Ed Towns

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the accomplishments of Ms. Josephine Bolus. As a registered nurse (RN) in New York, she has served her community well. Ms. Bolus started her community activities during the ``Korean conflict'', as a member of the Civilian Air Patrol, monitoring the New York City skies for foreign aircraft. She then became a volunteer for the American Red Cross; and later became a licensed practical nurse, under former President Kennedy's educational initiatives. Deciding to further her education, she attended New York City Community College, and graduated in 1971 with a degree in nursing. After graduation she started working at Brooklyn's King's County Hospital Center, and remained there until her retirement in December of 1997. During those 27 years, Josephine continued her education and with the combined help of a new program offered by King's County Hospital and the State University Hospital of Brooklyn, she became a pediatric nurse practitioner in 1975. She testified before New York Senate Committees on the need for prescriptive privileges for nurse practitioners, as well as the need for New York State Nurse Practitioner Certification. Both issues were enacted into law by the New York State Legislature. As a member of the American Nurse Association, she also serves as the congressional liaison to the 10th congressional district. She is an active member of the New York State Nurses Association [NYSNA] which represents over 35,000 RNs. After serving in numerous positions, she now serves on the NYSNA Board of Directors and is vice- chair of the NYSNA Political Action Committee. Josephine is also a member of the Women's Caucus, a volunteer organization of women who work on Brooklyn community services projects; the Brooklyn College Alumni Board of Directors; and the Dr. Susan Smith McKinney Community Advisory Board. She is also on the board's health committee and does special projects for New York State Senator John Sampson. Depending on the day of the week, Ms. Bolus can be found volunteering in my office, as well as the offices of New York State Assemblyman Frank Seddio, and the campaign of Hillary Rodham Clinton. In her ``spare time'' she has organized health fairs, CPR courses, tennis lessons for asthmatics, and diabetic counseling groups. She has also created unique cloth dolls, which she exchanges for donations to her church. Josephine is the recipient of several awards, including the 1999 NYSNA Delegate Assembly, the Central Baptist Church's ``Humanitarian Award'', and the Maggie Jacobs RN Service Award. She has conducted research in collaboration with Tuft's University School of Medicine and the State University Hospital of Brooklyn. Ms. Bolus is married to Henry A. Bolus, and they have two children. It is an honor to pay tribute to community leaders like Ms. Josephine Bolus.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Lewanda Denise Miller, a woman described by those who know her as a Christian, a family person, an educator, a community helper, a mentor, and a friend. As the daughter of Roy Lee and Mildred Miller, and as a lifelong member of St. Paul Community Baptist Church, Lewanda credits her southern, Christian upbringing and family, as sources of strength that have helped to teach her ways to help others. In 1993, Lewanda received her Bachelor's Degree with SUNY College at Old Westbury. While studying Accounting and Business, Lewanda quietly yearned to teach. In her last year of undergraduate study, she applied for a teaching license. Immediately after graduation, she obtained her temporary license in Business. She taught many programs at Boys and Girls High School. Two years later, Lewanda enrolled in Brooklyn College's graduate program to become an English teacher. After studying on an undergraduate and graduate level, she successfully completed her studies in 1999. Lewanda graduates this millennium with her Masters of Arts in Secondary Education-English. During this time, she obtained provisional certification in English and Business. Lewanda still mentors and tutors students daily at Boys and Girls High School. Professionally, Ms. Miller has worked on several committees to improve the academic experience for her students. She worked on the Curriculum Interdisciplinary Team, staff developer of ELA Regents Curriculum, and taught one of the Saturday School programs at Boys and Girls High School for the last five years. Since 1998, Lewanda has been a member of The Women's Caucus, a volunteer organization of women who work closely with me on community activities, and the Interfaith Medical Auxiliary. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing positive young role models, like Lewanda Denise Miller.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Reverend Valentine H. Sheppard. Reverend Sheppard's compassionate spirit touches all of those who know him. Through vision, diligence and dedication he founded Hebron Baptist Church in 1983. Seventeen years later the Church is a thriving house of worship and love. He is not only the founder and pastor of Hebron Baptist Church, but also an active member of the Brooklyn community. Reverend Sheppard is a past-president of the Baptist Pastor's and Church's Union of Brooklyn and Long Island. He is the program chairperson for their Annual Emancipation Day Service and Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance Service. He has held several offices in the Eastern Baptist Association and is a member of the executive board of the Hampton University Minister's Conference. Reverend Sheppard is a graduate of Nzazrene Theological Seminary of Trinidad and is in his 40th year in the ministry. He is a graduate of the American Institute of Banking and a winner of their Regional Public Speaking contest for 3 consecutive years. He served as chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Roundtable Senior Citizen Center of Brooklyn. Reverend Valentine H. Sheppard is the father of three children and the spiritual father of countless others. Mr. Speaker, I would like you along with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to join me honoring Reverend Valentine H. Sheppard on his 60th birthday.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Judge Bruce Balter, who received the Holocaust Education award in recognition of his outstanding efforts to teach lessons of the Shoah to today's generation. The award was presented by Joe Hynes, District Attoroney in Brooklyn, who commended Judge Balter for his remarkable work. Judge Balter has a long and distinguished record of public service to the Jewish community of New York. He is a recipient of the State Medal of Israel, and has written and produced three television documentaries on the Holocaust, which have been shown on PBS and other television shows throughout the country. In addition to his television work, he has coordinated and hosted the Civil Court Holocaust Memorial Remembrance each year since being elected to the judiciary. He lectures and takes student groups on tours of the Museum of Jewish Heritage and the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. Judge Balter's list of accomplishments, though, far exceeds just his work for the Holocaust. He holds the rank of Lt. Colonel in the New York guard. He is the current chairman of the surrogate's court committee of the Brooklyn Bar Association. He lectures high school students throughout the city on African-American, Jewish, and Hispanic relations. The Judge was also past counsel for prominent Sephardic schools and organizations and currently is a board member of the Council of Jewish Organizations of Flatbush and Director of the Association of Jewish Court Attaches. It is Judge Balter's drive for accomplishment and concern for the community that has garnered him the Community Justice Award from the Appellate Division--the highest court in Brooklyn. It is important that we continue to honor such individuals, whose efforts and accomplishments are an inspiration to us all. Please join me in acknowledging the outstanding community service of Judge Bruce Balter.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the unwavering service and dedication of the administrators, physicians, nurses and other staff of Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, a renowned 350-bed hospital within Brooklyn's 10th Congressional District. For over 100 years, this facility has served the residents of Brooklyn with pride. I also ask that we take a moment out of our daily business to commend Wyckoff for its extraordinary work throughout the years, and for going that extra mile this month by sponsoring the 1st annual men's health symposium. This symposium entitled ``The First Step of Empowerment is Taking Care of Your Health'' will be held on Monday, February 14, 2000, and will take the extraordinary step of focusing on men's health in Brooklyn, and throughout this nation. Although there are numerous individuals who have worked to create this program, I want to applaud the efforts of four individuals: Dominick Gio, president & CEO; Pradeep Chandra, MD, chairman, Internal Medicine; Nirmal Matto, MD, senior vice president, Medical Affairs/ director of Nephrology; and William Green, vice president, Ambulatory Services. They each have worked tirelessly to ensure that Wyckoff does not lose the focus of its mission: to provide excellence in care through prevention, education and treatment. In today's health care environment, their unwavering energy and steadfast determination toward improving our health care delivery system is truly a beacon of hope for the future. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my esteemed colleagues join me in commending the work of Wyckoff Heights Medical Center and its dedicated staff. It is truly a shining star in Brooklyn!

