician. It is not a matter for the Congress of the United States to decide. I find it hypocritical that most members of the majority party in this body are anxious to keep the federal government out of the lives of Americans, but in the case of this most personal and most private of decisions, they seek to have the federal government take over that decision. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 760.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, in just a few days President Bush and President Putin, as well as leaders from a number of other countries from around the world, will meet in St. Petersburg, Russia for meetings on contemporary international political and economic issues. But at the same time, these world leaders will join in the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg. This significant milestone gives us an opportunity to reflect on the history and the significance of this key Russian metropolis. The city was known as Petrograd during World War One and as Leningrad during the Soviet era, but from its very founding the extraordinary city of St. Petersburg has stood for Russia's Western-facing hopes and dreams. Russian Czar Peter the Great, St. Petersburg's founder, saw clearly that Russia's future lay in engagement with Europe, and believed that the creation of a Russian city with a distinctly European orientation was critical to Russia's development. St. Petersburg was constructed as Peter's new capital despite the gravest of difficulties, a city that generations of Russians would toil to transform from a swampy wilderness into Europe's ``Venice of the North.'' The effort to create St. Petersburg drew upon the Russian traditions of sacrifice and fortitude that the world would see and respect during World War Two in our common struggle against European fascism. Since its founding in 1703, St. Petersburg has embodied Russian dreams of all their country could become. Under Catherine the Great the city became one of the grandest centers of science, culture and art in Europe, with European and Russian traditions converging to produce a uniquely Russian style of social and urban development. St. Petersburg's Hermitage museum is one of the largest and most respected art museums in the world. Catherine the Great founded it to house Russia's collection of many of the world's most precious artistic masterpieces. Russia's intellectual class, rising at that time, also centered in St. Petersburg, attracted by the spirit of liberal development and progress. Mr. Speaker, St. Petersburg under Catherine the Great firmly made claim to its reputation as a European city of substance, and Russians had and continue to have reason to be proud of all that St. Petersburg represents in Russian society. The Soviet era again brought great hardships to the people of St. Petersburg, but without the benefit of the freedoms and hope that had originally been the cornerstone of St. Petersburg's appeal. As the center of Russian intellectual activity, it should be no surprise that Stalin's crackdown on artists and thinkers hit St. Petersburg particularly hard. To have lived in the heart of Russian intellectual life, the city of Pushkin and Dostoyevsky, and then to watch the forces of repression and intolerance take hold must have been incredibly painful to bear. Yet the strength and fortitude of the people of St. Petersburg would before long be on display for the world once again, as Hitler's armies encircled the city in September 1941. Thus began a siege and blockade of the city that lasted over 2\1/2\ years. Yet never did this city of nearly three million, including hundreds of thousands of children, even contemplate surrender to Hitler and his abhorrent regime. The treasures of the Hermitage museum were hidden in basements, protected by sandbags, and university students continued to go to school and even to be awarded their degrees. The famous Russian composer Dmitry Shostakovich wrote his seventh ``Leningrad'' symphony during the siege and it was performed in the embattled city. Mr. Speaker, this spirit of defiance and strength played a key part in the allied victory over fascism, and earned for Russia the respect of the free world. St. Petersburg has now retaken its original name, one of the first decisions made by popular vote among residents in 1991. The city has also undergone a massive renovation project in preparation for this remarkable milestone, to restore to its buildings their original grandeur and dust off the cobwebs of Soviet neglect once and for all. One of Russia's true national treasures, St. Petersburg is among the country's most important cultural, industrial, tourist, transport and scientific centers. Today, Mr. Speaker, as in the 300 years of struggle that now lie behind St. Petersburg, the city represents Russia's sense of optimism, its hopes and dreams for its future, and its firm belief that prosperity and national development lie in a strengthened commitment to its relationship with the West. It is in America's national interest to support this relationship, to give meaning to Russian hopes and dreams, and to see St. Petersburg continue to emerge as a freedom-loving and democratic example to post- Communist societies everywhere. I invite my colleagues to support Russian transition by doing everything possible to achieve these goals, and by promoting the peaceful integration of Russia into the community of free and democratic peoples. