Ed Royce

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my congratulations to the principal, faculty and students of Oak Middle School in Los Alamitos, California, on that school's receipt of the U.S. Department of Education's prestigious ``Blue Ribbon School of Excellence'' Award. The Blue Ribbon Award is a highly competitive honor awarded to schools that are judged to be particularly effective in meeting local, state and national education goals. To qualify for the award, schools must undergo a rigorous selection process culminating in a decision made by a panel of educators from across the country selecting schools for recommendations to Secretary Paige. I can think of no school more worthy of this award than Oak Middle School, which under the excellent leadership of Principal James Elsasser consistently produces well-educated and active students. Because of the vision and determination demonstrated by Mr. Elsasser and his committed faculty, Oak Middle School has been recognized by the Federal Government for its excellence--a recognition that I think is long overdue. I congratulate Oak Middle School on its achievement, I encourage the students and faculty to continue their tradition of excellence.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Leach, and I thank Ranking Member Faleomavaega for his leadership as well. I also want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk). I want to thank him for his rather extraordinary work along the North Korean-Chinese border. To my knowledge, he is one of the few non-North Koreans who has managed to travel into North Korea and because of his extensive interviews of starving men and destitute women and orphaned children across North Korea and in northern China, we know a great deal more about the crisis there. I chair the U.S.-Republic of Korea Interparliamentary Exchange. Last summer I introduced this resolution on North Korean refugees after learning about the unimaginable suffering North Korean refugees face in China. I learned this from my Korean counterparts. Sometime after that, we had an opportunity to hear from the gentleman from Illinois. In his testimony, the gentleman from Illinois recorded for our committee the horror that is going on in North Korea. This situation, frankly, is critical right now to the hundreds of thousands of North Koreans that have escaped over the border into China. North Korea systematically starves its population. It attacks freedom of speech, it suppresses religion, it constrains movement of its citizens, and frankly it gives preferential access to social services based on allegiance to the cult of personality surrounding Kim Jung-Il. There are 43 counties in North Korea. There are a number of counties in North Korea where people are not considered sufficiently loyal, and it is the people in these regions who are being starved. At the same time, any perceived disobedience in North Korea can land the offender and the offender's family in what is called a labor camp. Last month, three North Korean defectors testified before the Asia Subcommittee. I would like to call my colleagues' attention to the testimony of Ms. Lee Soon-ok, a former North Korean party official who was held for several years inside one of these North Korean labor camps. She described in gruesome detail the condition inside the camp, telling of public executions in which the prisoners would have to stand at attention to watch the execution, and telling of 150 female prisoners being used to test a chemical gas and as a consequence of that test, all 150 lost their lives. In her testimony, she describes life in a North Korean prison, and I will just use her words. She said, ``A prisoner has no right to talk, laugh, sing or look in a mirror. Prisoners must kneel down on the ground and keep their heads down deeply whenever called by a guard. They can say nothing except to answer questions asked. Prisoners have to work as slaves for up to 18 hours a day. Repeated failure to meet the work quotas means a week's time in a punishment cell. A prisoner must give up their human worth.'' She said that prisoners are even used by their guards for martial arts practice. The guards punch and kick prisoners during martial arts practice. The prisoners fall bleeding at the first blows and remain motionless for a while on the cement floor until they are kicked back into their cells. It is estimated that North Korea's prison camp system currently holds about 200,000 people in conditions so brutal that over 400,000 have died in those prisons since 1972. I have heard from North Koreans who say it is rare for a prisoner to survive more than 8 years. Given the repression, given the desperate conditions for those who run afoul of the rules, it is no surprise that many North Koreans have been willing to risk their lives to cross into the closest country, which is China. Yet as explained, despite the obligations that China has taken as a signatory to the convention relating to the status of refugees of 1951 and the Protocol relating to the status of refugees of 1967, China refuses to recognize North Koreans as refugees. They classify them instead as economic migrants. Chinese and North Korean police have worked in tandem to hunt down North Koreans hiding in China. The Chinese Government forcibly repatriates all captured North Koreans, guaranteeing their imprisonment and torture and sometimes death. China's enthusiasm for enforcing North Korea's policies is unconscionable. Because China will not allow the U.N. High Commission for Refugees access to North Koreans, defectors have created innovative methods for getting asylum in other countries. Since March, we have had 38 desperate North Koreans who have risked deportation to North Korea by dashing into or climbing the walls of foreign diplomatic missions in order to travel to South Korea via third countries. As a result, the Chinese have stepped up police forces around embassies and cracked down on nongovernmental organizations and church groups. Some have suggested the treatment of North Koreans in China should be handled quietly behind diplomatic closed doors. Yet it is exactly the media attention that has finally brought this situation to light and generated an international outcry that may force China to relent.