Bob Menendez

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson), in recognition of the gentleman's strong concerns about this issue and that it is his birthday, even though he is going to speak in opposition.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 5 minutes. Mr. Chairman, the winds of change are blowing in Africa. From the end of apartheid in South Africa to the successful democratic transition of power in Botswana, tremendous economic growth in Uganda, infrastructure improvements in Ghana, the privatization of formerly state-owned industries in Mozambique, and growing stock markets in Zimbabwe and Ghana, African nations are taking the requisite steps to shed Africa's media image of poverty and conflict and recast Africa as a new frontier for investors. Today, a majority of sub-Saharan Africa's 48 countries have adopted market-oriented economic and political reforms, including open markets, privatizing industries, stabilizing their currencies, and simply making their countries more investor friendly. As President Clinton noted, there really is a dynamic new Africa out there. African nations are looking to enhance trade, not aid, to foster their economic development and political stability. While trade cannot supplant aid entirely, at least not yet, trade is a missing link in the final leg of U.S. policy towards the continent. The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act is America's response to positive changes in Africa, and it seeks to harness Africa's potential in a manner which benefits Africans and Americans. Africa is already an important trading partner for the United States. Our exports to Africa have grown 14 percent over the last 2 years and are now more than $6 billion annually. Exports from my own home State of New Jersey to sub-Saharan Africa are more than $200 million. In fact, exports to Africa are 27 percent greater than our exports to all of the former Soviet Union combined. When former Secretary Ron Brown traveled to Africa, he pointed out that while investment in Africa was sometimes more difficult than your average foreign investment, it also yields a greater than average return on direct investment, about 25 percent, compared with 8.5 percent for direct investment worldwide. In 1995, the World Bank estimates that sub-Saharan Africa's GDP grew by 4 percent. Thirty countries reported growth over 3 percent, and four countries, Uganda, Angola, Malawi and Lesotho, grew by more than 10 percent. Many countries have embraced political and economic reforms which are encouraging foreign investors to look at new investment in the continent. This legislation provides opportunities both for Africans and for Americans. The bill is a comprehensive program. Not only will it facilitate trade and investment, but it is a landmark piece of legislation because it places new emphasis on the importance of Africa to America, and as a result, it will engage Americans and American businesses in Africa. Before the 1990s, Africa was an ideological Cold War battleground where U.S. policy focused largely on promoting Cold War interests and responding to imminent humanitarian concerns. Africa's tremendous economic potential was ignored. This legislation says, no more. More economic opportunity means less poverty, less emergency humanitarian relief, more peace. Less likely to have U.S. troops deployed to end mass slaughters, we can save money and we can make money as trading partners; we can limit the risk to American lives and also, ultimately, we can encourage greater stability and peace within Africa itself. And that is good for Africans. That is a win-win situation. We are ready for a new era in America's policy toward Africa. With the passage of this legislation, we will launch that era, an era where America wholeheartedly embraces Africa, its people and its enormous wealth of opportunity, an era in which we pursue policies that seek to improve the lives of Africans as part of our policy, not just as an afterthought. I urge my colleagues to support this historic opportunity for America and Africa by supporting this legislation. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Wynn).

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Berman). (Mr. BERMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings).

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne).

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), a member of the subcommittee who has traveled quite extensively in Africa, and spent a lot of time and effort in his dedication to the continent and to bringing all of our countries together.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, could the Chair advise what time remains on both sides?

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson).

