Bob Menendez

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, can the Chair advise if the amendment is appropriately drafted for the purposes of pursuing this appropriations bill?

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, I accept that is what will happen. Would this amendment not, in essence, be legislating on an appropriations bill?

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman will be withdrawing the amendment?

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bonior) for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, we have gathered in these hallowed Chambers to pay tribute to two fallen heroes, Officer Jacob Chestnut and Special Agent John Gibson. When tragedy strikes, we are often left groping for answers. Over the past couple of days, we have all asked ourselves the same haunting questions: Why has this tragedy occurred? Why have people of such valor suddenly been taken from our lives? Why have these devoted husbands and fathers been taken from their families? We may never have adequate answers to these questions, but we must work to ensure that they did not die in vain. Mr. Speaker, that means that after paying our respects and mourning we must remember that it was a man not alone but with a gun who committed this tragedy. Ensuring that they did not die in vain means that we recommit ourselves to the freedom and values they sought to defend. It can be said that they defended a Capitol, a building, a national landmark. It can be said that they defended those who work and visit here, and that would be true as well. But in my mind what they were really defending is our most precious gift as Americans, the freedom to come to the seat of our government, the most open and democratic of the entire world, and see it, speak to it, or even peacefully protest against it. It is the job of the living to remember their sacrifice and to ensure that violence never wins over the principles this country was founded upon. Now and forever, the Capitol must remain a sanctuary for democracy and for the American people. May God bless the families of Officer Chestnut and Special Agent Gibson. They are in our hearts, our thoughts, and in the prayers of the people of the 13th District of New Jersey.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, when Republicans seek to avoid reform, they raise the specter of Big Government. Yet it is the Republican majority's lack of governmental intervention that has let the abuses take place over the years of their majority in the HMOs across the country. It is only when Democrats clamored for patient protection that they came forth with the fig leaf they produced today. One mother in my district came to me because her child had been denied necessary rehabilitative treatment after surgery, and now that child will live with the damaging effects of this denial for the rest of his life. The Republicans' bill gives that family no relief, no enforcement mechanism. That is not family values. Today HMOs have all of the protection and none of the responsibility. We want to give patients protection. We want to make sure HMOs are responsible for their actions. We want to preserve what is trusted by Americans, their relationship with their doctor. We want to give them those choices. We want to make sure that a doctor is making those decisions. Mr. Speaker, that is why I join the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Ganske), a Republican, in supporting the Ganske-Dingell bill.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, during today's rollcall vote number 297, I was unavoidably detained due to a late flight. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, it is ironic in a bill designed to encourage the faith of the American people in the political process we would see an amendment like this that is a veritable wish-list of provisions to discourage voter participation. Our rate of voter participation is low enough as it is. We should be encouraging people to get involved, not throwing up roadblocks. This amendment actually allows the State to remove one from the voter rolls if one fails to vote in two consecutive elections. Now, I wish everyone would vote in every election, but since when does one have to vote in every election to maintain one's right to vote, or in every two elections? I think most Americans would find that outrageous. This is a constitutional right we are talking about taking away, and why? Because the person missed an election? Voter registration by mail is an important option for people who are homebound or who have limited access to transportation. Why would we take away that option? What evidence is there that this is encouraging voter fraud? Perhaps worst of all, this amendment gives the States free rein to require additional information to vote, including a photo I.D. and so- called proof of citizenship, yet we already know from the now totally discredited Dornan investigation that our, meaning the Federal Government's current records, produced all sorts of mistakes. Nuns and our own military men and women were falsely accused of illegal voting. We know that selective enforcement of such I.D. will be applied to those who may not have blond hair or blue eyes or otherwise be considered typically American. Is that the type of system we want to make nationwide? I hope not. The question is, are we going to encourage voter participation and make it convenient for our citizens to vote, or are we going to turn the voting process into a system of government background checks, interrogations and false accusations? The ballot box should be a place of sanctity and freedom, not of distrust and suspicion. This amendment should be defeated. It is anti-voter, it is anti- participation, and it is anti-democratic.