Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 280) celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, as amended.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2066, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as we had discussed, the bill before us is going to provide the General Services Administration with the statutory structure that it needs to bring it in line with the current commercial market transactions, and it is going to streamline its operation and improve its performance. There are no objections to the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. (Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2066) to amend title 40, United States Code, to establish a Federal Acquisition Service, to replace the General Supply Fund and the Information Technology Fund with an Acquisition Services Fund, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 191. This resolution was introduced by the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos). House Resolution 191 urges the Government of Romania to recognize its responsibilities to provide equitable, prompt, and fair restitution to all religious communities for property confiscated by the former Communist government in Romania. Specifically, this resolution expresses concern at the unwillingness of past governments of Romania to provide restitution of religious property that was confiscated by former Communist government officials of Romania. A central element of persecution by the Communist government in Romania was the uncompensated confiscation of property from religious communities and religious leaders, and the arrest and persecution of religious leaders. After the collapse of the Communist regime in Romania in 1989 and 1990, the new government of Romania adopted legislation to provide for the restitution of religious property seized during the previous 45 years of Communist rule. That legislation has been poorly and slowly implemented by Romanian governments over the past 15 years, and very little of this property has been returned to Romania's religious communities. The religious communities that have been adversely affected include the Romanian Greek Catholic Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Hungarian Reformed Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, as well as the Unitarian Church, the Jewish community, and other religious communities. Given the inherent injustice in the confiscation of these properties as well as Romania's desire to engage with other democracies through Euro-Atlantic institutions such as NATO and the European Union, Romania must take steps to accelerate the return of these properties to their rightful owners. Mr. Speaker, it is time for the government of Romania to face its responsibilities and implement what is necessary to resolve these issues. I urge the adoption of this important resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 273) urging the withdrawal of all Syrian forces from Lebanon, support for free and fair democratic elections in Lebanon, and the development of democratic institutions and safeguards to foster sovereign democratic rule in Lebanon, as amended.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan) and his cosponsors for bringing this important resolution to the floor. I also wish to commend the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) and our ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), for expediting the consideration of this resolution in our Committee on International Relations. Sister Dorothy worked in Brazil to directly help the people who are most in need, rural workers and peasants. She showed great personal courage by continuing on in her work with the Pastoral Land Commission despite death threats. Brazil and the world were shocked when Sister Dorothy was murdered on February 12, 2005. She was 73 years of age. It is fitting and proper that the United States Congress should recognize the extraordinary example that Sister Dorothy set for her countrymen here in the United States and in her adoptive country of Brazil. Today, we stand together to remember Sister Dorothy's extraordinary life. Perhaps an even more eloquent and lasting testament to Sister Dorothy's memory is the fact that Americans of faith are working every day for their fellow man in the remotest corners of the world. Many are to be found across our own hemisphere. Throughout their good works, they also honor Sister Dorothy's sacrifice. Mr. Speaker, I am certain my colleagues will join me in strong support of this concurrent resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2066) to amend title 40, United States Code, to establish a Federal Acquisition Service, to replace the General Supply Fund and the Information Technology Fund with an Acquisition Services Fund, and for other purposes.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the 527 Fairness Act of 2005. This is a bill that levels the playing field between political parties, PACs, Federal campaigns and 527s. The 527 Fairness Act lifts up other players by injecting more freedom into the campaign system. The legislation is very simple. It removes the aggregate contribution limit. It allows State and local parties to spend non-Federal dollars for voter registration and sample ballots. What it does not do is it does not repeal the limits on individual contributions to national parties and committees. It does not allow soft money to go to national political parties. The answer, Mr. Speaker, to problems and politics in a free society is more freedom, not less freedom. So I commend my colleagues, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Wynn) for introducing this bipartisan vital piece of legislation. I urge my colleagues to support the 527 Fairness Act of 2005.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, today we mark Israel Independence Day. Israel has stood as a symbol of perseverance and courage for the entire world from its birth in 1948. It has struggled constantly to maintain its independence and to ensure its survival amidst military attacks from hostile neighbors and prolonged terrorist campaigns. Even while at war, Israel's democracy and its vibrant, diverse and free society has remained strong. Its doors have been opened to victims of persecution and intolerance around the world. It has been said that the strength of a nation is determined by the caliber of its people, and there is perhaps no better example of this than the State of Israel and the Israeli people. Today, as the State of Israel marks its 57th anniversary, we reiterate our commitment to its security and its stability. I extend my best wishes and congratulations to the Israeli people and to the Jewish Nation.