Ed Towns

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the achievements of Dr. Eugene Stanislaus. Dr. Stanislaus was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He received his B.A. in Biology from New York University in 1980. He received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the State University of Stony Brook, School of Dental Medicine in 1984. After dental school he completed a one year general practice dental residency program at The Long Island College Hospital, Department of Dentistry. Upon completion of his residency, he joined the practice of his father Dr. Lamuel Stanislaus where he has practiced for the past 14 years. Presently he is an attending dentist at The Long Island College Hospital, Department of Dentistry. Some of his professional affiliations include memberships in the American Dental Association, the Second District Dental Society, the Academy of General Dentistry and the International Congress of Oral Implantology at the University of Pittsburgh for a 1-year course in the surgical replacement of dental implants. Several times each year he visits public and private schools to speak to the students about dental health issues and to encourage them to consider a career in dentistry. He also participates in several community and church sponsored health fairs each year. Dr. Stanislaus has been married for 13 years to his wife Koren. They have two children, Travis and Jeanine. During his free time he coaches Little League Baseball and he is an assistant Cub Scout leader at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. He is an Eucharistic minister at St. Vincent Ferrer Church and he is a former lector at St. Francis of Assisi Church. I want to commend Dr. Stanislaus for his outstanding commitment to his community, and hope that he is able to continue such valuable work for many years to come.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Salvatore ``Buddy'' Scotto, son of Pasquale and Rose Scotto, who was born on October 1, 1928, and was raised in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, New York. He attended Sacred Heart & St. Stephens Grade School, Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School, and St. Francis College, where he graduated in 1953 with a Bachelors of Arts degree. In August of 1959, his National Guard unit was activated and sent to Korea. In April of 1951, he was sent on to the Guided Missile School at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma and received a commission. Buddy served three years of active duty and eight years of active reserve. He retired from the military in 1963 as a Captain. As a seasoned U.S. veteran, he immediately became involved in the community. In 1964, Buddy was asked to head the Carroll Gardens Association. During his tenure, thousands of dollars was collected from landlords and tenants to revitalize the neighborhood and to improve the quality of life for all. Through his efforts, Carroll Gardens has become a model for local development. Later, in 1968, Buddy helped establish CIAO and provided assistance to securing funding for day care and senior citizen facilities. The Court Street Day Care Center at 292 Court Street, and the Eileen Dugan Senior Center, to name a few, were among the organizations to receive vital funding. Through Buddy's dedication to improving Brooklyn and its surrounding boroughs, he was also a founding member of several organizations such as the Gowanus Canal Development Corporation and the New York City Partnership. These organizations had made tremendous strides towards developing affordable housing, local employment, and providing other vital community resources. As further testament to his unwavering commitment to the community, Buddy spearheaded the formation of the Cowanus Expressway Community Coalition. Recently, the Coalition secured $18 million from Congress to seriously investigate the viability of a tunnel replacing the elevated Gowanus Expressway. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Buddy Scotto, a jewel in Brooklyn's illustrious crown.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. John L. Sampson, a new and welcome addition to the New York State Senate. Mr. Sampson was elected to the New York State Senate in 1996, representing the 19th Senatorial District which encompasses Canarsie, Starrett of Spring Creek, East Flatbush, parts of Brownsville, Crown Heights, and East New York. He resides in Canarsie, Brooklyn with his wife Crystal, an experienced manager at Arthur Anderson, LLP., and their daughter Kyra. Born to American and Guyanese parents on June 17, 1965, in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, John Llewllyn Sampson moved to Brownsville/East Flatbush, Brooklyn with his family at the age of two. Mr. Sampson grew up in the Brownsville/East Flatbush section of Brooklyn and attended New York City Public Schools, graduating from Tilden High School in Brooklyn. After graduating from Tilden High School in 1983, Mr. Sampson attended Brooklyn College and graduated in 1987. While in college, he was employed as a paralegal for the Corporation Counsel of the City of New York. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, Mr. Sampson worked for Proskauer Rose Goetz & Mendelsohn as a Litigation Assistant. In 1988, he entered Albany Law School. During his studies there, he worked with the Department of Environmental Conservation until his graduation in 1991. In April 1992, Mr. Sampson was admitted to the New York Bar, at which time he became a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society of New York, repesenting clients in Real Estate, Criminal and Election matters. Mr. Sampson has been an active participant in community affairs, conducting free legal clinics and representing candidates in election matters before the New York Supreme Court. Mr. Sampson is a member of several political organizations including the Rosetta Gaston Democratic Club, the New Era Community Democratic Club, the Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club and the New Era PAC. Mr. Speaker, I would like you and my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to join me in honoring Mr. John L. Sampson.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, Joni Yoswein is President of Yoswein New York, Inc. (YNY), a government affairs and public relations firm based in New York City. Representing a range of clients that includes health care providers, educational institutions, community based organizations, trade groups, labor unions, Yoswein New York has become one of the fastest growing public policy and government relations firms in New York State. Ms. Yoswein founded YNY in 1994. The firm quickly developed a reputation as a tireless governmental advocate for its clients, successfully representing many Brooklyn institutions. Until 1992 Joni Yoswein served as a member of the New York State Assembly from Brooklyn's 44th Assembly District, joining the ranks of only several dozen women ever elected to legislative office in New York. During her tenure as an Assembly member she was instrumental in securing additional funding for the Higher Education Applied Technology Program, and for New York City's recycling programs. She was also a leader on voter access issues, initiatives focused on displaced homemakers, and on funding for New York City's infrastructure. Immediately prior to forming YNY in 1994, she was a Deputy Commissioner for the City of New York Department of Aging. Joni Yoswein's career in State government began when she became a legislative representative for Brooklyn Assembly Member Mel Miller. She worked in the legislature for 14 years, becoming Director of Operations for the Assembly, responsible for its 2,000 employees statewide. At the time, Ms. Yoswein was the highest ranking woman on the Speaker's staff. She was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1984 and 1988, and Democratic District leader and State Committee member for 10 years. Ms. Yoswein is a graduate of the State University at Albany. She is married to Glenn C. Van Bramer, and resides in Brooklyn. I want to commend her dedicated service to both her government and community, and for being a role model for all women to follow.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Chairman, let me say that, first of all, the argument is the Committee on Rules. My colleagues point to the fact that the Committee on Rules did it again. That is what they are really saying. But I do not think that my colleagues should forget about what we are dealing with here. We are talking about two things, domestic violence and redomestication. I think that these issues are very, very important. Also, I want to talk about the fact that insurance, the last time I heard, was under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Commerce. I mean, unless something changed over the last 24 hours, the Committee on Commerce had jurisdiction over insurance. So, therefore, I think that the Committee on Commerce here really has a lot to say about this issue. I think that the other thing that I would like to just sort of talk about, mutual insurance companies would be placed at a severe disadvantage in terms of raising capital. I think that capital is very, very important. This amendment corrects that. I think that we need to make certain that that is done. I think that is important that we do that. Let me say to my colleagues that I think this is a good amendment, and I urge support of it.