Joseph Pitts

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, almost 60 years ago during World War II, our Nation imprisoned Japanese Americans in internment camps simply because of their ethnic background. Today, we are all rightly horrified by this action. In the aftermath of this week's tragedy, we must not repeat this chapter in our history. Arabs and Muslims are NOT all terrorists bent on destroying our Nation. They too desire to live in peace with their families and communities. In fact, millions of Arabs live in this great land--2.2 million of whom are Arab Christians. Our Arab and Muslim compatriots in our nation also weep with pain and sorrow as they grieve the loss of loved ones. Many of them fled their homes and came to the United States as refugees to get away from the very same types of people as those who attacked our country. In the past few days, the outpouring of deeply sympathetic support and condolences my office personally has received has come from Islamic nations such as Saudia Arabia, Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Western Sahara, and Algeria, and from Palestinians. As our great nation pulls together, let us not turn to hate and violence, but to the underlying spirit of courage and compassion that has made this country a beacon of freedom and hope for a new life. Justice must and will be implemented--but it will be against those who deserve it, the savage terrorists--not our fellow Arab and Muslim citizens and friends here and around the world.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, we must pass this resolution and give the President all the power he needs to stop the slaughter of innocent Americans from happening again. The evil men who orchestrated this attack have shown that they will stop at nothing. Their goal is to kill as many Americans as they can. If they ever get their hands on chemical, biological, or even nuclear weapons, they will use them. Let no one doubt it. We are at war, a war to save innocent Americans from the specter of grisly death by the weapons of mass destruction. But it is not a war against Muslims or against Arabs. Many of our Arab and Muslim Americans came to the United States to get away from the very same type of extremists as those who attacked our country. In the past few days, my office has received an outpouring of deeply sympathetic support and condolences from people in many Islamic countries around the world. As our great Nation pulls together, let us be careful not to turn to hate or stereotyping. Justice must and will be carried out, but it will be against those who deserve it, the savage radical terrorists, not against our fellow Arab and Muslim citizens and friends here and around the world. In that spirit, I urge my colleagues to pass this resolution unanimously.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, Tuesday morning, a passenger named Jeremy Glick called his wife from United Airlines Flight 93 as it flew over Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Jeremy knew he was going to die, and told his wife he wanted her to have a good life and asked her to please look after their 3- month-old baby girl. Then Jeremy and another passenger named Thomas Burnett charged the cockpit to overcome the hijackers. The plane crashed in a field, killing all of its passengers but no one else. It has been reported that that plane was headed for Andrews Air Force Base on a mission to take out Air Force One. Ali Taqi, a 24-year-old firefighter from Michigan, hopped in his car Tuesday and drove all the way to New York City to see if he could help out with rescue efforts. Tuesday morning, hundreds of firefighters, police officers, EMS workers charged into the first of the twin towers only to lose their lives when the second one was hit, and both buildings collapsed. Mr. Speaker, every one of these people is an American hero. Passengers on Flight 93 literally gave their lives to save others. Nathan Hale rued the fact that he had ``but one life to give for his country.'' None of us has more than one life to give, but the way Tuesday's heroes gave theirs and the way today's are risking theirs to search for survivors will be remembered forever.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 61. Terrorists have declared war on America. What happened yesterday was not merely a crime, it was an act of war. It was a massive attack by a foreign power, a terrorist organization on American soil. We are used to calling terrorist attacks the senseless acts of cowards. But this was a sophisticated, calculated and coordinated attack by deadly savages; trained terrorists. The perpetrators knew precisely what they were doing, why they were doing it, and how to do it. At Pearl Harbor, over 2,000 Americans were killed in the attack. Many more than that died on Tuesday. Innocent victims perished for no other reason than that they were Americans. We did not ask for this war. America has worked tirelessly for world peace since its founding; peace in Middle East, in Europe, in Africa, in Asia, and in Latin America. But America stands for more than just peace. America stands for freedom and democracy. We have proved to the world that freedom and democracy work. But many haters of freedom remain in the world. Those who continue to espouse ideologies like radical Islam and Stalinism despise freedom because they do not like to be challenged. They cannot stand the light of day, and so they kill. And we are their target because America is the preeminent champion of freedom. They believe because we are free we are also weak. But they are wrong. We will find out who the terrorists are. We must seek them out and punish them severely. This is no time for a measured response. This is a time, without apology, to bring the full measure of military force to bear on these terrorist organizations. As thousands of bodies are pulled from the rubble in New York and Virginia, we are watching more than a tragedy; we are witnesses to a turning point in American policy. No longer will we coddle terrorists and seek merely to bring them into courtrooms. Instead, we will treat them as the military enemies they are. We will seek justice of the kind seen in war. On Tuesday, terrorists declared war on America. It is a war they will lose. America will make sure of it. Freedom will prevail.