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congressman McGovern for reserving time this evening to afford us an opportunity to discuss a critical situation for many of our states' home health agencies. As we all know, last year's Balanced Budget Amendment contained language which would move Medicare home health payments to a prospective payment system, effective October 1, 1999. Until that date an Interim Payment System (IPS) for the home health agencies was to be put into place. Unfortunately, the formula which has been approved to implement this IPS has unfairly penalized those states, like New Jersey, who have been prudent with their funds. New Jersey ranks fourth nationwide in terms of visits per beneficiary, averaging just 43 visits per person, compared to the national average of 73.9 visits per person. New Jersey's home health agencies provide support services for over 50,000 patients and families each year. The new iPS implemented by HCFA will cut Medicare reimbursement to most agencies in New Jersey anywhere from $500,000 to several million dollars per agency in 1998 alone. Cumulatively, Medicare home health payments to New Jersey's agencies in 1998 will be over $25 million less than in 1997. For patients in New Jersey, cuts of this magnitude will mean they will receive fewer visits. Mr. Speaker, who are these patients who will suffer because of this formula? According to the Institute for Health Care Research and Policy at Georgetown University, home health patients are more likely to report fair or poor health. Twenty-five percent of users are 85 years of age or older, and 69% of all users of home health services have incomes below $15,000. These people are the among the neediest of our neighbors for whom a home health visit may well mean the difference between life and death. The problem with the current IPS is that it singles out the most efficient providers and subjects them to the deepest cuts. This is neither fair nor prudent. Where is the equity in asking responsible agencies to accept deeper cuts than those states whose home health agencies have billed Medicare for more dollars? What is the sense in driving fiscally responsible home health agencies out of the provider market because of these inequitable cuts? There are several bills which have been introduced to correct the IPS formula. I am a co-sponsor of H.R. 3657, introduced by my colleague from New Jersey. The Medicare Home Health Equity Act of 1998 would level the playing field and recognize--not penalize--those home health agencies which have been prudent in their use of Medicare dollars. We need to address this problem now. Many of our home health agencies are in critical condition while they wait and hope that Congress will treat them fairly. The agencies in my state are not asking for preferential treatment; they are merely asking for fairness. Again, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for taking time tonight to focus attention on this very important issue.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, only a short time ago at the turn of this century workers faced sweatshops, low wages, no benefits, and unsafe work places--conditions highlighted in books from the period like Upton Sinclair's, The Jungle. These books weren't simply fiction because they described the very real conditions that existed at the time. It's not a period to which I want to return. Unions played an enormous role in improving these deplorable conditions of the past. But today unions are fighting for their very existence. In our country, as unions have declined, the gap between rich and poor has widened. By attacking unions, the Republicans have been working overtime to return to a past where unions didn't exist but the conditions unions sought to improve did. Since coming to Congress I've seen labor unions come under attack from all sides: Efforts to repeal Davis-Bacon, pushing down the prevailing wage; decimating OSHA, putting workers' safety at risk; and stalling efforts to raise the minimum wage. That's the climate in Washington. In spite of these attacks, America's workers still seek to form and join unions. Why? Unions promote the rights of workers, they endorse affirmative action, and they work to close unjustified wage gaps for women and minorities. That's what unions do for American workers. Mr. Speaker, today's climate is not hospitable to working Americans who wish to organize. There have been documented examples of companies carrying on campaigns to keep their workers from organizing. They've used illegal threats, refusals to promote, illegal warnings, illegal work rules, illegal interrogations, and even illegal surveillance to force workers not to