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Chairman, I would like to begin by applauding the leadership on both sides of the aisle in terms of the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Bliley), the chairman of the committee, and, of course, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials, and, of course, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the ranking member on the Democratic side for all their hard work. A lot of work and time and effort has gone into this, a lot of hearings and all of that. But I come today to say that I am concerned. First, I am concerned about the privacy issue. I am very concerned about that. I am also concerned about the behavior of the Committee on Rules. I think that we want to be open and want to have the democratic process, but when the Committee on Rules just makes decisions to drop out things just because they have the ability to drop them out, without having a discussion on them, I think that it does not serve this body well. It does not serve the American people well. I am hoping that the Committee on Rules will take another look at that and not continue to behave in that fashion. This is not a perfect bill, but it is a step in the right direction. I think that it will make us internationally competitive, which we need to do. The time has come when we need to stop vacillating and to begin to do the right thing, as my constituent Spike Lee says in Brooklyn. I am very happy that at least the CRA provision, in terms of the fact Community Reinvestment Act is very important, that they had the common sense and good sense to leave that in there. They did not eliminate that. I want to applaud the Committee on Rules for that because, I will be honest with my colleagues, any bill that does not have the Community Reinvestment Act in a strong way in it, I could not vote for it in any way. So I am happy that at least that part is there. But to conclude, let me say that I am hoping that some of the problems that still exists with this legislation that we will correct it in conference.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the rich and full life of Susie Mushatt Jones as she celebrates her 100th birthday on July 6, 1999. Mrs. Jones is from the first generation of African- Americans after the abolition of slavery. In the life of Mrs. Jones, she had the opportunity to witness many pivotal events in history. She is a source of history that we need in our community. The experiences of Mrs. Jones can help us better understand the world we live in. She has experienced the great depression, two world wars, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's, and many more historical events. She has helped to build the foundation of our community. Mrs. Jones has positively influenced the lives of family and friends from her advice and assistance. The life of Mrs. Jones must be acknowledged because she has advice on how to live a full and long life. Seniors, such as Mrs. Jones, act as pillars in our community. People in our community need to follow in her ``foot steps'' because Mrs. Jones has accomplished something that many people dream of achieving. The resounding strength of Mrs. Jones will continue to permeate in the lives of the people that surround her. We pray that God will continue to bless Mrs. Jones.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Reverend Dr. Clarence Keaton because of his dedication to spreading the gospel. The creation of a man of God involves a divine process. God prepares a man from birth for the work of the gospel and equips him with the necessary tools to perform the task. Once a man receives the proper preparation, God identifies that man's spiritual calling. In 1975, God called Reverend Dr. Keaton and anointed him to teach the gospel. In following the direction of God, this man became the pastor and founder of the True Worship Church Worldwide Ministries. True Worship opened on November 24, 1985 with only a few members. In laboring to win souls, this man of God envisioned developing a ministry in an area that other individuals avoid because they fail to recognize the magnificence of God. In spite of those that doubted the power of the gospel, Reverend Dr. Keaton persevered in his efforts to reach out to young people. Today there are 1000 members of True Worship. The diligence, sincerity, and compassion of this man helped many youth develop a closer relationship with Christ. Over a period of fourteen years, the Reverend Dr. Keaton established a ministry that is the pillar for many communities. The work of Reverend Dr. Keaton includes a staff of 21 ministers and evangelists who focus on using spiritual strength and knowledge to address social problems that plague our communities. These ministries include: a social service department, a computer training program, a beautiful children's ministry, a successful youth department, an 86 voice youth choir, a training course in sign language, a broadcast committee, an audio/video ministry, and a tape ministry. We pray that God will continue to bless the growth of this ministry. Our communities need individuals like Reverend Dr. Keaton.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Chairman, as we consider prevention measures during this debate, we must acknowledge that our schools face a serious problem in their ability to provide prevention services. Let me make it clear from the onset that I support bringing young people who commit crimes to justice; they must recognize the consequences of their actions. Yet, at the same time, we cannot be content with only punishment, we must endeavor to take all the necessary steps to prevent youth at-risk from entering the juvenile justice system. If we fail to do so, the current situation of gun- toting youths will only get worse. Our correctional facilities, which are already operating at full capacity, will not be able to handle housing scores of more juveniles. And once they are released, they will be no better off than when they entered. Therefore, prevention is a preferable path to follow. That is why I am supporting the school anti-violence provision contained in the Democratic substitute, which would significantly bolster prevention efforts by mandating that some of our appropriations are directed towards mental health services for our young people. Counseling is one of several resources that could prove valuable if only we used it, rather than neglect it. What I mean by this statement is that for counselors to be effective, we have to ensure that they are working in a proper environment. A counselor's duties may vary by jurisdiction, but in general one would have some of the following responsibilities: conflict resolution, career guidance, administrative duties, and school activities coordinator. It is rather reckless on our part to expect that counselors can be really effective in counseling and guiding students when they are saddled with an absurdly high student-to-counselor ratio and are also tagged with doing administrative chores. Here are some statistics that indicate how thinly stretched our school counselors are. The recommended student-to-counselor ratio, as indicated by the American Counseling Association and other professional groups, is 250 to 1. The average national caseload is a little over 500 students per counselor, with some of the more extreme cases being in California, with a ratio of nearly 1,000 to 1, and Minnesota, at 925 to 1. Counselors also should not have to juggle scheduling and other administrative work in tandem with their counseling duties because this detracts from their primary duties. They are a necessary part of our prevention strategy, and there is no way that they can accomplish their goals when they are doing everything but counseling. It seems that the only time there are calls for more counselors is after tragedies, such as the one at Columbine High School. Yet there is no reason that we respond with counselors only after a tragic event occurs. They should be there in the first place, and this bill provides the funds to do so. Counselors can benefit us by helping us to identify those children who are potentially at risk, and by doing so, would aid us in devising a solution to intervene and potentially get to the root of the youth's problems. Yet there is no way that this can work if one has to monitor 1,000 students. Students will fall through the cracks since the resources which were designed to help them were not available when they were needed. The investment that we make now will pay off in the future with reductions in chronic problem behaviors and potentially improved results in the areas of attendance, test scores, and conflict management. It is vital that we act now. The school population is projected to increase over the next few years, and if we are to have any chance of reducing the student to counselor ratio so that qualified mental health professionals can be of use to our students, we should pass this substitute. Prevention is the key, and improving mental health services is a big step towards strengthening our prevention efforts.