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, the time has come to declare India a terrorist state. India is one of the leading practitioners of terrorism in the world, but they get away with it by cloaking it under a mask of democracy. India practices terrorism internally against its minorities and externally against its neighbors. The Coordination Committee on Disappearances in Punjab identified 838 victims of India's mass cremation policy in a preliminary report last year. It published their names and addresses. These young Sikhs were abducted by the police, tortured, and murdered, then the police disposed of their bodies. This policy amounts to nothing less than terrorism against the Sikhs of Punjab, Khalistan. Tens of thousands of Sikh political prisoners continue to rot in Indian jails without trial. They are not the only ones. After an Indian airliner was hijacked in November, India agreed to release several prisoners. According to the Los Angeles Times, India violated international law by holding these prisoners without charge or trial. On December 20, according to Reuters News Service (as reported in India West), Pakistani police arrested a man who confessed that he was an Indian agent and that he planted bombs that killed 9 people. Clearly, this is a terrorist act sponsored by the Indian government. The book Soft Target, written by two Canadian journalists, proved that India blew up its own airliner in 1985, killing 329 people. In 1991, the Indian intelligence service, RAW, masterminded a hijacking of an Indian plane. These acts give us reason to suspect that India's hand may have been behind the recent Air India hijacking. In November 1994, the Hitavada, a well respected newspaper in India, reported that the Indian government paid Surendra Nath, the late governor of Punjab, one and a half billion dollars to foment terrorism in Punjab, Khalistan and in Kashmir. Can anyone deny that a country which would do this is a terrorist nation? The Indian government intelligence wing, RAW, supported the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to gain control of the port of Trincomelli. India Today magazine reported that the leader of the LTTE was entertained by the Indian government in one of Delhi's best hotels. Later, India turned against the LTTE and invaded Sri Lanka to crush the LTTE freedom movement. The Indian government has blood on its hands. The Indian government has murdered minorities in massive numbers. Over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, over 200,000 Christians in Nagaland since 1947, more than 65,000 Kashmiri Muslims since 1988, and tens of thousands of Assamese, Manipuris, Tamils, Dalits, and others have been murdered by the government of India. The State Department reported in 1994 that the government of India paid more than 41,000 cash bounties to police officers for murdering Sikhs. Hindu militants allied with the government have burned down Christian churches and prayers halls, murdered priests, and raped nuns. Hindus affiliated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad surrounded the jeep of missionary Graham Staines and his two sons, ages 8 and 10, and burned them to death. The VHP is part of the same umbrella organization as the ruling BJP. In 1997, police broke up a Christian religious festival with gunfire. Last year, Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes organized and led a meeting with the Ambassadors from Cuba, Red China, Russia, Iraq, and Libya aimed at creating a security alliance ``to stop the U.S.'' India supported the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and votes against American interests consistently. The time has come to take strong measures against India's brutality and terrorism by declaring India a terrorist nation. Mr. Speaker, recently the Council of Khalistan issued a news release on Indian state terrorism. I would like to place it into the Record for the information of my colleagues. [From the Council of Khalistan, Washington, DC, Jan. 13, 2000] U.S. Should Declare India a Terrorist State Washington, D.C., January 13, 2000.--Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, called on the United States government to declare India a terrorist state. ``India is one of the leading sponsors of terrorism in the world,'' he said. Earlier this week, Mandeep Singh Sodhi, a 27-year-old Sikh in Uttar Pradesh burned himself to death to protest police abuses against his family. The Los Angeles Times reported that India violated international law by holding the prisoners who were released without charge or trial. There are tens of thousands of Sikh political prisoners rotting in Indian jails without trial. On December 20, according to Reuters News Service and India West, Pakistani police arrested a man who confessed to being an Indian agent and to planting bombs that killed 9 people. Responding to some recent reports, Dr. Aulakh said that he ``would not put it past'' the Indian government to organize the hijacking themselves to justify a new wave of terror in Kashmir. ``They have created incidents to promote terror in Punjab, Khalistan, Assam, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, and other places within their artificial borders.'' he said. The book Soft Target, written by two Canadian journalists, proved that India blew up its own airliner in 1985, killing 329 people, to blame the Sikhs. In 1994, the Hitavada, a well respected Indian newspaper, 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, Khalistan and in Kashmir. The Indian government intelligence wing, RAW, infiltrated the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and supported the LTTE to gain control of the port of Trincomelli. When the Sri Lankan government agreed to give India control of the port, India turned against the LTTE and invaded Sri Lanka to crush the LTTE freedom movement. The Indian army suffered heavy losses at the hands of the LTTE freedom fighters and withdrew from Sri Lanka. Rajiv Gandhi, the ex-Prime Minister of India under whose government this took place, was blown up by a female Tamil freedom fighter. The Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984. They have also killed over 200,000 Christians in Nagaland since 1947, more than 65,000 Kashmiri Muslims since 1988, and tens of thousands of Assamese, Manipuris, Tamils, Dalits, and others. ``Only a terrorist state could commit atrocities of this magnitude,'' said Dr. Aulakh. The U.S. State Department reported that the Indian government paid more than 41,000 cash bounties to police to murder Sikhs. One of these bounties was collected by police officers who killed a three-year-old boy, his father, and his uncle ``Would you call this democracy or terrorism?,'' Dr. Aulakh asked. Government-allied Hindu militants have burned down Christian churches and prayer halls, murdered priests, and raped nuns. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which is affiliated with the parent organization of the ruling BJP, described the rapists as ``patriotic youth'' and called the nuns ``antinational elements.'' Hindus affiliated with the VHP surrounded the jeep of missionary Graham Staines and his two sons, ages 8 and 10, poured gasoline on it, set it on fire, and surrounded it, chanting ``Victory to Lord Ram.'' In 1997, police broke up a Christian religious festival with gunfire. ``Only a terrorist government could allow these kinds of atrocities,'' Dr. Aulakh pointed out. Last year, Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes led a meeting with the Ambassadors from Cuba, Red China, Russia, Iraq, and Libya aimed at constructing a security alliance ``to stop the U.S.'' ``How could India form an alliance against the world's oldest democracy and then ask for help?,'' Dr. Aulakh asked. ``Based on these and other pieces of India's pattern of terrorism, the time has come for Indian to be declared a terrorist state,'' Dr. Aulakh said.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I would like you to join me in paying tribute to Pastor Pauline Williams Griffin. A leader in the Church of God in Christ Jesus, an educator, a counselor, community leader, professional woman, wife and mother. Born in Angier, North Carolina, she attended Grammar and High School in Lillington, North Carolina, where she received part of her high school education. Her family moved to New York City in 1944 and her high school education was continued and completed at Erasmus Hall High School, Brooklyn, New York. She attended business school at Adelphi College where she majored in Business Administration. She attended Pace University, Bank Street College and the College for Human Services. She was appointed Elder of the Church of God in Christ Jesus, N.D. in 1965 by her bishop, D. W.H. Amos, Chief apostle of the Church of God in Christ Jesus, N.D. Inc. Elder Griffin moved rapidly within her natural setting, for she became the State Mother of the Church of God in Christ Jesus, N.D. for New York State and is currently the General Mother. Elder Pauline Williams Griffin is currently a Board Member of the Bank Street College Community Day Care Action Coalition, director of the Church of God in Christ Jesus Day Care Center and executive director of the after school program at P.S. 81 Brooklyn, member of Community Planning Board No. 3, and director of a comprehensive program for youth which includes personal and health counseling. Elder Griffin is directly responsible for the enrollment of 60 students in the program of College for Human Services. Further, she is Vice President of the Movement for Meaningful Involvement in Child Care: she serves as vice President of the United Minorities, Inc., she is a member of the New York State citizens Coalition for Children Inc. and the Chairperson of the Concerned Foster and Adoptive Parents Support Group, Inc. and she belongs to a host of professional organizations. She is married to Elder Clifton Griffin and is blessed with two lovely daughters, two sons and a beautiful granddaughter. Mr. Speaker Elder Pauline Williams Griffin is indeed unique. She is truly a leader in the Church--a herald and teacher of the word of God. She is indeed a remarkable woman who has masterfully and successfully combined this calling-this all encompassing work with community activities, day care tutoring, educating, counseling, wifely, parenting, and other professional responsibilities. I ask that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle join me in paying tribute to this truly remarkable woman.