Jim Walsh

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I cannot believe what I am hearing, honestly. We worked in a bipartisan way on this agriculture bill. We brought it to the floor without a rule so that we could have unlimited debate on these issues. And what we find when we come to the floor is everybody wants to talk about everything but agriculture. And the fact is, when we brought this bill up last week, the dilatory tactics that were undertaken by the minority precluded any substantive debate on agriculture. It was all about, we got one after another after another, motion to rise, motion to rise, motion to rise. We could have been debating the gentleman from Massachusetts's amendment. We could have been debating the gentlewoman from Ohio's amendment and the gentlewoman from New York's and the gentleman from Wisconsin's, but we could not get a vote. We could not have any debate because of the dilatory tactics. Now we come in today. We are prepared to debate the agriculture bill again, and we have a series of suspension votes, which normally means that we just voice vote them because everyone basically agrees to them. We are forced to vote on every single issue, rollcall votes that tie everybody up in knots, that preclude us from doing our committee work, that preclude us from having a substantive debate on agriculture. And now we propose, if we cannot have a substantive debate, we will have to limit the rule so that we can get back to the issues at hand and the minority complains. You reap what you sow on the agriculture bill and every other bill. If we cannot work in a bipartisan way, then we have to have a rule.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Chairman, I will not yield to the gentleman. He has had all night.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Skeen], chairman of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2160 and its accompanying report that provides funding for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and related agencies for fiscal year 1998. I want to commend the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Skeen], the subcommittee chairman, and the gentlewoman from Ohio [Ms. Kaptur], the ranking member, for their leadership and fine work in crafting this difficult bill. I would also like to thank the subcommittee staff for their diligence and the long hours they spent putting the bill together. The bill provides $49 billion for agricultural appropriations. This represents a reduction of $3.7 billion from last year's level. While discretionary spending in our bill has increased as a result of changes made to the food stamp and related nutrition programs, our subcommittee has had to make some very difficult choices as only a few of the programs in this bill are receiving increases over last year's level. The President's tobacco and food safety initiatives were largely funded in this bill, and the subcommittee has also provided $188 million for Federal crop insurance. We have funded the wetlands reserve program that will be increased by $45 million. We have also increased funding for the EQUIP Program. These are environmental measures within the U.S. Department of Agriculture budget that are very important to our conservation of soil. We have also provided $7.8 billion for child nutrition programs, such as school lunch and school breakfast and $25 billion for food stamps. These are substantial commitments. Often the agriculture budget is considered an agricultural subsidy bill, but in fact it is not, it is the bill that provides the food and sustenance for most of our Nation's poor. I thank our leadership for supporting these programs, for providing money for nutrition, and I would urge a strong bipartisan support for this bill.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I ask today that my colleagues join me in recognizing the 1996-97 New York State Lady's Varsity Class B Soccer Champions from Westhill High School in Syracuse, NY. This is the same team, though some new players have come on board, for whom I asked recognition last year when they won the New York State Class C Championship. At a school where both academics and athletics are points of intense pride, the girls soccer program at Westhill has been particularly exceptional. This year, goalie Wallis Patulski saved 147 goals while Courtney Spencer, Megan Rogers, and Alissa Hoover scored 32, 30 and 24 goals respectively in a 24-0-1 overall season record on the way to the class B State championship title. Coach Ann Riva's assistant this year was Amy Ehlinger. Coach Riva has tasted victory before. Under her, the last 2 years' teams have won the class C State championship title. In addition to those named above, team members include: Jessica Adydan, Gabby Gaspe, Julie Guinn, Lindsay Lazarski, Karen Guinn, Sharon Gates, Jess Vosseteig, Sara Murphy, Jen Conway, Julie Carpenter, Michelle Mahaney, Sheida Tabaie, Shannan Card, and Jen Kirsch. Kirsi Donovan was brought up from JV's for the sectionals and the state championship tournament. As a parent of Westhill student athletes, I know most of the students who play a sport at Westhill. They have demonstrated not only individual skills and team cohesiveness--but also a collective strength which draws from the entire Westhill community: parents, faculty, staff. From all of us, congratulations to the team for an impressive accomplishment.