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 394) expressing the sense of the Congress concerning the 2002 World Cup and co-hosts Republic of Korea and Japan.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this concurrent resolution under consideration.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of this measure which expresses the sense of Congress concerning the 2002 World Cup co-hosted by the Republic of Korea and by Japan. Soccer's World Cup, the biggest sporting event in the world, is underway in Korea and Japan. The sport that Pele, the greatest soccer player of all time, dubbed ``the beautiful game'' will have a TV audience that will be in the billions of people. We are less than 2 weeks into the month-long tournament, and already it promises to be one of the most exciting in the history of the game. From the opening match, where the small African nation of Senegal knocked off defending world champion France, to the United States' unthinkable victory over the European powerhouse Portugal, we have seen some of the biggest upsets in history. Both co-hosts, Korea and Japan, have earned their first World Cup wins ever. There is more going on here than simply sport. Throughout history, sport has played a role in bringing nations together and helping them to reconcile their differences. Japan and Korea historically have had a troubled relationship. For the first World Cup held in Asia, soccer's governing body chose both Japan and South Korea as co-hosts. Many were skeptical of this arrangement; after all, Korea and Japan have never before cooperated on anything of such significance. For those unfamiliar with the history of Korea-Japan relations, the challenge of co-organizing a soccer tournament may seem insignificant. In fact, while the logistical and infrastructure challenges are immense, they are arguably dwarfed by the cultural and political challenges. Building stadiums is a lot less complicated than building trust and, potentially, building a new era in the Korea-Japan relationship. Over the years, Korea and Japan have worked together planning for the world's biggest sporting event. As co-chairman of the U.S.-Republic of Korea Interparliamentary Exchange, I traveled to Korea 2 years ago and will be meeting Korean parliamentarians again this summer. Through this exchange, I have talked with my colleagues in the Korean National Assembly about the difficulties and importance of staging this year's World Cup. They have indicated to me how it has brought the two countries closer together. Seoul's ambassador to Tokyo has even declared that ``the two co-hosts are archrivals turned friends.'' Soccer is without a doubt a modern common language among young Asians. What is clear is that the young people of Korea and Japan who are the most vocal soccer fans are taking a second look at one another. Perhaps this younger generation may find it easier to reconcile the past. Indeed, Japan-Korea relations have warmed to such an extent that 10,000 people now travel between the two countries every day. In a world that is suffering from what seems to be intensifying animosities, we should notice when tempers are cooling, when old wounds are healing. I want to just take a moment to congratulate the United States team on its result so far and wish them luck throughout the rest of the tournament. The United States entered the tournament as long shots. For its first match, the Portuguese boasted the best player in the world, and the United States was without its captain and its most prolific scorer due to injury. Yet the U.S. went on to shock Portugal, building up a 3-0 lead and hanging on to win it 3 to 2. In many ways, the United States team represents the best of this country. Some players are the sons of immigrants. Others, like 20-year- old Landon Donovan and DeMarcus Beasley, also represent the exuberant youth of this Nation; and I would be remiss if I did not mention the reserve midfielder Eddie Lewis because he is from Cerritos, California, which is in my district. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I think with this resolution we are going to be doing that. We are trying to recognize and commend Korea and Japan in cohosting this event, and I think this international sporting event contributes to enhancing peace and contributes to stability in Asia, and I think that over the next 10 to 20 years we are going to see a transformation in the way Koreans and Japanese relate to each other, and perhaps we will look back at the World Cup and say that this game helped. It may be just a game, but the results can be inspirational, and that is why I urge passage of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers requesting time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I think we have soccer as a sport. The question is will we have to call it football? Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach), chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific of the Committee on International Relations.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the hundreds of thousands of men and women who have bravely served their country in the Armed Forces, protecting freedom for all Americans. Veterans earn a great number of positive qualities through their service, including experience, maturity, leadership and loyalty, which make them valuable and competitive candidates for employment. The residents of the State of California and I are committed to ensuring that our nation's Veterans are treated with the respect that they deserve, and to promoting employer interest in hiring those individuals who have selflessly given their time in service of their country. In my home state, May 2002 is ``Veterans Appreciation Month,'' and I would like to take this opportunity to bring the benefits of hiring veterans to the attention of all American employers. I thank our country's veterans for their sacrifices, applaud employers who hire these courageous men and women, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Chairman, I rise in support of the bill. I commend the chairman of the committee and the ranking member for their work. Last March I traveled to Afghanistan to meet with our troops there and to meet with government officials. I think Americans are rightly proud over the efforts of our servicemen and women. But one thing was absolutely clear; the battle in Afghanistan is far from over. We met with Interim Chairman Hamed Karzai, and he has struck a delicate balance in heading up the multi-ethnic Afghan administration. A Loya Jirga will soon be held to appoint a transitional authority there. The United States must stand firmly behind Chairman Karzai and the interim government. This legislation that the chairman and the ranking member have directed to us, this will help us better do this. I had the opportunity to travel to Kabul and visit a local orphanage where I spoke with a little girl who told me she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up. Now with the liberation of her country from the Taliban regime, this dream has a chance. Madam Chairman, thanks to the work of our armed services and thanks to Chairman Karzai, there is a window of opportunity there. The battered Afghan people are desperate for a brighter future, for a unified country that they can believe in. But that window is closing. And suspicion, cynicism, and self-interest are filling the gap. There are too many characters looking to bring Afghanistan back into chaos. The other week our forces fired a missile from an unmanned Predator plane that just missed Hekmatyar. Hekmatyar has been plotting attacks against the interim government and against American troops. The U.S. training of an Afghan national army formally started this week. Although this is a welcome development, it will take some time to develop this force into one that can provide security nationwide. Turkey will be assuming command of the international security assistance force. Now that is confined to the Afghan capital. It is critical that we encourage Turkey to expand its force outside of Kabul to counter the regional warlords.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, prior to 1996 Deborah from California was a single mother caring for her two daughters, a disabled son and a niece. She had no high school diploma. She had no prior work experience. But in 1996 we passed a Republican welfare reform bill which enabled people like Deborah to get off of welfare and into work. The new support services and the new training programs enabled her to become a certified nurse at a hospital close to her home, and that enabled her to take care of her children. Americans on welfare can now live better lives because of the passage of that bill. There have been 3 million children that have been listed out of poverty since 1996. Welfare caseloads have declined by 9 million and employment of single mothers on welfare rose by 40 percent. We have taken the first step in getting people off of welfare. This year we need to take the second step by decreasing welfare caseloads by promoting work and healthy marriages, by improving child well-being and quality of life and by strengthening families.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Chairman, I will be brief. By creating an independent regulatory organization comprised of a majority of financial experts from outside of the accounting profession, this bill brings much needed reform and oversight to the status quo ante of self-regulation within the auditing profession. By requiring that CEOs and other corporate insiders disclose their trades in company stock within 48 hours, within 48 hours of making that trade, this bill will increase the speed and transparency of information disclosure necessary for the efficient operation of our capital markets. By preventing these same executives from unloading these shares during the lockdown of an employee pension account, it ensures that all stakeholders in a company are treated equitably and fairly, not as first- and second-class shareholders in equity. For these reasons, I urge support for the manager's amendment and for the underlying bill. I thank the chairman, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), for the Corporate and Auditing Accountability, Responsibility, Transparency Act of 2002.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for giving me this time, and I rise in strong support of the bill offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Toomey), which is titled H.R. 1009, the Business Checking Freedom Act. Mr. Speaker, this bill really follows in the footsteps of groundbreaking legislation that we already passed in the House of Representatives when we repealed outdated Depression era constraints on the financial services industry and moved to move that industry into the 21st century. Giving banks the ability to pay interest on business checking accounts has been endorsed by the President as part of his small business agenda. The Federal Reserve Board also has long supported efforts to allow banks to offer interest on demand accounts, and the measure enjoys a broad base of industry support, including support from the National Federation of Independent Businesses, from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, from America's Community Bankers, from the National Association of Federal Credit Unions, from the Association of Financial Professionals, and from the Independent Insurance Agents of America. The inability of depository institutions to pay interest on business accounts hurts all sectors of the economy and decreases the overall competitiveness of the American markets. This legislation gives small businesses the jumpstart they need to create new jobs and improve the economy while removing burdensome regulations from small banks and allowing the market to work. I think that is the point that the author, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Toomey), makes so well. Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage all of my colleagues to support this legislation and to strike a victory for the American economy. I recognize that many businesses, by the way, maintain what are called ``now accounts.'' Those that do will not receive this benefit. I hope that in the future, as this legislation moves, the restriction on interest on corporate now accounts is also repealed. Lastly, I just want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Toomey) for the opportunity to speak in support of his important bill.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 324, commending President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan for his leadership and welcoming him to the United States. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Pitts who recently traveled to the region, for introducing this legislation. In the days following September 11th, Mr. Musharraf had to make a difficult choice--he could have taken the easy way out--but he did not. To this end, Pakistan's support for President Bush's war on terrorism has been vital to our success in liberating Afghanistan. Pakistan is at a critical point, it is my hope that General Musharraf's speech of January 12th will be seen as the turning point in Pakistan's unfortunate history. Musharraf aligned his country with the international mainstream, rejecting terrorism. The members of this House now watch closely for the results. My colleagues have touched on cross border terrorism and democracy, let me turn to education reform. During his speech, President Musharraf announced a major overhaul to this country's 7,000 madrassas, or Islamic religious schools. In recent years, madrassas have sprouted up across Pakistan, Central Asia, and North Africa, in many instances funded by sources in Saudi Arabia. The curriculum in Pakistan's religious schools is not reading and math, instead, rote memorization is used to learn the Koran--in many schools, no other subjects are taught. Pakistan's madrassas have become a breading ground to spread extremist ideas, stir up antigovernment sentiment, and send young men off to wage holy was in Afghanistan and Kashmir. Each year, young men graduate from madrassas schooled in two things--they can either open up another school spreading extremism, or wage jihad. These madrassas are a threat to Pakistan's stability, they are a threat to India and they are a threat to the United States--President Musharraf's reforms are a welcome development. Now, they must rewrite the curriculum so that children will learn other skills rather than reciting the Koran. Those found propagating hatred will be shut down. The United States should support education reform in Pakistan and do other things--like lift trade barriers to Pakistani textiles, so that people are working and not left to find trouble. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. We welcome Mr. Musharraf to Washington, and will be watching Pakistan closely to make sure that his reforms become a reality.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time; and I would again like to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne). Madam Speaker, as we pass this resolution in support of the people of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there is at this time, today, an important meeting under way. And in this meeting are representatives of the Congolese opposition political parties, the armed rebel movements, civil society, and the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They are meeting in South Africa as part of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue. We urge them to put the interests of the nation over their parochial concerns. This dialogue for peace is mandated by the Lusaka Accords, which provides a blueprint to return peace to the divided Congo. It is intended to map out a new political arrangement that will result in the establishment of a democratic system of government. In addition, all foreign troops are to be withdrawn from Congolese soil. This will provide the resourceful Congolese people with the opportunity to benefit from their own talents and the abundant natural resources with which they have been blessed. We hope they succeed.

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 304) expressing sympathy to the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo who were tragically affected by the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano on January 17, 2002, and supporting an increase in the amount of assistance provided by the United States to the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as amended.

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This resolution is sponsored by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), two Members of the House Subcommittee on Africa which I chair, and this expression of support deserves the support of the House. On January 17, the Nyiragongo volcano erupted and spewed white-hot lava on Goma, a city on the shores of Lake Kivu in eastern Congo; and that eruption disrupted the lives of one-half million people. Over 100 people lost their lives in the initial stage, 150,000 were displaced by the lava flow, and that lava flow was a mile wide in some places. Then the eruption destroyed the water plant, the homes, part of the airport, the crops and an important part of the business district. This natural catastrophe increased the already dire humanitarian situation of a people suffering from the impact of the war that started in Goma on August 2, 1988, and then spread throughout the country. The United States moved quickly to aid the people affected by the volcanic eruption, the most devastating eruption in Africa in more than a quarter century. We have provided over $4 million in assistance. This includes food, sanitation, town planning and seismographic analysis to determine if there was any danger of another volcanic eruption. The U.S. contribution was part of an international response that included coordinated support from the United Kingdom, from Germany, from France and Belgium. This resolution supports this aid. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. Madam 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 the resolution under consideration.