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Perry Lindsay, Sr., Pastor of The Glorious Church of God in Christ, as he celebrates his 80th birthday; and Ms. Mary Elayne Lindsay, as she celebrates her 70th birthday. The church, located on Halsey Street, has a great heritage and a tradition of strong family ties. The members of his church are thankful that Dr. Lindsay survived a serious car accident on September 1, 1999, in Maryland, while driving to the 79th General Assembly of The Glorious Church of God in Christ, being held in Roanoke, Virginia. In this accident, he suffered a mild heart attack, a slight concussion, and several other minor injuries; but is once again able to drive. In addition to his many achievements, Pastor Lindsay is also known as the first successful, African American, owner of a construction company in the state of New York. Mrs. Lindsay is equally well known for her generous spirit and her contributions toward the development of The Glorious Church of God in Christ. I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Mrs. Mary Elayne Lindsay and Dr. Perry Lindsay as they celebrate their birthdays this month.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. William Jefferson of Linden Plaza, in commemoration of his 100th birthday. Mr. Jefferson was born in Columbia, South Carolina on January 2, 1900. At the age of thirteen, after earning his education in Ridgeway, South Carolina, he moved to New Jersey, and through working several odd jobs acquired skills in electrical work, plumbing, and house painting. In 1925 he moved to New York where he worked in these various trades until he found a permanent position with the American Window Shade Company. While at this company, he met and married Mabel Stevens, and through this union was blessed with five daughters. Mr. Jefferson, known to many as a ``Jack of all trades'', devoted his time to his family, neighbors and anyone in the need of assistance. His wife passed away in 1998. Since his retirement in 1977, Mr. Jefferson has enjoyed spending time with and passing wisdom to his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He helped start and on occasion still works at the Neighborhood Garden. He still enjoys discussing candidates, and voting in every election. In his spare time, he continues to play his guitar and keyboard. Please join in celebrating the wonderful life of centenarian, William Jefferson.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce, along with my colleagues, Representatives Tauzin, Dingell, Markey, and Oxley, the Telecommunications Development Fund Improvement Act. This bill will resolve technical deficiencies that are affecting the operation of the Telecommunications Development Fund (TDF), enacted as part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. It will address the following issues: (1) the need to maximize the interest earning potential of all FCC spectrum auction bidders' deposits; and (2) lack of specific language authorizing TDF's participation in government-sponsored capitalization programs. Specifically, this bill: Directs the FCC to place all spectrum auction bidders' deposits in interest-bearing accounts; and Provides explicit instructions that the TDF may participate in the SBA's SBIC program to assist it in generating additional capital. Implementing these two items will effectuate my original intent as the author of the 1996 provision. The TDE provision was intended to maximize the availability of investment capital to entrepreneurs seeking to provide telecommunications services to underserved communities. These technical oversights are depriving the TDF of millions of dollars of additional revenue. Despite numerous obstacles over the last two years, the TDF continues to remain operational. I am pleased to convey that TDF has reviewed over 300 telecommunications business proposals with a staff of less than five people, confined operational overhead expenses to 5.2 percent of its total budget, and recently announced funding for small business entrepreneurs who will provide telecommunications services to undeserved communities. Remedying the technical deficiencies outlined in the previous paragraphs will ensure the continued viability of the TDF. Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my House colleagues to join me in ensuring that the Telecommunications Development Fund is a viable entity in today's ever-evolving telecommunications frontier.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the achievements of Lieutenant Martin Stein, a member of the New York City Police Department. At a time, when police departments around this nation are under attack because of accusations of brutality, wrongful deaths and generally poor community relations, Lt. Stein continues to demonstrate a sense of professionalism and commitment which has made him a credit to law enforcement. He joined the police force in 1981 and has held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility during this time period. With a career that has covered various precincts in Manhattan and Brooklyn, Lieutenant Stein is currently the Special Operations Lieutenant for the 81st precinct. In this capacity, he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the precincts specialized units: Anti- Crime; Street Narcotics; Warrants; Field Training and Community Policing Unit. He also ensures that these units work with the patrol force to respond to the calls and needs of the community. Under Lieutenant Stein's leadership, the 81st Precinct has seen an overall 53% reduction in crime. It is particularly significant that homicides have been reduced by 37% and shootings by 70%. These statistics indicate a real quality of life improvement for my constituents who reside in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn which is served by the 81st precinct. Lieutenant Stein was recently married to his wife, Mary, and has a 14 year old son Peter from a previous marriage. After three years at York College in Queens, he is currently pursuing his Bachelor's degree in the New York State Regents Degree Program. I commend his fine work to the attention of my colleagues.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, as we close out the last Congressional session of the 20th century, I want to recognize the century of achievements by one of Brooklyn's finest residents, Georgianna Turner. A native of St. Anne Parish in Jamaica, she was just a young girl of 18, when she immigrated to the United States with her older sister, Lee, and young niece, Vera around 1915. While she has lived in the U.S. for 84 years, she has been a resident of Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood for 41 years. During these four decades, Mrs. Turner has been an active participant in the life of her community. While the Ft. Greene community was recently described by New York Magazine as undergoing ``a new residential renaissance'', the neighborhood was a different place in the `50's and `60's when Georgianna Turner first moved to South Oxford Street. Many of the brownstones had been converted to rooming houses and flop houses making everyday life quite a challenge. Mrs. Turner and a committed band of neighbors resolved to reclaim the block and worked tirelessly for decades to establish the Ft. Greene neighborhood, and especially South Oxford Street, as one of the premiere blocks in Brooklyn. Working with Mr. Percy Buchannan who was, then, the head of the South Oxford Street Block Association, along with other long term residents like Nancy Johnson, Hazel Slaughter, and William Turner (no relation). Georgianna Turner went from block to block galvanizing community support, exposing drug activity, and vociferously advocating for the changes that would make the neighborhood a better place to live. Mrs. Turner remembers the years when she had to endure repeated vandalism to her home in response to her activism. She risked her life on the line by reporting drug activity. Ever fearless, Georgianna Turner and her cohorts in the South Oxford Street Block Association were not to be stopped. They worked hand-in-hand with local politicians, the police department, the sanitation department, the Board of Health, local churches--especially Queen of All Saints (where she has been a faithful member of 40 years), Lafayette Presbyterian Church--and whoever else would help them clean up the blocks from South Elliott to Clinton Avenue. She especially recalls their concerted effort to ``get rid of the Atlantic Avenue meat market that was the scourge of the neighborhood, get the bums off the street, and get the trash cleaned up''. Before real estate speculators and the Brooklyn Academy of Music was envisioned, the quiet, determined approach of residents like Georgianna Turner paved the way for the real-estate and economic boom that Ft. Greene is experiencing today. Though she never sought fame or fortune for her community activism, Georgianna Turner has received countless accolades for her valiant efforts. Her legacy has been to create a clean, safe, stable community of which she and her colleagues in the South Oxford Street Block Association can be proud. On August 18, 1999, Georgianna Turner celebrated her 100th birthday. I want to salute this ``grand old lady'' as we end the last session of Congress in the 20th century. She leaves Brooklyn with a legacy that will endure long into the next century. I urge my colleagues to join me in acknowledging the splendid work of one of Ft. Greene's finest jewels, Georgianna Turner.