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is another attempt by the NRA and its allies to block meaningful gun control legislation. Observe for a moment the ramifications of this measure. It reduces the maximum time for background checks to 24 hours, rather than 3 business days under the current Brady law. If the background check is not completed within the allotted time, then the sale would be permitted. Certain statistics from the Department of Justice cite that 40% of denied requests would go through if this amendment passed. The reason people have been denied a gun is that they have a history of violence and could potentially harm some innocent person, or they are too young to possess firearms. Now the law will force states that do not keep very good records, or are slow at retrieving the necessary information, to permit a gun sale that should be denied. What is the urgency? Why would a person need a gun within one day instead of a couple of days later? Could it be to threaten or exact revenue? Well, this would be quite possible if this amendment passes and a weapon ends up in the hands of someone who should not have it. We should be taking additional precautions to make sure that we keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons, not dismantling them and purposely creating loopholes. And if that means taking another 48 hours, by all means I think that public safety should have preference. If a person needs a gun on Friday, then he or she should buy it three business days in advance. The NRA does not care who gets guns. Their philosophy is simply to oppose any regulation of guns, period, no matter what the consequences are. The current Brady law makes this country safer by keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, and therefore I urge the House to oppose this amendment.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I was disturbed to find out that India has been using chemical weapons in its war against the freedom fighters of Kashmir. Reuters, CNN, the BBC, the Associated Press, and others have all reported that India fired chemical weapons shells into Pakistan. Remember that India's nuclear tests last year started the nuclear arms race in South Asia, which is very destabilizing to our ally Pakistan, to India, the subcontinent, and the world. In recent days, there have been news reports of a mass exodus from border villages in Punjab, the homeland of the Sikhs. According to at least one report, 70 percent of the population of these villages has fled. These Sikhs are apparently afraid that India's war on the freedom fighters will spread to Punjab. There are good reasons to believe this. India sent a new deployment of troops to Punjab, Khalistan. These troops are on top of the half-million troops who were already stationed in Punjab to suppress the Sikh freedom movement. Mr. Speaker, this situation is entirely India's responsibility. India that started the conflict in Kargil to wipe out the freedom movement in Kashmir and scare the other freedom movements into submitting to Indian rule. India introduced nuclear weapons to South Asia last year and introduced chemical weapons into this conflict. These are weapons of mass destruction, Mr. Speaker. Indian has brought these weapons of mass destruction to South Asia. Why do we still give aid from American tax dollars to India? Recently an Indian colonel admitted that Indian soldiers are ``dying like dogs.'' India is losing this war in Kargil, while it loudly proclaims victory. As India's desperation increases, the situations gets more dangerous. It is feared that India will use its new deployment in Punjab, Khalistan to invade Pakistan in an attempt to cut off the Kashmiris' supply lines. Mr. Speaker, we all salute the President for his attempt to keep the fighting from escalating, but there seems to be a pro-India tilt to our effort and to our policy in the region. Yet India denies self- determination and other basic human rights to the Kashmiris, the Sikhs of Khalistan, the Christians of Nagaland, and the other occupied nations of South Asia. When basic human rights are denied, we have an obligation to help people reclaim their rights. We should be working for peace, freedom, and self-determination. We should not be aligned with India, which remains one of the world's worst human-rights violators. Let this Congress do whatever we can to support democracy, self- determination, peace, and stability in the subcontinent. We should impose sanctions on India, cut off American aid to India, and pass a resolution stating our support for a free and fair plebiscite under international supervision in Punjab, Khalistan, in Kashmir, in Nagaland, and everywhere else that the people seek their freedom. I am proud to have co-sponsored such a resolution in the last Congress. This is the right time to take these measures when they will have the greatest effect. Let us take these measures to support freedom. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert the Council of Khalistan's press release on India's chemical weapons use into the Record. India Using Chemical Weapons in Its War Against Kashmiri Freedom Fighters; Now Is the Time to Free Khalistan Washington, DC, June 14--Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, today condemned India for using chemical weapons in its war against the Kashmiri freedom fighters at Kargil. Reuters, BBC, CNN, Associated Press, and other news sources have reported that India fired chemical weapons shells into Pakistan. The Pakistani Foreign Minister said that his country had found Indian chemical shells that were fired across the border. Dr. Aulakh condemned ``this irresponsible and dangerous action. India is using these weapons despite being a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention,'' he noted. ``So far these weapons have only caused skin irritations, shortness of breath, and other minor health problems,'' he said, ``but the potential dangers are frightening.'' ``Remember that India started this war to suppress the Kashmiri freedom movement,'' Dr. Aulakh said. He took note of an India Today report that the war is costing India 15 core (150 million) rupees each day. ``Apparently, no amount of blood or money is too great for the Indian government,'' he said. ``America took action against Iraq for using chemical weapons in its war against Kuwait,'' he pointed out. ``Why does America continue to support India with aid and trade?,'' he asked. ``The United Nations should impose strong sanctions on India for this brutal act,'' he added. ``The news that India is using chemical weapons is very disturbing, not only to the people of Kashmir but to the people of Punjab, Khalistan,'' he said. ``India, the country which started the nuclear arms race in South Asia, is now using weapons of mass destruction,'' he said. According to Kashmiri leaders, India also used chemical weapons against them in 1994. ``This terrorist act shows India's desperation to keep its artificial borders intact,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``India is losing this war,'' he said. ``One Indian Army colonel admitted that Indian troops are `dying like dogs.' I call on Sikh soldiers not to fire on Kashmiri freedom fighters,'' he said. ``I urge Sikh soldiers to join the Sikh freedom movement and liberate Khalistan.'' ``I cannot help but think that these attacks are related to the massive evacuations of 37 villages along the border in Punjab,'' he said. ``It is not the Pakistanis the villagers are afraid of,'' he said, ``it is expansion of India's terrorist war into Punjab, Khalistan.'' ``In war, people get killed, and that is unfortunate,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``Countries that are moral and democratic do not deliberately kill civilians,'' he said. The Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984. India has also murdered over 200,000 Christians in Nagaland since 1947, more than 60,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, and tens of thousands of Assamese, Manipuris, Dalits (``black untouchables''), Tamils, and others. ``Freedom struggles don't go away,'' he said. ``Just as India cannot suppress Kashmir's freedom struggle with weapons of mass destruction, the freedom struggle in Khalistan will go on until Khalistan is free,'' he said. ``Now is the moment for the Sikh Nation to liberate Khalistan with the help of the Sikh soldiers. It is time to rebel. Khalsa Bagi Yan Badshah.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, all of us have been following with alarm the Indian attack on the Kashmiri freedom fighters at Kargil and Dras. India has been losing many of its troops in this desperate effort to crush the freedom movements within its borders. Casualties are mounting. The soldiers they sent to discharge this dirty war are demoralized. According to the Associated Press, an Indian colonel said that Indian troops ``are dying like dogs.'' A corporal is quoted as saying ``Even in war we don't have such senseless casualties.'' Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, most of these troops are Sikhs and other minorities sent to die for India's effort to suppress the freedom of all the minorities. These Sikh troops should not be fighting for India; they should be working to free their own country. Now there has been a new deployment of troops in Punjab. A mass exodus from villages in Punjab is underway because the villagers are justifiably afraid that India's war against the freedom movements will spread to their homeland. India reportedly also used chemical weapons in this conflict, despite being a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention. India has a record of escalating the situation with regard to weapons of mass destructions. India began the nuclear arms race in South Asia by conducting underground nuclear tests. There are steps that we can take to make sure that this conflict does not spread and that all the peoples and nations of South Asia are allowed to live in freedom. We should impose strict sanctions on India, the aggressor in this conflict. We should stop providing American aid to India and we should support a free and fair vote on national self- determination not only in Kashmir, Punjab (Khalistan), Nagaland, and the other countries held by India. I thank my friend Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh for bringing this situation to my attention, and I urge India to allow the basic human right of national self-determination to all the people of South Asia. Mr. Speaker, I place the Associated Press article on the conflict in the Record. ``We are dying like dogs,'' said one [Indian Army] colonel Black Mood Hovers Over Kashmir (By Hema Shukla) DRASS, Kashmir--June 11, 1999 (AP): On the eve of talks aimed at ending a month of fighting in Kashmir, a black mood is settling over Indian army camps on the front line. Casualties are mounting. Troops are ill-equipped for high-altitude fighting. The task, they say, is close to suicidal. Since early May, the army has mobilized its largest fighting force in nearly 30 years against what India says are infiltrators from Pakistan who have occupied mountain peaks on India's side of the 1972 cease-fire line in disputed Kashmir. On Saturday, Pakistan will send its foreign minister to New Delhi to discuss whether the fighting can be ended. India says that regardless of the talks it will persist until the last intruder is killed or flees back to Pakistan. In daily briefings in New Delhi, military spokesmen report the fighters are being driven back. Indian airstrikes are punishing them, peaks are being recovered, the ``enemy'' is taking casualties in the hundreds. India's official casualty rate on Friday stood at about 70 dead and 200 wounded. The story on the front is much different. In the fading evening light in a forward artillery camp, at checkpoints along a road under steady artillery bombardment, in bunkers where men shelter from showers of shrapnel, soldiers and junior officers grimly tell stories of death and defeat on the mountains. No one can say how many have died, but no one believes the official toll. Amid the gloom, however, the Indian troops show a gritty determination to fight and a conviction that the opposing forces must be evicted at all costs. ``We have a job to do and we will do the best we can,'' said one officer. ``We will do our duty.'' India says the guerrillas in Kashmir are mostly Pakistani soldiers, a charge Islamabad denies. On Friday, India produced what it said were transcripts of telephone conversations between two Pakistani generals that proved Pakistan was involved in the fighting. In a transcript from May 26, army chief Pervez Musharraf tells another general that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was concerned the fighting could escalate into a full-scale war. ``We gave the suggestion that there was no such fear,'' Musharraf said he told Sharif, according to the transcript. ``Whenever you want, we can regulate it.'' Pakistan called the transcripts false. ``This can't be given any credence or weight,'' Pakistan army spokesman Brig. Rashid Quereshi said. As officials traded charges, heavy fighting continued in Kashmir. The guerrillas are entrenched on the mountain peaks defending their positions against soldiers scaling steep slopes, constantly exposed to gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades. ``We are dying like dogs,'' said one colonel. Recapturing the peaks, said another officer, is ``almost a suicide mission.'' None of the officers could be quoted by name, and senior officers who earlier briefed journalists on condition of anonymity have been ordered not to speak. ``This is worse than war. Even in war we don't have such senseless casualties,'' said M. Singh, a corporal and a veteran of India's campaign in Sri Lanka in the 1980s. Some of the casualties are from ``friendly fire,'' either from Indian artillery or aerial bombing meant to provide cover to the advancing troops, officers said. The risk increased after the air force began high-altitude bombing to stay out of range of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. Indian troops wade through chest-high snow. The wind is so strong soldiers must be tied to each other with rope so they don't get blown over a cliff. Their opponents can pick them off with rifles or simply send boulders cascading down the mountain on top of them. One major said his unit was returning down the mountain when it came under withering fire from above. The soldiers dove into the icy water of a Himalayan river to escape. Some forward units are living on one meal a day, the soldiers said. Mess camps in the rear cook puris--deep fried flat bread--but by the time it is delivered to the front it is frozen and can barely be chewed. The only drinking water is melted snow. There is no chance to pitch tents on the slopes. The men sleep in the open. Few troops have had time to adjust to altitudes of 14,000 feet or more, where the air is thin and every exertion, every upward step, leaves strong men gasping. Despite the difficulties, the tremendous pressure to recapture the peaks continues.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, the International African Arts Festival, formally known as the African Street Festival, has been a cultural institution providing a venue for African-inspired culture to the Brooklyn community for 28 years. Started in 1971 as a graduation ceremony for the Uhuru Sasa School, the festival grew into a major event attracting international attention. Held each summer during the July 4th weekend, the festival features an African marketplace of over 200 vendors providing unique arts, crafts, foods, and goods from all over the world. The marketplace is the backdrop for continuous entertainment on two stages. The festival has hosted award winning and internationally recognized entertainers and recording artists. In 28 years, the festival has grown into a major event for the Brooklyn community. Attracting over 50,000 visitors each year, the International African Arts Festival continuous to grow and dig its roots deeper into the community. Among the festivals many featured events are the talent search, ``Ankh'' awards ceremony, living legends awards, special showcases for seniors, a parade down Fulton street, scholarship presentations, African marketplace, and world-class entertainment. Tens of thousands of people visit the festival every year just to shop for the diverse, rare items that have become the trademark of the marketplace at the International African Arts festival. The people of New York know that they can come to the festival to find the latest in paintings, sculptures, jewelry, furniture, and goods of every kind. The shopping atmosphere creates an economic boom attracting entrepreneurs and aiding in local, small business development. The economic benefits of the festival also results from the hundreds of jobs created by the festival. The International African Arts Festival creates an environment of unity for the Brooklyn community. The world-class entertainment showcased at the festival represents the diversity of the African Diaspora. Audiences can expect to witness captivating performances by artists from Africa, America, the Caribbean, and Latin America on any one day. This atmosphere is further enhanced by vendors who sell delicious international foods. The friendliness of other participants and the warm feeling it fosters, under a bright sunny sky, completes the experience of Brooklyn's own International African Arts Festival.