organize. We can't turn a blind eye to these disturbing practices that workers seeking to organize face everyday. Unfortunately, back-handed tactics and intimidation go a long way to discourage working men and women from organizing. And that's what opponents of unions bank on. These are some of the harshest attacks possible on working Americans and their rights. They're attacks on entities which provide working men and women with the opportunity to improve their lives, their living standards, communities, and companies. The fact is that not only do union workers earn an average of 33 percent more than nonunion workers, but they also are much more likely to have stronger health and pension benefits. We need to let workers know that unions and their members will be there to strongly support the efforts of those who seek to organize. Labor unions help all working Americans--organized or not. That's why tomorrow's ``Day to Make Our Voices Heard'' events are so important. Working men and women built this country, and the labor movement's struggle is their struggle. That struggle never ends and must never be taken for granted. The long uphill climb from the turn of this century could be rolled back by an avalanche of Republican anti-worker ploys. Let's bring back freedom of assembly and freedom of speech to the workplace. Let's respect working Americans' free choice when they seek to organize.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, for working people, the most important asset that they have is their job. It supports their home, their family, their children, their hopes, their life. This bill will save and increase good-paying American jobs. Mr. Chairman, I want to commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. McDade) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Fazio) for crafting a bill that, in a time of fiscal belt-tighening and hard choices, makes the right choice to keep American jobs as the top priority. The Port of New York and New Jersey, a good part of it, is in my district. It is the economic lifeline for the northeast region. Mr. Chairman, 180,000 jobs and $20 billion in economic activity is generated though the port. If my colleagues live in the Northeast, there is a good chance that the things that they buy are coming from the port or that they are dependent upon other goods, products, or machinery coming through the port. Mr. Chairman, to keep those goods coming here on the increasingly large industrial ships, we need deeper channels and modern port facilities. If we do not modernize, the larger ships will go elsewhere and goods may start coming into Canada instead of our harbor. That hurts everyone in this country and the national impact could be enormous. That is not acceptable. This bill sends a message that we will not stand by and let American jobs go elsewhere. To our friends up north in Canada, let the message from this House be clear. We are committed to shipping commerce. We are committed to these ports. I understand that deepening and dredging our harbor is not glamorous work. Other pet projects sound better and are easier to publicize. But modernizing our ports means not just saving but creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in commerce in the years to come. It is the long-sided view. It is the view this bill takes. Finally, I want to congratulate both the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Chairman McDADE) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Fazio) on their many years of dedicated service. These are the kind of people we need in public service; people who put the needs of their constituents and the Nation above all else. We will miss them and I know that both gentlemen will find new ways to serve their fellow countrymen and women like they have done so well in the people's House.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, someone killed tobacco legislation and failed the children in this country. I guess we do not want to talk about who failed the children in this country, and bowed to big tobacco interests. Here in the House, the Republican leadership is trying to kill campaign finance reform through death by amendment. Listen to what our colleague, the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Smith), a Republican representative, in yesterday's Wall Street Journal said about the GOP leadership's unquenchable love of cash. She quickly discovered that it was a common practice for the GOP majority to hold up action on bills while milking interested contributors for more campaign contributions, and she said, ``We do what? Isn't that extortion?'' I think it is. I think Linda Smith is right. The fact of the matter is, the reason that the Republican leadership is trying to kill campaign finance reform in this House is because they would not be allowed to continue what Linda Smith calls ``extortion.'' She is right, and we should pass campaign finance reform in this House.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the other body of the Congress failed America's children by killing campaign---- Announcement by the Speaker pro tempore

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Is not ``the other body'' the appropriate way to refer to the Senate?

