Joseph Pitts

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, today news reports reveal that over 300 Karen villagers fled their homes because State Peace and Development Council soldiers, known to the rest of the world as the government military dictatorship, burned their villages to the ground. Once again, villagers in Burma are living homeless in the jungle. On September 18, 1988, the military forced its rule on the people of Burma, a rule that has been dominated by severe violence and oppression including rape, the enslavement of children, attacks on ethnic minorities, imprisonment and torture of democratic political opposition groups, and the destruction of homes and villages. The people of Burma have struggled to survive under this brutal regime. On this day of tragic remembrance, the United States and the entire international community must come together to support and assist the Karen, Karenni, Chin, Shan and other people of Burma. The Burmese regime does not limit its attacks to ethnic minorities, but also brutally oppresses religious minorities. The military invades villages, divides families through forced relocation, and uses rape and murder to subjugate the people. The Karen community in southern Burma has been under severe attack by the Burmese military, particularly this year. Earlier this summer, I shared in a floor speech that I had photographic evidence of a massacre in the Karen State in Burma. The regime's troops brutally killed innocent civilians as they attempted to flee to refugee camps in neighboring Thailand. Despite promises to the international community that it will cease such blatant human rights violations, the regime refuses to take action against those responsible for the massacre. As usual, no investigation into the incident has occurred. The SPDC regime deceives the international community again and again by saying one thing and then doing another. Recently, the SPDC freed democracy leader and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and promised to permit free political expression in Burma. Since that promise, however, the regime refuses to open a political dialogue with the National League for Democracy and Burma's ethnic communities. The international community, on behalf of the people of Burma, should make it clear that the oppressive dictators of Burma will no longer be tolerated--we do not want to remember another anniversary of the human rights violations against Burma's people. Instead, next year on this day, we should be celebrating the return of democracy and freedom to the people of Burma. I urge our Administration and my colleagues in Congress to act to support democracy in Burma and help provide aid to the suffering ethnic minorities. In addition, I urge the international community to press Burma's regime to cease the violence and murder perpetrated against the people and allow the legitimately elected leaders of the country to govern.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today out of deep concern over the continued attacks by the Khartoum regime in Sudan against innocent civilians. Recent reports indicate that the Government of Sudan, despite agreeing to a peace proposal, bombed the town of Lui--why would they bomb a town that has only a school, hospital and church and no military installations? This recent incident shows the real intentions of the Khartoum regime. Christians, Muslims and others have suffered terribly under the Khartoum regime--it is time that this suffering comes to an end. Reports are clear that the Khartoum regime has violated numerous international human rights norms: they enslave women and children, divert food aid, bomb schools, hospitals and churches, force religious conversions, and forcibly ``re-educate'' citizens. The story of Mr. Francis Bok of Southern Sudan reflects the reality of life for many of Sudan's children. At the age of seven, Mr. Bok was captured and enslaved during an Arab militia raid on the village of Nimlal. For ten years, he lived as the family slave to Giema Abdullah and was forced to sleep with cattle, endure daily beatings, and eat rotten food. Tragically, slavery still exists today. Mr. Speaker, there is a constant flow of reports out of Sudan which describe the horrors of life for the people, particularly those from the South, under the Khartoum regime. Our nation, and the international community must stand in solidarity with the people of Sudan and offer concrete, practical ways to alleviate their suffering and bring peace. We must act to bring an end once and for all to the civil war and deliberate genocide in Sudan. The recent peace agreements are a step forward, yet Khartoum already has violated the agreements. This week, a number of organizations, led by the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD), are staging a Stand Firm Vigil for Sudan. I commend IRD, Christian Solidarity International (CSI), the American Anti-Slavery Group, Servant's Heart Ministry for Sudan and others for their tireless work on behalf of the suffering people of Sudan. I stand with you and with the freedom-loving people of Sudan.