Frank Wolf

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution that calls on the People's Republic of China to immediately release Rabiya Kadeer, a prominent Uighur businesswomen, her son, and her secretary. When the Chinese government arrests and imprisons people like this, it is an important reminder to all of us of the true character of the Chinese regime. The State Department's 1999 Human Rights Report on China stated this clearly, saying, ``The [Chinese] government's poor human rights record deteriorated markedly throughout the year as the Government intensified efforts to suppress dissent, particularly organized dissent.'' The Chinese government will stop at nothing to silence any voice of freedom and truth. The Chinese government murders its own people to stay in power, flattening thousands of its own citizens who supported the Tiananmen Square democracy movement. The Chinese government has arrested, imprisoned, or kicked out of the country virtually every leading democratic dissident. People of faith are persecuted by the Chinese government. Christians, Tibetan Bhuddists, and Muslim Uighurs like Ms. Kadeer are imprisoned and forced into prison labor, because of their faith. The Chinese regime has imprisoned old men like 80-90 year-old-Catholic bishops. The government regularly persecutes and imprisons priests and Protestant House church leaders, Tibetan Bhuddist monks and nuns. I am very supportive of this resolution today and I think this resolution sends an important message of disapproval of the Government of China's deplorable behavior toward its own citizens.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, today I pass along information about how the diamonds at the heart of several African wars could be transformed from a curse into a blessing for its people. Representative Tony Hall of Ohio has worked for months on the problems of conflict diamonds, in large part because of what he saw in Sierra Leone last December. Hundreds of thousands of people have been driven from their homes by fighting, tens of thousands have died, and countless numbers have watched as rebels hacked off their loved ones' arms, legs, ears, or noses. Mr. Hall of Ohio has spoken many times about this, and I urge our colleagues to look at the diamonds that are symbols of love and commitment to Americans a little differently--and look into the role they play in the war machines in several African countries. Not all diamonds are bloody, but the industry collects 30 percent of its profits from the ones that are. Today, there is reason to hope that the legitimate diamond industry is going to help choke off this terrible trade. I hope they will do more and endorse the proposals Congressman Hall made this week. Those suggestions are described in a thoughtful and interesting article from the Dayton Daily News. Its author, Kay Semion, points out ways that ``gems could transform African lives.'' I urge our colleagues to take a moment to read it and I am submitting it for the Record. [Dayton Daily News, July 19, 2000] Gems Could Transform African Lives (By Kay Semion) Diamonds are not always a girl's best friend, U.S. Rep. Tony Hall says--not when they finance warlords who terrorize the people of Sierra Leone, Angola and other diamond- producing nations. The Dayton Democrat returned Monday to Washington from Antwerp, Belgium, where he had pleaded with the leaders of the World Diamond Congress to cut off these warlords and to help the countries they are devastating. On one plan, he will likely be successful. The diamond industry is responding to pressures from him and others to trace diamonds so profits do not go into the bloody hands of rebel hoodlums. These outlaws are so greedy that they drug children and train them to be brutal warriors, who can cut off arms and legs without a moment of rue. On another plea, however, diamond executives were silent. Hall urged them to help repair those nations that diamond warlords have torn apart. He gave them two options: Contribute 1 percent of their profits to nation-building programs such as UNICEF or Doctors Without Borders. And begin a foundation--The Sparkle Fund--to support a micro-enterprise system for certain African nations. ``You could have heard a pin drop,'' Hall said of the reaction to his quests for investing in Africa. ``There were 500 to 600 in the hall, and it was real quiet.'' No wonder. It's easier to say you're sorry and won't do it again than it is to help those who have been harmed--even inadvertently. But Hall is right. And his proposed Sparkle Fund is most promising, based on the successful micro-enterprise system developed by Muhammad Yunus. Yunus is a Bangladeshi economist who was educated in the United States and returned to his country to teach about 25 years ago. In walks he took during leisure hours, he noticed that the women in villages were in a poverty cycle--making products but not profits because they were always in debt to the village loan sharks. His efforts to get banks or governments to help failed, so in 1976 he set up a system that became known as the Grameen Bank, The ``bank'' began with small loans from his pocket-- $20 or $30--so the women could buy supplies for making chairs or pottery. Borrowers became bank officers who then approved other loans. The process not only ensured that loans would be repaid but also provided help for those starting small enterprise businesses. Today that bank has 35,000 branches, hundreds of millions in loans and a 96 percent repayment rate. Hall is asking the World Diamond Congress to borrow this successful economic model. This ``is not a contribution to corrupt officials' pockets,'' Hall told the diamond executives. ``It is an investment directly in the poor who make up the overwhelming number of these countries' citizens.'' An investment in the mirco-enterprise system, he continued, would demonstrate ``the stake you have in peace in Africa.'' Here's Hall's idea: Market something like a ``Hope'' diamond--one of the gems that could easily have come from a diamond-rich country such as Sierra Leone. Use the profits from that sale to start the fund, then contribute, say, $50 million a year to that seed money for a decade. Use the marketing skills gained in selling women on ``eternity rings,'' Hall suggested. Consider what has happened with the Grameen Bank and other micro-enterprise systems. The person who borrows money (usually a woman) not only gets the loan, but she gets supporting partners from the bank's committee. They teach her business rules she may have no other way of learning, and they offer technical assistance. In Bangladesh, the bank even has officers who wander about the country using cell phones to provide help. Almost always, these systems build up a network of devoted people--the very ones who are approached and supportive when relief agencies seek help to stop the spread of diseases such as AIDS. Hall simply wants the diamond industry to transform blood diamonds into sparkling gems. That's not too much to ask.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall) has taken the leadership on this issue with regard to Sierra Leone. We visited Sierra Leone in the month of December. This picture is of a young girl that we saw who had her arms cut off because of conflict diamonds. In Sierra Leone, the rebels have taken over the areas and are pursuing the war. And this picture is another young little girl with her arms cut off. They are pursuing the war by the sale of what they call conflict or blood diamonds. On behalf of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall), we offered an amendment, which was adopted unanimously by Republicans and Democrats in the subcommittee and not challenged in the full committee, to prohibit the importation of diamonds coming from certain countries, Sierra Leone and Liberia, where Charles Taylor in Liberia is doing terrible things, and Burkina Faso and other countries. In the Congo, in the last 22 months, 1.6 to 1.7 million people have died. Thirty-five percent of these killed are under the age of 5. So this amendment is here in order to stop conflict diamonds. On this floor several weeks ago, this Congress voted not to send the money for U.S. peacekeeping. No one wants to send American soldiers. So there can be U.N. peacekeepers, at the minimum, which ought to prohibit the importation of what is called conflict or blood diamonds. This is also in the best interests of the people of Sierra Leone but also the diamond merchants. Because if it ever gets out that every time a young woman or young man purchases a diamond, and 65 percent of the diamonds in the world are sold in our country, the American people do not want to buy blood diamonds, then I think the diamond market may very well be in trouble. So, for this reason, we offer the amendment to stop this issue. Keep in mind, too, the life expectancy in Sierra Leone is 25.6 years. So I wanted to be heard. And I know my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall), wants to be heard on this issue and the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on African Affairs (Mr. Royce), who has been so good on this issue and has really focused on it, wants to be heard. I do want to say that I understand the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Crane) will be making an announcement that he is going to hold a hearing. I personally want to thank him for his willingness to do this, which will help us after the August break to focus on the issue. So I want to personally thank the gentleman very much for his willingness to do this. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) for his help on this issue. I appreciate it very much. I also appreciate the help of the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) on this issue. He has provided great leadership. Mr. Chairman, while I understand that the distinguished chairman is raising a point of order on this section because of jurisdiction claims, I wish that this section could remain in this bill because of the immediacy of the problem in Africa. Millions of people have died in Africa because of the bloodshed surrounding conflict diamonds. Rebel groups and military forces in Sierra Leone, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have committed horrible atrocities to gain control of and to profit from diamonds and diamond mines. At least $10 billion in diamonds have been smuggled from these countries over the past decade. In the Congo, some 1.7 million people have died because of the fight to control Congo's natural resources. In Angola, the rebel movement UNITA pays for more weapons and kills more people because of its trafficking and control of Angola's diamonds. In Sierra Leone, an estimated 75,000 people have died because of the rebels' vicious campaign to control the country's diamonds. Mr. Hall and I visited Sierra Leone and met and talked with hundreds of people who had their arms, legs, hands cut off by Sierra Leonian rebels--all to scare and intimidate the local population so the rebels could gain control of Sierra Leone's diamond producing region. Many of the countries surrounding Sierra Leone have few to zero diamond mines. Yet countries such as Liberia, Burkina Faso, Togo, and the Ivory Coast have exported millions of carats of diamonds--Sierra Leone's diamonds--billions of dollars in value--to the diamond cutting centers in Antwerp, Israel, India, Holland, and New York. Liberia and its president, Charles Taylor, supplied tons of weapons to the rebels in exchange for diamonds. Similar arms for weapons exchanges between governments and diamond stealing rebel groups has occurred in the case of Angola, the Congo, and other countries already named surrounding Sierra Leone. This point of order would strike out of this bill language which prevents illicit conflict diamonds from entering the flow of U.S. commerce. This language would go a long way toward stunting the revenue--conflict diamonds--of many rebel groups in Africa. This language would save thousands and thousands of lives. Because the Clinton Administration has been a complete failure on this issue, it is important for this House to speak out and take action and this language is a good start in that direction. The Administration has even gone out of its way to buddy up to the rebels in Sierra Leone and to Liberia's President, Charles Taylor. People have died as a result of this inexcusable negligence. Because this problem is immediate, because the war and death fueled by the trafficking of conflict diamonds rage on unabated, this is a global crisis. Because the Administration has failed to address this issue, it is up to Congress to lead and that is why this language is so important. I understand the reality of the legislative process though, and that this section of the bill is not protected. I am grateful that Chairman Crane has agreed to work with me and Mr. Hall on this issue and I look forward to the hearings his subcommittee will hold, hopefully as soon as we get back from August recess. I am hopeful that with Mr. Crane's help, we can quickly draft legislation to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the U.S. and to help the people of Africa suffering at the hands of these rebel forces.