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill, HR 1400, the Bond Price Competition Improvement Act of 1999, and I urge its adoption by the members of the whole House. I would like to thank Chairman Bliley of the full Committee on Commerce and Ranking member of the full Committee, Congressman John Dingell of Michigan, Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials Chairman Oxley for their work and leadership on this legislation. Chairman Bliley issued a ``challenge to the bond industry to clean up their act on the importance of the right to know'', or expect the Congress to introduce legislation in the 106th Congress as he promised. I want to point out that Chairman Bliley was true to his word. I want to commend the Committee leadership for all of the effort and work done with the Democrats of the committee to make this bill a bipartisan success. The H.R. 1400, requires the industry to inform the investing public of the needed information to make sound judgement, while investing in the Bond Market with reliable, accurate transaction information and sale reporting. The bond markets plays an important role in my home state of New York and the entire U.S. economy. I am aware of the concerns of the industry with regards to the issue of transparency. However, the SEC will do a great job for the industry and U.S. economy. In closing, I wish to thank Chairman Bliley and the Ranking Member of the full Committee on Commerce Mr. Dingell and Chairman Oxley and the members of the subcommittee for their support.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, over the past month, we have been reading with increasing concern, reports of terrorist attacks by the mullahs' regime against the forces of the Iranian opposition outside Iran. Today, I regret to say that there has been another attack. This time, the target was a city bus carrying members of the Mojahedin in Baghdad. Six of the freedom fighters were killed, and 21 more are in the hospital with serious injuries. Another city bus carrying Iraqi citizens was also heavily damaged and a number of its passengers injured in the blast, which left a 6 ft. by 9 ft. crater. This car bombing is but the latest in a series of two dozen terrorist attacks against the Mojahedin since Mohammad Khatami was elected president two years ago. That is a startling increase over the numbers racked up by his predecessors. Clearly, such statistics contradict all the talk we have heard about Khatami being a ``moderate'' who will do things differently. Terrorism is on the rise outside Iran, members of religious minorities and dissidents are being arrested and even executed inside Iran, and terrorist groups violently opposing the Middle East peace process are receiving more funds, more training and more support from the Khatami government. International silence in response to Hkatami's flagrant violations of international law and human rights only emboldens his regime. The bomb blast today was the fifth such terrorist strike against the Mojahedin on Iraqi soil in the past month. Against the backdrop of Khatami's open support of regional terrorists, and the wave of disappearances and assassinations targeting dissidents and minorities in Iran, it hardly paints a picture of moderation. Obviously, goodwill gestures, trade concessions, and apologies have not succeeded in modifying the government's behavior. It is time for our State Department to change its tune, to adopt a decisive Iran policy which insists that the mullahs be held accountable for their deeds, and to strongly condemn the terrorist attacks launched by Tehran.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the contributions of the Tony Modica Pizza Dance Foundation and One World-One Heart, Inc., organizations which exemplifies our nation's direction of unity and cultural exchange through inter-generational activities and programs. Tony Modica came to this country as an immigrant and became successful in the pizza industry. This Foundation is a means for him to give back to the community through a program that benefits the elderly and the youth. Pizza is a favorite food of both young and old and its incorporation into a program which features song, dance and pizza makes for an enjoyable experience for all involved. Modica uses the pizza as an international symbol of unity. The Foundation has created programs that promote unity; and encourages children to stay in school and improve their grades. After his lectures, the students and seniors are treated to pizza and a lesson in the Foundations' original Pizza Dance--a step choreographed to mimic the art of pizza making. The Pizza is used as a symbol because of it's varied toppings and delectable enjoyment that is recognized by all cultures and ethnic groups. The positive messages are enhanced through dance and the enjoyable feast and taste of pizza! One World-One Heart, Inc. serves to provide access to educational; recreational; cultural and intergenerational programs for participants from all ethnic, religious, economic and cultural backgrounds. The founders, Catherine Laporte and Steven Kaplansky have over 30 years of experience of providing non-profit; social and recreational services to communities at large. One World-One Heart, Inc. has joined with The Tony Modica Pizza Dance Foundation to promote unity and cultural appreciation through free public activities and have mobilized others to support a unified message of respect and appreciation of all people. The combined efforts are a great model of how government, not-for-profits; religious and private sectors can work together for the good of the public. Pizza is undoubtedly the world's most popular food. The positive messages are enhanced through song, dance and an enjoyable feast of Pizza. The Mayor and City Council have recognized the organization's efforts in New York. By taking this program to a national level with it's fun spirited message. The Tony Modica Pizza Dance Foundation and One World-One Heart, Inc., are positive examples of how private citizens and not-for-profit organizations can make a difference in the community with the support of business and government. I implore my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in recognizing the ``Pizza''; ``The Tony Modica Pizza Dance Foundation; and One World-One Heart, Inc.'' and in proclaiming June National ``Taste of Pizza'' Month.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, India claims that it is democratic, but one of the cornerstones of democracy is freedom of the press. A recent event shows us again that there is no freedom of the press in India. On May 11, Sukhbir Singh Osan, a journalist who has written for many papers in India and runs the website Burning Punjab, was interrogated by Indian intelligence officers for 45 minutes after he returned from a trip to the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. He came to cover the big Sikh marches in Washington, New York, and Toronto and to deliver a speech on the persecution of Christians that has been going on since Christmas Day. Apparently, this coverage upset the Indian oligarchy. The intelligence officers who came to Mr. Osan's house said that they had ``specific instructions from Delhi.'' Mr. Osan has been targeted by the Indian government before. He was denied a degree he earned. His telephone has been bugged and he has received threats. He is not the only one. Reporters who exposed government abuses have received telephone threats. One reporter was told that ``it is dangerous to report against the government.'' That was under a Congress Party government. The government controls the television and radio as well as Press Trust of India (PTI) and United News of India (UNI). How can you have a democracy if the government controls the media and tries to intimidate reporters who report news that they don't want to come out? I thank my friend Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, for bringing this story to my attention. His office issued an excellent press release on the grilling of Mr. Osan, which I believe will be very informative to my colleagues. How can the United States continue to support a country that claims to be democratic but does not allow freedom of the press, kills tens of thousands over their religious beliefs, joins with the world's most notorious tyrants at the United Nations against the U.S., celebrates the anniversary of its nuclear explosion, routinely violates basic human rights, and will not even allow a simple vote on the political future of the minority nations seeking their freedom? Why should such a country be a major recipient of American aid and trade? We should stop our aid to India until it respects basic human rights and we should publicly declare our support for the 17 freedom movements within India's borders. I place the Council of Khalistan's press release on the grilling of Mr. Osan into the Record. Journalist Grilled by Indian Intelligence Officers There is No Freedom of the Press in India Washington, D.C., May 12--Sikh journalist Sukhbir Singh Osan, who runs the website Burning Punjab, was interrogated by Indian intelligence officers after returning from a trip to the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, where he covered the Sikh 300th anniversary marches in Washington, New York, and Toronto and made a speech on ``Recent Attacks on the Christian Community in India.'' Intelligence officers