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, today I wish to call the attention of the Members to the important cause of defending the human rights of the Syrian people and holding the Syrian regime accountable for the most deplorable actions against its citizens. Syria is an oppressor state in every sense. It brutally stifles its political dissidents and minority groups. It denies its ordinary citizens freedom of religion, of conscience and belief. It seeks to silence its people by preventing them from exercising their right of free speech. It discriminates against women, condoning violence and sexual assault against them. The police continue to detain people arbitrarily, placing them in prisons and torturing them, using methods that seem to herald back to the return of the Middle Ages, stretching prisoners on racks or fracturing their spines on wheels. Since 1963, Syria has ruled under emergency law, using the hollow excuse of Israel being a threat, and using that to suppress freedom, diversity of opinion, and equality between religions and between sexes. About 600 Lebanese detainees have been languishing in Syrian jails since 1989. Those who have managed to escape bring harrowing stories with them that they have told to the international human rights community. They must be released immediately. In an event that defies comprehension, in 1982, Rifaat al-Assad, the brother of then dictator Hafez al-Assad, turned his Soviet-made guns against the Syrian city of Hama. When the dust settled approximately a week later, the death toll of innocent civilians had reached 30,000 people. The perpetrators of this massacre, including Rifaat al-Assad, who resides in Marbella, Spain, have received no punishment and live amid absolute luxury. Their comfortable lifestyle is an affront to the Syrian people and to all of humanity. Another of the perpetrators to be held accountable is Ghazi Kanaan. He headed the military intelligence unit responsible for clearing the way for the massacre at Hama. He also later became the Syrian top intelligence man in Lebanon and reportedly built all of the intelligence units responsible for killing Lebanese Christians and imprisoning many other innocent Lebanese. Bahjat Suleiman is the head of Unit 251 in the General Directorate of the Intelligence Services. Some of the crimes against the Syrian people were detailed in H. Con. Res. 18. This resolution, which I authored, was overwhelmingly adopted by my colleagues in the House, clearly illustrating our body's commitment to holding the Syrian dictatorship accountable for the systematic attacks against the Syrian population. Inaction on our part is not an option. The cost of failing to address this grim reality sooner can be measured by the rising number of Syrian and Lebanese men and women that the Syrian Government has killed or tortured. Today, the Syrian people, the dissidents and the peaceful opposition leaders, are poised to act. They are demanding that the Syrian Government release all prisoners of conscience and that it allow for the winds of reform to sweep through its corrupt system. U.S. policy must support the Syrian people, its dissidents, human rights activists, and pro-democracy advocates so that they, too, could free themselves from the shackles of tyrannical rule. In that vein, I recently introduced the Lebanon and Syria Liberation Act that contains provisions calling for the establishment of a program of assistance to pro-democracy advocates and opposition groups in Syria and Lebanon. It also establishes a program to develop independent broadcasts into Syria and Lebanon to help promote freedom and democracy in both countries. The act sends a message to the Syrian Government that the United States will not stand for its unacceptable behavior in violation of all moral and legal standards. This legislation, with its concrete measures to punish the Syrian regime, clearly demonstrates to the Syrian people that America stands with them in their efforts to free themselves from the shackles of tyranny and to help them build an open society based on democratic values and principles. We must honor the brave men and women of Syria by acting to defend their right to live as free men and women. We must begin by ensuring that the Syrian regime and its leaders are made to pay for their crimes against the Syrian people. We must support efforts to seek justice for the victims of Syrian oppression.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart), the author of the resolution.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 193) expressing support to the organizers and participants of the historic meeting of the Assembly to Promote the Civil Society in Cuba on May 20, 2005, in Havana.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 193.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As a member of the Committee on Government Reform, and as one of the 73 cosponsors, I am pleased to rise in support of House Resolution 142 that honors Rotary International on the occasion of its centennial anniversary. Rotary is a global organization of business and professional leaders that provide humanitarian services and works to provide good will and peace in the world. The organization boasts approximately 1.2 million members, called Rotarians, who belong to more than 31,000 Rotary clubs currently located in 167 countries. The efforts of Rotary clubs encourage high ethical standards in all vocations. Rotary International was founded on February 23, 1905, in Chicago, Illinois, in the hometown and the district of my colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis). It became the world's first club devoted to public service and quickly grew into one of the largest nonprofit service organizations. Today, there are nearly 400,000 Rotarians in the U.S. Membership provides the opportunity to make a difference within communities by working with each other and with local humanitarian and business leaders. A person can even learn about and become involved in international issues through Rotary programs. Madam Speaker, next month, I understand that the Rotary will be hosting a great celebration in Chicago to mark its hundredth anniversary, and it will be from June 18 to June 22. On this occasion, the 2005 Rotary International convention will be a great event, and we wish the best to the Rotary and all Rotarians in their festivities. Madam Speaker, I congratulate the distinguished gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky) for her benevolence in advancing such a worthy resolution. I congratulate Rotary International for 100 years of tremendous service to our Nation and to the world. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as she may consume to my distinguished colleague, the gentlewoman from the State of Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), who is also a Rotarian.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, again, I am pleased to be associated with House Resolution 142. I urge all of my distinguished colleagues to support its adoption. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.