Frank Wolf

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my Virginia colleague, Representative Bob Goodlatte, in support of this bill to name the main Roanoke United States Post Office at 419 Rutherford Avenue in Roanoke, Virginia, for our former colleague, Congressman M. Caldwell Butler. I commend Congressman Goodlatte, who served as Caldwell Butler's district director in the late 1970's for sponsoring this tribute. I had the pleasure of serving with Caldwell in my freshman term in the House in the 97th Congress. His dedicated public service was an inspiration to me and I will always be grateful to him for his wise counsel during my early days in Congress. His distinguished career of service began as a United States naval officer during World War II. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Richmond in 1948 where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa. In 1950 he received an LL.B degree from the University of Virginia School of Law where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. In 1978, he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from Washington and Lee University. He practiced law in Roanoke from 1950 until his election to Congress in 1972. His elective office service began in the Virginia House of Delegates where he served from 1962 until 1972, including the position of minority leader. He served five full terms in the House of Representatives, representing the Sixth District of Virginia. Our colleagues may recall that Congressman Butler was a member of the house Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Government Operations. In his first term as a member of the Judiciary Committee, he served with distinction as part of the panel that conducted the Nixon impeachment hearings. When he retired from the House in 1983, he returned home to Roanoke to practice law which he continued to do until his retirement in 1998. He served as a member of the National Bankruptcy Review Commission from 1995 until 1997. Caldwell Butler's life epitomizes leadership, integrity and service. To honor this outstanding Virginia and public servant, it is very appropriate that the post office building in his home of Roanoke bear his name. I urge my colleagues to give this legislation a unanimous vote in recognition of the service to his country of M. Caldwell Butler.

Mr. WOLF

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

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Appropriations have until midnight, June 18, 2001, to file a report on a bill making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2002 and for other purposes.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. (Mr. WOLF asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman , we are in a full committee markup, and I ran out because I wanted to be here when this bill came up. One, I rise in strong support of the bill. I want to thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) and also Senators Brownback and Frist and the others over in the Senate for their good work. I also rise in strong support of the amendment because oil is basically fueling this, bringing about death. There have been 2.2 million people that died in Sudan in the last 15 to 16 years. Every major terrorist group operating in the Middle East has an operation, a training camp outside of Khartoum. Disease, the sleeping sickness and so many of the diseases are running rampant in Sudan, particularly in the southern Sudan. So the passage of this bill will send a message that the American people and the Congress care deeply about stopping the fighting, stopping the death, stopping the oil and stopping slavery. This is one of two or three countries in the world today where there is actually organized slavery. So I just want to thank the committee and both sides of the aisle for bringing this up and for the good work. When the people in Sudan find out tomorrow, through whatever sources that they find out, that this bill passed, hopefully by an overwhelming vote, hopefully with almost no ``no'' votes, it will send a message that the American Congress and the American Government cares, and we are committed to doing everything we can. The Tancredo bill and this bill will do it, and the amendment, to bring about a just, and I stress the word ``just'', and a lasting peace. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my colleague from Colorado, Mr. Tancredo, for his hard work on this legislation. We are considering this legislation today because of his leadership and persistence. He has been solid on Sudan issues and it is a pleasure to work with him to help bring a just peace to Sudan. I also want to thank my colleague from New Jersey, Mr. Payne, the ranking member of the Africa subcommittee. I know he and Mr. Tancredo worked together on this legislation and his commitment on Sudan throughout the years' has been outstanding. I also want to thank Mr. Royce, the chairman of the Africa subcommittee, and Mr. Hyde, chairman of the International Relations Committee, for bringing the Sudan Peace Act to the floor for a vote today. The Sudan Peace Act is good legislation and I believe that passing this legislation today will be a step forward in helping to end the suffering, death and destruction in Sudan. I have been to Sudan four times since 1989, most recently visiting southern Sudan in January of this year. I have seen the conditions on the ground first-hand. Since 1983, the government of Sudan has been waging a brutal war against factions in the south who are fighting for self-determination and religious freedom. More people have died in Sudan than in Kosovo, Bosnia, Somalia and Rwanda combined with the war resulting in over 2 million deaths and 4 million displaced people. Most of the dead are civilians--women and children--who die from starvation and disease caused by the war. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum has issued a genocide warning for Sudan. The Holocaust Museum's warning is a hallowed reminder of our very moral standing as human beings and compels us to never again be silent witnesses to the mass enslavement, mass starvation, mass murder of a people. The Sudanese Government routinely attacks civilian targets, such as hospitals, churches, feeding centers, and uses aerial bombings to intimidate and kill the southern population. In the past several months, numerous hospitals, schools and feeding areas in the south have been bombed by the government, killing numerous innocent men, women and children. By conservative estimates, the U.S. Committee on Refugees (USCR) confirms that the Government of Sudan bombed innocent civilians in southern Sudan over 167 times last year. This year alone, the USCR confirms 20 bombings of civilians in southern Sudan, although this number now is certainly much higher. Recently, a Sudanese Government Antonov bomber dropped at least 16 bombs on the town of Narus, killing a 9-year-old child. This year during the Easter holiday, the Government of Sudan bombed innocent civilians in the Nuba Mountains. The Roman Catholic Bishop of the area, Bishop Maccram Gassis, was on the ground and witnessed the attack. Bishop Gassis writes on the attack: It was Easter Monday, and I had just completed my Easter pastoral visit to my parishes in the Nuba Mountains--among the most important of my periodic visits during the year. At the airstrip, my personnel were loading our plane for departure when the Antonov bomber was spotted above the field. Everyone scattered and fell to the ground as four to six shells (by our calculations) fell some 500 feet from the end of the runway. . . . And the bombing continues. According to the Associated Press, just a few days ago, the Khartoum regime reportedly killed 4 people in a bombing attack during a delivery of aid by the World Food Program. The bombing and killing of innocent civilians must stop and this legislation rightly condemns the Government of Sudan for its wonton bombardment of civilians. Fueling Khartoum's ability to conduct its genocide against southern Sudan is oil. Today, major international oil companies are generating billions of dollars of annual revenue for the Khartoum regime. Khartoum has openly pledged to use this revenue for modern bombers, helicopter gun ships and other weapons in its war against the people of southern Sudan. Indeed, the June 11, 2001, Washington Post reports that because of its new oil revenue, the Government of Sudan has doubled its military spending since 1998 totaling $327 million in 2000. In a recent speech I made at the U.S. Holocaust Museum, I said: The U.S. Commission on Religious Liberty has bravely called on the President to limit oil companies that finance the regime from access to U.S. capital markets. Here in this museum, in the literal shadow of exhibits of the slave labor practices of many German companies, in the face of what we know about the victimization of Jews at the hands of European banks, insurance companies, art galleries and other institutions, a clear message must be sent to the following oil companies: Talisman of Canada, the China National Petroleum Company, Petronas of