Ed Towns

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, last year when former President Clinton visited India, 35 Sikhs were massacred in the village of Chithisinghpora. Two independent investigations have shown that the Indian government carried out this massacre. Now Secretary of State Powell is visiting India and Indian troops are firing on Kashmir. I can't help but wonder why the sudden outbreak. It seems odd these incidents occur when American officials visit the country. Mr. Speaker, this could be an opportunity for the people and nations seeking freedom in South Asia. The Council of Khalistan has put out an open letter saying that now is the ideal time for the people of Kashmir, Khalistan, Nagaland, and the other minority nations of South Asia to claim their freedom. Clearly, India is taking advantage of the U.S. war on terrorism to advance its own hegemonic agenda. The fact that Sikhs, Kashmiri Muslims, and other minorities are going to be casualties of this strategy is apparently of no importance to them. It's just another opportunity to take down their enemy, Pakistan, which has been an active supporter and participant in the U.S. antiterrorist coalition. America was founded on the idea of freedom. It is that freedom that the terrorists are trying to destroy. One of the best ways to fight the terrorists is to help spread freedom to new corners of the world. Mr. Speaker, the time has come to cut off U.S. aid to India in light of its human-rights abuses and its opportunistic use of the antiterrorist effort to promote its narrow interest. It is also time to put the U.S. Congress on record in support of the freedom movements around South Asia in the form of a free and fair plebiscite on their political status. These measures will help spread freedom and undermine the efforts of the terrorists to destroy our principles. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the Council of Khalistan's open letter on the Indian attack on Kashmir into the Record for the information of my colleagues. Indian Attack on Kashmir Provides Opportunity for Freedom; India Is Not One Nation Taking advantage of the U.S. war on terrorism to advance its own agenda, India has begun shelling Azad (Free) Kashmir. This action brings the war over Kashmir out into the open just as Secretary of State Colin Powell is arriving in South Asia. Unfortunately, there will undoubtedly be casualties, and most of them will be Kashmiris, Sikhs, and other minorities. The only party that benefits from this is the Indian government, which has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, over 200,000 Christians in Nagaland since 1947, more than 75,000 Kashmiri Muslims since 1988, and tens of thousands of Dalits (dark-skinned ``Untouchables,'' the aboriginal people of South Asia), Tamils, Bodos, Assamese, Manipuris, and others. This act by India shows who America's real allies are, and which country is the real supporter of terrorism. Once again, India is claiming that it is going after terrorism, despite India's own record of terrorism. In November 1994, the Indian newspaper Hitavada reported that the Indian government paid the late governor of Punjab, Surendra Nath, approximately $1.5 billion to organize and support covert state terrorism in Punjab Khalistan, and in Kashmir. The book Soft Target, written by journalists from the Toronto Star and the Toronto Globe and Mail, shows that the Indian government blew up its own airliner in 1985, killing 329 innocent people. According to India Today, the Indian government created the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and put up LTTE leaders in New Delhi's finest hotel. The LTTE were created to stop a U.S. broadcast tower in Sri Lanka. Then the Indian government turned on the LTTE because the LTTE seeks an independent country for Tamils. The Indian government sentenced Devinder Singh Bhullar to death because he advocated Khalistan, yet Ribeiro, Ray, K.P.S. Gill, Swaran Singh Ghotna, and the other police and political officials who committed genocide against the Sikhs are not punished. In June a train carrying Sikh religious pilgrims was attacked by militant Hindu fundamentalists. On May 27, several Indian soldiers were caught red-handed trying to set fire to a Gurdwara and some Sikh homes in Kashmir. Sikh and Muslim residents of the village overwhelmed the troops and stopped them from carrying out this atrocity. A report issued in April by the Movement Against State Repression (MASR) shows that India admitted that it held 52,268 political prisoners under the repressive ``Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act'' (TADA). These Sikh political prisoners must be released immediately. These prisoners continue to be held under TADA even though it expired in 1995. Persons arrested under TADA are routinely re-arrested upon their release. Cases were routinely registered against Sikh activists under TADA in states other than Punjab to give the police an excuse to continue holding them. The MASR report quotes the Punjab Civil Magistracy as writing ``if we add up the figures of the last few years the number of innocent persons killed would run into lakhs [hundreds of thousands.]'' As General Narinder Singh has said, ``Punjab is a police state.'' U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher has said that for minorities like the Sikhs, the Muslims of Kashmir, and others, ``India might as well be Nazi Germany.'' It is not just Sikhs who are being targeted by Indian terrorism. In 1997, a Christian religious festival was broken up by police gunfire. Since Christmas 1998, Christians have been subjected to a reign of terror which has seen the murder of priests, the rape of nuns, the burning of churches, attacks on Christian schools and prayer halls, and other incidents carried out by supporters of the pro-Fascist Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), the parent organization of the ruling BJP, which was formed in support of the Nazis. RSS activists also burned missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons, ages 8 and 10, to death while they slept in their jeeps. The killers gathered around the jeep chanting ``Victory to Hannuman,'' a Hindu god. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee told an audience in New York last year, ``I will always be a Swayamsewak.'' India is also anti-American. According to the May 18, 1999 issue of the Indian Express, the Indian Defense Minister met with the Ambassadors from terrorist countries Iraq, Libya, and Cuba, as well as Red China, Russia, and Serbia, to set up a security alliance ``to stop the U.S.'' India voted with the dictatorships to throw the United States off the UN Human Rights Commission. It votes against America at the United Nations more often than any country except Cuba. It voted to suppress a U.S.-sponsored resolution critical of China's human-rights violations. It was a strong Soviet ally. This is an ideal opportunity to begin a Shantmai Morcha and form a Khalsa Raj party to achieve independence for Khalistan and to liberate the other countries seeking their freedom from Indian occupation. Remember the words of former Akal Takht Jathedar Professor Darshan Singh: ``If a Sikh is not Khalistani, he is not a Sikh.'' Self-determination is the right of all people and nations. Pro-Khalistan handbills were handed out at the Golden Temple on June 7 during the commemoration of Gallughara Divas and Sant Bhindranwale's martyrdom. Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, the head of the Bharat Kisan Union, has called for self- determination for the Sikhs. The flame of freedom bums bright in the hearts of the Sikhs. When we liberate Khalistan, we will be more respected, appreciated, and understood by Americans and throughout the world. We must take this occasion to renew our commitment to free Khalistan. Every Sikh should put a bumper sticker on his or her car saying ``INDIA FREE KHALISTAN.'' This sticker is available from this office In 1947, when India was divided, the cunning and deceitful Hindu leadership promised that Sikhs would have the glow of freedom in Punjab and that no law affecting Sikh rights would be passed without Sikh consent. As soon as the transfer of power had occurred and India was free, those promises were broken. Instead, India began its effort to wipe out the Sikh people, the Sikh Nation, and the Sikh religion. Sikhs gave over 80 percent of the sacrifices to free India from the British. At that time, they were only 1.6 percent of the population. Sikhs are the ones who suffered the most after the freedom and partition of India. Fifty percent of the Sikh population had to migrate from the Pakistan side of Punjab to the Indian side of Punjab. Sikhs were prosperous farmers in West Punjab. They lost their fertile farming land. When they were allotted lands in Indian Punjab, everyone got a cut between 25 and 95 percent of their acreage. In a free Khalistan, there will be economic prosperity. The Punjab farmers will be able to sell their produce at high prices in the international market and buy cheaper fertilizers, insecticides, and seeds. Farm produce will not lie in the market for weeks without buyers as it did during the sale of the rice crop last year. We must have a full, free, and fair plebiscite on the status of Khalistan and we must launch a Shantmai Morcha to liberate our homeland. India is not one nation. It has 18 official languages. Let us take this opportunity to bring freedom to our homeland and all the countries of South Asia.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Reverend W.J. Hall for his many outstanding years of service to the Bethel Baptist Church. W.J. Hall was born August 1, 1928, to Mr. and Mrs. G.A. Hall in Oxford, NC. He attended elementary and high school in Oxford, NC. After graduating from Mary Potter High School in 1947, he went to Philadelphia, PA, to work. He also attended Temple University. In 1950, Reverend Hall joined the U.S. Army serving as a military policeman and working with the CID (Criminal Investigating Department). Following his honorable discharge from the Army in 1953, he completed a double major in religion and social studies at Shaw University in Raleigh, NC. Reverend Hall also earned 18 semester hours toward a masters degree in education at North Carolina College in Durham, NC. He used this knowledge when he taught 4 years of public school in North Carolina and Virginia. In addition, Reverend Hall is a member of Phi Beta Sigma, a Master Mason, and a member of NAACP. Reverend Hall has been the pastor of several other churches, including the Olive Grove Baptist Church of Oxford, NC; Spring Street Baptist Church of Henderson, NC; and the Greenwood Baptist Church of Warrenton, NC. He was married in 1954 to Miss Beatrice Mabel Sellars of Vass, NC. Together he and Mabel have two daughters, Wanda and Andrea. Since Reverend Hall arrived at Pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church, he has been busy. Under his leadership, the church membership has greatly increased, the church has been painted and remodeled, a church paper has been published, a new parsonage added, a station wagon purchased and a new pastor's study built. A mural also has been added over the pipe organ, which was purchased by the trustees, along with a Hammond organ purchased. In addition, to his tremendous success at Bethel Baptist Church, he recently, received a divinity degree. Mr. Speaker, Rev. J.W. Hall has devoted his life to educating others and his church; as such he is more than worthy of receiving our recognition. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this dedicated and hard-working man of faith.