Barbara Lee

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 45 seconds to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks).

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 45 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson), the ranking member of the Committee on International Relations.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 170, I was unavoidably absent from the Journal vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 171, I was unavoidably absent from the vote on H.R. 150. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Lieutenant General Lester L. Lyles, United States Air Force, on the occasion of his promotion to General. On May 27, 1999, LTG Lyles will become only the 2nd African American four star commander in the United States Air Force currently on active duty. LTG Lyles has fought tirelessly and contributed greatly to the defense of our nation and to equal opportunity for other soldiers of color. He currently is serving as the director of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, Department of Defense at the Pentagon. The organization is presidentially chartered and mandated by Congress to acquire highly effective ballistic missile defense systems for forward- deployed and expeditionary elements of the U.S. Armed Forces. LTG Lyles entered the Air Force in 1968 as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He served in a variety of both tactical and staff positions throughout his illustrious career. In 1992, LTG Lyles became the vice-commander of Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill Air Force Base. He served as commander of the center from 1993-1994, then was assigned to command the Headquarters Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base. He served in this capacity until August 1996 when he assumed his current position. LTG Lyles is a highly decorated soldier. He has received the department's Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and a myriad of other awards. LTG Lyles has an impressive educational background. He is a graduate of prestigious senior service schools including the Armed Forces Staff College, the National War College, and the Defense Systems Management College. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Howard University, Washington, DC, and a Master of Science degree in mechanical and nuclear engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces. LGT Lyles serves proudly as a member of the United States Armed Forces. He is a distinguished soldier whose accomplishments reflect great credit upon himself, the United States Air Force, and the United States of America. On this occasion, Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join his family, friends, and colleagues as we recognize LTG Lester Lyles on his promotion to four star General in the United States Air Force.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for yielding me this time. I rise before my colleagues to express my outrage today at what my colleagues and I are asked to vote on. First of all, the supplemental contains many proposals which I support, aid to the Kosovo refugees, aid to Americans, including our farmers who are victims of disasters, aid to Central American Hurricane Mitch victims and military personnel pay raises. But, Mr. Speaker, this bill is sinister and it is cynical. The offsets in this bill are outrageous. In order to support the good proposals in this bill, we would be forced to create an emergency here at home. Cutting over $1.2 billion in the food stamp program forces many Americans to go hungry. $350 billion in section 8 housing programs forces huge numbers into shelters and onto already crowded streets. $230 million from community development block grant programs which our neighborhoods need badly would be cut. This bill is terribly sinister to force these massive cuts onto our own citizens in a budget which will fund a military operation in Yugoslavia. It is cynical. It forces us to choose between humanitarian and disaster assistance for those here and abroad. I ask for a ``no'' vote.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, under my reservation of objection, I would say that we can only guess what the conditions are like for the civilians remaining in Kosovo. Many of the civilians who remain in the province have likely left their homes and are camped in fields and on mountainsides to find shelter. Amid this terror, unconfirmed accounts suggest that the situation inside of Kosovo points to a severe lack of food and medicine. We are hopeful that an international humanitarian mission in Yugoslavia this week can give us a better sense of what conditions are like inside of Kosovo and what the international community can do to meet the needs of the people who remain. As we continue to see media coverage of the plight of the Albanians who have left Kosovo, this resolution draws our attention to the Kosovar Albanians who we cannot see, and those are those inside of Kosovo. I urge adoption of this resolution.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Ms. LEE. I yield to the gentleman from New York.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady), the sponsor of this resolution, for an explanation of it.