Frank Wolf

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing legislation to create The Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area. Senator Warner will be introducing companion legislation in the Senate. We remember the words of Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address: We cannot dedicate--we cannot consecrate--we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it far above our poor power to add or detract. The Journey Through Hallowed Ground winds it way along U.S. Route 15 from Jefferson's home of Monticello, in Charlottesville, Virginia to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Starting as a trail used by the Susquehannock and Iroquois, America's early history can literally be traced along this corridor. Jefferson's Monticello, Madison's Montpellier, Monroe's Oak Hill and Ashlawn Highland, Zachary Taylor's homes, Eisenhower's cottage, Teddy Roosevelt's cabin, John Marshall's home, General George Marshall's home, and Camp David are situated along this route also dotted with numerous Civil War battlefields and sites from the underground railroad. Designation of this historic route as a National Heritage Area will create a partnership between the federal, state, and local governments as well as local civic organizations to commemorate, conserve and promote the history and resources along the Route 15 corridor between Gettysburg and Monticello. It will help link national parks to historical sites, package tourism opportunities, and provide financial and technical support for sites in the corridor. This historic corridor includes a significant part of the 10th District of Virginia, which I am proud to represent. I echo the sentiments of author and historian David McCullough when he said that ``[t]his is the ground of our Founding Fathers. These are the landscapes that speak volumes--small towns, churches, fields, mountains, creeks and rivers with names such as Bull Run and Rappahannock. They are the real thing, and what shame we will bring upon ourselves if we destroy them.'' This bill is modeled after the legislation Senator Warner and I introduced which created the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District in the Shenandoah Valley in 1996. Through that legislation, the Civil War battlefield sites in the Valley are being preserved. As with that bill, local, state and federal officials, working along with landowners and business leaders will be able to better promote the history of the Journey Through Hallowed Ground attracting tourism and an appreciation for the unique history of this area. I would like to thank the Journey Through Hollowed Ground Partnership which has been working to forge partnerships that span the four states that fall within the proposed boundaries of the heritage area. This group has laid the groundwork in identifying the significant historical properties within such a concentrated area along U.S. Route 15. Dozens of towns and counties along the corridor have offered letters of support as have local civic groups. The Virginia General Assembly also has approved a resolution of support. This legislation has been painstakingly drafted to ensure that the rights of private property owners within the district will not be usurped. In fact, designation as a heritage area increases the rights of property owners giving them an opportunity to learn more about the significance of their own property and allowing them to market their property as historically significant. Landowners should have the right to choose preservation and protection along with the right to choose to build town homes, malls and highways. The legislation clearly states: ``Nothing in this Act shall be construed to modify the authority of Federal, State, or local governments to regulate land use.'' Additionally, the only new federal funds accessible to The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership will be for the management of the heritage area. The bill also specifically prohibits the use of eminent domain and the ability of the management entity to regulate land use. The Government Accountability Office, the nonpartisan research service for the legislative branch, has investigated the effect of a heritage area designation on land use decisions. Its 2004 report states: ``Heritage area officials, Park Service headquarters and regional staff, and representatives of national property rights groups that we contacted were unable to provide us with any examples of a heritage area directly affecting--positively or negatively--private property values or use.'' This legislation is a local effort to recognize the history and beauty of this region. The organizers are local landowners who have the vision to appreciate that they live among the nation's most precious resources and history. The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership conducted a poll of the residents in the heritage area and found that 81 percent of those polled expressed support for the initiative. To understand the importance of this initiative, I refer to the words of Thomas Jefferson in his Notes on the State of Virginia: You stand on a very high point of land. On your right comes up the Shenandoah, having ranged along the foot of the mountain a hundred miles to seek a vent. On your left approaches the Potomac, in quest of a passage also. In the moment of their junction, they rush together against the mountain, rend it asunder, and pass off to the sea. The first glance of this scene hurries our senses into the opinion that this earth has been created in time, that the mountains were formed first, that the rivers began to flow afterwards, that in this place, particularly, they have been dammed up by the Blue Ridge of mountains, and have formed an ocean which filed the whole valley; that continuing to rise they have at length broken over this spot, and have torn the mountains down from its summit to its base. The piles of rocks on each hand, but particularly on the Shenandoah, the evident marks of their disrupture and avulsion from their beds by the most powerful agents of nature, corroborate the impression. But the distant finishing, which nature has given to the picture, is of a very different character. It is a true contrast to the foreground. It is as placid and delightful as that is wild and tremendous. For the mountain being cloven asunder, she presents to your eye, through the cleft, a small catch of smooth, blue horizon, at an infinite distance in the plain country, inviting you, as it were, from the riot and tumult roaring around, to pass through the breach and participate in the calm below. The landscape Jefferson depicts has been inspirational to American leaders for hundreds of years. From Susquehannock Indian trading routes and to Revolutionary War battles; from the homes of the founding fathers to the first brave pioneers to make a home beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains; from the Civil War battles which threatened to divide the union to the underground railroad, our nation was forged along this route. From Blue Ridge Mountains to the west and the fertile Piedmont to the east of the corridor the route in many ways exhibits the birth and development of our nation's economy, social movements and political landscape. Perhaps even more significant than the battlefields that cluster along the route are the documents penned in the homes along the corridor. The Declaration of Independence, the Monroe Doctrine and the Marshall Plan have influenced not only this nation, but the entire world. Every American citizen should take a trip along this route so that they know not only from where our nation has come, but also to where we are going. We cannot stand as a nation unless we know what this nation stands for. As we come upon the 400th anniversary this year of America's birthplace at Jamestown, I urge my colleagues to join with me in supporting this legislation.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor on behalf of Rep. Tom Davis and myself to recognize Ms. Germaine Broussard of McLean, Virginia, for her dedication to sending many cookies and other packages to U.S. troops overseas. Ms. Broussard is known as the Cookie Lady to those who have benefitted from her kindness. She has already baked and shipped over 51,000 cookies to servicemembers. She has dedicated many hours of her free time and her own resources toward baking cookies to thank U.S. troops. I am proud to call attention to the dedication of Ms. Broussard. I would also like to share a recent article from The Stars and Stripes which describes Ms. Broussard's hard work. [From the Stars and Stripes, Nov. 21, 2006] Va. Woman Cooking Up Eats Galore for Troops (By Kirsten Brown) Washington.--When Lt. j.g. Gregory Trach, 34, received an e-mail from Germaine Broussard two years ago asking permission to send cookies to his ship, he thought little of it. ``Thank you for your support of the U.S. military,'' he responded, then dismissed the request as a thoughtful but meaningless gesture. A few weeks later, the USS Shreveport received 12 boxes packed with more than 1,800 chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal and sugar cookies. Shocked, Trach sent Broussard a second e-mail: ``We thought you were kidding!'' That was Trach's first brush with ``the Cookie Lady.'' So far, Broussard, 39, has baked and shipped more than 51,000 cookies to servicemembers. The McLean, Va., resident calls her mostly one-woman program ``Troop Treats.'' It felt like Christmas to Lt. Col. Skip Goodwillie, 45, each time he and his unit opened a box from Broussard. Goodwillie, who is in the Army Reserves, was stationed northeast of Baghdad at Kir Kush military base when he started getting cookies. ``It was just wonderful to have mail call and hear, `Hey Skip, the Cookie Lady sent us another box,' '' Goodwillie said. ``It was wonderful for our morale.'' The Cookie Lady does get donations, but she pays for most of it out of her own pocket. After her job as a Smith Barney business development associate, Broussard comes home to start mixing batter about 7 p.m. She pulls the last cookies from the oven between 1 and 3 a.m. ``Some people can be a little hesitant about why am I doing this,'' Broussard said. ``I had wanted to do something, but with the Red Cross, you donate money, and they send the box. But our family has always used home-baked cookies, bread, whatever, to be able to say thank you.'' Broussard also sends necessities such as travel-sized shampoo, soap, toothpaste, mouthwash and other treats, including DVDs, Cocoa Rice Krispies and cheesecake mix. ``It's a small piece of home,'' she said. Embedded teddy bears are also part of her effort. Broussard's six ``Battle Buddies'' bears are dressed in camouflage and she could fill an album with pictures of beaming soldiers posing with their brown battle buddy. Broussard will soon launch her second holiday project, ``Operation Santa's Little Helpers,'' which enlists children to write cheery cards to the troops. These notes are tucked in red or blue stockings along with presents such as Slinky toys, Silly Putty, playing cards and, of course, candy. In junior high school, Broussard earned only a ``B'' in her home economics class. ``I don't use a standard one-cup measuring method,'' she said. ``It's just a little of this, little of that. The home ec teacher went crazy. I'd love to go back to that teacher and say, hmm! Wonder who's right now?''