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, on August 2, 2001, I introduced HR 2735, ``The Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act of 2001'' to ensure that all motoring consumers have the freedom of choice of where, how and by whom to have their vehicles repaired, maintained and to choose the parts of their choice. I introduced HR 2735 to offer protection to consumers who will suffer from high, non-competitive prices. But since the introduction of HR 2735, my state of New York and the United States have been changed forever by the devastating attack of September 11th on American lives, our way of life, and our economic foundations. It is now more important than ever for the passage of HR 2735, which will bring economic relief to consumers and small business. Since September 11th, many citizens have chosen to drive their vehicles to work, to recreation and to vacation sites, rather than take other means of public transportation. This means that consumers will be spending an ever-increasing amount of time in their vehicles. And, that means that these vehicles will need more repairs and parts replaced. Another consequence of September 11th is the attack on America's economic foundation. Many businesses will close their doors due to the inability to continue to provide consumer services. Now, more than ever, we in Congress must work to bolster business, not hinder it with the economic chains of monopolies. Passage of HR 2735 will keep the doors open for many in the automotive aftermarket, allowing the domino effect of recovery to continue. HR 2735 will open the door to motoring consumers who are away from home, whether for business or pleasure, to have unforeseen repairs and parts replaced at the shop of their choice and with the parts of their choice. HR 2735 will allow motoring consumers to dispense with fears of being caught in strange localities or being forced back to dealerships. Consumers will be able to make competitive choices. For several years, Congress mandated that vehicles come manufactured with a computer system to monitor vehicle emissions. As vehicles have advanced, so have the computer systems installed which now control vital systems such as brakes, ignition, ignition keys, air bags, steering mechanisms and climate control. What began as a clean air measure became an unintended ``vehicle in itself'' to a repair and parts information monopoly by car manufacturers. The end result is that motorists have become chained to the car manufacturers and their car dealers in order to have their vehicles repaired and parts replaced. Instead of exercising America's free- market ability to choose the automotive technician, shop and parts of their choice--or even work on the vehicles themselves, this lock-out of information has forced motorists to return to car dealers and forced them in many instances into paying higher, noncompetitive costs. Simple tasks such as having an ignition key duplicated can cost $45 or more. Passage of HR 2735 is essential to the economic structure of the vehicle independent repair industry, as well as the limited budgets of many consumers and their safety. Passage of HR 2735 will allow motorists who do not live near car dealerships to have their vehicles quickly and efficiently repaired, without being forced into driving a great distance in a problematic car to a dealership, jeopardizing their safety and that of others. It will allow motorists to work on their vehicles and will allow motorists to save money. Passage of HR 2735 will empower motorists and will not restrict their choices of repair shops, including the desire of those who wish to go to car dealerships. It will allow motorists to actually own the repair and parts information to their own vehicles and to be the ultimate decisionmakers--instead of the car manufacturers--of their own vehicles. Now more than ever is the time for Congress to keep consumers and small business sound, not pigeon-holed into unnecessary and expensive monopolies. Freedom to choose and to compete is the American Way.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to your attention the insightful article from the October 1 edition of USA Today that reflects the philanthropic efforts of corporate America to assist the victims of September 11. The article illustrates the scope of the corporate philanthropy taking place to help my constituents and all those affected by the attacks. Leading the charge is Citigroup which has set up a $15 million education fund for all the victim's children. CEO and Chairman of Citigroup, Sandy Weill described the mindset of America's corporations, as he talked about the company's employees ``not just giving their money but their time and talents'' to help the victims. As we struggle with the grief and new realities before us, I ask that we also look to the compassionate efforts of the individuals and corporate America as a symbol of what makes America great. The efforts of Citigroup and others are not going unnoticed in Washington or across the country and I would ask you all to join me in thanking those who have helped during this time of great need. [From USA Today, Oct. 1, 2001] Corporations Setting Up Own Charitable Foundations (By Julie Appleby) Restaurateur Waldy Malouf never thought he'd be running a charity. But he has joined a growing number of executives who are doing just that. In coming weeks, he'll be helping decide how to dole out millions of dollars to families devastated by the attack on the World Trade Center. And he's not alone. Some big-name corporations, and a few trade associations, have created their own multimillion-dollar relief funds, determining how, where and to whom to give the money. As the events of the past weeks have been unprecedented, so, too, are these efforts: Corporations don't generally give direct financial aid to victims. ``We had to take care of our own,'' says Malouf, co-owner of Beacon Restaurants, which lost 76 employees in the Windows of the World of the World Restaurant in Tower One at the World Trade Center. He and his business partners spent a whirlwind week creating the Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund, aimed at helping the families of food-service workers killed in the collapse of the towers. Without such a fund, Malouf feared that bus boys and waitresses would be overlooked in the outpouring of support for other victims. Such efforts are generally being overseen by top business executives, many of whom have served on the boards of charitable organizations. Philanthropy experts caution that this planning to give direct aid--rather than funneling money through private foundations or established relief groups--face challenges. ``The danger is that companies may be amateurs in running effective relief funds,'' says Kirk Hanson, who has studied philanthropy for 20 years and heads an ethics center at Santa Clara University in California. ``They will need to look to experts in relief to ensure the money is spent wisely.'' Who, for example, will oversee the funds and provide an accounting of the monies spent? (Funds that obtain charity tax status will report itemized details to the IRS, but not all are seeking that status.) Which victims will get money and how much? Will the money go only to families of those who died, or could the definition grow to include the injured or the unemployed? Publicly traded companies may face opposition from shareholders about how money is distributed. ``This is one of the thorniest problems of disaster relief,'' Hanson says. ``Any charity engaged in direct aid has to struggle with the definition of who is needy.'' Which is what Malouf and other firms wrestled with last week. ``There are a lot of legal and moral and ethical issues that come up that you have to grapple with,'' says Malouf. One example: Three carpenters were working in the Windows on the World Restaurant when the attacks occurred. All three died. The relief fund, however, is designed to help restaurant workers. Would the carpenters' families be eligible? ``In that case, we know the families, and we probably will help. They might not have been washing dishes, but they were working on the restaurant,'' Malouf says. Malouf and other executives say they are either hiring administrators to run the funds or relying on to executives, many of whom have served charitable organizations. ``It's more difficult (to run a fund), but we've always had a philosophy that we have talented executives who can be helpful in working on a lot of things other than business, giving not just of their money, but of their time and talents,'' says Sandy Weill, chairman and CEO of Citigroup. His company, which already supports charities and student programs through its foundation, plans to run its own $15 million scholarship fund to help children who lost parents in any of the attacks, including the one on the Pentagon. ``We'll sit down with the appropriate people and come up with (eligibility) criteria that will be simple, that people can understand,'' Weill says. ``I don't think it's rocket science.'' Many of the companies that have established funds have earmarked them for specific purposes. Morgan Stanley has set aside $10 million to aid the families of its own employees who were injured, missing or killed in the World Trade Center, along with families of missing rescue workers. The National Association of Realtors has raised $2.5 million to help the families of victims from any of the attacks make rent or mortgage payments. ``The money is targeted for families who have lost a breadwinner as a result of the tragedy and might be in jeopardy of missing housing payments, spokesman Steve Cook says. Money will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. At DaimlerChrysler, executives are pondering whether they want to turn over their $10 million children support fund to an outside organization to manage. ``You need people who have expertise in the endeavor,'' spokesman Dennis Fitzgibbons says. At Alcoa, where a $2 million relief fund has been set up, executives won't rush to fund anything immediately, preferring to wait to see where the greatest needs are, spokesman Bob Slagle says. ``We believe we are capable of sorting through some of these difficult issues and really making a different,'' Slagle says.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I am glad that the attacks on Sikhs and other Americans in the wake of the September 11 attacks have subsided. While there are still some incidents, Sikhs, Muslims, and other Americans are safer now then they were a week or two ago. That is good news. However, Sikhs continue to be under assault in India. The Indian government holds over 52,000 Sikhs as political prisoners. It has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984. A few months ago, Indian troops were caught red-handed trying to set fire to a Gurdwara (a Sikh temple), but Sikh and Muslim villagers prevented them from carrying out this atrocity. This is part of a long pattern of violation of the rights of Sikhs and other minorities by the Indian government. The attacks on Sikhs in America, which are terribly unfortunate and should be condemned by all, have been incidents carried out by individuals. That is a key difference. Much of the problem is that since the Sikhs don't have their own country, Americans and others don't know who they are. This is one more reason why a free Khalistan is essential. Khalistan is the Sikh homeland which declared its independence from India on October 7, 1987. This week marks Khalistan's independence anniversary. It will also see the annual convention of the Council of Khalistan, the government pro tempore of Khalistan which leads its independence struggle. Given India's apparent reluctance to cooperate with the United States in our war on terrorism, American support for a free Khalistan and for freedom for the Kashmiris, for predominantly Christian Nagaland, and for all the other nations seeking their freedom is more urgent than ever. We must do what we can to extend the glow of freedom all over the world. We can help that along by maintaining our sanctions on India, by cutting off our aid to India until human rights are respected, and by supporting an internationally-supervised plebiscite on the question of independence for all the nations of South Asia. Our war on terrorism is about preserving freedom. Let's not forget that freedom is universal.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I want to join my colleagues in voicing support for a legislative initiative to address the tremendous economic impact the September 11 bombings have had on employees working in the airline industry. Our efforts to support the airline companies will hopefully be matched just as quickly this week by action on H.R. 2946, The Displaced Workers Relief Act authored by my friend, the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Hastings. Finally, as we move forward with this effort let us be mindful of the efforts by some airlines, like Delta, to offer alternative employee leave programs. Our efforts here in the Congress should not supersede these programs, particularly where the airline's offer may be better for the employee. America's 100,000 airline employees need immediate relief and we should act this week, Mr. Chairman, to make sure that they receive that relief. I urge my colleagues to support action for America's airline employees.