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, today, the House passed House Resolution 523, a resolution recognizing the contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Historically Black Colleges and Universities have a long, proud history of educating some of the brightest minds in America and tapping into the talent and potential of African-American students at a time in our Nation's history in which African-Americans did not enjoy the rights and freedoms of other Americans. The 16th Congressional District of Pennsylvania is the home of two historically Black universities: Lincoln University and Cheyney University. Lincoln University, named after President Abraham Lincoln, was founded in 1854 as an institution dedicated to providing higher education for African-American men. Lincoln University boasts several famous graduates, including renowned poet Langston Hughes and Former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Founded in 1837, as the Institute for Colored Youth, Cheyney University is the oldest historically Black university in America. Cheyney University was founded through the help of a Quaker benefactor who was committed to ensuring that African-American students could receive a high quality higher education. Cheyney University also has a long list of distinguished graduates, including ``60 Minutes'' journalist Ed Bradley and Philadelphia Tribune publisher and CEO Robert Bogle. Since the founding of Lincoln and Cheyney Universities, African- Americans have achieved many important milestones in various academic disciplines. Yet, Historically Black Colleges and Universities continue to carry the mantle of African-American scholarship for future generations. Finally, I want to commend Dr. Ivory V. Nelson, President of Lincoln University, and Dr. W. Clinton Pettus, President of Cheyney University, for their leadership and vision.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, for more than 5 years Congress has been working to fix our Nation's broken bankruptcy laws. And now when we are just 1 yard from the line, one Senator's extremist views on abortion have placed this bill in jeopardy. I still have not found anyone who can explain to me what abortion has to do with bankruptcy. Nevertheless, there it is, right in the middle of the bill, language that would single out peaceful, nonviolent pro-life protesters for unique punishment while leaving other debtors unaffected. Mr. Speaker, this is completely wrong. We believe in treating people equally in this country, no matter what their politics, no matter what they believe. Well, no one should be surprised that this bill is now in jeopardy. Fifty-five of us have been on record since May saying that we could not support this bill if it contained the Senate's poison pill. Mr. Speaker, we need to fix this bill first by taking out the abortion language and then pass it.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, nothing is more important in our democracy than the right to free speech and peaceful assembly. No matter what they believe, we need to allow people to speak out. When we begin to hush people up because of what they believe, none of us is safe any longer. Until recently, I thought all of us agreed on this. I guess I was wrong. I am sorry to say that the bankruptcy reform conference report contains a provision that singles out one group of people for unusually harsh punishment simply for what they believe. Under an amendment pushed through by one powerful Senator, peaceful, nonviolent pro-life protestors will face lifelong financial ruin if they have the temerity to stand outside an abortion clinic and protest the death of children inside. Other groups can keep on speaking out and protesting, as they always have, environmental, labor, and civil rights. But if we pass this bill in its present form, pro-lifers will no longer have the same rights as other Americans have. This is not fair, and this body should take no part in this. It is wrong. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing the bankruptcy conference report in its present form. We should reintroduce this bill without this abortion amendment and do the job right.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, America's bankruptcy laws need to be fixed. The system is broken, and we need to act. In fact, we have acted. The House of Representatives has passed an excellent bill to do the job. Unfortunately, the other body has injected one of the most controversial issues of our time, abortion, into this legislation. Now many of us simply can no longer vote for it. The issue of abortion does not belong in this bill. Mr. Speaker, as it is written now, the bankruptcy bill singles out peaceful, nonviolent, pro-life protesters for unusually harsh punishment if they pray or protest or hand out leaflets in front of an abortion clinic. I ask my colleagues, why is it okay to have civil rights protests, why is it okay to have union protests, why is it okay to have animal rights protests or peace protests, and why is it not okay to protest in defense of unborn babies? This Congress should stand for equal treatment under the law. We should not have one set of rules for liberals, another for conservatives; one set of rules for pro-choice people, another for pro- life people. It is not right, and that is why we want to see the bankruptcy bill fixed before we vote on it.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, our nation celebrated our independence, freedom and democracy on the Fourth of July. Another independence day was commemorated one day later on July 5th--that of our friend and ally, Algeria, which celebrated 40 years of independence this year. President Bush sent his congratulations to President Bouteflicka to mark the occasion, expressing his solidarity with the Algerian people. The President reiterated U.S. support for Algeria's efforts in the war on terror and progress in political and economic reforms for the Algerian people. Algeria has been an increasingly staunch ally of the U.S. over the years, and has been a particularly helpful friend and ally in our war on terrorism. Algeria was one of the first nations to offer its condolences and assistance in the immediate aftermath of the attacks. In addition, Algeria has cooperated fully with our law enforcement and intelligence agencies as a partner in the global coalition against terrorism. Ambassador Francis X. Taylor, head