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Felicia Wong of Berkeley, California who has had the distinct honor of serving as a distinguished White House Fellow. Last year, Ms. Wong became one of 17 outstanding citizens to join a long and prestigious list of former White House Fellows, including one of the Bay Area's most famous and successful businessmen, Robert D. Haas, Chairman and CEO of Levi Strauss and Company. Established in 1965, the White House Fellowship Program honors outstanding citizens across the United States who demonstrate excellence in community service, leadership, academic and professional endeavors. It is the nation's most prestigious fellowship for public service and leadership development. Over the past three decades, White House Fellows have promoted active citizenship and service to the nation. Additionally, the White House Fellowship Program has served as a ``proving ground'' for many of today's community, business and political leaders and will continue to do so for America's future leaders. Ms. Wong currently serves as director of the Federal Support to Communities Initiative for the U.S. Department of Justice. The initiative, housed at the National Partnership for Reinventing Government, is an interagency project working with pilot cities around the country to respond more effectively to community needs, particularly in the area of youth development programming. She has played a leading role in this initiative, which works in partnership with communities, helping to provide better access to youth development funding and to furnish user-friendly information about the federal government to parents and families, community-based organizations, and state and local officials. Ms. Wong has worked hard to achieve her standards of excellence. She received a bachelor's degree in English and Political Science, with honors and Phi Beta Kappa, from Stanford University, as well as a master's degree in Political Science from U.C., Berkeley. A recipient of a three-year National Science foundation graduate fellowship, Ms. Wong is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at U.C., Berkeley, where she is writing her dissertation on the politics of race and urban education reform. Ms. Wong is also a high school history and philosophy teacher at the College Preparatory School in Oakland, California. In her teaching position, she is a faculty advisor to a student group on a diversity and has launched an ethics program for the school's senior class. Ms. Wong is also the co-director of the school's Partner's Program, an academic summer school that serves low-income public students. She has also worked on nuclear non-proliferation issues at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and at the Arms Control Association. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand here to recognize the accomplishments of Felicia Wong, and I hope my colleagues will join with me today in wishing Ms. Wong the very best as she continues her future endeavors.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland, California, This milestone was commemorated on May 7th with friends, distinguished guests, collectors and partners from many communities of the arts, business, educational, therapeutic and political, who joined in tribute to the organization's 25 years of community service. Creative Growth Art Center was the first program of its kind in the country for people with disabilities. It provided national leadership in innovative programming in the fields of art and disabilities. Open to any adult who is physical, mentally or emotionally disabled and interested in art, it is internationally renowned for the quality of the art work by its studio artists, and is a model for many other programs throughout the country. The mission of the organization is to provide an environment where the visual arts can flourish, where people with disabilities have opportunities for creative expression and can achieve at the highest level. The organization also serves as an advocate for the arts and artists with disabilities. Initiated with a National Endowment for the Arts grant, more than 4,000 people a year visit the art gallery, the first gallery in the country dedicated to the art produced by people with disabilities. The organization has been a trendsetter, featuring exhibitions which paired the work of well-known Bay Area artists beside that of severely disabled artists. Create Growth presented the first exhibition in the United States of Russian Outsider artists from the Humanitarian Center Museum in Moscow. In 1994, in conjunction with the Oakland Museum, it held the first Outsider Art symposium on the West Coast. The Center's enriched environment, as well as the creative process itself, provides beneficial results to program participants. Many studio artists have developed into award-winning artists whose works are exhibited and sought after by collectors the world over. Dwight Mackintosh, Gerone Spurill, William Scott, to name a few, are classic examples of Outsider artists who crossed over from the alternative gallery scene into mainstream art. A younger group of studio artists is carving out its own success with Camille Holvoet, featured in Truth from Darkness, a traveling exhibition of the work of people with mental illness. Creative Growth artists Juan Aguilera and Carmen Quinones were paired with Mexican artist Maria Luisa de Mateo in Arte Sin Fronteras, to demonstrate