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I was distressed to hear that on Saturday, September 15, a Sikh named Balbir Singh Sodhi, who owned a gas station in Mesa, Arizona, was murdered at his place of business. It appears that he was killed because of his turban and beard, which are required by the Sikh religion. Apparently, his killer thought that Mr. Sodhi was a follower of Osama bin Laden. This was just one of well over 100 acts of harassment or violence against Sikhs in the week since the terrorist bombings of the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. A list of these acts can be found by visiting http://www.sikh.org/hatecrime. This past Tuesday, just one week after the terrorists carried out their brutal acts, the Council of Khalistan held a press conference at the National Press Club to denounce these crimes against Sikhs and other minorities. Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, the President of the Council of Khalistan, made some excellent remarks. He called on the Attorney General to investigate and called on the victims of these crimes to contact their local prosecutors and police. At this time, I would like to insert Dr. Aulakh's remarks into the Record so that we can all have a better understanding of this problem. Remarks of Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media: Thank you for coming today. I want to talk to you about a very important issue. Then I will be open-for questions. Sikh Americans, Muslim Americans, Christian Americans, our neighbors and countrymen, are being harassed and acts of violence are being committed against them merely because of their religious or ethnic heritage. All Americans should join together to condemn these cowardly acts. On behalf of the 2 1--million strong Sikh Nation and more than 500,000 Sikhs in the United States, I strongly condemn these acts of violence. I condemn the violence against Muslim Americans and I condemn the attacks on Sikh Americans. There have been over 100 acts of harassment or violence against Sikhs. A Sikh man was murdered in Mesa, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, over the weekend. Balbir Singh Sodhi, who owned a Chevron gasoline station, was shot to death at his business. Some time later, the same gunman shot a Lebanese gasoline station owner. We demand that the man who killed Balbir Singh Sodhi. be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law. Attackers threw a brick through the window of a local Sikh, Ranjit Singh of Fairfax, Virginia. Another local Sikh, Sher Singh, was arrested by police in Rhode Island after the attack, but was released the next day. A couple of young Sikhs were attacked in Brooklyn, New York. Sikh businesses have been stoned and cars have been burned. An Egyptian Christian man was shot in San Gabriel, California. A Pakistani Muslim who owned a grocery store was shot in Dallas. What a group of terrorists did Tuesday was a terrible crime and an act of war against America, but it was done by a group of individuals who are no more typical of their religion than Timothy McVeigh is typical of Christianity. Members of minority religious communities are being targeted for violence, and this is unacceptable, especially in America. Sikhs are not Muslims. We are not Hindus. Like Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and any other religion, we are an independent, monotheistic religion with our own symbols. Among those are a turban and beard. That does not make us followers or associates of Osama bin Laden, yet we are being targeted for violence in the wake of the atrocities last Tuesday. We appreciate the support of Congressmen Dan Burton, Edolphus Towns, and all our other friends in the Congress who condemned the acts of violence against the Sikhs and other minorities. Their statements in the Congressional Record are available here. I call on Attorney General John Ashcroft to look into this nationwide pattern of violence and I urge the victims of these attacks to call their police departments and their local prosecutors. This is the best way to ensure that those who perpetrate this violence are appropriately punished. Let's not let America descend to the level of those who attacked it.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this President, this nation and this legislation. The devastating and cowardly attack on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the American people, and free democratic societies everywhere must be responded to with the swift justice and mighty force of the United States military and our allies. We must continue to stand together to make it through this most difficult time. We must also support the victims, families and the heroic search and rescue teams currently working tirelessly in New York as well as the on-going investigations of these deplorable acts. Yesterday, we voted for the Victims of Terrorism Relief Act of 2001 to provide tax relief for the victims of this heinous attack on our soil. In addition, we passed legislation that will expedite payments of certain benefits to public safety officers. These are just two of the necessary steps to ensure the largest possible benefit to the families of those who have paid the greatest possible price. Today, we must focus on the vast work that remains to be done. None of this, however, will be feasible without significant resources that are dedicated to their intended purpose. As we enter into a potentially prolonged attack on terrorism and its sponsors throughout the world, we must be prepared for the consequences of this significant decision. We must take steps to ensure that the resources are available to secure our skies and protect our people. These steps must include funding for fortifying our military, upgrading our intelligence, and security needs, while simultaneously supporting those who are suffering from the effects of the devastation of a few short days ago. The supplemental funding that we are voting on will support our military, rebuild our city, and assist those who are suffering. Mr. Speaker, I stand with my colleagues, united with our President and in defiance of those who believe that they can threaten our freedom. I support this legislation and pray for the victims, the rescue workers and all Americans.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, in general I have been proud of America's response to the attack on our country that took place Tuesday. There have been no threats against the embassies of countries that might be involved. There have been no riots while the police have been concentrated in one particular area. However, there is one disturbing element. A number of Sikhs have been attacked by ignorant people seeking to vent their anger at what happened. In New York, an old Sikh man was beaten with baseball bats. A couple of young Sikhs were attacked Wednesday afternoon in Brooklyn. Sikh businesses have been stoned and cars have been burned. Apparently, these Sikhs were targeted because of their turbans and beards, which are required by their religion. It would be grossly unfair to attack Muslims, even though Mr. bin Laden, who appears to be the prime suspect, claims to be an adherent of the Muslim faith. I know many Muslims and they are good people who are not involved in this kind of activity in any way. Yet what makes these attacks even stranger is that Sikhs are not Muslims. They don't even wear a turban the same way. Sikhism is an independent religion. It is not part of Islam; it is not part of Hinduism. Sikhs are identified by five specific markers: uncut hair covered by a turban, a kirpan, or ceremonial sword, a bracelet, special underwear, and a special comb. These are distinct identifiers and are required by the Sikh religion. I call on the media to report on the attacks on Sikhs and note the fact that they are not connected to the terrorist campaign in any way and have, in fact, condemned it. I urge the media to speak out against the attacks, and I urge President Bush to do the same. Let's not attack anyone for his or her religion or the way he or she looks. Those who do so are cut from the same cloth as Mr. bin Laden. In America, we do not accept that. The Council of Khalistan, which is the organization representing Sikhs, has written a letter to the President and a press release strongly condemning the attack Tuesday. I would like to place them in the Record at this time for the information of my colleagues. Council of Khalistan Condemns Attack on United States Urges Sikhs to Give Blood Washington, D.C., September 12, 2001.--Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, today condemned the brutal attack on the United States that occurred yesterday. ``On behalf of the 21-million strong Sikh Nation and especially on behalf of more than 500,000 Sikh Americans, I would like to express our sadness and our sympathies to the people of the United States for the terrible attack on the United States yesterday and for the loss of life it entails,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``I urge Sikh Americans to give blood and to pray for the victims, for their families, and for all those who are helping our country and our communities in this time of need,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``We must do our part as American citizens,'' he said. ``We stand together as a nation.'' ``Like all Americans and all decent people everywhere, we condemn this brutal and senseless attack. The Sikh religion recognizes all the human race as one and we pray for the well-being of all. Our prayers and our sympathies are with the people of the United States at this tragic time. We especially pray for the families of those who have departed.'' ``This tragic event happened in the most diverse city in the world,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``There is hardly a national or ethnic group that has not been touched directly by this tragedy. Our sympathies are extended to those who have been touched personally,'' he said. ``Violence against innocent people of any religion or ethnicity is unacceptable. It must be ended.'' Unfortunately, some people have engaged in violence against Sikhs in the wake of the bombings yesterday. A couple of young Sikhs were attacked in Brooklyn. Sikh businesses have been stoned and cars have been burned. A Sikh boy was even shot in New York. ``Today we all stand together as Americans, regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity,'' he said. ``We must not accept terrorism. We must unite against this evil,'' he said. ``We must work to bring all Americans together to defeat this brutal enemy.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2882, the Public Safety Officer Benefit Bill. Several hundred fire, police and rescue personnel lost their lives on Tuesday, September 11th simply doing their jobs: protecting the lives of New Yorkers. This legislation, today, will enable us to provide the families of these heroes with some small compensation for the lose of their loved one. While we can never give them back the sister, or husband or brother or son that they lost, at least we can spare them the indignity of having to produce mountains of paperwork in order to obtain this benefit. Today's bill is an excellent improvement to current law and I would urge my colleagues to wholeheartedly support it.