Bob Menendez

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay special tribute to Ambassador Shyamala B. Cowsik, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Washington. During Ambassador Cowsik's tenure in Washington, economic, political, and social relations between the United States and India continued to grow. She has played an important role in improving relations between the United States and India. Ambassador Cowsik represented the interests of India not only in Washington but also throughout the United States. As a member of the Congressional Caucus on Indian and Indian-Americans, I had an opportunity to work with her closely on several occasions. Her good work contributed to more Members of this body becoming aware of the importance of a strong U.S.-Indo relationship. Members of the Indian-American community in my district and in New Jersey spoke highly of their dealings with the Ambassador and the service they received from the Mission. Ambassador Cowsik has had a long and distinguished career in India's Foreign Service, and she is one of its highest serving women. Previously, she served in the Philippines, Thailand, and the former Yugoslavia. I hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating her for her service to India and Indian-Americans, and in wishing her success in her new position as Ambassador to Cyprus.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to two outstanding corporations, East Coast Warehouse & Distribution and Safeway Trucking Corp. On November 2, 1997, Mr. Roy A. Lebovitz will help celebrate these two milestones--the 40th anniversary of East Coast Warehouse and the 43d anniversary of Safeway Trucking--with an enjoyable evening of dinner and dancing at the Holiday Inn North's Grant Ballroom in Newark, NJ. East Coast Warehouse & Distribution was incorporated nearly 40 years ago on December 11, 1957. East Coast Warehouse grew from its beginnings with 125 thousand square feet of warehouse space and 25 employees to have more than 1.4 million square feet of space and more than 200 employees. Mr. Roy A. Lebovitz, who was born in Newark, NJ on December 14, 1932, became the corporation president, and vice president of the sister company, Safeway Trucking Corp. on March 10, 1962. He graduated with a bachelors degree in business administration from Upsala College in 1955. Mr. Lebovitz and his lovely wife Barbara were married on February 21, 1959. They have five children, Amy, Sheri, Jane, Beth, and Marc, and five grandchildren. Mr. Lebovitz served in the U.S. Army form 1955 to 1957 prior to beginning his work for Safeway Trucking and East Coast Warehouse. Mr. Lebovitz also founded successful warehousing operations in Texas and Canada, employing an additional 130 staffers along the way. Over the years, these corporations have created partnerships with the residents of the community of Union County. The leadership and commitment of the administration, office staff and aides, warehouse staff, supervisors and managers, and all corporation drivers have contributed to this great American success story. It is a great pleasure to honor and recognize the outstanding dedication and service of Mr. Roy A. Lebovitz; and East Coast Warehouse and Safeway Trucking, on their anniversaries.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of the privileges of the House, and I offer a resolution (H. Res. 290) pursuant to clause 2 of rule IX.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. MENENDEZ. And further parliamentary inquiry. What notice will the Member receive that the resolution will be forthcoming?

Mr. MENENDEZ. Further parliamentary inquiry, is it my understanding that it can be no later than Thursday of this week, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. MENENDEZ. Am I to understand the Speaker to say that by Thursday of this week that this resolution would be brought to the floor?

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2 of rule IX, I hereby give notice of my intention to offer a resolution which raises a question of the privileges of the House. The form of the resolution is as follows: Whereas Loretta Sanchez was issued a certificate of election as the duly elected Member of Congress from the 46th District of California by the Secretary of State of California and was seated by the U.S. House of Representatives on January 7, 1997; and Whereas A Notice of Contest of Election was filed with the Clerk of the House by Mr. Robert Dornan on December 26, 1996; and Whereas the allegations made by Mr. Robert Dornan have been found to be largely without merit, including his charges of improper voting from a business, rather than a residential address; underage voting; double voting; and charges of unusually large numbers of individuals voting from the same address. It was found that those accused of voting from the same address included a Marines barracks and the domicile of nuns; that business addresses were legal residences for the individuals, including the zoo keeper of the Santa Ana Zoo; that duplicate voting was by different individuals; and that those accused of underage voting were of age; and Whereas the Committee on House Oversight has issued unprecedented subpoenas to the Immigration and Naturalization Service to compare their records with Orange County voter registration records, the first time in any election in the history of the United states that the INS has been asked by Congress to verify the citizenship of voters; and Whereas the privacy rights of United States citizens have been violated by the Committee's improper use of those INS records; Whereas the INS itself has questioned the validity and accuracy of the Committee's use of INS documents; Whereas the INS has complied with the Committee's request and, at the Committee's request, has been doing a manual check of its paper files and providing worksheets containing supplemental information on that manual check to the Committee on House Oversight for over five months; and Whereas the Committee on House Oversight, subpoenaed the records seized by the District Attorney of Orange County on February 13, 1997 and has received and reviewed all records pertaining to registration efforts of that group; and Whereas the Members of the House Oversight Committee are now seeking a duplicate and dilatory review of materials already in the Committee's possession by the Secretary of State of California; and Whereas the Task Force on the Contested Election in the 46th District of California and the Committee have been reviewing these materials and have all the information they need regarding who voted in the 46th District and all the information they need to make a judgment concerning those votes; and Whereas the Committee on House Oversight has after over 9 months of review and investigation failed to produce or present any credible evidence sufficient to change the outcome of the election of Congresswoman Sanchez and is now, in place of producing such credible evidence, pursuing never ending and unsubstantiated areas of review; and Whereas, Contestant Robert Dornan has after nearly 1 year not shown or provided any credible evidence sufficient to demonstrate that the outcome of the election is other than Congresswoman Sanchez's election to the Congress; and Whereas the Committee on House Oversight should complete its review of this matter and bring this contest to an end and now therefore be it: Resolved, that unless the Committee on House Oversight has sooner reported a recommendation for its final disposition, the contest in the 46th District of California is dismissed upon the expiration of October 31, 1997.