Malaysia, Lundin of Sweden, Total/Fina/Elf of France, OMV of Austria--Enter into oil contracts with the genocidal regime in Sudan, and produce revenue for it, only at grave risk of losing--financially and otherwise--far more than you can possibly gain from those contracts. This legislation takes a significant step in addressing the connection between oil and the Sudan Government's atrocities by stating that no company can list securities on U.S. exchanges unless a company fulfills comprehensive disclosure requirements about its business activities in Sudan. While the acting chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Laura Unger, has initiated several new disclosure requirements applying to companies invested in Sudan, the SEC requirements in this legislation go a long way toward ensuring the world knows what companies are aiding and abetting the regime in Khartoum. Slavery exists today in the 21st century and this legislation rightly condemns the Government of Sudan's role in the ongoing slave trade. The Sudanese government has done nothing to stop the slavery. Slave traders from the north sweep down into southern villages and kidnap women and children who are then sold for use as domestic servants, concubines or other purposes. This is real life chattel slavery. The Department of State 2000 Human Rights report describes slavery in Sudan, stating: . . . slavery persists, particularly affecting women and children. The taking of slaves, particularly in war zones, and their transport to parts of central and northern Sudan, continued. Credible reports persist of practices such as the sale and purchase of children, some in alleged slave markets . . . 10,000 to 12,000 slaves remain in captivity at year's end. The Sudanese regime is also involved in the support of global terrorism. The National Commission on Terrorism reported in June 2000 that Sudan continues to support global terrorism by providing funding, refuge, training bases, and weapons to terrorists. The Sudan government was implicated in the 1995 assassination attempt on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Nearly every major terrorist organization in the world is welcomed in Sudan. Over the past decade, the U.S. has contributed over a billion dollars for relief and humanitarian aid for Sudan. I am glad that this legislation urges President Bush to promptly make available to the National Democratic Alliance $10 million in non-lethal, non-military aid previously authorized by Congress. The Bush Administration is making the right moves on Sudan, appointing USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios as special coordinator for humanitarian assistance, approving more aid for the suffering in Sudan, and indicating a willingness to make bringing a just peace to Sudan a priority. As the appointment of a special envoy for Sudan by the Bush Administration is imminent, I am hopeful that the U.S. will play a more aggressive and assertive role in achieving a real and just peace. But we also need to bear down on the Khartoum government to stop its aggression against the south and reach a lasting peace. The actions of the Sudanese government regarding human rights abuses and religious persecution toward its own people cannot be tolerated. Far too long and in too many circumstances the repressive and intolerable governments of the world have been allowed to engage-- unopposed--in widespread human rights and religious freedom violations that strike at the core of being evil. We in Congress have an obligation not to let these governments or regimes go unopposed. The Sudan Peace Act addresses one of the greatest humanitarian issues of our day--over 2 million have died--and yet it is tough on the regime in Khartoum. I strongly support this legislation and urge a unanimous vote.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, as co-chairman of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, I want to share a letter I recently received from the State Department regarding religious persecution in China. The letter notes that the State Department currently estimates that, ``roughly ten Catholic Bishops, scores of Catholic priests and house church leaders, 100-300 Tibetan Buddhists, hundreds (perhaps thousands) of Falun Gong adherents, and an unknown but possibly significant number of Muslims are in various forms of detention in China for the expression of their religious or spiritual beliefs.'' An illustrative list of religious prisoners in China notes that many have been tortured to death or are serving sentences of up to 21 years for simply practicing their religion. I look forward to the day when the citizens of China will be free to worship the religion of their choosing and enjoy the basic human right of religious freedom. U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, May 31, 2001. Hon. Frank Wolf, Co-Chairman, Human Rights Caucus, House of Representatives. Dear Mr. Wolf: This is in response to your request of Acting Assistant Secretary Michael Parmly for additional information during his testimony before the Human Rights Caucus on May 15 on the status of religious freedom in China. We appreciate your concern about the recent deterioration of religious freedoms in China and the large number of persons held in China for the peaceful expression of their religious or spiritual views. We regret the delay in responding to your request for information, but we wanted to provide as comprehensive a list of these individuals as possible. We currently estimate that roughly ten Catholic Bishops, scores of Catholic priests and house church leaders, 100-300 Tibetan Buddhists, hundreds (perhaps thousands) of Falun Gong adherents, and an unknown but possibly significant number of Muslims are in various forms of detention in China for the expression of their religious or spiritual beliefs. The forms of detention range from de facto house arrest to imprisonment in maximum security prisons. As you know, we regularly raise cases of religious prisoners with Chinese officials both here and in China. Our information about such cases comes from sources as diverse as religious dissidents, human rights NGOs, interested Americans and, most importantly, regular reporting from our embassies and consulates. Unfortunately, the opaqueness of the Chinese criminal justice system and absence of any central system that provides basic information on who is incarcerated and why makes it exceedingly difficult to determine the exact number of religious prisoners currently being held in China. We have, however, attached lists of cases of particular concern that we have raised with Chinese authorities or have included in our human rights and religious freedom reports. We recognize the importance of compiling and maintaining a database of political and religious prisoners from additional sources such as Chinese newspapers and government notices and appreciate Congressional interest in providing us additional resources to fund such activities. At present, the Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor is discussing with the International Republican Institute a proposal which will be submitted through the National Endowment for Democracy. This proposal will be for a Human Rights and Democracy Fund grant specifically for the purpose of funding a U.S. NGO's efforts to develop and maintain a list of political and religious prisoners in China. Such a database will be extremely valuable to the human rights work done not only by this bureau but also by other government agencies, the Congress, and NGOS. We welcome your interest in and support of this effort and look forward to cooperative efforts to develop and fund a comprehensive record of religious prisoners in China. In the meantime, we hope the information in this letter and the attached lists are helpful to you. We would welcome any case information that you might have available that could improve the quality of this list. Sincerely, Michael E. Guest, Acting Assistant Secretary, Legislative Affairs. Enclosure: Listing of Religious Prisoners in China. Illustrative List of Religious Prisoners in China Note: See comments in cover letter. The following illustrative list is compiled from various sources, including information provided to us by reputable non-governmental organizations and from the State Department's annual reports on human rights and on religious freedom. We cannot vouch for its overall accuracy or completeness.