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, when the Congress was in recess this fall, a significant milestone in the fight for freedom occurred. This past October 23 marked the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. I want to recognize the young freedom fighters who on that day against monumental odds, put their lives on the line to fight for the liberation of their country from the oppression of a dominating communist empire. They are true heroes, not only to citizens of Hungarian origin who have come to America, but to freedom-loving people around the world. As we remember the sacrifice of these freedom fighters, it is important to take the time to reflect upon the importance to freedom and liberty, and remember those who dedicate their lives to defending human rights.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the members of the Iraq Study Group and to thank them for their dedication and service to our country. I have been to Iraq three times, the first two times without military escort. I traveled all over the country. Upon my return I called for the creation of a high level, bipartisan panel to take an honest assessment of the situation in Iraq. To look forward, not back, and to report its findings to the American people. On March 15, this bipartisan Iraq Study Group was established with co-chairmen former Secretary of State James Baker and former Congressman Lee Hamilton, who co-chaired the 9/11 Commission, leading the 10-member panel--five Democrats and five Republicans. Because of the importance of their task in finding consensus on assessing the way forward in Iraq, at that time, I said it was important to have as members of the group people who loved their country more than their political party. The group undertook a serious, bipartisan, forward-looking assessment of the current and prospective situation on the ground in Iraq and its impact on the surrounding region, and its consequences on U.S. interests. It focused on political, military, security and reconstruction in Iraq. In addition to co-chairs, the study group members were former U.S. Attorney General Ed Meese, former Clinton Administration adviser Vernon Jordan, former Clinton Administration chief of staff Leon Panetta, former Defense Secretary William Perry, former Virginia Senator Chuck Robb, former Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger. The group traveled to Iraq, and met with hundreds of experts. Yesterday the Iraq Study Group released its much anticipated report on how we as a country can come together and move forward on Iraq. The report is a tough assessment of the current situation in Iraq and a blueprint for moving forward. Not everyone will agree with every recommendation contained in the report, but it should be given full consideration by the administration, the Congress, and equally important, the American people. Rarely do we see a report that has the full consensus of such distinguished Americans, men and women of honesty and integrity. I thank them for their service and a job well done. I also would like to thank members of my staff who worked on this issue including Christine Kojac and Mike Ringler of the Science-State- Justice-Commerce appropriations subcommittee, and Janet Shaffron and Samantha Stockman of my personal staff. A special thanks goes to my chief of staff, Dan Scandling, who accompanied me on my trips to Iraq and served as photographer and writer for the trip reports.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, gambling is exploding throughout our country. I am deeply concerned about the impact this is having on our society. Gambling destroys families and preys on the poor. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share some comments from a recent speech delivered by Rev. Tom Grey, national spokesman and field director for the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling and National Coalition Against Gambling Expansion. Rev. Grey gave these remarks to the Seventh Annual Commercial Real Estate Deal Maker Forum on October 24, 2006, in Cleveland, Ohio, as Ohio voters were considering the question on the Ohio ballot to legalize casino gambling. The proposal, which included money allocated for education, was dubbed the ``Earn and Learn'' initiative. Voters defeated the initiative 57-43 percent on election day, November 7. Tom has worked to bring attention to the harm gambling can bring to families and communities. Excerpts of Tom Grey's speech follow: Gambling is like a fungus. If it gets started in one region, it tends to spread. We saw this happening, and in 1994 we formed, from the bottom up, a national organization to fight it. We gathered local and state activists and formed the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling. We started sharing information and we challenged the spread of gambling at the ballot box. We did that in the peak of hard times for states. State budgets were upside down all across the country, and the casinos were pitching gambling as `the force of history, the wave of the future.' In the beginning there were bands playing while governors cut ribbons and welcomed the riverboats as economic salvation. The promoters declared that gambling was `inevitable,' but a decade later we now know it isn't even desirable. The wave of gambling hit a wall when we started exposing the product. Key votes in Ohio, Rhode Island, Missouri, and Florida surprised the gambling promoters. Voters turned it down. They burst the balloon of inevitability. The promoters lost. Ordinary citizens were successful. It's at the ballot box where we have our best results. They can buy legislators with their threats and big campaign contributions, but they can't buy elections. Gambling is and always has been an `other side of the tracks business.' Do you really believe that valued lakeside museums and gateway sports complexes are enhanced by having a casino next to them? In addition, there are terrible side effects with this product. Read the label. `May Cause'-- no--`WILL cause addiction, bankruptcy, crime and corruption.' Well, most of you are here this morning because you are business people whose businesses rise with the tide of a flourishing Cleveland, the community where you live and do business. Let me use an example from one of America's most admired businessmen from the past named Herb Taylor. For Taylor, a deal wasn't a good deal unless it was a good deal for everyone. Every deal, and every major business decision, had to pass these four questions, or tests: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build good will and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? is it the truth? The casino crowd has made billions turning teachers, school kids and PTA parents into gambling lobbyists. They do this by promising money for education, and that's exactly what they're doing in Ohio. Gambling promoters need to pick education or some other worthy community cause to buy their way into our communities or states. They want us to overlook the fact that the lion's share of the money goes to them. In Ohio, it's 55 percent. They want us to think the money's not going to the gambling promoters; they want you to think it's going to the schools. Gambling isn't new money. It's re-directed money. It's trading dollars. Gambling came to New Mexico in 1994, and by 1998 the state's Secretary of Taxation and Revenue reported roughly $1 to $1.2 billion per year in other taxable sales had fallen off the balance sheet. Entertainment, retail, restaurants, and services took huge hits from the casinos, and as a result, paid far less in taxes. The best the economists could say was the economy was playing a `zero sum game.' The casinos were winning and the other businesses were losing. Is the gambling sales pitch the truth? NO! No state has gambled itself rich, including Nevada--a state that should serve as a model for what a state can produce with gambling. Nevada recently passed the largest tax increase in that state's history. Republican Governor Kenny Guinn told his legislature in his inaugural address, `Our revenue system is broken because it has relied on regressive and unstable taxes.' (Guinn understands that when you take money from the citizens to run the government, it's still taxes, even if you do it with a slot machine.) Guinn told his legislature, `Implicit in this (gambling) tax strategy was a belief that the revenues from gaming and tourism could keep pace with our growing and diverse population. Unfortunately, this strategy has failed.' Nevada ranks near the bottom in per pupil spending on education, and spends less per capita on Medicaid than any other state. If those two areas don't concern you, take a look at where Nevada ranks in high school dropout rates, teen pregnancy, and children living in poverty. If the epicenter of gambling can't gamble itself rich--if the poster-child of casino-gunded government can't balance the budget, and if the model of slot machine largesse fails its kids so miserably, why would Ohio want to follow Nevada on its downward path? is it fair to all concerned? The simple truth is that 30 to 50 percent of casino gambling money comes from problem and pathological gamblers. Can anyone think of anything more cynical than funding education on the backs of sick and troubled people? There are about 400 of you here this morning. If casinos come to town, you can expect about 12 of you will become this kind of addicted gambler. You might not steal, but the addiction will likely cost you your home, your savings, your family, and your self respect. It could be you, your spouse, your siblings, your children. In the end, this addiction humiliates formerly great citizens to the point of desperation and even suicide. Gambling addicts think about suicide more than any other addictive group, and they act on those thoughts. Inviting a casino to town is playing Russian roulette with your friends and neighbors; employees and business partners. At 3 percent, which is conservative in a casino town, it would be like giving you a handgun with 400 chambers, and 12 of them are loaded. Are you sure you want to pass that around the tables? Are you willing to pull that trigger? New addicted gamblers cost more than $11,000 each--MINIMUM in `externalities.' That's extra costs the society pays for law enforcement, incarcerations, lost worker productivity, divorce, health care and the like. Gambling isn't entertainment like shopping or the movies. It always brings with it a tide of what we call the ABCs of Gambling: Addiction, Bankruptcy, Crime and Corruption. These cost the state, and the taxpayers, and you, the businesses, money. That's why gambling is a net loss to the economy. So what's your share? Let's do the math. Park a casino in your town, and the addiction rate will hit 3 percent or higher. Each new addict costs the economy more than $11,000. That's about $33,000 for each hundred people, or $330 a year for each of you. And that's using the most conservative numbers available! will it build good will and better friendships? Well, I doubt it. Making slots promoters rich by turning citizens into losers isn't a friendly relationship. It's adversarial, predatory and parasitic. It doesn't build friendship. It builds cynicism and despair. Good will means the customer goes home and says I got a good deal. Why does gambling have to keep expanding? Why do the casinos need to be open at 3 in the morning? Because that's what it takes to suck the addicted people dry. You just don't see many church-going college graduates that pay their credit cards on time yanking on slot machines at 3 in the morning. Did you notice this proposal has already set the stage for the conversion of slots parlors into full-blown casinos? Corruption is government trying to make losers of its citizens by legalizing something that damages the very health of its citizens, all under the guise of a painless revenue stream. Take another look. The revenue stream is running backwards, and the pain is intense. History has proven this-- over and over again. Gambling does not build friendships. It builds dependencies. It breeds corruption. Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Beneficial to all means everyone should be better off, not worse off. John Kennedy once said a rising tide lifts all boats. If gambling made all winners, it would be beneficial to all concerned. Of course, gambling makes losers and the citizens are worse off because of that. Even the people who never gamble lose money: the citizens and taxpayers. They get stuck with additional costs that they didn't have before: those public health and crime costs that ALWAYS follow gambling. In order to enrich themselves, these slots promoters are asking you to divert money from legitimate businesses, move jobs from real commerce to casinos, and give the taxpayers the bill for the social costs. Remember, the promoters openly admit they expect Ohio to sacrifice the health and lives of 109,000 of its citizens. They propose to make those people very sick, and then spend another $28 million to treat them. And even that sum isn't going to cover the bill. Not by a long shot. Do the math. Multiply that 109,000 new addicts the promoters ADMIT they will cause, times the $11,000 each for social costs. That comes to $1,199,000,000 loss for the economy of Ohio. Why would we accept making 109,000 people sick, and then losing more than a billion dollars from the economy to boot? The Pew Research Center just this year found three important changes in Americans' thoughts about gambling. First, they found that 7 in 10 Americans say that legalized gambling encourages people to gamble more than they can afford. That's up about 10 percent in the past 10 years. Second, a plurality, 42 percent of adults say casinos have a negative impact on their communities, while only about a third, 34 percent, say casinos have a positive impact. Third, and most revealing, the study found that only 23 percent of Americans actually enjoy gambling. That's down from 34 percent just 10 years ago. Think about that. If your product drops 11 percent in the people who enjoy it, you're in trouble.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with our colleagues to pay tribute to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Hyde, as he prepares to retire from the U.S. House of Representatives. I cannot imagine this, the people's House, without Henry Hyde being here. He is the conscience of this House. His eloquence, his honesty, his integrity, his passion, his dedication have filled this chamber on so many occasions when issues of the highest and most significant importance to this country were being debated. I say to Henry, your words have stirred this House time and time again. Colleagues always have looked to you for wise counsel. It was almost automatic that during a vote, I would always look up to see how you were voting. I am so grateful that my years of being a member of the House have allowed me the privilege of serving with and being a colleague of Mr. Hyde. The people of the Sixth Congressional District of Illinois, the people of the United States, and indeed freedom-loving people around the world can say to Henry Hyde, ``Well done, good and faithful servant.'' May God bless you, Henry.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I reluctantly rise in opposition to this omnibus trade bill, which includes a provision to grant permanent normal trade relations for the government of Vietnam. While I support this trade bill's important benefits to the people of developing countries such as Haiti and those affected by the African Growth Opportunity Program, I deeply regret the decision to extend permanent normalization of trade relations to Vietnam, a country which continues to violate the human rights of its own citizens. I believe it is a grave error to include this PNTR provision within the trade bill. The Vietnam government has failed to prove to the world that it values democracy and the freedom of its own citizens. The government of Vietnam is one of the most egregious human rights abusers in the world. According to the 2005 State Department human rights report, here are just some of the human rights problems reported at the hands of the Vietnamese government: Police abuse of suspects during arrest, detention, and interrogation; harsh prison conditions; arbitrary detention or restriction of the movement of persons for peaceful expression of political and religious views; denial of the right to fair and expeditious trials; imprisonment of persons for political and religious activities; restrictions on freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and association; restrictions on religious freedom; restrictions on freedom of movement; prohibition of the establishment and operation of human rights organizations; violence and discrimination against women; trafficking in women and children; and child labor abuse. The State Department's report says that Vietnam's ``human rights record remained unsatisfactory.'' I receive reports almost daily confirming that these human rights abuses are continuing to occur. I am contacted every week by Vietnamese-Americans in my congressional district who are concerned for their families and friends in Vietnam who face repression and torture as they stand up for democracy and freedom. The government of Vietnam also continues its harassment of people of faith. For Catholics, Vietnam retains the ability to choose all bishops and screen all seminarians. Charitable and educational activities are severely restricted. For Protestants, individual churches affiliated with Mennonite, Baptist, and 7th Day Adventist denominations have been allowed to register. However, churches with dissident pastors are not allowed to register nor are churches outside Ho Chi Minh City. In the Central Highlands in 2001, authorities closed 1,250 religious sites in this region. As reported by Human Rights Watch, Protestants who refuse to affiliate with the Southern Evangelical Church of Vietnam and seek independent status are accused of ``sowing division.'' Individuals are harassed, literature confiscated, leaders are detained and interrogated and pressured to give up their faith tradition. In the Northwest Provinces, forced renunciations of faith continued in the last year. Hmong Protestants in the Northwest Provinces have encountered the most problems in seeking legal recognition, as Vietnamese authorities have refused to acknowledge the legal existence of a reported 1,110 Protestant churches in the region. Approximately 200 Hmong churches have applied for registration under the new law, but they have encountered numerous obstacles, including some overt harassment. For the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, UBCV leaders Thich Quang Do and Thich Huyen Quang are still restricted in their contacts and movement. At least 13 other senior UBCV monks remain under some form of administration probation or actual ``pagoda arrest.'' At the time that the report was printed, the State Department estimates that there were six religious prisoners and 15 other individuals being held in some form of administrative detention on account of their religious beliefs. According to experts this number is likely to be higher. While pressure on the government of Vietnam has begun to move the government to change its abusive practices, life for the average person in Vietnam continues to be grim. I am extremely disappointed to hear that the issues of human rights and international religious freedom were not a priority during the President's trip to Vietnam in November despite ongoing and widespread human rights abuses. The people of Vietnam deserve our support. It is a tragic error to reward the government of Vietnam with normal trade relations while the people of Vietnam continue to be exploited.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, we learned some sad news this morning. Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, the first woman appointed to serve as permanent representative of the United States to the United Nations and as a member of President Reagan's cabinet and National Security Council, passed away yesterday at age 80. At the time of her death, Ambassador Kirkpatrick was a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) for Public Policy Research. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with our colleagues the following statement posted today on the Web site of AEI: In Memoriam: Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, 1926-2006 AEI senior fellow Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, who joined the Institute in 1978, died yesterday. As a young political scientist at Georgetown University, Kirkpatrick wrote the first major study of the role of women in modern politics, Political Woman, which was published in 1974. Her work on the McGovern-Fraser Commission, which was formed in the aftermath of the Democratic Party's tumultuous 1968 convention and changed the way party delegates were chosen, led to Dismantling the Parties: Reflections on Party Reform and Party Decomposition, which AEI published in 1978. Yet it was an essay written for Commentary magazine in 1979, ``Dictatorships and Double Standards'' (later expanded into a full-length book), that launched her into the political limelight. In the article, Kirkpatrick chronicled the failures of the Carter administration's foreign policy and argued for a clearer understanding of the American national interest. Her essay matched Ronald Reagan's instincts and convictions, and when he became president, he appointed her to represent the United States at the United Nations. Ambassador Kirkpatrick was a member of the president's cabinet and the National Security Council. The United States has lost a great patriot and champion of freedom, and AEI mourns our beloved colleague. Mr. Speaker, I also submit for the record a short biography of Ambassador Kirkpatrick published by AEI: [From the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research] Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, Senior Fellow Jeane J. Kirkpatrick