Fourteenth Dalai Lama Congressional Gold Medal Act

Well, at the time I think the message that I told myself was, we can't be holier than His Holiness. If it is okay with him, it was okay with me.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for all of his leadership and assistance in bringing this important legislation to the floor. And I also commend Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for her leadership, not only on bringing the legislation, but her work on this important issue. Tom Lantos, Frank Wolf have just been relentless for His Holiness; and in the Senate, Senator Dianne Feinstein who represents California in the U.S. Senate but is a close personal friend also of His Holiness.

The Congressional Gold Medal is the most distinguished award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is reserved for the most heroic, most courageous, most outstanding individuals who have made lasting contributions to society, individuals such as John Paul II, Mother Teresa, Elie Wiesel, and Nelson Mandela.

Today, by honoring His Holiness the Dalai Lama, we not only honor him, but we add luster to this Congressional Gold Medal. We honor our Nation and the American people by awarding it to His Holiness. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation.

His Holiness often described himself in the following way: ``I am just a simple monk, no more, no less.'' But he represents much more to people throughout the world.

Tibetan Buddhists believe that the Dalai Lama is the earthly manifestation of the living Buddha. On the world stage, he is seen as the head of state and the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. For millions, he is seen as a source of spiritual refuge and a connection to inner peace and harmony, that my colleague Mr. Kucinich was discussing.

His Holiness has traveled the world, building bridges between and among the different faiths. He has used his position to promote wisdom, compassion and nonviolence as a solution, not only in Tibet, but to other world conflicts.

His leadership is not only in the area of faith and harmony among people, but also in protecting the environment. I remember it was a great joy seeing him speak at the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992.

The Dalai Lama has made the human rights situation in Tibet an issue of international concern. Indeed, the situation in Tibet is a challenge to the conscience of the world. Under Chinese occupation, hundreds of thousands of Tibetans have died. Freedom to practice their religion and political expression have been severely curtailed. So powerful is the image of the Dalai Lama that Tibetans are imprisoned for simply owning a picture of him.

As a new Member of Congress in 1987, I was in attendance, at the invitation of my colleague from San Francisco Tom Lantos, when the Dalai Lama proposed the historic Five-Point Peace Plan toward resolving the future status of Tibet. The Dalai Lama proposed a ``Middle Way Approach'' that seeks genuine autonomy for Tibetans within the framework of the People's Republic of China. Autonomy, not independence.

In recent years, Tibetan envoys have traveled to China for five rounds of discussions on the status of Tibet. While open dialogue is a first step, it is clear that the Chinese government has been stalling all along.

The Chinese are missing an historic opportunity to negotiate with a partner who has the authority and the legitimacy to implement a comprehensive agreement. The Chinese are missing an opportunity for a solution that would ensure internal stability in Tibet and bolster China's reputation in the world.

The Dalai Lama has asked for international support for his efforts to engage the Chinese government. I am proud to say that the U.S. Congress has been a bedrock of support for the Tibetan cause. By awarding the gold medal to the Dalai Lama, Congress is sending an important signal of support for going further.

This is not the first gift our country has given to His Holiness. Of course, for many years and decades, we have given the gift of respect, of reverence and appreciation for all that His Holiness is and does. But when he was a little boy, the special relationship he had with America was demonstrated when Franklin Roosevelt, as President of the United States, gave His Holiness one of his favorite gifts which was a gold watch which had the phases of the Moon on the watch. It was a wonderful thing, a gift from the President to this little boy who had been named the Dalai Lama.

When His Holiness was driven out of Tibet by the Chinese invasion, it was one of the few things that he carried with him. So he had the gold watch, and now all these many years later, out of respect and reverence for him, he will have the Congressional Goeld Medal.

I urge my colleagues to support it and look forward to the day when we can present it to him in the halls of Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2784) to award a congressional gold medal 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.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

As the House author of this legislation, I rise in strong support of Senate bill 2784, the 14th Dalai Lama Congressional Gold Medal Act.

I would like to thank my dear friend and colleague, the ranking member of International Relations Committee, Congressman Tom Lantos, for his dedicated work on this legislation as the Democratic lead of this House bill. I also would like to commend the Financial Services chairman, Michael Oxley, and his staff for their great work on this resolution as well as the House leadership and their staff for their assistance in bringing this important legislation to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House International Relations Committee and as a member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, I have had the opportunity to meet personally with the Dalai Lama on several occasions, most recently in November 2005, when he spoke to Congress on issues relating to democracy, human rights, and Tibet.

Born to a peasant family, His Holiness was recognized at the age of two, in accordance with the tradition of Tibet, as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 13th Dalai Lama, and thus an incarnation of the Buddha of Compassion.

His enthronement ceremony took place in the capital of Tibet on February 22, 1940, at the tender age of five. A decade later, on November 17, 1950, His Holiness was called upon to assume the position of head of state for the people of Tibet.