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I want to bring to the attention of our colleagues one of the most outstanding educators in the 10th District of Virginia. Dr. Glenn Burdick is retiring this month as superintendent of Winchester Public Schools. In looking at Dr. Burdick's distinguished resume, it is easy to see that education has been a lifelong passion. Dr. Burdick received his BA degree in mathematics from Old Dominion University in 1970, and later earned his master of science in educational administration and his certificate of advanced study in educational administration both from ODU, in 1977 and 1979 respectively. In 1996 he received his doctor of education degree from the University of Virginia. Dr. Burdick's entire educational career has been in service to the young people of Virginia. He began in 1970 as a mathematics teacher at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, Virginia, and later served as Evening High School principal at the school. Dr. Burdick began taking on administrative responsibilities in 1977, as the coordinator of planning and budgeting for Portsmouth Public Schools, where he served until 1983. In 1983 he became principal of Buffalo Gap High School in Augusta County, Virginia, serving in that capacity for three years. In a glimpse of things to come, Dr. Burdick became assistant superintendent of Staunton City Schools in 1986. Finally, in 1991 he accepted the position of superintendent of Winchester Public Schools, a post he has held for the past ten years. Dr. Burdick could easily have been kept busy by the growing demands of his profession. But he did not miss an opportunity to play an active role in his local community and the world at large. His activities have spanned the spectrum, serving on the boards of the Kids Voting-Northern Shenandoah Valley Chapter, Kids Are Our Concern, United Way of Northern Shenandoah Valley, Winchester Rotary Club and the Winchester-Frederick Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Burdick looked beyond Virginia's boundaries as a participant in the Fulbright Memorial Fund, a program which included a three-week visit to educational and cultural institutions in Tokyo and Kagoshima, Japan. In 1999 he participated in the Oxford International Round Table on the Superintendency and Principalship in Oxford, England. He has been published on several occasions, most recently in the November 2000 issue of the Virginia School Board Association Newsletter--an article appropriately titled, ``Helping Superintendents Succeed.'' Later this week Dr. Burdick will officially retire from his position as superintendent of Winchester Public Schools. But he is not retiring from the field of education, and for that we are fortunate. He plans to begin teaching full time as a professor at Shenandoah University. A Thomas Jefferson quotation in one of the corridors of the U.S. Capitol reads, ``Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day.'' Dr. Burdick has dedicated his life in countless different capacities to enlightening the minds of children throughout the state of Virginia, and in doing so he has answered a noble call and filled a compelling need. We are thankful for his past service and look forward to reaping the benefits of his knowledge and passion for education in the years to come.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable gentleman from Virginia's 10th Congressional district, Mr. Stewart Bell, Jr. known to many as ``Mr. Winchester.'' A fitting name indeed, for in the words of one local paper, The Winchester Star, ``few men are as one with their hometown or its history as Stewart Bell, Jr.'' Stewart's remarkable ties to Winchester, and his deep appreciation for history gave him the foresight to sound alarms when urban and commercial development threatened the historic Grimm Farm property in Winchester and Frederick county, Virginia, the site of two critical Civil War battles (The First and Second Kernstown). Mr. Bell worked successfully to educate local officials about the historical importance of the land and the need to preserve it. In a gesture of appreciation, Mr. Bell is being honored later this month by the Kernstown Battlefield Association for his tireless leadership and efforts toward historic preservation. It was Stewart's initial concern at the prospect of losing this priceless historical land which facilitated the creation of the Kernstown Battlefield Association, a grassroots, private, nonprofit group which has partnered with local governments, the National Park Service, the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, and four local banks to purchase the Kernstown Battlefield. It makes sense that Stewart would cultivate a passion for Civil War preservation. His family's lineage in the area reaches nearly a half century before the onslaught of the Civil War. In an article paying homage to local residents who are an inspiration, The Winchester Star laid out some notable facts about Stewart's life. Mr. Bell ``resides in the home built by his great-grandfather, John Bell, in 1809. His father came into the world there in 1864 as the guns of Third Winchester were booming. And he himself was baptised in Winchester in 1910 by a Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Dr. James R. Graham, who claimed Stonewall Jackson as a close friends . . .'' Harkening back to the sentiments expressed by President Ronald Reagan in his farewell address, I think it is safe to say that Stewart has not just been marking time in Winchester, he has made a difference. Starting in 1954, Mr. Bell served on the City Council for 26 years. He was twice elected mayor and served from 1972-1980. Stewart also actively participated in countless community organizations including the First Presbyterian Church, the Red Cross and the Winchester- Frederick County Historical Society. In this era of increased mobility, it is a rarity to find an individual with roots so deeply intertwined to the community of his birth nearly a century ago. Having personally had the opportunity to the community of his birth nearly a century ago. Having personally had the opportunity to be the beneficiary of Stewart's memories and tales of the Valley, I can attest to his unique ability to make history come alive. He is truly a renaissance man--a public servant, a poet with a recently published book, a community activist, a church leader and so much more. It is men like Stewart Bell--a powerful link to our shared heritage and a treasure in his own time--who epitomize that which is great about community and country. We are blessed to know him.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, representatives of the governments of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine recently met in Bucharest to discuss effective cross-border solutions to the problems of trafficking in human beings and illegal immigration. The United States--represented by FBI Director Louis Freeh--as well as officials and law enforcement agencies from a number of western European governments also participated. I welcome the reports on the conference which indicate that the participants agreed not only on the critical need for intensified and coordinated efforts to combat trafficking in human beings and illegal immigration at the national, regional and international levels, but also that the protection of human rights and the dignity of trafficking victims must be given the highest priority in such efforts. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of his role in both national and international efforts to combat trafficking in human beings, my colleague on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Helsinki Commission) Representative Chris Smith was invited to participate in this regional conference. As we all know, Rep. Smith was a prime sponsor of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. In addition, as Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission and head of the U.S. Delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, Rep. Smith successfully advanced language at the 1999 and 2000 meetings of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly which condemned the trafficking of women and children and called for the governments of OSCE participating States to adopt the legislation and enforcement mechanisms needed to punish trafficking perpetrators and to ensure that the human rights of the trafficking victims are protected. Due to the congressional schedule, Rep. Smith submitted a written statement to the South Eastern Europe regional conference urging the governments and parliaments in that region to adopt tough laws against trafficking in human beings as well as providing in law adequate safeguards for the protection of trafficking victims. I commend my good friend and colleague for his devotion to the protection of human rights, including his work to end the global scourge of human trafficking, and I submit his statement to the conference to be made a part of the record. Statement of Rep. Christopher H. Smith, Vice-Chairman, House International Relations Committee, Co-Chairman, U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe Regional Conference on Trafficking in Human Beings and Illegal Immigration, Bucharest, Romania (May 21, 2001) The victimization of children, women and men through trafficking has reached vast proportions in the Balkans and beyond. Human trafficking is a human rights concern, a transnational crime problem, a migration issue, a socioeconomic issue, and a public health issue. Cracking down on the trafficking of human beings deprives transnational criminals of a key source of revenue, strengthens the rule of law, and protects human rights. The attention that this conference brings to the human trafficking problem and to the related, although