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I would like to speak on the point of order.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, the administration's new rules would create a standard which is so broad and so vague that it would cripple employers in the high-technology industry, and both sides want to do something here. This is an opportunity for small businesses and college and university research, but the administrations' new rules would add cost and, I think, would negatively impact the taxpayers. So I ask colleagues on both sides to support the Davis-Moran amendment, which has bipartisan support, and which merely postpones the implementation of these regulations until GAO has the time to adequately assess them.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in very strong support of the bill and want to commend the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) and also the staffs. I want to thank the staffs for the courtesy and the help and support that we have had on a number of these issues. I appreciate it very much. Having been a staff person years ago, I know how hard they work. So I just want them to know that I appreciate it. When the 1997 balanced budget agreement was reached, a provision in it mandated that Federal and postal employees contribute a higher proportion of their salaries to the retirement contribution plans in order to do their part to help increase Federal revenues to balance the budget. Originally this provision was to remain in effect until the year 2003, a time when many thought we would still be in an era of deficits. Fortunately, we are running surpluses earlier than anyone anticipated, and it is time to roll back the specific deficit reduction provision on Federal and postal employees. They have paid their share, and it is time to roll it back. The second issue is on the issue of diamonds which will come up later. I thank the gentleman for his cooperation in helping us. I also want to thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for his help and support, and also I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), who is in the chair, for his help and support on this issue with regard to conflict diamonds that are resulting in young people in Sierra Leone losing their arms. For all three gentlemen, I personally appreciate their help very much.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, there will be no real human rights monitoring in China. The Russians were signatories of the Helsinki Final Accords and Helsinki worked. The Chinese will never sign or participate in the monitoring. If every Member would go back and search your files, how many letters have you all sent to China on behalf of the Catholic bishops, the 14 Catholic bishops that are in jail? How many of you have sent a letter since we have passed PNTR? I do not know why we are having a debate, but we are having it, and I think the gentlewoman from California made the case, your side won. But now have you done anything about the human rights concerns raised? Have you done anything about the fact that the Dalai Lama cannot return to Tibet and Tibet is still being plundered? Search your files. Have you done anything with regard to Tibet? Or have you done anything, as the gentlewoman talked about, to help house church leaders who have been arrested since we passed PNTR? Have you done anything with regard to them? Do you think Boeing has done anything with regard to the Catholic priests? Do you think Boeing, the head of Boeing, has done anything with regard to the evangelical house church leaders that have been arrested? Do you think Boeing has done anything with regard to the Catholic priest who went to jail for publishing the Bible? You all probably know that Boeing has not done anything. Secondly, I think we are in the same mood as we were during the 1930s with regard to Winston Churchill and Nazi Germany. I think when I watch what is taking place in the other body, Senator Thompson is trying to do something and Members are urging him not to do anything because he may upset this. In closing, your side won. I wish their commission works. But in the meantime, not only those of us who have been against PNTR but those of you who have been for PNTR have an obligation, have a burden that every time you get a Dear Colleague letter from a Member asking that something be done to help a Catholic priest in China, you sign the letter. When there is something to be done with regard to a Catholic bishop, you sign the letter. When there is something to do with regard to Tibet and the Dalai Lama, you sign the letter. When there is something to be done to stop the persecution of the Moslems in the northwest portion of the country, you sign the letter. When we raise concerns with regard to nuclear proliferation in China, you sign the letter. If we can come together with regard to these issues of human rights and religious persecution, perhaps we can make some changes. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the resolution disapproving the extension of normal trade relations with China for another year. Just two months ago we were on this floor debating the issue of granting permanent normal trade relations with China. At that time I and many of our colleagues provided evidence which showed that China has done nothing to deserve permanent access to U.S. markets. The evidence was strong in the areas of national security and human rights showing that the Chinese government is a brutal regime which poses a serious national security threat to the United States and which continues to commit human rights abuses and persecutes its own people for their religious beliefs. In the past two months since the PNTR debate, the fears which many expressed about China's behavior have become reality and have been reported on by some of the major newspapers and leading news sources on China. Immediately after the PNTR vote, the Washington Post published a lengthy article on the core planning document for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This document reportedly says that there should be a new focus on Asia, in part because of the risk of a hostile relationship with China. The article, stated: ``Cautiously but steadily, the Pentagon is looking at Asia as the most likely arena for future military conflict . . .'' The article reports that a Pentagon official estimates that ``. . . about two-thirds of the forward looking games staged by the Pentagon over the last eight years have taken place partly or wholly in Asia.'' Aaron L. Friedberg, political scientist at Princeton University is quoted on this subject, saying ``. . . however reluctantly, we are beginning to face up to the fact that we are likely over the next few years to be engaged in an ongoing military competition with China . . . Indeed in certain respects, we already are.'' I submit this article for the record. China has exported weapons of mass destruction and missiles in violation of treaty commitments. The director of the CIA has said that China remains a ``key supplier'' of these weapons to Pakistan, Iran, and North Korea. Other reports indicate China has passed on similar weapons and technology to Libya and Syria. If one of these countries is involved in a conflict, it is very possible that our men and women in uniform could be called into harm's way. These weapons of mass destruction could then be targeted against American troops. I am concerned about the alliance that seems to be forming between China and Russia against the U.S. China is purchasing as many weapons from Russia as it can. I am concerned with recent reports in the Taiwan press that Russia will dispatch its Pacific Fleet to check the route of the U.S. Seventh Fleet if the U.S. makes any movement toward Taiwan during a China-Taiwan conflict. I also submit this article for the record. Also, reports indicate that China has purchased advanced naval vessels and top of the line anti-ship missiles from the Russians that specifically are meant to be used against U.S. aircraft carriers. The Chinese government has continued to persecute people because of their faith. Compass Direct, a news service that covers global religious freedom, reports that the government has cracked down on the House Church in Anhui province with new restrictions entailing all new house churches that are unregistered with the government are outlawed; all unregistered meetings and Bible training classes are labeled as illegal activities; and well over one hundred House church believers have been arrested in the past few months. Compass Direct also reports that: Ten house church leaders were arrested in May in Guangdong province. Two Beijing House church leaders have reportedly received 1\1/2\ year sentences in prison labor camps for organizing ``illegal religious meetings''. An underground Catholic priest near Wenzhou Province, Father Jiang Sunian, was reportedly given a six-year jail sentence on May 25 for printing Bibles and other religious literature without official permission. The head of China's Religious Affairs Bureau, recently said that the Communist Party will increase the Party's control of religious affairs and ``redirect the religions toward the adaptation of the socialist society.'' The U.S. Committee on International Religious Freedom has recently stated that the Chinese government has increased its persecution of the Muslim Uighurs in Northwest China. I submit the Commission's statement for the record. Tibetan Buddhists continue to be persecuted and imprisoned by the Chinese communist government. In the PNTR debate, we said China's military engages in organ trafficking. On June 15 the International Herald Tribune published an article on the Chinese government's role in the organ trafficking of prisoners. I submit this article for the record. The article says: ``The day before convicts are executed--usually in batches--a group of patients in the hospital are told to expect the operation the next day . . . The night before their execution, 18 convicts were shown on a Chinese television program, their crimes announced to the public. Wilson Yeo saw the broadcast from his hospital bed in China and knew that one of the men scheduled to die would provide him with the kidney he so badly needed.'' ``China's preferred method of capital punishment, a bullet to the back of the head, is conducive to transplants because it does not contaminate the prisoner's organs with poisonous chemicals, as lethal injections do, or directly effect the circulatory system, as would a bullet through the heart. ``. . . kidneys are essentially handed out to the highest bidders . . .'' A Chinese official from the Health Ministry was quoted saying that the trafficking of executed prisoner's organs ``. . . is put under stringent state control and must go through standard procedures.'' In closing, since PNTR has passed, there is even more evidence about China's gross human rights violations, religious persecution, and information regarding the national security threat that China poses to the U.S. As I said in my statement for the record during the PNTR debate, the U.S. is at a crossroads in its relationship with China. Wishful thinking and ignoring all of the evidence about China's human rights violations, religious persecution, and national security threat do not change the reality of the regime in China. We need to learn what history teaches us about leadership. Leadership is not about seeing what we wish to see. Leadership is not about closing our eyes to the threats before us. Leadership is about clearly, lucidly, and forcefully addressing facts and truth and taking appropriate action. The American way of life, our freedom can only be preserved by vigilance. Vigilance requires us to look at the situation in China today and conclude that the Chinese regime should not have received permanent trade relations with the U.S. until the questions of national security were adequately addressed and until there was a significant improvement in China's human rights record. The same applies to this debate on extending approval of normal trade relations with China. Giving China PNTR was the wrong thing to do and for the same reasons, which