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the achievements of Jack A. Brown III. Jack is a native New Yorker who was born and raised on the lower east side of Manhattan. He currently resides, in my district, in the Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn. Jack has had a distinguished seven-year career with the Correctional Services Corporation (CSC). The Corporation is a private company contracted by local, State, and Federal Corrections Department to provide concrete services to the inmate population. As the Vice President of Correctional Services Corporation Community Services Division, Mr. Brown maintains overall responsibility for the day to day operations of the five New York programs. These programs, three for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and two for the New York State Department of Corrections, are designed to provide inmates with the tools necessary to successfully reintegrate back into their prospective communities as self-sufficient, responsible, law abiding citizens. Prior to his employment with CSC, Jack served as an officer in the United States Army's Air Defense Artillery Division for four years. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo with a Bachelor's degree in Human Services, with a concentration in mental health, and Biology. During his academic years, he gained invaluable experience in the field of human services holding positions as Physiatrics Counselor, Chemical Dependency Counselor and Youth Counselor. In December, Jack expects to earn a double Masters degree, an MBA and a Master of Science and Economic Development, from the University of New Hampshire. I wish Jack Brown success in his future endeavors and I commend his achievements to my colleagues' attention.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the achievements of Jack A. Brown III. Jack is a native New Yorker who was born and raised on the lower east side of Manhattan. He currently resides, in my district, in the Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn. Jack has had a distinguished 7-year career with the Correctional Services Corporation (CSC). The Corporation is a private company contracted by local, State and Federal Corrections Department to provide concrete services to the inmate population. As the vice president of Correctional Services Corporation Community Services Division, Mr. Brown maintains overall responsibility for the day to day operations of the five New York programs. These programs, three for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and two for the New York State Department of Corrections, are designed to provide inmates with the tools necessary to successfully reintegrate back into their prospective communities as self-sufficient, responsible, law abiding citizens. Prior to his employment with CSC, Jack served as an officer in the United States Army's Air Defense Artillery Division for 4 years. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo with a Bachelor's degree in Human Services, with a concentration in mental health, and Biology. During his academic years, he gained invaluable experience in the field of human services holding positions as Physiatrics Counselor, Chemical Dependency Counselor and Youth Counselor. In December, Jack expects to earn a double Masters degree, an MBA and a Master of Science and Economic Development, from the University of new Hampshire. I wish Jack Brown success in his future endeavors and I commend his achievements to my colleagues' attention.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the achievements of community activist, Elizabeth McIntosh. Mrs. McIntosh is a native of Aiken, South Carolina. She received her formal education in Jacksonville, Florida and came to New York in 1935, where she was employed in the garment district. Later, she was employed by the New York City Transit Authority and retired from NYCTA after thirty years of service. She is a dedicated and faithful member of Universal Baptist Church, where she serves as a deaconess. Mrs. McIntosh enjoys working with and helping others whenever and wherever she can. She contributes her time to the Stuyvesant Heights Landmark Senior Citizen Center where she is also a member and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of the Community Service Society. For many years, Mrs. McIntosh has made significant contributions to the growth and development of the Unity Democratic Club. Her exemplary leadership and commitment as Chaplain, a member of the Executive Board, The Women's Auxiliary and numerous other committees related to campaign and election activities is an inspiration to the Club. In addition, she is a member of the National Council of Negro Women, The 81st Precinct Community Council, The Good Neighbor Block Association, The Church Women United of Brooklyn and the NAACP. Elizabeth McIntosh has shown courage and determination in whatever task she undertakes. She leaves an indelible impression on everyone she meets. The strong desire to help and a love for humanity keeps Mrs. McIntosh on the move. I commend the accomplishments of Elizabeth McIntosh to the attention of my colleagues.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I was very distressed to see that the Indian rulers are fomenting religious violence again. According to the November 14 issue of The Times of India, ``a group of about 40 persons attacked a Christian gathering outside an Independent Church (neither Catholic nor Protestant) in West Delhi's Khyala area on Saturday evening [the 13th.]'' The newspaper reported that the attack, which injured 12 people, was ``masterminded'' by `suspected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists,' according to the police.'' The BJP is the party that advocates ``Hindu, Hindi, Hindutva, Hindu Rashtra,'' which translates as ``Hindu religion, Hindi language, Hindu culture, Hindu rule.'' A BJP spokesman said that everyone in India should either be Hindu or be subservient to Hinduism. Now, these statements might be insignificant except for the fact that the BJP heads India's governing coalition. So far no one has been arrested in connection with this attack. According to the article, the Christians were conducting an open-air Bible reading in a tent when the tent was stormed by the Hindu militants. The attackers shouted anti-Christian slogans while they tore and burned Christian pamphlets with religious speakers. Mr. Speaker, it is shameful that the party ruling ``the world's largest democracy'' condones and indeed organizes these kinds of attacks on people who are simply practicing their religion. But it is part of a pattern of repression which has been going on for quite some time. In 1997, police broke up a Christian festival with gunfire merely because they were presenting the theme that ``Jesus is the Answer'' and people were allegedly converting. Just a little while ago, a nun was picked up, stripped naked, and threatened by her captors that they would rape her if she did not drink their body wastes. Sister Ruby was frightened by these threats because four nuns have been raped in 1998 and four priests were killed. A BJP affiliate called the Bajrang Dal, a sister organization in the Fascist RSS, organized and carried out the murder by burning of missionary Graham Staines and his two sons who were just 8 and 10 years old. The killers chanted ``Victory to Lord Ram'' while they carried out this grisly murder. They surrounded the jeep where Staines and his sons slept and prevented anyone from helping the family. There has also been a wave of violence against churches, prayer halls, and Christian schools since Christmas. But it is not just the Christians who are being persecuted. In Kashmir, the BJP and its allies destroyed the most revered mosque in the state. In Punjab, Khalistan, the Sikh homeland, the Indian government continues to hold thousands of political prisoners and continues to carry out rapes, extrajudicial killings, and other offenses against their basic human rights. Mr. Speaker, America is the beacon of freedom. We must do whatever we can to bring freedom to everyone. When President Clinton visits India, I urge him to bring up the issues of human rights for the Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, and all the other minorities living under Indian rule. It is time to tell India that they must respect human rights or we will stop their aid from the United States. We should also put the U.S. congress on record for self-determination by calling for a free and fair plebiscite on independence for Khalistan, Kashmir, Nagaland, and all the other countries now under India's artificial rule. It is only by taking these measures that we can spread the blessings of freedom throughout South Asia. Mr. Speaker, I submit the article from The Times of India into the Record for the information of my colleagues. [From the Times of India, Nov. 14, 1999] Mob Attacks Christian Gathering New Delhi.