of the State Department's Counterterrorism Office, praised Algeria's cooperation calling that nation ``one of the most tenacious and faithful partners of the United States'' which has ``cooperated with us in every domain.'' As important as Algeria is to us today, it will be increasingly important in the future as we explore liquified natural gas reserves there to meet our nation's growing energy needs. Algeria has some of the largest natural gas reserves in the world, exporting over four million barrel per day, soon to be five million--the largest exporter in Africa. Algeria could be a prime market for our agricultural products. It is a home to U.S. investment and will be an increasingly important economic partner in the years to come. Mr. Speaker, I would like to add my congratulations to the people of Algeria on the occasion of their forty years of independence and recognize the important contribution that nation is making in the international war on terror, as well as the progress being made towards real and lasting democracy.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply disturbed by the horrifying reports of increasing repression in Burma. Accounts detail ongoing massacres, torture, burning of villages and churches, and forced labor of villagers by Burma's military regime in the Karen state and throughout the country. Despite the regime's promises of change and liberalization, Burma's military dictatorship has shown more of the same terrible treatment of the people--recently a dozen innocent civilians, including children and babies were massacred. I have in my office graphic photos showing the April 28, 2002, massacre in Burma's Dooplaya district. The photos show the bodies of victims stacked neatly after their murder. The regime's soldiers shot and killed Naw Daw Bah, a two-year-old girl, and Naw Play and Naw Ble Po, two five-year-old girls. Nine others were shot, but fortunately escaped, including a six-year old boy who played dead until the military left the site. These first-person accounts, plus the photos, provide incontrovertible evidence of the State Peace and Development Council's (SPDC) horrifying human rights abuses and crimes against humanity as they continue their attempt to subjugate the entire country through whatever means they see necessary. Mr. Speaker, what possible threat do babies and two and five-year-old little girls present to military men with arms? Numerous reports from eyewitnesses and credible human rights organizations reveal that this latest massacre is but one example of an ongoing campaign of terror by Burma's military regime against its own people. The SPDC has burned down scores of villages and forcibly relocated villagers to areas near military bases to be forced laborers. During attacks on villages, the military also has burned down places of worship and tortured and killed ministers and monks. The military regime drove thousands of Karen and other ethnic villagers into hiding in the jungle--these internally displaced people have tried to flee to Thailand to Join the 120,000 plus living in refugee camps. In Burma's Shan state, hundreds, if not thousands, of women have been raped by Burma's SPDC in its quest to dominate those who struggle for freedom and democracy. Shockingly, Burma's military regime operates with impunity. Amnesty International, in its most recent report on Burma, says, ``No attempt appears to have been made by the SPDC [regime] to hold members of the tatmadaw [military] accountable for violations which they committed, and villagers do not have recourse to any complaint mechanism or other means of redress.'' Mr. Speaker, no one should be forced to live like a hunted animal always on the run, in fear for its life. It is time that the international community wake and take action against the horrors occurring in Burma. While the military regime woos diplomats, business guests, and others in downtown Rangoon, Burma's people are fleeing in fear of intensifying and acute repression. Our government and the international community must press the SPDC to immediately cease its campaign of terror against the people of Burma. I urge my colleagues to join in solidarity with the Burmese people by raising their voices for freedom.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday we watched on television as several crooked corporate executives were arrested and carted off to jail by Bush administration officials. I have no doubt that there will be more arrests before long. These are the very worst kind of crooks. They tricked investors, stole from employees, and robbed from retirees. They should go to jail and stay there for a very long time and their ill-gotten gains should be taken back from them. I mean their mansions, their yachts, and their private airplanes, all of which were bought with money that they got through fraud. And I think we all need to take a look at what led to the scandals in the first place. The excesses of the decade of the '90s clearly got out of hand; so much so, in fact, that decade is well known as the decade of irresponsibility. And national leaders like the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, who made $18 million from a $100,000 investment in Global Crossing and then knew to get out just in exactly the same time all the crooked executives got out, should think about the example they set. But at the end of the day, President Bush and the law enforcement bodies under his command will come down hard on these corporate crooks. And that will be a powerful deterrent.