are buttressed by even more evidence today, the U.S. should disapprove extension of China normal trade relations. [From the Washington Post, May 26, 2000] For Pentagon, Asia Moving to Forefront (By Thomas E. Ricks) When Pentagon officials first sat down last year to update the core planning document of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, they listed China as a potential future adversary, a momentous change from the last decade of the Cold War. But when the final version of the document, titled ``Joint Vision 2020,'' is released next week, it will be far more discreet. Rather than explicitly pointing at China, it simply will warn of the possible rise of an unidentified ``peer competitor.'' The Joint Chiefs' wrestling with how to think about China-- and how open to be about that effort--captures in a nutshell the U.S. military's quiet shift away from its traditional focus on Europe. Cautiously but steadily, the Pentagon is looking at Asia as the most likely arena for future military conflict, or at least competition. This new orientation is reflected in many small but significant changes: more attack submarines assigned to the Pacific, more war games and strategic studies centered on Asia, more diplomacy aimed at reconfiguring the U.S. military presence in the area. It is a trend that carries huge implications for the shape of the armed services. It also carries huge stakes for U.S. foreign policy. Some specialists warn that as the United States thinks about a rising China, it ought to remember the mistakes Britain made in dealing with Germany in the years before World War I. The new U.S. military interest in Asia also reverses a Cold War trend under which the Pentagon once planned by the year 2000 to have just ``a minimal military presence'' in Japan, recalls retired Army Gen. Robert W. RisCassi, a former U.S. commander in South Korea. Two possibilities are driving this new focus. The first is a chance of peace in Korea; the second is the risk of a hostile relationship with China. Although much of the current discussion in Washington is about a possible military threat from North Korea, for military planners the real question lies further ahead: What to do after a Korean rapprochement? In this view, South Korea already has won its economic and ideological struggle with North Korea, and all that really remains is to negotiate terms for peace. According to one Defense Department official, William S. Cohen's fist question to policy officials when he became defense secretary in 1997 was: How can we change the assumption that U.S. troops will be withdrawn after peace comes to the Korean peninsula? Next month's first-ever summit between the leaders of North and South Korea puts a sharper edge on this issue. In the longer run, many American policymakers expect China to emerge sooner or later as a great power with significant influence over the rest of Asia. That, along with a spate of belligerent statements about Taiwan from Chinese officials this spring, has helped focus the attention of top policymakers on China's possible military ambitions. ``The Chinese saber-rattling has gotten people's attention, there's no question of that,'' said Abram Shulsky, a China expert at the Rand Corp. the buzzword is china Between tensions over Taiwan and this week's House vote to normalize trade relations with China, ``China is the new Beltway buzzword,'' observed Dov S. Zakheim, a former Pentagon official who is an adviser on defense policy to Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush. To be sure, large parts of the U.S. military remain ``Eurocentric,'' especially much of the Army. The shift is being felt most among policymakers and military planners-- that is, officials charged with thinking about the future-- and least among front-line units. Nor is it a change that the Pentagon is proclaiming from the rooftops. Defense Department officials see little value in being explicit about the shift in U.S. attention, which could worry old allies in Europe and antagonize China. Even so, military experts point to changes on a variety of fronts. For example, over the last several years, there has been an unannounced shift in the Navy's deployment of attack submarines, which in the post-Cold War world have been used as intelligence assets--to intercept communications, monitor ship movements and clandestinely insert commandos--and also as front-line platforms for launching Tomahawk cruise missiles against Iraq, Serbia and other targets. Just a few years ago, the Navy kept 60 percent of its attack boats in the Atlantic. Now, says a senior Navy submariner, it has shifted to a 5-50 split between the Atlantic and Pacific fleets, and before long the Pacific may get the majority. But so far the focus on Asia is mostly conceptual, not physical. It is now a common assumption among national security thinkers that the area from Baghdad to Tokyo will be the main location of U.S. military competition for the next several decades. ``The focus of great power competition is likely to shift from Europe to Asia,'' said Andrew Krepinevich, director of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a small but influential Washington think tank. James Bodner, the principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, added that, ``The center of gravity of the world economy has shifted to Asia, and U.S. interests flow with that.'' When Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, one of the most thoughtful senior officers in the military, met with the Army Science Board earlier this spring, he commented off-handedly that America's ``long-standing Europe-centric focus'' probably would shift in coming decades as policymakers ``pay more attention to the Pacific Rim, and especially to China.'' This is partly because of trade and economics, he indicated, and partly because of the changing ethnic makeup of the U.S. population. (California is enormously important in U.S. domestic politics, explains one Asia expert at the Pentagon, and Asian Americans are increasingly influential in that state's elections, which can make or break presidential candidates.) Just 10 years ago, said Maj. Gen. Robert H. Scales, Jr., commandant of the Army War College, roughly 90 percent of U.S. military thinking about future warfare centered on head- on clashes of armies in Europe. ``Today,'' he said, ``it's probably 50-50, or even more'' tilted toward warfare using characteristic Asian tactics, such as deception and indirection. war gaming The U.S. military's favorite way of testing its assumptions and ideas is to run a war game. Increasingly, the major games played by the Pentagon--except for the Army--take place in Asia, on an arc from Teheran to Tokyo. The games are used to ask how the U.S. military might respond to some of the biggest questions it faces: Will Iran go nuclear--or become more aggressive with an array of hard-to-stop cruise missiles? Will Pakistan and India engage in nuclear war--or, perhaps even worse, will Pakistan break up, with its nuclear weapons falling into the hands of Afghan mujaheddin? Will Indonesia fall apart? Will North Korea collapse peacefully? And what may be the biggest question of all: Will the United States and China avoid military confrontation? All in all, estimates one Pentagon official, about two-thirds of the forward-looking games staged by the Pentagon over the last eight years have taken place partly or wholly in Asia. Last year, the Air Force's biggest annual war game looked at the Mideast and Korea. This summer's game, ``Global Engagement 5,'' to be played over more than a week at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, will posit ``a rising large East Asian nation'' that is attempting to wrest control of Siberia, with all its oil and other natural resources, from a weak Russia. At one point, the United States winds up basing warplanes in Siberia to defend Russian interests. Because of the sensitivity of talking about fighting China, ``What everybody's trying to do is come up with games that are kind of China, but not china by name,'' said an Air Force strategist. ``I think that, however reluctantly, we are beginning to face up to the fact that we are likely over the next few years to be engaged in an ongoing military competition with China,'' noted Princeton political scientist Aaron L. Friedberg. ``Indeed, in certain respects, we already are.'' twin efforts The new attention to Asia also is reflected in two long- running, military-diplomatic efforts. The first is a drive to renegotiate the U.S. military presence in northeast Asia. This is aimed mainly at ensuring that American forces still will be welcome in South Korea and Japan if the North Korean threat disappears. To that end, the U.S. military will be instructed to act less like post-World War II occupation forces and more like guests or partners. Pentagon experts on Japan and Korea say they expect that ``status of forces agreements'' gradually will be diluted, so that local authorities will gain more jurisdiction over U.S. military personnel in criminal cases. In addition, they predict that U.S. bases in Japan and South Korea will be jointly operated in the future by American and local forces, perhaps even with a local officer in command. At Kadena Air Force Base on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, for example, the U.S. military has started a program, called ``Base Without Fences,'' under which the governor has been invited to speak on the post, local residents are taken on bus tours of the base that include a stop at a memorial to Japan's World War II military, and local reporters have been given far more access to U.S. military officials. ``We don't have to stay in our foxhole,'' said Air Force Brig. Gen. James B. Smith, who devised the more open approach. ``To guarantee a lasting presence, there needs to be a private and public acknowledgment of the mutual benefit of our presence.'' Behind all this lies a quiet recognition that Japan may no longer unquestioningly follow the U.S. lead in the region. A recent classified national intelligence estimate concluded that Japan has several strategic options available, among them seeking a separate accommodation with China, Pentagon officials disclosed. ``Japan isn't Richard Gere in `An Officer and a Gentleman,' '' one official said. ``That is, unlike him, it does have somewhere else to go.'' In the long term, this official added, a key goal of U.S. politico-military policy is to ensure that when Japan reemerges as a great power, it behaves itself in Asia, unlike the last time around, in the 1930s, when it launched a campaign of vicious military conquest. southeast asia redux The second major diplomatic move is the negotiation of the U.S. military's reentry in Southeast Asia, 25 years after the end of the Vietnam War and almost 10 years after the United States withdrew from its bases in the Philippines. After settling on a Visiting Forces Agreement last year, the United States and the Philippines recently staged their first joint military exercise in years, ``Balikatan 2000.'' The revamped U.S. military relationship with the Philippines, argues one general, may be a model for the region. Instead of building ``Little America'' bases with bowling alleys and Burger Kings that are off-limits to the locals, U.S. forces will conduct frequent joint exercises to train Americans and Filipinos to operate together in everything from disaster relief to full-scale combat. The key, he said, isn't permanent bases but occasional access to facilities and the ability to work with local troops. Likewise, the United States has broadened its military contacts with Australia, putting 10,0000 troops into the Queensland region a year ago for joint exercises. And this year, for the first time, Singapore's military is participating in ``Cobra Gold,'' the annual U.S.