grilled Mr. Osan at his home yesterday for over 45 minutes. They claimed that ``we have specific instructions from Delhi.'' Mr. Osan stated that this action is ``true to their anti-Sikh stance.'' Mr. Osan has previously had his telephone bugged by the Indian government. He was denied a degree he earned because he has exposed corruption, atrocities, and acts of terrorism by the Indian government. He has received anonymous telephone threats. ``The interrogation of Sukhbir Singh Osan shows that there is no freedom of the press in India,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan. ``Both Press Trust of India (PTI) and United News of India (UNI) are completely controlled by the Indian government,'' Dr. Aulakh stated. Noting that Mr. Osan has met lawmakers in both the U.S. and Canada, Dr. Aulakh said that ``any more harassment of Mr. Osan will cause India big trouble.'' ``Reporters who put out information contrary to the government line are often threatened and harassed as Mr. Osan was yesterday,'' he said. ``Reporters who have exposed government corruption and brutality have received anonymous telephone calls telling them that `it is dangerous to report against the government,' '' Dr. Aulakh said. Mr. Aulakh urged the United States government to stop supporting the government of India. ``India has joined with China, Russia, Cuba, and Libya in action against the U.S. at the United Nations,'' he noted. ``India tried to build a security alliance against the United States. It recently celebrated the anniversary of its nuclear explosion and reiterated its refusal to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. India is a major human-rights violator. Amnesty International has not been allowed into the country since 1978,'' he pointed out. ``Yet it remains one of the top recipients of U.S. aid.'' The Indian government has murdered more than 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, over 200,000 Christians in Nagaland since 1988, more than 60,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, and tens of thousands of Assamese, Manipuris, Tamils, Dalit ``untouchables,'' and others. Tens of thousands of Sikhs languish in Indian jails without charge or trial, some since 1984. ``Why should the American taxpayers be forced to support a country where there is no religious freedom, no freedom of the press, and no human rights for minorities?'' he asked. ``Why should America support a country that is so vehemently anti-American?'' he said. ``The time has come for America to defend freedom in South Asia by defending Mr. Osan and other journalists, by cutting off aid to India, and by supporting the 17 freedom movements within India's artificial borders,'' Dr. Aulakh said.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, we knew that India was a repressive tyranny. Now they have shown us how anti-American they are. I was offended by an article in the May 18 issue of the Indian Express, which Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, shared with me. In the article, the Indian Defense Minister, a man named George Fernandes, describes the United States as ``vulgarly arrogant'' and accused the United States and NATO of ``aggression against Yugoslavia.'' The meeting he was addressing, which was called by India, was also attended by representatives from China, Cuba, Yugoslavia, Russia, Libya, and Iraq, which leads me to wonder where the North Koreans were. They belong in this motley collection of America-bashers as much as any of these other countries. The article says that everyone at the meeting agreed that ``We have to stop the U.S. It started with Iraq, now Yugoslavia. We don't know who's next.'' The Russian Ambassador asked ``India and China to join us in stopping U.S. attempts to dominate the world.'' I would like to remind my colleagues that India is one of the largest recipients of American foreign aid. Does this sound to you like a country we should be supporting with the tax dollars of the American people? It doesn't sound like that kind of country to me. Remember that it was India that started the nuclear arms race in South Asia by setting off five nuclear devices. It is India that refuses to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. India has attacked Pakistan twice and invaded Sri Lanka once. Whether or not one agrees with President Clinton's policy in Kosovo, we went there to stop the ``ethnic cleansing'' of the Kosovars by the Serbian government. Yet we have averted our glance from a similar campaign throughout India, a situation the Indian Supreme Court described as ``worse than a genocide.'' This ethnic cleansing has taken the lives of over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, over 200,000 Christians in Nagaland since 1947, over 60,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, and thousands upon thousands of Dalits, Assamese, Manipuris, Tamils, and other minority peoples. India claims that it is democratic, but there is not democracy for these and other minorities. Currently, there are 17 independence movements in the nations under Indian control. Now India is joining with some of the world's most tyrannical police states in a joint effort to ``stop the U.S.'' Not only that, but the so-called ``world's largest democracy'' organized the meeting. We must stop funneling American money to countries that are repressive and are conspiring with our enemies against this country. We should place stringent economic sanctions on India to stop the repression and the anti-American activities, and we should apply every kind of peaceful pressure that we can to secure for the minority peoples and nations of South Asia the right to determine their own futures democratically in a free and fair vote, not by the force of Indian bayonets. This is our duty to the people of the world. We must begin today. I would like my colleagues to read the Indian Express article, which is alarming, so I would like to submit it for the Record. George Leads Envoys in Bashing `A Vulgarly Arrogant US' New Delhi, May 17: Yugoslavia, Iraq, Cuba, Libya, Russia, China--and India. That these countries produce the world's finest boxers probably had something to do with a session of US-bashing inside stuffy, old Sapru House in Delhi today. And also that each one of them have had a diplomatic disagreement with the US some time or the other. Defence Minister George Fernandes' Samata Party had organised the meeting ``to denounce the US-led NATO's aggression on Yugoslavia''. Fernandes, typically led from the front against a ``much stronger and a vulgarly arrogant United States'' since the days of the Vietnam war. Envoys from the other six countries to India added a long list of adjectives in the same vein. ``We have to stop the US,'' agreed everyone, ``It started with Iraq, now Yugoslavia. We don't know who's next.'' In their anxiety, and in their furious speeches, there were subtle messages being put across. Like Yugoslav Ambassador Cedomir Strbac's statement that Belgrade was ready to ``guarantee all Kosovars substantial autonomy'' in accordance with international standards. ``But only if NATO stops its air strikes and a political dialogue is initiated in accordance with Gandhinan principles. We are ready to accept a solution which respects our freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity,'' he said. Others said the Cold War may be over, and the USSR may have disintegrated, but watch out for a new world order. ``They (the US) are showing Russia and others what they can do. We want India and China to join us in stopping US attempts to dominate the world. The equation is: To be, or not to be,'' said Russian Ambassador Albert S. Tchernshyev. ``The forthcoming 21st century should not witness a unipolar world,'' added China's political counsellor Liu Jenfeng, venting China's anger over NATO's bombing the Chinese embassy in Belgrade which left three dead and 20 injured. The ambassadors from Cuba, Libya and Iraq narrated their stories to express support for ``Yugoslavia's resilience''. ``How can they pretend to solve a conflict by using destructive weapons themselves. For 38 years, they have held us to ransom with embargos,'' said Cuban Ambassador Olga Chamero Trias. ``We have been called terrorists and law- breakers all these years. Now who is breaking the law?'' said Libyan Ambassador Nuri Al-Fituri El-Madani. ``People in Kosovo are becoming refugees because they are fleeing from the bombing, not because there is ethnic cleansing. We in Iraq know what it means to live in the middle of bombs exploding all around,'' said Iraqi ambassador Salah Al- Mukhtar. George Fernandes agreed, and summarised. He said the US has run away from all norms set by the United Nations. ``The UN hardly has a say these days, America merely wished its way to doing what it's doing. Therefore, we (referring to Russia, China, India, Libya, Cuba, Iraq and Libya) who represent more than half the world's population must get together to stop the US-led NATO hegemony.'' He pointed out that the new doctrine adopted by NATO on its 50th anniversary on April 23, when Yugoslav towns were being bombed, made it clear that the military alliance was free to attack any sovereign country if it ``thought that country was doing or was likely to do anything against the interests of any NATO country''. Fernandes added: ``That the United States is the author of this doctrine does not need to be emphasised here.'' At the end of it all, inside the stuffy, old auditorium, an emotional Yugoslav ambassador Strbac stood up and said ``Jai Hind''.