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, last week I made a statement on the excellent discussion of India's racist caste system at the World Conference on Racism in Durban. At that time I intended to place three articles in the Record: an article from the National Post, a press release from the Council of Khalistan, and an article from the Information Times. Unfortunately, only the article from the National Post made it into the Record. Therefore, I would like to place the other two articles in the Record at this time for the information of my colleagues. [Council of Khalistan, Press Release] India Practices Worst Racism in the World Laws Are On the Books Only; Human Rights Are Ignored--Self- Determination and Equality Are the Most Basic Human Rights Washington, D.C., September 4, 2001--Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, today praised the Dalit and Kashmiri activists who have brought the issue of India's human-rights violations to bear in Durban, site of the World Conference Against Racism. The Council of Khalistan, the government pro tempore of Khalistan, leads the democratic, nonviolent, peaceful struggle to liberate Khalistan, the Sikh homeland that declared its independence on October 7, 1987. ``India practices the worst racism in the form of the caste system,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``The caste system is very reminiscent of the segregation that prevailed in parts of America some years ago, except it is backed by a tyrannical abuse of human rights of Dalits (the black untouchables of India),'' he said. ``Is that the way of a democracy or the way of a totalitarian theocracy.'' Dr. Aulakh noted that the Dalits, who are considered the lowest caste, are the most oppressed people in the world. He cited the fact that they are not allowed in the temple. He took note of an incident a few years ago when a Dalit constable entered a Hindu temple on a rainy day and was stoned to death by Brahmins. A Dalit girl drank water from a community pitcher and was blinded by her teacher. Dr. Aulakh noted that Dalits are the victims of the worst racism in the world, oppressed by high-caste Brahmins. ``Despite the laws abolishing caste, it remains a guiding principle for India's militant Hindu nationalist theocracy,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``And despite the laws requiring that anyone who is arrested must be charged within 48 hours, India continues to hold political prisoners for many years without charge or trial,'' he said. ``One of the foundations of democracy is the rule of law. In practice, there is no rule of law in India, '' he said. More than 52,000 Sikh political prisoners are rotting in Indian jails without charge or trial. Many have been in illegal custody since 1984. Over 50,000 Sikhs have been arrested, tortured, and murdered by the Indian police and security forces, then declared ``unidentified'' and secretly cremated. Indian forces have murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, according to figures reported in the The Politics of Genocide by Inderjit Singh Jaijee. In June, militant fundamentalist Hindu fanatics attacked a train carrying Sikh pilgrims and the Sikh holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib. The holy scriptures were burned and the pilgrims were stoned. In May, Indian troops were caught red- handed trying to set fire to a Gurdwara (a Sikh temple) and some Sikh houses in Kashmir. In March 2000 during the visit of former President Clinton, the Indian government massacred 35 Sikhs in Chitihisinghpora. Two independent investigations have proven that the Indian government carried out this massacre. Sikhs ruled Punjab until 1849 when the British forcibly annexed it into British India. No Sikh representative has ever signed the India constitution. India is not one country. It has 18 official languages. It is an empire of many countries thrown together by the British for their convenience. Like the former Soviet Union, it is destined to fall apart. ``The Durban conference must address racism and human- rights violations in India despite India's objections,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``Only continued international pressure for human rights, the rule of law, and sovereignty will end the racism in India and allow all the people of South Asia to live in freedom,'' he noted. ``If India is the democracy it claims to be, then why not hold a plebiscite on independence in Punjab, Khalistan and in the other nations seeking their freedom from India?'' Dr. Aulakh asked. ``The conference should declare its support for the Dalits and for the freedom movements in Khalistan, in Kashmir, in Nagaland, and elsewhere in South Asia,'' he said. ``Democracies don't practice racism,'' he said. ``Democracies don't commit genocide.'' [INFORMATION TIMES, Sept. 1, 2001]

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and my prayers go out to the families. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.J. Resolution 61, the Joint House-Senate resolution expressing the sense of the Senate and the House of Representatives regarding the attack on the United States. In addition, I would like to offer my thoughts and prayers to the people and families who have lost or are missing loved ones and to all Americans as we mourn this catastrophic attack on the American way of life. Mr. Speaker, our hearts are heavy. Our minds numbed by the terror and senseless tragedy of the attacks that we witnessed in person or in our living rooms in my city and our capital over 36 hours ago. The death toll has not been tallied. We will likely not know how many innocent lives were taken from us for some time. We have seen the iron clad character of my fellow New Yorkers and all emergency services workers who responded to these heinous acts of terror--giving up their own lives in the hopes of saving innocent civilians. In particular, I honor all of the police, fireman and emergency service technicians who continue to work to save lives. We must continue to stand together against this or any other attack on our freedom with untold heroism.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, Taiwan, a thriving democracy, a strong advocate of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and a bastion of economic strength, deserves membership to the United Nations on behalf of its 23 million citizens. With the election of its President--Chen Shui-bian--in a free and fair election last year, Taiwan continues to strengthen its democracy by improving safeguards for human rights and contributing to the international community. Since his election, President Chen has continually sought to resume dialogue with the Chinese mainland regarding eventual reunification. Despite this effort, Taiwan's efforts to participate in international organizations has often been thwarted for political reasons beyond Taiwan's control. It is unreasonable for the people of Taiwan to be excluded from full participation in international institutions due to threats from mainland China. Denying Taiwan membership in the United Nations and other international organizations, such as the World Health Organization, obstructs access to important international resources. For the past several years, both Houses of the U.S. Congress have consistently introduced and passed legislation relating to Taiwan's meaningful participation and membership in the United Nations. This important legislation restates our support and our commitment to the progress of Taiwan's democracy. We believe that Taiwan's full and equal membership in the United Nations and other international organizations is long overdue. The rationale of the world community in 1971 was that they were righting one wrong in giving China a seat in the United Nations. Now it is time to right the wrong created at that time, namely the U.N. disenfranchisement of Taiwan's citizens. In order to strengthen the prestige and authority of the United Nations, it is now necessary to grant the people of Taiwan United Nations membership.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, at the World Conference on Racism in Durban, Dalit and Kashmiri activists showed up to exert pressure against India's racist caste system. The caste system, which discriminates against people merely because of the group into which they are born, is one of the most racist systems in the world. The demonstrators handed out literature, buttons, and headbands demanding equal rights for all peoples. They have been chanting and drumming to force the caste system onto the agenda for the conference. India argued for keeping casteism off the agenda in Durban, saying that there are laws against caste discrimination on the books. This is true, but unlike our civil rights laws, the anti-caste laws are never enforced and are routinely violated. Dalits are forced to use separate facilities, such as tea shops. Dalits are forced to endure separate living areas, separate burial grounds and restrictions on their movements. They cannot enter the temple. A few years ago, a Dalit constable entered a Hindu temple on a rainy day to seek refuge from the rain and he was stoned to death by the Brahmins in the temple. In another incident, a Dalit girl was blinded by her teacher after she drank water from the community water pitcher. This kind of racism is unforgivable, especially in a country that calls itself a democracy. According to a report in Canada's National Post, a Dalit woman named Murugesan Manimegalai spoke at the Durban conference. She told the story of how her husband, with a tenth-grade education, was elected Sarpanch of their village--the president of the village council, similar to the mayor. Almost immediately, they received death threats from the upper-castes. ``We will see how the president functions without a head,'' said one note. After he had been in office six months he was followed home on the bus. A group of men surrounded the road and told everyone ``except Dalits'' to leave. Then they grabbed Mr. Manimegalai and stabbed him in the stomach. Despite his pleas not to kill the other Dalits, they chopped up the six other Dalits in front of him. Then they murdered Mr. Manimegalal, chopped off his head, and threw it in a well. Unfortunately, incidents like this are all too common in India. I would like to take this opportunity to salute the protestors for their success in bringing India's racism to the world's attention. That is the first step towards ending it. Mr. Speaker, India must learn that a democracy respects the basic human rights of all people, not just those in a position of power and privilege. It must transcend its Brahminocracy and bring real democracy to all the people. How can people continue to live in the facade of Indian democracy when they cannot enjoy even the most basic rights? America can help this process along. We should maintain the existing sanctions on India. We should stop all aid to India until the full range of human rights can be enjoyed by all the people there, not just the Brahmins. We should declare our overt support for the 17 freedom movements currently operating within India's borders. We can do so by supporting a free and fair plebiscite, under international supervision, on the question of independence for Khalistan, Kashmir, Nagaland, and the other minority nations living under the boot of Indian oppression. Former President Carter might be a good person to head an international monitoring team. The Council of Khalistan has issued a press release praising the demonstrators who are bringing the issue of Indian racism to the forefront. The Information Times has also run an excellent article on the demonstrations. I would like to place them both into the Record at this time for the information of my colleagues. In addition, I would like to insert the National Post article into the Record. [From the National Post, Sept. 6, 2001] UN Racism Conference Moved to Tears, not Action--Race Victims Tell Stories (By Corinna Schuler) Durban, South Africa.