-Thai exercise. Singapore also is building a new pier specifically to meet the docking requirements of a nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier. The U.S. military even has dipped a cautious toe back into Vietnam, with Cohen this spring becoming the first defense secretary since Melvin R. Laird to visit that nation. The implications of this change already are stirring concern in Europe. In the March issue of Proceedings, the professional journal of the U.S. Navy, Cmdr. Michele Consentino, an Italian navy officer, fretted about the American focus on the Far East and about ``dangerous gaps'' emerging in the U.S. military presence in the Mediterranean. where the generals are If the U.S. military firmly concludes that its major missions are likely to take place in Asia, it may have to overhaul the way it is organized, equipped and even led. ``Most U.S. military assets are in Europe, where there are no foreseeable conflicts threatening vital U.S. interests,'' said ``Asia 2025,'' a Pentagon study conducted last summer. ``The threats are in Asia,'' it warned. This study, recently read by Cohen, pointedly noted that U.S. military planning remains ``heavily focused on Europe,'' that there are four times as many generals and admirals assigned to Europe as to Asia, and that about 85 percent of military officers studying foreign languages are still learning European tongues. ``Since I've been here, we've tried to put more emphasis on our position in the Pacific,'' Cohen said in an interview as he flew home from his most recent trip to Asia. This isn't, he added, ``a zero-sum game, to ignore Europe, but recognizing that the [economic] potential in Asia is enormous''--especially, he said, if the United States is willing to help maintain stability in the region. tyranny of distance Talk to a U.S. military planner about the Pacific theater, and invariably the phrase ``the tyranny of distance'' pops up. Hawaii may seem to many Americans to be well out in the Pacific, but it is another 5,000 miles from there to Shanghai. All told, it is about twice as far from San Diego to China as it is from New York to Europe. Cohen noted that the military's new focus on Asia means, ``We're going to want more C-17s'' (military cargo planes) as well as ``more strategic airlift'' and ``more strategic sealift.'' Other experts say that barely scratches the surface of the revamping that Asian operations might require. The Air Force, they say, would need more long-range bombers and refuelers-- and probably fewer short-range fighters such as the hot new F-22, designed during the Cold War for dogfights in the relatively narrow confines of Central Europe. ``We are still thinking about aircraft design as if it were for the border of Germany,'' argues James G. Roche, head of Northrop Grumman Corp.'s electronic sensors unit and a participant in last year's Pentagon study of Asia's future. ``Asia is a much bigger area than Europe, so planes need longer `legs.' '' Similarly, the Navy would need more ships that could operate at long distances. It might even need different types of warships. For example, the Pentagon study noted, today's ships aren't ``stealthy''--built to evade radar--and may become increasingly vulnerable as more nations acquire precision-guided missiles. Also, the Navy may be called on to execute missions in places where it has not operated for half a century. If the multi-island nation of Indonesia falls apart, the Pentagon study suggested, then the Navy may be called upon to keep open the crucial Strait of Malacca, through which passes much of the oil and gas from the Persian Gulf to Japan and the rest of East Asia. The big loser among the armed forces likely would be the Army, whose strategic relevancy already is being questioned as it struggles to deploy its forces more quickly. ``At its most basic level, the rise of Asia means a rise of emphasis on naval, air and space power at the expense of ground forces,'' said Eliot Cohen, a professor of strategic studies at Johns Hopkins University. In a few years, Pentagon insiders predict, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will be from the Navy or Air Force, following 12 years in which Army officers--Generals Colin L. Powell, John Shalikashvili and Henry H. Shelton--have been the top officers in the military. Perhaps even more significantly, they foresee the Air Force taking away from the Navy at least temporarily the position of ``CINCPAC,'' the commander in chief of U.S. forces in the Pacific. There already is talk within the Air Force of basing parts of an ``Air Expeditionary Force'' in Guam, where B-2 stealth bombers have been sent in the past in response to tensions with North Korea. parallel with past If the implications for the U.S. military of a new focus on Asia are huge, so too are the risks. Some academics and Pentagon intellectuals see a parallel between the U.S. effort to manage the rise of China as a great power and the British failure to accommodate or divert the ambitions of a newly unified Germany in the late 19th century. That effort ended in World War I, which slaughtered a generation of British youth and marked the beginning of British imperial decline. If Sino-American antagonism grows, some strategists warn, national missile defense may play the role that Britain's development of the battleship Dreadnought played a century ago--a superweapon that upset the balance by making Germany's arsenal strategically irrelevant. Chinese officials have said they believe the U.S. plan for missile defense is aimed at negating their relatively small force of about 20 intercontinental ballistic missiles. If the United States actually builds a workable antimissile system, former national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski predicts, ``the effect of that would be immediately felt by the Chinese nuclear forces and [would] presumably precipitate a buildup.'' That in turn could provoke India to beef up its own nuclear forces, a move that would threaten Pakistan. A Chinese buildup also could make Japan feel that it needed to build up its own military. Indian officials already are quietly telling Pentagon officials that the rise of China will make the United States and India natural allies. India also is feeling its oats militarily. The Hindustan Times recently reported that the Indian navy plans to reach far eastward this year to hold submarine and aircraft exercises in the South China Sea, a move sure to tweak Beijing. Some analysts believe that the hidden agenda of the U.S. military is to use the rise of Asia as a way to shore up the Pentagon budget, which now consumes about 3 percent of the gross domestic product, compared to 5.6 percent at the end of the Cold War in 1989. ``If the military grabs onto this in order to get more money, that's scary,'' said retired Air Force Col. Sam Gardiner, who frequently conducts war games for the military. Indeed, Cohen is already making the point that operating in Asia is expensive. He said it is clear that America will have to maintain ``forward'' forces in Asia. And that, he argued, will require a bigger defense budget. ``There's a price to pay for what we're doing,'' Cohen concluded. ``The question we're going to have to face in the coming years is, are we willing to pay up?'' An Eye on Asia U.S. forces dedicated to the Pacific region: U.S. Army Pacific 60,000 soldiers and civilians (two divisions and one brigade); U.S. Pacific Fleet 130,000 sailors and civilians (170 ships); Pacific Air Forces 40,000 airmen and civilians (380 aircraft in nine wings); Marine Forces Pacific 70,000 Marines and civilians (two expeditionary forces). On Foreign Shores Major U.S. deployments in Asia include: U.S. Forces Japan: 47,000 personnel ashore and 12,000 afloat at 90 locations. U.S. Forces Korea: 37,500 personnel at 85 installations. training Grounds The Pacific Command participates in dozens of joint exercises with allied countries each year, including: 1. Cobra Gold: The U.S.-Thai exercise is expanding to include Singapore. 2. Foal Eagle: Brings together U.S. and South Korean troops on the Korean peninsula. 3. Crocodile: A training exercise with Australia at Shoalwater Bay. 4. Rim of the Pacific: Participants include the U.S., Australia, Japan and South Korea (pictured above).

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, this will not expand gambling. I rise in strong support. I can stand here all day to categorize the number of hurt and pain and suffering and agony and even death of many young people who get involved in gambling. Gambling hits the poor, the elderly and, sadly, the young. I want to share that every Member of this body who was here when the National Gambling Commission was established, voted for the National Gambling Commission, which issued a report, and it said as follows: Simply put, ``Adolescent gamblers are more likely to become problem or pathological gamblers. Several studies have shown the link between youth gambling and its association with alcohol and drug use, truancy, low grades, illegal activities to finance gambling.'' The Commission goes on to strongly support the bill of the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte). The Commission reported in 28 percent of the cases where children carried a gun to school, gambling was a factor. This legislation would address an industry that has grown overnight on the Web virtually without anyone focusing on it until the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) did. As the gambling commission noted, youth gambling like youth smoking is often an issue of accessibility and marketing. Nothing is more accessible to young people that we now have than the Internet. I urge my colleagues, if we miss this opportunity, more children will be hurt and go through pain and suffering and agony and even death. This is an opportunity to do what the National Commission says we should do. This is an opportunity to do what most people know is absolutely right. I urge my Members, particularly those who say they are for strong family values and they care about the future of young people and they care about all these issues, to come to the House tonight when we vote and vote aye on the Goodlatte bill. I would like to also put a list of the stories we have taken off the wire service in the last few months of the hurt and the pain and the suffering and the agony of the people who have gotten involved in gambling. Sample News Clips on Gambling ``As many as 500,000 Michigan adults could be `lifetime compulsive gamblers,' and the number could swell with two new Detroit casinos in operation and a third to open soon, says a new state report. The survey, released Wednesday, also found that well over half of those with gambling problems began young. `When we asked compulsive gamblers ``When did you start having a problem?'' we were startled to learn that 77% of them said they were already compulsive by the time they were 18,' said Jim McBryde, special assistant for drug policy in the Michigan Department of Community Health.'' (Detroit News, 1/13/00) ``As allies of the National Collegiate Athletic Association push legislation that would ban wagering on college sports, a new study found that one out of every four male student- athletes may be engaging in illegal sports betting--and that one in 20 places bets directly through illegal bookies. And though prevalent among student-athletes, the study found that sports wagering activity is higher among ordinary students-- 39% among male nonstudent athletes. ``The study surveyed 648 student-athletes and 1,035 students, both male and female, at three midwestern universities. The study also found that 12% of male student- athletes--roughly the same portion as nonathletes--showed signs of problem gambling. About 5% of the overall athlete sample demonstrated signs of pathological gambling disorders.'' (Las Vegas Sun, 7/6/00). ``More than 850 Internet gambling sites worldwide had revenues in 1999 of $1.67 billion, up more than 80% from 1998, according to Christiansen Capital Advisors, who track the industry. Revenues are expected to top $3 billion by 2002.'' (Reuters, 5/31/00). ``Will Torres Jr. spends part of his day listening to sad stories. As the director of the Terrebonne Parish (La.) District Attorney's Office's Bad Check Enforcement Program, Torres has heard some doozies. ``I've seen people lose their homes, their retirements wiped out, their marriage. People losing everything they have,' Torres said. Gambling, specifically video poker, is starting to catch up with drugs and alcohol as a precursor to local crime . . . ``Torres and the District Attorney's Office recently noticed an interesting trend while profiling bad-check writers: a large number of their suspects are video poker addicts. `We're not talking about people who mistakenly write a check for groceries at Winn-Dixie for $25.33,' Torres said. `We're talking about people who are writing checks for $25 or $30 eight times a day at locations with video machines or places in close proximity of video poker machines.' ``So far this year, Torres' office has collected $320,000 for Terrebonne Parish merchants who were given 3,600 worthless checks. Torres said about 30% of those bad checks are connected to gambling. `` `It's eating people up,' he said. `It's real sad when people don't have a dollar. No money for food because of gambling addictions. I've seen it up close, and video poker plays a large role in the problem.' '' (The Courier [Houma, La.], 8/28/99) ``Rodney Stout, 25, of Pine Bluff (Ark.) was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison for abducting Stacey Polston of Jacksonville and her 18-month-old daughter at gunpoint and stealing Polston's van. . . . Stout was under financial pressure, he said. He had a `gambling problem' that came to a head when he gambled away $5,000 he had set aside for moving expenses.'' (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 5/9/00). ``Former University of Southern California baseball player Shon Malani was sentenced Wednesday to two years in federal prison for stealing nearly $500,000 from the federal credit union where he worked. U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor rejected a request for leniency made by Malani's attorney, who said he stole the money to pay off gambling debts totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.'' (Associated Press, 3/1/00). ``One third of 120 compulsive gamblers participating in a pioneering treatment study have either filed for bankruptcy or are in the process of filing, a University of Connecticut researcher said Tuesday. . . . . (Nancy) Petry said she recently gave a talk to a group of bankruptcy lawyers who estimated that as many as 20% of their clients had mentioned gambling as a reason for their problems.'' (Hartford Courant, 6/14/00). ``Of all the heroes who emerged from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, perhaps none was more inspirational than Henry Tillman. A big, tough hometown kid, he had plunged into serious trouble when he was rescued in a California Youth Authority lockup by a boxing coach who saw a young man of uncommon heart and untapped talent. In a little more than two years, he would stand proudly atop the Olympic platform at the Sports Arena, just blocks from his boyhood home, the gold medal for heavyweight boxing dangling from his neck. ``But two years after his mediocre pro career ended, he was back behind bars. And now he stands accused of murder in a case that could put him away for life. ``[G]ambling got Tillman into trouble. He was arrested in January 1994 for passing a bad credit card at the Normandie. He pleaded no contest and got probation. In 1995, he pleaded guilty to using a fake credit card in an attempt to get $800 at the Hollywood Park Casino in Inglewood. ``I have suffered from a long history of gambling addiction, which I am very ashamed had taken over my life,' Tillman wrote in a letter to the court.'' (Los Angeles Time, 1/26/00) ``More than half the state's adult population has visited a casino, either in Michigan or elsewhere, a statewide poll shows. . . . People at the top and bottom of the income scale are the biggest spenders at the casinos Those making less than $15,000 a year spend $172 per visit, and those earning more than $100,000 per year spend $161 per visit. People in the $30,000-$45,000 income bracket spend the least, reporting an average of $87.40 per visit. ``Pollster Ed Sarpolus noted that the age groups most likely to visit casinos are between 18 and 24, and between 50 and 54.'' (Detroit Free Press, 11/ 17/99) ``Tethered to his post by a curly plastic cord that stretched from his belt loop to a frequent-player card inserted in a Black, Widow slot machine, James Lint pondered. What happens to the little guy when casinos come to town? ```I see a lot of people leave with tears in their eyes,' said the Georgia businessman, taking a short break from the machine in Biloxi's Beau Rivage casino. `They come here too much, and they spend too much money.' ``Lint, who flies his private plan to Biloxi three times a year to kick back at the casinos, doesn't count himself among the ranks of those who gamble away what they cannot afford. But some people do lose their grocery money to slot machines, and no one--not casino operators, not gung-ho promoters of the industry--denies it. ``It would be hard to: The Mississippi Coast has been at the center of several high-profile compulsive gambling incidents, including one involving two famous writers, brothers who squandered an inheritance worth more than $250,000 at blackjack and slots. ``It is a hard-edged reality that happens--at casinos, at racetracks, at church bingos, at state lottery outlets. The Mississippi Coast has seen a 26-fold increase in the number of Gamblers Anonymous meeting--to 13 a week--since the first casino opened in 1992.'' (Lexington [Ky.] Herald-Leader, 9/ 12/99) ``There is an ugly undercurrent that's sweeping away thousands of Missourians-people whose addiction to gambling has led to debt, divorce and crime. This is a world of people like Vicky, 36, a St. Charles woman who regularly left her newborn son with baby sitters to go to the casinos and who considered suicide, after losing $100,000. ``And Kathy, a homemaker and mother of two from Brentwood, who would drop her kids at school and spend the entire day at a casino playing blackjack. She used a secret credit card that her husband didn't know about to rack up more than $30,000 in debt. . . . ``In a three-month look at compulsive gambling, the Post- Dispatch found that . . . Fast-cash machines on casino floors can hasten a problem gambler's descent into debt, prompting the nation's largest machine supplier last month to let people deactivate their cards in casinos. Hard Numbers on gambling-related crimes are elusive, but fraud detectives in St. Louis say they're seeing an increase in workers with access to money taking it to support gambling habits.'' (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 2/6/99) ``The battle against domestic violence is gaining ground, and work by University of Nebraska Medical Center researcher Dr. Robert Muelleman is helping. . . . Muelleman worked on a . . . study at the UNMC hospital this summer. The study has not been published yet, so the results are not entirely concluded, he said, but some preliminary inferences can be drawn. `It looks as if problem gambling in the partner is going to be as much a risk factor as problem alcohol and that's really new information.' he said.'' (Daily Nebraskan, 1/13/00) ``A Charlotte, N.C., postal worker is suing First Citizens Bank and Visa for his Internet gambling debts--because he says it's illegal for the bank and Visa to let their credit cards be used for gambling online. . . . Lawers for (Mark) Eisele filed the suit, which seeks class action status, in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, where Visa International is based. . . . The suit claims Visa and First Citizens, which issued Eisele's credit card, violated the federal Wire Act, which prohibits use of wire communications services for some gambling.'' (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 8/18/99) ``A California bank robber returned to his old habits after being released from a New Jersey prison to travel to a halfway house in his home state, according to bank robbery charges in at least two states. . . . ``[Noel] Miller, who had been staying at a New Orleans motel, told investigators he was robbing banks to finance his gambling habit and to support himself.'' (Associated Press, 6/1/00) ``A casino executive who fudged his tax returns should have his license renewed anyway, New Jersey's top casino regulator said Monday. James Hurley, chairman of the state Casino Control Commission, said Mirage Resorts Inc.-Atlantic City president Mark Juliano demonstrated `extremely poor judgment and an acute lack of sensitivity regarding his financial reporting responsibilities.' But Hurley said it wasn't serious enough to deny Juliano a license to work in New Jersey casinos. Juliano, 44, of Haddonfield, a former president of Caesars Atlantic City Hotel Casino, wrote off $8,965 for a `phantom' personal computer, reported gambling losses as a business expense and told the IRS he drove 180,000 miles on a car found to have traveled only 69,000 total miles, according to an investigation by the state Division of Gaming Enforcement.'' (Associated Press, 6/19/00) ``Brian Dean Gray, a former Richmond (Va.) stockbroker, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to all three federal fraud charges against him for stealing more than $850,000 from clients and gambling much of it away. . . . He used more than $350,000 to gamble on horse racing, at New Jersey casinos and in card games.'' (Richmond Times-Dispatch, 6/3/00) ``Before casino gambling, (Atlantic City) was home to numerous thriving churches of various denominations. But in recent years, churches and synagogues have begun to close. . . . The Rev. Patrick J. Hunt, pastor at (the Church of the Ascension), said the casino industry is helping society gradually erode. `We want anybody to come to church,' Hunt said. `But gambling is a vice and the casinos do their darndest to make sure we don't exist and that every other church doesn't exist.' '' (Atlantic City Press, 10/11/99) ``A Florida man who lost about $50,000 while gambling [in Atlantic City] during the past two days died Tuesday after he jumped seven floors from a Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino roof onto Columbia Place, officials said.'' (Atlantic City Press, 8/18/99) ``A German tourist jumped to his death off a 10-story casino parking garage Wednesday in the third such suicide in Atlantic City in eight days.'' On Aug. 17, a gambler who had lost $87,000 jumped to his death off a Trump Plaza roof. On Monday, a dealer at Caesar's Atlantic City Hotel Casino committed suicide by leaping off the casino's parking garage. ``It wasn't clear if the most recent victim had been gambling. He left no suicide note.'' (Associated Press, 8/25/ 99) ``A Kanawha County (W.V.) woman admitted she skimmed $40,000 from her group's bingo and raffle games Thursday, unveiling an ongoing state and federal investigation of groups that operate such games. Donna J. Hopkins, 50, was secretary of the Marmet Soccer Association when she embezzled the money.'' ([Charleston, W.V.] Gazette, 3/3/00)

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I want to join my colleagues this evening in recognizing the outstanding career of Ron Lasch. This institution has been enriched by Ron's presence and his depth of knowledge of the legislative process. He could really be called, ``Mr. House,'' because he's the expert around here. And he really has earned and deserves another title: The Honorable Ron Lasch. He's a man of great honor and integrity. We've been enriched just by knowing Ron. He's been a stalwart and a steadying influence during some stormy times on the House floor. Ron's leaving, for me personally, is overwhelming. I'm losing a great friend. He has always given me wise counsel. He's someone I could always count on to answer questions about the House schedule or floor procedure or some arcane legislative matter. In describing Ron, I'm reminded of that advertisement for one of the country's top brokerage firms: ``When Ron Lasch speaks, everyone listens.'' He's always been here and I can't imagine this place without him. Ron, this is a sad day for this institution and for me personally. The pace of the legislative process and the peculiarities of the House floor can bring with them frustrating moments. You've made it a little more bearable around here, Ron. I thank you for your untiring dedication to the House of Representatives, and I wish you godspeed as you leave and find a life outside Congress. We will miss you greatly.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, today I honor a man whose genius has touched many people in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and who, with the establishment of the Glass-Glen Burnie Museum, will continue to touch the lives of all Americans for centuries to come. In 1952, R. Lee Taylor was brought to Winchester, Virginia by his friend and employer Julian Wood Glass, Jr. to assess the state of Glass's ancestral home, Glen Burnie, which had been built by Winchester's founder, Colonel James Wood. Lee Taylor was charged with the restoration of the historic house and the creation of a landscape plan to enhance the site. By the time of his death in May, the landscape plan had been realized. Today, the 25 acres of expansive lawns and 14 individual gardens surrounding the 18th century house stand as testimony to Lee Taylor's vision, determination and hard work. For the last three years of his life, Lee Taylor participated in the transition of Glen Burnie from private home to public institution. Since opening in 1997, tens of thousands of people have visited the site now known as ``Glen Burnie, Historic House, Gardens & Julian Wood Glass, Jr. Collection.'' In the last days of his life, Mr. Taylor participated in the selection of renowned architect Michael Graves to design a new museum to be built on the property in celebration of the Shenandoah Valley. Called the ``Museum of the Shenandoah Valley,'' the new facility will interpret the region's history, art and culture and tell how, over three centuries, people have made their home in the Shenandoah Valley scheduled to open in 2003. Lee Taylor's talents were not limited to horticulture. He was nationally known as the creator of miniature houses and rooms. His genius had been recognized in articles in Nutshell News and Treasures in Miniature. Mr. Taylor bequeathed more than one dozen miniatures to the new Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. Mr. Taylor was a champion of preservation in the northern Shenandoah Valley. He served on the governing board of Belle Grove, the National Trust for Historic Preservation site in Middletown, Virginia. He was a charter board member of Preservation of Historic Winchester. Both of these organizations recognized Mr. Taylor's contributions with special awards. Mr. Taylor also served on the Winchester-Frederick County Historic Resources Advisory Board as well as the Community History Advisory Board of Shenandoah University. Lee Taylor will be remembered as a truly gentle man. When not helping others, he could generally be found in his garden. He was always generous with his time and horticultural knowledge--encouraging even the most timid novice gardener to turn the first spade of dirt, to plant the first seed. Today, because of Lee Taylor's vision, Glen Bumie is a peaceful refuge for all who visit. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to R. Lee Taylor as Glen Burnie's first Curator of Gardens and creator of an experience of uncommon beauty. Lee Taylor took a seed and planted it, and all that has grown will enrich our lives for many years to come. In his honor, I encourage all to go to Glen Burnie in Winchester, Virginia and to discover the magic of the gardens that Lee Taylor created.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Jackson amendment. I have visited Sierra Leone in December of this year, along with the gentleman from Ohio Congressman Mr. Hall). We went into camps where we saw many people with their arms cut off. Before I talk about that, let me just mention a little bit about Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone was founded by William Wilberforce. He was a strong Christian believer in the British Parliament, and John Newton, who wrote the words to Amazing Grace that all of us have sung, was a slave trader in Sierra Leone and was picked off up the island, and after that, had a religious conversion and became a man of great faith with the whole goal of abolishing the slave trade in Great Britain. On the death bed of William Wilberforce, they abolished the slave trade. This young girl had her arm cut off by the rebels, and if there is not some peacekeeping operation in Sierra Leone and other countries, the rebels will continue to cuff off arms. They go into a village, and they ask them to draw out a piece of paper; and it may say right arm or left arm, and then they say, do you want a short sleeve or a long sleeve? If you say you want a short sleeve, they cut your arm off between your elbow and your shoulder. If you want a long sleeve, they cut it off between the wrist and the elbow. We saw another young lady who was pregnant, 13 years old, with both of her arms cut off. In Sierra Leone, they take young women into the bush with the rebels for sex slaves, and when we talked to the Italian doctors in the City of Freetown, they said every young lady who came in was infected with AIDS. There were thousands of people killed in Sierra Leone in the last several years. The life expectancy in Sierra Leone is 25.6 years. It is the lowest, in Sierra Leone, of any country in the world. In the Congo, that this amendment would also help, 1.7 million people have been killed in the last 22 months, 1.7 million people, and 35 percent are under the ages of 5. Without the Jackson amendment, the guerillas, the Sankohs and the Charles Taylors and all those other people can continue this action whereby women are taken away as sex slaves and children are losing their arms and moms and dads live in terror. For that reason, and for those who remember the legacy of William Wilburforce who became a believer, standing in the House of parliament to abolish the slave trade, and when we think of the words of John Newton in Amazing Grace, think of the Jackson amendment that will allow the peacekeepers to come and keep peace. I do not want American soldiers to go to Sierra Leone or to the Congo, but when the peacekeepers are willing to come from the U.N. to keep peace so this little girl does not lose her other arm, then I think it is a worthwhile version. So I say to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, this is a good amendment. This will help bring some sort of peace, and make it whereby moms and dads can raise their kids in some sort of semblance of peace, not only in Sierra Leone but in the Congo and other places.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, the commemoration of World Press Freedom Day was held in May, when the names of journalists who have died covering the news were added to The Freedom Forum Journalists Memorial located in Arlington, Virginia. There were 40 people who died in 1999 in their efforts to bring us the news from around the world. We owe a debt of gratitude to these journalists who risked their lives to bring us the news about many dangerous places in the world, from Sierra Leone to Chechnya to Bosnia to Kosovo. Were it not for their courage and bravery, perhaps the world would never have known about the horrors and the atrocities that have been and are now taking place there. The deadliest country from which to report last year was the nation of Sierra Leone, as 10 journalists died there in 1999--the most in any one country. Sierra Leone has been a battlefield that has taken the lives of many of the world's finest journalists, including the most recent casualties that are still fresh in many of our minds--Reuters correspondent Kurt Schork and Associated Press cameraman Miguel Gil Moreno de Mora, who, along with four Sierra Leone soldiers, were shot to death there just two weeks ago in a rebel ambush. Mr. Speaker, I am sharing with our colleagues a news release from the Newseum and also a list of the names of the 40 journalists who died in 1999. Three Hundred Thirty-two Journalists Who Died Covering the News Since 1812 To Be Added to Journalists Memorial Ceremony to take place on World Press Freedom Day, May 3, at 11 a.m. Arlington, VA.--The names of 332 journalists who died covering the news since 1812, including 40 journalists killed in 1999, will be added May 3 to The Freedom Forum Journalists Memorial. The memorial, located in Freedom Park, now pays tribute to 1,369 reporters, editors, photographers and broadcasters killed as a result of covering the news. May 3 also marks World Press Freedom Day. Thomas Johnson, chairman and chief executive officer of the CNN News, will speak at the 11 a.m. ceremony in Freedom Park, following readings by journalists of names on the memorial. The ceremony will be attended by friends, family members and colleagues of journalists honored on the memorial, as well as representatives of the news organizations for which the slain journalists worked. Two hundred and ninety-two of the names to be added are of journalists who died between 1812 and the end of 1998. These deaths were discovered or verified during ongoing research conducted by The Freedom Forum since the memorial was originally dedicated in May 1996. The remaininig 40 names are those journalists killed last year. ``Sadly, we have learned that by this time next year, it is likely that another 30 to 40 journalists will have died pursuing the truth,'' said Charles L. Overby, chairman and chief executive officer of The Freedom Forum. ``We must never forget them, and we hope this memorial will be a part of their legacy.'' Myles Tierney of Associated Press Television News is one of the names being added to the memorial. The 34-year-old American producer was covering Sierra Leone's civil war when a rebel fighter opened fire with a semiautomatic rifle on the car Tierney was traveling in, killing him instantly. Sierra Leone was the deadliest country for journalists in 1999, with ten deaths occurring there. Latin America, particularly Colombia, remains a dangerous place for those covering stories about politics, drug trafficking and organized crime. Popular political satirist Jaime Garzon was shot five times in the head and chest while driving to his Bogota radio station. He had been threatened repeatedly by Carlos Castano, leader of the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia, a right-wing paramilitary organization fighting against leftist guerrillas. Garzon had scheduled a meeting with Castano Aug. 14, the day after he was killed. ``In an age of information overload, it is easy to forget that there are people still willing to die for journalism,'' said Peter S. Prichard, president of The Free Forum and Newseum. ``The memorial reminds us what sacrifices journalists are willing to make for a free press.'' Journalists' names are added each year to the glass panels of the monument, which stands at the apex of Freedom Park, adjacent to the Newseum and The Freedom Forum World Center in Arlington, VA. Research by Freedom Forum staff and the Committee to Protect Journalists documents incidents where journalists were killed or died while covering the news. Some were killed reporting on wars, natural disasters or violent crimes, some were injured or fell ill while on assignment, and some were murdered to silence their reporting. Journalists who died as a result of accidents unrelated to an assignment are not listed, nor are those who instigated the violence that caused their deaths. An independent panel of journalists and journalism historians reviews difficult cases. A list of the names of the 40 journalists who died in 1999 is attached. To view a database listing the 1,369 memorialized journalists, their affiliations and the circumstances of their death, visit the Newseum online at www.freedomforum.org/newseumnews/memorial.asp or www.newseum.org/newseum/aboutthenewseum/ freedompark.htm#memorial. The Newseum, the only interactive museum of news, takes visitors behind the scenes to see and experience how and why news is made. The 72,000-square-foot Newseum is funded by The Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan, international foundation dedicated to free press, free speech and free spirit for all people. The Newseum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's days. Freedom Park is open daily from dawn to dusk. Admission is free. 1999 Ricardo Gangeme--El Informador Chubutense (Argentina) in Argentina. Jaime Garzon--Radionet (Colombia) in Colombia. Pablo Emilio Medina Motta--TV Garzon (Colombia) in Colombia. Guzman Quintero Torres--El Pilon (Colombia) in Colombia. Hernando Rangel Moreno--Freelance, in Colombia. Luis Alberto Rincon Solano--Freelance, in Colombia. Alberto Sanchez Tovar--Producciones Colombia (Colombia) in Colombia. Roberto Julio Torres--Emisora Fuentes de Cartagena (Colombia) in Colombia. Agus Muliawan--Asia Press International (Japan) in Indonesia. Supriadi--Medan Pos (Indonesia) in Indonesia. Sander Thoenes--Financial Times (United Kingdom) in Indonesia. Ilan Roeh--Israel Radio (Israel) in Lebanon. Samuel Boyi--The Scope (Nigeria) in Nigeria. Fidelis Ikwuebe--Freelance, in Nigeria. Sam Nimfa-Jan--Details (Nigeria) in Nigeria. Oleg Chervonyuk--Metropress Agency (Russia) in Russia. Supian Ependiyev--Groznensky Rabochiy (Russia) in Russia. Shamil Gigayev--Nokh Cho TV (Russia) in Russia. Ramzan Mezhidov--TV Tsentr (Russia) in Rassia. Valentina Neverova--Pravo (Russia) in Russia. Lyubov Sloboda--Vesti (Russia) in Russia. Alpha Amadu Bah Bah--Independent Observer (Sierra Leone) in Sierra Leone. Jenner Cole--SKY-FM (Sierra Leone) in Sierra Leone. Abdulai Jumah Jalloh--African Champion (Sierra Leone) in Sierra Leone. Mabay Kamara--Freelance, in Sierra Leone. Mohammed Kamara--SKY-FM (Sierra Leone) in Sierra Leone. Paul Mansaray--Standard Times (Sierra Leone) in Sierra Leone. James Ogogo--Concord Times (Sierra Leone) in Sierra Leone. Conrad Roy--Expo Times (Sierra Leone) in Sierra Leone. Myles Tierney--Associated Press Television News (USA) in Sierra Leone. Munir Turay--Freelance, in Sierra Leone. Anura Priyantha Cooray--Independent Television Network (Sri Lanka) in Sri Lanka. Rohana Kumara--Satana (Sri Lanka) in Sri Lanka. Vasthian Anthony Mariyadas--Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (Sri Lanka) in Sri Lanka. Indika Pathinivasan--Maharaja Television Network (Sri Lanka) in Sri Lanka. Michelle Lima--KSAT-TV (USA) in Texas. Ahmet Taner Kislali--Cumhuriyet (Turkey) in Turkey. Slavko Curuvija--Dnevni Telegraf (Yugoslavia) in Yugoslavia. Gabriel Gruener--Stern (Germany) in Yugoslavia. Volker Kraemer--Stern (Germany) in Yugoslavia.