Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Here's Help on the grand opening of the Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Alex Villalobos, and Ron Silver Juvenile Residence. This facility, named after the Florida State legislators who pushed for its establishment, will help teenagers overcome their difficult struggle with substance abuse. The ravages of dependence too often destroy the lives of young people. And future leaders are often cast aside or lost under a pile of social service paperwork. Special thanks go to Miami's Y-100's ``Footy,'' also known as John Kross, for his efforts as CEO of Here's Help. And to Dave Ross, manager of Clear Channel. Others helped: Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who provided funding to furnish this home and renovate older facilities. Thanks also to Dan Marino and Emilio and Gloria Estefan. I am heartened to see organizations like Here's Help trying to stem this tide of human suffering with community efforts, especially with the Friday opening of its new juvenile residency facility. I ask my congressional colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Miami Y-100's ``Footy'' and to Here's Help for the wonderful work they have accomplished and for the lives they have saved in this new juvenile residency hall.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lazio) for his tireless leadership efforts on this bill because today marks a significant day in women's history as we will help decide the fate of scores of women throughout our country. The bill before us, the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act, is a bill that has long been awaited by our Nation's mothers and daughters whose lives have been touched by breast or cervical cancer. Women's cancers are sweeping the Nation at high speeds. While researchers continue to look for cures and effective treatments, many women will never be able to see the benefits of such research because they simply are not able to afford it. The bill before us will enable many low-income women to receive the necessary life treatment, life saving treatment through a State- optional Medicaid benefit which will help provide coverage for treatment for women who are screened and diagnosed through the Federal CDC Early Detection Program. Today, if we pass our bill, our Nation's women will finally be given a fighting chance at beating a life-threatening disease. Today if we pass the bill of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lazio), low-income women everywhere will have peace of mind that, should she ever be diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer, life-saving treatment will be made available to them. Despite education on preventative measures and early detection, the rate of cancer among women continues to increase at an alarming rate. Every 64 minutes, a woman is diagnosed with a reproductive tract cancer; and just today, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. The gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Myrick), our own colleague, shared with us how her life has been directly touched by breast cancer. Fortunately for the gentlewoman, she is among the fortunate ones who can afford life-saving treatment after diagnosis, but many women unfortunately are not as lucky. As cancer eats away at their spirits, many women are left to scramble and search for funding. They are forced to hold bake sales and car washes just to be able to afford the necessary life-saving treatment they so desperately need. As role models and community leaders, we encourage all mothers and daughters to have mammogram screenings and take early detection measures. Today, Congress can make a difference and give mothers all over the country the best gift this coming Mother's Day by giving them life. By passing the bill of the gentleman from New York, (Mr. Lazio), the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act, we can give women a fighting chance at beating cancer. It is the very least that all of us in Congress can do for mothers and women everywhere. I thank our colleagues for their extraordinary leadership, especially the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lazio). I also thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Myrick) whose perseverance in the battle to eradicate breast cancer has been a strong inspiration for all of us. When battling a fierce and treacherous disease such as cancer, every minute counts. Mr. Speaker, many of our Nation's mothers and daughters cannot wait any longer. I urge my colleagues to vote for passage of H.R. 4386, to extend to them the gift of life.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I join with over half of the Florida delegation to support H.R. 673, the Florida Keys Water Quality Improvements Act of 2000, that will provide $213 million to help preserve one of this nation's crown jewels. Within the Florida Keys lies the only living coral reef bed in the United States and the third largest in the world. The coral reef is also home to plants and animals unique to this area that make up a rare and sensitive ecosystem. The Keys are being threatened with disease and even death if the raw wastewater flowing through the porous limestone of the Key is not treated and cleaned up. Inadequate wastewater and stormwater infrastructure have caused the once pure waters to become polluted and dirty, threatening not only the viability of the living reef tract, but the plants and animals that are dependent upon it. Throughout the Keys, antiquated septic tanks leak and outdated sewage systems leak refuse into these waters, flowing directly through the permeable limestone. H.R. 673 authorizes a 75/25 split between federal grants and non- federal monies to construct the necessary infrastructure. The communities of the Keys lack the tax base to provide an adequate solution without federal help, and even with passage of H.R. 673, residents will pay twice the national average in sewer bills. The chain of islands runs 150 miles and are home to 80,000 residents, but each year, they receive over two million visitors which adds more stress to the fragility of the ecosystem. The popularity of these islands has actually exacerbated the problems facing the Keys. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation to ensure that one of our nation's gems is restored to its previous pristine condition.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, despite education on preventive measures and early detection, the rate of cancer among women has continued to increase at an alarming rate. Every 64 minutes a woman is diagnosed with reproductive tract cancer. And just today, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Our colleague, the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Myrick), shared with us how she is among the fortunate who can afford life- saving treatment after her diagnosis. We have encouraged low-income mothers and daughters to have mammogram screenings and early detection measures. But when these medical tests show an unfavorable diagnosis, who is there to ensure that they receive the life-saving treatment they so desperately need? Mr. Speaker, our Nation's low-income women living with breast cancer cannot wait any longer. H.R. 1070 gives the States an optional Medicaid benefit to provide treatment to low-income women screened and diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer through the CDC early detection program. Mother's Day is May 14, and the most valuable gift that Congress can give American women is a fighting chance at beating cancer. I hope that my colleagues will work for passage of H.R. 1070 by this Mother's Day.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of making Miami, Florida, the permanent location for the Secretariat of the Free Trade Area of the Americas, FTAA. I am a proud cosponsor of this legislation, which is being led by our colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw). His resolution expresses the sense of Congress that Miami, and not a foreign city, should serve as the permanent location for the FTAA. Mr. Speaker, Miami, Florida, is currently the temporary location for the FTAA, which is comprised of 34 free nations with a combined gross domestic product of $14 trillion. The only city in the United States being considered as the permanent location of the FTAA is Miami, but it is competing with Panama and Mexico City. I and my colleagues from Florida believe that Florida is indeed the best choice for the FTAA. Its strategic location, which many have hailed as the gateway to the Americas, makes Miami a natural choice for the FTAA. It enables our city to become the cultural, the diplomatic, and the commercial center of the Americas. Additionally, Miami is already considered by many as the business and trade capital of the Americas. Due to its geographic location, Miami is already positioned to house the permanent Secretariat. The city has the highest number of flights to and from Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Port of Miami serves over 100 ports in this area as well, and a very large number of international companies have already made South Florida their regional headquarters for Latin America, including Federal Express, UPS, DHL, to name just a few. They also have international service centers based in Miami. Winning the Secretariat means increased and strengthened technological investment, not just for us in Miami but for the entire state of Florida, and indeed, our Nation. The State's ten largest trading partners are located in Latin America and the Caribbean. Therefore, having the permanent Secretariat located in Florida would tremendously increase the State's hemispheric trade. An important issue that we must also consider in this matter is the opportunity for Florida to become the e-business center for trade and e-business start-up companies, and this is a wonderful opportunity to begin warmer relations with our neighbors to the south. The current revolution in e-commerce and the boom in e-business start-up companies requires us to seriously consider the consequences of not being a dominant player in the telecommunications industry. We cannot overlook the potential for hundreds and thousands of jobs that would be generated by a strong communications infrastructure arising from having the Secretariat in our Nation. A great number of high-tech firms have already made Miami their home, and we would capitalize on this fact. The creation of jobs is vitally important to our area, and the Secretariat would provide an environment that encourages more companies to establish their operations, thereby increasing employment opportunities throughout the United States. Having Florida as the Secretariat's permanent home benefits us as a whole. It would improve trade and commerce between the United States and the Americas, thereby enabling us to retain our current dominant position as a trade partner. It would also allow us the opportunity to surpass European exporters, who are moving forward to redouble their businesses with Latin America. The issue of having Miami as the home of the permanent Secretariat of the FTAA enjoys strong support throughout the State. The Secretary of the State of Florida has expressed her strong support for this, particularly as it pertains to accelerating e-business and trade in the Americas. The Governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, is also committed to positioning the Internet in Florida for economic growth. The FTAA would help push these goals forward. Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to support the legislation of the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) making the permanent home of the Secretariat of the FTAA to be Miami. It is a win-win situation, and I urge support of this important issue that is important for all of us in the State of Florida and, indeed, throughout the Nation. I congratulate the leadership of the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) on this and many other issues.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, this morning, Juan Miguel Gonzalez arrived in the United States, more than 4 months after his little boy Elian was rescued at sea under miraculous circumstances. Elian's fate is still uncertain. However, if deported there are truths we could be certain about. If deported, Elian will become the property of the Castro regime. Castro officials themselves declared just this week that Elian is Cuba's possession. If forced to return to Cuba, Elian will be hospitalized for an undetermined period of time, and hospitalized is Castro's euphemism for reeducation and reprogramming. If deported, 6-year-old Elian will be subjected to the type of education pictured here where children are given combat training and are forced to use rifles and other weapons as part of their elementary school curriculum. Despite Elian's mother's ultimate sacrifice for him to live in freedom here in the United States, despite Elian's struggle to survive the perilous journey from Castro's Cuba, despite Elian's desire to remain in the United States, his days of liberty may give way to a future of forced child labor, enslavement, and oppression. Today may mark a sad day for democracy, freedom, and the rule of law.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, representatives from the Foundation Fighting Blindness are visiting congressional offices this week to discuss the importance of funding research initiatives at the National Eye Institute. This week my colleagues received a set of paper glasses which may help them to understand what individuals suffering from retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration see. Isaac, Daria and Ilana Lidsky, young adults from my congressional district, are among the over 6 million Americans who suffer from these retinal degenerative diseases. Another 9 million Americans have pre- symptomatic signs of retinal degeneration and as the baby-boomer generation ages, diseases such as these are poised to skyrocket. Promising experiments have already been discovered in retinal transplantation and in gene and pharmaceutical therapies. However, additional funding for the National Eye Institute is urgently needed to advance these promising treatments to clinical trials. I urge my colleagues to consider how life is viewed through the eyes of those going blind and to consider an increase to the National Eye Institute at a percentage higher or equal to the other institutes of the National Institutes of Health.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall numbers 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall numbers 91, 92, 93, 94, and ``aye'' on rollcall number 95.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, on rollcall numbers 46 and 47, I was unavoidably detained in my district. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, 188 years after her birth, Susan B. Anthony is still remembered as a prominent and influential figure in our Nation's history. One of the greatest foremothers in the drive for women's rights, she became a leader in the fight for equal rights for all. Mr. Speaker, today marks the anniversary of Susan B. Anthony's birth. We know her as a fierce opponent of slavery, who also championed to protect the rights of those who today have become the most dispossessed in our society, the unborn. Susan B. Anthony considered one of her greatest achievements to have saved the lives of the unborn. She said ``sweeter ever than to have had the joy of caring for children of my own has it been to help bring about a better state of things for mothers generally, so that their unborn little ones could not be willed away from them.'' To Susan B. Anthony, as well as all the early suffragists, the rights of unborn children could never and should never have been separated from the promotion of women's rights. As today marks the 180th anniversary of her birth, I ask that we remember her efforts to secure equality for all and to rededicate ourselves to her life's work of guaranteeing full rights for both women and their unborn children.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, what if just one of us could dramatically benefit 80 people at one time? What if through just one event any one of us could literally save the life of a peer? Every single one of us has within ourselves the ability to effect positive changes by giving the gift of life. Yesterday, this House passed a resolution recognizing the value and the need for organ donations. As we celebrate National Organ Donor Month, we need to remember the thousands of innocent families who will lose a loved one because no viable organ was available; and we must consider our options to help these families. It has often been said that life is short and the nearly 60,000 patients who are currently waiting on this waiting list to receive these organs know just how precious time is. The waiting time for patients hanging on to life continues to expand. Unfortunately, the number of organs and the number of organ donors does not expand. Every 16 minutes, a name is added to the ever-growing waiting list of those who will wait transplantation. These facts translate into 13 people who die each and every day just because there are not enough organs available for them. As I said, there are over 60,000 people awaiting organ transplants today; and, sadly, most of them will continue to wait for a tissue or an organ that may never come. Transplantation saves lives and it is important that we, as Members of Congress, do everything we can to raise awareness on the importance of organ and tissue donations and to increase the amount of donors throughout our land and especially in our districts. Organ donation is as simple as filling out a donor card and indicating one's intent with their driver's license bureau. There are no limitations on who can donate. In fact, organ donors have included newborn babies all the way to senior citizens. However, the most important step that one can take is to discuss this important decision with their family members. It is essential that family members know our wishes, as relatives will be contacted and asked to sign a consent form upon our death. Most Americans support organ donations. Nonetheless, only about 50 percent of the families asked to donate a loved one's organs have agreed to do so. Americans traditionally have strong values and share the spirit of giving within ourselves, within our communities, and in our Nation. Yet most Americans do not realize that the loss of one's life can result in the gift of life for many others. Our corneas could give sight to two people, our kidneys could free up two people from dialysis, our heart, lungs, and liver can literally save the lives of patients who are in desperate need of a transplantation. There is no greater gift than the gift of life. We must encourage this giving and work to leave a lasting legacy to prevent the needless and tragic deaths of thousands of Americans.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, the seas are stormy, the waves are beating against your frail little face, the winds are bitter cold. Your dark eyes are blinded by tears. You feel your mother's hands as they struggle to hold you above the waves. You hear her gentle voice praying to God to protect you, asking God to help you reach the land of liberty, and whispering to you to pray to your guardian angel. Suddenly, there is distress in your mother's voice. This turns into cries of anguish and the last words you hear from your mother are, ``I love you, my child. You are in God's hands now.'' Committed to honor your mother's wishes, strengthened by her love and faith, you cling to an inner tube, all alone in the vast Atlantic Ocean. You continue to pray and on Thanksgiving Day, 1999, you are rescued by two fishermen off the coast of Florida. Despite the harrowing experience, you are filled with joy, joy in the knowledge that you made it to the United States, that your mother's sacrifice was not in vain. This is the story of Elian Gonzalez, who was then 5 years old and his mother, Elizabet Broton. One cannot help but wonder if there was divine intervention. Elian has repeatedly spoken about the schools of dolphins who surrounded his inner tube. He is emphatic about the fact that these dolphins protected him from the sharks while using their snouts to push him closer to our U.S. shores. Donato, one of the fishermen who saved Elian's life, has publicly stated and has personally said to many Members of Congress of this chamber how he as a Christian believes that God guided him toward Elian on that fateful day. Donato explains, ``At first I thought it was a doll. I would have never seen Elian's tiny little hands clinging to the inner tube had there not been some force driving us toward him.'' Some who have looked into Elian's eyes have seen the purity of his spirit, the antithesis of the evil that is Fidel Castro and his atheist regime. Some can see the collective anguish of the Cuban soul, in chains since Castro came to power and banished God and religion from Cuba, replacing it with Communist doctrine and institutions. However, all who have come in contact with the child, including Jeanne O'Laughlin, who facilitated the meeting between Elian and his grandmothers, are touched by Elian. Sister O'Laughlin was hand-picked by Attorney General Janet Reno and the INS. She is a neutral observer who answers to a higher call. Yet, after looking into Elian's tiny dark eyes, she said, ``He would grow to greater freedom of manhood here.'' She believes that Elian should ``live free of fear'' and that ``the final challenge of finding the best way for Elian to heal and to be nurtured should lie with a court that has experience in seeking the best interests of children.'' Yet, there are those who shut themselves to this possibility and want only for Elian to be returned to his father in Cuba. For those, I would like to quote Sister O'Laughlin again. She writes, ``It troubles me that Elian's father has not come to the United States. I realize how he must love Elian. What, if not fear, could keep a person from making a 30-minute trip to reclaim his son? And what might Elian's father fear if not the authoritarian Cuban government itself? Could we send the boy back to a climate that may be full of fear without at least a fair hearing in a family court,'' Sister Jeanne asks. Some would discount that this fear exists. Some would question that the regime takes any action that would instill fear. No, that would not be, they say. But imagine how intense the fear must be, how horrific the oppression and subjugation must be in Cuba, that thousands upon thousands of mothers and fathers risk their lives to bring their children to freedom here in the United States. Imagine how the spirit of the Cuban people is strangulated by the Castro regime that they are driven to such desperate measures. Imagine not being able to go to church or to turn to any religious leader for guidance or support because you would be arrested and interrogated. Where would those be who would doubt that there is fear in Cuba? What would they say to the dissidents who are persecuted because they want human rights, or to the political prisoners because they want freedom and democracy for Cuba? What would they say to the Cuban mothers and fathers who must relinquish control of their children's upbringing and education and leave it to the Castro regime, a regime which teaches children to read using books such as these: This one, for example, is used to teach Elian and his classmates and it says, ``G'' is for guerrilla. It also includes songs such as the ones where the children pledge their devotion to Castro, to Che Guevara, and to other Cuban revolutionary leaders. This one, for example, says, ``I want to be like him. I could be like him. I will have to be like him. Like whom,'' it says. ``Like Che.'' Is this the environment that Elian should be returned to without so much as an opportunity to have him speak and express his desires? I ask that my colleagues search their consciences and let God guide their steps as they consider this issue.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, weak and thirsty, Elizabet spent the last hours of her life praying to God to protect her son, Elian; to guide him to safety in the land of liberty. She shaded Elian with her own body, gave him bottled water so he would not dehydrate, did everything humanly possible so that he would live. As darkness enveloped her frail body and before she disappeared into the depths of the Atlantic, she turned to Elian and said to him, ``My child, remember that prayer I taught you? Pray to your guardian angel. Ask him to watch over you, for you are in God's hands now.'' Elizabet succumbed to the power of the sea, but Elian continued to pray and; on Thanksgiving Day, he would be saved under what one of his rescuers has classified as miraculous circumstances. Mr. Speaker, one cannot help but wonder if there was divine intervention. As former President Ronald Reagan has said: without God, there is no prompting of the conscience. So I ask my colleagues to search their conscience and consider what is right and just before making a decision on Elian's case. We can still hear his mother's last wishes from the depths of the sea.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, the case of Elian Gonzalez cannot be viewed through a prism of normalcy or merely by our views regarding the primacy of family and the rights of parents, because Castro's Cuba is not the United States. The totalitarian communist dictatorship in power since 1959 is not a Democratic government. The regime treats children, by law, as political raw material to be manipulated and exploited by the State. Children are forced from infancy to prepare for the defense of the country and its regime. Parents who follow their conscience and try to shape their children's values and education are considered enemies of the State and are arrested or persecuted. Those parents whose love for their children supersedes any individual concern for their safety are punished by the Castro regime, punished for violating Castro's laws. Laws such as the Code of the Child and Youth established by Law Number 16 published on June 30, 1978. This law reiterates the requirement that the young generations must participate in the ``construction of socialism,'' and that ``the communist ideological formation of children and youth'' must take place ``through a coherent system . . . in which the Cuban Communist Party assumes the pivotal role of vanguard and protector of Marxist- Leninism.'' Those are the exact words. The upbringing of Cuba's children, in other words, is the responsibility of the Cuban Communist Party. Based on this premise, the Code of the Child and Youth dictates in its first Article that the people, organizations, and institutions which take part in their education are obligated to ``promote the formation of the communist personality in the young generations.'' That is their quote. Mr. Speaker, if any doubt exists as to the true nature of this Code, Article 3 states that the communist ideological formation of the young generation is a primary goal of the State and, as such, the State works to instill in them, quote, ``loyalty to the cause of socialism and communism and loyalty . . . to the vanguard of Marxist-Leninism, the Cuban Communist Party.'' By the same token, the State must develop in the children ``a sense of honor and loyalty to the principles of proletariat internationalism.'' Again, these are their words. ``And the fraternal relations and cooperation with the Soviet Union and other socialist communist countries.'' Absolute adherence to Marxism is the crux of the educational system in Cuba. Article 8, for example, underscores that, ``Society and the State work for the efficient protection of youth against all influences contrary to their communism formation.'' The regime equates Karl Marx with Cuban independence hero Jose Marti to mask the content of Article 14 of the Code, albeit unsuccessfully. Article 14 condones and advocates child labor as it dictates: ``The combination of study and work . . . is one of the fundamentals on which revolutionary education is based. The principle is to be applied from infancy.'' In this manner, Cuba's youth ``acquire proper labor habits and other aspects of the communist personality are developed.'' The supremacy of Marxism is irrefutable as evident in Article 33: ``The State bestows particular attention to the teachings of Marxism-Leninism for its importance in the ideological formation and political culture of young students.'' Is this the totalitarian society, where the communist party and the State dictates the education, the upbringing of every child, is this what our Justice Department, our INS and the National Council of Churches seek to send young Elian Gonzalez back to? What a travesty. Mr. Speaker, I commend to our colleagues an article published this week in the Wall Street Journal by James Taranto called ``Havana's Hostages'' which talks about a case of a congressional constituent in my district, Jose Cohen, who has three of his children, Yamila, Isaac and Yanelis, along with his wife back in Cuba, even though they have U.S. exit visas and have been approved for many, many years and Castro will not allow them to come to the United States. This story, Mr. Taranto points out, shows how little the Cuban dictator cares about family unity and how much his communist code that is in force in Cuba cares about communist ideology and loyalty to the socialist Marxist- Leninist cause and not loyalty to true family unity.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, there are those who doubt the argument that returning Elian Gonzalez to Cuba actually means returning a 6- year-old boy to the Castro regime. There are those who question the importance or relevance of the sacrifice that Elian's mother made to ensure that he would live in freedom. There are still others who would question Elian's ability to express his own desires and to help determine his own fate. However, those who have lived under totalitarian rule do not doubt. They know what it means to live in fear, in fear of persecution, in fear of arrest, in fear of torture and even death because of one's belief. They have suffered enslavement and subjugation by Communist regimes which not only stole their present but destroyed their future by exerting absolute control over their children's lives. Someone once said, it is easy to take liberty for granted when you have never had it taken from you. I ask those who seek to oversimplify this case by advocating Elian's immediate return, without a court hearing and without following U.S. law, not to make that mistake. I ask them to hear the pleas of the members of organizations such as the Americans for Human Rights in Ukraine, who are appealing to Congress to act in Elian's case. They write: ``We know from recent past experience that Communist regimes are dangerous to the health and spirit of people under its control.'' For this reason, this group has asked us ``to use our good offices to help a little boy to live in freedom.'' I ask Members to listen to Vietnamese-American refugee advocate Hai Tran, who reminds us of how many Vietnamese mothers wiped off their tears and sent their children away to a seat on that rickety boat so that they might have a future, how many Vietnamese mothers and their children died at sea in search of freedom away from that bamboo gulag. Because he knows the value and the sanctity of freedom, Hai Tran believes it is Elian's right to life and liberty here in the United States. I ask those who support INS's unilateral decision to return Elian to Cuba to heed the questions proposed by Susan Rosenbluth in her editorial for the newspaper Jewish Voice and Opinion. She writes, ``Imagine a Jewish father in Addis Ababa circa 1983, or Moscow circa 1987, or Damascus circa 1990, or Tehran right now. Imagine the boy's mother finds a way to escape with the child. In the midst of the plan, something goes wrong and she dies, but miraculously, the little boy makes it. When he wakes up, he finds himself in Tel Aviv surrounded by his family, but the father is still in the country where dictators have the last word. Would the boy be returned to whatever totalitarian nightmare his mother had rescued him from?'' Susan Rosenbluth continues, in the Jewish Voice and Opinion, ``If our hearts know the right answer for the hypothetical Jewish child in that story, then we must understand that Elian Gonzalez, the little boy whose mother died trying to rescue him from Cuba, belongs in the U.S., and that if his loving father could speak freely, that is what he would say, too. After focusing on these statements, it is difficult to discount the importance of considering the environment that Elian would be exposed to in Cuba. It becomes readily apparent that a forum must be provided where the mother's wishes and ultimate sacrifice are also evaluated. This can only take place, justice can indeed only be served by allowing a court of law to hear the case. The INS disagrees because it is applying Cuban law to the case. Congress, however, must be guided by U.S. laws and international standards requiring due process. President Harry Truman once said, you know that being an American is more than a matter of where your parents come from. It is a belief that all men are created free and equal, and that everyone deserves an even break. That is my belief, and I know it is my colleagues', as well. I ask that we live up to our commitment to uphold and protect the rights endowed to all human beings, and that we search our consciences before making a summary judgment to send Elian back to Castro's Cuba. We have an opportunity to make a difference in this little boy's life; to demonstrate, through our actions, our adherence to the principles that are the rubric of our democratic society; to send a message from our resolve on behalf of oppressed men, women, and children everywhere. Let us not squander it.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, as a Member of Congress who represents the Congressional District of Florida where Elian Gonzalez currently resides, as the mother of two young daughters, and as someone who knows all too well about Castro's brutal tyrannical regime, I ask my colleagues today to support the bill which was introduced by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. McCollum) on Monday which would bestow citizenship upon 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez. As a Cuban refugee and as a naturalized American myself, I know what an honor it is to be a United States citizen. Elian's mother Elizabeth drowned in her voyage to freedom, but she had a dying wish, to have her 5-year-old son reach the shores of freedom. To honor that deathbed declaration, we are promoting this legislation to grant citizenship to Elian, which will also have the practical effect of taking the case out of INS hands and placing it where it properly belongs, as a delicate custody issue to be handled by Florida State courts. Some will argue that Congress should not be involved because it is a custody issue. And those of us who support the bill agree, this is a custody issue and as such it should have been allowed to play out in a court of law. As in every other custody case, a hearing should be held. The parents and the relatives should be afforded an opportunity to testify. Medical experts should render their assessment. Other experts should be granted a forum to present testimony about the conditions in which the child would live and be subjected to in Cuba. And, most importantly, the child would be able to state freely and openly for the record what his desires are and with whom he wishes to live. However, INS has prevented this orderly process from taking place. It has made a mockery of our laws by making a unilateral summary judgment to return Elian to Cuba and, in so doing, have defamed the principles of justice, of fairness, and of equality under the law which are really the fabric of our society. Originally, on December 1, 1999, INS quoted to the family, to the attorneys and to the press, ``Although it had no role in the family custody decision, we have discussed this case with State of Florida officials who have confirmed that the issue of legal custody must be decided by its State court. However, Elian will remain in the U.S. while the issues surrounding his custody are resolved.'' However, this was not to be. INS soon recanted this statement, decided to apply Cuban law instead to this case, and ordered that the boy be returned to Cuba without any semblance of our due process. Faced with this reality, my colleagues and I were compelled to act to protect and uphold Elian's rights as a person under the law; rights not only guaranteed by our constitution and legal system but rights protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 6 of this convention states, ``Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.'' Article 7 states, ``All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.'' And Article 14, ``Everyone has the rights to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.'' This last provision is particularly telling, as INS, in denying Elian his rights and defending only the father's rights under Cuban law, rejected various asylum applications for Elian and unilaterally withdrew his application for admission into the U.S. There are those who will ignore these arguments and discount the fact that the U.S. and international law requires that the custody issue be resolved in a court of law and simplifies this case to a question of merely returning the boy to his father. But appropriate steps have not been taken to ascertain whether this in fact is in the boy's best interests, and that should be the guiding standard. To those advocates who say, no, let us not advocate for that, I ask if they are aware that Castro's laws require that children and youth must prepare themselves for the defense of the country, honoring the principles of proletariat internationalism and combat solidarity? That is a quote from their code. It requires that children under the age of 11 to work long hours in farm labor camps. It mandates society and State work for the efficient protection of youth, and this is a quote, against all influences contrary to their Communist formation. And the latter one applies even to parents. Just ask Gladys Ibarra- Lugo, age 15, who has for years been denied access to her parents because of their support of Democratic principles and human rights. Their support was contrary to the dictums of the Communist State. Gladys' parents are Amnesty International prisoners of conscience. I wonder if those who simply say forget the court hearing have really read the testimony of Francisco Garcia. This testimony was included in a report distributed by the United Nations NGO Group for the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Francisco tells of his experience as a child in Cuba, and I commend it to my colleagues. For Elian's present and future, for the sake of justice, liberty, and equality, I ask my colleagues to support the citizenship bill.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the bill that was introduced on Monday which would bestow citizenship upon Elian Gonzalez, a 6-year-old Cuban boy who was miraculously rescued off of Florida's shores on Thanksgiving Day. This citizenship bill does not advocate for a particular outcome. It merely ensures due process. It ensures that a court of law will be afforded the opportunity to hear and evaluate all facts and arguments in the case; that it will hear testimony from Elian himself, who says he wants to stay here and who says he wants to be a citizen; that it will evaluate the statements of a child psychologist and other experts who present a comprehensive assessment of what is in Elian's best interest. Mr. Speaker, in essence, this bill merely ensures that Elian's rights under the law are upheld and that his rights do not continue to be violated and circumvented by bureaucrats at INS. Citizenship would also protect Elian in the event that he is required to return to Cuba against his wishes and one day seeks to return to our United States. Mr. Speaker, for Elian's welfare and for the sake of justice, fairness and equality, I ask our colleagues to support the citizenship bill.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Bernardo Fort-Brescia and his wife, Laurinda Spear, on being inducted as members of the 1999 Interior Design Magazine Hall of Fame. In 1977, Bernardo and Laurinda, both graduates of Ivy League architectural schools, founded the Miami based Arquitectonica which has been making headlines with a brand of unconventional modernism that combines clarity and formal rigor with unusual daring in color and wit. The firm's designs have won numerous awards from the American Institute of Architects and Progressive Architecture. Bernardo and Laurinda have worked on many memorable designs, including the Miami City Ballet headquarters in Miami Beach, the American Airlines Arena in Miami, and the future Westin New York at Times Square on New York's 42nd Street. These projects have been featured in many magazines and professional journals including Time, Newsweek, Domus, and Architectural Digest. Bernardo and Laurinda have lectured around the world and their work had been exhibited in many prestigious museums and galleries throughout the Western Hemisphere and Europe. I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating Bernard Fort- Brescia, FAIA and Laurinda Spear, FAIA on their induction to the 1999 Interior Design Magazine Hall of Fame.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Jay Weiss a true philanthropist in my Congressional district, who while a successful businessman, has always believed that it is one's duty to give back to the community. Jay has contributed a great deal to our community and especially to Jackson Memorial Hospital, located in Miami, Florida. For those associated with Jackson, Jay Weiss will always be seen as its patron, as he has selflessly devoted himself to promoting the humanitarian mission of the hospital. Over the last decade, many of the strides and accomplishments of the hospital can be attributed to Jay. It was his vision and foresight which led to the creation of the Ryder Trauma Center. In this spirit, the Jay W. Weiss Humanitarian Award was established in 1993, to recognize outstanding leadership and selfless service. Jay has also been recognized by the National Conference for Community Injustice as a Silver Medallion Honoree. Additionally, he has served as a member of the University of Miami Board of Trustees and chaired the Board of Sylvester Cancer Center for the past seven years. Miami has truly been blessed by Jay Weiss.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today to pay tribute to a place where children are second to none: Miami Children's Hospital, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary on March 21, 2000. This world class children's hospital had its humble beginnings with a vision by our former Ambassador to the Vatican, David McLean Walters. After his granddaughter's sorrowful death from Leukemia, Ambassador Walters decidedly vowed to create a facility where South Florida's children could receive the best possible care, and where no child would lack excellent medical care. With his bold leadership, he worked tirelessly to raise funds through the Miami Children's Hospital Foundation, and what began as a humble idea twenty years ago is now commonly referred to as the Pinnacle of Pediatrics. Today, under the exceptional steering and superb guidance of its current President, Tom Rozek, Miami Children's Hospital continues to administer superior care to scores of infirm children not only in South Florida, but throughout the entire United States and, indeed the world. Essential to the achievement of excellence has been the dedication of a talented medical staff administered with tender, loving care and the support of a caring South Florida community. Our future can only be as good as our children, and with the strong commitment to their health and future that is permeated at Miami Children's Hospital, it is evident that our future will be blazing brightly.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to congratulate the volunteers of the Miami-Dade County Senior Companion Program who selflessly dedicate their lives to provide supportive services to adults with special needs and comfort to their families. Four hours a week, five days a week, Senior Companions seek to fulfill the needs of South Florida's increasing elderly community, and especially senior citizens afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, by providing friendship and personal assistance in the activities of daily living. Martin Luther King once stated ``everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.'' Miami-Dade's Senior Companions have demonstrated grace, love and immeasurable commitment to less fortunate seniors in our community, and on Friday, December 3rd, Miami-Dade County Community Action Agency will honor them and celebrate their unparalleled generosity with a luncheon. Congratulations and much success to the Senior Companions for their great work.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, this morning I am delighted to congratulate Mr. Cesar ``Eddy'' Blass, who will celebrate 15 years as president of the American Peruvian Action Committee, APAC-USA. Eddy has won the attention of his community with his service which has enabled him to contribute to our South Florida community. He is a dedicated, tireless advocate for the plight of the Peruvian Americans in their long-sought goals of residency and eventual U.S. citizenship. Through his actions, Eddy has become a leader in the fight to unify Peruvian Americans throughout the United States; and, as a result of his extensive community service, he has received a host of awards, certificates, and recognition. This Saturday APAC will commemorate its 15th anniversary and honor its president and founder, Cesar ``Eddy'' Blass. He has been an inspiration to the lives of his fellow countrymen, as well as for our entire South Florida community. In honor of his 15th anniversary as president of the American Peruvian Action Committee, I ask my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute to Cesar ``Eddy'' Blass.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Mr. Abel Perez on the 30th anniversary of his newspaper, ``20 de Mayo.'' In July 1960, after being threatened by the Castro regime, Mr. Perez left Cuba with his pregnant wife in search of freedom and democracy in the United States. Later that year, Abel joined the Brigade 2506, which took part in the Bay of Pigs invasion against the communist government of Fidel Castro. After his return in 1962, they settled in California where Abel began to work for Mattel toymakers. Aided by a small group of Cubans who were worried about communism in their homeland, the 20 de Mayo Spanish newspaper was founded on October 1969. Abel dedicated all his time to let the people in the United States know the truth about tragic events of Castro's dictatorship. In the 1980's, Mr. Perez's community service was exemplified by helping Cuban refugees from the Mariel exodus, gathering a group of professionals in what was called the Cuban Assistance League. This organization helped the refugees to find shelter, as well as medical and financial assistance during the most critical years after their arrival in the United States. I am proud to say that as the years passed, ``20 de Mayo'' has become one of the leading voices of freedom, democracy, and justice for all Hispanics residing in this country.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from New York (Chairman Gilman) for convening tomorrow's hearing on the Committee on International Relations on ``The Cuba Program: The Torturing of American POWs by Castro Agents,'' and for his ongoing leadership and commitment to veterans' issues. This issue is particularly important to me for various reasons. But, more importantly, as I read through the accounts of what our men and women in uniform have endured through this century of war, I think of my husband, Dexter Lehtinen, who served in the special forces in Vietnam and was injured in combat. He was relatively fortunate, but so many of his colleagues were not. The Geneva Convention prohibits ``violence to life and person, in particular murders of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture'' and ``outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment.'' This is exactly what took place in a prison camp in North Vietnam known as ``The Zoo,'' seen here in a declassified photo, the site where 19 of our U.S. military officers were tortured. During the period of August 1967 to August 1968, 19 of our courageous servicemen were psychologically tortured, some brutally beaten, by interrogators assessed to be Cuban agents working under orders from Hanoi and Havana. Described by some to be a psychological experiment, the goals of The Cuba Program, as the torture project has been labeled by our Defense Department and by our intelligence agencies, has been described in different ways as an attempt to test interrogation methods, to obtain absolute compliance and submission to captor demands, or ultimately to be used as a propaganda tool by the international Communist effort, as Mike Benge will elaborate upon during tomorrow's congressional hearing. Some POWs were tortured and then instructed to write a series of questions and answers given to them by their interrogators. These scripts on most occasions included statements declaring that the United States was waging an illegal, immoral, and unjust war. Prisoners were tortured, again some psychologically and others physically, to ensure cooperation in appearances they were forced to make before visiting dignitaries. Refusal to comply with the captors' commands usually meant that Fidel, Chico, and Poncho, as the torturers were called by the POWs, would be called in for intense beatings of the prisoners. The ruthless nature of the interrogators and the severity of their actions led prisoners such as Captain Raymond Vohden, Colonel Jack Bomar, and Lieutenant Carpenter to question how human beings could so brutally batter another human being. Captain Vohden and Colonel Bomar will offer compelling and detailed testimony to us tomorrow, describing the heinous acts committed against them by Cuban agents at The Zoo, acts which are in direct violation of the Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War. Survivors of The Cuba Program have been eager to identify and trace the Cuban agents who systematically interrogated them and tortured their fellow Americans. Yet, despite their efforts, a successful resolution of this matter has not been achieved. We hope that tomorrow's hearing will be the first of many steps aimed at changing that outcome. The first is to get leads that could take us closer to an identification of the Cuban torturers. Our second goal is to provide the basis for an ensuing interagency investigation of the new evidence that has been uncovered, including a search for pertinent data and sources previously unavailable under the Cold War parameters. We want our State Department, the CIA, the FBI, INS, and the Defense Intelligence Agency to coordinate a comprehensive approach to this case. Lastly, this hearing will begin to establish the foundation for future action against the torturers. On a broader scale, this investigation will serve to highlight the brutal nature of the Castro regime and the historic and ongoing threat that it poses to the American people. Ultimately, our hope is that tomorrow's hearing will serve to honor those POWs, and I will show my colleagues a poster that has their picture, 9 of the 19 who were involved in The Cuba Program. We hope that tomorrow's hearing will serve to honor these POWs, who were willing to give life and limb so that we may all be free. We will honor them by finding out the truth about Castro's participation in Vietnam known as The Cuba Program.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, after-school hours are the most vulnerable for school children to become involved with gangs, with drug abuse, with violence and with vandalism. Statistics demonstrate that between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., the immediate hour after most children are released from school, juvenile crime more than doubles from the preceding hour of 2:00 to 3:00. It has become evident that safe and healthy alternatives need to be found for latchkey school children and that concentrated efforts, ones that focus on literacy, on tutoring, on homework assistance, are becoming necessary, especially for our at-risk youth. YMCAs, like many after-school programs, have helped improve children's academic achievements, their school attendance, their behavior, their dropout rates and grade retention. Denis Espinosa, a young man who recently testified at a Children's Caucus event here in Washington, is evidence that an after-school program can guide children to becoming responsible and productive adults. I congratulate Denis for his exemplary outlook, as well as Anna Nechelles, executive director of the West Dade Branch of the YMCA, for her commitment to the future of south Florida's children.