distinct, concern of illegal immigration, is needed and welcomed. I regret that the congressional schedule prevents my participation in this meeting, but I hope to complement your discussions on fighting human trafficking by addressing the legislator's critical role in ensuring that law enforcers have the legal tools they need to prosecute traffickers and protect victims. I commend the organizers of this meeting for recognizing the synergy between the prosecution of traffickers and the protection of victims, and including both subjects on the agenda. Under the current laws and law enforcement strategies in many countries, victims are often punished more severely than the perpetrators. Trafficked persons will not report abuses to authorities if doing so puts their lives at greater risk and if they do not believe that the law enforcement community will protect them. Therefore, successful prosecutions of traffickers cannot happen if we do not protect their victims. Efforts to promote victim protection, and later reintegration into their communities, must start by recognizing trafficked men, women or children as victims of crime and potential witnesses, rather than as criminals. When a sex-for-hire establishment is raided, for example, the women (and sometimes children) in the establishment are typically arrested, locked up and then deported if they are not citizens of the country where the establishment is located. This procedure is followed without regard to whether their participation in the prostitution was voluntary or involuntary, and without regard to whether they will face retribution or other serious harm upon return. This not only inflicts further cruelty on the victims, it also deprives prosecutors of witnesses to testify against the real criminals, and frightens other victims from coming forward. The needs of trafficking victims, moreover, do not end when they are freed in a police raid. Authorities have the responsibility for the safety and basic needs of victims, including food, clothing, medical attention, shelter, and safe repatriation, and ideally they can partner with non- governmental organizations in providing for the victims. In addition to occasional rescue operations, however, law enforcement officers in South Eastern Europe, and indeed throughout the world, must begin to address human trafficking as a priority crime issue. To date, law enforcers have generally failed to recognize the gravity of the violence brought to bear on trafficked persons or the links between trafficking and organized crime. The importance of thoroughly investigating trafficking cases and prosecuting perpetrators cannot be overstated. Trafficking in persons is today viewed as a low risk/high profit business rather than a crime. The prosecution of traffickers serves a dual purpose: it delivers justice to individuals who use force or fraud to trade in human lives and it serves as a deterrent to others who are inclined to pursue human trafficking as a business endeavor, thinking that the potential rewards would outweigh the risks. I personally worked for more than a year to create a new law \1\ in the United States mandating severe punishment for traffickers and providing new tools for law enforcement officers to combat this scourge. As a result of the legislation that I sponsored, which was enacted last October, any person who traffics in human beings--or who reaps the profits from this abhorrent activity--now faces up to 20 years in prison, or even life imprisonment under certain circumstances. The law also carries a penalty of up to 5 years imprisonment, plus fines, for confiscation or destruction of a passport or immigration documents from another person in the course of trafficking; it allows prosecutors to seize traffickers' assets; and it requires mandatory compensation by traffickers to their victims. The new U.S. law recognizes that children, women and men are trafficked into forced labor, involuntary servitude or slavery--not only in the commercial sex industry, but also into industrial sweatshops, domestic servitude, and other exploitive situations. Severe penalties have been created for trafficking into any of these types of exploitation. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ ``Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000'' (Public Law 106-386, signed by the President on Oct. 28, 2000), available at <http://www.house.gov/chrissmith/>. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This law gives prosecutors the tools to crack down on traffickers, but it also ensures that trafficked persons will be treated as victims of a crime and potential witnesses rather than as criminals. Toward that end, the law requires the U.S. Department of Justice to ensure that trafficked persons, while in the custody of the federal government, will not be detained in facilities that are inappropriate to their status as crime victims, the victims will receive medical care and other assistance, will be provided protection if their safety is in jeopardy, will be advised of their legal rights, and will have access to translation services. Law enforcement authorities are also empowered to place trafficked persons in witness protection programs, if needed, which can help protect them from reprisals by the organized crime groups, or the individual thugs, who trafficked them. The new anti-trafficking law also includes victim protection measures such as funding for NGOs working to assist trafficking victims in safe integration, reintegration, or resettlement. The law creates a new non- immigrant visa which allows a victim of trafficking to remain temporarily in the United States if the victim is a child, or the victim is willing to assist in the investigation or prosecution of acts of trafficking, and would suffer extreme hardship if deported from the United States. In certain cases, trafficked persons can also become eligible for permanent residence after several years. As participating States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, each government represented in the Stability Pact committed at the Istanbul Summit to ``undertake measures . . . to end ... all forms of trafficking in human beings,'' \2\ including by `promot[ing] the adoption or strengthening of legislation to hold accountable persons responsible for [trafficking] and strengthen[ing] the protection of victims.' The need for legal reforms was also recognized by members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in both the St. Petersburg Declaration of 1999 and the Bucharest Declaration of 2000. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \2\ OSCE Charter for European Security, para. 24 (Istanbul, November 1999). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Despite these commitments, many criminal codes do not yet recognize the crime of trafficking in human beings. Addressing the legal deficiencies in the U.S. Code took an enormous investment of political will, a careful examination of the laws on the books, and dogged determination to craft legal tools for prosecution of traffickers and for protection of victims. Each government and parliament in South Eastern Europe should undertake a review and strengthening of its domestic laws to ensure that trafficking in human beings is established as a criminal offense and that penalties can be imposed that reflect the grievous nature of the offense. I would be very glad to provide the law which we crafted should the example be helpful to other lawmakers. Legal reform is a vital step in the battle against modem- day slavery. In the meantime, however, even in countries in which the law does not specifically prohibit trafficking in persons, law enforcement authorities can and should prosecute traffickers by using existing laws against, inter alia, kidnaping, fraud, pandering, falsifying documents, assisting individuals to cross borders illegally, forced labor, assault, or rape. As with all human rights, the responsibility to prevent this particular abuse, to prosecute those who commit the atrocities, and to protect their victims, begins and ends with individual States.