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to honor the 20th anniversary of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a non-profit organization that fulfills the wishes of children fighting life-threatening illnesses. In 1980, a 7-year-old boy named Chris, from Arizona, who was fighting leukemia wished to be a police officer. Friends of Chris's family worked to fulfill his wish and in April that year, Chris spent a day learning about being a police officer and was even sworn in as the first-ever and only Honorary State Trooper in Arizona history. Shortly after Chris's wish, the Make-A-Wish Foundation was created to help bring happiness to more children. From this humble start, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has grown and now has 80 chapters in the United States and 20 international affiliates. More than 80,000 children fighting life-threatening illnesses worldwide have had their wishes fulfilled. Popular wishes include visiting Walt Disney theme parks, getting home computer systems, taking family vacations, and meeting celebrities. Two months ago, one of my constituents had his wish fulfilled by Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic, Inc. Last year, 7-year-old Ryan Davidson of Ashburn, VA, was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. It was devastating to him and his family. When the Make-A-Wish Foundation asked Ryan what his greatest wish was, it didn't surprise anyone that he wanted to meet NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte. Ryan learned about auto racing while playing video games and became an instant fan. Of all the drivers, Labonte is his favorite. On April 26, Ryan, his father Kirby, his mother Amy and his sister Mallory traveled to California where they visited a NASCAR racetrack, watched the action close up and met Labonte. Ryan came home with loads of memories and souvenirs, including his favorite--an autographed collector's edition of Labonte's car. Ryan's wish was a great success. ``This is the best day of my life,'' he told his parents after meeting Labonte. The Make-A-Wish Foundation gives children fighting life-threatening illnesses a positive break from a world of doctors, hospitals and medicine. I salute the Make-A-Wish Foundation's volunteers and supporters who work to make wishes come true not only in Virginia's 10th Congressional District, but literally all over the world. I invite those interested in leavning more about the Foundation to contact them at 1-800-722-9474 or on the Internet at www.wish.org.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, there are good people on both sides. I know as a Member that sometimes we want to be with our party and sometimes we want to be with our President. For me, I want to be with my conscience. My conscience tells me, and I think the American people would agree, that if China attacks, invades, or blockades Taiwan, they should lose PNTR. Support the motion to recommit. That is where the American people would be.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I am astounded that today, this Congress is taking a vote on giving China permanent normal trade relations. I am amazed that this vote is about to take place because all of the evidence shows that China has done nothing to deserve America granting China permanent access to the U.S. market. In fact, the national security evidence and the human rights evidence shows that the Chinese government is a brutal regime that sees America not as a strategic partner, but as a global threat and competitor, economically and militarily. There is much debate in this Congress and in America about China's future. Proponents of giving China PNTR claim that giving China permanent access to the U.S. market will change China's leadership, that giving China PNTR will promote democracy, promote religious freedom, promote peace, promote human rights. While it is my fervent hope that these changes will occur in China, I have to ask the question, ``what evidence is there to believe that China will change?'' ``What evidence is there that China has changed?'' After receiving several national security briefings from the CIA on China, having visited Tibet and China, and after looking at all of the continued and worsening human rights abuses committed by the Chinese government, I have to conclude that reality says, that giving China PNTR right now is dangerous to America's national security and that giving China PNTR will only strengthen the Chinese communists hold on power--allowing China to continue with its already horrible human rights record. Let's look at the evidence. China continues to destabilize Asia. In the past 50 years, China has clashed with nearly all of its neighbors. They invaded the Soviet Union, they invaded parts of India, they invaded Vietnam, they fought and killed thousands of U.S. troops in the Korean War. Thousands of American GI's who were captured or killed by the Chinese during the Korean War are still unaccounted for. We have never found out what happened to these GI's at Chinese hands. China continues to threaten to use force against Taiwan. China has done this repeatedly and forcefully while we in Congress have been debating whether or not to give China PNTR. China is right now reportedly conducting war games mimicking an invasion of Taiwan that includes battle against U.S. troops. China has threatened Taiwan with a ``blood soaked battle.'' In 1999, China's Defense Minister declared that war with the U.S. ``is inevitable.'' It is estimated that China has over a dozen nuclear ballistic missiles aimed at major U.S. cities and is reportedly building three new types of long-range missiles capable of striking the U.S. Less than one year ago the Cox Committee found that China has ``stolen'' classified information regarding the most advanced U.S. thermonuclear weapons, giving them design information ``on par with our own.'' The information included classified information on every currently deployed warhead in the U.S. ballistic missile arsenal. China's official military newspaper threatened the U.S. saying if the U.S. were to defend Taiwan, China would resort to ``long range'' missiles to inflict damage on America. China has exported weapons of mass destruction and missiles in violation of treaty commitments. The director of the CIA has said that China remains a ``key supplier'' of these weapons to Pakistan, Iran, and North Korea. Other reports indicate China has passed on similar weapons and technology to Libya and Syria. If one of these countries is involved in a conflict, it is very possible that our men and women in uniform could be called into harm's way. These weapons of mass destruction could then be targeted against American troops. China is forging an alliance with Russia against the U.S. and China is purchasing as many weapons from Russia as it can. Reports indicate that China has purchased advanced naval vessels and top of the line anti-ship missiles from the Russians that specifically are meant to be used against U.S. aircraft carriers. Reports indicate that China is seeking to disrupt or end U.S. alliances in the Pacific. Reports indicate that China is seeking to be the primary power in Asia and to nudge the U.S. out of Asia. China has increased its military budget by close to 13 percent this year. We hear the argument that PNTR will lead to economic and political growth in China, but who in China will benefit the most from increased foreign investment? Since the Clinton administration reduced technology trade restrictions in 1993, incidences of technology transfers from the U.S. to China have been numerous. Much of the capital and revenue the Chinese would gain from PNTR will go to help increase China's military build-up and to help stabilize a repressive, authoritarian regime. I'd suggest the money is going to go toward building more jails and more prison labor camps, toward more weapons purchases and toward funding more intelligence operations against the U.S. For all of these reasons and more, all of the major American veterans organizations, including the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart all oppose giving China PNTR. This Congress needs to heed the voices of our veterans. These are the people who have fought, who have been wounded, and who have put their lives on the line to preserve and protect freedom. These veterans know a national security threat when they see one. They unanimously oppose giving China PNTR because they know that it is very likely that American troops will be in harm's way because of China's military threats against the U.S. and because of China's military threats in the Asia region. Letters from these groups are included for the record. Three former Commandants of the Marine Corps, seven retired four star generals, a former Commander in Chief of the U.S. Army in Europe, and numerous other national security experts signed a letter opposing giving China PNTR because of national security concerns. These national security leaders argue that if the U.S. gives China PNTR: The nation ignores at its peril threatening Chinese rhetoric and behavior. * * * Being is using some of the hard currency it is garnering from trade and financial dealings with the United States to acquire ominous weaponry * * * specifically designed to attack American carrier battle groups * * * We believe that the annual debate on our China policy mandated by current law should not be eliminated at present. A recent report issued by the CPA and the FBI stated that China has stepped up military spying against the United States while using political influence programs to manipulate U.S. policy. This FBI/CPA report says that the U.S. military and U.S. private corporations are the primary targets of Chinese intelligence. This report also says that Chinese companies play a significant role in China's pursuit and acquisition of secret U.S. technology. I am concerned that Members of Congress and the American public do not know enough about the national security threat China poses to the U.S. I have been urging our colleagues to obtain a briefing by the CIA on China and just over 40 Members have had this briefing. I have written President Clinton urging him to declassify information that shows the national security threat China poses to the U.S. before this vote takes place and he has done nothing. Members and the American public need to know the answers to questions about the national security regarding and PNTR before this vote takes place. Right smack in the middle of this debate on PNTR, the Chinese government has stepped up its already heinous human rights violations. That's not just me saying that. The 1999 State Department Human Rights report on China is 68 pages long on descriptions of China's human rights abuses--abuses ranging from its policy of forced abortion and forced sterilization, to imprisonment and eradication of any democratic dissent, to imprisonment of people for having religious beliefs, to forced labor in China's vast prison labor system. The report says, ``The Government's poor human rights record deteriorated markedly throughout the year, as the Government intensified efforts to suppress dissent.'' The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bi-partisan commission established by Congress whose members were appointed by Congress and the Administration, opposes giving China PNTR because of China's continued religious persecution, saying: ``* * * Congress should not approve PNTR for China until China makes substantial improvements in respect for religious freedom.'' We know that 8 Catholic bishops are in prison--and I think there are probably more--and some have been in custody for over 30 years. In the past week, more Protestant House church leaders have been arrested. Muslims in northwest China are in prison because of their faith. China continues to pillage and occupy Tibet. Tibet is a peace-loving country that is not a threat to China. Yet, the Chinese government has brutally occupied Tibet for decades and has no plans to leave Tibet. I visited Tibet and met with Buddhist monks and nuns. Each temple has a Chinese communist official that controls and monitors everything that is done in the temple. The Chinese have cameras strewn throughout the capital of Lhasa, so they can watch and monitor the people. Hundreds of Tibetan monks and nuns are in prison because of their faith. The Chinese military is responsible for trafficking in human organs. A blood type match is made between a prospective organ recipient