His Holiness is the embodiment of serenity and understandings. His inner peace and calm demeanor give us hope that a resolution can be reached on the issue of Tibet. As the 14th Dalai Lama, he is the manifestation of compassion. To look at him is to understand the meaning of Dalai Lama, which is ``Oceans of Wisdom.''

By awarding the Dalai Lama with the Congressional Gold Medal, we are recognizing his lifelong advocacy on behalf of peace, tolerance, human rights, nonviolence, and religious understanding throughout the world. By definition, a Congressional Gold Medal is the highest expression by Congress of national appreciation for the most heroic, courageous, and outstanding individuals.

Given the overwhelming support of this legislation as evidenced by the bipartisan support of 312 cosponsors in the House companion legislation, I am confident that Members of this Chamber deem that the Dalai Lama is indeed such an individual.

However, we are not the first to recognize the tremendous achievements of this humble man. In 1989, the 14th Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work bringing democracy and freedom to his people. In the recommendation, the committee members of the Nobel Prize wrote: ``The committee wants to emphasize the fact that the Dalai Lama in his struggle for the liberation of Tibet consistently has opposed the use of violence. He has instead advocated peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people.''

The 14th Dalai Lama Congressional Gold Medal Act comes at a crucial and hopeful turning point in the ongoing negotiations between the Dalai Lama's representatives and the People's Republic of China.

In a speech delivered following His Holiness' acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize, he said, ``It is my dream that the entire Tibetan plateau should become a free refuge where humanity and nature can live in peace and in harmonious balance. It would be a place,'' he continues, ``where people from all over the world could come to seek the true meaning of peace within themselves, away from the tension and pressures that occur in much of the rest of the world. Tibet could indeed become a creative center for the promotion and development of peace,'' he concluded.

Join me, I ask my colleagues, in paying homage to this fearless leader who has led the efforts to preserve the rich cultural, spiritual, and linguistic heritage of the people of Tibet while also promoting the safeguarding of other endangered cultures throughout the world.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' on the 14th Dalai Lama Congressional Gold Medal Act.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, with great sadness I must rise to oppose this measure granting a congressional gold medal to the 14th Dalai Lama. While I greatly admire and respect His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and fully recognize his tremendous status both as a Buddhist leader and international advocate for peace, I must object to the manner in which this body chooses to honor him.

I wonder if my colleagues see the irony in honoring a devout Buddhist monk with a material gift of gold. The Buddhist tradition, of course, eschews worldly possessions in favor of purity of thought and action. Buddhism urges its practitioners to alleviate the suffering of others whenever possible. I'm sure His Holiness the Dalai Lama would rather see $30,000 spent to help those less fortunate, rather than for a feel- good congressional gesture.

We cannot forget that Congress has no authority under the Constitution to spend taxpayer money on medals and awards, no matter how richly deserved. And I reiterate my offer of $100 from my own pocket to pay for this medal--if members wish to honor the

Dalai Lama, all we need to do is pay for it ourselves. If all 435 of us contribute, the cost will be roughly $70 each. So while a gold medal sounds like a great idea, it becomes a bit strange when we see the actual cost involved.

If Congress truly wishes to honor the Dalai Lama, it could instead start by showing more respect for his views in the areas of foreign policy, war, and terrorism. The bellicosity often demonstrated on the floor of this institution toward entire nations and their people conflicts sharply with the peaceful teachings of the Dalai Lama.

Consider the following words of His Holiness:

``When September 11 happened, the next day I wrote a letter to President Bush as a friend--because I know him personally. I wrote this letter and expressed, besides my condolences and sadness, a countermeasure to this tragedy: a nonviolent response because that would have been more effective. So this is my stance. And then just before the Iraq crisis started, millions of people from countries like Australia and America expressed their opposition to violence. I really admired and appreciated this.''

``When the war started, some people immediately asked me if it was justified or not, whether it was right or wrong. In principle, any resort to violence is wrong.''

Consider also these thoughts from the Dalai Lama regarding the terrible pointlessness of war:

``We have seen that we cannot solve human problems by fighting. Problems resulting from differences in opinion must be resolved through the gradual process of dialogue. Undoubtedly, wars produce victors and losers; but only temporarily. Victory or defeat resulting from wars cannot be long-lasting. Secondly, our world has become so interdependent that the defeat of one country must impact the rest of the world, or cause all of us to suffer losses either directly or indirectly.''

``Today, the world is so small and so interdependent that the concept of war has become anachronistic, an outmoded approach. As a rule, we always talk about reform and changes. Among the old traditions, there are many aspects that are either ill-suited to our present reality or are counterproductive due to their shortsightedness. These, we have consigned to the dustbin of history. War too should be relegated to the dustbin of history.''

``Of course, the militaristic tradition may not end easily. But, let us think of this. If there were bloodshed, people in positions of power, or those who are responsible, will find safe places; they will escape the consequent hardship. They will find safety for themselves, one way or the other. But what about the poor people, the defenseless people, the children, the old and infirm. They are the ones who will have to bear the brunt of devastation. When weapons are fired, the result will be death and destruction. Weapons will not discriminate between the innocent and guilty. A missile, once fired, will show no respect to the innocent, poor, defenseless, or those worthy of compassion. Therefore, the real losers will be the poor and defenseless, ones who are completely innocent, and those who lead a hand-to-mouth existence.''