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the Onondaga County Commissioner of Social Services, Robert Stone, for 24 years of dedicated public service as he begins his retirement this month. Bob Stone is truly a leader in our community. His professionalism, integrity, and leadership throughout his tenure are a testament to his character and high standard in public service. The commissioner worked tirelessly to revitalize our social service system by opening lines of communication within the department, securing grants, and working with State legislators to produce responsible social service law. The result has been a productive, sensitive, and often innovative department. Central New York owes a debt of gratitude to Commissioner Stone for his exemplary public service record and his caring approach to helping the truly needy. He joins a very distinguished group of former commissioners of social services, such as John Lascaris and William Walsh. It is with great admiration and respect that I wish Commissioner Robert Stone the best as he retires from public service and thank him. He leaves our community better for his presence.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating James MacKillop as he steps down from his role of president of the American Conference for Irish Studies. Professor MacKillop is in the English Department of Onondaga Community College. He has led with great energy and devotion a cultural group which conducts six scholarly meetings a year, awards three book prizes of $500 each per year, and distributes publications on Irish civilization in all its aspects. With more than 1,600 members in the United States, Canada, and Ireland and a dozen other countries, the ACIS touches on a diverse range of instruction, from women's studies to archeology to discussions of recent Irish cinema. Professor MacKillop is well known in my district for his association with our shared Irish heritage as well as for his excellence in academic pursuits at our prized community college. I want to wish him well in his further studies of the Irish and their ancestry and customs which have contributed so much to the evolution of our American culture.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I want to bring to my colleagues' attention today the significant accomplishment of the Porter Magnet School of Technology and Career Exploration in Syracuse, NY. Porter was recently designated by the Federal Government as a distinguished school. This elementary school is 1 of 100 schools nationally and five statewide to be commended for the high performance of the students and the innovation of instruction. Porter is the only school in the Syracuse area to receive the commendation. Many of the programs at Porter are innovative. They involve parents in creative ways, such as communication through audio and visual tapes in instances where literacy at home is a question. The faculty, led by Principal Octavia Wilcox, has worked hard to produce a learning environment which challenges the students. Using tax dollars wisely in pursuit of high standards in education is a top priority. Every student at Porter takes music, and any student can take piano lessons during school time. They have a pottery wheel in the art class. They have sophisticated computers and their own news team which videotaped a recent visit I made. But more importantly than the hardware, Porter prides itself in a philosophy. Every child can learn. Parents must be involved. Excellence is worth pursuing. Principal Wilcox says the faculty tries to compete with other forces, negative forces, for students' time. The curriculum stresses the future and the students are taught to think about what comes next--the next level of education and then careers. I am very proud to congratulate the Syracuse School District in general for its support of programs like the one at Porter School.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. WALSH. I thank the gentleman.

Mr. WALSH. My response is yes. This is a supplemental appropriation which supplements the regular fiscal year 1997 appropriation for the salaries and expenses of the Botanic Garden. The language in that supplemental says, and I quote, ``for an additional amount that is an additional amount over and above the appropriation in the regular appropriations bill and under the same terms and conditions as the regular fiscal year appropriation.'' The regular fiscal year appropriation clearly states, at 110 statute 2406 in Public Law 104-197, that ``all necessary expenses for the maintenance, care and operation of the Botanic Garden are under the direction of the Joint Committee on the Library.'' I confirm, therefore, that the repair and renovation project are covered by the terms and conditions of the basic appropriation. That means it will be conducted under the direction of the Joint Committee on the Library.