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to join the ranks of many of my colleagues who have taken time this month to focus on the terrible disease of breast cancer--its human costs as well as its economic costs; and the steps we are taking to combat it. While breast cancer can strike both men and women, it is women who are most frequently its victims. Last year, an estimated 182,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 46,000 died of this disease. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer for women. In my State of New Jersey, there are 98,000 women living with breast cancer. Many do not even know that they have the disease. This year alone, 1,600 New Jersey women will die of breast cancer. Mr. Speaker, breast cancer is an epidemic in our country. Every 3 minutes a woman is diagnosed with it; and every 11 minutes a woman dies from it. It costs our Nation $6 billion every year in medical costs and lost productivity. With these numbers, I am amazed that we are not dedicating more resources to learn more about the causes of breast cancer and to find a cure. If you do not now know someone who has died from breast cancer or who is presently fighting it, you may be assured that at some point in your life, you will. Breast cancer strikes one in eight women, and is most common in women over age 65. In 1991, the Medicare Program began covering biennial screening mammograms. However, in 1991-92, only 37 percent of female beneficiaries aged 65 and over received a Medicare-paid mammogram. This year Congress included in the budget expanded Medicare coverage for mammograms with the deductible waived for these screenings. It is imperative that women take advantage of this covered service. Early diagnosis is essential for successful treatment of this disease. Self- examination, and annual mammograms can save lives. This year, the Pentagon's spending bill includes $160 million for breast cancer research and related treatment. The bulk of this appropriation will go toward the Army's peer-reviewed research program, which focuses on innovation; and encourages new investigators to enter the field of breast cancer research, as well as foster multidisciplinary approaches to this research. The Health and Human Services appropriations bill presently working its way through the Congress, has a House-passed level of $145 million for breast and cervical cancer screenings. The bill also contains language urging the National Cancer Institute [NCI] to strengthen its commitment to breast cancer research and to maintain support for the implementation of the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer. In the House we need to pass legislation which will offer concrete assistance to victims of breast cancer. There are proposals pending in the House which will first, guarantee a minimum hospital stay of 48 hours for a woman having a mastectomy; which will second, guarantee that insurance companies will cover the cost of reconstructive breast surgery resulting from mastectomies for which coverage is already provided; which will third, guarantee that no insurance plan will be allowed to deny coverage to women for annual mammograms for women aged 40 and over. We need to pass these measures. And, most important, we need to increase the amount of money we allocate for breast cancer research in this country. Mr. Speaker, to borrow from a well-known television commercial, these women are our wives, daughters, mothers, grandmothers, and aunts. We must do everything we possibly can to eliminate this disease, which devastates so many lives and families each year.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the founding family and faithful members of the St. John's Baptist Church of Jersey City, NJ. On October 25, 1997, at the Newark Airport Hilton in Elizabeth, NJ, the church will celebrate its 68th anniversary of service. St. John's Baptist Church was inspired and founded by Rev. Franklin Saunders, Deacons B.J. Johnson and George Bedtison, and a handful of faithful members in 1929. That same year, the newly established church at 121 York Street in Jersey City, NJ was incorporated by the State of New Jersey. Before settling in to its current location at 525 Bramhall Avenue in 1948, the church relocated three times within Jersey City: The corner of Monmouth and Grand Streets, 291 Grand Street, and 70 Monticello Avenue. The latter purchase, during the Depression in 1936, required two men of substantial employment--Deacons Johnson and Bedtison as signatories on a note for $4008 to qualify for purchase of that property. The church has not only survived for 68 years but also thrived, while enriching the community. The church's numerous humanitarian public service projects and the friendly nature of its members has helped make Jersey City and the surrounding area a better place to live. For 68 years, members and clergy have worked diligently to ensure the success of the church and the community. Among the faithful St. John's members and contributors over the years are Reverend Sammie Hawkins, Jr., Reverend Brawner, Associate Ministers Reverend Richard Hare and Leroy Witcher and Reverend R.L. Williams. Reverend Hawkins, the church's new administrator, originally from East Dublin, GA arrived permanently on December 28, 1990 with his lovely wife, Sister Latichal Hawkins, and daughters, Ebony and Valerie. It is an honor to have such an outstanding congregation in my district. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing the excellent work of the St. John's Baptist Church.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey's 7th annual convention and exhibition which is geared toward putting small businesses on the road to success. On October 24, 1997, the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce [SHCC] will host the Annual Expo Trade Show at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel in East Rutherford, NJ. The seventh annual convention and exhibition will recognize the efforts and contributions of business owners, CEO's and other top management from both large and small Hispanic businesses throughout the State. This year's theme and challenge are ``Partnering for Success.'' Among the several innovations and workshops are commercial loan approvals, on-line networking and marketing, maximizing office efficiency through computer technology, business start-up, expansion, and exporting. The SHCC has been integral in New Jersey realizing an 87 percent growth of Hispanic business over the past 10 years. They have also helped generate 128,000 jobs and helped produce $1.5 million in business alone. It is reassuring to know that organizations like SHCC continue to foster growth and provide leadership to Hispanic businesses as we approach the 21st century. The SHCC is a voluntary membership network of several Hispanic chambers of commerce and professional business associations across New Jersey and the Philadelphia area. The organization aims to identify and communicate the needs of the Hispanic business community by increasing relations with the corporate sector, influencing legislation, policies and programs that have a positive impact on the business community, providing leadership and support for excellence in education for future business leaders, and providing technical assistance to Hispanic businesses, professional associations, and entrepreneurs through regional meetings, seminars, conferences and annual state conventions. I asked my colleagues to join me in recognizing the outstanding annual event of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey. I commend their accomplishments and all they have done for Hispanic businesses throughout my home State of New Jersey.