the artists' unique cultural influences. Studio artists just completed a 109 square foot tile wall mural at the Palo Alto city entrance. Adding Light is a limited edition print portfolio by able and disabled artists, a project cosponsored by the California arts Council. In San Francisco, the Grill of the Tenderloin, of the California Culinary Academy, is decorated with imaginative art by artists from Creative Growth Act Center. Among its artists whose works have been immortalized in books are Dwight Machintosh and Judith Scott. Scott, who is deaf and has Downs Syndrome, has been in the studio for 11 years and creates wrapped sculptures of yarn and fabric, using armatures of discarded materials. I build on the words of my predecessor, Congressman Ron Dellums, ``. . . that creativity is a human quality that not only transcends boundaries presented by mental and physical disabilities but national boundaries as well.'' Creative Growth Art Center provides the opportunity for us to understand that people with disabilities enrich and revitalize the community's cultural life.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutsch) for yielding me this time and also for his very hard and diligent work on this issue. It is very important that we pass this motion to instruct conferees on 1141 because we have got to help the victims of this massive hurricane so they can be relieved of some of the harsh misery they have experienced in Central America. The supplemental appropriation of $621 million is badly needed to restore the vital infrastructure and to meet public health emergencies. In addition to responding to humanitarian needs, this infusion of emergency funds will also help to revive weakened economies by allowing more goods to flow and more jobs to be created. Hurricane Mitch occurred over 6 months ago, but people displaced by Hurricane Mitch are still in unhealthy camps and in shelters and they must be relocated to housing, and housing must be built. There must be a return to social and economic viability and normalcy. I am especially sensitive and aware of the dislocation and trauma associated with disasters. My district has experienced fires and earthquakes, and our recovery efforts have actually required a large commitment, much compassion and many resources from the Federal Government. We must keep our commitment to hemispheric stability and fulfill the expressions of concern and sympathy that we made in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch. These promises are worthless if we do not give this basic assistance when needed. Our neighbors in Central America need this assistance, and they need it now.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to oppose this emergency supplemental appropriation to support an undeclared war in Kosovo. Republicans have added a tremendous amount of unnecessary funding to the Administration's request, openly disregarding the integrity of the Congressional budget process and the use of ``emergency spending''. The bill that we consider today, H.R. 1664, is more than double the Administration's request. Many of the programs loaded into this bill have little to do with the war but rather are individual requests. How do we justify such outrageous spending? Many of these requests have nothing to do with humanitarian efforts to rebuild a country that our bombs are systematically destroying. Let me assure you, I steadfastly support funding for humanitarian efforts--and I would not hesitate to vote affirmatively on a bill specifically targeted to provide such funding. But this bill's major thrust is to support ``pet projects'' and an undeclared war--which I do not support. Also, I am disturbed by the proposal that social security surpluses could be used to fund this war. Mr. Chairman, I ask you how can this be? Less than two weeks ago this Congress on a bipartisan basis passed the fiscal year 2000 budget resolution vowing to protect social security. How I ask you does a Republican majority extract $6.9 billion out of a program that they argue must be protected by a ``lock box''? I agree with Mr. Obey's remarks: ``I find it mind-boggling that some of the same members who yesterday voted against the operation will today vote to more than double the amount of spending that the President has asked for to conduct those operations.'' Let me remind you of our obligation to fund programs that support U.S. citizens and taxpayers, our constituents, and our soldiers. Our current discretionary Federal budget allocates a whopping 48.2 percent to national defense, while a mere 5.3 percent is invested in educating our children; an embarrassing 1.5 percent is dedicated to housing our citizens; and worse still, the very soldiers who serve today, and become our veterans tomorrow, are shamelessly allocated just 3.4 percent of the Federal discretionary budget to support their veterans benefits and services. Mr. Chairman, these are only a few of the significant programs that deserve this Congress' attention and support. I vehemently oppose this supplemental appropriations bill, and more importantly I oppose this war. Instead of voting on this supplemental, let's do something far more meaningful. Let's vote to stop the bombing and direct our attention towards negotiating a diplomatic solution to end the horrific genocide, death and destruction in Yugoslavia. A bill that provides ``true'' humanitarian assistance to the people of Kosovo, and rebuilds the region will get my vote.