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, partial-birth abortion is one of the most violent and gruesome acts known to mankind. It is hard to believe that it is legal at all in a Nation that was founded on the principle of human rights. Some years ago it was believed that partial-birth abortion was a very rare procedure only performed in the direst of emergencies. That was not true. The fact is there are some people in this country who are so radical and extreme in their defense of abortion that they are willing even to lie to defend this violent kind of act. Five years ago, the executive director of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers told the New York Times that he had lied about how often partial-birth abortions are performed, lied about how healthy the mothers were, and lied about the viability of the children who were needlessly killed and, in fact, he said he ``lied through his teeth.'' His words, not mine. More often than not, this is a baby that would have every chance of surviving if it were delivered normally, and usually the baby has developed well beyond the stage where it can feel every bit of pain we would feel if we were subjected to the same procedure. We have heard the horrific procedure described here on the floor. Understand that the baby is given no anesthetic or painkiller of any kind. Imagine being stabbed in the back of the neck with a pair of scissors. Imagine how it must hurt. That is how much it hurts the baby. All of this is done, Mr. Speaker, and it is perfectly legal today in the United States. Legal, yes; necessary, never. No partial-birth abortion is ever medically necessary, according to the best medical experts in America. The vast majority of the American people want this barbaric, violent procedure to be illegal. Vote for banning the partial-birth abortion procedure.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, this week we are debating a bill to ban partial-birth abortion. We will hear a lot of perspectives in this debate, but I think there is one perspective we may not hear, and that is the baby's perspective. I have an article from the Journal of the American Medical Association that might help us understand just what the baby goes through during a partial-birth abortion. The article is written by Dr. Sprang and Dr. Neerhof of Northwestern University Medical School. They say in their article, ``The centers necessary for pain perception develop early in the second trimester.'' Mr. Speaker, most partial-birth abortions happen in the second and third trimesters. Dr. Sprang and Dr. Neerhof say the vast majority of partial-birth abortions are performed on near-viable babies. They say, ``When infants of similar gestational ages are delivered, pain management is an important part of the care rendered to them in the intensive care nursery. But in a partial-birth abortion, pain management is not provided for the fetus, who is literally within inches of being delivered.'' Mr. Speaker, killing children by painfully stabbing them in the back of the head and sucking out their brains is wrong. It is up to us to stop it.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, last week, the Health Subcommittee held a hearing on the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act, H.R. 4691. The bill clarifies existing federal conscience protections that prohibit discrimination against health care entities that object to participating in abortion. This bill has the support of both faith- based and secular health care providers. At the hearing, the subcommittee heard testimony from Karen Vosburgh, who serves on the board of Valley Hospital in Palmer, Alaska. Valley Hospital is a private non-sectarian hospital. But in 1997, the Alaska Supreme Court held that Valley Hospital was a ``quasi-public hospital'' and ordered it to open its doors for elective second trimester abortions. Most hospitals do not participate in abortions. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, 86% of all hospitals choose not to get involved in abortions. These are religious hospitals of all denominations, non- religious private hospitals, and even public hospitals. There is a reason why: abortion is not health care. It is elective surgery that takes the life of an unborn child. Abortion advocates are trying to force hospitals to perform abortions against their will. This is wrong. No hospital should be forced to take the life of an unborn child against its will. Religiously-affiliated hospitals and hospitals that simply don't want to offer the elective procedure shouldn't have to. I hope the Congress acts quickly to pass the Abortion Non- Discrimination Act, and I urge my colleagues to co-sponsor this legislation. I submit for the record a list of supporting organizations, and letters we have received from two of these organizations: the Catholic Health Association, and the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. The Catholic Health Association of the United States, June 17, 2002. Hon. Michael Bilirakas, Chairman, Subcommittee on Health, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC. Dear Congressman Bilirakas: On behalf of the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA) I am writing to express our support for HR 4691, the Abortion Non- Discrimination Act. Provisions in this legislation would provide Catholic Health providers safeguards to continue operating in a manner consistent with their moral beliefs and principles. Increasingly, Catholic and other faith-based health care providers have come under attack for not offering so-called ``reproductive health servicer (e.g.