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), the ranking Democrat on the committee and a strong proponent of the bill.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield 6 minutes and 30 seconds to the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), whom I traveled with to Africa.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to two outstanding individuals, Ms. Kyoko Ina and Mr. Jason Dungjen, in recognition of their incredible talents and accomplishments throughout their brilliant careers which culminated with their arrival in Nagano, Japan at the 1998 Winter Olympics. They are an example that the American dream is alive and well. Ms. Kyoko Ina was born in Tokyo, Japan on October 11, 1972. She comes from a long tradition of athletes in her family. Ms. Ina's father was a 1924 Olympic track competitor, her grandmother played tennis at Wimbledon, and her mother is an Asian Games swimming champion. Her interests include jet skiing, horseback riding, tennis and car racing. It is an honor to have Ms. Ina's hometown of Guttenberg, New Jersey as part of my district. Mr. Jason Dungjen, whose hometown is Nanuet, New York, was born in Detroit, Michigan on September 28, 1967. He won the U.S. Junior Pair Title in 1983 and finished second at the 1984 World Junior Championships with his sister, Susan. Ms. Ina and Mr. Dungjen began skating at the ages of 4 and 11 respectively. Together they train in the town of Monsey, New York with the help of their coach, Mr. Peter Burrows, and choreographer Ms. Tatiana Tarasova. Ms. Ina and Mr. Dungjen have participated in numerous competitions including the National and World Championships. It is an honor to have two such distinguished individuals who worked hard for their dreams and inspired the residents in my district and throughout America. I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Kyoko Ina and Jason Dungjen who epitomize the good that can be accomplished when two people work together for a common goal.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate James C. Garito for being named the 1998 Man of the Year for the Bayonne Chapter of Unico. Throughout his life, Jim has been a tireless servant to the community of Bayonne. As a member of the United States Marine Corps, he fought courageously in the invasion of Iwo Jima and earned the Bronze Star in 1945. Since his military service, Jim has served as president of the Holy Name Society and Chairman of the annual carnival at Our Lady of Assumption Church. He has been the executive director of the Bayonne Parking Authority since 1963 and is a past president of the Bayonne Board of Education. He was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame and in honor of his countless civic and community activities, Jim was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by the New Jersey State Legislature. Jim will be joined by his wife, Dorothy, and his three children Michael, Kathleen, and Christina, as he is honored by Unico at a dinner reception at the Richfield Regency in Verona on March 7, 1998.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate John J. Hurley, Jr., for being selected as the Grand Marshal of the 1998 Bayonne St. Patrick's Day Parade. John Hurley was honored as Grand Marshal on March 1st at the Hi-Hat Caterers in Bayonne. Leo Hurley, Fran Dugan, James Gillespie and Kathleen Munn are also being recognized at the brunch as the Marshal's aides during the parade. Mr. Hurley has always given back to his community and honored his Irish cultural ties. He is a charter member of the St. Peter's College Knights of Columbus Council, a former Trustee of the Middletown Townhouse Association, a past vice-president of Ireland 32, a member of the County Corkmen's Association of Bayonne, and a Life Member of the Bayonne St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee. Mr. Hurley's Irish heritage can be traced back to County Cork on his father's side and County Longford on his mother's. He is married to Lorraine Decio of Jersey City and has two children, Megan Marie Hurley and John Brian Hurley.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the city of Elizabeth, New Jersey for receiving the 1998 Community Empowerment Award from the National Association of State Development Agencies (NASDA) for developing the nation's most successful Urban Enterprise Zone. The city's UEZ program, which is administered by the Elizabeth Development Company, beat out more than 3,000 eligible zone program participants from 40 states for the honor. The award will be presented February 26th at the annual NASDA Awards Luncheon in Washington, D.C. In five years Elizabeth's UEZ program has generated over $30 million in revenue. In addition, the program has helped jump start over $500 million in economic development and provide more than 6,000 jobs for the region. In the future, the program expects to add 5,000 more jobs with the development of the New Jersey Gardens MetroMall. Elizabeth's UEZ program is a model for how targeted sales and business tax cuts coupled with effective community programs can serve to spur growth in our urban areas. This nationally renowned program has attracted such visitors as Boston Mayor Tom Menino and has brought innovative approaches to nurturing relationships between private and public sector agencies. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped make this program so successful. I would especially like to congratulate Elizabeth Mayor Christopher Bollwage; Executive Director of the Elizabeth Development Company, Ed Kolling; Deputy Executive Director of the EDC, Bill O'Dea; Planning Director, George Devanney; UEZ Coordinator, Don Devanney; Senior Project Coordinator, Don Goncalves and Community Relations Coordinator, Dave Strochak.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green). (Mr. GREEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, with H.R. 1428, which I call ``the voter suppression and antivoter privacy act,'' Republicans are proving that they are the party of big, prying and intrusive government. Republicans want the Social Security Administration, the INS, the Justice Department to run background checks and share private information on American citizens who simply want to register to vote. Unless things have changed since I was in law school, Americans have the right to vote without going through a security check by ``big brother'' government. Why would Republicans do this? Maybe it is that they just finished blowing a million taxpayers' dollars in a 14-month investigation in the Loretta Sanchez case that they could not prove. What is next in the Republican plan? Will the FBI run checks on everyone who gets a driver's license? Will Social Security recipients be fingerprinted by the INS? And who will be targeted by the Republican efforts? Americans of Hispanic descent and other minorities who have common last names often found on immigration lists and who simply do not look like our typical mode. We have to make it more convenient for our citizens to vote, not more difficult and intimidating. If that scares Republicans, more working families mean fewer Republican votes.