Mr. Speaker, in closing let me join my colleagues in stating my tremendous respect for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. While I cannot agree with forcible taxation to pay for gold medals, I certainly hope Congress takes the teaching of His Holiness to heart and begins to rethink our aggressive, interventionist foreign policy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of our legislation to

award the Congressional Gold Medal to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

I would first like to express my great appreciation to my dear friend Congressman Barney Frank not only for yielding me some time, but, far more importantly, for being a tireless champion in advancing human rights. Let me also thank the chairman of the Financial Services Committee, my friend, Mr. Oxley, for expediting consideration of this legislation, as well as my colleague from the International Relations Committee, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and for her leadership on this legislation on behalf of the Tibetan people and all human rights issues.

Mr. Speaker, 19 years ago this month, His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the invitation of my wife, Annette, addressed the Congressional Human Rights Caucus that I cofounded and which I currently chair with our colleague Frank Wolf. The historic speech His Holiness delivered was his first major policy address outside of India and the first time he had ever appeared before the Congress.

The Dalai Lama unveiled his Five Point Peace Plan for Tibet. We did not know it at the time, but what we heard was to become the foundation for the Dalai Lama's fight on behalf of the people of Tibet.

While we were welcoming His Holiness on Capitol Hill, the State Department and the White House refused to meet with him. The individuals responsible for crafting our foreign policy back then crouched under their desks unwilling to risk the ire of the Chinese Government by meeting with the true leader of the Tibetan people.

Nearly two decades later, His Holiness regularly meets with Presidents and Secretaries of State. During his last visit to Washington, this brave man, small of stature but with an infinite heart, was greeted by dozens of Members of Congress. Tens of thousands of Washington residents packed an auditorium for several nights to hear his words of wisdom.

His Holiness has used his international acclaim to speak out forcefully against the cultural and religious annihilation of the Tibetan people. Rather than resorting to force, the Dalai Lama has actively pursued a negotiated solution to the Tibetan issue with the Chinese Government. In five rounds of discussions, representatives of the Dalai Lama have argued with determination to the Chinese that the Tibetan people must have true religious, cultural, and economic autonomy, and that the current marginalization of the Tibetan people in their own land must end.

Awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to His Holiness the Dalai Lama will send a strong signal of congressional support for a negotiated settlement to the Tibetan issue that preserves Tibetan culture and promotes genuine autonomy for the long-suffering people of Tibet.

Through his words and through his deeds, the Dalai Lama has made an enduring contribution to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and religious understanding. With our action here today, Mr. Speaker, His Holiness will join the ranks of Pope John Paul II, Elie Wiesel, Nelson Mandela, and Mother Teresa, all of whom have been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, a pantheon of peacemakers. I strongly support passage of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, this is a very important piece of legislation recognizing one of the truly great advocates of human rights in our time, a man who in the face of enormous adversity generated by the People's Republic of China's oppression has really held forth the banner of human rights.

I therefore am delighted to yield as much time as he may consume to our champion of human rights here in the House of Representatives, the ranking member of the Committee on International Relations who has for his entire life been a very vigorous defender of the cause of freedom in a variety of also adverse circumstances, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos).

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to another staunch defender of human rights throughout the world, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich), such time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. And to close out our side here, and I think the debate, I yield such time as she may consume to a woman who has not only been a leader in human rights but was an early advocate and personal friend of the Dalai Lama.

Let me say, Mr. Speaker, that a few years ago when he spoke at Brandeis University in the district of my colleague, Mr. Markey and I were there to meet him, and he had taken a stand that may have been a little controversial. And the first thing he said to me was, this was years before the gentlewoman from California had ascended to leadership. He said, ``Congressman, please tell Nancy Pelosi not to be angry; I am going to explain this to her.'' So when the Dalai Lama is concerned about her opinion of him, I think that says a great deal about her own commitment and dedication. And, of course, he did explain; and, no, she was not angry. She respected him then, she respects him now, and I am delighted to yield to her such time as she may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I consume just to express to the government of the People's Republic of China, on behalf I think of this entire House, a plea that they understand that their desire to be recognized as a great Nation, their security in this world will be enhanced, not diminished, if they reach out to this great leader who has moved in a direction beyond what some would want him to go to try and reach a compromise involving autonomy for the people of Tibet.

It is simply unbecoming for a Nation with the economic might of China, with the potential military might of China to appear to be frightened of this gentle, loving advocate of human dignity.

So we urge the Chinese Government, the entire House does, to reconsider its unwillingness to meet halfway as the Dalai Lama has agreed to do, and to give him the ability to return to Tibet, to a people that yearns for him, to reconcile with the people of Tibet and with the Dalai Lama, and the Chinese Government will be the beneficiaries, not the victims.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad that the House is able to pass this bill, unanimously I believe we will be doing it

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.