--abortions, etc). In recent years, we have seen orchestrated campaigns to force Catholic health providers to offer services that conflict with our values and moral principles. These campaigns have led to legislation in several states and localities that could force Catholic hospitals to close or substantially reduce their services to the community. These threats continue and fundamentally effect the ability of Catholic Providers to deliver services to their communities. In several states and for certain federal programs, Catholic and other faith-based providers have been able to secure ``conscience clause'' protection against mandatory provisions of objectionable services. Unfortunately, these approaches are often inadequate and require ``year after year-'' reauthorization. They fail to provide permanent protection and assurances the Catholic providers can continue to operate unencumbered. In addition to supporting HR 4691, CHA supports legislative efforts to establish a permanent and comprehensive federal conscience clause. We look forward to working with you and the Committee to achieve these ends. Sincerely, Rev. Michael D. Place, STD, President and Chief Executive Officer. Organizations Supporting the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (ANDA)

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, when one is an executive of a large corporation, one has a job that carries tremendous responsibility. Ford Motors, Chevron, Texaco, and IBM have more employees than many countries have citizens. Wal-Mart, EXXON, and General Motors have annual budgets larger than the gross domestic products of many nations. When the executives of Enron, which was America's fifth largest company, cooked the books, the victims of their crime are not just a few people from Houston. Americans everywhere suffer, some severely. When the executives of WorldCom, which was America's 42nd largest employer, used tricky accounting to fool investors, everybody suffers, too. When a mugger in a back alley sticks us up at gunpoint and takes our wallets, that is bad. But is it not worse when a man in a thousand dollar suit steals millions of dollars from people who are counting on his honesty to help them keep their jobs or to retire? Yesterday, the House voted for a new law to severely punish corporate crooks for their crimes. We should conference with the other body immediately so we can send a bill to the President as soon as possible.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, there are some scientists in this country who have very poor ethics. They want to clone human beings. They say they only want to do it for research purposes and that they will make sure the embryos they create never get to grow up. Do not worry, they say, we will kill them before they can survive on their own. Mr. Speaker, there is no ethical way to clone a human being. If you let it live, it is wrong. If you kill it, that is wrong too. The President's commission on bioethics chaired by Dr. Leon Kass has just issued a report on cloning. The commission says that there should be a ban on all cloning, at least for the next 4 years. Of course, I think that ban should be permanent. Nevertheless, the Kass commission joins the House of Representatives and the President and the American people in calling for a ban on cloning. There is only one-half of one branch of this government missing from this equation. It is time for the other body to demonstrate that it is not out of touch and to pass a ban on all human cloning.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the stock market took its sharpest dive since last fall. Some of the major indexes are lower than they have been since 1998. The reason, Mr. Speaker, is not that the economy is not strong. GDP grew at a rate of 6.1 percent last quarter. The reason is that a handful of dishonest executives got greedy during the heady days of the nineties. They began to lie and deceive in order to make it look like their companies were making more money than they actually were. By lying, they kept their stock prices up and made themselves rich. Even though only a few companies were involved, investor confidence has suffered severely. The President has a tough and sensible plan to punish the wrongdoers and make sure this does not happen again. The House has already acted on parts of the President's plan. There is only one thing standing in the way of fixing the problem: Politics, Mr. Speaker. Our friends on the other side of the aisle, especially in the other body, are intent on trying to blame this President and Republicans for what happened on their President's watch. This is not about blame, Mr. Speaker. It is about fixing a problem. Just once we ought to put politics aside and get the job done.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, a crook is a crook whether he is dealing drugs in an alleyway or cooking the books to cheat employees and shareholders. If someone commits a crime, they should do the time, and I am glad to say we have a President who understands this. Yesterday, President Bush went right to Wall Street to tell corporate America to clean up its act, and I believe they will. We should all be clear about one thing, the vast majority of America's corporations are run by honest and trustworthy people. For every Enron and WorldCom, there are thousands of companies who have done nothing wrong at all, but when it comes to corporate executives who are willing to cheat their own employees out of their retirements just to add a couple of dollars to their stock prices, in those cases, we should have zero tolerance. Somehow, during the 1990s, some executives decided it was okay to cook the books a little. Well, it is not okay to cook the books, and America's executives need to know if they do cook the books this government is going to come down on them hard. I applaud the President for his leadership.