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, I am saddened today to announce to our colleagues the passing on May 27 of William Holmes Brown, who served as parliamentarian of the House from 1974 to 1994. He was 71 years of age. Not only did I have the pleasure of working with Bill Brown in the House, but I was also privileged to be his Congressman. He lived at Oakland Green Farm in Lincoln in Loudoun County, Virginia, property which had been in the family for more than eight generations. Bill began his service in the Parliamentarian's Office in 1958 when he was appointed Assistant Parliamentarian by Speaker Sam Rayburn. In 1974, he was named to the position of Parliamentarian by Speaker Carl Albert. He succeeded the legendary Lewis Deschler, with whom he had collaborated in volumes of ``Precedents of the House of Representatives,'' referred to in the House as the Deschler-Brown Precedents. During his years in the House, he served under six Speakers. Besides Speaker Sam Rayburn and Carl Albert, he served under John McCormack, Tip O'Neill, Jim Wright, and Tom Foley. He retired from the House in 1994. During his service in the House, he worked to develop parliamentary projects in newly emerging democratic republics in Eastern Europe, participating in seminars and training programs for representatives of other national legislative bodies. After he retired as Parliamentarian in 1994, he worked for the Agency of International Development on a parliamentary development project in the Ukraine. Members today can thank Bill Brown and thank his staff, many here today, for organizing the Office of the Parliamentarian, moving it into the Computer Age and making the House precedents available online for all to access. Bill was the ultimate professional and dedicated public servant. He was held in the highest regard by Members on both sides of the aisle because his work reflected his dedication to the proposition that the rules of the House should be applied and enforced without political considerations. Bill was born in Huntington, West Virginia. He was a 1951 graduate of Swarthmore College and received his law degree from the University of Chicago. He served on active duty in the Navy from 1954 to 1957 and then served in the Naval Reserve from 1954 to 1974, retiring as a lieutenant commander. He was director of the Conversations at Oatlands organization and the Loudoun Museum and a member of the Catoctin Farmers Club and Goose Creek Friends Meeting. On behalf of the House, and on behalf of Members on both sides of the aisle, and on behalf of Members who served here many, many years ago, Madam Speaker, we send our deepest sympathies to Bill's wife of 30 years, Jean Smith Brown, and their daughter, Sara Holmes Brown. Resignation of the Parliamentarian, the Honorable Wm. Holmes Brown, and Appointment of the Honorable Charles W. Johnson as Parliamentarian (house of representatives--september 20, 1994) The SPEAKER laid before the House the following communication from the Parliamentarian of the House of Representatives, which was read: Hon. Thomas S. Foley, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Speaker: In March of this year, I completed my thirty-sixth year with the House of Representatives. In July, I completed my twentieth year as Parliamentarian. In the past few months, circumstances, both personal and professional, have focused my attention on retirement. It has been a difficult decision to reach, but I have concluded that it's time for a change. The office which I have been privileged to hold continues to be both challenging and rewarding. It is fascinating to encounter--almost daily--fresh interpretations of rules and bill language which require constant evaluation of yesterday's assumptions and conclusions. The House changes from year to year, with new Members and staff and circumstances always reshaping this institution; what does not change is the reservoir of intellect and inventiveness which characterizes those who work in the legislative branch of our government. Daily interaction with such talented people makes the congress a uniquely fascinating place to work. I could not have done this job without a lot of help, without the love and support of my family, who have learned to live with long hours and erratic schedules; without the teamwork at the rostrum and in all the support offices of the House; without the reservoir of personal commitment and professional strength from my colleagues in the Office. Among the deputy and the assistant parliamentarians there is a wealth of experience and talent. Their accumulated service totals over 80 years. Each is dedicated to the proposition that the rules of this great institution should be applied and enforced without political considerations. All are open to Members and staff with respect to the rules and precedents which govern and guide the deliberations of the House and its committees. They are all exemplary public servants; they can and will continue to carry out the responsibilities of the Office in a manner which reflects the best traditions of the House. We share a lasting bond and I will miss these friends whom I admire and care for so deeply. I owe a great debt of gratitude to all the Speakers whom I have been fortunate to know: Sam Rayburn, who first appointed me as an assistant parliamentarian on the recommendation of my legendary predecessor as Parliamentarian, Lewis Deschler; John McCormack, who shared his anecdotes and love of the House during long evening conversations in the Speaker's Rooms; Carl Albert, who had faith enough in my abilities to appoint me as Parliamentarian during a very tumultuous time in the history of the House and has continued to be a valued mentor since his retirement; Thomas P. `Tip' O'Neill, whose good humor and warmth toward me survived some parliamentary decisions which he must have found vexing; Jim Wright, whose eloquence and courage are unflagging. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I must say how much I have valued your friendship and support. You have always been sensitive and faithful to the distinctions between political and parliamentary decisions and your gavel has been both firm and impartial. The opportunities you have given me to interact with other parliamentary institutions, particularly with the newly emerging democratic republics in eastern Europe, have revealed new horizons which I hope to explore more fully in the future. Programs to encourage and foster parliamentary democracy in that area of our world are of critical importance. The House can be proud of the contribution it is making to this effort and if I can be of assistance in these endeavors I will be available to do so. I must acknowledge the courtesies and cooperation shown me by the distinguished Minority leader, Bob Michel. He has always shown an appreciation of the role of our office and he and his staff have been of inestimable support. To have known so many of his predecessors, such distinguished men as Joe Martin, Charley Halleck, John Rhodes and Gerald Ford, has been a rare privilege. All of these Leaders have made the House a better place and have left an indelible mark on its history. I will miss the many friendships with Members that have formed over the years. May I extend to them, through you, my appreciation for their kindnesses. With your concurrence, my termination as Parliamentarian will be effective on September 15, 1994. Very respectfully yours, Wm. Holmes Brown. The SPEAKER. It is with great regret that the Chair accepts the resignation of the distinguished Parliamentarian of the House Wm. Holmes Brown. Pursuant to the provisions of 2 U.S.C. 297a, the Chair announces that on September 16, 1994, he appointed Charles W. Johnson as Parliamentarian of the House of Representatives to succeed Wm. Holmes Brown, resigned.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and thank the nine men and women who have completed their two-year term of service to our nation as commissioners on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. This commission was created by Congress to generate a heightened awareness to the never ending atrocities associated with persecution of individuals around the world for their religious beliefs. As a result of their investigations, hearings, and reports of religious rights abuses, these commissioners have provided Congress and the administration with timely and accurate information used to formulate U.S. policy. In this capacity, chairman Elliott Abrams and commissioners Nina Shea, Rabbi David Saperstein, Dr. Friuz Kazemzadeh, Michael K. Young, Laila Al-Marayati, John R. Bolton, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, and Justice Charles Z. Smith have served our nation with distinction, honor and faithfulness from May 15, 1999, until May 14, 2001. I was pleased to hear that because of her faithful commitment to religious freedom issues around the world and her stellar performance during her first term, Ms. Nina Shea has just been appointed to serve a second term on the commission. These commissioners have made sound policy recommendations to the president, the secretary of state, and Congress with respect to matters involving international religious freedom. They have testified before Congress numerous times, held timely hearings to investigate religious persecution atrocities in such countries as Sudan, China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Burma, and have worked with the non-goverrimental organization community to bring aid and comfort to the oppressed of the world. Those around the world suffering persecution for their religious beliefs have truly benefitted from the commitment of these nine servants of conscience. These commissioners have professionally completed their responsibilities by producing annual reports and conducting ongoing reviews of the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom around the world. Each of their activities has helped to bring visibility to any oppressor government that violates the basic freedoms of their citizens. Mr. Speaker, I have come to appreciate each of these commissioners for their dedication and professionalism in protecting the rights of all citizens of the world who practice religious worship, be they Christian, Jewish, Muslim or any other faith. Their service to the American people and the peoples of the world has established credibillty and relevance of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. I know many of my colleagues in the House join me in saluting Elliott Abrams, Nina Shea, Rabbi David Saperstein, Dr. Friuz Kazemzadeh, Michael K. Young, Laila Al-Marayati, John R. Bolton, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, and Justice Charles Z. Smith for representing the United States in the cause to protect religious freedom around the world for these past two years.