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, for as long as we live, we will remember September 11, 2001, and the moments when we first heard that America was viciously attacked in horrible acts of war by terrorists who declared war on America. We did not seek this war, but it is a war that has been brought to our shores. And we will not shirk from the responsibilities to respond courageously. America has always been at its best when it is being tested. Why has this war been declared on America? Because we are the symbol of freedom and democracy around the world. Those who are perpetrating this war against America, the terrorists and terrorist groups, hate freedom. Theirs is a totalitarian vision dressed in religious garb. Mr. Speaker, we have already fought and defeated totalitarian regimes in the past. It was our resolve, our principles, our commitment to life, liberty and the pursuits of happiness that brought us through victoriously. The same will be true this time. Americans will stand together against these savage, desperate tactics. Yesterday's acts were not the acts of criminals, but the military acts of enemies. And military tactics demand military responses. Terrorism is a tactic of the weak, but America is strong. We must declare war on these terrorist groups, the vicious barbarians aiming at our destruction and those who harbor them. America will respond with resolve. We will continue to be the beacon of freedom in the world.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, today I submit for introduction a bill to preserve and maintain the final resting places of our nation's greatest leaders. Since the Constitution was ratified, the Unites States has had only 43 Presidents. Some, like Washington and Lincoln and Reagan, have been great men who changed the nation. Others, like Buchanan, were capable and gifted, but have not been judged well by history. But while James Buchanan may not be on the list of great American Presidents, he was a good man who did a lot for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and for America. And as a Member of Congress, he did more than any of his peers to protect the Constitution and the principle of judicial review. While he may not have had the foresight that Lincoln had when it came to slavery, it is a little-known fact that Buchanan bought slaves in Washington, DC, in order to free them here in Pennsylvania. But much like Abraham Lincoln, he was a self-made man who was born in a log cabin. As a young man, he served in the War of 1812. He was Lancaster's Congressman from 1821 to 1831. He served as Ambassador to Russia and Great Britain. He was a U.S. Senator, and then, finally, he became President. He served during the most tumultuous time in our history. And while he was not as good a leader as his successor, he did succeed in holding the union together. He died in 1868 and was buried in my district, the 16th district of Pennsylvania. It is, for a President, a simple grave. The office he held was an important one in his time. Today, it is the most powerful office in the world. Every one of our Presidents deserves the honor of a well-maintained grave. Many of us remember several years ago when President Grant's tomb in New York fell into disrepair. Its roof leaked, its walls were covered with graffiti, and it was a hangout for heroin addicts. Buchanan's grave is very nice by comparison. But keeping it nice has been very difficult. The cemetery association is not a wealthy one, and it is mainly through the efforts of volunteers that it has been maintained at all. When Grant's Tomb fell into disrepair, the National Park Service stepped up to the plate and fixed it. Today it's a tourist attraction. I'm introducing today the American Legacy Preservation Act, empowering the National Park Service to assist in the upkeep of Presidential gravesites. Whether it be the grave of Lincoln or Buchanan, Washington or Grant, preserving the final resting places of our Presidents is clearly in the nation's interest. The gravesites have exceptional value in illustrating and interpreting the heritage of the U.S. and helping Americans to value our rich and complex national story. Every American deserves to know that the graves of our past Presidents will be treated with the same dignity as the office they once held.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduced the Post-Abortion Depression Research and Care Act, a bill to provide hope and healing for the more than 35 million women in this country who have had abortions in the past twenty-eight years. The Post-Abortion Depression Research and Care Act will direct federal funding for the research of post-abortion depression and the development of successful treatments for emotional distress in post- abortive women. I have been working on this legislation because I believe that it is a travesty that more work has not been done to support women who have chosen to have an abortion. We cannot simply abandon these women. Because of the emotional issues that often surround a woman's decision to have an abortion, many women are reluctant to even talk about their experiences. Some women don't come to terms with the emotional impact of their abortion until years later. I believe that increased research on post-abortion depression will lead to a greater awareness of this issue and the development of compassionate outreach and counseling programs to help post-abortive women. We already know much about the psychological impact of giving birth and of miscarrying, and yet much remains to be discovered about post- abortion depression. Why should women who choose to have an abortion be given any less care and concern than women who give birth or women miscarry? Post-abortive women deserve equal treatment. While there is some disagreement among researchers as to the extent and substance of post-abortion emotional response, everyone agrees that the decision to have an abortion is fraught with emotion. It only makes sense, then, to continue to explore the psychological impact of abortion on women. I urge my colleagues to support post-abortive women by cosponsoring the Post-Abortion Depression Research and Care Act. Let's not let politics get in the way of good mental health care for women.