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the distinguished gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) not only for yielding, but for all of his work on behalf of not only the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Sanchez), but our community, which looks at this case with great, great interest. Mr. Speaker, the dismissal of this witch hunt is a victory for justice and integrity and respect for the electoral process. It is a victory for the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Sanchez) and the people of California's 46th District who elected her. It is also a victory for the Hispanic American community who stuck together and fought this battle, despite attacks on our privacy, on our honor, and on our very citizenship, our citizenship. They underestimated how much that meant to us, those of us from families who came here fleeing political persecution, or from nations without basic rights know and honor the value of our vote. That truth was on our side, and that truth won out. Mr. Speaker, 15 months ago, Bob Dornan claimed a vast conspiracy of voter fraud stole that election from him, but the California Secretary of State did not find any evidence to proof his charges, a grand jury in Orange County did not find enough proof to issue a single indictment in the case. The exhaustive taxpayer-funded $1 million, 14-month investigation produced no ultimate proof to overturn the election, and the Republican-dominated oversight committee itself was forced to recommend dismissing the charges because there was not enough evidence to back up Mr. Dornan's outrageous charges. One would think that all of these facts would be enough for Republicans to admit that Mr. Dornan's claims were simply false. Instead, in this resolution, Republicans blame various government agencies and officials, from the INS to the U.S. Justice Department, as well as various witnesses in the case, for preventing them from getting the proof they needed. I have another, more rational explanation for the lack of evidence. It does not exist. That is the reality, and that is why Hispanic Americans across the country are today rejoicing in this decision but not forgetting in November about what some in this House tried to do to our basic rights.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding scientist, Mr. Melvin E. Kamen, who will be honored as an ``Inventor of the Year'' by the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame at their 10th Annual Awards Banquet on Thursday, February 12, 1998, at the William Hazell Center at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, NJ. Mr. Kamen, Chief Research Scientist for Revlon, has been with the company for 28 years. Prior to his association with Revlon, Mr. Kamen was the president and chief chemist of New Jersey-based Kamco Chemical Industries. he is recognized for his work in developing ENVIROGLUV, a revolutionary new glass decorating technology. He holds memberships in several professional organizations, including the American Institute of Chemists and American Oil Chemist Society, as well as the New York Academy of Science and the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators. Mr. Kamen, a resident of Highlands, NJ, is Senior Vice President of Advanced Technology at the Revlon Research Center in Edison. Mr. Kamen spent 10 years developing and refining the ENVIROGLUV process. This process eliminates any heavy metals, solvents and volatile organic compounds from the glass decorating process. ENVIROGLUV provides both an economic and environmentally sound alternative that is superior to conventional glass decorating methods. This technology is touted as one of the biggest breakthroughs in the glass decorating business in 100 years. Revlon Technologies is the technology licensing division of Revlon, Inc., a worldwide leader in the development and marketing of cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, personal care and professional products. The division's first product is ENVIROGLUV which uses patented and proprietary inks in a glass decorating technology based on ultraviolet light rather than old-fashion heat curing ovens. The process offers superior color, greater speed and flexibility, reduced manufacturing costs and environmental benefits. It is an honor to recognize Mr. Melvin E. Kamen for his outstanding accomplishments. I am certain that my colleagues will join me in paying tribute to this remarkable gentleman.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, there are those who would like to make this debate and passage of this bill a referendum on whether or not we honor and respect President Reagan's service to the Nation. So let me say up front, while I may not agree with many of President Reagan's policies, I honor and respect his committed and dedicated service to his fellow citizens. I believe most us here today do feel that way. But, unfortunately, this legislation is not about honoring his service. It is about honoring his politics. And there is a difference. The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Barr), the sponsor of this legislation, supported the bill by saying, quote, ``It is only fit that this gateway to the city that still enjoys the Reagan legacy of smaller government and lower taxes be named after this American hero.'' Former Governor Allen of Virginia was quoted in The Washington Post as saying, quote, ``He noted with relish that, with the new name, generations of lawmakers would be greeted by a memorial to a famous opponent of Federal spending.'' Honoring service is not a controversial matter. Honoring politics is. We need look no further than how this legislation is being viewed to tell how this effort is perceived. It is the proponents of this bill who are doing a disservice to President Reagan by using him as a political pawn to forward a contemporary agenda. But to be consistent, if the goal is to honor President Reagan's politics, then we could at least be presented with a bill in keeping with the spirit of his work. This bill does not even do that. In fact, it does just the opposite. It would place an unfunded mandate on the local airport authority. It takes power and decisionmaking away from the local officials who run the airport to name it as they see fit. It could add costs