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, the conference report before us is what the Republican agenda for education boils down to: providing education tax credits for a limited population of parents who chose and have the money to send their children to private schools versus helping the 90 percent of the students that are in public schools today, 90 percent, which is where the educational future of the Nation will be determined. Public schools face much pressure from the growing rates of enrollment, large class size, increased violence and finding qualified teachers. As they face all of these pressures, we need to make sure they have the capability to impart knowledge and learning skills to our children. That is not what this bill does. I do not understand how taking money away from public schools provides for accountability. With limited resources, teaching children is not easy to do. We have an obligation to see that the schools do their job, but this bill certainly does not do it. In New Jersey, my home State, we have schools in crucial need of modernization as reported by the New Jersey Supreme Court. I have visited public schools throughout the State. I have seen the crumbling ceilings, the exposed pipes, the fading blackboards, the lack of ability to connect to the new technology that will make us competitive in the next century. These tours indicate that we simply cannot ignore the needs of our students any longer when it comes to the poor physical condition of our schools. New Jersey public elementary and secondary schools will see an increase of over 100,000 students in the next 10 years requiring over 4,000 more new classrooms or else we will have even greater class sizes. We know that over a thousand of our schools are over 50 years old, many more from the turn of the century, and these statistics are replicated across the country. This bill does nothing to meet the needs of those schools or those students. Let us vote for the Rangel motion to recommit so we can help our public schools, where 90 percent of the public's interest and the educational future of the Nation will be served. That is the way we should be voting. Vote for the motion to recommit.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. No one likes taxes, but taxes are how we fund our schools, our national defense, our police, our parks, environmental protections, highways, and roads. Unless we are going to do away with all those things, do not let anyone fool you into believing they are going to do away totally with your taxes. They are not. If we do away with this Tax Code, we have got to have another. The first problem with this bill is, they do not have another. This bill eliminates one Tax Code without proposing a new one. In other words, Republicans want to do the easy thing now before the election and save the hard part for later. Republicans say let us eliminate the home mortgage interest deduction now and, trust us, we will make it up to you later. Let us eliminate incentives for employers to provide health care and pension plans and, trust us, we will make it up to you later. Trust us, they say. But do you know who does not trust them? The National Association of Manufacturers does not trust them. The AFL-CIO does not trust them. How many times do we get the unions and the manufacturers opposed to the same bill? That tells us something. Both groups want to keep the economy strong and save American jobs, and they know if business cannot count on the reliability of the Tax Code to plan ahead, to calculate the after-tax costs of investments in plants and equipment and people, then jobs will be lost, the economy will suffer. That is why they are united against this bill. That is why middle-class Americans should be, too. Any bill that gives a full tax break to someone who inherits a fortune and has never worked a day in their life but takes away a home mortgage interest deduction makes no sense. Let us have a new Tax Code. But it has got to be fair, not just simple, and it has got to be ready before we eliminate the old one. Do not ask for our trust to fix it later. Give the American public the facts now, unless my colleagues are afraid of what they are offering.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Gloria Robinson, Gloria R. Koralja and Audrey Taylor Gardener, three individuals who are retiring from the Jersey City Head Start Program after years of outstanding service. Head Start programs across the country provide educational opportunities for kids from lower income families. These teachers, administrators, and social workers working with the Head Start Programs are heroes for bringing America closer to its ideal of equal opportunity for all. Gloria Robinson has invested her time and energy over the years into helping others. In 1996 she initiated her career in social service by working as a Program Aide in A. Harry Moore Gardens Head Center and went on to serve as SHARE coordinator at the Center. Ms. Robinson gained more experience as she became certified as a group leader for Looking At Life Parent Education and as she completed Literacy Volunteers of America tutor training. Ms. Robinson went on to initiate AHM pocket park in