--In the first incident of its kind in Delhi, a group of about 40 persons attacked a Christian gathering outside an Independent Church (meaning neither Catholic nor Protestant) in west Delhi's Khyala area on Saturday evening. At least 12 persons were injured in the attack, allegedly masterminded by ``suspected Bhartiya Janata Party activists,'' according to the police. Though four persons--Radhey Shyam Gupta, Kapila, Charan and Ashok Sharma--have been named in the police FIR, no arrests have been made so far. Area sources said the incident took place at about 8:30 pm in the C-block of a JJ colony in Khyala, near Tilak Nagar, where the group (including some women) stormed a tent where a group of Christians were conducting an open air Bible reading session. A small of group of Christians live in the colony. Sources said the attackers raised anti-Christians slogans, tore and burnt pamphlets with religious scriptures. A couple of Bibles and a Holy Cross were also reportedly damaged in the attack. The group then had a scuffle with scores of people present in the tent which led to the injuries, the sources said. Senior Delhi Police officers confirmed the attack but denied any Bible was torn or burnt by the mob. They also denied that a Holy Cross was damaged. ``Initial investigations have revealed that the mob, which may have had some BJP activists, disrupted the Bible reading session and then attacked the gathering. But all the injuries sustained in the attack are minor,'' joint police commissioner (southern range) Amod Kanth said. He also said the attackers tore and burnt several pamphlets which contained passages in praise of Jesus. ``But I have personally spoken to the pastor who was conducting the proceedings and he has denied any cross being damaged or Bible being burnt by the attackers,'' Mr. Kanth added. Local sources said the Bible reading sessions were being conducted at this Independent church for several years, and as a continuation, a pastor, Father S. John had arrived in the area on Friday from Hosangipur in southwest Delhi. Mr. Kanth also said the police had established that the attackers did not belong to the Tilak Nagar area and had come from some other areas. ``It was clearly an unprovoked attack and all of them would be arrested,'' Mr. Kanth said. He said the police had registered a case of rioting and of disturbing religious assembly in this connection but no arrests had been made so far. Officers said the west district police had rushed in reinforcements in the Khyala area to prevent any ``further untoward'' incidents, even though there was no tension in the area.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge the great accomplishments of Victoria Delgado. As the Director of Bilingual/Multicultural Programs for Community School District 32, Vicky, as she is affectionately known, is one of New York City's education veterans. She led the charge on behalf of bilingual education and contributed to nurturing and developing new teachers and supervisors through her teachings, coaching and mentoring. Vicky has made her mark on New York City as an effective and committed proponent and advocate for quality bilingual instruction, equal access and opportunity. Vicky is no retiring from the New York City Board of Education. She will be forever known for her contributions to the education of children with limited English proficiency. I want to offer my congratulations and best wishes to Vicky on her retirement.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, India frequently boasts about its democratic institutions, so the world pays little attention to the abuses of human rights that go on there. Yet it has recently come out that there are thousands of political prisoners being held in ``the world's largest democracy.'' These political prisoners are being held in illegal detention for their political opinions. Some have been held without charge or trial for 15 years. One known case is an 80-year-old man. Yes, India is holding an 80-year-old man in illegal detention for his political opinions. What have these Sikhs done? They have spoken out for freedom for their people and an end to the violence against their people. They have spoken out against the repression and tyranny that have killed 250,000 Sikhs since 1984. In India, this is apparently a crime. Other minority nations have also seen substantial numbers of their members taken as political prisoners by the democratic government of India. In addition, the Indian government has murdered over 200,000 Christians in Nagaland since 1947. Tens of thousands of people in Manipur, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and other areas have also died at the hands of the Indian government. Mr. Speaker, why should the people of the United States support a government like this? The answer is that they shouldn't. Yet India remains one of the largest recipients of U.S. aid. That aid should be ended, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps then India will understand that it must respect human rights. We should also make clear our strong support for the movement of self-determination for the minority peoples and nations of South Asia, such as the Sikh homeland of Punjab, Khalistan; the heavily-Muslim Kashmir; and Christian-majority Nagaland. Only by conducting a free and fair vote can real freedom come to the peoples and nations of South Asia. I call on the President to press these important issues when he visits India next year. This is the only way to bring real stability, peace, freedom, and dignity to South Asia.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Edouard Joseph Hazel, an international leader in medicine. Edouard Joseph Hazel was born on November 10, 1951, in Port-au- Prince, Haiti, the third largest Caribbean country. Dr. Hazel went to private schools and joined the School of Medicine of the State University of Haiti. He graduated in 1975, and moved to the United States where he obtained his Board Certification in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease. Dr. Hazel is currently the Acting Chief of the Department of Medicine of Coler Hospital, where he was instrumental in establishing the first long-term program for patients infected with the HIV virus. In spite of his busy schedule with this municipal hospital, Dr. Hazel is also completing a term as the President of the New York State Chapter of the Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad, and is the current general secretary for the national committee of this organization of some 2,000 American physicians. Dr. Hazel is at the forefront of the movement that ultimately defeated discriminatory policies and practices of the FDA and the CDC against Haitian Americans who were singled out as the carriers of the HIV virus. During his tenure, he visited the U.S. Base of Guantanamo, Cuba, where HIV-infected Haitian refugees were held and helped articulate the legal argument to ensure that this group received appropriate medical care. He was also one of the first scientists who recognized the danger that the HIV virus could represent for people of color all over the world. Dr. Hazel also understands the importance of coalition building and works closely with numerous organizations such as the Hispanic American Physician Association, the Providence Society, the local chapter of the National Medical Association, and the Caribbean Health Association, to name a few. Dr. Hazel is also the current Director of the Visiting Physician Program of the Health and Hospital Corporation at Coler Goldwater Hospital, a program that has provided extensive training in the diagnosis and the management of transmissible diseases to physicians practicing in the Dominican Republic. Fully aware of the changes taking place in the health care industry, Dr. Hazel has been vehemently working to increase the participation of minority professionals in shaping a better health care system. Mr. Speaker, I would like you and my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to join me in honoring Dr. Edouard Joseph Hazel.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, on October 28, the New York Post ran an excellent article by Rod Dreher exposing the tyranny of what he called ``Hindu brownshirts'' who run India. He notes that the Pope is heading to India soon and wonders if the Pope and his entourage will be safe in the face of this religious violence. Dreher wrote that ``a small but violent faction of Hindu fundamentalists aligned with the Hindu nationalist government have been conducting an organized campaign against the Pope as part of a concerted effort to demonize and persecute the country's tiny Christian minority.'' In the article, Dreher states that there were 108 cases of beatings, stonings, church burnings, looting of religious schools, and other attacks on Christians. Freedom House, a widely respected human-rights monitoring organization, reports that there have been more incidents of violence against Indian Christians in the past year than in the previous 50 years, even though Christians make up just 3 percent of India's population. Missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons were burned to death in their Jeeps by a Hindu mob affiliated with the ruling party. The Hindu militants surrounded the jeep and chanted ``Victory to Lord Ram.'' Last month, Hindu fundamentalists kidnapped a nun named Sister Ruby and forced her to drink their body fluids. These are only two of so many incidents that I have lost count. There have been cases of forcible reconversion to Hinduism along with the violent incidents against Christians and Christian institutions. Many of us have been standing here discussing this, yet it continues to go on in a country that continues to proclaim itself democratic. It is not just the Christians. The persecution of Sikhs and Muslims has been well documented in this body time and time again. India has killed over 200,000 Christians