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and respect that I applaud the people of St. Petersburg as the city begins its fourth century on Russia's political, social and intellectual frontier. Theirs is a history of sacrifice and of devotion to the principle of intellectual freedom. St. Petersburg's tradition of academic debate and intellectual freedom is also America's tradition, and Americans look forward to continuing to share with Russia in this vital and productive institution. I invite my colleagues in Congress to join me in congratulating the citizens of St. Petersburg and the people of all Russia on the 300th birthday of this extraordinary city.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to express my fundamental sadness over the sudden and tragic death of my good friend and fellow human rights defender, Mike Jendrzejczyk. Mike died unexpectedly on May 1 in Washington, D.C., at the age of 53. I would also like to take this opportunity to express the condolences of the entire Chamber to Mike's wife, Janet. I thank Mike for his indefatigable efforts in the defense of human rights, which was his service not only to this country but the entire world community. Mike's death leaves a void in the human rights community that we will continue to feel. Mr. Speaker, we all knew Mike as the Washington Director of Human Rights Watch for the Asia division. In this capacity, Mike has worked with many of my colleagues and our staffs. In his 13 years with Human Rights Watch, all of us have relied on his expert opinions, his professional insights, and his undying commitment to human rights, which was an inspiration to all of us. His testimonies were a fixture of all committee proceedings dealing with Asia, as well as the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. Mike's range of expertise was astounding by any standards, and included China, Japan, Burma, the World Bank, trade policy and human rights as well as the entire range of U.S. foreign policy in Asia. He was the leading human rights voice condemning the 1989 Chinese military crackdown in Tiananmen Square, he was the most vocal advocate of ethnic groups such as the Tibetans in China and the Montagnards in Vietnam. Increasingly, Mike raised our awareness for issues pertaining to Afghanistan, the consequences of the military coup in Pakistan and the increase in religious fundamentalism in this area. Mike, we all will miss you terribly. We will miss your voice of reason, your expertise, your enthusiasm and your humor, and most of all, your guidance, as we face new and troubling challenges and dangers emanating from a region of the world which is not easy to understand, but which had become a second home to you. Your life will be a constant reminder and challenge to all of us to try harder, to reach further in the defense of human rights, to believe in a better world and to never accept things as they are, unchallenged.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct honor and a true privilege as the ranking Member in the House International Relations Committee, to congratulate President Chen Shui-bian and the people of Taiwan upon the third anniversary of his election. President Chen has been an instrumental component as Taiwan moves along the path of democratization and wide economic reform. Moreover, President Chen deserves recognition for repeatedly demonstrating his commitment to human rights and rule of law. These are no small accomplishments, and are but one of the litany of achievements that that President Chen has scored while in office. In this regard, I would like to share with my colleagues a small sample of the highlights of President Chen's first three years in office. First, President Chen has shown a continued commitment to the long- standing economic and cultural relationship that exists between the United States and Taiwan. Today, Taiwan remains a top ten trading partner and the strength of our cultural ties can be clearly seen by the number of Taiwanese students, currently at more than 30,000, who attend U.S. colleges and universities. Second, President Chen has been a quiet yet fiercely determined leader in bringing Taiwan greater exposure and admittance to the global community nations. His success in this area is evident by the recent entrance of Taiwan into the World Trade Organization (WTO). Mr. Speaker, future goals include seeking membership in the World Health Organization and the International Civic Aviation Organization. Third, President Chen has exhibited great diplomacy with his cautious and measured comments and actions toward the People's Republic of China. Mr. Speaker, I personally believe that President Chen demonstrated great courage when he promised that Taiwan would not seek independence as long as Beijing refrains from using force against Taiwan. Mr. Speaker, this short list is but illustrative of President Chen's achievements to date. I strongly urge all of my colleagues to join me in congratulating President Chen Shui-ban on the first three years of his presidency, and wish him continued success on all of his future endeavors.