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the work of Chairman Hyde and the International Relations Committee to bring this legislation to the floor today. While the bill contains some language that remains to be debated and which is cause for concern, I rise in strong support of the provision calling for the creation of a special envoy post for Sudan. This position is critical in the work for a just peace to a civil war that has claimed over two million lives, has displaced an estimated four million from their homes, and threatens another two million with death due to famine. And while I applaud the International Relations Committee for including language calling for a special envoy to Sudan, I also today appeal to President Bush and Secretary Powell to be leaders of action, not just placaters of words. It is time for the administration to take action to appoint a high-profile special envoy who has the President's full backing and commitment to end the continuing atrocities in Sudan. More people have died in Sudan in the past 15 years--then have died in Somalia, Kosovo, Rwanda and Bosnia combined. The most recent statistics available put the number of dead at 2.2 million. That's an additional 400,000 deaths since I spoke on this floor in June 1999 in support of a House resolution condemning the National Islamic Front (NIF) government and calling for a special envoy to end the suffering of innocent southern Sudanese people. Well, we got a special envoy then, but unfortunately President Clinton never proved he was serious about ending the suffering. In fairness, that special envoy was not empowered by nor did he have access to the President. So the suffering has gone on and on. It is time for a high-profile special envoy who has the backing of the President, Secretary of State, Congress and the will of the people to bring an end to the atrocities. It is time for the United States and the nations of the world to join together to end the genocide that is taking place in Sudan in the 21st century. One man concerned for the people of southern Sudan recently said, ``No one should be able to sit out a holocaust.'' As many in Congress noted nearly two years ago, millions of people are still starving in southern Sudan, kept alive only by the brave efforts of international humanitarian organizations, like World Vision, Save the Children, UNICEF and others. The World Food Program estimated last month that nearly 600,000 people in southern Sudan are in immediate danger of starving to death this summer alone and that 2.9 million are at risk of starvation and in need of assistance. The Khartoum government--which took power in a coup in 1989 and has intensified the war ever since--is waging genocide against the people of southern Sudan who are fighting for religious freedom and self- determination. The government continues to use relief food as a weapon against the people in the south who are mostly Christians or animists. The word ``genocide'' is now the word used most commonly to describe what is taking place in Sudan. Since I spoke on this floor nearly two years ago in calling for a special envoy, the Committee on Conscience of the United States Holocaust Museum has issued a genocide warning for Sudan, Africa's largest country. In addition, the people of southern Sudan continue their familiarity with terms such as high-altitude bombings, abduction, slavery, famine, forced religious conversion and a new term that has appeared during the past 18 months, ``scorched earth.'' Government planes use high-altitude bombing to demolish civilian targets such as hospitals and terrorize the population. Russian-made Antonov bombers randomly bomb civilians day and night. Sometimes, just the sound and sight of an Antonov approaching a village will send the innocent scurrying into hiding. I personally witnessed this form of terrorism this past January during my trip to southern Sudan. Videos of the aftermath of a government bombing of a marketplace were distributed to Congress this week. The video documents a savage attack that claimed innocent life. One Catholic Bishop asked me, why did the world stop the killing in Kosovo and not in Sudan: ``Is it because of our skin color?'' We know that women and children from southern Sudan are being sold into slavery. They are kidnaped by slave raiders who sweep into destabilized regions following government attacks and capture women and children. It is clear that the government of Sudan tolerates, and even condones, these slave raids. Women and girls are used as concubines and domestic servants. Boys are used as farm hands, domestic servants and sometimes, sent to the front lines. Former District of Columbia delegate, the Reverend Walter Fauntroy, and Joe Madison, a syndicated radio personality here in Washington, recently returned from Sudan where they witnesses 21st century slavery first hand. They recently spoke of their trip before a Congressional Human Rights Caucus hearing. Joe Madison noted that when he arrived in a slave camp, where 2,931 slaves were redeemed during his visit, he thought the scene before his eyes could have been staged for the movie ``Roots,'' except it was real. He and Delegate Fauntroy witnessed individual accounts of abuses many of the slaves suffered at the hands of their former slave masters. They spoke to a 13-year old boy, who had been a slave since he was 8 and who had all his fingers cut off because he refused to clean a goat pen. They met a 20-year old woman who had been enslaved for five years and was forced to have sex with her own brother while 12 men watched and later raped her. They listened as another young woman explained how she had her throat cut and her breast burned because she refused to give up her baby to a slave master. And finally, Joe Madison was numbed by the story of a young mother whose baby's throat was slit by a slave raider. The raider then cut the tottler's head off. The mother, after being raped, was forced to carry the head of her child on the march north where she was ordered by her slave master to throw the child's head into a fire. She remained a slave for several years. Modern-day slavery in Sudan is just an airplane ride from the shores of America. There are real people with real stories and they are asking for our help. It would be easy for them to think that Americans don't care about what is happening to them. But, Americans do care. My office, as do many others in Congress, continues to hear from citizens from across our nation expressing their outrage at these atrocities and they demand that our government do something about them. I recently received 68 letters from students at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois, about their concern for the plight of the Sudanese people. These students, like many other citizens around the world, are saying, enough is enough. Do something to stop the suffering of these innocent people. Slavery is only part of the problem in Sudan. Starvation is only part of the problem. Unfortunately, bombing of innocent men, women and children is only part of the problem. Now, a new term is becoming the norm in southern Sudan. ``Scorched earth.'' Oil has been discovered in vast amounts during the past two years. The Khartoum government has begun aerial and ground attacks in and around the oil fields in an effort to eliminate any living thing that happens to inhabit the area. Oil companies from around the world are lining up to pump this ``blood oil'' to benefit the stock portfolios of their investors. For those who follow the situation in Sudan, names and terms such as the Nuba mountains, Heglig and Unity oil fields, upper Nile region, helicopter gun-ships, oil road, displacement, scorched earth and death are routinely reported in news accounts of the ongoing atrocities against humanity. It is estimated that the Khartoum government is bringing in an additional $500 million a year from its new-found resource. Most of these additional funds are going to double the military spending in Sudan so that the suffering can increase on those living in the south. Nearly two years ago, I stated on this floor that, ``what is needed is a comprehensive, just and permanent solution to end the fighting--a solution which provides the people of Southern Sudan the ability to practice their faith as they choose and determine their future. All the people of Sudan are suffering at the hands of the NIF regime, but the people of southern Sudan have been the real losers.'' Now, sadly to say, since those words were spoken in June 1999, another 400,000 innocent lives have been lost. A special envoy was created, in name only, but without the full support of President Clinton or his administration. My colleagues, I encourage you to speak out and encourage President Bush and his new administration to do whatever it takes to end the suffering in Sudan that has gone on far too long. Our nation has received many blessing over the past 225 years. Though things are not perfect, our citizens don't worry about their homes, schools or churches being bombed by their government. Our men, women and children are not sold into slavery or starved because of their religious beliefs. Our nation was founded on religious principles. Luke 12:48 reminds us that to whom much is given, much is expected. The United States can and must do more to facilitate the negotiation of a just peace in Sudan. The innocent in southern Sudan and those in the world who support the principles of freedom; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, are counting on this administration to make a serious effort to bring peace to Sudan in 2001. Again, I thank Chairman Hyde and the committee for the work on this bill.