Lincoln Park. In addition, she fought for the elimination of PJP landfill and for necessary pulmonary testing for children in AHM housing development. Ms. Robinson has been involved with Head Start since her training for Head Start at New York University in 1996. Gloria R. Koralja, also a woman of great service, began her work with Jersey City Child Development Centers in 1985. She served as a classroom teacher and head teacher for pre-school Head Start children. Ms. Koralja knows the value of a good education. She received a science degree from Philippines Normal College in 1963 and continued her learning as she received a degree in Child Counseling from Jersey State College in 1973. Besides her work with children and with Head Start as an organization, Ms. Koralja also spends her time as a member of St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church in Jersey City. For 12 years, she has invested her time and caring into the Jersey City Head Start Program. Audrey Taylor Gardener has worked with Jersey City Child Development Centers since 1966. Her work at the Centers included organizing parent committees, assisting families with social problems and taking care of many of the needs of her students inside and outside of the classroom. Ms. Gardener received her degree in Urban Studies at St. Peter's College in 1981. She is presently involved in many other activities including serving as President of Trinity American Lutheran Church Women and being a member of Chapel Avenue Block Association. I thank these women for their effort, hard work and caring. They have provided tremendous support for their students, the Jersey City Head Start Program and the families they have touched over the years. Thank you for your outstanding services to Jersey City.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, Fidel Castro is no friend of the Jewish community or the State of Israel. Castro's labeling of the U.S. policy as a measure akin to the Nazi Holocaust is demonstrative of his senseless rhetoric and glosses over the fact that prior to 1959 there was a vibrant Jewish community in Cuba, which has been largely destroyed by the Castro regime. Castro is no friend of the Jewish community or the State of Israel. Few remember his deployment of a Cuban brigade on the Syrian front in 1973--that was long ago, but even today, Castro continues to court Israel's declared enemies, including Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and the Iranian regime in Tehran. I would like to include in the Congressional Record a letter by Frank Calzon, the Executive Director of the Center for a Free Cuba published in the Wall Street Journal on May 15, 1998 on this subject. [From the Wall Street Journal, May 15, 1998] Castro Insults Jews With His Rhetoric The World-Wide column April 28 reported that Castro said U.S. sanctions have been a ``holocaust'' for Cuba, ``and urged war-crime trials of U.S. officials.'' Castro's reference to the Holocaust is an example of his overheated rhetoric and an insult to the Jewish people in Cuba and elsewhere. The vibrant Cuban Jewish community numbered about 12,000 on the eve of Castro's victory in 1959. There was no significant anti-Semitism in Cuba. Instead, there were Jewish schools, publications, radio programs and various clubs and associations. After Castro destroyed Cuba's civil society, Jewish institutions were confiscated. Not surprisingly, there are less than 1,000 Jews remaining on the island. Castro's attitude toward Israel has been dismal. For many years, he took the lead at the United Nations and elsewhere in support of violent anti-Israeli groups. He supported terrorists such as the notorious Carlos, who was involved in the planning of terrorist acts against prominent European Jews. Castro suffers from a simple case of psychological projection. He sees his own behavior in others. Almost 40 years after he established a Marxist regime in Cuba, the Cuban economy is as bankrupt as the communist economies were in Europe.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Oscar Vidal Benitez, a true Cuban American hero and outstanding International Lions Club member. In 1950, Mr. Benitez joined the Lion's Club in Bayamo, Cuba. Once in the club he set out to be a driving force in Lionism. By 1958 he was President of the local club and eventually he became Governor of an entire region of clubs in Cuba. He became well known for his work for the blind by becoming Director of the Rehabilitation for the Blind Program. Like so many Cubans, he was forced to flee his homeland and settled in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. Once in America, while attempting to adjust to his new country, he began his work for the Lion's Club almost immediately. In 1963 he founded and became President of the New York Lion's Club of Cubans in Exile. Mr. Benitez fought to get the club recognized by the International Lions Club and eventually the club branched out to form many active Lions Clubs in the metropolitan area. Next, Oscar Vidal Benitez moved to Miami where he was founded and President of the Miami Buena Vista Lions Club. In 1971, this club was recognized internationally for gaining one of the largest increases in