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, our liberal friends in the Federal courts have erred again. The 14th amendment says that no State, and I quote, ``shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.'' Yet late last year the Supreme Court ruled that this guaranteed doctors the right to impale partially-born babies in the skull with scissors and extract them dead from their mother's birth canals. The first amendment says America cannot have an official State church, like England has, and I quote, ``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.'' Yet a Federal judge in my district has recently ruled that the Ten Commandments have to be taken down from the county courthouse wall where they have stood for 82 years. The first amendment says, ``Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion.'' Yet, despite this, the 9th Circuit court ruled yesterday that in school children are not allowed to recite the Pledge of Allegiance any more, even though they have been doing it since 1892. Mr. Speaker, the judicial branch of government is out of control. They are making a mockery of our Constitution. The Congress and the President must stand up to the radical activist judges and make things right again.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, Congress now has an opportunity to put an end to one of the most barbaric acts known to mankind. Amazingly, this barbaric act is perfectly legal in the United States of America. This horrible act of violence is called partial-birth abortion. Actually it is a procedure in which a baby is partially delivered, the doctor actually reaches in and turns the baby for a breech birth, and then is killed in a procedure too horrible to describe. Congress has voted twice to make it illegal, but the previous President vetoed it both times. Today we have a new President who will do the right thing and make partial-birth abortion illegal, but first we have to send him the bill. We in the House will have the chance to vote on this bill later this summer, and we will do the right thing. It will be up to the other body to act. No one knows what they will do. It is time to make partial-birth abortion illegal. It should have been illegal long ago.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his leadership on this issue and for setting up this Special Order on their very timely issue. A syndicated columnist, Charles Krauthammer, says that cloning is ``a nightmare and an abomination.'' I would concur with that. Cloning is like something from a bad science fiction movie. The only difference is that now, some scientists are actually on the verge of doing it. Now, these scientists try to deflect our criticism by claiming that they have no intention of cloning a person. They say they just want to clone human embryos so that they can take their stem cells, and they promise that they will kill the embryos before they grow to adulthood. So some have characterized them as cloning to kill. Well, no one has said it better than The Washington Post. The Post said a few years ago: ``The creation of human embryos specifically for research that will destroy them is unconscionable.'' There is no difference between what they want to call ``research cloning'' and what they want to call ``reproductive cloning.'' The only difference is when they kill the human life that they have created. Mr. Speaker, these unscrupulous scientists claim that the research they want to do could cure diseases one day. But the truth is, there is no evidence for that. Stem cells, as has been noted by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon), taken from adults have shown much more promise in research than stem cells taken from embryos. Besides, these same people insisted a few years ago that we had to let them do fetal tissue research, despite people's moral objections to taking tissue of aborted fetuses for research, because they said they might cure diseases. Well, Mr. Speaker, where are those cures? These people are like the boy who cried wolf. There is no reason we should believe them. Cloning human beings is wrong, simply wrong. Even if they could cure diseases through cloning, it would still be wrong. The vast majority of the American people want it banned, the House of Representatives has voted to ban it, the President of the United States wants to ban it, and we are all just waiting for the other body to do the right thing. I just hope we do not have to wait too long. Mr. Speaker, I hope all of my colleagues will remember, if we do nothing, if the other body never acts and if there is no bill to send to the President, cloning, any kind of cloning, will be completely legal, and there be nothing we can do to stop it.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, Republicans have been working hard to design a plan to help America's seniors get the prescription drugs that they need. No senior should ever have to choose between putting food on the table and getting the medicine they need. American seniors need our help. Now we have a plan that is working its way through the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Ways and Means and should be voted on soon. The Democrats have their plan, too. The Democrats plan may be too expensive and inefficient, but I think we in the majority are willing to work with them. Unfortunately, it looks like our friends on the other side of the aisle are not willing to reciprocate. The Washington Post reported on Tuesday, and I quote, ``Democratic strategists are advising candidates to tout the Democrats' plan and are encouraging them to take shots at the Republicans.'' Mr. Speaker, that story was written on the same day our plan was unveiled; before even reading it, already attacking it. Looks to me like our friends on the other side of the aisle are just out for political points, not to solve problems. I hope they will prove me wrong.