--In an oft-ignored chamber of the cavernous convention centre, the real victims of racism struggle to have their stories of suffering heard. This is not one of the dozens of rooms where international negotiators spend days behind closed doors, locked in debate about where to place a comma or whether to spell ``Holocaust'' with a capital ``H.'' Here, persecuted people from every corner of the globe take their turn on stage between 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. every day to tell simple stories abut real suffering--the only forum at this massive United Nations gathering where the personal pain of discrimination is laid bare. One day, the speaker was an escaped slave from Niger. The next, an aboriginal woman from Australia. Then, a migrant worker from Brazil. Yesterday it was Murugesan Manimegalai's turn. The 29-year- old mother of four is a member of India's lowest caste, so impoverished she had never left the confines of her squalid settlement before boarding a plane this week for Durban. ``I was very worried that it might fall,'' she confides with a shy smile. But she pushed her fear aside yesterday, took a deep breath and told the story of her husband's horrifying murder to a crowd of 200 human rights activists and a few journalists. By the time she was done, even the moderator was blinking back tears. ``We are Dalits''--untouchables--began Ms. Manimegalai. As one of India's 1.4 million lowest-caste people, she grew up in a segregated village--forbidden to draw water from the communal well or to attend the same temple as upper-caste people. Her husband had only a Grade 10 education, but became an eloquent activist and was elected president of a village council. Members of the upper caste warned he would not last six months. ``We will see how the president functions without a head,'' said one written death threat. After six months in office, when Mr. Manimegalai took a trip into town, upper-caste people followed him home in a bus. A crowd of men blocked off the road, screaming wildly for everyone to run away--``except Dalits.'' ``They grabbed my husband by the shirt and stabbed him in the stomach. Even then, my husband pleaded with the dominant caste people not to kill the rest of the Dalits. They ignored him, and chopped the [six] others in front of his eyes.'' Ms. Manimegalai did not stop for a breath as the next words tumbled out. ``Even after my husband's death, the anger, the bitterness, the caste-fanatic feeling did not subside.'' ``They cut off his head and threw it in a well nearby.'' Witnesses were too terrified to come forward and it was only after three years of protest that some of the attackers were finally jailed. ``We strongly demand,'' Ms. Manimegalai concluded, ``that the caste system in our country be abolished. We demand education for our children, job opportunities--and dignity.'' The roar of applause continued for a solid minute. When the diminutive Ms. Manimegalai stepped off the stage, a burly African woman grabbed her in a bear hug, sobbing. Ms. Manimegalai was overwhelmed as others waited in line to give a hug or shake her hand. Tears streamed down her face as she stood in the glare of the TV lights. It was not the first time the Voices Forum has borne witness to such raw emotion. But many of the 1,100 journalists in Durban to cover the UN's World Conference Against Racism have been too preoccupied by arguments over Israel and demands for reparations for the colonial-era slave trade to take much note. The armies of suited government officials working to write up a ``historic'' blueprint for fighting racism and intolerance were not present to hear Ms. Manimegalai's demands. Many were in a room down the hall, arguing about whether words such as ``descent'' and ``ethnic origin'' should be included in the list of grounds for discrimination. At the end of her speech, a moderator thanked Ms. Manimegalai and other presenters for having the courage to speak out. ``You should never doubt raising your voice in this chamber,'' she said assuringly. ``Never doubt the importance of doing that.'' The sorry truth is that the powerful testimonies heard in the Voices Forum have little chance of being incorporated into the UN's final declaration on racism, or its program of action. ``Cast out Caste'' posters have been plastered all across Durban and activists have handed out thousands of information brochures in an effort to highlight the injustice of the caste system in Hindu society. But India has fought all attempts to include any mention of caste, and neither the UN nor any government is pushing the point. The strongest language in the draft declaration comes in a single paragraph that refers to discrimination based on work or descent--and even those watered-down words seem set to be withdrawn. Likewise, Eastern European countries refuse to acknowledge the discrimination endured by the Roma, or gypsies, no matter how many emotional stories they have told in Durban this week. The African slave girl who told her story moved an audience to tears, too. Inside conference rooms, however, African government delegates are so engrossed in debate about the slave trade of centuries past there has been almost no talk of how people like 17-year-old Mariama Oumarou and 20,000 others in Niger could be spared the horror of slavery today. Will this conference change Ms. Manimegalai's life? The document under such hot debate is not an international treaty or a UN resolution. In fact, it's not a legal document of any kind and--if agreement is reached here by tomorrow--countries are free to ignore it. But, Ms. Manimegalai lives with the hope her presence here will help the suffering Dalits of India break free from their oppression. ``I am destitute,'' she said. ``My house is just a matchbox and I do not have enough money to care for my children. They are living with relatives. ``But when I saw the big crowd in the room today, I was not afraid. I was happy. At least I can tell the world our story. There are many people back home who are relying on me here.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to be able to join my colleagues in supporting H. Res. 202, a resolution expressing the sense of the House regarding the establishment of a Summer Emergency Blood Donor Season to encourage eligible donors in the United States to donate blood. Currently, our blood supply sometimes struggles to meet the demand for blood, which is increasing due to an aging population, increase in cancer diagnoses and new medical and surgical advancements. The recent decision by the Food and Drug Administration to eliminate donations from Europe will exacerbate this situation in New York City. Our teaching hospitals offer the finest surgical care in the world but these procedures often require substantial amounts of blood to stabilize a patient. That is why I am co-hosting a blood drive with, the Brooklyn/Staten Island Blood Services, the newest operating region of the New York Blood Center this coming Saturday at the East New York Diagnostic and Treatment Center. This drive is specifically designed to encourage minority participation in the City's blood drive. Less than 8% of the Blood Center's volunteer blood donors are African-American. This population represents only 7% of the community's blood supply. Yet, African- Americans make up nearly 30% of New York City's population. Blood is particularly needed from minorities because minority patients sometimes have rare and unique markers, known as antigens, in their blood inherited from their race and ethnicity and may require a life-saving transfusion from someone of the same background. This Saturday's event at the East NY Diagnostic and Treatment Center will help boost the already significant collection progress in Brooklyn where the donor base has been increased by one-third in the past year. Having participated in Government Reform oversight hearings on the nation's blood supply, I understand first-hand how critical it is to encourage Americans to continually replenish the nation's blood centers with blood donations. I want to commend the authors of this legislation and the House leadership for scheduling this resolution at such a critical time. Hopefully, it will greatly increase the public's education and awareness about the need for blood donations. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 202.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, the Council of Khalistan, led by my friend Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, recently completed 15 years of service and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Council of Khalistan. Dr. Aulakh is a well-known presence around here. He has been working these halls for 15 years, advocating the cause of freedom for the Sikhs of Punjab, Khalistan, who are being subjected to brutal tyranny by the Indian government. The Sikhs and other minorities like the Christians, Muslims, Dalit ``untouchables,'' and others have been killed by the tens of thousands, held as political prisoners in large numbers--over 52,000 Sikhs alone, according to a recent report from the Movement Against State Repression--and subjected to other atrocities like violent attacks on religious institutions like Christian churches and schools, the Golden Temple, and the Babri mosque, attempts to burn down a Gurdwara and some houses, the Staines murder. In the face of these atrocities democratic India does nothing. It is because of the efforts of activists like Dr. Aulakh that these matters come to light. He is a major leader in the human-rights movement and the leader of the Sikh community. I salute him for his tireless efforts and submit the following articles. Concern at New Threats to Religious Freedom [The following statement was issued in New Delhi and Hyderabad on Sunday, 29th July 2000 by All India Christian Council President Dr Joseph D'Souza and Secretary General John Dayal in the wake of reports of draconian changes in the Foreign Contributions regulation act, the Private members Bill in the Lok Sabha against freedom of faith, the incidence of Vishwa Hindu Parishad goons ``arresting'' Christian workers in Varanasi, the forcible ``re-conversion'' of Orissa Christians under the combined pressure of the VHP and the Orissa Police.] The All India Christian Council calls upon Civil Society, the national Human Rights Commission and fellow citizens to take united action to counter a series of recent incidents in several Indian states by Fundamentalist extremists of the Sangh Parivar, as well as by police forces acting at their behest, in which the civil rights of Christian individuals and groups have been violently attacked. The Council is deeply concerned that the central and state governments, instead of taking urgent steps to restore confidence among the terrorised minorities, have seemingly condoned such actions. The Centre is in fact, according to media reports, bringing forward legislation that will further and more seriously affect religious minorities in the country and their work, and injure Constitutional guarantees. The Council has declared it will extend all legal assistance to the victims who have been terrorised, specially in the states of Orissa, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The most ominous incident has taken place in Varanasi in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where the state government controlled by the Bharatiya Janata party has condoned military training with firearms provided to elements of the Sangh Parivar in recent months. In that city on 24th July 2001, a Christian religious worker was among five persons ``detained'' by self styled vigilantes of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The five men had come to the city to attend a meeting. The City Superintendent of Police, who had the five men released, admitted they were innocent of the charges of conversion levied against them. The police have however taken no action against the VHP goons who terrorised the Christian group. VHP groups are also terrorising the inmates of an ashram in Kota district of Rajasthan which is home to over 1,500 destitute and orphaned young people from various parts of the country. Death threats have been made against Bishop M A Thomas and officials of the Ashram. Many other similar cases have been reported from other states. In Orissa, ruled by a coalition in which the BJP is a partner, the police have looked on while Tribal Christians are being coerced into ``reconverting'' to Hinduism. The Police have evoked the infamous and ironically named Freedom of Religion Act selectively against the Christians but not against their tormentors. As the media has reported, 17 adult persons had some time ago become Christians, and had told the police they had done so of their own free will, without any duress or allurement. The police, acting at the behest of local religio-political goons, however, chose to prosecute them and registered cases against them. Emboldened by this, the local fundamentalist elements intimidated the Christians, organising social ostracisation against them. Reports suggest that the authorities tacitly supported the ``reconversion.'' The council has deplored the blatant religious partisanship of the local police and civil administration. It is quite clear that these elements are getting strengthened by the attitude of the Central government. The minority communities, specially Christians are alarmed, at the failure of the Central government to denounce a Private Members bill moved by one of their party members in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, which seeks a ban on religious conversions, which in effect means a ban on freedom of faith. This bill evoked dark memories of a similar Hitlerian OP Tyagi Bill in the late Seventies which the government, of which the current Bharatiya Janata party was a part, had extended its support. The council has also strongly criticised the government's reported plan to enact new laws to strangle foreign donations and grants to minority, specially Christian, institutions and organisations. The existing Foreign Contributions Act, FCRA, is already being used as a weapon by the BJP government to target Christian groups and to stifle all protest. We fear the proposed laws are being designed to entirely curtain the educational and public welfare work of the Christian church in India. Christian groups have been thoroughly investigated in the law two years and have been found innocent, and yet extremist groups as well as ruling political parties have persisted a hate campaign against us using disinformation, half truths and malicious lies. We call upon Civil Society, the national Human Rights Commission and all fellow citizens to unite in fighting this erosion of civil liberties and constitutional guarantees.