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an honored citizen, Mr. Frank Carine, who has served the community of Bayonne and Hudson County for many years. The Sicilian Citizens Club will honor Mr. Carine on October 25, 1997, at the organization's 70th Anniversary Dinner-Dance at Villa Nova in Bayonne, NJ. Mr. Frank Carine was born in Bayonne where he has lived all his life. He graduated from local schools and attended Mount Saint Mary's College in Emmitsburg, MD, Seton Hall University and St. Peter's College. He also received certification from the University of Wisconsin School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Mr. Carine is a life long parishioner of Our Lady of Assumption Church. He is an Army veteran of the Korean era and resides in Bayonne with his wife, Margaret. He is the son of Lillian and the late Nicholas Carine, and has three children, Frank Jr., Beth Ann Taraba, and Jill Ripp and five grandchildren. Mr. Carine's professional career included service at the Western Electric in Kearny, where he is an honorary member of Local 1470 IBEW AFL-CIO. He has extensive experience in organized labor, negotiations, and contracts. He is an active member of many local clubs and organizations. Mr. Carine is present leader and past president of the Sicilian Citizens Club of Bayonne, president of the Sons of Italy Del Monte Lodge, a member of the Catholic War Veterans Post 1612, Korean War Veterans, Telephone Pioneers of America, and the Bayonne Columbus Committee. He is currently employed as a special deputy in the office of the Hudson County Register. It is an honor and a pleasure to be able to recognize the dedicated service of Mr. Frank Carine to his community. Once again, I offer my congratulations to Mr. Carine for being named Sicilian Citizens Club of Bayonne's ``Honoree of the Year'' and for offering his time and kindness to those in the community. I am certain that my colleagues will join me in paying tribute to this remarkable gentleman.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding educational program, the Spanish speaking program of Kean University--which has served the needs of the growing population of adults in the community. On October 25, 1997, the Spanish speaking program of Kean University will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a dinner-dance celebration at Kean University, college center cafeteria in New Jersey. The Spanish speaking program was founded in 1972 to respond to the needs of Hispanic students who needed to achieve greater proficiency in English to pursue a college education. The program has played a very important role in the academic and personal development of the Hispanic student population and the Hispanic community itself. The Spanish speaking program has provided a clear pathway for students to progress into the regular curriculum. The Spanish speaking program is administered by a dedicated group of professionals under the guidance of Dr. Ronald L. Applbaum, president, and Dr. Orlando Edreira, director. For two decades, this program has been meeting the needs of limited English proficient Hispanics. This program was the first of its kind in U.S. higher education, and it has provided opportunity and access to more than 5,000 students in its 25- year history. The program provides an environment for the fostering of pride and reward for personal dedication and accomplishment. It is an honor and a pleasure to be part of this celebration and also be able to recognize the dedication and commitment of the Spanish speaking program. Communication is now more important than ever. Being able to know more than one language is no longer a privilege, but a necessity. I am certain that my colleagues will join me in paying tribute to this remarkable program.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, in this regard, let me just say, I know there are those, including someone who called my office and said, watching the debate, he said, this is not about ethnicity, it is about fraud. My problem with that statement is, yes, it is about fraud, alleged fraud which is not proven after a year, and hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers' money. But it is about ethnicity when you target exclusively those with surnames that are either Hispanic or Asian. Those are the groups whose names are being pursued. Is that not amazing, that those are the individuals who are being pursued? Yet, if we do not want to face up to that hard reality, that of all of the registered voters that could exist and of all of those who did vote, that the only names that they pursue are those who are overwhelmingly Hispanic or Asian, the fact of the matter is that it certainly gives rise that you are pursuing a suspect class of individuals who you are pursuing simply because of their surname. That is the reality. That is why people across the country, even those not Americans of Hispanic descent, are disturbed, because today it is about a certain ethnic group, and tomorrow it could be about a certain religious group or it could be about some other ethnic group, or some other form of determining a class of individuals who we now want to seek to suppress. The Republicans know that this is a problem for them. Just recently the Republican National Committee has created a new majority council to highlight Republican issues that would be popular with the Hispanic community. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, and 31 other Republicans have signed on to the effort. But even a local newspaper here on Capitol Hill called ``The Hill'' said the following in its editorial: But when it comes to Hispanic voters, the GOP has a huge monkey on its back. Its efforts to oust Representative Loretta Sanchez, the California Democrat who defeated Bob Dornan, the eccentric Republican who claims she stole the election, Dornan provides a weak foundation on which to base a political campaign. It goes on to say: House Republicans should follow the lead of their Senate counterparts, who dropped their effort to oust Senator Mary Landrieu, whose Republican opponent claimed she stole the election. House Republicans should cut their losses and see their standing in the Hispanic community dramatically improve. But they have chosen not only not to do that, but they have not chosen to bring I think the type of decency and honesty to the process that could give those people credibility in believing, well, it is taking longer than it should, but at the end of the road we believe in the process. It cannot when you deny the minority opportunities, and it cannot when we heard the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Sanchez] talk about the many times she has been denied information, as one of the contestants in this issue. It cannot when we only see that Hispanic and Asian surnames are