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I want to first thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) for this time and also for his very diligent and hard work on this issue, to really clarify these very important issues which are very complicated and very important to consumers in this country. Mr. Chairman, I rise to support the Democratic substitute and in opposition to H.R. 833. I too am troubled by the increase in bankruptcy filings since 1980. I am very concerned about the rise in individual consumer debt, but I am disappointed that we are failing to bring legislation that is balanced between creditors and debtors. As drafted, many of the provisions of H.R. 833 are unfair to middle- and low-income debtors. At the same time, the bill fails to close loopholes that currently protect the wealthiest debtors. H.R. 833 focuses on the perceived abuse of the bankruptcy system by debtors without adequately addressing the abuses by creditors, and takes a rigid approach to a citizen's ability to discharge debt. A majority of people surveyed by Consumer Federation of America believe credit card companies share the blame with debtors for the rising tide of personal bankruptcies, yet nowhere in H.R. 833 is there mention of preventing or curbing credit card companies from targeting people with low incomes. Credit card companies are actively targeting vulnerable potential new members. We have seen an increase in the number of bank card mailings sent out to potential new members. From 1992 to 1998, the numbers mailed increased by 255 percent. It comes as no surprise that the amount of per person debt also increased 225 percent in 6 years. When credit card companies consolidate, cardholders are left without any protection from rate increases. Credit cards are not like mortgages or car loans that may be resold but their rates do not change. Not credit cards. In fact, new owners of credit card businesses are free to impose whatever interest rates the traffic will bear and are subject to few remaining State fee ceilings. With increased consolidation of credit card companies, payment periods have really been shortened, grace periods for late payments have been eliminated, and stiff penalties of up to $29 are now incurred by cardholders on a regular basis. I strongly support the Democratic alternative offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler), the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Meehan), which is a moderate and balanced approach to behavior. It offers a realistic means test, allows child support to precede other debts, requires credit card companies to provide information so borrowers may avoid bankruptcy, and eliminates new rules for making credit card debts nondischargeable. It leaves intact pre-bankruptcy debt run-ups and fraudulently-incurred debt nondischargeable, and includes bipartisan farm bankruptcy legislation.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great honor to rise today and bring to the attention of the United States House of Representatives a man many residents in my Congressional District affectionately know as Father Jay. Father James Vernon Matthews, II was ordained as the first Black Catholic Priest in northern California on May 3, 1974. Born in 1948 in Berkeley, California, to Yvonne Marie Feast and James Vernon Matthews, the Reverend Matthews graduated from Oakland's Skyline High School in 1966. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Humanities and Philosophy from St. Patrick College, Mt. View, California in 1970, a Master of Divinity Degree from St. Patrick Seminary, Menlo Park, California in 1973 and attended the Continuing Education Program for Doctor of Ministry (Candidate) at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California from 1977 to 1979. Over, the past 25 years, Father Jay has provided our community with a tireless commitment to service. He has conducted throughout the United States retreats for youth and workshops and retreats for African American Catholic vicariates and pastoral centers, participated as a team leader in Black Cultural Weekends of the Marriage Encounter Movement and most notably in 1993, conducted the St. Jude Novena at the National Shrine in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Father Jay's pastoral service has been as: Administrator and Associate Pastor of St. Cornelius Church, Richmond; St. Cyril Church, Oakland and All Saints Church, Hayward; Associate Pastor, Saint Louis Bertrand Church, Oakland; Deacon, Saint Columba Church, Oakland: Teacher, Bishop O'Dowd High School, Oakland; and Youth Minister of the Diocese of Oakland. Father Jay's professional affiliations include actively serving on several boards & organizations, including Catholic Charities, Catechetical Ministries of the Diocese of Oakland, Alameda Cancer Society, Bay Area, Black United Fund, Knights of St. Peter Claver, Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Bay Area Urban League, NAACP, Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Observance Committee, National Association of Black Catholic Administrators, National Catholic Conference on Interracial Justice, Coordinating Committee, City of Oakland Strategic Plan, Oakland Mayor's Advisory