since independence, and it has also murdered over 250,000 Sikhs, more than 65,000 Muslims, and tens of thousands of others. The highest shrines of India's Sikh and Muslim communities have been attacked by the Indian government. It is clear that there is no religious freedom in ``democratic'' India. How can we be upset about China's persecution of Falun Gong and turn our heads when India practices oppression on Christians, Sikhs, Muslims, and others? It is our responsibility as the leader of the Free World to help ensure freedom for everyone on the planet. We must subject India to the same penalties we impose on any other country that violates religious freedom. We should stop our aid to India until it respects basic human rights, including religious freedom. We should put the Congress on record in support of self-determination for all the minority nations that India is victimizing. Finally, I call on President Clinton to stress these human rights and self determination issues when he visits India early next year. Mr. Speaker, I would like to put Mr. Dreher's article into the Record for the information of my colleagues. Pope's Passage to India May Be Most Perilous Yet [From the New York Post, Oct. 28, 1999] (By Fred Dreher) Will Pope John Paul II be safe in India? There is more reason to worry for the pontiff's welfare as he visits the world's largest democracy next week than there was when he went to communist Poland under martial law. That's because a small but violent faction of Hindu fundamentalists aligned with the Hindu nationalist government have been conducting an organized campaign against the pope as part of a concerted effort to demonize and persecute the country's tiny Christian minority. The government promises to protect the Holy Father from coalition fanatics. But while John Paul can rely on state security, his Catholic followers and Protestant brethren remain at the mercy of Hindu brownshirts. These thugs have carried out vicious attacks on Christians since a coalition led by the hard-line Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power two years ago. Freedom House, the Washington-based human-rights organization, says there have been more recorded incidents of violence against India's Christian minority in the past year than in the previous half-century. The most shocking incident took place in January, when Hindu thugs burned alive Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two little boys. That was far from a isolated incident. In 1998, the Catholic Bishop's Conference in India reported 108 cases of beatings, stonings, church burnings, looting of religious schools and institutions, and other attacks on Catholics and evangelicals. It has been just as bad this year. Just last month, a Catholic priest working in the same territory as the Staines family was murdered while saying Mass for converts, his heart pierced by a poison-tipped arrow. Why the attacks? Hindu nationalist leaders, particularly those associated with the BJP-allied World Hindu Congress (VHP), claim Christians are on ``conversion overdrive.'' This is preposterous. Despite being present in India for almost 2,000 years, and educating hundreds of millions of Indian children, Christianity claims the allegiance of less than 3 percent of the country's people. Even in Orissa state, site of the worst anti-Christian violence, fewer than 500 conversions occur each year. Still, Hindu nationalists continue to make wild-eyed assertions, such as VHP leader Mohan Joshi's recent statement that missionary homes run by Mother Teresa's order were ``nothing but conversion centers.'' Not true, but if it were, so what? We know perfectly well what would have become of the diseased and the destitute had Mother Teresa's nuns not rescued them from the street: They would have been left to die in the gutter condemned by a culture that decrees these lowborn souls deserve their fate. ``What has the VHP done to better the life of the low castes? The answer is nothing,'' says Freedom House investigator Joseph Assad. ``When I was in India, I talked to one Christian who was forcibly reconverted to Hinduism. He told me when no one cared for us, Christians came and gave us food, gave us shelter and gave us medicine.'' An Indian Protestant activist who lives in New Jersey told me BJP rule has meant open season on followers of Christ. ``The last two years have been unprecedented,'' the man says. ``They have burned chuches down, raped nuns, killed people. We complain to the government, but they look the other way.'' The Hindu militants certainly do not represent the sentiments of all Hindus. But these thugs have the tacit support and protection of the ruling BJP. Indeed, the BJP Web site condemns ``Semitic monotheism''--Judaism, Christianity and Islam--for ``bringing intolerance to India.'' This is what is known to professional propagandists as the Big Lie. No wonder Hindu hard-liners confidently pillage Christian communities. How many more Hindu-led atrocities will Christians and others suffer before Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee calls off the nationalist dogs? Will it take a physical assault on the Holy Father for the world to wake up to the kind of place Gandhi's great nation has become.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit for the Record the attached articles, ``One Commission To Be Proud of'' and ``The Effect of the U.S. Embargo on Cuban Health Care in Cuba'', in the Congressional Record. Mr. Speaker, ever since its creation in the wake of the 1959 Cuban Revolution, the Inter-American System for the Protection of Human Rights has played an extraordinary role in promoting justice on the continent. The Commission and the Court have consistently furthered this country's authentic national interests by helping oppressed populations defend themselves against dictatorships and by working for the establishment of democratic norms. However, this institution finds itself at a critical juncture and needs political support. Human rights crimes are sill being perpetrated throughout the hemisphere, yet the chronic under-funding of these OAS bodies threatens their effectiveness. Furthermore, Peru's recent withdrawal from the jurisdiction of the Court deserves maximum condemnation and should not be allowed to set a precedent for those governments hoping to escape accountability. The United States should lead by example and finally ratify the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights and accept the jurisdiction of the Court. The following research memorandum was authored by Eric Angles, a Research Fellow with the Washington-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA). This timely and trenchant article gives credit to the Inter-American System for its accomplishments, and emphasizes how pivotal U.S. backing is to its success. One Commission To Be Proud Of (By Eric Angles, Research Fellow, council on Hemispheric Affairs) Pinochet and Milosevic indicted for their crimes; a ``just war'' waged in the Balkans at heavy political, diplomatic and military risk; the human rights debate has clearly shifted gears. Gone is the era when egregious patterns of abuses remained concealed behind sacrosanct national borders, or neatly rhetoricized away by Cold War realpolitik. At last public indignation is being heeded. This is a very positive sign, with much credit being owed to intrepid journalists and relentless human rights promoters, those good men and women in gray. But plaudits--a great deal of them--must also go to a more discrete actor, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Ironically, since its founding in 1959 by the Organization of American States, some of its backers have belonged among the world's most flagrant offenders; and the Commission has certainly had to struggle for a measure of independence. Early on, periodic in loco visits to human rights Gethsemane and hard-hitting country reports proved effective in at least publicizing the cruelties of barbarous regimes. Scores of lives were doubtlessly saved during the junta years owing to the boldness of these investigative missions. But new and impressive accomplishments in the 1990s have since firmly entrenched the crucial role of the Commission and its judicial arm, the Inter-American Court, in promoting justice throughout the Americas. Most far-reaching is a mechanism whereby individuals deprived of their rights can lodge a petition. Public hearings are then held and embarrassing rulings often rendered. Over twelve thousand cases have been considered since 1965, primarily involving killings, torture and ``disappearances''. More complex issues are not increasingly addressed, such as the rights of women and indigenous populations. Not only have wrongs been condemned and at least partly redressed; Commission and Court decisions have set invaluable standards for use by other international human rights bodies under the United Nations, European and African systems. Just as tellingly perhaps, recalcitrant states now defend themselves with unprecedented ferocity when chastised by a jurisdiction which, after all, they once opted into. In the early years, offenders largely ignored unfavorable findings. By contrast, a fulminating President Fujimori found it necessary to withdraw Peru from the Court's competence rather than face additional rulings against the country's summary military trials--one of whose victims was young U.S. national Lori Berenson, sentenced for life in 1996 without even a shred of due process. Fujimori's outrageous move will only serve to isolate Peru, and to little avail since Commission proceedings cannot be blocked short of renouncing OAS membership. Simply put, avoidance strategies are fast running out for renegade leaders. The