being pursued. If it is all right to ask someone named Sanchez or Gutierrez or some other Hispanic surname to prove their citizenship, why do not Republicans go and seek to ask other individuals their citizenship, as well? The bottom line is, that is not what they are doing. I have many, many new immigrants to my congressional district whose surnames are from European nations. We do not question those surnames as to whether or not that individual is a citizen or not. So the fact of the matter is when some people say you are talking and trying to create a question of ethnicity, we are not trying to create that, that has been created by the Republican majority of the committee, how they have pursued this, the procedures that they have followed, the fact that the only names being pursued are those of Hispanic and Asian descent, and overwhelmingly so. So it is no question that the Hispanic community nationwide is looking at the 40 Republican Members of Congress who have over 10 percent of their voting population in their districts, who are from the Hispanic community, and saying, how are these people representing my interests? How are they standing up for me as an American of a certain ethnic group? Certainly today, after today's vote, they are concerned. That is what we heard in phone calls subsequent to this vote today. I think that as the next 2 weeks approach, we are going to find ourselves with another opportunity. I would hope that our colleagues would understand that the precedent being set here today about the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Sanchez) is a precedent that can easily be applied to someone else. If simply the allegation of fraud a year later, without the proof of fraud sufficient to overturn the results of the election, can keep a Member dangling, and the congressional district that they represent in terms of those voters wondering whether or not this person is their Representative by the mere allegation of fraud, and no proof, hundreds of thousands of dollars later, and ultimately, if you can seek to nullify their votes by taking that person's seat away, then the message that will be sent is a very chilling one for the community, and it is also a very chilling one for every Member of this House. Because in next year's election cycle, when individuals, and there have been many individuals here who have won by much less than 900 votes, and their challenger simply claims fraud, and that is sufficient to go ahead and keep them out there for that whole period of time without proof of fraud sufficient to overturn the election, it becomes a dangerous precedent, not only for this institution, for the Members, but more importantly, for our democratic process. We have a right to a speedy determination of whether or not an individual has been duly elected. Yes, we should take the time to make sure that that person is duly elected, but one year and several hundreds of thousands of dollars later, and with a process that is flawed and that continues to be flawed, where the minority is deprived of rights and where one of the contestants is deprived of rights and information, as we witnessed here today, and heard from her here today, that is an outrage. That outrage will be felt across the land over the next 2 weeks.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his participation and for his position. It is always a great situation when Members who are not directly involved, in terms of being from California or being Americans of Hispanic descent, are willing to come out and speak for justice in this process. I appreciate the gentleman's being here with us.

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, earlier today we had a resolution on the floor that unfortunately did not achieve success but should have. Almost 6 months ago, the Los Angeles Times stated that, quote, it is time to wrap up the House inquiry, unquote, which, quote, has produced no evidence that Congresswoman Sanchez' victory, which was in the 46th District of California, was the result of electoral fraud. That is the Los Angeles Times of April 22 of this year. Echoing this was a Washington Post editorial that noted that in the Dornan-Sanchez case, quote, no credible evidence has yet been offered that votes were affected in sufficient numbers to alter the outcome of the race. Washington Post, July 28 of this year. Just recently, again the Los Angeles Times pointed out, quote, there has been no evidence yet that Sanchez benefited from fraudulent votes, and the next regularly scheduled election is only 14 months away. That was back on September 23, 1997. Yet despite all of these independent statements by all of these newspapers who are looking at the facts and circumstances as they have unfolded since the election took place last November, the fact of the matter is that Republicans continue to drag out this process. They have done so with hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer moneys having been spent, and yet no clear and convincing evidence, no preponderance of evidence, no evidence beyond a reasonable doubt being presented to substantiate that Congresswoman Sanchez' election should not be upheld. It is clear to many of us why Republicans continue to pursue this matter. This is an all-out effort to intimidate and harass new citizens and those with foreign surnames and stop them from voting. This is plain from the fact that Republicans are not checking the citizenship of voters in any other close election across the country. As the President of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters has noted, the committee investigation is, quote, being carried out in ways that may intimidate future voters. Limiting access to the voting booth has been the plan all along. Just after the election, the Los Angeles Times reported that, quote, Dornan has said his Republican colleagues are seeking a case to use in challenging voter registration procedures nationwide. In targeting this election, Republicans have selected a seat where Hispanic voting played a vital role in the outcome of the election. Republicans have every reason to hope that Hispanic and other minority voters stay home at election time, and that is because in 1996 Hispanic Americans voted in larger numbers than ever before, with the number of Latino registered voters increasing nearly 30 percent from 1992 to 1996 to more than 6.6 million nationwide. They supported Democrats by a significant margin in 1996. So there is a reason, a good founded reason why the Republican Party seeks to intimidate and suppress that vote. Voter fraud allegations must be vigorously pursued and prosecuted, but is not the U.S. attorney, who is investigating the matter, are the State officials and local officials who are already on the case not more than enough to investigate it? Are all the use of taxpayer dollars in all of those separate investigations in and of itself not enough to vigorously pursue and prosecute the case? Unfortunately, these actions in the House are consistent with a history of Republican Party efforts at the polls to intimidate voters in minority districts. For example, Republicans have an 8-year history in southern California of intimidating Latino voters at the polls. The Republican Party paid approximately $600,000 to settle two voting intimidation cases, one stemming from 1988 and 1989 in which the Orange County