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I was deeply disturbed to learn that an appeals court in Guatemala decided last week to overturn the conviction of Colonel Juan Valencia Osorio, the man convicted by a lower court of being the ``intellectual author'' of the murder of Myrna Mack, a well-known Guatemalan anthropologist. Before her murder on September 11, 1990, Myrna Mack had been conducting research on the massive displacement and destruction of rural indigenous communities which resulted from the Guatemalan military's counterinsurgency tactics and ``scorched earth'' policies that they employed during that country's 36-year-old civil war. The appellate court also upheld the acquittals of General Augosto Godoy Gaitan and Colonel Juan Guillermo Oliva Carrera, who were accused of having masterminded, along with Colonel Valencia, the assassination of Myrna Mack. Thus, as a result of the appellate court's decision, the intellectual authors of Myrna Mack's murder remain at large thirteen years after the killing, and justice continues to be denied to her family and friends. Mr. Speaker, this is a matter of special concern because of the fact that the officers who were just acquitted were members of the Presidential Security Guard (Estado Mayor Presidencial--EMP), a unit originally created to provide security for Guatemala's president, vice- president, and their respective families. Since its establishment, however, the EMP has been repeatedly implicated in some of Guatemala's most high-profile human rights abuses, including the 1998 murder of Bishop Juan Gerardi. It is important to note that General Godoy and Colonels Oliva and Valencia served as high-ranking officials in the EMP at the time of Bishop Gerardi's assassination. It is my sincere hope, Mr. Speaker, that Guatemalan authorities will vigorously pursue justice in Myrna Mack's case, wherever it may lead, and I applaud key U.S. officials for continuing to urge strongly that the Guatemalan government strengthen the rule of law in that country and strip high-ranking military officers of the impunity that they apparently now enjoy.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Northern California (Ms. Lee), my friend and colleague, who has shown years of leadership in bringing us to this point.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 1298. Mr. Speaker, the House of Representatives would not be considering the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act today if it were not for the personal commitment of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) to seeing this initiative signed into law. We all owe him a profound debt of gratitude, and I am delighted to pay public tribute to him for his principled and effective leadership. Mr. Speaker, as we near final congressional approval of H.R. 1298, let us recall the humanitarian impetus for this historic initiative. Since this virus first mutated into its deadly shape, 25 million people have died of HIV/AIDS worldwide. This number is greater than the populations of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Dallas, San Antonio, Detroit, San Jose, and Indianapolis combined. It is more than nine times the total number of casualties we have suffered in all armed conflicts in our Nation's history combined. It is a number beyond comprehension. This number, Mr. Speaker, represents much more than a statistic. It represents real people, with real families, real stories, and real futures. As we consider H.R. 1298, we remember these victims and pass this legislation in their name. We remember Simon, a former seminary student and a student leader in South Africa who struggled against apartheid, but died at the young age of 31 years, hardly fulfilling his potential as a national leader. We remember Srey, a poor illiterate Cambodian woman who had been infected by her husband. And this cruel killer showed no mercy, prolonging her agony long enough to see it claim the precious life of her baby son before consuming her. We remember Jean David, a Haitian man whose brother sold his small house and three cows to pay for medicine. These desperate lifesaving measures proved futile. Jean David died, leaving his family impoverished, with no way to care for his son, who was also infected with HIV/AIDS. But, Mr. Speaker, this legislation is also about life. It will ensure that there are fewer deaths due to HIV/AIDS, fewer parents grieving over the loss of their child to HIV/AIDS, and fewer children growing up without parents who have succumbed to this disease. Our legislative work to combat HIV/AIDS worldwide does not end with today's vote. Today, I call on President Bush to do everything in his power to obtain the $3 billion in HIV/AIDS funding this year, and I call on our Committee on Appropriations to fund that amount as well. And Congress must continue to play a strong oversight role to ensure that our Nation's HIV/AIDS programs are run effectively and efficiently. We have created a strong HIV/AIDS coordinator at the Department of State, and we expect that this coordinator will work hand in glove with the Agency for International Development. We have required that 33 percent of HIV/AIDS prevention funds in this legislation be used for abstinence-until-marriage programs, and we expect that abstinence programs funded as part of larger multisectoral grants will count towards this 33 percent requirement. We have provided a conscience clause to organizations implementing these programs, and we fully expect that all NGOs will only provide medically accurate and complete information about HIV/AIDS prevention methods. Mr. Speaker, today we vote to create a top-flight bilateral HIV/AIDS program and to support the advancement of the Global Fund. I urge all of my colleagues across the aisle to once again support passage of this legislation in the name of all those who have already fallen victim to HIV/AIDS and in the hope that millions of lives will be saved by our actions. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

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