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I want to share with you the findings of the U.S. Catholic Bishop's Conference who recently led a delegation to the country of Sudan. Since 1983, the government of Sudan has been waging a brutal war against factions in the south who are fighting for self determination and religious freedom. More people have died in Sudan than in Kosovo, Bosnia, Rwanda and Somalia combined. Most of the dead are civilians-- women and children--who died from starvation and disease. Over 2 million people have died. The Committee on Conscience of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has issued a genocide warning for Sudan. Because of the large-scale death and destruction, the findings arising from the U.S. Catholic Bishops' delegation is noteworthy and timely. The dire situation in Sudan calls for a high profile, high level special envoy to bring peace and to stop the atrocities. It is my fervent hope that the Bush administration will appoint such an envoy without delay.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the Federal Inmate Work Act of 2001, a bill to help reduce crime by providing federal inmates real-world job skills while in prison. This bill would reform Federal Prison Industries so it can do a better job of rehabilitating our prison population before prisoners are let back out into society. Besides reducing crime through better rehabilitation of our inmate population, this legislation will improve the U.S. economy. It will create jobs by returning industries now operating offshore back to the U.S. and allowing private companies to compete with FPI for federal contracts. This legislation reforms Federal Prison Industries in a number of ways. First, it would allow private companies in the United States to use federal inmate labor to produce items that would otherwise be produced by foreign labor. It would phase out the mandatory source requirement for federal agency purchases from Federal Prison Industries and puts them under the same authority and standards that govern state prison employment programs. It allows for increased collection for child support and victim restitution. It reduces the cost of incarceration by increasing collections for rooms and board costs. It requires that FPI establish goals for contracts with small, minority or women-owned businesses as well as with organizations that employ blind or severely disabled workers. Mr. Speaker, today, there are more than 1.9 million Americans behind bars and the prison population continues to rise at an alarming rate. Approximately a quarter of those prisoners complete their sentences every year and return to society. Most of those former inmates, however, have never had a real job. Within the federal system, there were 145,125 inmates confined at the end of FY 2000. Current projections indicate that the federal inmate population will rise to more than 200,000 by the end of FY 2007. We just cannot continue to lock up thousands of men and women every year and hope that they will somehow mysteriously rehabilitate themselves in prison without learning a skill. We cannot continue to allow federal prisons to become finishing schools for crime, where criminals are paroled as experts in their craft. If the only thing you know how to do when you leave prison is steal or deal drugs, that is what you will do to survive when you are released. If the current prison work system is not augmented, prisons will become increasingly overcrowded, violent, and, most alarmingly, Americans will face a higher crime rate as the rate of unrehabilitated inmates are let out into society. Prisons should be turning out inmates ready to reenter mainstream society equipped to productively contribute to their communities. The best way to accomplish this is to put federal prisoners to work. Many convicts can be reformed if given the opportunity to learn skills other than those necessary to be successful in crime. Mr. Speaker, a 16-year study by the Justice Department of federal inmates, the Post-Release Employment Project, has demonstrated convincingly that participation in prison industries/vocational training programs has a positive effect on post-release employment and recidivism. The study revealed that inmates who worked in prison industries or completed Employment, particularly industrial jobs, is the key factor in combating the adverse impact of crowding in a prison setting. Work, education, and vocational training not only reduce the debilitating idleness of a crowded institution, but offer important security management benefits such as supervised time out of cells. Idleness, on the other hand, breeds apathy and discontent. Boredom turns to frustration resulting in violent and criminal behavior. The old adage that ``idleness is the devil's workshop'' reaffirms what can happen when an inmate's time is not productively occupied. Mr. Speaker, this legislation will also be beneficial to the U.S. economy. First this legislation would revamp the Federal Prison Industries program by allowing federal inmates to produce goods that are presently being made offshore. For example, our prison populations could learn to produce items such as televisions and VCRs and other products now provided by non-American sources. This public-private partnership may actually help improve our balance of trade by reducing imports. A panel made up of representatives from the departments of Commerce and Labor, the International Trade Commission, the Small Business Administration, the business community and organized labor would ensure that domestic labor was not threatened by this new authority for FPI. This also would create ancillary jobs in the domestic economy as a result of bringing back certain industries whose entire economic support structure is located overseas. Bringing back manufacturing jobs that have gone overseas will create other jobs. Raw materials will need to be brought into the prisons and finished products will have to be taken out. This will mean jobs for the local trucking companies. Teachers and craftsmen will need to be hired to teach the inmates the necessary skills. This is more than just giving federal prisoners the necessary skills to become productive members of society, it is about creating jobs for Americans, on American soil. Finally, the bill also facilitates restitution programs that meet the true meaning of restitution by setting up programs where the inmate directly compensates the victim of that inmate's crime. Programs that merely take money from prisoners and put it into a general fund without earmarking it for their victim are merely fines. Restitution in the true sense, requires that the offender directly compensate the victim and therefore require the offender to acknowledge their responsibility to the victim. This legislation reforms FPI in a way that will allow us to do a better job of rehabilitating our rising inmate population and reducing the crime rate of released inmates. At the same time, it will help the U.S. economy and will be a better deal for the U.S. taxpayers. I encourage my colleagues to cosponsor this legislation, and support the FPI's mission to rehabilitate our inmates by providing an opportunity for inmates to gain meaningful employment skills and come out of prison as productive members of society.