Republican Party placed security guards and signs at the voting polls designed to scare Latino voters. Because of this track record of voter harassment, in 1992 the Justice Department had to monitor elections because again there were complaints of Republican voter intimidation. Those are not the only places in the Nation, but particularly as it relates to the question of the election in the 46th District of California, it is relevant because there is a history as it relates to Orange County and the Republican Party's attempts to suppress the voters. But even though we agree that we have got to try to pursue and root out voter fraud, the bottom line is what has been the procedure? And speaking to Members of the minority who serve on the committee, the fact is they have a list of procedural outrages that have taken place by the majority. From the outset, the majority has disregarded the rights of the minority on the committee. It has made decisions for the task force without notifying or consulting the minority. The majority has failed to provide motions and other filings to the minority. The majority denied the minority access to materials provided by the INS and the Orange County registrar. The majority reviewed materials produced to the committee under seal without notifying the minority. The majority's handling of the discovery process has been unfair to Congresswoman Sanchez. The majority's decision to give Mr. Dornan subpoena authority again is unprecedented under the Contested Elections Act. Yet the majority permitted Mr. Dornan to issue subpoenas for more than 2 months after his discovery period expired and then cut off discovery for Ms. Sanchez without having notified her that her discovery period ever began. So we give the proponent of the election contest two months more than he was legally entitled to, but we never tell the subject of the election contest that her discovery period ever began and then we cut it off. The majority has made repeated unilateral demands for information from the INS. The majority provided information to the INS, but concealed it from the minority. What is this INS information that keeps being used to create the aura, to create the cloud, to suggest that there is fraud that should be pursued? What is being done, for our colleagues to understand, is that they have taken all of the voters whose surnames appear and compared it to lists provided by the INS. Now, the problems with lists provided by the INS is that the Immigration and Naturalization Service has all of these names in which the surnames may appear a series of times. And even surnames and first names. And even surnames and first names with exactly the same birth dates. In one case, that appeared, the same name, the same birth date, the same address, over 18 times. What does the list prove? Not very much, because the only way truly of proving the question as to whether someone is a legal voter or not when the allegation is that that voter is allegedly not a citizen of the United States or was not a citizen at the time that they registered to vote is to produce proof of their citizenship. In this country, there are only two ways to prove your citizenship. One is your birth certificate. The other is, if you became a naturalized citizen through the Immigration and Naturalization Service, to produce your naturalization certificate. The lists that the INS provided, of course, have no basis for birth certificates, because it is not within their purview. Yet it does have the names of individuals who, like myself, was born in the United States and who may have claimed a family member at some time from abroad and because they simply filed that appropriate petition to claim that family member from abroad under our immigration and naturalization laws is put on this list. However, the INS cannot prove that that individual is a citizen or not because they do not in fact have what in my case would be the birth certificate. That is not their document. They have naturalization certificates. So this list is promulgated not having a basis by which you can ever make a determination. The majority on the Committee on House Oversight knows that the only way, which they simply do not want to do, and I understand why they do not want to do it, is to take the list of those who they challenge as voters and be able to pursue those voters by having each and every single individual address and prove to them whether or not they are a citizen by birth, which means a birth certificate, or a citizen by naturalization, which means a naturalization certificate. Since they are unwilling to do that, and since they know the outrage that would be generated by people with the door on their home being knocked at and saying, ``By the way, we want proof of your citizenship,'' and I am sure they would equally go and visit a Smith or a Thomas or a Dornan as they would a Sanchez or a Suarez or some other Hispanic name. People would be outraged that they would be approached and their citizenship would be questioned. This constant number that is thrown out there and these lists, which can never suffice to prove or disprove the issue at hand, 300 names we heard today in the debate were clearly now in question. Yet of those 300 names that are promoted by the Secretary of State, we heard our colleague, Congresswoman Sanchez, get up on the floor and say that she and people who had investigated the names found out that about 25 percent of them were proved, and they stopped there, proved that they were, in fact, voters. It is interesting to note the article from the Los Angeles Times dated October 8, 1997. The headline says ``Four of targeted voters prove themselves. They show they were citizens, when they registered, and denounced Dornan for falsely accusing them.'' I want to read from the article. It says, ``Four voters who were apparently targeted in a congressional investigation of election fraud stepped forward Tuesday with proof that they were U.S. citizens when they registered to vote and denounced former Representative Robert Dornan in his 11-month quest to regain his seat. `It really hurt me deep inside when I found out my name was on that list of alleged illegal voters,' said Maria Jimenez, a nurse's aide and mother of three who was born in Orange County 24 years ago. `I don't think it is fair for Bob Dornan to do this to me.' '' Continuing in the article, ``Another voter was Ramon Mascorro, a 15- year California resident and a citizen since June of 1996. He registered to vote two weeks after taking the oath.'' He said, `` `My major desire in becoming a citizen was to have the right to vote,' said Mascorro, who owns an electronic business in Santa Ana and wore a tiny U.S. flag in the lapel of his suit jacket.'' Then it goes on to talk about one of the volunteers who went through these alleged illegal voters, who said, ``I personally checked over 75 and I didn't find anybody who voted illegally,'' said Consuelo Smith, one of the volunteers. ``I found people who were born here, people who were citizens for over 20 years, but they were all citizens when they voted.'' Or Virginia Ochos, age 70, who has lived in California since 1958, raised 11 children, and became a citizen last June. Her oldest son served in Vietnam and she said, ``I feel very bad when they said I made a fraud. This is what hurts me the most.'' Or Toribio Chacon, a factory worker