was the first woman appointed to serve as permanent representative of the United States to the United Nations and as a member of Ronald Reagan's Cabinet and National Security Council. She served as a member of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (1985-1990) and the Defense Policy Review Board (1985-1993), and she also chaired the Secretary of Defense Commission on Fail Safe and Risk Reduction of the Nuclear Command and Control System (1992). Dr. Kirkpatrick headed the U.S. delegation to the Human Rights Commission in 2003. For this and related government service, Dr. Kirkpatrick was awarded the Medal of Freedom--the Nation's highest civilian honor--in May 1985 and received her second Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal--the highest civilian honor of the Department of Defense--in December 1992. In 2002, the Council on Foreign Relations established the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Chair in National Security, and in 1999 the Kennedy School at Harvard University established the Kirkpatrick Chair in International Affairs. She has held the Leavey Chair of Government at Georgetown University from 1978. For her work on NATO enlargement, Vaclav Havel, president of the Czech Republic, awarded her the Tomas Garrigue Masaryk Order, the Czech Republic State Decoration (1998), and H.E. Arpad Goncz, president of Hungary, presented her with the Hungarian Presidential Gold Medal (1999). For other work, she received the 50th Anniversary Friend of Zion Award from the prime minister of Israel (1998); the Casey Medal of Honor from the Center for Security Studies (1998); the Grand Officier Du Wissam Al Alaoui Medal from the king of Morocco (2000); and the Living Legends Medal from the librarian of the Library of Congress (2000). Dr. Kirkpatrick has received many other awards and decorations, including: the Award of the Commonwealth Fund; the Gold Medal of the Veterans of Foreign Wars; the Hubert H. Humphrey Award of the American Political Science Association; the Christian A. Herter Award of the Boston World Affairs Association; the Morgenthau Award of the American Council on Foreign Policy; the Humanitarian Award of B'nai B'rith; the Defender of Jerusalem Award; and honorary degrees from more than a dozen and a half universities. After her service in the U.S. government, she returned to her previous positions as Leavey Professor of Government at Georgetown University and as senior fellow at AEI. Dr. Kirkpatrick also writes and speaks on a range of issues concerning foreign policy and security affairs and participates in the ongoing dialogue on public issues. Dr. Kirkpatrick's published works include: Good Intentions (2003); The Withering Away of the Totalitarian State; Legitimacy and Force (2 vols.); The Reagan Phenomenon; Dictatorships & Double Standards; Dismantling the Parties: Reflections on Party Reform and Party Decomposition; The New Presidential Elite; Political Woman; and Leader and Vanguard in Mass Society: A Study of Peronist Argentina. She is also the author of numerous monograms and articles. Dr. Kirkpatrick received an A.B. from Barnard College, M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University, and studied at the Institute de Science Politique in Paris.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me to recognize Major David Han upon his retirement from the United States Marine Corps after 22 years of dedicated service. Major Han is a constituent who lives in Ashburn, Virginia. He spent 12 years as an enlisted Marine and another 10 years as an officer, completing assignments across the country, including his last assignment in our Nation's capital. During Major Han's last 2 years of service in Washington, DC, he has been the administration officer in the Marine Corps' Office of Legislative Affairs. In this capacity he was able to support members of Congress and congressional committees, working on issues related to the Marine Corps and national security. During this time, Major Han volunteered to deploy to Iraq, serving with II Marine Expeditionary Force Forward at Camp Fallujah. While at Camp Fallujah he served as a protocol officer, coordinating, planning, and executing over 150 visits to USMC units in Iraq by generals, foreign dignitaries, congressional delegations, the vice president, and the secretary of defense. These assignments are only a small glimpse of Major Han's many accomplishments as a Marine. I have no doubt that Major Han has made a lasting contribution in the capability of today's Marine Corps and has helped to shape the future of the Marines. His performance and dedication to duty over his 22-year career has been exemplary. I want to take this opportunity to wish him, his wife Cassandra, and two daughters, Anna and Madeleine, all the best as he retires from the Marine Corps. Semper Fi!

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I want to share with our colleagues my statement from a press conference I hosted with Congressman Donald Payne, and the Genocide Intervention Network today calling on all state Governors to divest from companies doing business in Sudan. Local students from Langley High School and Westfield High School also participated, and I would like to commend them for being so active on this issue. Thank you all for coming. Today I join my good friend and congressional colleague Donald Payne in calling on all states to divest from companies doing business in Sudan. I want to especially thank the Sudan Divestment Taskforce and the Genocide Intervention Network for working so hard on this issue. This movement started at UCLA and Swarthmore College and has gained recognition over the last 2 years. I also would like to thank all of the students in attendance. So many young people are embracing this issue. I commend them and urge them to remain vigilant. For over 20 years the government of Sudan engaged in a brutal civil war with the people of southern Sudan. This conflict took the lives of over 2 million people. During this time slavery flourished and terrorism took root in Sudan. In 2003 a conflict in Sudan's Darfur region broke out. The government reacted by unleashing a war on innocent people and began the genocide. That was 3 years ago. Over 400,000 people have died since and over 2 million continue to be at risk. I led the first congressional delegation to Darfur. I witnessed the horror these people live with day to day and the impact of decades of war. Just last week the United Nations reported fresh ongoing attacks. There is no question that the government of Sudan orchestrated and continues to direct the genocide in Darfur. In one village, 27 of the people that were killed were children under the age of 12. The United Nations is working to try to get desperately needed U.N. troops on the ground but the government of Sudan continues to reject this deployment. Targeted divestment from companies doing business in Sudan is an action that can make a difference. The genocide in Sudan can be stopped. Every American can do his or her part. The United States Congress and the president have called it genocide. It is now up to the states to apply economic pressure on the government of Sudan and divest from companies doing business in Sudan. We have seen in the past that the government in Khartoum responds to economic pressure. Last month I called on my home state of Virginia to divest and a state senator will be putting forth legislation when the General Assembly returns in January. I hope every state will follow the lead of California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey and Oregon which have already moved to divest from companies doing business with Sudan. Today we call on the remaining 44 states to do the same. We encourage all governors to review their state's pension funds and identify companies which are doing the type of business in Sudan that is aiding the government and fulfilling this genocide, not helping the people. We ask that they work with their state legislators to enact legislation to divest from those companies. California just passed a law last month and its model of targeted divestment limits the scope of companies and investments, providing a good plan for action. We need to send a signal to the government in Khartoum that America and the West will not stand silent in the face of genocide--that the women and children in those camps matter as much to us as our own families. History will judge our willingness to act.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, last week Loudoun County in Virginia's 10th District lost a loyal public servant. Frank Lambert, a former Loudoun County supervisor, passed away on Wednesday, November 8, at the age of 77. I was honored to call Frank Lambert a friend and to work with him on issues of importance to Loudoun County when he served on the Board of Supervisors during the 1980's. Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record an obituary from the Leesburg Today newspaper of November 10 which describes the public service of Frank Lambert. We send our condolences to his wife Ruby and all his family. [From Leesburg Today, Nov. 10, 2006] Former Supervisor Frank Lambert Dies (By Margaret Morton) A longtime Waterford area resident, Frank Lambert, 77, died early Wednesday morning at Inova Loudoun Hospital's Cornwall Street campus in Leesburg. Colleagues and friends were surprised by the news of Lambert's death. Attorney Steve Stockman, who served with Lambert on the county board when Republicans were a rare breed in Loudoun, knew he had been ill, suffering from pneumonia, but he said Wednesday he had visited him in his home north of Waterford less than a month ago. ``He seemed strong,'' Stockman said. The two Republicans served on the board of supervisors together from January 1984 to December 1987, along with Jim Brownell and Andrew Byrd, with Lambert representing the Catoctin District. ``He was a very nice man, the epitome of a Virginia gentleman,'' Stockman recalled. He described his former colleague as being ``very, very astute, with a brilliant mind.'' Despite a bit of occasional acerbity, ``when he had to,'' Lambert did not try to force his opinions on others. ``He would lay it out and give a brilliant analysis,'' Stockman said. Stockman, who was some years younger than Lambert, said he was also very friendly. ``I learned a lot from him,'' he recalled, describing Lambert as almost ``Reaganesque'' in his warmth and ability to communicate, with a big deep baritone voice. His political philosophy was ``very conservative,'' according to Stockman. After both had left elective office Lambert and former Leesburg mayor and Leesburg District Supervisor Frank Raffo, a staunch Democrat, did a weekly radio talk show and Brownell recalled Wednesday the two had some ``heated exchanges.'' ``He was very principled, very true to his cause,'' Brownell said of his former colleague. ``If ever there were a loyal and faithful Republican, he was it,'' he said. Describing Lambert as ``very, very conservative,'' Brownell, whose support for moderation