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation, which I authored; and I believe that the establishment of this Radio Free Afghanistan by Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty is essential for peace and essential for stability in the region. This approach is surrogate broadcasting operating as if Afghanistan had a free and vibrant press, which, unfortunately, it does not. Now, I have been calling for Radio Free Afghanistan for several years now. I think it is fair to say that the previous administration had no interest in this type of aggressive broadcasting to Afghanistan. For 5 years, we have tried to introduce this concept. And now, finally, with the passage of this bill, the voices of freedom and democracy will fill the air in the region, offering an alternative to the hate radio that has been heard until now, because that hate radio is the methodology of Radio Shariat and other broadcasts; and it has had a very poisonous impact in Afghanistan. I am convinced that if we had had Radio Free Afghanistan up and running for several years now, the terrorists would not have had the fertile ground they found in Afghanistan. The roots of democracy would have been established. They would not have been ripped out. The concept behind Radio Free Afghanistan is to do what was done with Radio Free Europe in Poland and in Czechoslovakia and in other states. When we talk today with the leaders of Poland or the Czech Republic, they say that the hearts and minds of those people in those countries were turned by the opportunity to listen to free radio broadcasts from the West on a daily basis, which explained what was actually happening in their society. They were taught the concepts of tolerance, of democracy, and of political pluralism. And, frankly, information is power. We have the opportunity to teach those same values with these radio broadcasts. We know in Eastern Europe these broadcasts were able to explain and put in context what they were hearing from the Soviet broadcasts, so that people had an alternative, so that people had a frame of reference and could judge the truth of those Soviet broadcasts. Well, that is what people need in Afghanistan and Pakistan today, a chance to judge the truthfulness of the Shariat broadcasts they have been hearing for the last 5 years. Over time, we know from those leaders that we have talked to, that this was the most effective single thing that changed the attitudes of the average people in Eastern Europe. This legislation that we have today provides 8 hours of broadcasting a day, 4 in Pashtu, 4 in Dari, the two major dialects. I believe that Afghanistan, for us in the United States, is at a critical point in its history. And I say it is at a critical point because what media did exist there has been totally destroyed. The Taliban destroyed the wherewithal for people to communicate. Eighty- five percent of those people own radios, and it is an opportunity for them now to hear this message. If the various factions in Afghanistan are going to be able to strike a longlasting governing accord, the free flow of accurate information will be critical. Otherwise, rumor and misinformation and hate broadcasts will kill that country's chance to develop stability. As I met with Afghanistan's interim leader, Chairman Karzai, the other week, he told me how excited he was about the impact these broadcasts are having on the country. This legislation initially passed the House on November 7, 2001, by a near unanimous vote. It now returns to the House with an amendment from the other body. And although the Senate's amendment scales back the proposal slightly, I am happy to get this bill to the President's desk for his signature; and I look forward to working with the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), who has done so much for public diplomacy, and with the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) to authorize Radio Free Afghanistan for fiscal year 2003 as well. That is something we need to do to build upon these crucial broadcasts. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I will yield first to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Hayworth).

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, the gentleman is saying in those economies overseas where the government actually focused on expanding the private sector, rather than expanding government, the public sector, that in those economies, unlike France where socialism was tried as a way to get out of the economic problems, and the unemployment went up, up, up, that where the focus is on incentives to encourage investment in the private sector, and the creation of new businesses there, that those economies recovered most rapidly when they were in economic downturn?

Mr. ROYCE

Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the notice requirements of House Resolution 314, I announce that the following measures will be considered under suspension of the rules on Wednesday, December 19, 2001: H.J. Res. 75; H.R. 2739; H.R. 3275; S. 1714; H.R. 2657; H.R. 2199; S. 1762; S. 1793; H. Con. Res. 279; H.R. 3507; and H.R. 1432.