Frank Wolf

Mr. WOLF

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

Mr. WOLF. I agree with the gentleman that the warnings provided by the Space Environment Center are important to protect their satellites and other space-based industries. And I will be happy to work with the gentleman as the bill moves forward through conference to try to find increased funding for the Space Environment Center.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I just want to say, Mr. Davis has convinced me of the merit of his argument. I would never object to him. Since it makes a lot of sense, I concede.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order on the gentleman's amendment.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I believe it is an appropriate issue to debate, but the appropriate forum for debate is with the authorizing committees and with an opportunity for both sides on the issue to present their cases. Today's pending legislation is not a place for the debate, and I would hope that the authorizing committee would schedule hearings and bring forward a bill and let the House work its will. That is the way we do it. Authorizers hold hearings, look at the impact, come back, report out a bill, and let the committee and the House work its will. Point of Order

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I do make a point of order against the amendment because it proposes to change existing law and constitutes legislation in an appropriation bill. Therefore, it violates clause 2 of rule XXI. The rule states in pertinent part, an amendment to a general appropriation bill shall not be in order if it changes existing law. The amendment directly amends the existing law, and I ask for a ruling from the Chair.

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

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I want to assure the gentlewoman from California that I agree that educational exchange initiatives are an important component of our hemispheric foreign policy. The fact is, as you were speaking, I thought of my daughter Rebecca who was in an exchange program and actually taught down in Honduras, Tegucigalpa, for 2 years. The relationships, the friendships, and the opportunities she made were life changing. I think you make a very powerful point. I appreciate the gentlewoman's intention in raising this issue, and I want to assure her that I will be mindful of this issue as this bill moves forward.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word, and I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the other Members for a colloquy.

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

Mr. WOLF. I yield to the gentlewoman from New York.

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

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank both you, Mr. Bilirakis, as well as Mr. Wexler and Mrs. Maloney of New York. It really does offer an opportunity. It is kind of an historic moment, in some respects, for this reconciliation opportunity. So I support the efforts aimed at bringing a solution to the Cyprus issue and agree that new avenues should be explored. I really commend you for doing this. I share your concerns and really will be pleased to work with my colleagues to explore what might be done to gain support for this new joint initiative to someday bring peace and reconciliation to the area.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I will accept the amendment, but I just wanted to highlight how ludicrous it is, and I think the gentleman has pointed it out, but to have those requirements on Taiwan when China is spying against us. In this bill is funding for the FBI to keep the Chinese from spying against us. There is no persecution in Taiwan. On Monday, we had a meeting with the Cardinal Kung Foundation, and they pointed out that there are now 40, 40 Catholic bishops and priests in jail in China. There are zero in jail in Taiwan. This is serious, and I am glad the gentleman offered this. There are 4,000 to 6,000 evangelicals, house church leaders, men and women, in prison in China today. The latest figure as of Monday. There are zero in Taiwan. There are Buddhist monks and nuns in Tibet being persecuted, and President Hu was the one who put the policy together. It is against the law to have a picture of the Dalai Lama. But there are no Tibetan monks or nuns being persecuted in Taiwan. Maybe we should have the Taiwan regulations apply to the embassy in Beijing and reverse it. Lastly, just so people know this, there is great persecution against the Uighers, the Muslims in China. And to show you how close this comes to home, Mr. Lantos and my office worked to have Reba Kadeer released, she was in prison for 5 years, by agreeing to meet with a congressional delegation. She went through a difficult time. Five years in solitary confinement. She got out. Now there was a staff codel to meet with her kids 3 weeks ago, and they have now arrested her three children and they are in jail. One was beaten and pummeled. The Chinese security police sent out agents to northern Virginia to spy on her, and they took the license plates down of their cars and their public security police. So I think the only difference I have with the gentleman's amendment is that these restrictions that are on Taiwan should have been on the American embassy in Beijing. It is just the opposite. It is like that Simon and Garfunkel song, The Boxer: Man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest. There is tremendous growing persecution in China of the Catholic church. Some of these bishops are in their 80s. One, Bishop Su, has not been seen since 8 years ago. He gave Holy Communion to Congressman Chris Smith. I repeat: 4,000 to 6,000 evangelicals, Buddhist monks and nuns, and now the Uighers. So I am glad the gentleman offered this amendment, and I urge it to be strongly passed. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from Illinois for her hard work to promote Internet safety. Just recently, Congressman Kirk, who has been a leader on this, has raised this in our hearings a number of times. Congressman Kirk and I urged the FTC to issue a national consumer alert to parents and children about the risk of sites like MySpace. I would say if any mother or father is listening, to have your children involved in MySpace is a mistake. So what I think you are trying to do and what Mr. Kirk is doing is very good. I share the gentlewoman's concerns and commit to continue looking into the matter to ensure the FTC is devoting sufficient resources to fight Internet predators and protect children.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be read.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. WOLF. I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Reynolds).

Mr. WOLF. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. WOLF. I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano).

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.