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my congratulations to Megawati Sukarnoputri, the new President of Indonesia, and I commend the people, the government, and the military for the smooth, nonviolent transition of power. I also urge President Megawati to use her leadership to address widespread human rights abuses, such as the bloodshed and destruction in the Malukus, the arrests and deaths of innocent civilians in Aceh and Irian Jaya, the shaky court cases established against pastors in Poso, and the intentional manipulation of religious tensions in a number of areas of the country. The instability and human rights abuses can be involved through the arrest and bringing to justice of the perpetrators, such as Laskar Jihad leader, Mr. Jafar Umar Thalib, and his cohorts. Mr. Speaker, the people of Indonesia deserve a peaceful and prosperous nation in which the fundamental rights of all people are respected. The President has a real opportunity to shape a new future with her cabinet appointments to shape the new future for the Indonesian people and ensure that democracy and civil society will reign.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, every American relies on energy to live a quality life. We need gasoline to get to work or go to the store, take the kids to baseball practice. We need electricity to power up our computers. We need natural gas to heat our hot water and cook our meals. None of us can do without it, no matter how conservation-minded and frugal we are. That is why Congress needs to work hard to implement the President's energy plan. Some in Washington have been calling for price caps which will not solve the problem. You cannot ignore the law of supply and demand. Those of us arguing for price caps are ignoring the law of supply and demand, and would actually lead us to a cut in supply if they had their way. No, only the President's balanced, reasonable and comprehensive approach will work. It is not a quick fix, but that is because there is not one. All the more reason to get started now. I urge my colleagues to vote to support the President's plan.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, science is a wonderful thing. Who would have thought that polio could be cured or men could go to the Moon even a century ago? But with the power that comes from science, we must also be ethical and exercise responsibility. The Nazis tried to create a race of supermen through the science of eugenics. They tried to create a perfect human being the same way a breeder creates a championship dog. That was immoral. We stopped it, and it has not been tried again since. Now we have some scientists who want to create cloned human beings, some saying a cloned baby could be born as soon as next year. This is a frightening and gruesome reality. Mr. Speaker, there is no ethical way to clone a human being. If we were to allow it at all, we would have to choose between allowing them to grow and be born or killing them, letting them die. This is a line we should not cross. The simple question is: Is it right or wrong to clone human beings? Eighty-eight percent of the American people say it is wrong. The point is that even in science, the ends do not justify the means. The Nazis may in fact have been able to create a race of healthier and more capable Germans if they had been allowed to proceed, but eugenics and cloning are both wrong.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, the columnist Charles Krauthammer called legislation that we are going to consider today to permit cloning human embryos a ``nightmare and an abomination.'' It truly is. Some of those who support this proposal are so eager to clone human beings that they have taken to twisting the truth to promote their arguments. The latest thing they are saying is that cloned embryos are not really embryos at all. They say that if you use body cells instead of sperm to fertilize an egg, that that really is not an embryo. Mr. Speaker, that is ridiculous. Take a look at this picture of Dolly the sheep. Everybody knows that Dolly is a clone. Dolly was made by fertilizing a sheep egg with a cell taken from the mammary gland of another sheep. It took 277 tries before they got a clone that worked. Now she is 5 years old. Those who argue that cloned human embryos are not really embryos might as well argue that Dolly is not a sheep. That is ridiculous. Cloning human beings is wrong. Eighty-eight percent of the American people do not want scientists to create human embryos for the purpose of experimentation, harvesting and destruction. We will be voting later today to ban all human cloning. Support the Weldon-Stupak bill.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, one of the marks of a good leader is the ability to make those he leads feel secure from harm. It has now been 2 decades since President Reagan pointed out that we have no defense from a missile attack. The American people want to be safe from any missile attack, but we still have not deployed a defense system. President Bush brought implementation of a national missile defense system one giant step closer this week. He met with Russian President Putin to talk about it. President Putin is now more open-minded about that issue, and both leaders will be working hard to reduce the number of nuclear missiles in our national arsenals. Mr. Speaker, this is a major step forward for our national security. America and the world are a little safer today than we were yesterday. And when Bush and Putin have come to a final agreement on missile arsenals and when we finally have a national missile defense system, every American will sleep more soundly each night with the knowledge that their President is doing everything possible to keep them safe.