often put him at odds with GOP stalwarts, said that looking back, however, ``Frank was probably right about a lot of things.'' After Democrat Betsey Brown defeated Lambert as part of the 1987 slow-growth movement, he left active politics, although he remained an ardent Republican, according to Brownell. He also continued in public service as a member of the Loudoun County Library Board and currently as a member of the Loudoun County Animal Control Advisory Board. Winston ``Win'' Porter was chairman of the Loudoun Republican Party when Lambert was on the board of supervisors. He echoed the opinions of Lambert's colleagues, calling him ``very intelligent and capable, with a lot of ideas.'' Don Walker, of Walker and Clarke Construction, recalled another of Lambert's contributions, calling him ``the father of communications in Loudoun.'' Fascinated with radio communications as a youth, Lambert established one of the area's first successful pager companies, Metrocall. Since 1969, he has been president of the Great Eastern Communications Company. He also was a Ham radio operator and held a FCC first class radio telephone license. In the 1960s, Lambert was part owner and manager of WEER in Warrenton and later worked for WAGE in Leesburg. Lambert's pioneering paging business was not without controversy, and some opposed it, especially the tall radio tower that was erected at his home north of Waterford. ``But, no one at the time had instant communications,'' including those who would most need them, such as doctors, nurses or fire and rescue workers, Walker said. Ironically, he recalled, one of the opponents had a heart attack and it was one of Lambert's pagers that helped save her life. But Lambert was more than just a successful businessman to Walker. ``He was my neighbor and friend, from the day he moved here in the mid-1970s,'' he said. It was a friendship that lasted from the first day. Walker, as a young man, met the older Lambert, when he went up to help him move into his house, to Wednesday morning's news that he had died. Describing Lambert as ``a very professional and academic man, a caring member of the community and a great lover of animals,'' Walker asked him to be godfather to his two sons. ``I would trust him with anything I had, or would hope to have, in my life,'' he said this week. He is survived by his wife Ruby; sons Roger Lambert of Andros Island, Bahamas, and Christopher Lambert of Waterford; grandsons Michael and James Lambert; granddaughters Constance and Angela Lambert; and brother Roland Lambert of Connecticut. Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13 at Union Cemetery with the Rev. Edwin Urban officiating.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill which would grant permanent normal trade relations for the government of Vietnam. Why are we here today ready to give Vietnam--a country with an abysmal human rights record, which continues to abuse and oppress its own people--favorable trade status? I am strongly opposed to this action and urge defeat of this legislation. There are people in Vietnam right now, as we debate this bill, in jail for their support of religious freedom, democracy, and freedom of speech--universal freedoms on which our country was built. If someone says they are for you, but do not want to be identified with you, how much are they really for you? Are we for democracy and religious freedom in Vietnam or are we more interested in promoting trade? The answer to that question may lie in the incredible news just announced today that the State Department has conveniently removed Vietnam from its list of Countries of Particular Concern--a designation stamped on countries with egregious violations of human rights and religious freedom. Vietnam had been on the list in the company of China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. I stand with the dissidents who remain in jails across Vietnam because they spoke out against human rights abuses being committed and condoned by their own government. Mr. Speaker, I call on this House to stand with the people of Vietnam who deserve our support as they seek democracy and freedom from oppression. Later this week the President will make a historic trip to Vietnam. I have called on him to meet with Vietnamese human rights activists here in the United States, and I have asked that he meet with dissidents in Vietnam. I have asked President Bush to stand with the dissidents in the way that the Reagan administration did with regard to the Soviet Union. It is unacceptable for the United States to encourage democracy and respect for human rights and then fail to hold Vietnam to this standard before granting them PNTR. Earlier today there was a groundbreaking ceremony on the National Mall to launch the memorial for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I ask my colleagues to think about Dr. King's words before voting on the legislation before us: ``In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.'' If the Bush administration and this Congress want to be friends with those fighting for democracy, religious freedom and an end to human rights abuses, the silence should be broken. I call on the President and our ambassador in Vietnam to meet with dissidents and to break the silence about human rights abuses in Vietnam. Mr. Speaker, our actions today are more than how much the U.S. will trade with Vietnam. The decisions we make will reach the 83 million Vietnamese people who are struggling to live in freedom. What will our answer be for them?

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 504 and 505 I am not recorded because I was absent due to my attendance at former congressman Joel T. Broyhill's funeral. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me to recognize Ms. Joy Trickett of Leesburg, Virginia, for her outstanding work to address homelessness and poverty in northern Virginia. Ms. Trickett is currently board chair for the Good Shepherd Alliance (GSA) Emergency Homeless Shelters in Sterling, Ashburn, Leesburg, Lucketts and South Riding in Virginia's 10th District. For many hours each week, she volunteers to make a difference, one person at a time. On any given day, you might find Ms. Trickett in the Good Shepherd thrift store in Sterling, working with her staff, or writing a grant proposal with her administrative director in Leesburg, or interfacing with other sister organizations like the Clothes Closet in Herndon, LINK in Sterling, Loudoun Red Cross and Northern Virginia Family Services in Fairfax. She serves on the board of directors for both GSA and LINK, and on the ecumenical council of her church. Joy believes we all have an inherent responsibility to serve the poor and needy. She is an energetic, God-loving woman who leads by example. Joy has received several awards and recognition, including the Loudoun Volunteer Services 2005 Adult Volunteer of the Year award in Leesburg during April 2005 and the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) 2005 Outstanding Humanitarian Award in Washington, D.C., during October 2005. During the 2006 Virginia General Assembly, House Joint Resolution No. 316 was passed commending Joy Trickett. Individuals are nominated for this recognition based on efforts that are considered to be of local, state or national significance. In short, Ms. Trickett has provided tremendous synergy for her work with Good Shepherd Alliance and LINK in Loudoun and Fairfax counties. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Ms. Trickett's work and accomplishments.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I come to the House floor today to share some sad news. One of Virginia's great public servants--former 10th District Congressman Joel T. Broyhill, a resident of Arlington, Virginia--died this past weekend. It could be said that this region of Virginia was shaped in many ways by the life of Congressman Broyhill. He laid the foundation for major transportation projects, including the Metrorail system, Washington Dulles International Airport, and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Congressman Broyhill dedicated most of his life to serving his country. He was born in Hopewell, Virginia, on November 4, 1919. He attended Fork Union Military Academy and then attended George Washington University. He also received an honorary doctorate degree from Georgetown University. Mr. Broyhill worked at his father's real estate company, M.T. Broyhill & Sons, which was a business his family began in Hopewell. The family later relocated to northern Virginia when Congressman Broyhill was growing up. Before coming to Congress, Congressman Broyhill had a distinguished military career in the U.S. Army. He entered the U.S. Army in 1942 as an enlisted man and served in the European Theater during World War II in the 106th Infantry Division. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge at the age of 25 and was taken prisoner and held in a German POW camp. After six months in captivity, he saw a chance to escape. He and another American soldier hid under some hay in a barn, hoping that the Germans would not come through the barn looking for them and thrusting their bayonets into the hay. Fortunately, the Germans did not find them, and Mr. Broyhill made his escape. He rejoined advancing American forces and was released from active duty in 1945 as a captain of infantry. After the war, he resumed his family's real estate pursuits and in 1952, the same year that President Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected, Mr. Broyhill was elected to the 83rd Congress from the 10th District of Virginia and to the 10 succeeding Congresses, serving for 22 years. I feel a special connection with Mr. Broyhill because I represent Virginia's 10th District today. Although the district has gone through a number of changes over the years, it was Congressman Broyhill who led the way. He was the first Member of Congress to represent the 10th District, Virginia's newest congressional district at that time. He began his congressional career and service as a member of the House committees on Post Office and Civil Service and the District of Columbia, and later became a member of the Ways and Means Committee. Congressman Broyhill was known for being a strong advocate for Federal and postal workers and for the postal service. It was appropriate that in the year 2000, Congress passed legislation I introduced which was signed into law naming the central mail processing facility for Northern Virginia in Merrifield in honor of Joel T. Broyhill. Congressman Broyhill served the people of Virginia honorably and was especially known for the way he took care of his constituents' needs. According to the Almanac of American Politics in 1972, and I quote, ``There were few offices that took care of constituents' needs and complaints with more efficiency.'' Mr. Broyhill estimated that he had helped more than 100,000 residents of Virginia's 10th District during his more than 20 years in office. I still hear people today say ``Congressman Broyhill helped me.'' The almanac also describes Congressman Broyhill as one who, and I quote, ``should be credited with voting his conscience.'' We salute today the life and dedicated public service of Joel T. Broyhill and offer our condolences to his three daughters, Nancy, Jeanne and Jane Anne; his stepdaughter, Kimi, and his wife of 25 years, Suzanne (Suzy). He also has four grandchildren: Meredith and Maureen, who are fraternal twins; Lindsey, and Kathleen, and three great- grandchildren: Molly, Jack, and Kara.