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Georgia. I strongly support the Ganske- Dingell-Berry Bipartisan Patient Protection Act without the Norwood- Bush ``COMPROMISE'' or any other poison pill amendments. For the past five years, we have been fighting for true patient protection legislation only to be thwarted at every turn by a lethal combination of parliamentary maneuvers and political posturing. The Norwood-Bush Compromise is just another maneuver designed to water down real patient protection legislation. Mr. Chairman, it is time that we return medical decisions to the people qualified to make them. It is time that we stop limiting the drugs available to patients based on an accountants' formula. It is time that we return to the American people the right to choose their own healthcare providers. The Ganske-Dingell-Berry Bipartisan Patient Protection Act stops protecting the HMO's and provides true patient protection. I support protecting patients while the amendments before us today will give all of the rights to HMO's at the expense of patients. The only thing that the Norwood-Bush ``Compromise'' compromises is a patient's access to quality care. I support the Ganske-Dingell-Berry Bipartisan Patient Protection Act because I believe that it offers patients the protection they need. Access and accountability must be the cornerstones of any true patient protection plan and Ganske-Dingell-Berry will ensure that accountability. Don't fall for cheap imitations; the Ganske-Dingell-Berry Bipartisan Patient Protection Act is strong, enforceable patient protection legislation. The American people are crying out for patient protection. We cannot continue to have a healthcare system that claims to offer the best healthcare in the world and yet allows business decision makers the right to limit access to top quality care. I urge my colleagues to provide true patient protection and vote for the Ganske-Dingell-Berry Bipartisan Patient Protection Act without amendments.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, most of us learned our first money management lesson when watching our parents pay bills, earning our first allowance, or getting that first job. But in a fast changing world, parents and young adults could use a little help in life's money lessons. As we move more toward an e-commerce world, it is important that our young people are able to manage their money and have the skills it takes to plan, invest and save in a fast-paced transaction culture. Traditionally, education has been based on the three R's--reading, writing, and arithmetic--but recent surveys show that parents are ready to add a fourth pillar to basic education: financial literacy. According to a survey recently released by Visa, 82 percent of parents say that teaching practical money skills in schools is very important. In addition 93 percent of parents said that high school students should be required to take a class in practical money skills, yet 69 percent say that their children have not taken any such classes. Similar results have been seen in research conducted by Jump$tart Coalition for Financial Literacy and consumer groups, including Americans for Consumer Education and Competition headed by our former colleague, Susan Molanari. As policy makers and parents, we need to bring basic financial facts and skills to young adults across America. It is true that providing an educational framework for financial literacy is easy to say, but more complex to accomplish. Yes, financial maturity does initially begin at home, as it should, but it would be very beneficial to extend into the classroom. To that end, we should do our best to provide teachers with the necessary tools needed to integrate financial literacy into their curriculum in order to ensure that today's young adults grow up with financial know-how. Some states such as Wisconsin and Delaware have already passed legislation that would incorporate financial literacy into their curriculums and many others are planning similar legislation. Lawmakers on both the state and national levels recognize the importance of integrating personal-finance management courses into the daily lessons of our education system and work with educators and parents to bring it into our local schools. A number of companies have added their support to these efforts. I would like to commend Visa U.S.A. for working with the teachers and parents to help teach young adults basic economic and personal money management through their Practical Money Skills for Life program. Unfortunately, many young adults are never taught the basic principals of personal finances and have to learn money management through the school of hard knocks. Therefore, I am pleased that Visa, U.S.A. has created the practical Money Skills for Life curriculum, calculators and interactive games available to everyone, free of charge, over the Internet, making its ability to reach students unlimited. Practical Money Skills for Life is an online educational resource for personal financial education tools to help parents and educators teach young adults personal financial responsibility. It lets teachers use the Internet as an educational solution and, because it is an Internet based program, parents can also access the curriculum from their homes. It gives students the basics like budgeting, saving, and investing--the essentials for a healthy and prosperous future. Students are learning how to balance a checkbook, avoid irresponsible spending, understand the importance of a good credit history, and most importantly: how to make and live by a budget. The Practical Money Skills For Life program actually makes it fun for students to learn about finance. With an understanding that many schools are suffering from a digital divide, Visa takes their program one step further by donating computer labs to high schools in need across the country. Coupled with teacher training on their financial literacy curriculum, this contribution to our nation's schools, teachers and students is invaluable. In addition to free curriculums and tools being offered by Visa, there are many other organizations that are raising awareness about the importance of educating the youth on personal finances. Two such groups that I would like to recognize is the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, and Americans for Consumer Education and Competition. The Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC whose goal is to ensure that students have skills to be financially competent upon graduation from high school. They work with a number of organizations to work to raise awareness of the need for financial literacy for our young people. Americans for Consumer Education and Competition (ACEC), chaired by my former colleague from the State of New York Susan Molinari is another group working to improve financial literacy skills. Ms. Molinari has been working with state legislatures to introduce financial literacy curriculum into the education system. We recognize that more still needs to be done. We can all do our part to ensure that parents, teachers and students have tools they need to become financially savvy. Practical Money Skills for Life and curriculums like it, are a step in the right direction.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, U.S. relations with Peru have recently become a matter of concern due to the shoot-down of the U.S. missionary plane, with the death of two U.S. nationals, a mother and her child, and the continued imprisonment of Lori Berenson. At the same time, we have been witnessing the growing accusations of corruption and human rights abuses stemming from the arrest of former Peruvian spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos. The fact that Berenson was arrested and convicted at a time when Montesinos virtually controlled the country's judiciary system is enough to arouse suspicion over the country's ability to have fairly administered justice. Berenson's recent sham retrial, under Peru's current provisional government, has served to bolster those suspicions. As a result of the judiciary's long ties to the country's corrupt political system, Berenson's second trial before a civilian judge, which sentenced her to twenty years in prison, marked only a slight improvement over the original 1996 military trial in which a hooded judge sentenced Berenson to life imprisonment. On the eve of a potential new era of politics in Peru, the time to act on the Berenson case is now. On July 28th, president-elect Alejandro Toledo will be sworn in as Peru's new president and the country, which had been gripped by autocracy for the last ten years under now-disgraced former President Alberto Fujimori, will be given a genuine opportunity to break with its corrupt past. President Bush and the U.S. Congress should do all that they can to assist President Toledo and the whole of Peru in their recovery from ten years of corrupt leadership, if the new administration ensures that Lori Berenson be granted justice. Regarding the Berenson case, we would like to know if the State Department did enough to protect this U.S. national and what exactly were the ties between this country and Montesinos, and did we do enough to publicize the villainy of this man. I'm afraid the answers to these questions may prove embarrassing. Beyond the moral obligation to intervene on Berenson's behalf, the President has a legal obligation to seek Berenson's release. Under U.S. Code 22 Section 1732, the President must do everything in his power, short of acts of war, to obtain or effectuate the release of a U.S. citizen wrongfully incarcerated by a foreign government. The following press memorandum was authorized by Mariah Freark and Sabrina Blum, Research Associates at the Washington-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA), an organization that has been long- committed to addressing issues associated with democracy and human rights throughout the hemisphere. COHA's researchers have often spoken out about controversial issues regarding U.S. relations with Latin America. The attached press memorandum addresses information concerning Lori Berenson and Peru, and should serve to enlighten us. [From the American Prospect, May 25, 2001] Our Man in Little Havana The secret Cold War history of Otto Juan Reich, George W. Bush's Frightening Nominee for Assistant Secretary of State of Western Hemisphere Affairs (By Jason Vest) It was the summer of 1985 and John Lantigua, then The Washington Post's Nicaragua stringer, discovered he had a new nickname, at least among American right-wingers: ``Johnny Sandinista.'' For many senior politicos in the Reagan Administration, Nicaragua was a black and white issue. If you weren't pro- Contra and anti-Sandinista, you were a dupe of two malevolent forces: What one senior official euphemistically called ``the source'' of evil in this hemisphere--Cuba--and the power behind Cuba that then Director of Central Intelligence William J. Casey held was the center of all world terrorism and subversion: the Soviet Union. John Lantigua's reporting didn't reflect such a Manichean worldview, and for that, the Administration would try to smear him and others who didn't ``come on-side.'' In a ``report'' produced by the far-right ``media watchdog'' group Accuracy in Media, Daniel James--identified only as a ``Latin America expert,'' but, in fact, a longtime CIA contract propagandist--reported that, according to