and a Chinese prisoner. Once the match is made, prisoners are taken to a remote location, where the necessary medical personnel have been assembled, and summarily executed. Their organs are then removed and sold. The State Department Human Rights report says that over 500 women in China of child bearing age commit suicide each day. Could it be that China's policy of forced abortion and forced sterilization are a significant cause of these suicides? Could it be that the fines for violating the government's birth quotas, that are three times a couple's annual salary, are causing these suicides? A country that abuses its own citizens on a massive scale cannot be trusted in its dealings with the U.S. Do Members actually think that the same Chinese government that flattens its own citizens with tanks-- that kills frail 80-year-old Catholic bishops--can be trusted? The decision on whether to give China PNTR must be based on facts and truth, not on wishful thinking or ill-placed hopes. Our challenge as a country and as lawmakers is to examine the facts, to seek the truth and to make informed and wise decisions based on the facts and truth. All of what I have said about China's worsening human rights record and the national security concerns are incontestably true. Yet, a large number of Members here are seriously considering giving away to China the only leverage the U.S. has--aside from military coercion--our annual review of whether to extend to China normal trading privileges. I am concerned that we in the U.S. have become so enamored with China's prospective market, that we are on the verge of ignoring facts and truth. We may be ignoring history, ignoring China's abysmal human rights record, and ignoring the threats China poses to U.S. national security and to our men and women in uniform. Today, in the year 2000, America is at a similar crossroads as Europe and America were leading up to World War II. Europe and America in the 1930's were tired of conflict, having just fought a bloody World War I, and chose to ignore the threat emanating from Germany and Japan. Neville Chamberlain forced through the sale of Germany of the Merlin high-performance engine--the same engine that was used by the British during the Battle of Britain in the famous Spitfire fighter plane. France was so caught up in enjoying the peace that it depleted its artillery stock through artillery sales to Romania, Yugoslavia and Turkey. France sold so many of its artillery pieces that when Germany invaded France, France only had 90 artillery pieces on its line with Germany. America was selling oil to Japan during Japan's invasion of Chinese Manchuria and kept selling oil to Japan within a year or so of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. We are at a similar crossroads today. Many in America feel victorious as the Cold War with the former Soviet Union no longer exists. Some see the recent facts and developments regarding China in a positive and hopeful light because they are tired of standing down a potential adversary and they are tired of facing a global rival. Events that many did not expect to happen in their lifetimes have occurred. The Berlin Wall has fallen, Germany is reunited, the Soviet Union has dissolved, Western Europe no longer faces a phalanx of hostile tanks, soldiers and missiles to its east. The battle against the former Soviet Union continued for 40 years and many simply want to wish away a future rival and a future conflict. Those of us in Congress and in America who are very concerned with the national security threat that China poses to the U.S. are frequently criticized as having a Cold War mentality toward China and of being China bashers. We are accused of being overly critical of China and of China's human rights abuses, that we are looking for a rival simply to replace the enemy that once was the Soviet Union. Because of our concerns with China and opposition to giving China PNTR, we are accused of not giving China a chance to change and grow into a democracy and into a reliable and trusted ally. Yet, in reality, China is still an authoritarian, communist country of over a billion people. Yet, in realty, China wants the U.S. out of Asia and seeks to be the unrivaled power in Asia. The massive human rights abuses and massive religious persecution in China are undisputed facts. It is fact that China plundered Tibet. It is fact that communist China has engaged militarily virtually every country on its border as well as the U.S. in the past 50 years. It is fact that this present Chinese leadership rolled over its own people with tanks in Tiananmen Square. It is fact that China commits untold atrocities against its own people. It is fact that China has been publicly threatening to shoot nuclear missiles at the U.S. Fits of wishful thinking and outright ignoring these and countless other facts do not change the reality of the regime in China or the plausible threat that China poses to the U.S. We need to learn what history teaches us about leadership. The lessons from our past are clear. Leadership is not about seeing what we wish to see. Leadership is not about closing our eyes to the threats before us. Leadership is about clearly, lucidly, and forcefully addressing facts and truth and taking appropriate action. The American way of life, our freedom can only be preserved by vigilance. Vigilance requires us to look at the situation in China today and conclude that the Chinese regime should not receive permanent trade relations with the U.S. until the questions of national security have been adequately addressed and until there is a significant improvement in China's human rights record. We must have a way to continue our annual review of trade with China. If we sign off on permanent trade, we hand over any influence we could have in promoting a China that respects its citizens and that is a non- threatening, peaceful member of the community of nations. Annual review of China's trade status is an appropriate foreign policy tool, it is an opportunity for Congress to influence the behavior of China on matters of national security and human rights, and it is the right thing to do in maintaining our vigilance in preserving freedom. [From the American Legion] China Trade Opposed by the American Legion Indianapolis (Wednesday, May 20, 2000).--Taking into account nuclear espionage charges, human rights abuses, saber rattling against Taiwan, and influence-peddling indictments, the 2.8-million member American Legion today demanded the U.S. government withhold Permanent Normalized Trade Relations with the People's Republic of China and oppose its entry into the World Trade Organization. The American Legion's board of directors, during its annual spring meeting here, recommended Congress and the Clinton administration force China to meet four preconditions both for entry into the WTO and for ending the annual congressional review of its trade status: Recognition of the Taiwan's right to self-determination; full cooperation on the accounting of American servicemen missing from the Korean War and the Cold War; abandonment of policies aimed at military dominance in Asia; and encouragement and promotion of human rights and religious freedom among the Chinese people. ``China should embrace democratic values before it benefits from unfettered American investment,'' American Legion National Commander Al Lance said. ``The American Legion sets forth the prerequisites for peace and stability, without which Communist China will become economically and militarily more formidable even as it embarks on policies pursuant to regional instability. A something-for-nothing trade arrangement with China--one that severs trade from national security and human rights--threatens stability, rewards antagonism, and strengthens a potential foe of American sons and daughters in the U.S. armed forces.'' Founded in 1919, The American Legion is the nation's largest veterans organization.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, a man does not live by bread alone, and if one listens to the debate, one would begin to wonder. It was 55 years ago last month that Dietrich Bonhoffer was marched from his prison cell in Flossenburg Prison in Nazi Germany and hung because he stood on behalf of human rights and speaking out. There are modern Dietrich Bonhoffers in prison today in China, and this Congress and this administration ignores it. We talk about the Berlin Wall falling; to my side, the Berlin Wall did not fall. Ronald Reagan pushed it down. He pushed it down with the help of the Pope and the AFL-CIO who helped Lech Walesa and Natan Sharansky and Andrei Sakharov and others. We say that we are changing the tactics that work to defeat communism. Can anyone imagine a Member getting up in this body in the 1980s saying, let us help give more money to Russia, that way we will defeat them. We say we are a pro-family Congress and a pro-family party. Mr. Speaker, 500 women a day in China commit suicide and endure forced abortion and forced sterilization. We say we are for a strong defense, and if Members got the CIA briefing and unfortunately, not many did, they see the threat to this country, and they see that every major veterans' group supports defeat of this. In closing, Ronald Reagan said on December 4, 1992, ``Do not forget those who suffer under tyranny and violence. Do not abandon them to the evils of totalitarian rule or democratic neglect. For the freedom we celebrate is not the freedom to starve, the freedom to languish in a long, starless night of the soul. This, at least, is something that should be beyond debate.'' Mr. Speaker, I urge and pray that the Members who are undecided, particularly on our side, which has been a party that has been against communism, for human rights, for religious freedom and for defense, will vote this down.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I am a free trader. I voted for NAFTA. I was one of the 30 Republicans that voted to bomb Kosovo, so I am kind of tired with the argument with regard to isolationists. What about the eight Catholic bishops, and now we know from the CIA briefing there are more? What about the 50 evangelical house pastors that are in jail? What about the over 400 Buddhist monks and nuns that have been persecuted and are suffering in that dirty jail in Lasa? What about the Muslims that are being persecuted in the northwest portion of the country? What about the fact that there are more slave labor camps in China today than there were in the Soviet Union when Solzhenitsyn wrote the book Gulag Archipelago? What about the 500 women a day in China that commit suicide, 56 percent of all the women in the world that commit suicide, because of forced abortions and their population policies? What about the organ program, where they will kill people to sell the organs? I ask our side, and our side is forgetting the legacy of Ronald Reagan, I ask our side, I wrote our side seven letters, get the CIA briefing; go find out who they are selling the weapons to. Only 45 Members took the time to get the briefing, and yet every major defense organization and veterans group came out against this: The VFW, the American Legion, the Purple Heart. What about the missiles directed against the United States? What about the Cruise missiles they just purchased from China? What about the assault weapons they put into this country? What about it? If this Congress, a Republican Congress, votes to give MFN, we will be on the wrong side of the American people, and we will be on the wrong side of history, and we, those who vote this way, if this PNTR passes, will have the same feelings that Chamberlain had when he returned from Nazi Germany and said, ``We have peace in our times, go home and get a good sleep,'' and then the bombs began. Vote no and give it an opportunity. For the handful of undecideds that have not made a decision, how will you feel about this vote 5 and 10 and 15 years from now? How will you feel about it if after this vote takes and they invade Taiwan and American men and women are killed? Vote no tomorrow when you are given a chance.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Reserving the right to object, Mr. Chairman, I would ask, what would this basically mean, that the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) would have an opportunity to speak on the amendment?

Mr. WOLF. I do, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter).

Mr. WOLF. I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana.

Mr. WOLF. I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana.

Mr. WOLF. I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana.

Mr. WOLF. I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.