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6102, to name a post office in northern Virginia in honor of Captain Christopher P. Petty and Major William F. Hecker, III, both of whom were killed in Iraq on January 5, 2006, when an explosive detonated near their Humvee in Najav, Iraq. Both Captain Petty and Major Hecker attended high school in northern Virginia. Now we commemorate their service to America by naming the post office building at 200 Lawyers Road, NW in Vienna, Virginia, in their honor. There is no greater gift a person can give than his or her life to save the lives of others. I cannot imagine the grief of the parents, wives and children of these two courageous men and we honor their memory today in this way to help ensure that their sacrifice will not be forgotten. This post office will stand as a reminder of the perils faced daily by the thousands of Americans who serve in our armed forces overseas and whose devotion to duty places them in harm's way. My thoughts and prayers remain with the families and friends of Captain Petty and Major Hecker.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 2690, legislation to designate a United States Postal Service facility in Manassas, Virginia, as the Harry J. Parrish Post Office. I want to particularly thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) for his work to bring this legislation to the floor. I am pleased to be a sponsor of the House companion bill to the Senate measure introduced by Virginia Senator George Allen. Harry Parrish serve over 50 years in elected office. He was elected to the town council of Manassas, Virginia, in 1951, and held that position until 1963 when he was elected mayor. He served in that capacity until 1981. During his 12 years as town councilman and 18 years as mayor, he guided the transformation of Manassas from a small Virginia town to a thriving, lively suburb. Mr. Parrish became a delegate in the Virginia General Assembly in 1982 and was elected to 13 terms in the Virginia House of Delegates, including serving as chairman of the Finance Committee starting in 2000. At the time of his passing in March at the age of 84, he was the oldest serving member of the House of Delegates. As a member of the House of Delegates, he was known for conducting himself in a bipartisan manner, putting Virginia first. At Harry's funeral, current Governor Kaine was there, a Democrat; former Governor Warner, a Democrat. It was a bipartisan group. If only this body could become like that, whereby there could be a bipartisanship that we saw with Harry Parrish. I was proud to call Harry my friend. He was a true Virginia gentleman in the truest sense of the word. His public service started in the U.S. Air Force, where he was a decorated World War II pilot. As part of the British Royal Air Force during WWII, he flew C-47s over the Himalayas, delivering supplies, weapons and other cargo from India to China. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal for his valiant efforts. He served as an Air Force reservist in the Korean and Vietnam wars before retiring as colonel. He was chairman of the board of his family business, Manassas Ice and Fuel Company. Naming the post office on Sudley Road in Manassas in his honor and memory is an appropriate reminder to the people of Manassas of Harry's dedication to public service. I urge a unanimous vote for the legislation, and I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) for allowing me to have this opportunity to be here at this time.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of H. Res. 992, supporting the appointment of a Presidential Special Envoy; also, H. Res. 723, calling for the President to take immediate steps to improve the security situation in Darfur; and H.R. 3127, the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act. I want to commend and personally thank Chairman Hyde, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Payne, and Mr. Smith of New Jersey and their staffs for all the efforts that have gone into this. Last week at the United Nations, the President renewed our country's commitment to finding peace in Sudan by appointing Andrew Natsios as a Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan. Andrew has a big task ahead of him, but I am confident he goes into this position with the respect of the administration and determination to see peace in Sudan and somebody who understands the issue having been there on numerous occasions. We all support him in this endeavor. The people of Sudan, north, south, Darfur, all of Sudan, have suffered for too long. What is needed now is immediate action. The women and children are counting on us to end their nightmare. No human should ever have to live through and endure what these people are living through. I have seen through my own eyes during my latest trip to Sudan just 2 years ago the suffering people of Darfur. I visited five refugee camps, all sprawling tent cities jam-packed with thousands of displaced families. Also having visited Sudan in other cases, I have seen the suffering that went on in the north-south issue, people in the south and in the north. So as Mr. Smith said, this does not only deal with Darfur but also is to make sure that the north-south peace agreement continues to stay alive. I watched the barbarous Janjaweed militiamen, who are carrying out these attacks, sitting astride camels and horses just a short distance from where young and old sought what they had hoped would be a safe harbor. In the face of genocide, the international community has been paralyzed to act. The United States Government has led this effort in trying to bring peace in Sudan. Heroes like Roger Winter and others have dedicated their careers to the people of Sudan and should be commended. But, unfortunately, all of the diplomatic efforts that have been made over the last 3 years have failed to bring peace in Darfur. As we stand here, bombers are taking off, Antonov bombers, strafing villages. Soviet Hind helicopters fly in and attack the villages. Women and children are fleeing for their lives. The Janjaweed militia has continued to rape and kill, wiping out generations of people in Darfur. It is unacceptable, and the world must act. All three of these measures make it a priority to end the genocide and work to bring a lasting peace for the people of Sudan. I want to again commend the House for the strong stand. I want to commend Mr. Hyde, who has been a champion on these issues for so many, many times, in a bipartisan effort. I also want to thank Mr. Lantos. Every time one of these issues comes down on the floor, it is Lantos who is sitting over there. And, lastly, I want to thank my good friend, Mr. Smith, who, quite frankly, on these issues of human rights and religious freedom over the 26 years that I have served with him, he has done more I think than perhaps any other person that has ever served in this institution from the very, very beginning. But it is always Hyde, Lantos, Smith. It is almost like a baseball game and the three. And, also, I also want to thank Don Payne. Don Payne has been faithful, loyal, always there, always speaking out, always there. Has been there, I do not how many times, but also I want to thank Mr. Payne, and there are so many other Members. But these four, Hyde, Lantos, Payne and Smith, have been the ones that have really made a tremendous difference. And others again, I stipulate, care about this thing deeply. But it just seems that every time there is a human rights issue on the floor, they are the people that are down there. So I urge that we pass this thing with a majority vote and send a message to the government of Khartoum.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, earlier today I was at Arlington National Cemetery attending the funeral with full military honors for LCDR James Edwin Plowman, a missing-in-action Navy pilot shot down in 1967 in Vietnam, whose remains were positively identified after military investigators found his crash site several years ago. He was the father of James Plowman, Jr., Commonwealth's attorney for Loudoun County in my congressional district. Had I been present and voting, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall 454, the motion to consider H. Res. 1015, the rule for H.R. 4844, Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for Mr. Tom Davis of Virginia and myself to recognize The Honorable Sean T. Connaughton, former Prince William Board of County Supervisors chairman. Sean was recently confirmed as Maritime Administrator in the Department of Transportation and his education and experience will serve him well at the federal level. We want to take this opportunity to recognize the dedication that Mr. Connaughton showed the people of northern Virginia as Prince William chairman. At a time when northern Virginia was experiencing heavy population growth, Mr. Connaughton took his responsibilities as an elected official very seriously. Prince William's financial resources were well managed and Mr. Connaughton made significant improvements in terms of education, economic development, public safety, and transportation. On behalf of Virginia's 10th and 11th districts we want to thank Chairman Connaughton on his exemplary service. Mr. Connaughton is a U.S. Naval War College graduate and alumni of the Merchant Marine Academy. While serving as Prince William chairman he also worked as an attorney dealing with maritime laws and is a part of the Maritime Law Association. A U.S. Naval Reserve commander and former active-duty member of the U.S. Coast Guard, his accomplishments speak for themselves. We have every reason to believe that Mr. Connaughton will be an asset to the Department of Transportation and want to congratulate him upon his confirmation.