membership in the world. In total, Mr. Benitez is responsible for the founding of 15 Lions clubs in the United States and since joining the Lions in 1950, he has never missed a meeting. Mr. Benitez has been internationally recognized for his contributions to Lionism. He has received many President's and Governor's medals of appreciation, he was inducted by the International Board of Directors as a Life Member of Lions International and he has been honored as a Member of the World Humanitarian Fraternity Melvin Jones Fellowship on three separate occasions. Mr. Benitez has done an incredible job of spreading Lionism by starting new clubs, attracting new members and raising money for charity, but his most lasting contributions on behalf of the Lions Club may be his work with the blind. Mr. Benitez is a life member of the Florida Lions Eye Bank Century Club and the Conklin Center for the Blind and he has received a Presidential Honor for his work with the Lions Home for the Blind, Inc. He is also the founder of the Home for the Blind Foundation which is now funded by Dade County. On Wednesday, June 10, the West New York Lions Club will honor Oscar Vidal Benitez for his incredible contributions to Lionism and to the community. The West New York Lions Club is the largest in New Jersey and it traces its roots to the New York Lion's Club of Cubans in Exile which Mr. Benitez founded when he first came to the United States. In closing I would like to thank Mr. Oscar Vidal Benitez for his outstanding work on behalf of the Lions Club. His work across two countries and three states will never be forgotten.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Iran Missile Proliferation Sanctions Act. This legislation closes loopholes that allow countries to export sensitive technology to Iran. And because of these exports, in short order, within 1 year, Iran may achieve long-range missile capacity. Opponents of the bill characterize it as just another sanctions bill. In reality what we are doing is providing Russian and Chinese firms with incentives not to trade with Iran. Those who see a new Iran in President Khatemi are being led astray by conciliatory words while Iran continues to seek weapons of mass destruction, including long-range missiles, nuclear weapons to top those missiles, and chemical and biological warfare agents. President Khatemi may be the hope, but at present he does not have the power. Iran continues to support international terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Palestine Islamic Jihad. It is a rogue state. We would be naive to sacrifice our own security and the security of allies based on a few conciliatory words. Late last year satellite reconnaissance of a research facility not far south of Tehran had picked up the heat signature of an engine test for a new generation of Iranian ballistic missiles, each capable of carrying a 2,200-pound warhead more than 800 miles, within strategic range of our ally Israel. In January a senior Clinton administration official told the Associated Press that Iran's purchase of Russian missile technology is giving Iran an opportunity to leap ahead in developing new weapons. That is why I have introduced the Iran nuclear proliferation provision which I think is a companion ultimately to this bill. Tehran's unrelenting quest for nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles clearly attests that the clerical regime has no intention of moderating its behavior. Appeasement by the West will only provide the mullahs with more room to maneuver. We need a comprehensive policy that both protects us from the current threat and safeguards our future interests in that part of the world. I urge my colleagues to be strongly supportive of this bill.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 404 which commemorates the 100 years of relations between the people of the Philippines and the people of the United States. As an original co-sponsor of this resolution and a Member who represents one of the largest Filipino communities in the Nation, I am keenly aware of the many contributions that Filipinos have made to this country and of the immense importance of continued good relations with the nation of the Philippines. As President Clinton once said, the Philippines is our oldest friend in Asia. This bill recognizes the great sacrifices that the Filipinos made in the struggle against Japanese imperialism in World War II where they fought alongside American soldiers, as they did again in Korea and Vietnam. In addition to our historic ties, today our nations are also united by our strong economic ties. The Philippines is the twenty-first largest trading partner of the United States and absorbs a large amount of U.S. exports. As the years pass, I am confident that our bilateral relations will only grow stronger--the bonds between our nations go beyond the diplomatic relations we have with most nations; these are bonds between people fostered by our historic relationship and maintained out of mutual respect and admiration for one another.