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing, I would like to express my appreciation to Chairman Hyde's staff, Walker Roberts and Peter Smith; the staff of the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), Christos Tsentas; and to my staff, Pearl Alice Marsh, Peter Yeo, David Abramowitz, and Bob King who have done an extraordinary job. I again want to express my profound personal thanks to the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), without whose leadership we would not be able to pass this legislation.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 3 minutes to my dear friend and good neighbor, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald), who has been a leader on this issue ever since we began this project.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), a distinguished member of the Committee on International Relations. He was the leader on the tuberculosis issue in this legislation, which is a significant and important and integral part of this bill.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), a leader on this issue.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce today H.R. 2112, the ``NATO Peacekeeping in Iraq Act of 2003''. Mr. Speaker, our military forces have won a spectacular military victory in Iraq. We now face the challenge of rebuilding a peaceful, prosperous, democratic Iraq. Some argue that winning the peace will be far more difficult than winning the war. I could not disagree more. Although the fighting was brief, and the casualties few, the risks were great and the sacrifices of our armed forces enormous. Let no one minimize our battlefield achievements. Nevertheless, our work is not done, and we must tackle the post-war challenge we face with the same creativity, intelligence, and commitment as we did the war itself. Although we should not expect that Iraq to become a Jeffersonian democracy overnight, we should expect from our leadership a clear and comprehensive strategy for addressing the pressing political, economic and humanitarian challenges we now face in Iraq. My most pressing concern in this regard, Mr. Speaker, is the troubling security situation in Iraq. Security is the sine qua non of democratic reconstruction. Without it, there is no rule of law, no safety of property, no prospect of commerce. Without it, we will be unable to take the most basic steps toward building a prosperous, politically liberal Iraq. These concerns lead me to believe we must have more military ``boots on the ground'' if we are to secure and rebuild Iraq, including an enhanced military police presence. These need not be--nor should be-- the boots of the American military. The United States is not an occupying force, but a liberating one, and we must ensure perceptions reflect that reality. They should be the boots of a broad-based, international security force. And NATO should be at its core, just as NATO has recently agreed to do for the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, Afghanistan. I have long advocated that the combined forces of our Atlantic Alliance should be deployed to Iraq to carry out the critical stabilizing and peacekeeping missions there. Deploying NATO would increase the number of countries with a direct stake in the success of nation-building in Iraq. It would ease the burden on the current coalition. And, most important, it would mean more security for the Iraqi people. I understand that many of our friends in NATO are prepared to take up the challenge, particularly the Government of Poland. This bill calls upon NATO to immediately begin contributing peacekeeping and civil order personnel to promote security and stability in Iraq. It also urges the President to use all appropriate diplomatic means to persuade NATO and NATO member nations to formally undertake a major peacekeeping and civil order mission in Iraq. It also authorizes funds to facilitate the deployment of NATO forces. Thanks to the bravery and skill of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, the democratic nations of the world have an opportunity to bring the benefits of government for the people, by the people, and of the people to a land that is a cradle of civilization and one of the most important nations of the Middle East. It is in the interest of all democratic nations to prevent this opportunity from slipping away. The nations of NATO should be in Iraq, on the ground, to ensure this vision of democracy is fully realized.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, we 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. I rise in strong support of H.R. 192. At the outset, I want to congratulate my good friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), for the leadership he has shown on this most important piece of legislation. I also want to pay tribute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Houghton), and three of our former colleagues, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Gejdenson, and Tim Roemer, for their contributions in an earlier Congress to this important issue. Mr. Speaker, microenterprise programs have proven to be effective in providing poor households with the financial tools needed to generate income, create savings, and develop businesses, however small, to alleviate poverty. Therefore, I am very pleased that our bill not only reauthorizes this program, but also increases the amount of funding for the programs. In the 3 years since the original legislation was enacted, we have gained new insights on how these programs function. One such insight is that due to a lack of precise tools to measure poverty and the difficulty in identifying and reaching the very poorest households, there is growing concern that these programs are not focusing on the poorest and most needy individuals. Our legislation seeks to improve the targeting of assistance to the very poor by amending the definition and requiring USAID to develop more precise tools to measure poverty. Finally, I want to reiterate my strong support for USAID and a variety of nonprofit organizations: Freedom For Hunger, Save the Children, Results, FINCA, and countless others which are working in poor communities across the globe to help the most needy families get the financial tools they need to provide for their families. I hope that by passing this bipartisan legislation, we will be giving them the resources they need to lift themselves from grinding poverty. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support the legislation, and, again, I want to pay public tribute to my good friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith). Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the memory of Russell J. Cunningham, a man who devoted his life to serving his community. For four decades, Cunningham represented the San Bruno Police Department with courage and dignity, retiring in 1978 as the city's police chief. He passed away last month at the age of 87. Mr. Speaker, Chief Cunningham will be missed by his colleagues, neighbors, friends, and, most of all, by the thousands of men and women whose safety he protected. Russell Cunningham's devotion to his city was rooted in his understanding of its people. A native of the Bay Area, he grew up in San Bruno. In 1938, at the age of 23, Cunningham responded to a newspaper ad seeking the San Bruno Police Department's fifth employee. Mr. Speaker, this chance event launched a noteworthy law enforcement career. Cunningham's forty years in the department were marked by numerous successes. In 1961, his efforts aided the capture the notorious ``hat gang,'' which robbed banks and supermarkets throughout the country wearing topcoats and pork pie hats. The following year, in recognition of this and other achievements, Cunningham was named Chief of Police. He served with distinction until his retirement in 1978. Chief Cunningham's community involvement extended well beyond his law enforcement career. He was active in the St. Robert's Men's Club, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Meals on Wheels, Rancho Canada Dons and Players Club, the Carmel Orchid Society, the Optimists Club, Wally Byam Caravan Club, and the Elks Lodge #2091. The San Bruno City Council recently adopted a resolution naming the main police department conference room after Chief Cunningham. Indeed, no man better embodied the Council's mission statement: ``The City of San Bruno exists to provide exemplary services for our community that enhance and protect the quality of life.'' Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in offering condolences to the family of Chief Cunningham: Rose, his wife of 66 years, as well as his two children, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. They grieve the loss of an extraordinary man.

Mr. LANTOS

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

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I had the honor on Tuesday to join Senators Lugar and Biden and the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) at the White House as the President called for Congress to quickly approve comprehensive HIV/AIDS legislation. The President has since announced his strong support for our bill. When the President spoke to us, he asked that Congress make the ABC strategy used in Uganda and elsewhere as the model for our prevention efforts. I could not agree more with the President. To quote him, ``The ABC strategy is effective by emphasizing abstinence, marital fidelity as well as condoms to prevent HIV transmission.'' Mr. Chairman, I quote President Bush on the ABC strategy because there is some confusion in Washington as to what it means. Some Members of Congress attribute the dramatic success of Uganda's HIV/AIDS prevention program solely to abstinence and marital fidelity programs. While these components of the ABC strategy have been effective, Ugandans also use an average of 80 million condoms per year, and that figure is increasing. While I certainly respect the fact that some religions may have moral objections to the use of condoms, many other faiths actively promote their use as a medically proven way to stop the transmission of HIV. The legislation before us explicitly authorizes the use of funds to promote programs which promote abstinence and faithfulness. However, the Pitts amendment would require that one-third of the HIV/AIDS prevention funds be set aside for the exclusive use of abstinence before marriage programs. Mr. Chairman, I agree with the President of the United States. The ABC approach does work, but the Pitts amendment undermines the ABC approach by earmarking funds solely for the abstinence program. The Pitts amendment also raises a whole series of very disturbing questions to which we have been given no answers. Does the Pitts amendment seek to replicate certain abstinence-only programs under which educators are explicitly prohibited from giving full and complete information about condoms to high-risk populations? Under these abstinence set-aside programs, will people who are already sexually active be given any information about condoms? Will any information provided about condoms be medically accurate and complete? Will faith-based