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to talk about an extraordinary man of medicine, Dr. Edward Abramowitz, Attending Physician, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine at Long Island College Hospital. Dr. Abramowitz is being honored on May 22nd by the Long Island College Hospital Board of Regents for his commitment to quality patient care and his medical leadership. Born in New York City, Dr. Abramowitz received his B.S. degree from City College of the City University of New York and his M.D. from the Faculty of Medicine, Copenhagen University, Denmark in 1975. After graduation, he did rotating internships in OB/GYN, Surgery and Psychiatry in the Danish health care system. Returning to New York, Dr. Abramowitz finished an Internal Medicine internship at Maimonides Medical Center and went on to complete a two- year internal medicine residency at Long Island College Hospital. In 1981, he completed a two-year fellowship in Cardiology at LICH and established a private practice in Cardiology and Internal Medicine. In 1991, Dr. Abramowitz was one of the founding members of Diagnostic Cardiology Associates, a premier diagnostic testing center for cardiovascular disease. A longtime resident of Cobble Hill, Dr. Abramowitz was a member of the Board of Directors of the Brooklyn Heights Center for Counseling. Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Dr. Abramowitz is an active member of many professional organizations, including the American College of Cardiology, the American College of Physicians and the New York Cardiological Society. At Long Island College Hospital, Dr. Abramowitz has been an elected member of the Medical Executive Committee since 1989, serving as Secretary of the Medical Board from 1993 to 1996. He was elected Second Vice President of the Board in 1996, the position he currently holds. Dr. Abramowitz was a long-time member of the Ethics Committee and is a member of the Joint Coordinating Council of the Board of Regents. He is also Chairman of the Credentials Committee. Dr. Abramowitz has always enjoyed teaching medical students and residents and is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn (Downstate). Dr. Abramowitz currently resides in Staten Island with Noel C. Bickford, Vice-Chair of the LICH Board of Regents and their two children, Rebecca (Becky), age 7, and Eric, age 5.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address a subject I feel very passionate about; teen pregnancy prevention. When my colleague the gentle lady from North Carolina, Ms. Clayton called my office about participating in an effort to speak on this critically important topic I jumped at the opportunity. As a member of the House Advisory Panel to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy I feel a strong responsibility to address this national problem. In dealing with the problem of teen pregnancy in the United States, it has always been my philosphy that we must deal with both the young women and the young men in these relationships. I realize that reproductive technology has gone far, but I believe we will need both women and men to make children. Many programs deal primarily with the young women and their children and do not emphasize the responsibility that young men should be taking in these relationships. We should focus on both parties in dealing with the problem of unplanned teen pregnancies. We need to develop comprehensive plans to deal with this issue, plans, which include both young women and men in the solution of the problem. There also needs to be in place not only comprehensive programs, but we in Washington need to allocate the necessary monies for these programs to be successful. We know prevention programs work, and we need to continue to support them in their mission. The resources and programs should also be focused on areas, which have the highest rates of teen pregnancy. Mr. Speaker and my colleagues from both sides of the aisle please join me in recognizing the month of May as ``Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month'' and let's join together to fight this national problem.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to my colleagues' attention the attached statement for the Congressional Record, ``Emergency Vehicles Priority Control,'' following the highly successful Intelligent Transportation Systems conference in Washington last week. As a follow up to last weeks highly successful Intelligent Transportation Systems conference in Washington, I would like to join my congressional colleagues in recognizing the cooperative efforts between the United States and Japan to provide emergency vehicle priority control in Japan. This exchange of Intelligent Transportation technology by the United States, Japan's National Police Agency and the Universal Traffic Management Society of Japan is expected to improve response for emergency vehicles. The United States Congress supports this important joint implementation of its technology between the two countries and applauds the leadership and commitment of Japan and the United States in improving public safety through improved emergency vehicle priority control.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the Interfaith Medical Center (IMC)--Brooklyn, New York's Reach Out and Read Program. Reach Out and Read is a Pediatric early literacy program developed at Boston City Hospital in 1989 by a collaboration of pediatricians and early childhood educators. The Reach Out and Read program makes literacy a part of pediatric care, by having pediatricians in the out-patient setting encouraging parents to read aloud to their children, and by giving their patients (between the ages of 6 months and 5 years) books to take home with them. Pediatricians are trained to counsel parents about the importance of reading with young children, offering age-appropriate tips and encouragement. Volunteer readers are in the clinic to read aloud to children as they wait for their appointments, thereby encouraging to learn to love books! Through Reach Out and Read, every child starts school with a home library of at least 10 beautiful children's books, and parents are helped to understand that reading aloud is the most important thing they can do to help their children learn to love books. Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York has been working to begin its Reach Out and Read program for the past 15 months. On Monday, April 12, 1999, Interfaith officially opened its program in the Pediatrics clinic at their St. John's site. Presently, over 7,000 books have been obtained through grants and donation. Interfaith is prepared to keep this program going for many years * * * in addition to working toward expanding it into all of their community clinics. Mr. Speaker, please join me in saluting Interfaith Medical Center for its unwavering commitment to preparing our children for a bright future.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with you my concern towards the struggles that a young democracy in Latin America is facing. I am referring to Argentina and its questioned judicial system, still so tainted by the memories of past dictatorships. I would like to talk to you about a small Buenos Aires based non-governmental organization that has to bear the harassment and persecution of a corrupt judiciary. I hope that after I share with you my concerns you will then be in a better position to discharge our responsibility of expressing some words of caution to our citizens and U.S. based corporations that are considering whether to make investments in Argentina. On February 1st, President Clinton responded to a missive in a salvo of bipartisan letters from colleagues legislators concerning the Buenos Aires Yoga School case. Clinton began his response by observing: ``I share your commitment to the protection and enforcement of human rights in Argentina and around the world.'' Our U.S. president then went on to note that: ``Our embassy in Buenos Aires has been closely monitoring this matter [the BAYS case] for the past several years, and has raised it on several occasions with appropriate officials in the Argentine Ministry of Justice. Like other cases in the Argentine judicial system, this case has taken too long to resolve. While I agree that we cannot intervene in the Argentine judicial process, we will continue to follow the case and urge the Argentine government to resolve it as expeditiously as possible.'' The BAYS case has been high on my agenda and that of many of our colleagues for much of the past year where we have expressed our unease over the treatment of this Argentine group. Many of our colleagues, in order