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor New Jersey Network's Images/ Imagenes for its 25th year of providing quality cultural and public affairs programming for the Hispanic community. This program has helped introduce America to the rich depth, diversity and beauty of the Latino culture through probing documentaries and thought-provoking round table discussions. Over the years Images/Imagenes has shed light on the everyday lives of the Latino community and provided a forum for role models such as Roberto Clemente, Ricardo Montalban, Gloria Estefan, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Julio Iglesias, Nancy Lopez, Lee Trevino and Tony Ayala. The program has done some of its best work by exploring major news stories such as the AIDS epidemic, bilingual education, U.S. relations with Cuba, and the roots of domestic violence. The show's quality and professionalism has not gone unrecognized by the television industry. Images/Imagenes has earned a Regional Emmy Award and nine Regional Emmy Award nominations. The program has also been recognized for excellence in broadcasting from the National Commission on Working Women and has received the National Unity Award. In the late '80's, Images/Imagenes began airing the Hispanic Youth Showcase. This competition provides a forum for the tri-state area's Hispanic youth to demonstrate their skills in the performing arts. Over 1500 children have participated, with many going on to professional acting and musical careers. Every participant gains confidence because they have competed in such a popular and renowned event. Images/Imagenes is now the longest running Latino community program in the PBS system. On Saturday, June 6, Images/Imagenes will be celebrating its Silver Anniversary at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, New Jersey. I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Images/Imagenes by working to strengthen our commitment to strong community programming. Images/Imagenes has shown us that television can be more than just entertainment, but can also provide a forum through which community building activities can take place. I congratulate Images/Imagenes on a successful 25 years and wish them another 25 years of success.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) for their second place finish at the SHPE National Academic Olympiad in Orlando, Florida. The NJIT team was attempting to defend their 1997 Academic Olympiad National title, but narrowly lost to the worthy team from Rice University. The Collegiate Bowl Competition is in a Jeopardy format, but with a focus on engineering. The NJIT SHPE team did successfully defend its regional title by besting teams from MIT, RPI and Stevens Institute of Technology. The NJIT SHPE team is a tremendous example of the New Jersey Institute of Technology's commitment to diversity and scientific excellence. Team members Rene Yandum, Priya Singh, Omar Rodriguez, and Edward Komenda have done their school and our state proud. These champions' accomplishments will be celebrated May 16 at the Hispanic Organizations of Students in Technology/Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers of New Jersey Institute of Technology Gala Banquet. The banquet will be held at the Campino Restaurant in Newark, New Jersey.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, on May 21 I joined a Congressional panel on U.S. policy options and prospects for change in Iran. The panel discussed President Khatami's election and Iran's efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction. I am certain that my colleagues will join me in recognizing the threat that Iran would pose to the U.S. and the region if it is successful in acquiring nuclear weapons. I have introduced legislation (H.R. 3743) to thwart Iran's development of nuclear weapons. The Iran Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act of 1998 will require the withholding of U.S. proportional voluntary assistance to the International Atomic Energy Agency for programs and projects of the Agency in Iran. The bill seeks to limit assistance from the Agency for the completion of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran. It is believed that the completion of the Bushehr plant will result in the transfer of civilian nuclear technology and training that could help to advance Iran's nuclear weapons program. Firmness is the only means of deterring Khatami and the clerical regime from their quest for an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. We must make it clear, especially now when the mullahs may well be on their last legs, that we support the kind of progress towards democracy and genuine reform promised by the democratic opposition. Mr. Speaker, I am submitting my remarks to the panel on this matter to be printed in the Congressional Record: I want to thank the National Council of Resistance of Iran for organizing this event and for their ongoing efforts to focus attention on the rogue regime that continues to reside in Tehran under President Khatami. Each of us here today, looks forward to the day when Iran rejoins the community of democratic nations. However, today is not that day. President Khatami, while slightly more moderate than his predecessor will not or cannot overcome the political forces in Iran which avidly pursue the development of weapons of mass destruction