from Santa Ana said he became a citizen in March 1996 after taking classes. His brother-in-law, who took the oath a month earlier, also is a target of the probe. ``I am under investigation and I want to know why,'' he said. ``I didn't do anything wrong.'' The article states, ``All four said that they had not yet been contacted by investigators, congressional staff members, although their names, along with photos of their naturalization certificates and birth certificates were forwarded to the investigating Congressional committee last April.'' So the fact of the matter is, and there are many other articles like this, there is proof time and time again of individuals who were born in the United States, whose children have served in the armed forces of the United States, who are veterans of the United States, and yet constantly their citizenship can be questioned. I want to read some of the comments of some of these other people involved, what they said. These are U.S. citizens, what they said about how they are being treated. ``The right-wingers cannot have it both ways. On the one hand they complain that the IRS has wrongfully targeted many citizens for tax investigations, and, on the other hand, they take advantage of instances when the INS and other officials have wrongly targeted naturalized citizens in the exercise of our voting rights,'' said Ramon Mascorro, who is an Orange County resident targeted in the Dornan investigation, someone who is a legal citizen. ``I have worked hard, played by the rules, and become a citizen. Yet I am still investigated because of faulty data collected by the INS and used by the right-wingers to serve their political purpose,'' stated Virginia Ochoa. So, the fact of the matter is that we have a double standard. Now, what did we attempt to do in the resolution today? Very simple: We said put up or shut up. If you have the proof, proof positive, after nearly a year after the election took place, then bring it to the House floor for all of the Members to consider and to make a judgment on. We did not get that. We would like to see every name and every address, and, if it is available, every phone number of every alleged noncitizen who voted in the 46th Congressional race in November of 1996. Let us see it. What are you hiding? What is the problem? If you bring it forth, then it will be subject to being reviewed to determine whether or not, one, they are a citizen or not, and if they are proven to be, like all of these people who came forth, well, then, it is obvious that, in fact, there are going to be many people with egg on their face, because all of these people continue to come forward as citizens, continue to come forward as people who were born in the United States. Of all of those names that have come forth, we will review them all. Let us find out who is and who is not, and then we will see what the bottom line is. But why are you hiding the names? Why hide the names, unless, of course, you do not have enough names to substantiate what you would like to do, which is to steal the election from Congresswoman Sanchez. That is what we sought to do in the resolution today. Now, in that debate, it is interesting to note that there were other races at the same time that Congresswoman Sanchez got elected. There were two State assembly seats won by Republicans. We are not questioning the validity of their elections, even though one won by only 93 votes. Congresswoman Sanchez won by over 900 votes. We are questioning her election, but the Republican assembly person who got elected by 93 votes, we are not questioning them. We are not questioning the City Council races that took place in three major cities. We are not questioning any of those people who got elected, even though the same voters cast their votes at the same time. We are not questioning all of the judges who ran in that race, even though the judges were up for election at the same time in the same election and the same voters voted in that race. We are not questioning the school board races that took place at the time, even though all those school board members ran and got elected and had the election at the same time in the same election with the same voters. We are not questioning the initiatives that might be at stake in California that were on the ballot at the same time in the same election with the same voters. So none of those things that Republicans were successful on do they seek to question. Now, the fact of the matter is that we heard a lot about our responsibility. And, yes, we have a responsibility. We have a responsibility to make sure that individuals who are elected to this House are elected in free and fair elections. But we also have a responsibility to do it in a timely fashion. All we heard today from the majority is if there are enough voters to overturn it, and if there are enough questions of citizenship, and as one of our colleagues from Texas said, if we find out some day that, in fact, there were not enough votes to overturn the election, then we can clearly confirm Ms. Sanchez. Well, that is a lot of if's. And if this House can permit itself that simply claiming fraud is sufficient to have a Member hang out there for over a year, without being able to have finality, as well as for the voters of their district to have finality, that this is the person who is representing them without question, simply by the allegation of fraud, then this institution is in serious trouble, because what you will see in the next cycle of elections come next year is that someone who loses and wants to contest the election, oh, just raise fraud. Whether or not you can prove it, as they have been unable to prove it in this case, that is another matter. But just raise fraud. I want to yield at this time to a distinguished colleague of mine from Maryland, who is an attorney and I know has been pursuing the interest in this case and the questions that surround it, the gentleman from Maryland, for as much time as he may consume.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, a year was more than enough for the Iran- contra investigation to gather documents, issue subpoenas, call witnesses, hold hearings, and issue a final report on a probe that stretched into the White House, the CIA, the military and over several continents. Here it is, all 42 chapters, 690 pages of it, covering everything from detailed constitutional analysis to the tracing of complicated covert arms shipments involving several foreign governments. But the majority on the Committee on House Oversight would have us and the American people believe that nearly 1 year, the same time it took to do this, is not enough time; and after hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars, that it is not enough funding to conclude their investigation into the 46th Congressional District election. We do not accept that assertion. If Bob Dornan and the Republicans want to challenge the election, it is their burden to prove the election should be invalidated, not the burden of the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Sanchez] to prove she won the election. The Republicans and Mr. Dornan have had nearly a year to meet that burden of proof. Yes, she has been seated, but what you are doing is bleeding her of thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars. She has spent nearly a half a million dollars in legal costs