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit for the Congressional Record a statement by former special representative on Sudan, Roger P. Winter. This statement was delivered at a hearing on the current situation in Sudan--the House International Relations Committee Subcommittee on Africa. Roger's testimony is compelling and I encourage all members to read it. The warning signs are written on the wall; if the international community fails to act, the genocide in Darfur can and will get worse. The statement of Roger P. Winter, October 20, 2006, follows: Statement of Roger P. Winter, Former Special Representative on Sudan of the Deputy Secretary of State Sudan's National Congress Party is controlled by an intellectually-capable, radically-committed, conspiratorial and compassionless nucleus of individuals, long referred to as the National Islamic Front (NIF). In the seventeen years since they came to power by coup to abort an incipient peace process, they have consistently defied the international community and won. As individuals, the NIF has never paid a price for their crimes. Almost all of them are still in important positions. The NIF core is a competent cadre of men who have an agenda, the pursuit of which has killed millions of Sudanese and uprooted and destroyed the lives of millions more. While their agenda is radically ideological, it is equally about personal power and enrichment. They are not at all suicidal, but they respond only to credible threats against their power and prosperity. The international community with its limitless posturing and (too often) empty words has, to date, never constituted a credible threat. During its seventeen- year reign, the NIF engaged seriously with critics only once, that being when confronted by a strong Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement and Army (SPLM/A) and an energetic international coalition led by the United States. The result was the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), an incredible, detailed document that ended a twenty-two year war between the NIF government and the people of southern Sudan, the Nuba Mountains, Southern Blue Nile and Abyei. Despite Khartoum's deliberately slow and selective implementation, in my view, the CPA is now at very serious risk of survival. Power and wealth in Sudan have historically been concentrated in ``the center'', in fact in just a few tribes. All the peripheral populations--North, South, East and West-- have, as a result, been marginalized, largely destitute, powerless and lacking development, regardless of their religious, cultural or ethnic background. The U.S. initiative beginning in 2001 made rather incredible progress in ending hostilities between the SPLM and the NIF government and opening up humanitarian access to war-affected people, raising the hopes and expectations of a better life for almost all Sudanese. That the peace process took four years is not surprising, given the egregious history to be overcome and the quality of the final text. The CPA was signed in January 2005. In April an SPLM delegation went to Khartoum to begin implementation arrangements. On landing at Khartoum's airport they were engulfed by joyous throngs of Sudanese of all backgrounds--Muslims, Christians, Africans, Arabs and others--hoisting the delegation onto their shoulders and dancing in the streets. They understood the implications of the CPA to be for all Sudanese. On July 8 when Dr. John de Mabior, chairman of the SPLM and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLA arrived in Khartoum to sign the Interim Constitution that was to implement the CPA, huge crowds of Northerners and Southerners estimated by some at 6-8 million came out to meet him. His popularity was such that, in a free election, it is likely that he could be elected President of Sudan by all the people. A New Sudan was being born. But Darfur was in flames. In February 2003, perhaps seeing the progress of CPA negotiations and concerned about being left out of the benefits of the CPA, ``rebels'' from Darfur's marginalized populations who were considered ``African'' as distinct from ``Arab'' initiated hostilities against the NIF government, The NIF responded precisely as it had in the war against the SPLA. This involved destruction of civilian populations, denial of humanitarian assistance to war-affected civilians, utilization of surrogate Arab militias in coordination with formal government military forces and pretence of themselves being the aggrieved party, being the ``sovereign'' government. The violence exhibited a character far beyond that which could fairly be described as ``military''. Ethnic cleansing was clear. Genocide was its truer name. The CPA includes a provision that the South and potentially Abyei can legally secede from the Sudan state if a referendum in those areas, scheduled for 2011, so decides. (The people of Southern Blue Nile and the Nuba Mountains, to their great dismay, have no similar option and fear being overwhelmed by Khartoum eventually). The NIF committed itself to make unity attractive but the war in Darfur has demonstrated to the SPLM that unity in a state dominated by the NIF would be anything but attractive. Many core NIF adherents were appalled by this provision, not just at the potential dismemberment of the Sudanese state but also because a large percentage of Sudan's known oil reserves, now increasingly coming on line, are located in the South. If the South legally seceded, that oil would then belong to it as a new separate country. Those NIF personnel also saw other CPA interim provisions as contemptible: that Dr. Garang would become Sudan's First Vice President, that the South would have its own government, that the SPLA would continue to exist as a component of ``the national army'', but separate from the Government's army, and that national elections would be held. So, why did the NIF government sign the CPA? With its very limited allegiance from the Sudanese public and increasing military threats from Sudan's other disaffected marginalized populations, with the international war on terror potentially having implications for Sudan itself, being on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism and also being the political birthing place for Osama bin Laden, not to mention the NIF's own brand of radical politics, the NIF needed to buy time. It also hadn't, despite a twenty two year war, been able to defeat the SPLA. It was in their interests, at least ``for now'', to sign. At least signing guaranteed it six and one- half years of protected existence. Who could know what opportunities for a course-correction might materialize within that timespan? On July 30, 2005 Dr. John de Mabior, the embodiment of the possibility of a united New Sudan, was killed in a helicopter crash. The opportunity had arrived. That very day, I believe, the NIF recalculated its future course of action. To seize the opportunity, the NIF needed to eliminate the Darfur opposition (civilian and military), destabilize the SPLM, corrupt or abort any potential for a viable referendum. maintain possession of the oil fields of Abyei, and ensure the degradation of the SPLA. The NIF has seen progress on all of these in the last fourteen months. We are currently witnessing the NIF's attempt to achieve the elimination of its Darfur opposition. Khartoum is attempting to change the realities on the ground in Darfur before the international community gets serious, if that is possible. They believe they have ``read'' us, the international community, all accurately, the U.S. included. They believe there will be a continued slow response on our part to Darfur's genocide and acceptable limits to whatever actions are ultimately taken. After all, that's been pretty much the case throughout their tenure. Thus, the liquidation of the Darfur opposition is now in motion. The NIF has successfully marginalized the SPLM within the ``Government of National Unity'' created by the CPA. The SPLM is largely powerless to affect significant national policy. The NIF has ``bought'' several SPLM officials and also inserted into the SPLM apparatus other key individuals whose loyalty is to Khartoum. Several veteran SPLM leaders, brilliant, capable men who were critical in achieving the CPA, have now left the country in despair. The process for undermining the referendum is now underway. The first elections, preliminary to any referendum, are scheduled for 2008. To prepare for them, basic elements, laws and structures must be put in place, especially in a context where there is no history of elections. For example, there has been no proper census in Sudan since 1983. Thus, the architecture for elections is being put in place in a context largely controlled by Khartoum loyalists. And, too, the international community is being of only limited assistance to the SPLM in its conversion from a rebel movement into a nationally competitive political party, a serious shortcoming. The future of Abyei, a place little understood by outsiders, is a critical issue as it is the repository of a significant amount of Sudan's oil; most of Abyei is an oil field. Currently that oil is being extracted under Government contracts with oil companies from China, with its UN Security Council veto power, Malaysia, India and Sudan itself. Its products are fueling the NIF's war in Darfur. The CPA provided for an Abyei Boundaries Commission (ABC) to determine Abyei's actual borders, so that oil revenues can be properly allocated. The ABC determined the boundaries but President Beshir has rejected it and also the appointment of an interim local government as provided in the CPA. To buy time as the clock ticks, he refuses to proceed. The highly volatile Abyei area, thus, remains largely in the hands of the Sudanese Army. The Sudan Peoples Liberation Army is, in many ways, the reason the CPA exists. This rebel army, with very limited resources, could not be defeated by the Sudan army. But that was then; this in now. The balance may be changing. The riches of Khartoum are being used to modernize and equip the Sudan Army. The SPLA is largely as it was several years ago, perhaps even less so. In significant part, this is due to us. Endless debating regarding what the U.S. is authorized to do to the help in the transformation of the SPLA into a modern military force is very dangerous. It could cost South Sudan and potentially all of Sudan tragically in the future. Transformation of the SPLA is the surest guarantee that the CPA will survive. It is my view the war in Darfur and the survival of the CPA are inextricably entwined, and the NIF sees it. If, through weak international responses to genocide, the NIF succeeds in eliminating its Darfur opposition, and that reality is combined with the reality of the loss of Dr. Garang, the only southern leader who had the stature to compete successfully with Khartoum, the stage is set for the NIF to entirely undermine the CPA. The SPLM can again compete, and its current leadership is trying to so position it, but its recovery from the loss of Dr. Garang and from the destabilization efforts of the NIF will take time. And the clock is ticking. Based on this analysis, I encourage the following urgent steps: 1. Deploy non-consentually the now-stymied UN protection force. In fact, some of the UN force already in the South, in such places as Wau virtually next door to Darfur, could be moved there quickly. In the meantime, declare and enforce a no-fly zone for Sudan military aircraft throughout Darfur. U.S. resources exist in Djibouti that could be used for enforcement purposes. 