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unable to speak on the floor yesterday when the resolutions on the human rights situation in China and Tibet and in Cuba were debated. I was attending a funeral in my district and on an official leave of absence. I am an original co-sponsor of both of these resolutions and I am pleased that both were considered by the House. Given the events in China this past week, it is important that the House adopted H. Res. 56 which expresses the sense of the House urging the appropriate representative of the U.S. to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to introduce at the annual meeting in Geneva of the commission a resolution calling upon the People's Republic of China (PRC) to end its human rights violations in China and Tibet. Mr. Speaker, we can look to the China section of the 2000 State Department's Annual Report on Human Rights to see the deplorable human rights record of the PRC: ``The Government's poor human rights record worsened, and it continued to commit serious abuses.'' This same human rights report says that the ``PRC is an authoritative state . . . [that] frequently interfere [s] in the judicial process, and the Party and the Government direct verdicts in many high-profile cases. It is appropriate that the U.S. introduce this resolution at the U.N. because it is the right thing to do in the face of China's alarming human rights record as described further in the State Department human rights report: . . . thousands of Falun Gong practitioners . . . were sentenced to re-education through-labor camps or incarcerated in mental institutions . . . The government continued to commit widespread and well- documented human rights abuses . . . [such as] extrajudicial killings, the use of torture, forced confessions, arbitrary arrest and detention, the mistreatment of prisoners, lengthy incommunicado and denial of due process . . . . . . 100 or more Falun Gong practitioners died as a result of torture and mistreatment in custody'' The Government's respect for religious freedom deteriorated markedly . . . as the Government conducted crackdowns against underground Christian groups and Tibetan Buddhists and destroyed many houses of worship. It is appropriate that the U.S. introduce this resolution at the U.N. in light of China's detainment of 24 U.S. service personnel attached to the U.S. EP-3E aircraft. China's behavior throughout this incident should make the true nature of the Chinese Government clear-- the regime in Beijing will abuse the rights of anyone, even U.S. service personnel who have to make an emergency landing on Chinese territory. It is appropriate that the U.S. introduce this resolution at the U.N. in light of the fact that China has arrested a U.S. citizen, professor Li Shaomin. Professor Li has been detained by Chinese authorities since February 25. Professor Li's wife does not know why her husband has been detained. It is appropriate that the U.S. introduce this resolution at the U.N. in light of the fact that China has detained and charged Ms. Gao Zhan, a permanent resident of the U.S. who lives in my congressional district. Ms. Gao is married to a U.S. citizen and is the mother of a U.S. citizen. After detaining her husband Xue Donhua (now a U.S. citizen) and their 5-year old son Andrew (a U.S. citizen) for over a month, the government of China has now charged Ms. Gao Zhan with spying. I have met Mr. Xue and his son Andrew and talked about their incarceration. They are a wonderful family. Yet, Andrew was taken away and held separately from his parents for over a month. Andrew needs a mother and needs to be with his mother. What kind of government would separate a family like this? What kind of government would put a 5-year old child through this kind of ordeal? Similarly, H. Res. 56 instructs the U.S. delegation at the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva to obtain passage of a resolution condemning the Government of Cuba for its human rights abuses. As this resolution states, ``the Castro regime systematically violates all of the fundamental civil and political rights of the Cuban people, denying freedoms of speech, press, assembly, movement, religion, and association, the right to change their government and the right to due process and fair trials.'' It is no accident that both the Cuban and Chinese governments are serious violators of religious freedom. As both Cuba and China are authoritarian regimes, nothing is more threatening to them than people of faith and conviction who are capable and willing to speak truth to power. I am proud to co-sponsor both of these resolutions because the U.S. needs to be on the side of pursuing justice and of speaking truth to power. I am hopeful that the U.S. will lead in the efforts in Geneva to speak truth to the authoritarian regimes of Cuba and China.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I would like to offer sympathy to Norman's family. Everyone was Norman's friend on both sides of the aisle. There will be a resolution that we will offer from both sides of the aisle after the last vote for an hour, and anyone who would like to speak at that time will have the opportunity immediately after the last vote. But our hearts and prayers go out to Norman's family, his staff, and his friends.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 107) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the time be equally divided and controlled between the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran) and myself.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is with profound sorrow that I join my fellow members of the Virginia congressional delegation and other Members of the House today in remembering Norman Sisisky, a true gentleman and a real patriot. We had learned the news earlier this week that Norman's recent surgery had gone well, and he had returned home to recuperate before his expected return to Washington after the upcoming recess. And today we heard the shocking news that he had passed away. Mr. Speaker, his untimely passing reminds us all of our own mortality and how important it is to live our lives with honor and integrity, as Norman did, and to make the most of every opportunity to serve our fellow man, as Norman did. Norman was hard-working, friendly, honest, ethical, decent and moral. He was a Member who worked in a bipartisan way. He reached across the aisle to work for the best interests of America, and it was a privilege to serve with him for the 18 years that he was in Congress and to work with him on the congressional delegation on issues of importance to our State and Union. Norman was born June 9, 1927, and graduated from John Marshall High School in Richmond, Virginia. He joined the Navy after high school and served through World War II until 1946. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1949 with a degree in business administration. He transformed a small Pepsi bottling company in Petersburg, Virginia, into a highly successful distributor of soft drinks throughout Southside Virginia. Mr. Speaker, he began his public service career when he was elected as a delegate to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1973 representing Petersburg. He served five terms in the Virginia General Assembly before being elected to Congress in 1982. Norman, like another of our late colleagues, Herb Bateman, was a senior member of the House Committee on Armed Services, and from that vantage point was the protector of our national security, and probably no man or woman in this body did more to work with regard to national security and working in a bipartisan way. Norman was the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Military Procurement and also served on the Subcommittee on Readiness, and the Subcommittee on Morale, Welfare and Recreation Panel. He had recently been appointed to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Norman was also a Member of the Blue Dog Coalition in the 104th through the 107th Congress, and led bipartisan efforts that worked. In 1993, he was one of six Democrats for a strong defense and worked to mobilize against military cuts. Norman was instrumental in working to get funding to build the newest aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, which was recently christened. He worked tirelessly as an advocate for production of shipbuilding and strengthening our national defense. He represented with pride Virginia's Fourth Congressional District in the southeastern corner of the Commonwealth, the home of the first permanent English settlement in North America, and today the home of one of the largest concentrations of military power in the world. This Congress, the Commonwealth of Virginia and this Nation have lost a faithful servant and a wonderful man, but our lives are forever enriched for having had Norman Sisisky as a friend and colleague. Mr. Speaker, our deepest sympathies are extended to Congressman Sisisky's family, his wife of over 50 years, Rhoda, and his four sons, Mark, Terry, Richard and Stuart, and his seven grandchildren; and also to his congressional family, his staff here on Capitol Hill and in his district offices, and all of the close friends that he had among the Members of Congress and staff. We share in that loss.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis).

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goode).

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis).

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Schrock).

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor).

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter).