Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, our allies in the hemisphere are raising their voices on behalf of freedom and democracy on the enslaved island of Cuba. The Presidents of El Salvador, Nicaragua, Argentina, Chile, and Costa Rica have announced that they will not be attending the Ibero-American summit to be held this month in Cuba. They do not want to legitimize the subjugation of the Cuban people any longer. In his announcement, in fact, President Rodriguez of Costa Rica emphasized that ``the Ibero-American summit is an act of profound political meaning in which the consolidation of the democracy and political development of our countries should always be promoted together with the full respect of human rights.'' He referred to his September letter to Castro where he stated that far from becoming better, the situation of human rights and democracy has actually worsened in recent months in Cuba. May the other democratic leaders invited to the summit also find the courage to acknowledge the truth and support the Cuban people and not their oppressor.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, the Committee on International Relations will hold a hearing to investigate the involvement of the Castro regime in the torturing of American prisoners of war in North Vietnam in 1967 and 1968. The atrocities committed by Castro's men in a prison camp known as ``the Zoo'' resulted in the death of Air Force Captain Earl Cobeil, one of the 19 POWs held captive there. The family of Captain Cobeil and the other POW airmen who were part of what was later called the Cuba Program deserve that their government do everything it can to bring the guilty individuals to justice. This hearing is an essential step in the probe and should pave the way for additional investigations by the Department of Defense, the FBI and other Federal agencies. I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) for his tremendous support during the preliminary phase of this investigation. There should be no statute of limitations when it comes to bringing to justice international war criminals who brutally abused our U.S. military officers. I thank the gentleman from New York for his decision to hold this important hearing. It is a testament to his leadership and to his character.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, 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. That is an exact quote. However, all of those barbaric acts are exactly what took place in a prison camp in North Vietnam known as the Zoo, seen here in a declassified photo. North Vietnamese POW prison called the Zoo, site of tortures of American POWs by Castro agent. During this period of August 1967 to August 1968, 19 of our courageous servicemen were physically and psychologically tortured by Cuban agents working under orders from Hanoi and Havana. Assessed to be a psychological experiment to test interrogation methods, the Cuba Program, as the torture project was labeled by our Defense Department and intelligence agencies, was aimed at obtaining absolute compliance and submission to captor demands. It was aimed at converting or turning the POWs and to be used as propaganda by the international Communist effort. It was inhumane. It was incessant. It was barbaric. Air Force Major James Kasler, who is pictured here in one of the posters, 19 of the U.S. POWs in the Cuban program, Major Kasler said that during one period in June 1968 he was tortured incessantly by a man known as Fernando Vecino Alegret who had been identified as Fidel, the Cuban agent in charge of this exercise in brutality. In a Time magazine report entitled ``At Last the Story Can Be Told,'' after one beating, Kasler's buttocks, lower back and legs hung in shreds. The skin had been entirely whipped away and the area was a bluish, purplish, greenish mass of bloody raw meat. The person he has identified as the possible torturer is this man who is the current Minister of Education in Cuba. He could be one of the agents identified by our POWs as Fidel. Colonel Jack Bomar, another victim of the Cuba Program, pictured here, has described the beating of a fellow prisoner and Readers Digest printed this eyewitness account for an article they wrote on POWs. It says, The sight of the prisoner stunned Bomar. He stood transfixed trying to make himself believe that human beings could batter one another. The man could barely walk. He was bleeding everywhere. His body was ripped and torn. Fidel, Fernando Vecino Alegret perhaps, smashed a fist into the man's face, driving him against the wall. Then he was brought to the center of the room and made to go down on his knees. Screaming in rage, Fidel took a length of rubber hose from a guard and lashed it as hard as he could into the man's face. The prisoner did not react. He did not cry out or even blink an eye. Again and again a dozen times Fidel smashed the man's face with the hose. He was never released. This man who stood firm in the face of such brutality, who would not surrender himself to the wishes of his torturer was Air Force pilot Earl Cobeil. Earl Cobeil died in captivity, and he is pictured here. As a result of being tortured by a Castro agent, Earl passed away. These accounts are but a microcosm of the terrible acts committed against American POWs in Vietnam by Castro agents, acts which are in direct violation of the Geneva Convention on prisoners of war. To violate the provisions enshrined in this document run against the grain of civilized society and undermine the integrity of the international community as a whole. Humanity is one. When one suffers, we all suffer. Thus, violations of this protocol are not just crimes against one individual but against all of humanity. The Cuba Program was part of a difficult period in our Nation's history, one which many would like to forget. However, we cannot allow the suffering of those brave soldiers to have been in vain. Thus, the unconscionable acts which they were subjected to cannot and must not go unnoticed and they must not go unpunished. Substantiated by declassified DOD and CIA documents, survivors have been eager to identify and trace the Cuban agents who systematically interrogated them and tortured their fellow Americans. Yet despite their best efforts, a successful resolution of this matter has still not been achieved. For them and to ensure that the facts about the program are fully uncovered, the Committee on International Relations will be holding a hearing on this issue next week. We thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) for his leadership in order to get leads that could get us closer to identification of the Cuban torturers and have the Department of Defense continue their investigation into this new evidence. We hope that this hearing will serve to honor all of those POWs who sacrificed themselves for us.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble) for yielding me the time. The gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble) has worked with the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) and I on this very important provision for a district that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) and I share. As the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble) understands why we need this language in H.R. 3028, the Trademark Cyberpiracy Prevention Act. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) and I have worked to include a change which will protect historic landmarks in our area in South Miami Beach and around the country from unnecessary litigation due to a provision in the Federal Anti-Dilution Act. It will preserve the historic names of hotels in our district known as the Tiffany, the Fairmont, the Essex House, and the Carlyle. These landmarks will now be able to continue with their traditional names which they have been known for for over two generations. By supporting this bill, our colleagues will be ensuring that historic places around our Nation will be able to keep their names without fear of unnecessary legal action. Remember that to lose one's name is to lose one's identity and, even more importantly, to lose one's history. I would also like to thank Miami Beach City Commissioner Nancy Liebman who brought this issue to our attention. With the help of our colleagues here today, Mr. Speaker, in support of this legislation, we will be able to preserve the rich history of our Nation's historic preservation districts. It was a pleasure for me to have worked with the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble) on this needed part of this bill.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the men and women of the Spanish-American League Against Discrimination, SALAD, who are dedicated to promoting the intellectual, educational, economic and social progress of Hispanics, as well as other ethnic groups. As many of us enjoy the peace and prosperity of our Nation's economic growth, some have blinded ourselves to the persisting culture of bigotry which can be aimed at Hispanics and other minority groups. For 25 years the hard working group at SALAD has sought to defend Hispanics and others from this mistrust. With the assistance of SALAD, communities are learning that given a level playing field, Hispanic Americans, and, indeed, all Americans, can achieve their goals, if they educate themselves, work hard, and never give up on their dreams. I congratulate the Spanish American League Against Discrimination, and especially its president and founder, Dr. Osvaldo Soto, on SALAD's 25th Silver Anniversary.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I wish to take this opportunity to commend Dr. Luis J. Botifoll for being honored by The Association of Cuban Journalist's Board of Governors with its National Award for his years of work and dedication to expanding and protecting the rights of a free and open press. Dr. Luis J. Botifoll, who once served as the Director of the Havana based newspaper ``El Mundo,'' is being honored not only for his years of service to the Cuban people, but also for the leadership he has shown the world's free press in the face of the dictatorial regime of Fidel Castro. Through the use of his eloquent articles and essays, Dr. Botifoll was able to bring a voice to a people who were denied the right to free press, by the dictatorship of Fidel Castro. In recognition of his many achievements, I would like to applaud the hard-work and energy of Dr. Luis J. Botifoll. His dedication to the sanctity of free speech deserves all of our recognition and respect.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, what do Halle Berry, Mary Tyler Moore, Miss America, and another 16 million Americans have in common? Diabetes. In the last 40 years, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of Americans with diabetes, and this year 200,000 will lose their lives to this disease, making it the sixth leading cause of death. In fact, this disease has grown so much that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have labeled diabetes as the epidemic of our time. While much work and research remains to be done in this field, scientists at the University of Miami are making gigantic strides that may very well soon lead to a cure. Dr. Camilo Ricordi and Dr. Norma Kenyon are conducting exceptional work in the field of medical research. Their current work studies with anti-CD154, an artificial antibody, has succeeded in curing monkeys from potentially fatal causes of diabetes. Further progress will soon replace harmful and less effective drugs, and may allow some diabetic patients to lead normal, healthy lives without depending on needles and insulin. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the championship research team at the University of Miami.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, have you ever put down your car keys and just 1 hour later forgotten where you left them? Have you ever forgotten the answer to the question for what you had for lunch yesterday? Well, fortunately, most everyone has experienced this very common type of forgetfulness. But imagine a person finding their car keys and forgetting what they are used for. Persons suffering with Alzheimer's Disease suffer similar memory losses. And as the disease progresses, forgetfulness can become more destructive. Alzheimer's affects approximately 4 million Americans now, and experts predict that about 8 to 10 million will suffer from Alzheimer's by the year 2020. By stating that he was beginning the journey that would lead him into the sunset of his life, former President and Republican revolutionary Ronald Reagan announced to the world just 5 years ago that he too has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Ronald Reagan felt it necessary to share this disclosure with those he loved most, the American people. As valiantly as Ronald Reagan, my colleagues, I am sure, will promote greater public awareness about the disease of Alzheimer's.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and the conference report for the Commerce, Justice, State appropriations. This bill is a testament to the leadership and the dedication of the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) and of the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) of the full Committee on Appropriations. It is a shining example of the commitment and cooperative spirit between the majority and the minority, who worked diligently to bring before us a bill which effectively addresses recent developments and ensuing concerns by providing the necessary funding for three important agencies of our U.S. Government. This bill provides a total of $18.4 billion for the Department of Justice. It restores key programs. It funds increases to maintain current operating levels of critical law enforcement agencies and increases funding for State and local law enforcement by actually $1.4 billion over the President's request. It provides $3.5 billion more than fiscal year 1999 to the Department of Commerce and to the Census Department. This bill before us addresses the threats also posed to our overseas facilities and to our brave men and women in diplomatic and counselor corps by including $568 million for the reconstruction and strengthening of our posts overseas. These worldwide security improvements and replacements of vulnerable embassies started in fiscal year 1999 with emergency funding and will continue thanks to the foresight and leadership of the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) and the members of that subcommittee. Lastly, this bill ensures that our concerns worldwide will be met. It is a just and balanced bill which merits our full support. I am proud to be voting in favor of the rule and the conference report this afternoon.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I was in my district today. However, I wish to be recorded as a ``yea'' vote on rollcalls 509, 510, 512, 513 and 514 and a ``nay'' vote on rollcall 511.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to once again underscore the subjugation of the Cuban people and the widespread persecution of human rights dissidents and opposition leaders. This weekend the Castro regime sought to further torture Marta Beatriz Roque, one of Cuba's four leading dissidents, by moving her to a secret jail, blocking all but one relative from visiting her, and controlling even that access by having state security agents transport and monitor this relative. Driven by the strength of her convictions and the commitment to give life and limb if necessary, if it furthers the cause of freedom and liberty for Cuba, Marta Beatriz Roque has gone on hunger strikes in defiance of the regime's threats to highlight the flagrant miscarriage of justice and the frequent violations of the rights of the Cuban people. Her uncompromising will stands as a thorn at the side of a regime seeking to hide Marta Beatriz and its brutality from the world. My colleagues, I ask you to support Marta Beatriz Roque and the Cuban people and not the Castro dictatorship.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, this bill before us encompasses three agencies which are at the heart of the U.S. strategy to expand its export opportunities and to ensure greater access for American companies, big and small. As passed by the Committee on International Relations, it helps make the Trade and Development Agency more self-sufficient by requiring companies and entities benefiting from its programs to share in the costs and to reimburse for projects secured, even if the project is not the original one pursued. It establishes congressional guidelines and recommendations on the operations of these agencies to seek and use more private sector resources, and to place greater emphasis on the promotion of small businesses and make them more export competitive. This bill also provides for greater accountability and oversight as it calls for independent auditors to report annually on the level of OPIC's reserves and requires that greater emphasis and resources be dedicated to assisting small businesses compete in the global arena. Further, it establishes reporting requirements for ITA and focuses on the work of the Market Access and Compliance unit of the International Trade Administration which, along with the other units, monitors, investigates and evaluates foreign compliance with over 250 U.S. trade agreements; helps resolve company and industry-specific market access problems in country and regional markets; identifies market and nontrade barriers to better prepare and educate U.S. companies about developing markets. Their list of accomplishments is long, having succeeded in resolving serious compliance problems relating to discriminatory regulations and barriers faced by American industries. While not a perfect bill, it does provide certain safeguards for the American taxpayer and it does afford the opportunity for careful oversight by this committee and the Congress in general. I ask my colleagues to support this bill this afternoon.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, every 3 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, and astonishingly, 80 percent of these women will have no known risk factors. Mr. Speaker, these numbers can be simply translated to say that every woman is at risk of developing breast cancer at some point throughout her lifetime. We know that the key to defeating breast cancer is early detection through self-exams, mammographies, and clinical tests. However, none of these components can be beneficial if they are not regularly practiced. This month we celebrate national breast cancer awareness, where breast cancer survivors and supporters will share information and raise funds to cure this disease. This Saturday, the YWCA of greater Miami will host race for the cure, Miami 99, to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation, a national organization dedicated to the eradication of breast cancer. This year's race is dedicated to the memory of Nancy Bossard, a Miami Dade County public school teacher who, sadly, lost her life to breast cancer. Up to 75 percent of the race's proceeds will stay in our community to support local breast cancer programs and to provide detection to equip women in their battle against this deadly disease.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, the women of our country form the backbone of strong, healthy families. However, it is American women who are often subject to debilitating and sometimes life-threatening diseases which subsequently deteriorate the stability of American households. This week, I had the privilege of speaking to a remarkable woman who fights a valiant battle against a thyroid disorder known as Graves disease. This woman is none other than three-time Olympic track and field gold medalist Gail Devers. In spite of her illness, Gail will compete in the upcoming Olympics. Approximately one in eight women will develop a similar thyroid disorder during her lifetime, and more than half of American women over 40 experience three or more common symptoms; yet, they fail to discuss them with their doctors. To help raise awareness, Gail has joined forces with the American Women's Medical Association to launch a public, nationwide education campaign designed to increase awareness of thyroid disease. Yesterday, the Congressional Prevention Coalition provided free thyroid screening, and I encourage all of our colleagues to embark on an educational campaign on the dangers of thyroid diseases.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, it has been said that education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire. But, Mr. Speaker, how can our children keep the flames of education alive when for many college education, so necessary in today's job market, seems unaffordable and out of reach. As a former educator and school administrator, I know of the difficulties that working families encounter with the skyrocketing costs of a college education. While in the Florida legislature, I made it a priority to create the Florida Prepaid College Tuition Plan, helping thousands of Florida's families. In Congress, I have continued to support legislation aimed at providing tax deductions for families of college students, particularly lower-income families. As legislators, it is our duty to ensure that a college education is made affordable. And tax deductions and incentives are a surefire way of relieving working families who aspire to send their children to college. Our future can only be as good as the education of our children. Our congressional leadership is making students a priority, and we will work to pass legislation that will enable them to attend college, to reach their goals, and supply them with the necessary tools to create an even better America.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, now that the President has signed into law the first Federal appropriations to clean up the Miami River, that was in the fiscal year 2000 energy water appropriation bill. The next step will be up to the governments at the State and local levels as well as the broad coalition of community groups represented by the Miami River Commission and the Miami River Marine Group. The Miami-Dade County manager has reiterated our county's support for this key environmental project. This is the beginning of a 4-year phased dredging project proposed by the Miami River Commission with the assistance of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This $5 million Federal initial appropriation will begin maintenance dredging of the river which will cost $64 million from Federal, State, and local sources. The Miami River project shows what can be accomplished when governments at all levels join with grass-roots activists to achieve a common goal. The cleanup will ensure the continued growth of the Miami River as one of our Nation's critical shipping links to the Caribbean and Latin America. We congratulate the Miami-Dade County manager. Let us do our job at the local level now.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, they say that home is where the heart is, but where is the home of a child whose heart beats rapidly in fear that he will be beaten black and blue because dad has had a bad day at work today? What about the child who avoids his drunk mother for fear that he may irritate her? Because of the alarming statistics of child abuse today, at least 500,000 children in the United States are making foster care, group shelters, and other institutions their permanent homes. As responsible legislators, it is imperative that we work to ensure safety for all of our children. We must do everything within our power to foster healthy environments where children can learn, can play, and can prepare to be the future of our country. With statistics on child abuse ever increasing, it is evident that CAPE, the Child Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Act, is very needed. This legislation will help to improve conditions faced by at-risk children by expanding technology and enabling child protecting agencies to access criminal history records. I challenge our colleagues to commit themselves to finding a solution for child abuse and take the first step by voting to pass the Child Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Act. I congratulate our colleague, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce), for her leadership in sponsoring this bill that was also a legislative priority for our mutual friend, former Congresswoman Sue Molinari. I especially want to acknowledge the hard work of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), who has made fighting child abuse a key legislative priority for all of us through our Shine the Light on the Children in the Darkness project.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and also for the great leadership that he has shown on the Committee on Rules. I rise in support of the rule, Mr. Speaker, to the conference report on the agriculture appropriations bill. I applaud the work of the conferees in submitting a clean bill and one which upholds U.S. law and furthers U.S. domestic and humanitarian priorities. As the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart) pointed out, the lifting of sanctions would not have really helped American farmers, but would have helped to extend the suffering of people by providing a lifeline to their oppressor. As it stands now, the bill before us strengthens the position of human rights dissidents and the expanding political opposition by telling them that the world's remaining superpower supports their struggle for freedom and that it stands firm in its commitment to see democracy flourish; that it defends the human, political and civil rights of all oppressed people, and that dictators should not use food as weapons. This bill underscores the humanitarian concerns enshrined in U.S. law which allows for the donations of food and medicine, rather than promoting the perception of greed at the expense of slave labor. We look forward to the day when freedom reigns eternal and a democratic government is in power everywhere. Then we will be proud to trade and have relations with those in leadership. This bill promotes America's interests, it helps America's farmers, it helps the poor who are on food stamps, and I am proud to support it. I thank the gentleman for his leadership. I especially thank the gentleman from New Mexico (Chairman Skeen), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), and so many who have worked in the conference committee to bring this agriculture appropriations rule and bill to the floor.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, for the first time, we have been able to obtain Federal assistance for a long sought dream, the cleanup of the Miami River. This was included in the Fiscal Year 2000 Energy Water Appropriations bill which Congress has just passed. This is a major victory in preserving a key part of our environment, as well as allowing the Miami River to become a major contributor to international trade and economic growth. This is the beginning of a 4-year phase dredging project proposed by the Miami River Commission with the assistance of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It provides a $5 million initial appropriations to begin maintenance dredging of the river, which eventually will cost $64 million from Federal, State and local sources. This cleanup will eliminate a significant pollution threat to Biscayne Bay, which used to be one of the Nation's most pristine environments. It will also ensure the continued growth of the Miami River as one of our Nation's critical shipping links to the Caribbean and to South America. Thanks to the tremendous bipartisan teamwork of the South Florida Congressional Delegation and a broad-based coalition of community leaders, decision interests, and officials at the Federal, State and local levels, we have been able to achieve this goal, which is vitally important for both the future of our growing trade with our neighbors to the south and the Caribbean, as well as preserving a waterway which is a key part of our ecosystem. We thank on behalf of the South Florida Congressional Delegation all of our colleagues this week for passing the bill in the House, for passing the bill in the Senate. It is on the President's desk, and we hope that he signs it soon to make this dream a reality for all of South Florida.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, today this House will consider a bill that will be critical to families and particularly to the women of our country. H.R. 2436, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, will recognize an unborn child who is injured or killed while in the mother's womb as a victim of a Federal crime. Already, 24 States in our Nation have implemented laws that explicitly recognize injured, unborn children as victims of criminal acts. Under this bill, the penalty for the harm committed against an unborn baby would be the same as the penalty for the harm committed against the mother. As responsible legislators, we must ensure that criminals be held accountable for their violent crimes that result in death or injury. This should apply regardless of who the victim is, whether it be the mother or the unborn child. I hope that today our colleagues will honor the many women who have lost babies due to a crime. I hope that they will acknowledge the suffering that these women have endured because of senseless crimes and remember that they will never receive justice unless this legislation is not enacted. This afternoon, I hope that our colleagues vote ``yes'' on the Unborn Victims of Violence Act.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, due to the threat of Hurricane Floyd to South Florida I found it necessary to stay in my district to attend to the needs of my constituents. However, I wish to be recorded as a ``yes'' vote on the motion to close the conference on H.R. 2561, the Fiscal Year 2000 Defense Appropriations bill due to national security reasons. I also wish to be recorded as a ``yes'' vote on H. Con. Res. 184 and H.R. 658.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, we know that life is short, and the 60,000 patients who are currently on a waiting list to get organs know just how precious time is. Sadly enough, only 20,000 people this year will receive organ transplants, and today nine people will lose their lives because a match was not found. As the waiting list for organs continues to grow, so does the need for organ procurement. Organ donation is as simple as filling out a donor card and by just one person's donation as many as 50 people may benefit through transplantation. It is important that we as Members of Congress raise awareness on the importance of organ and tissue donations to increase donors across our districts and throughout our land. 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 each year.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the remaining time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. This amendment is not anti-trade. It allows for the negotiation and implementation of trade agreements, and it even allows for constitutional challenges, but it brings that decision within our congressional jurisdiction. We are proud of the support that we have received from many different groups. Public Citizen supports the amendment, Citizen Trade Campaign, United States Business and Industry Council, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center which says that this amendment will have the effect of forcing foreign companies seeking to do business in the United States to comply with the historic responsibility to the victims of the holocaust. I urge my colleagues to do the right thing and support our amendment.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 1 minute. Mr. Chairman, this amendment seeks to prevent the use of taxpayer funds to defend the interests of foreign companies and governments against our own States and municipalities and laws that are aimed at protecting the American people. This amendment is in keeping with the commerce clause in the Constitution and with the Uruguay Round Agreements Act of 1994. Through the WTO, several doctrines which the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized govern the stewardship of property and natural resources are directly threatened. Even free speech in the form of consumer choice campaigns is being threatened. At immediate risk are laws that various State legislatures have passed or are considering against Swiss banks that have held assets stolen from Holocaust victims. NAFTA has also become a tool of choice by corporations such as the Canadian firm Methanex which is petitioning for a NAFTA tribunal to overturn a California law which bans certain gasoline additives because it poisons the drinking water. My own State of Florida, which has enacted inspection requirements, is facing possible NAFTA and WTO challenges. Are my colleagues to allow families' health and that of our children, our friends and neighbors to be threatened because of foreign bureaucrats? I ask my colleagues to support our amendment.