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, the gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Livingston], for the terrific job that he is doing under very difficult conditions. Mr. Chairman, I rise to discuss the intent of the provision included in this bill by the Committee on Appropriations that would place a 14- million acre limitation on the number of acres that could be enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program in 1997. First of all, I want to make it clear that I am a strong supporter of the CRP program, and I support efforts to ensure a full 36-million acre enrollment. However, my purpose in placing this limitation language in the bill was to ensure that only the most environmentally sensitive land is enrolled in the CRP. USDA maintains that they plan on enrolling acreage that provides the greatest environmental benefit for the dollar spent. Our language merely was giving USDA breathing room to do the job right in accordance with the 1995 farm bill. Currently, over 75 percent of the acres enrolled in the CRP is concentrated in nine States. Much of this acreage was enrolled back in the mid-1980's, when the CRP program was a price support program. Our bill language was meant to ensure that the USDA did not re-enroll some of these highly productive lands when world stocks of grain are exceedingly low. Idling productive acres is not what Congress intended when it passed the farm bill last year. Taxpayer money should not be used to re-enroll productive lands in the CRP program. One of the problems with this new sign up is that this year's bidding occurred only 3 weeks after the new rules were finalized by USDA. This did not leave sufficient time for outreach to farmers who had not previously participated in the program. It is only reasonable to assume that most of the States need some time to disseminate information about the new program. Even more troubling to us was the fact that USDA policies on rental rates discouraged enrollments in the East and the West coastal regions while USDA administrative policies also discouraged Western rangeland from participating in the program. We also wanted to ensure that adequate CRP acreage was provided for the continuous enrollment of buffer strips which are perhaps the most effective way of controlling farm runoff. A final point is that tight Federal dollars must buy maximum conservation benefits. Our appropriations bill language was fiscally responsible in that it saved, in fiscal year 1998, $31 million, and in 1999, $177 million. These moneys could have been available to spend on other critical agricultural programs that we will not otherwise be able to fund at sufficient levels in the upcoming bills. I thank the chairman for yielding me the time on this important issue to express the intent of the CRP bill language. I look forward to continued work with the committee and with USDA to ensure that regional inequities in the administration's CRP program are addressed.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman is correct. We are concerned in the Northeast, the Southeast, the Southwest and the far West that all of the acres will be enrolled within this year in one section of the country. This was meant to be a national program.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my colleague from New York, Mrs. Lowey, and other Members and as chairman of the Friends of Ireland to speak out strongly against the Justice Department's decision to appeal the decision of a court and to attempt to deport a citizen of the United States currently back to Northern Ireland. These men, and there are a number of them, served time in prison in Northern Ireland. Many of them are trumped-up charges and very questionable judicial processes. They came to the United States, married, raised their kids and have become excellent and productive citizens of the country. Now they may be forced to return and, if they do, they are marked men in Northern Ireland. It would be wrong to send them back where they and their families would be subjected, again, to possible injustice and physical harm. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in expressing their dissent from the Justice Department.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a cochair with my wife, De De, of an upcoming event in Syracuse which not only means something to survivors of breast cancer but promises great hope for us all--because statistics show that one out of eight American families will be touched by the disease. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Race for the Cure proposes to do something about that. We are going to defeat this disease if it takes us a lifetime. I am happy to join chapter president Mickey Spanfelner, organizers Barbara Schwartz and Kathy Lahey, and promoters like Big Mike Fiss and Y94 FM radio, as we plan, publicize, and experience the race. Breast cancer means something personal to both De De and me. Her mother is a vivacious and really outstanding individual, a survivor of the disease. My mother did not survive her bout with breast cancer. But the memory of her courageous fight against all adversity pushes me to join the battle against breast cancer. That's why we want to invite everyone to join us in celebrating the survivors, and remembering the loved ones we've lost while we support the people who are working so hard to wipe out the disease. This family event will be held May 17 at Shoppingtown Mall in DeWitt and is open to all. Registration is at 7 a.m. on race day. Live entertainment will begin at 9 a.m. At 10 a.m., the 1-mile walk will begin and at 10:30 a.m. the 5k walk/run will take place.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Chief M. Sgt. Ronald W. Dix upon his retirement and to ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Chief Dix for his 24 years of service and for his symbolic representation of all that is good about our Armed Forces, and particularly those of the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard. Chief Dix was on active duty with the Air Force from September 5, 1961 to September 4, 1965, serving as protocol NCO at Wheelus AFB, Tripoli, Libya and at Lindsay Air Station, Weisbaden, Germany. During this time, Chief Dix was also a member of the 37th Air Defense Missile Squadron at Kinchloe AFB, Sault St. Marie, MI. In January 1978, he joined the Air National Guard, accepting an assignment in the Base Preparedness Office. In 1981, he was reassigned to active duty as a recruiter. Chief Dix was instrumental in attracting and inspiring young men and women to join the Air Guard in service to their country. In 1984, he was assigned as training NCO in the Civil Engineer Squadron of the 174th Fighter Wing and participated in many overseas deployment. During his final time with the New York Air National Guard, Chief Dix served as the facilities manager for the entire Hancock Field Air National Guard Base. Some of his decorations for meritorious service include: The Air Force Good Conduct Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal with four devices, the Air Reserve Meritorious Service Medal with five devices, the National Defense Service, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Air Force Overseas Long and Short Tour Ribbon, the Air Force Longevity Service Award, the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, the New York State Commendation Medal and the New York Conspicuous Service Cross. Upon completion of such exemplary service to our Nation, I commend Chief Dix and wish him well in retirement.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Westhill High School boys basketball team for winning the New York State Class B Championship game on March 16, 1997. Until this season, the Warriors had played basketball in the class C division. This year, hard work and the help of coach Todd Widrick made it possible for the team to go undefeated in its first season of competition in the class B division. Senior David Lemm scored 30 of the team's final 64 points and was honored as the tournament's most valuable player. Juniors Scott Ungerer and Chuck Cassidy were also honored by being named to the all-tournament team. Our central New York community is proud of the teamwork and dedication displayed by these and all the young athletes who competed in the tournament. I congratulate all of the members of the Westhill Varsity basketball team for their victory. Team members include: Bryan Sidoni, Mike Nicholson, Scott Adydan, Brian Gehm, Marc Herron, Mike Wojenski, Jordan Weismore, Brennan Binsack, Ryan Vossetig, David Lemm, Scott Ungerer, Chuck Cassidy, and coaches Tim Allen, Carlton Green, and Todd Widrick. Congratulations to all on their impressive accomplishment.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Christian Brother's Academy boys basketball team for winning the New York State Class C championship game on Saturday, March 16th. While this is the Brother's first State championship in basketball, this is the third State title in athletics that the academy has won in the past year. The other titles are for baseball and soccer. Senior Jeff Segar, who also plays varsity football and baseball, scored 22 of the team's final 66 points and was honored as the tournament's most valuable player. Junior Sal Lampuri was responsible for 15 of the team's total points and was named to the all-tournament team. Our central New York community is proud of the hard work and dedication displayed by the members of the 1996-97 Christian Brother's Academy boys basketball team, and all the young athletes who competed in this year's tournament. Members of the team include: Sean Anderson, Joseph Leone, Jeff Segar, Salvatore Lampuri, Jon Law, Michael McKeon, Gregory Orlicz, Bryan Sacco, Robert Schalk, Jonathan Wolf, David Paulus, trainer Randolph Kinn, assistant coach Edward Leone, and coach ``Buddy'' Wleklinski. Congratulations to all for this impressive achievement.