just simply to maintain her process, her rights in this process. That is what you are doing to her. If you had cold, hard evidence to overturn the election, it would be in all of our hands, each and every Member of the House. But you do not. You do not have a list of voters who you can give and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt or even a preponderance of the evidence that voted illegally. Because if you did, you would not only have to invalidate her election but you would have to invalidate the election of the two assembly seats won by Republicans at the same time. One won by 93 votes in California. You would have to invalidate the municipal elections in 3 major cities. You would have to invalidate the judicial elections that were held, school board races that were held would be held in question, and even initiatives that were passed in California. Yet it is interesting that you pick on Ms. Sanchez but we remain silent about all those Republicans who won those elections and you do not question the names of individuals who allegedly voted in those elections as well. It is okay to count them towards the victory but not towards her victory. The fact of the matter is you say we do not care about finding the truth. We do. We are willing to depend upon the U.S. Attorney to pursue Hermandad and find out whatever the truth is. You say that we were not going to shift this to the Secretary of State, yet the list that you want the committee members to adhere to that you are going to provide the Secretary of State is flawed. It inaccurately portrays who is a citizen. It cannot prove who is native born or naturalized. It cannot prove that I as born in this country who might be on that list, it cannot prove my citizenship because only my birth certificate can prove that citizenship. You know, the only way to do this is to go door to door, but that would be an outrage, and so you are going to make this last forever. Everyone in this Chamber should consider the precedent that would be set if this resolution does not carry, that any Member, Republican or Democrat, engaged in a close race could spend their entire 2-year term defending a victory duly certified by their home State. The simple justice for Congresswoman Sanchez, for the people of the 46th District of California she represents and for millions of Hispanic Americans who are watching across the country, what you are doing to her and to us as a community who are waiting and watching, is to simply vote for this resolution, which says either put up or shut up. Show us the proof or end the charade. That is what the resolution asks for. That is what our colleagues should be voting for.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I object.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the members and clergy of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bayonne, NJ. This year the church is celebrating its 90th anniversary. When the church first opened its doors in 1907, it was the culmination of a dream 30 years in the making. As early as 1877, the congregation was considering the idea that they had to build a church in Bayonne. At the time, since there was no church in Bayonne, worshipers had to row across the Kill Van Kull to Staten Island, a situation which presented many hardships to the Lutherans of Bayonne. The church has not only survived for 90 years, it has also thrived, and in the process it has enriched the community. The church's numerous humanitarian public service projects and the friendly outgoing nature of the congregation's members, have helped make Bayonne and the surrounding area a better place to live. For 90 years, congregants and clergy have worked diligently to ensure the success of the church and the community. Over their long and varied history the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church relocated, expanded, built nursery and parish additions to their church building, and merged with the fellow Lutheran congregation of St. Pauls'. This important work was performed and done under the guidance, patients, and love of brave clergy who desired the best for their congregation and their community. Clergy such as the Rev. Bergwater, the ground breaking first pastor of the congregation, Revs. Willis and Clare, Rev. Schrum who built the parish house, Rev. Jaxheimer who oversaw major renovations and the historic merger with St. Paul's, and Rev. Larson who introduced new elements into the liturgy. During the past 10 years the mission of Grace Evangelical Lutheran has continued under the guidance of Pastors Ficken, Wright, and Carter. The congregation is reflective of our Nation's greatest treasure--its people. A people who are not afraid to face the future. A people that know that with perseverance anything can be achieved. It is an honor to have such an outstanding congregation in my district. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing the excellent work of Grace English Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to an outstanding family, Varda and Arnold Wendroff, who together through their tireless efforts and altruism have devoted 20 years to the workings of the Jewish Community Center in Bayonne. This year the Center will be honoring the Wendroffs at the 45th Annual Sustaining Dinner Dance on October 9, 1997 at the Jewish Community Center in Bayonne, NJ. The Jewish Community Center has been a gathering place for the entire Bayonne community for the last 45 years. The excellent nonsectarian programs are sought after by community members of all ages--2 to 102-- for nursery classes, youth basketball, concerts, lectures, a nutritious lunch program for the elderly, services for children with special needs, summer camp, children's summer theater workshop, and an adult peer learning program. Varda Wendroff is the immediate past president of the Bayonne Jewish Community Center where she demonstrated skill, generosity, and good humor throughout her successful term. She has chaired the membership, nursery school, and Holocaust remembrance committees. Varda currently serves as president of the Bayonne Jewish Community Council. In her professional life, Varda teaches German, French and ESL at Bayonne High School. She was recognized with the Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching and named in ``Who's Who Among American Teachers.'' Arnold Wendroff is vice president of the Bayonne Jewish Community Center and chairperson of the Personnel Committee. Arnold had served as chairperson of the Drama Committee and has received the Nathan Secunda Award for dedication and devotion. Professionally, Arnold is a second vice president of Chase Manhattan Bank, where he has worked for 33 years. He was the recipient of the prestigious Excalibur Award given to outstanding Chase employees. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing the outstanding work of the Bayonne Jewish Community Center and the Wendroffs, who are being honored at its Annual Sustaining Dinner. This exceptional family has shown the diligent and unselfish work which exemplifies the qualities of caring citizens working to better their community. It is an honor to have such outstanding community leaders residing in my district.