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the atrocities committed by Hindu extremists in Gujarat, India, against Muslims and other minority groups. Last week I met with human rights, academic and religious leaders from India who shared reports documenting the designs of the extremist groups against Muslims, Christians, Dalits and others. Trained combatants in Gujarat entered villages and attacked men, women and children. Pregnant women had their wombs ripped open and unborn babies were ripped out and tossed onto burning fires. Approximately 300 women were gang raped. Over 2,000 people died. I have photos too gruesome to show in my office. It appears that some of these Hindu extremist groups receive some of their funds from charities in the U.S. and the U.K. We should ensure that no funds from the United States gathered under charitable causes are used to finance terrorism, and we must publicly condemn the violence and officials who support ethnic cleansing. Mr. Speaker, our government must respond to these brutal attacks and the underlying extremism. The silence of the U.S. Government is deafening.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of America's fathers. Mr. Speaker, fathers are important. They're important to our communities, our civic institutions and most of all they are important to their families, especially their children. Tonight, 40 percent of American children will go to sleep in a home without their father. Forty million children will see another day come and go without hearing the sound of their father's voice or playing catch with their Dad in the backyard or having their father tuck them into bed. And what's even more sad is that it's not because their fathers went on a business trip or had to work the late shift. It's because their fathers are gone. And for these children tonight is going to be a lot like last night and may be a lot like tomorrow night. Forty million American children have not seen their fathers in over a year. Mr. Speaker, being a father has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. Watching my children grow and teaching them right from wrong has given me more joy than I ever thought possible. Just this last year, I became a grandfather for the first time. Watching my son be a father to his son has reconfirmed for me the importance and joys of fatherhood. I salute the many single mothers who work hard to support and care for their children. But, fathers are important. They can't be replaced.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Chairman Karzai, the interim administration, and the Afghan people for holding the Loya Jirga to select the new transitional government in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, due to threats by certain Afghan factions and consequent actions by a small select group of U.N., U.S. and Northern Alliance officials, the Loya Jirga process has been marred. These officials forced the King to make a statement saying he would not run for any elected position in the government. Sadly, preventing the people from choosing their own leader substantiates the concerns of the Afghan people that the U.S. and the international community have only their own interests at heart, not just that the Afghan people have peace, freedom, democracy, and fundamental human rights. The Afghan people were looking forward to deciding their own future on their own. Yet before the Loya Jirga was even convened, they were denied the right to choose their own leader. Unfortunately, it appears that intimidation won again. I am concerned that the Afghan people will not forget that the U.S., U.N., and Northern Alliance prevented the King, a highly respected leader, from holding a leadership position and helping bring peace, stability, and reconciliation to their nation. Our State Department should have had more diplomacy.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, in my district in Pennsylvania we have some of the most productive farmland in America. In fact, it is known as the ``Garden Spot'' of America. Many of these farms have been in the same family for generations. A few of them date back to William Penn. But these farms are in trouble. Taxes on the land are simply too high. Part of the problem lies right here in Washington. The estate tax, what some of us like to call the ``death tax,'' takes as much as 60 percent of the farm's value when it passes from one generation to the next. Many times families have to sell half of the farm just to pay the death tax. That is not right. Last year we voted to repeal the death tax; but unless we vote to get rid of it permanently, it will come back in 10 years. Let us vote to kill the death tax for good and help Pennsylvania's and America's family farmers and small businesses stay in business.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, in politics, money often equals power. When Washington takes more money from the American people, the government becomes more powerful and the people lose just as much control over their own lives. A year ago, Congress took the dramatic step of returning power to the people. We passed the largest tax relief package since the Reagan administration, and it was relief that benefitted every American taxpayer. But because there was liberal opposition in the Senate, we had to agree to a sunset provision. In 10 years, the marriage penalty, the death tax, and a whole host of other taxes will shoot right back up to where they were unless we make them permanent. This week, we will be voting to make the death tax repeal permanent. For years, the death tax has taken as much as 55 to 60 percent of the value of a family farm or small business just to pay the taxes. This is a terrible tax and we should get rid of it for good. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, return power to the American people, and get rid of the death tax once and for all.