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the under 12 Syracuse Blitz Boys soccer team for winning the National Indoor Soccer Championship on March 17, 1997. The North American Indoor Soccer Championship features qualifying regional tournaments at 20 sites around the country. The winning teams are then invited to participate in the grand finals. This dedicated group of athletes competed against 22 teams in their age bracket, including teams from Massachusetts, Maryland, Kansas, and Tennessee, as well as Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. It was Syracuse's second championship win in a row, as they won the indoor title last year. Our central New York community is proud of the hard work and dedication displayed by the members of the 1997 Syracuse Blitz Boys soccer team. Members of the 1997 Syracuse Blitz Boys under 12 National Indoor Champions are: Brian Knapp, Brian Perry, Mac Wilkie, Isaac Collings, Devin Dean, Josh Kristoff, Frank Monteleone, Patrick Ridall, Joey Spadaro, Alex Dowley, Brendan Quinlan, Joey Antonacci, Chris Paulus, Justin Crowley, and Matt Ponichtera. Coaches include Coach Bob Escobar, and assistant coaches Don Ridall and Craig Wilkie. Congratulations to all the team members and coaches for their impressive achievements.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Solvay, New York High School band and jazz combo for their first place honors at the national American Heritage Music Festival. This dedicated group of 76 musicians traveled to Washington on Friday, April 4 and competed against bands from all over the Nation. The jazz band and the high school band each won separate first place awards. Solvay High School won the award for best overall performance and both bands received scores above 90, putting them in the highest category for their performances. The event that made Solvay's performance unique came in the middle of the concert band's slow song, where the musicians put down their instruments to sing. This added theatrical touch impressed the judges, and invigorated spectators. Indeed, when this talented group arrived back in Solvay, with police cars and fire engines escorting them to the high school where they received their heroes welcome, parents and classmates cheered, still displaying the excitement of the competition. Our central New York community is proud of the hard work and dedication displayed by the Solvay bands. Congratulations to the 76 members of the Solvay High School concert band and jazz combo for their impressive achievement.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Chief M. Sgt. Ronald W. Dix upon his retirement and to ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Chief Dix for his 24 years of service and for his symbolic representation of all that is good about our Armed Forces, and particularly those of the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard. Chief Dix was on active duty with the Air Force from September 5, 1961 to September 4, 1965, serving as protocol NCO at Wheelus AFB, Tripoli, Libya and at Lindsay Air Station, Weisbaden, Germany. During this time, Chief Dix was also a member of the 37th Air Defense Missile Squadron at Kinchloe AFB, Sault St. Marie, MI. In January 1978, he joined the Air National Guard, accepting an assignment in the Base Preparedness Office. In 1981, he was reassigned to active duty as a recruiter. Chief Dix was instrumental in attracting and inspiring young men and women to join the Air Guard in serving to their country. In 1984, he was assigned as training NCO in the Civil Engineer Squadron of the 174th Fighter Wing and participated in many overseas deployments. During his final time with the New York Air National Guard, Chief Dix served as the facilities manager for the entire Hancock Field Air National Guard Base. Some of his decorations for meritorious service include: the Air Force Good Conduct Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal with four devices, the Air Reserves Meritorious Service Medal with five devices, the National Defense Service, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Air Force Overseas Long and Short Tour Ribbon, the Air Force Longevity Service Award, the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, the New York State Commendation Medal, and the New York Conspicuous Service Cross. Upon completion of such exemplary service to our Nation, I commend Chief Dix and wish him well in retirement.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, for the past 2 years, Senator George Mitchell has co-chaired the multiparty talks on the future of Northern Ireland in Belfast. On the evening of March 13, 1997, in Washington, DC, he was presented the American Ireland Fund International Humanitarian Award. I would like to share Senator Mitchell's inspiring speech with you at this time. Excerpts From Remarks by Senator George J. Mitchell, American-Ireland Fund Dinner I'm grateful for this award. The American-Ireland Fund is an important force for good in Ireland. I commend you for your efforts and I encourage you to continue them. As you know, I've spent most of the past two years in Northern Ireland. On my trips back to the U.S., I've been asked two questions, over and over again, by Americans who care about Ireland: Why are you doing this? And, What can I do to help? Tonight, I'll try to answer both of