and continue support for terrorism. We have heard many disturbing facts and figures, about Iranian human rights violations, about chaos and conflict within the country, and about Iran's support of international terrorist organizations, such as Hizballah, Hamas and the Palestine Islamic Jihad, all of which are responsible for terrorist attacks on Israel. Each of these facts reflects the ruling regime's status as a rogue state, which considers itself above international law, with little respect for human life, let alone human rights. The prospect of that regime armed with nuclear weapons is not a pleasant one. Just this week, Russia and Iran announced that over the strong objections of the U.S. and Israel, that they would be stepping up their cooperation in the field of nuclear technology. In fact, Iran's Atomic Energy Minister made it clear that the two countries are considering further cooperation beyond their current project to build a nuclear power plant in Iran. To give you a little background, Iran has been seeking nuclear power since the early 1970's, when the Shah attempted to build two reactors in Bushehr. The project, begun by a German company in 1974, was suspended following the 1979 Revolution. The clerical regime's efforts to obtain nuclear capability began in earnest in the midst of the Iran-Iraq War, in 1985, and in February of this year, Tehran announced its intention to construct two Russian reactors in Bushehr. The question remains, why has Iran devoted such colossal resources, money and effort to build the Bushehr power plant. Iran claims to need the Bushehr nuclear reactors to supply energy to the country. Yet, Iran's immense oil and natural gas reserves call into question its motives for constructing expensive nuclear reactors. Iran has 9.3 percent of the world's oil reserves and natural gas reserves, second only to Russia. Clearly, Iran does not need additional energy sources, nor is nuclear energy an economic choice for Iran. So what is the motive? It should not be a revelation to anyone that Iran is seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. In 1991, Ayatollah Mohajerani, one of Rafsanjani's deputies, clarified the need to obtain nuclear weapons. ``Since the enemy has nuclear facilities,'' he said, ``Islamic countries must be armed with the same capacity.'' In 1989, Rafsanjani underscored the need to obtain an atomic arsenal, stressing that ``Iran cannot overlook the reality of nuclear strength in the modern world.'' Nuclear arms, in the Tehran mullahs' view, are ``the most important strategic guarantee'' of their survival. For this reason, I introduced the Iran Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act. The bill will eliminate the use of U.S. taxpayer dollars to the International Atomic Energy Agency to provide assistance to Iran for the completion of the Bushehr plant. The U.S. believes that the completion of the Bushehr plant could provide Iran with substantial expertise to advance its nuclear weapons program. It is ludicrous for the U.S. to support a plant--even indirectly-- which could pose a threat to the United States and to stability in the Middle East. Beyond, Iran's nuclear weapons development program, there is substantial evidence of its efforts to develop other weapons of mass destruction. Late last year, Satellite reconnaissance of the Shahid Hemat Industrial Group research facility, not far south of Tehran, had picked up the heat signature of an engine test for a new generation of Iranian ballistic missiles, ``each capable of carrying a 2,200-lb. warhead more than 800 miles,'' within strategic range of Israel. In January, a senior Clinton administration official told the Associated Press that ``Iran's purchase of Russian missile technology is giving Iran an opportunity to `leap ahead' in developing new weapons'' and according to a CIA report, Iran remains the largest illicit buyer of conventional weapons among `pariah' states, buying an estimated $20 million to $30 million worth of U.S. military parts in 1997. After the cease-fire in the Iran-Iraq War in 1988, Tehran stepped up its efforts to produce an indigenous chemical and biological arsenal. Thanks to equipment and technology legally or illegally imported from abroad, the Tehran regime is presently able to produce a series of biological and chemical weapons. Defense Secretary Cohen has expressed concern that Iran may have produced up to 200 tons of VX nerve agent and 6,000 gallons of anthrax. Tehran's unrelenting quest for nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles clearly attests that the clerical regime has no intention of moderating its behavior. Appeasement by the West will only provide the mullahs with more room to maneuver. We need a comprehensive policy, that both protects us from the current threat and safeguards our future interests in that part of the world. Firmness is the only means of deterring Khatami and the clerical regime from their quest for an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. We must make it clear, especially now when the mullahs may well be on their last legs, that we support the kind of progress towards democracy and genuine reform promised by the democratic opposition.