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, right now the White House is trying to decide whether or not to allow scientists to kill living human embryos to harvest their stem cells. The debate, of course, is over whether or not living human embryos are people or property. If they are property, you can do anything you want with them. If they are people, they deserve protection. Take a look at this chart of the life of Hannah, a 2\1/2\-year-old girl who was adopted as a frozen embryo. Here shortly after she was conceived; here when she was adopted and then implanted into her mother's, adoptive mother's womb; here on New Year's Eve, 1998, when she was born; and over here on the right you can see when she was a toddler, a baby. Where on this chart did Hannah become a person? Where on this chart does she deserve protection? Many of us believe that she deserves the right to protection, that she deserves to continue to live from the start. We hope the White House will make sure that all unborn girls and boys have the same chance to live and grow.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Chairman, from 1861 to 1865, 500,000 American soldiers died in a war to end slavery. When the war ended, the 13th amendment was added to the Constitution to ban slavery forever from American soil. And yet it continues today. Today's slaves are women and children, brought to America to work in brothels. They are here against their will, they are beaten into submission, they are trapped in a country they do not know and whose language they cannot speak. The Central Intelligence Agency tells us that 50,000 sex slaves are brought to America every year. Globally, the number is in the millions trafficked into prostitution. Last year, Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act to do something about this continuation of slavery on American soil, and this law is being implemented as we speak. Now we need to make sure that the money is appropriated to implement this law. This amendment will give direction to the bureaucracy. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for his leadership on this issue, and I call on my colleagues to pass this amendment so we can begin the process of eradicating slavery from American soil once and for all.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, not every human need and social problem requires a government program. There are many charitable, nongovernmental, nonprofit, humanitarian and faith-based programs that work, that are very effective. President Bush has recognized the power of faith-based organizations, and he has challenged America to harness this power. He points to groups like Teen Challenge that operate in Pennsylvania for over 40 years. It has an 86 percent success rate in drug and alcohol rehab, and they track their graduates for 7 years after they graduate. The government programs we fund have a 6 to 10 percent success rate. Clearly, there is a difference. President Johnson waged a war on poverty. We have declared a war on drugs. We have not won those wars. That is because the real problems of this country are not money problems, they are problems of the spirit. Government cannot create a work ethic or make people moral or make people love one another or pray, renew communities. Government cannot address the basic problems which are problems of the spirit, and these faith-based programs can. Let them have a place at the table with their conscience.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this resolution that would revoke normal trade relations with China. It is a mistake to declare economic warfare on 1.3 billion people on the other side of the globe, on China, which in effect this resolution would do. We have NTR with about 190 nations. We do not with about four or five that we consider enemies. But instead of espousing the opinions of politicians and my own views, I was interested in finding out what are the views of those impacted by the human rights abuses in China? Those unregistered church leaders, pastors of unregistered house churches? I have some faxes here from some of them. This is what they say. Here is a Chinese pastor: ``It is good and right that America be firm and strong on the issue of human rights but trying to enforce human rights through using NTR status as a lever is a misguided policy.'' Another one, a leader for over 20 years in a house church, he said, ``If China cannot enter WTO, that means closing the door on China and also on us Christians. It will have a direct impact on China if it joins WTO and keeps its doors open to the outside world.'' I could go on and on. But, Mr. Speaker, this disapproving the 1-year NTR extension will accomplish nothing except pouring salt into the wound of those in China who desire freedom. It will reinforce the agenda of the hard-line rulers in China. We should support NTR, not for the corrupt dictators in Beijing, but for the people of China and the people of the United States. Only by continuing to actively engage China can we help stem the nationalism, the anti-Westernism of the communist leaders, help the reformers and have the opportunity to influence China for good. We should not withdraw; we should not be isolationists. We should vote against this resolution.