those questions. Why am I doing this? I've asked myself that question many times. To answer it, I must go back nearly 20 years, before I'd ever been to Ireland, before I'd ever thought seriously about Northern Ireland. Before I entered the United States Senate I had the privilege of serving as a Federal Judge. In that position I had great power. The power I most enjoyed exercising was when I presided over what are called naturalization ceremonies. They're citizenship ceremonies. A group of people who'd come from every part of the world, who'd gone through all the required procedures, gathered before me in a federal courtroom. There I administered to them the oath of allegiance to the United States and, by the power vested in me under our constitution and laws I made them Americans. It was always emotional for me, because my mother was an immigrant from Lebanon, my father the orphan son of immigrants from Ireland. They had no education and they worked hard all their lives at difficult and low-paying jobs. But because of their efforts, and, more importantly, because of the openness of American society, I, their son, was able to become the majority leader of the United States Senate. After every naturalization ceremony, I spoke personally with each new American, individually or in family groups. I asked them where they came from, how they came, why they came. Their stories were as different as their countries of origin. But they were all inspiring, and through them ran a common theme, best expressed by a young Asian. When I asked why he had come, he replied, in slow and halting English, ``I came because here in America everybody has a chance''. A young man who'd been an American for just a few minutes summed up the meaning of our country in a single sentence. Here, everybody has a chance. I was one of those who had a chance, and I thank God for my good fortune. Now, by an accident of fate, in a way that I did not seek or expect, I have been given the opportunity to help others to have a chance. That they are in Ireland, the land of my father's heritage, is just a fortuitous coincidence. That I am able to help, even if in just a small way, is what matters. No one can really have a chance in a society dominated by fear and violence. And so I, who have been helped by so many, now must do what I can to help others to try to end the violence, to banish the fear, to hasten the day when all the people of Northern Ireland can lead lives of peace, reconciliation and opportunity. Let me say, as clearly and as emphatically as I can: There will be peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. I don't know exactly when it will come. But I am convinced that it is inevitable, for one over-riding reason: It is the will of the overwhelming majority of the people of Northern Ireland. They remain divided along sectarian lines, and they mistrust each other. But they share a fervent desire not to return to the violence which for so long has filled their lives with fear and anxiety. It will take a very long time for the mistrust to end. But it need not take a long time for the violence to end. Once it does, once people can live free of fear, then gradually the walls of division will come down. Walls that exist on the ground, and in people's minds, will come down, brick by brick, person by person, slowly but inevitably. Over the past two years I've come to know the people of Northern Ireland. They're energetic, intelligent and productive. I admire and like them. They deserve better than the troubles they have. But there is only one way to achieve that better life. There is no alternative to democratic, meaningful, inclusive dialogue. For that to come about, there must be an end to violence and to intransigence. They are the twin demons of Northern Ireland--violence and intransigence. They feed off each other in a deadly ritual in which most of the victims are innocent. There are those who don't want anything to change, ever. They want to recreate a past that can never be recreated. But their way will only guarantee never-ending conflict. It will insure that the next half century is as full of death and fear as was the past half century. The people of Northern Ireland must make it clear to their leaders that they oppose intransigence, that they want meaningful negotiation. Not capitulation; not the surrender of conviction. But good-faith negotiation that places the interest of the people, the interest of peace, above personal or political considerations. Good faith negotiation can produce an agreed settlement that will command the support of the majority in Northern Ireland, including the majority in each community. I know in my heart that it can be done.