to seek justice for BAYS, have sent letters to President Menem calling for his intervention--never receiving an answer, the case has achieved significant leverage among us, U.S. policy makers, as an important component in the hemispheric policy formulations. Clinton's letter about BAYS's plight pointedly referred to this highly controversial case. One which was initiated over six years before when faculty and students of the Yoga school became a chosen target for Argentina's notoriously flawed judiciary vindictiveness of several relatives from BAYS members. The philosophical and culturally- centered educational institution was accused of ``sexual corruption of adults'' and has attracted unprecedented prosecutorial and judicial misconduct from Argentine authorities since then. Almost all outside observers who have examined the case considered it unfathomable why so much negative energy has been dissipated against such a small group which, in fact, has won considerable renown abroad for its artistic accomplishments and social programs. One compelling explanation is that the case has triggered a bundle of latent and overt ultramontaine, neo- Nazi and deep-seated anti-Semitic strains lying just below the surface of Argentina's historic memory, which may be fundamental to why this largely Jewish organization of 300 members has been subjected to its extraordinarily protracted ordeal. In the playing out of the case, it was also shown that the indignation of the Argentine media--to much of which venality is no stranger--is highly selective and that the press, in this case, has been revealed as a lapdog of the political establishment. It has not shown itself as a forensic lion when it came to confronting the slavishly purchased performance of the country's court system in general, and its outrageous behavior regarding the BAYS saga, where under-the-table subventions must have become the rule in forcing the prolongation of this case. Over much of the past six years, members of BAYS have been experiencing unrelenting harassment at the hands of Argentine judicial authorities, including totally unjustified and violent illegal searches of their homes and offices, imprisonment of innocent members, the hectoring of their children, and the seizure of their personal property which to this day has not been returned. All this has transpired even though no compelling incriminating evidence has been presented by the prosecution against the Yoga School, the statute of limitations has since expired, and the Argentine Supreme Court has nullified the original charges. Some of the prosecutors and judges engaged in hounding the BAYS systematically have engaged in unprofessional behavior, which at times has included resorting to the use of scurrilous anti-Semitic remarks made in public settings--enough to result in the first judge being impeached by the national legislature. In this case, reputably, justice has been for sale. The BAYS affair provides a telling example of the corrosive role that corruption may have played in the form of payoffs to court personnel overseeing such cases as the one involving BAYS, from several wealthy and alienated relatives of BAYS members. Even one of the more controversial judges involved in the case is ready to acknowledge that the alienated relatives have a psychological, if not neurotic need to establish that it was the organization rather than themselves who had generated their family's personal travails. In fact, a close examination of each of these plaintiffs conduct reveals that in a number of these cases, much of the social anomie brought on by intrafamily strife existed even before the founding of the organization. The harassment of the BAYS also provides an insight into the role played by an extremist ideology in Argentina's tainted judicial system, and how little has changed since the era of military rule beginning in the 1970's, when government authorities murdered, with impunity, upwards of 20,000 innocent civilians in the country. Many of the judges now on the bench were appointed to their relatively lucrative positions at that time, with their modus operandi still reflecting the low standing that people of their political persuasion traditionally have accorded to democratic practices, judicial guarantees and the notion of civil rectitude in public office. My concern continues to grow as each week brings even more disturbing developments in the case. We are disappointed that Justice Minister Dr. Raul Granillo Ocampo's assurances, made while he was ambassador to the United States, have not been followed up on. Despite the July 1997 rulings of the Court of Cassation confirming the earlier decision of the Supreme Court condemning the actions of the judicial authorities, the lower courts have refused to cease their continuous penal persecution. The three documents from the Court of Appeals, Chamber VI on March 2, 1999, revoked the dismissals ordered by the lower court and ignored the decision by the Court of Cassation. The Appelante written by Carlos Alberto Elbert, Luis Ameghino Escobar and Carlos Alberto Gonzalez ordered the continuation of an investigation which has long exceeded its statute of limitations. If we add to this the lack of legal controls and malevolent obsession to persecute by the State Attorney's office the opening of a new case with the identical charges which originated the BAYS case in 1993 the denial of the right to a fair trial for the defendants, and the continuance of the processes already declared null, the picture becomes very alarming. We have shown our concern and wish to help strengthen Argentina's democracy, but we seem to be ignored by the country's authorities. For me this is yet another opportunity to depict a number of disturbing instances where injustice has been done; where the courts have served as a persecutor of the human spirit, rather than its defendant. Let our citizens be aware of this situation, let us take care of our interests--both in the economic and the humanitarian field--and let's hope that this can break the silence that rests over this serious matter of a group of philosophers that have the admirable strength to keep on wishing to live in a democracy, like we do.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Peggy Haskins for her tireless contributions to the Brooklyn community. Although she was born in Tams, West Virginia, Peggy Haskins has truly made an indelible mark in Brooklyn, New York. From her volunteer work with the Society for Seaman's Foster children where she teaches arts and crafts to I.S. 364 and P.S. 346 where she provides classroom and yearbook support, Peggy Haskins unselfishly shares her time and energy. As the youngest of 11 children born to Louis and Sarah, Peggy's family spirit has also benefited the Women's Caucus for Congressman Edolphus Towns. She is a loyal, committed and inspiring member who prefers being in the background rather than in the forefront. Peggy's concern for the Brooklyn community-at-large is also apparent in her professional life. She presently works for the New York City Board of Education. She is also working closely with her mentor, Dr. Ivan Bodis-Wollner, M.D., D.Sc., Director of Parkinson Disease and Related Disorders at Kings County Hospital Center. Peggy has degrees from both Chubb Institute and Kingsborough Community College. Despite her numerous activities, Peggy maintains quality time with her 14-year-old son, Adam, and enjoys worshiping at St. Paul's Community Baptist Church. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting Peggy Haskins for her tireless and unwavering service to the community.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Dorothy T. Leggett for her tireless contributions to the Brooklyn community. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Dorothy Leggett has truly made an indelible mark in her community. Throughout her tenure in the community, Dorothy has striven to create numerous opportunities for all. As President of the National Council of Negro Women, Brooklyn Section, she introduced many new programs including the recognition of Black men who positively contribute to the Brooklyn community. Later, she unselfishly devoted herself to numerous organizations such as Mary McLeod Bethune Day Care Center, where she served on the Board of Directors for over twenty years; Church Women Untied, where she served as past Secretary; Community Planning Board #3; Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce; and the Unity Democratic Club. Dorothy is truly a Renaissance woman! As a former Executive of Brownsville Multi-Service Center, she currently owns her own business, Hats Galore, on Nostrand Avenue. She also serves as Vice-President of the Chauncey Street Block Association, a community group that she helped reorganize. Despite her numerous activities, Dorothy has raised two daughters, Doranne and Carmen. She has also bee blessed with four beautiful grandchildren, David, Patrick, Chantel and Darylyn. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting Dorothy T. Leggett for her tireless and unwavering service to the community.