groups such as the Anglican Church of Uganda be eligible to receive these abstinence funds if their priests discuss condom use in the context of abstinence education? Do abstinence programs that are part of a multisectoral approach count towards this set-aside? And questions along these lines too numerous to mention. Mr. Chairman, all of these questions remain unanswered. I therefore urge all of my colleagues to support the ABC approach to HIV/AIDS prevention and to oppose the Pitts amendment. I also want to call my colleagues' attention to the fact that today in an editorial, the Washington Times, no liberal publication, says, ``The revision expected to be offered by Representative Joe Pitts, Pennsylvania Republican, which would set aside up to one third of the money specifically for abstinence and monogamy programs, seems less wise since such decisions should be made by the experts in the field.'' I fully agree on this issue with the Washington Times, the President of the United States, and the experts working in the field; and I urge all of my colleagues to reject the Pitts amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in opposition to the Smith amendment. First, I would like to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for his long-standing leadership on human rights' matters and for his support for this critically important legislation. His vote in committee in favor of H.R. 1298 was greatly appreciated. I would also like to note that the amendment being offered today is different from the one that was offered in committee. The amendment offered in committee during markup was deeply offensive in that consciences were only granted to faith-based organizations. The amendment before us today builds upon language already in H.R. 1298. The bill currently states that an organization receiving funds under this act shall not be required to endorse or utilize a multisectoral approach to combating HIV/AIDS. In other words, a group does not need to endorse condom use or hand out condoms or endorse abstinence and promote abstinence education to receive money under this act. The Smith amendment adds a new clause to the current language. It states that groups shall not be required to endorse, utilize, or participate in a prevention method or treatment program to which the organization has a religious or moral objection. I certainly agree, Mr. Chairman, that no organization should be required to have anything to do with a program to which it has religious or moral objections. However, I remain concerned that some organizations will use this clause to implement programs designed to undermine other HIV/AIDS prevention strategies, including effective condom use. I am also concerned that groups utilizing one approach to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment will refuse to refer someone to another organization which offers a different method of HIV/AIDS prevention. Mr. Chairman, it is critically important that organizations which receive HIV/AIDS funds from the United States work closely and collaboratively supporting each other's work. Abstinence-only groups should not use United States' funds to tell men and women in Uganda that condoms do not work and are morally wrong and condoms-only groups should not use U.S. funds to denigrate abstinence. Mr. Chairman, I greatly respect the work of faith-based organizations around the world, which are playing a critical role in battling HIV/ AIDS; but until we clarify these questions, I cannot support the amendment in its current form. Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask my good friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), whether he would be willing to add the following words at the end of his amendment by unanimous consent: ``Except that such organization may not undermine interventions that it does not endorse, utilize or participate in.''

Mr. LANTOS

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

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, we expect the Global Fund to recruit and hire the most competent and competitive international experts to manage this very complex organization. I feel strongly that exorbitant executive salaries would only go to undermine the credibility of the organization. There are lots of skeptics who oppose the Global Fund and wish it to fail. These naysayers are looking for any means to discredit the work of the Global Fund. It is very important that the Global Fund salaries should be realistic and competitive and attract the most competent professionals in the world, but they should not be set at levels that would undermine the credibility of the good work that we hope to accomplish. I urge my colleagues to support my friend's amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, I strongly support this amendment introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley). There is no question that the HIV/AIDS pandemic is disproportionately affecting women and compounding the egregious inequalities poor women live with all over the world. It is absolutely necessary that we deal with both genders if we are to reduce the impact of this disease on women's life and offer them opportunities to live with respect and dignity, free from sexual violence and coercion. The Crowley amendment requires that we include in the 5-year strategy a plan to make sure that men take responsibility for their sexual behavior and that they do respect women. It will also increase opportunities for women seeking access to employment. I urge Members to support this amendment.