to private sector operations ranging from airlines to travel agents, but we did not even bother to hold a single hearing to find out what these costs might be. This bill does not honor the spirit of President Reagan's work. It flies in the face of it. It defies everything he stood for, and that is why we should adopt this amendment. Worse yet, of all the times and of all the places we could choose to inject this politics over service rhetoric, using it to rename Washington National Airport is the most inappropriate of all. As its name says, Washington National Airport belongs to the Nation, to everyone, Democrat, Republican, Independent and alike, young and old, black and white, rich and poor. It welcomes visitors from around the Nation and around the world to our capital, where everyone has a say, where all views can be debated, where the majority may govern but the minority have rights, too. We have already named various institutions for President Reagan. We think that those are appropriate. But in this case, we in the minority are exercising those rights not to deny President Reagan's honorable service, but to affirm that service, not politics, is the criteria and the way an entire Nation comes together to honor a leader. This is not the way to do it. The amendment should be passed, and in its absence, in its failure, the legislation should be defeated.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, the grand jury in Orange County, with all of the available facts and documents and information at their disposal, did not find probable cause to issue even a single criminal indictment concerning voter fraud in Loretta Sanchez's victory. The Republican California Secretary of state, who well over a year ago certified Loretta Sanchez the winner after a painstaking recount, concluded in December that no new evidence warranted changing that result. In fact, listen to what Secretary Jones had to say about the so- called evidence the Republicans sent to him, and I quote, ``We don't know if they are illegal or not because we don't know the status of the individuals on the list or how the list was put together. I can't vouch for the list.'' Let me repeat that, ``I can't vouch for the list.'' Mr. Speaker, that is what we Democrats have been saying all along. This so-called evidence is useless and worthless and nothing more than an attack on Hispanic voters in the Nation. It is time to end this investigation and the enormous amount of taxpayer dollars spent.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, last month Mr. Sassou-Nguesso was sworn in as the President of the Republic of Congo after seizing power from the democratically elected government with the help of the Angolan military, and with virtually no opposition from the international community. When President Lissouba testified before the Committee on International Relations last week, he made it very clear that the Angolan intervention was a decisive factor in the deposing of his government. This resolution addresses three important issues: First, the Angolan government military's incursion into the Republic of Congo to help unseat the democratically elected government of Pascal Lissouba; second, the lackadaisical response from the international community, including the the United States government, to Angola's actions and the overthrow of the Congolese government; and third, the imposition of sanctions upon UNITA by the U.N. Security Council, without regard or mention of the Angolan government's violations of the Lusaka Protocol. Unlike the situation in the former Zaire, where now President Kabila unseated longtime dictator Mbutu, Angola has helped to unseat a democratically elected President in the Republic of Congo. The United States' response has been woefully inadequate. The United States should be calling for the restoration of the democratically-elected government of Pascal Lissouba, but instead it is pursuing a policy of working with former dictator Nguesso as if he had a legitimate mandate from the Congolese people. On October 30, the United States agreed to support the imposition of sanctions on UNITA for failure to comply with its obligations under the Lusaka Protocol. This decision was made despite the fact that UNITA has made significant progress in moving towards many of the benchmarks established by earlier Security Council resolutions. But even more disconcerting is the fact that the decision was made despite the fact that the government of Angola violated the Lusaka Protocol, that is, invading the Congolese, not to mention the United Nations and Organization of African Unity charters, by overthrowing the freely-elected government of the Congo. Moreover, during the month of October the government took several provocative military actions against UNITA, also in violation of the Lusaka Protocol, failed to honor a commitment to meet with Dr. Savimbi, and snubbed Ambassador Richardson on his visit to Angola, the purpose of which was to move the peace process forward. It is disingenuous to sanction UNITA for noncompliance when the government itself has violated the Lusaka Protocol. I believe the United States needs to send a strong message to Angola by withholding further IMET assistance until Angola has fully withdrawn all troops and military assistance from the Republic of Congo. We should also give serious consideration to whether or not it is appropriate to be extending military assistance and forging military- to-military contacts with a country which is engaged in cross-border military incursions. I seriously question if it is a responsible policy to be providing Angola with such assistance in advance of the full implementation of the Lusaka Protocol and creation of a meaningful role for former UNITA members in the Angola military. Finally, we are at a critical juncture in the Angolan peace process. The Angolan government's actions in the Republic of Congo and the U.N. Security Council's imposition of sanctions are likely to hinder rather than advance the timetable for peace in Angola. We hope that that in fact does not end up being the case, but we are seriously considering it. I want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee for calling my resolution forward, which I believe is very timely. I want to thank my cosponsors. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Hastings].

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

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Payne] on a related matter, since he was unavoidably detained on the Kenya resolution, but has just come back from a trip to the whole area as one of our outstanding members in the Subcommittee on Africa. (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.