Council on Education, Chaplain--Oakland Fire Department, Board of Directors-- Comprehensive Health Improvement Project, East Oakland Youth Development Center, and is the Chairman of the Church Committee for the United Negro College Fund of the East Bay. Father Jay has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Outstanding Community Service, the Marcus Foster Educational Institute's Distinguished Alumni Award, the Rose Casanave Service Award of the Black Catholic Vicariate, as well as service awards from the Ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of St. Peter Claver and the Bay Area chapter of the Xavier University, New Orleans Alumni Association. Currently, Father Jay serves as Chaplain of Black Catholics of the Diocese of Oakland and Pastor of St. Benedict Church, Oakland. Throughout his life, Father Jay has epitomized the ideal of a true man of God. He is a powerful role model in his immediate community and communities throughout the country. The love and service he shows towards all people regardless of race, creed, or religious background has gained him the respect of his peers. On June 1, 1999 Father Jay will have the distinct privilege and honor to further his religious studies at the Vatican with a one year sabbatical from his current duties in the Diocese of Oakland. It is a great honor to salute Father Jay, not just for his 25 years of service as a Catholic priest but for the many years of warmth, compassion and love he has shared with our community. The City of Oakland and its surrounding environs are a better place to live because of his firm commitment to improving the human condition of all people. I wish Father Jay continued success as he embarks upon the next 25 years of service to God, his country and the people of Oakland.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to recognize my good friend and colleague, Reverend Jesse Jackson, for his diplomacy in Yugoslavia and his work to bring an end to the crisis in Kosovo. Thanks to the work of Reverend Jackson and his delegation, three servicemen who had been held in Yugoslavia have been freed and allowed to return home safely. We must continue to take every measure possible to ensure the safe and expeditious return home of all the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who have been dispatched to Yugoslavia. In the same spirit, I hope that we can seize upon this moment to further these diplomatic efforts to bring about an immediate end to Slobodan Milosevic's campaign of terror. At this juncture, I am convinced that our best hope for peace and stability in the region is the negotiation of an immediate cease fire and the dispatch of an international peace keeping force. It is my strong belief that the United States and NATO must reach out to the United Nations, Russia, China, and others to work together toward a new internationally negotiated peace agreement and to secure Serb compliance with any and all of its terms. As a person who strongly believes in the teachings and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I profoundly subscribe to the principles of nonviolence and implore us to consider the teachings of Dr. King as we address the crisis in Kosovo. In speaking about the Vietnam war in his speech A Christmas Sermon on Peace found in his last book, The Trumpet of Conscience, Dr. King wrote: ``But one day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal we seek, but that it is a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means. All of this is saying that, in the final analysis, means and ends must cohere because the end is pre-existent in the means and ultimately destructive means cannot bring about constructive ends.'' Based upon these principles of non-violence, it is with enthusiasm and pride that I applaud Reverend Jackson and his delegation for opening important, new diplomatic channels. While I have not seen Milosevic's letter to President Clinton, I am very hopeful that our President will view the letter as a possible opportunity to renew dialog to seek a political settlement to this horrific crisis. I pray that this will set in motion a process that ends the bloodshed in Yugoslavia and leads to sustainable and long-term peace in the Balkans. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this resolution because I believe that a declaration of war will only increase instability in the region and exacerbate the atrocities against ethnic Albanians. My support and prayers go out to the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces who have been dispatched to Yugoslavia. We must take every measure to ensure their safe and expeditious return home. While I will vote against this resolution, it is my belief that this debate and these votes should have been taken before a single bomb was dropped and before any U.S. troops were sent. Our inaction prior to military strikes abdicated our constitutional responsibility and, furthermore, prevented the voice of the people I represent, who are overwhelmingly against air strikes, from being heard. I agree that we have a moral imperative to bring an end to the horrific genocide and suffering in the Balkans. However, violent means have only and will only escalate the crisis. As a person who strongly believes in the teachings and the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I profoundly