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, last week we said that we should fund adult stem cell research and we should fund it generously. For diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, or serious illnesses that have no cures, at least not yet, stem cell research holds a lot of promise. But we should be doing ethical stem cell research, and that means not using stem cells from human embryos. Adult umbilical and placental stem cell research holds a great deal of promise, but killing human embryos is wrong. Look at this picture of Mark and Luke Borden. These brothers were frozen human embryos soon after they were conceived. Some scientists may have liked to have taken them as embryos and destroyed them so they could harvest the stem cells, but the Borden family adopted them instead. As human embryos, these little boys were implanted in the womb of their adopted mother where they matured into babies and were born just like any other children. Now they are happy and healthy growing boys. Mark and Luke Borden have the same right to live as any other children. No one doubts that now. We should not have doubted it when they were human embryos either.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, in the last few weeks we have seen gas prices go up and down, and I think we all hope they keep coming down. Energy prices are still too high, supply is not meeting demand, and we are still expecting rolling blackouts in California, and we could still see gas prices as high as $2 a gallon. This is the time for leadership. We need real solutions. The President has taken the initiative and is working hard to implement his 105-point plan to increase supply and correct the market, but some politicians just cannot resist the temptation to politicize this for personal gain. They are telling people that there is a quick fix and pointing fingers at anyone who says there is not. But we cannot just put price caps on energy. If anything, that will make the problem worse, by removing any incentive to increase production. We need to remove impediments to production so supply can go up and prices can come down. The last two economic recessions were preceded by similar energy crunches. Hopefully we can still avert a recession, but only if we stop playing games and implement the President's energy plan.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, we must have stem cell research. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and diabetes, these are all very serious diseases that have no cures. But our research must be ethical. Adult stem cell research holds the most promise for finding cures. We should fund adult stem cell research, and fund it generously, but not embryonic stem cell research. Creating human embryos for research, experimentation, harvesting and destruction is not ethical. Killing one human life, even though very tiny, on the off chance of maybe one day saving another, is not ethical, moral, and, I should add, even legal to do with taxpayer money. Since 1996, our laws ban government funding of research that involves killing human embryos. We should keep that ban. Now we have a study that shows that embryonic stem cells may be too unstable to be of much use anyway, unless they are produced in huge numbers. But there is no such evidence that adult stem cells are unstable. Adult stem cell research holds great promise. Adult stem cell research promises to help us find cures to diseases that have plagued mankind for centuries. Let us fund adult stem cell research, and fund it generously.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize and congratulate Lancaster United for Life. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, which is and always has been strongly pro-life, mobilized quickly when an organization announced that it intended to perform abortions there. Recently, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a Commonwealth Court decision upholding life in Lancaster County. While the cause never ends, this is a major victory for Lancaster County. I want to thank and applaud all of those whose prayerful and dedicated efforts led to this success. Those whose lives will be saved will one day thank them too.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, even though they violate every principle of free market economics, every principle of common sense, even though they would not produce one drop of oil or one watt of electricity, some Members keep calling for price caps. Many of us have been trying to explain to the government-has-all-of- the-answers crowd why price caps are a bad idea. But, Mr. Speaker, some Members would rather score political points by claiming to have an easy answer, even though they will really be harming the consumers they pretend to be defending. The Department of Energy released a study that showed that price controls would cause the California blackouts to get worse. There is no easy fix to this energy crunch, and we should not trust anyone who tells us there is. Only through boosting production and greater conservation will we have more supply and lower prices. There is no other way.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I recently met with a German doctor, Dr. Norbert Vollertson, and talked to him about his experiences during his 18 months living in North Korea. The stories of suffering and the photos of starving children and adults were deeply moving. Dr. Vollertson made a strong statement that should spur the international community to action. When comparing the North Korean prison camps to Nazi concentration camps, Dr. Vollertson said, ``No journalist, nobody wanted to believe that Hitler is so cruel, that the German government is so cruel. I think it is my duty as a German to learn from history, to not make the same mistake twice.'' He said what is happening in North Korea in the concentration camps, in his opinion, is as bad as what happened during the Second World War. It is the duty of the international community not to make the same mistake again, to ignore the plight of thousands of people in North Korea who are starving and in terrible prison situations where they are beaten and tortured and executed in horrific ways. Mr. Speaker, I call on this body and the administration to act on behalf of the people of North Korea, to act to ensure that the regime in North Korea is no longer allowed to continue destroying its people.