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, I am inviting all my colleagues to become a Friend of Ireland. The Friends of Ireland is a bipartisan congressional organization established in 1981 by the late Speaker, Thomas ``Tip'' O'Neill. Every successive Speaker has carried on the tradition and my appointment as chairman by Speaker Gingrich is a clear demonstration of the bipartisan nature of the Friends. The Speaker and Minority Leader Gephardt serve as honorary chairmen of the group. The purpose of the Friends of Ireland is to increase the bonds of friendship and understanding between the American people and the people of Ireland. We look for a peaceful solution to the problems of this troubled land. Our organization is open to all members of the 105th Congress who share its principles and has attracted widespread support over the years. There are also several Senators who are members of the Friends. Over the years, the statements of support for peace in Ireland, condemnations of human rights abuses, assistance to the International Fund for Ireland, and general expressions of goodwill have made a difference. The voice of the United States Congress is listened to very attentively in Ireland both in the Republic and in the North. I would like to share with you this year's St. Patrick's Day statement: Statement by the Friends of Ireland, St. Patrick's Day 1997 On this St. Patrick's Day, we the Friends of Ireland renew our call for the IRA to restore its cease-fire, which should be followed by Sinn Fein's immediate entry into the Northern Ireland all-party peace talks when they resume in June. The Friends of Ireland commend our former colleague, Senator George Mitchell, for his outstanding service as chairman of the talks. The talks offer an historic opportunity to address the three key relationships which must underpin any settlement--those within Northern Ireland, between North and South, and between Ireland and Britain. We fully support this process, and recognize that there is much greater likelihood for success if all parties with an electoral mandate, including Sinn Fein, participate in the talks. Sinn Fein's participation in the talks, however, is properly conditional on the unequivocal restoration of the cease-fire by the IRA. We also recognize that the IRA maintained a cease-fire for 17 months, from September 1994 to February 1996. It is of deepest concern that, during that long and hopeful period, additional obstacles were laid in the way of bringing all parties to the table. We hope that a renewed IRA cease-fire will on this occasion be met with an appropriate response by the British Government, including the taking of necessary confidence-building measures. Basic issues of equal justice and human rights are at the heart of the conflict in Northern Ireland and they must be central to any realistic resolution of the conflict. Peace without justice is not sustainable. It is only likely to flourish when all sides feel that their basic rights are respected and protected. Accordingly, we urge prompt action to remedy outstanding miscarriages of justice such as the Casement and Latimer cases. In light of the compelling new evidence surrounding Bloody Sunday, we add our voice to the calls for a new inquiry into this tragedy. We are also concerned by the deteriorating conditions under which Republican prisoners are being held in Britain and in particular the treatment of Roisin McAliskey. It is essential, in negotiating a new political framework for Northern Ireland, that respect for human rights be guaranteed. The creation of a Bill of Rights, and a police service with the confidence of the whole community, are essential to ensure the protection of the rights of all and to lay a solid foundation for a lasting peace. We strongly oppose the continued and increased punishment beatings by paramilitaries in both communities. Such atrocities have no place in society, and we call for an immediate end to these attacks. It is essential that there be no repeat of the deplorable events during last year's marching season. The RUC behavior at Drumcree further eroded the confidence of the Catholic community in fairness of the police force. As the State Department's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices recently noted: ``Many observers on both sides of the community perceived the Government's reversal in the face of unlawful Unionist protests as a victory of might over the rule of law, and the incident damaged the RUC's reputation as a impartial police force.'' We therefore strongly endorse the recommendations in the North Report that an independent parades commission be given full decision-making powers to deal effectively with controversial parades. We are concerned at the British Government's decision to delay implementation of significant sections of the report, which in our view must be in place in advance of this year's marching season. The Friends of Ireland welcome the strong commitment of President Clinton and the Congress to the success of the peace process in Northern Ireland, and the transformation in the situation which all have helped bring about. We are confident that the United States will continue to play a constructive role in encouraging an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict for the benefit of all of the people of Northern Ireland. friends of ireland executive committee Edward M. Kennedy, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Christopher J. Dodd, Newt Gingrich, Richard A. Gephardt, and James T. Walsh.