subscribe to the principles of nonviolence. If peace is our objective, then I implore us to consider the words of Dr. King, not only on his birthday but each and every day of the year. In his last book, ``The Trumpet of Conscience,'' he wrote about United States policy in North Vietnam. He said, ``They are talking about peace as a distant goal, as an end we seek. But one day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal we seek, but that it is a means by which we arrive at that goal; destructive means cannot bring about constructive ends.'' I am convinced that our best hope for peace and stability is the negotiation of an immediate cease-fire, and a strong belief that the United States and NATO must reach out to Russia, the United Nations, China and others to develop an internationally negotiated political settlement. Our actions must set an example for our young people that violence should never be an option. I ask for a ``no'' vote. I rise today in opposition to H.J. Res. 44, which would declare a state of war between the United States and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. I oppose this resolution because I believe that a declaration of war, like the NATO air strikes, will only increase instability in the region and exacerbate the atrocities against ethnic Albanians. At this very volatile time, my support and prayers go out to the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces who have been dispatched to Yugoslavia. We must take every measure possible to bring an end to this crisis to ensure their safe and expeditious return home. While I will vote against the declaration of war, I would like to commend my colleague from California, Congressman Campbell, for introducing this resolution into the House of Representatives and bringing forward Congressional action on the US involvement in Kosovo. It is my belief that these debates should have taken place six weeks ago, before a single bomb was dropped and before any US troops were sent into the hostile situation in the Balkans. By failing to vote on the air strikes before their commencement, and instead debating authorization now, when we are already heavily involved, the Administration is conducting a war without Congressional consent as required by the Constitution. A vote to authorize the President to conduct military air strikes at this juncture is nothing more than a rubber stamp from Congress for an action that has already begun. I my opinion, our inaction prior to military strikes abdicated our Constitutional responsibility and furthermore, prevented the voice of the people I represent, who are overwhelmingly against the air strikes, from being heard. There are those who rise today in support of the Administration's action in order to end the genocide of the ethnic Albanians. I agree, in the strongest terms possible, that we have a moral imperative to intervene and to bring an end to the horrific suffering. However, whether air strikes, ground forces, or a declaration of war--these violent means as a method to bring peace and stability to the Balkans have only, and will only escalate the crisis. As a person who strongly believes in the teachings and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., not just on his birthday, but throughout the year, I profoundly subscribe to the principles of nonviolence. Our policies, and our actions, must set an example for our young people that violence should never be an option. If peace is our objective, and I am certain that this is a goal upon which all in this chamber can agree, then I implore us to consider the words of Dr. King. In his last book, The Trumpet of Conscience, A Christmas Sermon on Peace, Dr. King discusses bombing in North Vietnam, and the rhetoric of peace that was connected to those war making acts. He wrote, ``What is the problem? They are talking about peace as a distant goal, as an end we seek. But one day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal we seek, but that it is a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means. All of this is saying that, in the final analysis, means and ends must cohere because the end is pre-existent in the means and ultimately destructive means cannot bring about constructive ends.'' The Administration's policy and the NATO campaign in Kosovo to date have produced only counterproductive and destructive results: a mass exodus of over half a million ethnic Albanians, significant civilian deaths, an escalation of Milosevic's campaign of racial hatred and terror, and greater instability in the region. The results are just the opposite of what we want to achieve. Our goal is to prevent innocent people from being killed. In the name of saving Kosovars, we are destroying Kosovo. At this juncture, I am convinced that our best hope for peace and stability in the region is the negotiation of an immediate cease fire. It is my strong belief that the United States and NATO must reach out to the United Nations, Russia China, and others to work together to develop a new, internationally negotiated peace agreement and to secure Serbian compliance to its terms. In order to end the suffering in the Balkans and to achieve long term stability, support of a diplomatic political settlement is the only action we can employ. As we today speak of a policy to end genocide in the Balkans, I am also greatly disturbed to think of the people in many countries in Africa and all over the world, who have also suffered unthinkable atrocities, beyond our worst nightmare. As a result of ethnic conflict in Africa, over 150,000 have been killed in Burundi; 800,000 in Rwanda; and 1.5 million in Sudan. More than 200,000 Kurds have died in Iraq and Turkey, and hundreds of thousands in Burma, and over 1 million in Cambodia. It is my hope that our nation can develop a foreign policy framework to address suffering and killing all over the world, without the use of force, ground troops, air strikes and other violent means. I urge a ``no'' vote on the declaration of war.