unnamed U.S. government officials, Lantigua was being furnished with live- in female Sandinista sex slaves in exchange for penning Sandinista agitprop. To those who covered Central America, the charges were absurd: Not only was Lantigua living with his American fiancee, but he was in the middle of a freeze-out by the Sandinistas, who, along with the Reagan Administration, sometimes found Lantigua's reporting to be inconvenient. Lantigua got a kick out of the item, assuming that it had originated with Otto Reich, a particularly ideological State Department official who Lantigua and his Newsday colleague Morris Thompson had met for lunch when Reich had made a brief visit to In the view of Larry Birns, the head of Washington's Council on Hemispheric Affairs, the combination of Reich's hard-line views, current business connections, and Iran- Contra past would make him a disastrous choice to be the United States' point person for Latin America. ``It would be of interest to anticipate the violent polemical struggle between Fortune 500 U.S. multinationals, most of whom denounced Helms-Burton for interfering with trade with Cuba, and the State Department's Latin American office under an ideologically driven Reich.'' (Birns is also alarmed at the prospect of Roger Noriega, another Jesse Helms favorite, being named Ambassador to the Organization of American States.) ``If confirmed, [Reich's] tenure will inevitably be littered with hemispheric vendettas, abusive run-ins with strong-willed regional leaders, and a cheerful indifference to state department rules and regulations,'' Birns says. ``During his years in the public sector, Reich seemingly has found it against the very marrow of his personality and basic nature to be able to walk down a straight path. If [Secretary of State Colin] Powell continues to maintain that Reich and Noriega are the best qualified candidates to fill the vacancies, then the Secretary of State can expect to soon be hearing from Saturday Night Live.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Chairman, I have great respect for the authors of this amendment, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), but this is a discriminatory amendment that is ill conceived and counterproductive. It would bring about a tremendous job loss, and that is the last thing we need at this particular time. I am talking about high-paying jobs, jobs where people are well paid and able to support their family and be able to live a strong and positive life. I understand what the drafters are trying to do with this amendment, but this is the wrong way to go about it. This is a dangerous amendment. I ask my colleagues to vote no on this amendment. The timing could not be worse. I am hoping that my colleagues will recognize that fact and would even withdraw this amendment. But if they do not withdraw it, then I would ask my colleagues to vote no.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise on the occasion of the eleventh anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which works on protecting our citizens with both hidden and visible disabilities from discrimination. The Americans with Disabilities Act has been protecting citizens of this great nation for the past eleven years. In fact, 52.6 million Americans live with some level of a disability. That translates into one in every 5 people. In fact, one in every eight U.S. residents has a severe disability. This Act does not allow people to discriminate against people with disabilities and requires that necessary accommodations be made to assist the disabled. Commonplace amenities such as elevators and ramps in all new buildings were virtually unheard of before the passing of the 1990 act. What is now viewed as a regular feature in movie theaters and other venues, listening aids were once uncommon and unavailable. One of the most recent triumphs of the Americans with Disabilities Act has been the United States Supreme Court Ruling that a golf cart must be supplied to disabled golfer, Casey Martin, for his PGA Tournaments. The Americans with Disabilities Act also extends to non-physical and more often hidden disabilities, allowing at the most basic level accommodations to be made for students in schools nationwide as well as elected officials, many of whom would never have had an opportunity for public service without ADA. Mr. Speaker, for the past eleven years the Americans with Disabilities Act has been an integral part of this nation. As such, the Americans with Disabilities Act is more than worthy of receiving our recognition today. I hope that all my colleagues will join me in commemorating this truly remarkable law.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw the attention of my colleagues to the issue of strengthening trade relations with one of the most promising countries of the post-Soviet era--the Republic of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan has long been seen as a crossroads between East and West--a meeting place not only of continents, but of cultures, values, ideas, resources and trade. Kazakhstan today has the best economic prospects in the region. It has highest rate of economic growth, especially throughout the current year. Already well-known for its abundant natural resources, the recent discovery of major hydrocarbon deposits in the offshore East Kashagan field on the Caspian Sea is expected to put Kazakhstan among ten leading world oil exporters in the first quarter of this century. Kazakhstan is also rich in natural gas, and has vast gold, uranium, ferrous, non-ferrous and rare earth metal deposits. In addition, Kazakhstan has a highly developed agricultural sector, noted especially for grain and meat production. The potential for cooperation and progress is great, and the time for action now. We must break away from the outdated constraints of a past era and seize the opportunity to put trade ties with Kazakhstan on a more solid, mutually beneficial basis. Mr. Speaker, keeping in mind the importance of promoting and developing active U.S. trade relations with Kazakhstan which will not only open this huge market for Americans but also help to pave the way for true democracy in this country, I proudly cosponsored the legislation (H.R. 1318) that would grant permanent trade relations to Kazakhstan. I am enclosing a letter from the U.S.-Kazakhstan Business Association signed by U.S. companies asking for our support to strengthen bilateral trade relations with this country by passing H.R. 1318 and the article ``Cheney Aims To Drill Afar and Wide'', published in ``Washington Times'' on July 20, 2001. U.S.-Kazakhstan Business Association, July 23, 2001. Representative Edolphus Towns, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Representative Towns: On behalf of the U.S.-Kazakhstan Business Association, I wish to convey the Association's strong support for the granting of permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) to Kazakhstan. We wish to encourage early approval by the Ways and Means Committee of H.R. 1318, introduced by Representative Pitts, and supported by you and other co-sponsors. Association members include major U.S. corporations that have been in the forefront of Western investment in Kazakhstan. They are very deliberate about their decisions to enter emerging market economies and have seen the many positive advantages that investment in Kazakhstan affords. As energy sector revenues grow and spread through the country's economy, the Association seeks to encourage diversified investment in other sectors, such as agribusiness, mining, petrochemicals, and telecommunications. For these investments to be economic, however, it will be important for Kazakhstani firms, as well as joint ventures formed with American investors, to have predictable nondiscriminatory access to U.S. markets. Looking ahead to Kazakhstan's eventual accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), our members will be particularly interested in our government being able to avail itself of all its rights under the WTO with respect to Kazakhstan. Historical criteria that have withheld nondiscriminatory access for Kazakhstan products are no longer relevant. The country continues to make stepwise political and economic reforms that are attracting and retaining foreign investors. Kazakhstan courageously chose to de-nuclearize after independence and has fully supported nuclear nonproliferation objectives, dismantling bombers, missiles, and related facilities. It has complied with U.S. emigration requirements, and recently has taken considerable strides toward creating a free-market economic system--a development already recognized by the European Union. While the U.S. and Kazakhstan concluded a bilateral investment treaty in 1992, from its independence, Kazakhstan has demonstrated a strong desire to build friendly and cooperative ties with the U.S. across a broad range of relationships. The Association, therefore, believes it is in the best interests of the United States to approve PNTR for Kazakhstan and promote further development of more normal trade and investment relations between the two countries. Similar letters have been sent to Representative Thomas and Representative Rangel of the House Ways and Means Committee, the Chairman and Ranking Minority member of the House International Relations Committee, and, regarding S. 168, to the Chairmen and Ranking Minority Members of the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In addition, sponsors, co-sponsors, and each member of the above committees have received courtesy copies. The member companies and organizations listed below support the Association's position favoring PNTR for Kazakhstan and the respective House and Senate bills. Should you or your staff have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (202) 434-8791. Sincerely, William C. Veale, Executive Director. List of Members Supporting H.R. 1318: ABB Inc.; Access Industries, Inc.; ACDI/VOCA; The AES Corporation; American Councils for Int'l Education; Bechtel Corporation; Chevron Corporation; Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs; Columbia University Caspian Project; Coudert Brothers; Exxon Mobil Corporation; Deere & Company; Fluor Corporation; Halliburton Company; International Tax & Investment Center; NUKEM Inc.; Parker Drilling Company; Parsons Corporation (membership currently being processed); Phillips Petroleum Company; Texaco Inc.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I think we were all distressed by the breakdown of the talks between India and Pakistan aimed at reducing tensions in South Asia, one of the most troubled areas in the world. The fact that the talks broke down increases the danger and the instability in that region. It looks as if much of the blame for the breakdown goes squarely to the Indian government. As Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, put it, ``It is very clear that India does not want a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue.'' India's Defense Ministry spokeswoman did not even mention Kashmir among the topics under discussion. Three drafts of a joint statement were vetoed by the Indian cabinet. As you know, the Indian government is run by the militant, Hindu nationalist BJP, a branch of the pro-Fascist Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), which has said that everyone in India must be Hindu or be subservient to Hinduism. The RSS published a booklet last year showing how to implicate Christians and other religious minorities in false criminal cases. India's human-rights violations have been well documented. It has killed over tens of thousands of Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, Dalits, and other minorities. It has burned churches, prayer halls, and Christian schools, destroyed the most revered Muslim mosque in India, and attacked the seat of Sikhism, the Golden Temple. It has killed priests and raped nuns. Indian troops were recently caught in a village in Kashmir trying to set fire to a Gurdwara and some Sikh homes. This atrocity was prevented by the joint action of Sikh and Muslim villagers. The Indian government killed 35 Sikhs in Chithisinghpora in March 2000. In 1997, Indian troops broke up a Christian religious festival with gunfire. India admitted to holding over 52,000 Sikhs in illegal detention without charge or trial under the repressive TADA law, which expired in 1995, according to a recent report