2. Provide substantial assistance to the SPLM to empower its participation in governance at all levels. to be seriously competitive as a national political party and to effectively govern the South. The Government of South Sudan also needs assistance in anticorruption efforts. such as setting up an office of Inspector General of Government. Some of these issues were discussed by Salva Kiir, President of South Sudan, when he met with President Bush in July. 3. Focus now urgently on the upcoming interim elections and ultimately the referendum. Time is flying by, given what needs to be accomplished. Monitor preparations in detail and equip the SPLM to be able to fully participate in preparations. 4. Take Abyei seriously. If war breaks out again between the NIF and the SPLM, it will in my estimation likely begin in Abyei. Expose President Beshir's perfidy in delaying. Raise the issue at the UN Security Council and other appropriate forums. 5. Seriously assist the SPLA in its conversion from a rebel force to a modern military, The delays already caused by U.S. persistent bureaucratics have the potential for actually encouraging war and the ultimate loss of life and of the CPA. 6. Finally, given the ``no negative consequences'' pattern experienced by the NIF for crimes committed, accountability for past, current and future crimes is a critical issue. Unfortunately for Sudanese, the International Criminal Court seems to have disappeared. An internationally agreed-on system of accountability is desperately needed for Sudan's atrocities. The U.S. should actively take leadership in addressing this crying need. Believe me, we are in really dangerous times regarding Sudan. It could happen that the CPA is stamped ``CANCELLED'', along with an incredible additional number of Sudanese lives. And if that happened, it would blot out one of the finest U.S. initiatives of the last decade.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2784 to award a congressional gold metal to Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, in recognition of his many enduring and outstanding contributions to peace, non-violence, human rights, and religious understanding. I am honored to support the Dalai Lama to receive the Congressional Gold Metal. He has dedicated himself to the Tibetan people and the pursuit freedom. He is the head of state and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people--the epitome of strength and courage, revered around the world for his commitment to the cause of human rights and religious freedom--a man who wants only to be able to return to his country in peace and to lead his people in the practice of their religion. He had led the effort to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the Tibetan people. I traveled to Tibet in 1997 and saw with my own eyes the suffering the Tibetan people endure. I visited monasteries and talked with many people. Several monks spoke to me in secret and shared with me the horrors taking place in Tibet. I heard stories of monks and nuns who were dragged away to prison and tortured. These monks and nuns are not alone. Religious persecution is spread across China. Catholic bishops are in prisons and labor camps. Protestant House Church leaders are routinely harassed and detained. Large numbers of Muslims in China are in prison because of their faith. Young Muslim Uighur boys and girls are not even allowed to enter a mosque until they are 18-years-old. I have been standing on the floor of this House talking about human rights in China and the Dalai Lama for two decades. The world is now looking for resolutions to the human rights problems in China and Tibet. There has been a dialogue taking place between the Dalai Lama's envoys and the Chinese, and that is good. But we now need to see some concrete results from these talks. The Tibetan people deserve to live in peace. I am proud to support the Dalai Lama for the Congressional Gold Medal. He has kept the cause of human rights alive in Tibet and in other places around the globe. He is a true hero to me and many others throughout the world.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the bill. Before I make some comments, let me say I have great respect for the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra). He is a good person. But I do not believe this approach is the way to go. I appreciate the hard work of Mr. Hoekstra and his staff in trying to develop a bill that addresses concerns raised by myself and others, including the Justice Department. And while I appreciate his genuine efforts to address the issue of providing additional opportunities for inmates, I remain concerned that the alternatives provided in this proposal will not be enough to replace the mandatory source authority currently relied upon by Federal Prison Industries (FPI). H.R. 2965 would decimate the FPI program by eliminating the mandatory source preference without an adequate replacement. Mandatory source preferences account for the majority of inmate jobs in the program. I also want to acknowledge Mr. Hoekstra's efforts to work with the Justice Department to craft a workable alternative to the currert mandatory source authority that is responsible for many of jobs currently available through FPI. While there have been a number of changes from the proposal that was considered during the last Congress, the Department of Justice has stated that they cannot support this bill in the current form. The Department of Justice calls FPI ``the Department's most important correctional management tool.'' DOJ has a fiduciary relationship in running these prisons and I certainly wish they had been stronger in articulating their concerns. However, the fact remains that the bill before us does not have their support. Winston Churchill said one of the best tests of whether we are truly a civilized people is the temper, the mood of the public in regard to the treatment of crime and criminals. I like to think of myself as a compassionate conservative. I've had the chance to work with prisoners. Before I was elected, I was involved in a program at Lorton Prison called ``Man to Man'' where we would meet with and counsel the inmates. Knowing what this bill could do in terms of prison work opportunities, I think this bill should be defeated. You cannot put a man in prison for years and expect him to be rehabilitated without work. The Bible says, ``Remember the prisoner as though in prison with them.'' Currently, FPI is a self-supporting government program that provides job skills opportunities to federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmates by producing products and services for federal agencies. The FPI prison inmate work program fosters BOP prison safety by helping to keep thousands of prison inmates productively occupied in labor-intensive work activities and furthers BOP prisoner rehabilitation by providing prison inmates with opportunities to develop job skills that will allow them to reenter our communities as productive, law-abiding citizens. This bill would make it difficult to operate a prison. Inmates without work who are idle are prisoners that are going to later come back and commit a crime. Prisoners that participate in the FPI program have a 24 percent lower recidivism rate than prisoners who are not in the program. This bill also has major budget impacts. To those on my side of the aisle who talk about balancing the budget, the cost of this bill over 5 years will be $500 million. In an era of limited discretionary funding, I have to ask: does it make sense to replace the self-sustaining FPI program with an alternative work program that would cost hundreds of millions a year, without considering any additional staffing needs that would arise from a loss of FPI jobs? The FPI program provides those incarcerated with a unique opportunity to learn discipline, responsibility, and job skills needed to re-enter society. We should be supporting these prisoners as they serve their time and seek to make the transition back into society, not undercutting one of the most important programs offered by the prison system to help them do so. I am very concerned that the bill before us does not set up an alternative system that can ensure FPI will be able to continue offering inmate work and training opportunities in the future. In the last four years, the percentage of inmates able to participate in FPI has plummeted from 25 percent to 17 percent, with the BOP estimating a continued decline if this legislation passes. That is the key. There is no alternative system for ensuring there will continue to be jobs if these reforms are implemented. That would be tragic. If this bill is not amended, I believe, and I may be wrong, that this bill, as surely as the night follows the day, will make it very difficult to operate prisons. With the opportunity to work comes the chance to restore dignity. Later, I am offering a commonsense amendment with my colleagues Messrs. Lungren, Chabot and Scott that would simply postpone the mandatory source phase-out for one year if the FPI prisoner enrollment falls below the current level of 17 percent. In a time of low national unemployment, it is hard to believe that we are about to make it harder for incarcerated Americans to learn discipline, responsibility, and job skills that working develops. I urge my colleagues to vote against this underlying bill and for the Lungren-Chabot-Wolf-Scott amendment.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I introduce this resolution to again call for the immediate appointment of a Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan. In calling for this I would like to commend the President for the leadership he has shown toward Sudan; Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who has traveled there and cares deeply about this issue; the work of former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who was the first leader to call the conflict genocide; and former Deputy Secretary Robert Zoellick, for his efforts on behalf of the people of Sudan. I also want to specifically recognize Roger Winter who has dedicated his life to the people of Sudan. He has been a true hero to the suffering Sudanese. While we were all hopeful that the signing last May of the Darfur Peace Agreement would bring needed stability to Darfur, I am extremely alarmed that in recent weeks the fighting in Sudan has intensified. The targeting of civilians and humanitarian workers must end. Sudan is at a critical moment and the appointment of a special envoy could not be more timely. The appointment of a special envoy will send a clear message to Khartoum that the United States will not stand by while genocide is taking place and will send a message to the people suffering in the camps that the United States has been and will continue to be actively involved in ending their nightmare. I urge the administration to move quickly to bring hope to the people of Sudan.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate bill (S. 3741) to provide funding authority to facilitate the evacuation of persons from Lebanon, and for other purposes, be taken from the Speaker's table, amended in the form that I have placed at the desk, and hereby passed; that the amendment placed at the desk be considered as read; and that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.