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.J. Res. 44, which would declare a state of war between the United States and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. I oppose this resolution because I believe that a declaration of war, like the NATO air strikes, will only increase instability in the region and exacerbate the atrocities against ethnic Albanians. At this very volatile time, my support and prayers go out to the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces who have been dispatched to Yugoslavia. We must take every measure possible to bring an end to this crisis to ensure their safe and expeditious return home. While I will vote against the declaration of war, I would like to commend my colleague from California, Congressman Campbell, for introducing this resolution into the House of Representatives and bringing forward Congressional action on the U.S. involvement in Kosovo. It is my belief that these debates should have taken place six weeks ago, before a single bomb was dropped and before any U.S. troops were sent into the hostile situation in the Balkans. By failing to vote on the air strikes before their commencement, and instead debating authorization now, when we are already heavily involved, the Administration is conducting a war without Congressional consent as required by the Constitution. A vote to authorize the President to conduct military air strikes at this juncture is nothing more than a rubber stamp from Congress for an action that has already begun. In my opinion, our inaction prior to military strikes abdicated our Constitutional responsibility and furthermore, prevented the voice of the people I represent, who are overwhelmingly against the air strikes, from being heard. There are those who rise today in support of the Administration's action in order to end the genocide of the ethnic Albanians. I agree, in the strongest terms possible, that we have a moral imperative to intervene and to bring an end to the horrific suffering. However, whether air strikes, ground forces, or a declaration of war--these violent means as a method to bring peace and stability to the Balkans have only, and will only escalate the crisis. As a person who strongly believes in the teachings and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., not just on his birthday, but throughout the year, I profoundly subscribe to the principles of nonviolence. Our policies, and our actions, must set an example for our young people that violence should never be an option. If peace is our objective, and I am certain that this is a goal upon which all in this chamber can agree, then I implore us to consider the words of Dr. King. In his last book, ``The Trumpet of Conscience, A Christmas Sermon on Peace,'' Dr. King discusses bombing in North Vietnam, and the rhetoric of peace that was connected to those war making acts. He wrote, What is the problem? They are talking about peace as a distant goal, as an end we seek. But one day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal we seek, but that it is a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means. All of this is saying that, in the final analysis, means and ends must cohere because the end is pre-existent in the means and ultimately destructive means cannot bring about constructive ends. The Administration's policy and the NATO campaign in Kosovo to date have produced only counterproductive and destructive results: a mass exodus of over half a million ethnic Albanians, significant civilian deaths, an escalation of Milosevic's campaign of racial hatred and terror, and greater instability in the region. The results are just the opposite of what we want to achieve. Our goal is to prevent innocent people from being killed. In the name of saving Kosovars, we are destroying Kosovo. At this juncture, I am convinced that our best hope for peace and stability in the region is the negotiation of an immediate cease fire. It is my strong belief that the United States and NATO must reach out to the United Nations, Russia, China, and others to work together to develop a new, internationally negotiated peace agreement and to secure Serbian compliance to its terms. In order to end the suffering in the Balkans and to achieve long term stability, support of a diplomatic political settlement is the only action we can employ. As we today speak of a policy to end genocide in the Balkans, I am also greatly disturbed to think of the people in many countries in Africa and all over the world, who have also suffered unthinkable atrocities, beyond our worst nightmare. As a result of ethnic conflict in Africa, over 150,000 have been killed in Burundi; 800,000 in Rwanda; and 1.5 million in Sudan. More than 200,000 Kurds have died in Iraq and Turkey, and hundreds of thousands in Burma, and over 1 million in Cambodia. It is my hope that our nation can develop a foreign policy framework to address suffering and killing all over the world, without the use of force, ground troops, air strikes and other violent means. I urge a ``no'' vote on the declaration of war.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that my colleagues join me in supporting a Children's Memorial Flag Project and establishing a National Children's Memorial Day to remember all of the children who die by violence in our country. As I speak today, my thoughts and prayers go out to the Littleton, Colorado, community and the families of the students and faculty members who were tragically murdered yesterday. Not only during January, when we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, should we discuss and teach nonviolence. Demonstrating and teaching our children that violence is wrong should be a part of our daily lives. Each day in the United States five infants and children die from abuse and neglect and seven teens are murdered. In fact, more children lose their lives to criminal violence in the United States than in any of the 26 industrialized nations of the world. Many would be shocked at these statistics. The Children's Memorial Flag Project was created to raise awareness about the violence towards children in our country and to organize community and national prevention strategies. It is with pride that I say that this project was originated in 1996 in the district which I represent, the 9th Congressional District of California. In the past 5 years alone we have lost more than 140 children in Alameda County to preventable violence. Each time a child is killed, we fly the Children's Memorial Flag at half-staff. The Child Welfare League of America has adopted Alameda County's Children's Memorial Flag and promotes it nationally. Last year 33 states participated on Children's Memorial Day, the fourth Friday in the month of April, which is both Child Abuse Month and Crime Prevention Month. This year we anticipate 20 States flying the flag at half-mast, with 13 others memorializing the children by other means. Soon my friend and our Bay Area colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Stark), will introduce legislation that would adopt the Children's Memorial Flag and establish the fourth Friday in April as National Day of Observance. I ask my colleagues to cosponsor and support this legislation, and honor the memory of children lost to violence in our country on this Friday, April 23rd. I will continue to work to establish this day as a remembrance to honor children by flying the Children's Memorial Flag at half-mast, and I urge my colleagues to join with me in this effort.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for the time and also for her hard work to make sure that all people in this country are counted. I rise today to strongly oppose H.R. 472. There are 352 days until April 1, 2000, census day. Preparation for this constitutionally mandated national head count has been in the works for years. Now, in the eleventh hour, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are proposing legislation that seeks to change procedures, add costs, and most importantly a timetable to an already tight time schedule. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to consider how best to correct the undercount of low income people, minority groups, and children. The undercount has been the practice of the Census Bureau in recent decades. If you are not counted in, you are counted out. That is fundamentally undemocratic. It is wrong. H.R. 472 appears to be harmless. But the post-census local review strategy used in 1990 failed miserably. We must not dismiss the views of the Census Bureau Director, who calls this bill just short of disastrous. Let us not repeat these mistakes. I ask for a ``no'' vote on H.R. 472.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton).

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for coming out front and talking about it publicly.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 35, regarding the recent historic elections of a central municipal council in Qatar, and I strongly commend the cochairs of our Women's Caucus, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly), who traveled to Qatar to monitor these elections. Mr. Speaker, the decree issued by the Emir of Qatar establishing the central municipal council was the first of its kind. The council was structured to have members from 29 election districts serving 4-year terms. For the first time in Qatar history, open elections were ordered and in an unprecedented decision women were granted the right to participate both as candidates and as voters. While these elections were at the municipal level, they were an important expression of a commitment to democratic ideals and the first step toward advancing women's rights in the region. The elections took place on March 8, 1999, a day also celebrated as International Women's Day, further emphasizing the significance of women's suffrage. It is important for the United States Congress to recognize this historic event and to support it as a turning point towards democracy and equal rights for women in Qatar.