Inter-American system's effectiveness derives at least in part from heightened political support since the end of the Cold War. But if basic principles of justice are being enforced and not merely exalted, above all it is due to the efforts and persistence of the Commission. Ambiguously comprised of legal experts nominated by governments, it could easily have remained the typical OAS cipher. Yet skillful navigation by a deft leadership and expert staff has admirably defied the odds. ``Quasi-judicial'' prerogatives provide it with a uniquely effective blend of political initiative--most notably the power to throw the spotlight on a selected issue or country--and the authority to set legal precedent. At the same time, the Commission has displayed an even-handedness that has done wonders for its credibility: a case in point was the 1999 report on Columbia detailing wrongdoings both by government and guerrilla forces. Commission and Court practice also has shown remarkable boldness and creativity. The landmark 1988 Velazquez Rodriguez judgment against Honduras laid out key legal definitions in such a way as to limit procedural escape routes for guilty parties. Other international norms like the humanitarian conventions of Geneva are also commonly invoked when necessary. In no small measure, this is contributing to the slow rise of universal accountability for governments who pull out the nails of their own citizens. Curiously, these hard-won accomplishments have remained mostly uncelebrated, especially in the U.S., which does not recognize the Court and all but ignores adverse determinations by the Commission. Aren't we too quick to take for granted justice enforced on behalf of our countrymen, such as Matthew Blake, murdered by agents of the Guatemalan state in the early 1980s? There is no question that when provided U.S. backing will be pivotal if full-fledged judicial mechanisms are one day to emerge for the regional and global protection of human rights. Congress' antiquated aversion to international adjudication sits oddly indeed alongside the lofty foreign policy goals articulated by Capitol Hill leaders and Presidents alike. Success is rarely self-perpetuating. At under three million dollars a year the Commission is absurdly under-funded in the light of its expanding mission. Worse still, a group of disgruntled OAS states very nearly managed to brush back much of its power two years ago, thwarted only by the timely mobilization of concerned private groups. With malefactor states and Fujimori-like leaders waiting to bushwhack it at every corner, public support remains crucial to the furtherance of the Commission's outstanding work into the next century. Mr. Speaker, legislation such as the 1992 Cuban Democracy Act (CDA) and the 1996 Helms-Burton Act have tightened the U.S. embargo against Cuba to the point that has it negatively effected the health of Cuban civilians and has profoundly damaged the country's revolutionary health care system and medical research institutes. Current U.S. policy towards Cuba severely restricts the export of medicine, the medical supplies and technology to the island by demanding a political test which it is anticipated that Cuban authorities will continue to reject. The Warner-Dodd bill in the Senate and the Freedom to Market Act in the House would reevaluate the embargo and remove restrictions on the sale of grain, medicine and medical supplies to Cuba. These measures were initiated partially in response to numerous studies reporting that the health of Cuban citizens has deteriorated greatly, and hospitals are in dire need of supplies due to the embargo. The following research memorandum was authorized by David Roberts, a Research Associate with the Washington-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA). It represents an elaborated version of an article recently published in COHA's biweekly publication, the Washington Report on the Hemisphere. This timely and pertinent article investigates the effect that U.S. policy has had on the Cuban health care system and the well-being of the Cuban populace. The Effect of the U.S. Embargo on Cuban Health Care (By David Roberts, Research Associate, Council on Hemispheric Affairs) Senators John Warner (R-VA) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) have reintroduced a bill designed to remove restrictions on the sale of grain, medicine and medical supplies to Cuba. The U.S. embargo currently prohibits all trade with the island including restrictions on humanitarian aid such as medicine and food. Cuba is now the only nation worldwide denied access to medical supplies as part of a U.S. embargo. The Warner- Dodd bill and its sister measure in the House, the Freedom to Market Act (HR 212), were initiated this year in order to alleviate the suffering caused by the embargo against Cuban civilians that has been in place for nearly 40 years. Since 1959, the U.S. government has unsuccessfully tried to unseat Castro by any means ranging from economic sanctions to assassination attempts. In recent years, Washington has increased pressure on Castro, enacting legislation such as the 1992 Cuban Democracy Act (CDA) and the 1996 Helms-Burton measure, whose net result has been to impede the exportation of medicines and medical technology to Cuba. These regulations have discouraged the transfer of health care resources through purposely restrictive licensing procedures and denying U.S. visas to, and even suing, executives of foreign companies found to be trading with the island. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the Eastern bloc, Cuba's principal benefactors, exacerbated the damaging effects of U.S. sanctions. As a result, health conditions in Cuba have deteriorated significantly. Prior to the Warner-Dodd bill, the Dodd-Torres legislation in 1998 was introduced which was aimed at removing the provision of food and medicine from the U.S. sanctions list. The act lost its viability when Senate amendments emasculated the measure, turning the proposed bill into a vehicle for that would make matters worse for Cuba. Hostile riders to the bill permitted sanctions against ``terrorist'' nations that deny access to food, medicine or medical care as a means of coercion or punishment of a segment of the local populace, effectively invalidating the intentions of the bill's sponsors. Although Cuba has faced international pressure over its flagging human rights record, Havana officials maintain in return that the U.S. embargo has inflicted far more grievous rights violations against Cubans. Critics of the embargo condemn its hypocritical nature because it denies Cuba access to food and medicine as a form of coercion, while the U.S. simultaneously chastises Havana for not providing the population with these essential products. Although the Clinton administration recently ended similar policies against Iran, Libya and Sudan, arguing that ``food should not be used as a foreign policy tool,'' the administration maintains a much more severe embargo including both food and medical supplies against Cuba. A History of guaranteed health care Obsessed with eliminating ``human, social and economic underdevelopment,'' Castro revolutionized the country's medical system in 1959, introducing comprehensive free health care for all Cubans. For several decades this system was considered a model for other Third World nations. The country's constitution guarantees citizens the right to free medical treatment and preventive care. The health delivery system focuses on women's health, providing programs for the early detection of breast and cervical cancer, prenatal care, and free child immunization. Previously, when medicines were available, state pharmacies filled prescriptions for free as well as formulated vaccines which were supplied by the bustling domestic drug manufacturing industry. Cuba's progressive health care policy propelled the country's successful and internationally acclaimed biotechnology and pharmacology export industries. The island's 11 ``world class'' research institutions made impressive advances, some of which were greatly respected by the international medical community. These institutes have been credited with developing innovative medical breakthroughs including vaccines for hepatitis-B and meningitis-B. In fact, Cuba is the sole producer of a vaccine for meningitis-B that has been proven to reduce the incidence of the disease by 93%. The institute also developed a surgical cure for retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disorder that may lead to blindness or tunnel vision. long-term effects on the embargo While Cuban authorities maintain their resolve to provide the populace with greatly needed medical care, highly qualified doctors still face long lines of patients with only antiquated technology to treat them. Even the medicines produced by the pharmacology industry are difficult to obtain because imports of their components have been restricted by the blockade. Despite the previous successes posted by the pharmacology industry, island drug store shelves are now empty. Although recent changes have allowed for some medical sales to Cuba, each transaction must receive prior approval from the U.S. Treasury Department in order to insure that the sale will not benefit the Cuban government and that such supplies will only be handled by independent and non- governmental agencies. Currently, only one U.S. company has sought license to sell medical goods to Cuba. A study by the American Association for World Health found that Cuban hospitals are in dire need of basic medical supplies as a result of U.S. policies. This is partially due to the fact that the government-run health care system serves the impoverished sector of the population, which cannot otherwise purchase medicine, while other hospitals serving wealthier Cubans and foreigners reap the benefits of this minor relaxation of the embargo. The only relief for the average Cuban citizen comes on the daily charter flight from Miami that brings donations from individuals and aid from the few Catholic humanitarian agencies authorized to operate on the island. The U.S. embargo and the tempo with which it is being administered is indisputably hurting the majority of Cubans. Critics of the status quo maintain that lifting sanctions and following a policy of constructive engagement would be of great benefit to the general population. Several U.S. legislators recently have traveled to Cuba, indicating a need for more non-political relations with the island. ``Cuban can benefit from the research of the National Institutes of Health and we can benefit from the research (the Cubans) are doing on meningitis-B,'' said Sen. Arlene Specter (R-PA) following a recent visit to the island. Although the Warner-Dodd bill and HR 212 are meant to transcend party lines, it will be difficult to advance such creative thinking in either the House or the Senate due to the opposition of such powerful and unregenerate Cuba-bashers as Senate Foreign Relations Chairman, Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) and Florida's Cuban-American lobby.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of Dick G. Lam, Jr. He has been instrumental in developing and implementing economic and academic development programs. Dick remains committed to improving the quality of life in his community. Presently, Dick is the President of Operation Salvation for Youth (OSY). As the president, he directs a Brooklyn based organization devoted to helping youth gain digital literacy and access to new technology. In the program, special emphasis is placed on welfare mothers who have young children. The OSY is currently working with the New York City Housing Authority, the Miracle Makers, Inc., and several private firms on the development of a new project. Dick's work continues to provide a foundation for social progress. As a Senior Fellow for the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning at Hunter College, he worked to develop a Spatial Analysis Management System to analyze a range of urban problems, including transportation, housing and welfare to work issues. Dick also holds advisory positions as the Senior U.S. Consultant to the Tianjin Municipal Utility Bureau, The Peoples Republic of China and the Senior U.S. Consultant to the All China Taxi Association, The Peoples Republic of China. Our community is a better place today because Dick has chosen to commit himself to urban renewal and development. Dick has accomplished his objectives by working in key positions such as: Director of the Mayor's Office of Midtown Manhattan Planning and Development, New York City, Director of Transportation and Regional Planning, New York City Planning Commission, and Special Assistant to the Deputy Under Secretary, United States Department of Transportation. Our society is a better place today because of the contributions made by Dick. I commend Dick G. Lam, Jr. and pray that he will succeed in all future endeavors.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of Peggy Rodgers. Peggy is a community activist who has dedicated her time to assisting people in need. As a volunteer in State Senator John Sampson's office, she focuses on helping senior citizens and homeless people. She diligently works on finding adequate housing for senior citizens and the homeless. Peggy is a hard working model citizen. After graduating from Canarsie High School, she went on to attend Brooklyn College. At Brooklyn College, Peggy recognized her interest in business, and, as a result, she decided to pursue an education at the Robert Finance Business Institute, where she received a certificate in Business Management. Upon completion of her studies, Peggy worked at Merrill Lynch Brokerage Firm in Accounts Receivable. The commitment and drive exhibited by Peggy continues to greatly benefit our community. She understands that one must remain politically active in order to bring about improvements in our society. She has been out in the trenches struggling to ensure that competent, qualified, and concerned people hold the elected positions in her community. She continues to function as an active member of the Breukelen Tenants Association. In describing Peggy, I would have to use the words, motivated, cooperative, and charitable. The needs of other people are paramount to Peggy. I commend Peggy Rodgers and pray that she will succeed in all future endeavors.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of Sam Gubodia. Sam, a native of Nigeria, has dedicated his life to the academic and economic empowerment of our community. He strives to improve the quality of life for African Americans and the African World. Our society needs more educators and business leaders like Sam because he has helped to rebuild our community. Sam has utilized his knowledge and skills to make positive changes in the African American community. Before and after completing his doctorate degree in International Finance, Sam has worked diligently to uplift African American and African World people. Upon arriving in the United States, Sam embarked on a promising academic and career path. He worked as a Consular Assistant at the Nigerian Consulate General. As a student at Stony Brook, Sam held many notable positions: for example, he was President, African Students Organization (1977-1979), and he organized several clothing drives for the people of South Africa and Zimbabwe, and he served a President of the Third World Graduate Students Organization (1980). While attending graduate school at Stony Brook, Sam realized that he would be a great service to his community if he pursued an academic profession, and from there he began to work as an educator. Sam has held many positions as an educator: He taught at Bendel State University, The University of Benin, Stony Brook, and The College of New Rochelle. Currently, Dr. Gubodia is an exemplary Grade Leader- Advisor for the Honors Economic Program at Boys and Girls High School. The lives of many people have been enriched because of Sam, and our community appreciates the important role that he has played as an educator. Sam is also a published scholar, and we appreciate his innovative ideas on economic development. I commend Sam Gubodia and pray that he will succeed in all future endeavors.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the conference report on the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Modernization Act of 1999. For the first time in more than two decades, Congress, the Administration, financial regulators, and all sectors of the financial services industry have reached a consensus on legislation to modernize the financial marketplace. For far too long, our nation's financial services firms have labored under outdated banking laws that have impaired their global competitiveness, limited the range of services that consumers can obtain from one financial institution, and driven up costs. With the passage of this conference report, consumers and investors will be able to choose from a wider array of products and services offered in a more competitive marketplace. Securities firms, insurance companies, and banks will be able to freely affiliate with each other through a holding company. Each subsidiary financial institution within the holding company will be functionally regulated, thereby ensuring tough, consistent investor protections and fair competition. Consumers--who will save an estimated $15 billion over three years-- will be the beneficiaries of one-stop shopping to meet a broad range of financial needs, from checking and savings accounts to mortgages and financial planning. The increased competition will also give underserved communities, entrepreneurs, and small business owners expanded access to a full range of financial services. Equally important, the conference report incorporates an historic agreement maintaining the obligation of insured financial institutions to meet the requirements of the Community Reinvestment Act to serve the credit needs of low- and moderate-income residents of their community. It also provides consumers with the most extensive safeguards yet enacted to protect the privacy of their financial information. Passage of this legislation is vital to maintaining the preeminent status of the U.S. financial services industry in the global economy. Banks, securities firms, and insurance companies will now be able to compete with overseas financial juggernauts that have not been constrained by U.S. regulation. And New York, as the world's leading financial center, is well positioned to compete in the arena for global business as foreign banks and securities firms seek to establish or expand their U.S. operations. With its concentration of financial services organizations, New York's economy stands to benefit tremendously from passage of this legislation. A vigorous, healthy, competitive financial services sector means more jobs, higher real earnings growth, and more tax revenues. Indeed, the finance sector accounted for half of the $2.7 billion growth in personal income, general corporation, and unincorporated business taxes between 1992 and 1998. Madam Speaker, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Modernization Act of 1999 is a great step forward in improving our nation's financial services system for the benefit of investors, consumers, community groups, financial services providers, and our nation's economy. I strongly support passage of the conference report on S. 900.