by the Movement Against State Repression. It was routine to rearrest people released under TADA and to file charges in more than one state simultaneously to deter prisoners from contesting the charges. Amnesty International notes that there are tens of thousands of Sikhs and others being held as political prisoners. Christians, Muslims, and other minorities are also held as political prisoners in large numbers. A few months ago, the Council of Khalistan called on the political prisoners to run for office from their jail cells. This might be the most effective action that the political prisoners and minority political leaders can take. I call upon President Bush to press India for the release of all political prisoners. Why are there political prisoners in a democracy? India has murdered Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Muslims, and other minorities by the tens of thousands. Should the United States be supporting such a country, especially when it tries to immunize its human-rights violations by proclaiming itself a democracy? America is the bastion of freedom in the world. It is our mission to extend and expand liberty wherever and whenever we can. Accordingly, we should stop U.S. aid to India until we no longer have to stand up here denouncing its human-rights abuses and we should support the birthright of all people, the democratic right to self-determination. If India is truly a democracy, it should live up to its promise made 53 years ago to hold a plebiscite in Kashmir. If India genuinely believes in democratic values, it must hold plebiscites on the political future of Kashmir, of Nagaland, of Punjab, Khalistan, and of all the nations seeking their freedom from India. India is an inherently unstable country composed of many different nations whose breakup is inevitable. For the cause of peace, prosperity, stability, security, and freedom, we must do whatever we can to ensure that this occurs peacefully like the breakups of the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia, not violently like that of Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, India seems to beheaded down the violent path. Let us work to help end the violence, repression, and terrorism and to ensure freedom and peace for all the peoples of that troubled region. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert the Council of Khalistan's press release about the breakdown of the India-Pakistan talks into the Record at this time. Indian Arrogance Exposed During Musharraf-Vajpayee Summit Plebiscite in Kashmir, Punjab, and Other Nations Essential for Peace in South Asia Washington, DC, July 17, 2001.--Indian hypocrisy was exposed to the international community when they refused to mention the word Kashmir during the bilateral talks between Pakistani President Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee. The Indian Foreign Ministry's press spokeswoman, Niruparna Rao, did not even list Kashmir among the items discussed. Aides to President Musharraf said that three drafts of a joint statement had been approved by both sides but the Indian Cabinet vetoed them. ``It is very clear from these actions that India does not want any peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khatistan, which leads the Sikh struggle for independence from India. ``India must learn that 54 years of repression in Kashmir which resulted in the murder of over 75,000 Kashmiris and the expenditure of over $2 billion a year have not extinguished the flame of freedom which is burning in the hearts of the people of Kashmir,'' he said. ``India must keep its promise of a plebiscite in Kashmir, which it agreed to in 1948 in a United Nations resolution,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``India is morally wrong. If India is a democracy, why is it afraid of a vote?,'' he asked. ``How can India justify its invasion annexation of Hyderabad, where the ruler was a Muslim and the majority population was Hindu, but by the same token in Kashmir population is Muslim and the ruler was Hindu and India sent the army to maintain its illegal occupation?,'' Dr. Aulakh asked. India is not one country and it is not one nation. It is a multinational state put together by the British for administrative convenience. India is a vestige of colonialism. India has 18 official languages and there are 17 freedom movements within its borders. The fundamentalist Hindu ruling BJP government is on record that anyone living in India must either be a Hindu or subservient to the Hindus. This is not acceptable to the Sikh Christian, or Muslim minorities. India has unleashed a reign of terror on the minorities. In 1984, the Indian government attacked the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikh religion, and 38 other Gurdwaras and killed over 20,000 people during that attack throughout Punjab. India demolished the Babri mosque in Ayodhya, the most revered mosque in India, and it is planning to build a Hindu temple on that site. Similarly, Christian churches, prayer halls, and schools have also been demolished. Christians have also seen the murder of priests, rape of nuns, the murder of a missionary and his two sons, ages 8 and 10, by burning them alive while they slept in their jeep and other atrocities. Now the government plans to expel his widow from the country. Last month, Indian soldiers were caught red-handed attempting to burn down a Gurdwara and several Sikh homes in Kashmir. Sikh and Muslim townspeople overpowered the troops and prevented them from carrying out this atrocity. In March 2000, while former President Clinton was visiting India, the Indian government murdered 35 Sikhs in the village of Chithisinghpora in Kashmir and tried to blame the massacre on alleged militants. In November 1994 the Indian newspaper Hitavada reported that the Indian government paid the late governor of Punjab, Surendra Nath, $1.5 billion to organize and support covert state terrorism in Punjab and Kashmir. Indian security forces have murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, according to figures compiled by the Punjab State Magistracy and human-rights organizations and published in The Politics of Genocide by Inderjit Singh Jaijee. Over 52,000 Sikh political prisoners are rotting in Indian jails without charge or trial. Many have been in illegal custody since 1984. Since 1984, India has engaged in a campaign of ethnic cleansing in which over 50,000 Sikhs have been murdered by the Indian police and security forces and secretly cremated. The Indian Supreme Court described this campaign as ``worse than a genocide.'' General Narinder Singh has said, ``Punjab is a police state.'' U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher has said that for Sikhs, Kashmiri Muslims, and other minorities ``India might as well be Nazi Germany.'' ``The people and nations of the subcontinent are entitled to freedom and self-determination,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``It is time for India to do the democratic thing and end the repression,'' he said. ``It will help the Indian government and the people of India to give freedom to all the nations of South Asia,'' he said. ``As soon as it happens, the South Asian nations can make a South Asian economic market parallel to the European Economic Community where the nations are independent but joined economically, which benefits every member,'' he said. ``It will also include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and others. This will reduce tensions and the nuclear threat in this dangerous region and will benefit all the people of South Asia,'' Dr. Aulakh said.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Reverend Marvin David Williams, Pastor and Founder of the Greater St. Stephen United Church of God, in recognition of his service to both his church and his community. Reverend Williams, born to the late Reverend Norman Williams and Rossie Lee Williams in North Carolina, was reared in the St. John Missionary Baptist Church where he accepted Christ at a young age. He graduated from the Pender County public school system with honors and furthered his education at the City University of New York where he earned a degree in Public Administration. Reverend Williams extensively studied Theology at the Bethel Bible Institute. With his mother's passing immediately prior to his high school graduation, Marvin Williams moved to Brooklyn where he found work in order to send money home to his younger siblings for their education. He joined the United Pentecostal House of Prayer where he accepted his call to the ministry. After 18 years of faithfully serving at the United Pentecostal House of Prayer, he accepted the assistant pastorship position at St. Matthew Glorious United Church of God. After serving in the position of assistant pastor for four years, Reverend Williams founded St. Stephen United Church of God in 1974, which was renamed Greater St. Stephen United Church of God after moving to its new home in 1980. As Pastor, Marvin Williams' church operates as a non-profit community based organization that offers a variety of community programs including a soup kitchen, food pantry, clothing bank, as well as both after school and summer day camp programs. Reverend Williams is also renowned for sponsoring programs, which assist individuals in moving towards self-sufficiency by helping them to get jobs by training them, and building connections with agencies that will hire. Reverend Williams' success in the Church has not been limited to being the founder of the overwhelmingly successful Greater St. Stephen Church, but also extends to his exaltation to the office of Overseer as well as his consecration as a bishop in 1998. Bishop Williams also serves as Chairman of the General Board of Directors of the United Church of God of America Incorporated in addition to holding membership on many other prestigious boards. Bishop Williams is married to Callie Louise Powell. Together they have been blessed with eight children, thirteen grandchildren, and a host of godchildren. Mr. Speaker, Reverend Marvin David Williams devotes his life to serving his community through his church. As such, he is indeed worthy of receiving our recognition today. I hope that all of my colleagues will join me in honoring this truly remarkable man.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Caroline R. Jones for her tremendous contributions during her shortened life. Born and raised in Benton Harbor, Michigan, as Caroline Richardson, the eldest daughter in a family of ten children, she graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English and science. Caroline traveled to New York City in 1963 to look for teaching positions. She ended up taking a job as a secretary at J. Walter Thompson, at the time the world's largest advertising firm. She soon switched career paths after she was moved to the creative department. It was there that she was selected for a junior copywriter program. With this selection, Caroline became the first African American trained as a copywriter in the firm's 140 year history. Caroline's success did not end at J. Walter Thompson. She worked at a number of leading general market and black-owned agencies as both a copywriter and as a creative director. Caroline later became the first black woman elected vice president of a major advertising firm. Caroline also helped to found the Black Creative Group as well as Mingo-Jones Advertising, where she served as executive vice president as well as creative director. During her time at Mingo-Jones, Jones created the ``We Do Chicken Right'' campaign for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Jones started her own firm in the 1980s, Creative Resources Management, as well as many shops under her name. She was also the successful television and radio host of two programs, ``In the Black: Keys to Success'' and ``Focus on the Black Woman.'' Mr. Speaker, Caroline Richardson Jones devoted her life to eliminating the barriers of sex and racial discrimination in the advertising arena. Only 59 at her death on June 28 from cancer, she will always be remembered for her tireless efforts in promoting the agenda of Annual Legislative Weekend sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus. As such, she and her family are more than worthy of receiving our recognition today. I hope that all of my colleagues will join me in remembering and honoring the life of this remarkable woman.