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the members and officials of the Confraternidad Guinera Veintiocho de Enero. This organization, founded on the 8th of October in 1972 in Union City by Mr. Manuel Rodriguez and other residents from the town of Guines on the beautiful island of Cuba, is celebrating their 25th anniversary. The sons and daughters of Guines living in the United States have made us proud of their service and dedication on behalf of their community in Union City, NJ. This organization came together at a time when Union City, like many inner cities in the United States, was facing financial hardship because their businesses were moving to the suburbs. The Guineros, as part of the Cuban community in exile, contributed to the city's renaissance, not only in Union City, but also in the neighboring towns of North Bergen, West New York, Guttenberg, and Weehawken. It is gratifying to know that this organization brought together the sons and daughters of a land left behind and also of an entire community. I am certain my colleagues will rise with me to honor this wonderful celebration of a job well done.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding gentleman, Jose Rosario, who served as the founding father of FOCUS and contributor for the endowment of the Hispanic American community. On October 10, 1997, the Puerto Rican Congress Inc. will posthumously honor Mr. Rosario with a special reception at the Hilton in Secaucus, NJ. Mr. Rosario, born in Moca, PR, passed away on August 29, 1997, in Carolina, PR. He was a hardworking accountant and a licensed real estate agent. Before moving to New Jersey 40 years ago with his wife Phyllis, he worked for the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is through his roots and heritage that he left a legacy of determination for improving human services in the Hispanic-American community. Mr. Rosario, El Viejo as he was known to his friends, founded FOCUS, the Newark based social services agency, in 1967. Its mission was to provide education, job training, and other services for underprivileged Hispanics from the Newark area. Today, known as the Focus Hispanic Center for Community Development, the agency, led by Casto Maldonado, executive director, and Frank Morales, chairman of the FOCUS board of trustees, serves more than 9,000 clients every year through grants and donations to fund an annual budget of over $1 million. Mr. Rosario also established the New Jersey Office of Hispanic Affairs which set up the first bilingual education program in New Jersey schools and successfully pushed for passage of a law requiring Spanish interpreters in the courts. Mr. Rosario pressed for the State high school equivalency examination to be given in Spanish, helped establish the New Jersey Puerto Rican Statewide Parade Committee, and in 1977 was awarded a seton hall honorary degree in humanities or improving the way of life for Hispanics in New Jersey. I thank the Puerto Rican Congress for this tribute and it is an honor and a pleasure to recognize the accomplishments of this celebrated man. He is deeply respected for his tenacity in seeking the advancement of all Hispanic-Americans. I am certain that my colleagues will join me in paying tribute to this remarkable gentleman.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a special gentleman, Miguel Perez, who has distinguished himself through continuous dedication and hard work for the Latino community. Mr. Perez will be honored by the Bergen County Hispanic-American Advisory Commission on October 16, 1997 at the board of freeholders in Hackensack, NJ. Throughout his long career, Mr. Perez has been an educator, role model, and strong voice for the downtrodden. He entered the United States as a refugee at an early age. He didn't speak a word of English, but by the time he reached high school, he became the sports editor of the Miami High Times. This was the beginning of a long and illustrious career in the media. Mr. Perez went on to become editor of two college newspapers, including, ``The Falcon Times'' of Miami Dade Community College, which received the Pacemaker Award, given to top six college newspapers in the nation. He was also founder and first editor of the Good Times of Florida International University, where he graduated in 1974 with a bachelor's degree in political science. Mr. Perez continued his passion and advocacy for those who are ignored, misunderstood, and victims of discrimination, serving as a bridge to non-Latinos. ``Teaching important lessons about our community,'' stated Latin New York magazine, ``and tries to instill a sense of pride in Latinos.'' Mr. Perez's commitment to serving his community extends beyond his journalism. In 1979 he was instrumental in helping police persuade three Spanish speaking gunmen to release two dozen hostages held in a Brooklyn supermarket. Two years later he spent three months disguised as an illegal alien and wrote a four-part series for the Daily News on sweatshops: ``The new slavery,'' for which he was awarded the Public Service Award of the Public Relations Society of America, New York chapter. Upon graduation from Columbia, he went to work for the Daily News as one of the few English-language Latino columnists in the country at that time. In 1982 Perez won the Mike Berger Award, considered the top print journalism award in New York. This year he won a fellowship from the Newspaper Association of America to study interactive media at the prestigious Poytner Institute in St. Petersburg, FL. A journalist more than twenty-four years, born in Havana, Cuba, 47 years ago, Mr. Perez has been covering the New York metropolitan area's Latino community relentlessly. He epitomizes excellence in community service, and it is an honor and a pleasure to have him residing in my district. I am certain that my colleagues will rise with me and honor this remarkable individual.

Mr. MENENDEZ

Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. In the years to come, our domestic fortunes will be directly tied to our place in the global marketplace, and those countries that get a foothold today in the major markets of tomorrow will be the ones that thrive. If Japan becomes the major supplier of telecommunications technology to South American countries, for example, whose technology will become their standard? Whose spare parts will they buy in the years to come? And who will they call to upgrade their systems in the next century? Japan. But with the support of the Export-Import Bank, they will be calling us in the 21st century, and our kids and grandkids will be making the technology. That is America's future. The mission of the Export-Import Bank in this process is simple but critical: finance U.S. exports where commercial banks cannot or will not because of unfair foreign subsidies. If and when our trading partners throughout the world reduce their export programs, then we might begin looking at modifying ours. But in today's world, a show of anything less than the strongest support for our Export-Import Bank would be a sign of unilateral economic disarmament. This is about jobs. It is why Republicans and Democrats alike are getting up to support it. It is about American jobs that will feed American families, that will pay American mortgages, that will send the kids to school. So I urge my colleagues to send a strong signal that America is not going to stand down in this competition for new export markets; that we are going to be able to stand up on behalf of American jobs and get this bill reauthorized.