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply concerned about the recent pattern of human rights violations in Kazakhstan. Since last autumn, but particularly since January 2001, the Kazakh government has shown a troubling trend in its treatment of American citizens living in Kazakhstan and Kazakh citizens who hold religious beliefs. I have received numerous reports in my office detailing the intense harassment of a number of different American families and their friends in Kazakhstan. In one instance, officials called three families into the police station and told them they had to leave the country. The families made the arrangements to leave, then, after all of the adults, children and their luggage had been processed through the airport and the family was ready to board the airplane, security officials pulled everyone out of the airport and would not allow them to depart. In another situation, a member of the local secret police came to the family's home and threateningly said that he was staying in their apartment that night and escorting them to the airport to leave the next morning--basically putting the family, including a one-year-old little girl, under house arrest. Security and court officials also harassed the families of those working at an education center, punished them because of their refusal to pay bribes to local officials, and forced them to pay a $240 per person fine for trumped-up charges--all apparently because of the peaceful practice of their religious beliefs. Unfortunately, I have numerous other examples of the negative treatment of religious believing Americans by Kazakh officials. However, not all Americans are treated this way, only the ones who hold religious beliefs. The Americans who were harassed all attended church services, just as they would do anywhere they lived and worked, and made friends with people in that religious community. Sadly, government officials somehow saw something sinister in their peaceful religious practices. Even further, of great concern is the fact that each person or family with whom these Americans were friends has since been harassed by police and state security officials. Disturbingly, these situations are not mere misunderstandings or random actions by local officials. The pattern of harassment is occurring throughout the country, not just in isolated incidents. Furthermore, Kazakh Evangelical Baptists have reported that security officials have interrupted church services, confiscated literature in the church, recorded all attendees at the service, even arresting participants, and severely beat the pastor in the head, neck and stomach. Then, at the police station, officials threatened the Christians saying things like, ``During the Soviet times, believers like you were shot. Now you are feeling at peace, but we will show you.'' Correcting the injustices against Americans and Kazakhs is an important step in reflecting the Kazakh government's desire to establish rule of law in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan has been the nation that people point to in Central Asia where there has been freedom to peacefully practice one's religious beliefs and freely meet with one's faith community. The Constitution protects religious freedom and the government previously has upheld its commitments as a party to the Helsinki Accords and a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The recent trend, however, seems to belie previous optimism about religious freedom. Further cause for concern lies with new legislation that restricts religious freedom. The concerns cited by the government regarding wanting to ensure that no criminal activity occurs among people who adhere to certain religious beliefs can be accommodated under criminal law. There is no need for a law to restrict freedom of conscience, freedom of association, and freedom of speech. Kazakhstan can be a leader in Central Asia and can forge a new path for democracy in that region. There are many people in the United States who desire to increase our friendship with Kazakhstan. However, recent trends of increased human rights violations in Kazakhstan can slow that relationship people desire to build. Mr. Speaker, I urge the government of Kazakhstan to correct the injustices perpetrated by security, police, and court officials, and forge a new path as a key leader in Central Asia and the international community.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Chairman, when George Bush became President, he promised the American people fiscal discipline; that he would limit the size of government; that they would get some of their money back in tax cuts and we would pay down the public debt. So far Congress has kept faith with the President, and we want to limit the size of government. Why are we getting such a huge increase to NEA? This controversial agency has not had a funding increase that big in almost 20 years. This is $10 million more than the President asked for. I urge my colleagues to do the right thing for fiscal restraint and support this amendment.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, until recently, I thought everyone understood the law of supply and demand, but that was before some in this town started crying for price caps on energy. The ins and outs of energy policy may be complicated, but the law of supply and demand is very simple. President Bush has a sensible, balanced, and comprehensive plan to increase supply through new and better energy sources and to address demand through better efficiency and modernization. We should not let anyone tell us that price controls are the answer to the energy crunch we are in. The Soviet Union tried running things that way for 70 years, and bread lines only got longer. We need to increase supply. Price controls will not produce one drop of oil or one watt of electricity. They only reduce the pain temporarily, but compound the problem actually. Mr. Speaker, we need a long-term solution, not a short-term fix.