Recognizing the 250th anniversary of Laredo, Texas.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 740) calling on the Government of the United Kingdom to immediately establish a full, independent, public judicial inquiry into the murder of Northern Ireland defense attorney Pat Finucane, as recommended by international Judge Peter Cory as part of the Weston Park agreement and a way forward for the Northern Ireland Peace Process, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 740. I thank my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for his leadership on human rights matters worldwide and for offering this important legislation regarding human rights in Northern Ireland.

Last month, on April 4, 2006, we voted nearly unanimously, 399-1, for H. Res. 744, that important resolution sponsored by the chairman of the House International Relations Committee, Henry Hyde, expressed our support for the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 as the blueprint for lasting peace in Northern Ireland, and support for continued police reforms in Northern Ireland as a critical element in the peace process.

U.S. support was crucial to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement signed 8 years ago, and our support continues to be vital. H. Res. 744 rightly commended the progress which has been made in Northern Ireland. As a result of the Good Friday Agreement, there is a new Police Service of Northern Ireland, PSNI. Under the leadership of Chief Constable Hugh S. Orde, the PSNI has made giant strides toward fair and nonsectarian policing. There is a vigorous and fiercely independent Police Ombudsman's Office, whose chief, Nuala O'Loane, has been a catalyst for reform. There is now a policing board in Northern Ireland composed of independent and party representatives designed to provide civilian control and fair nonsectarian policing. There is a new historical inquiries team established by Chief Constable Orde which will provide a thorough and independent examination of unresolved deaths that occurred in connection with the Troubles from 1968 to 1989.

But H. Res. 740, which we shall vote on today, is the indispensable companion of Mr. Hyde's H. Res. 744. Even with all the improvements I have noted in policing, Madam Speaker, significant further work remains to be done in order to ensure acceptance by all communities of the Police Service in Northern Ireland. A key stumbling block to that greater acceptance has been the lack of resolution of charges of official collusion in the murder of human rights lawyer Patrick Finucane, who was gunned down in front of his home in front of his wife and three small children in 1989.

Pat Finucane was not only a courageous human rights activist and loving father and husband, he is also a symbol of the horrible culture of official collusion and terrorism and crime in Northern Ireland. Resolving the question surrounding his murder will help to put an end to that culture once and for all and allow Northern Ireland's still fragile peace to flourish in a new atmosphere of trust.

We have twice gone on record supporting establishment of a public independent judicial inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane. In 1999, we adopted House Resolution 128 offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) which condemned the murder of attorney Rosemary Nelson and requested a public inquiry into the Finucane murder.

In 2003, Congress passed and the President signed the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, which included a provision offered by the gentleman from New Jersey supporting public judicial inquiries into the murders of both Rosemary Nelson and Patrick Finucane. We have moved the issue towards resolution, but we are not there yet.

In 2001, the British and Irish governments jointly appointed Judge Peter

Cory, a preeminent retired justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, to determine whether independent commissions should investigate possible state-sponsored collusion in six notorious and horrific murders. They also pledged to abide by his recommendations. In 2004, Judge Cory issued his report, yet the British Government still has not appointed an inquiry commission into the murder of Patrick Finucane. Our colleague, Chris Smith, who could not be here today as he attends the funeral of Congressman Sonny Montgomery, has chaired numerous hearings on human rights and police reform in Northern Ireland since 1997, and in every one the issue of state-sponsored collusion in the Finucane murder has been central, yet still nothing has been done.

On March 8, the Irish Parliament passed an all-part motion fully supported by the Irish Government calling on the U.K. to immediately establish ``a full independent public judicial inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane as recommended by Judge Cory, which would enjoy the full cooperation of the family and the wider community throughout Ireland and abroad.''

The U.K. Government must find a way to institute a credible inquiry which would be accepted by all: by Judge Cory, the Irish public, by the world community, and, most of all, by the Finucane family. I commend my colleagues Chris Smith, Elton Gallegly, Peter King, Jim Walsh, Richard Neal, Don Payne, and Tom Lantos for their work on this issue.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 740, which I introduced with bipartisan support, will do just what it says: provide a way forward for the Northern Ireland Peace Process.

I thank my colleague from Michigan, Mr. Thad McCotter, for managing this bill so ably on the floor. I thank Chairman Henry Hyde, Reps. Elton Gallegly, Peter King, Jim Walsh, Tom Lantos, the Ranking Member of the House International Relations Committee and many others for their work and support on this bill.

Yesterday, the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly met for the first time since 2002. Yet it still faces crucial challenges over community policing, and acceptance by the nationalist community of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). For the population of Northern Ireland to fully transfer its trust to the police, it must have confidence that the police and the authorities deserve trust and will be held accountable.

A key stumbling block to that greater acceptance has been the lack of resolution of charges of official collusion in the murder of human rights lawyer Patrick Finucane, who was gunned down in his home, in front of his wife and three small children, in 1989. Pat Finucane was not only a courageous human rights activist, but also a loving father and husband. His murder symbolizes the depth and danger of official State sponsored collusion in

Northern Ireland. Resolving the questions surrounding this murder will help restore confidence in the agencies of government in the north, and allow Northern Ireland's still fragile peace to flourish in a new atmosphere of trust.

That is a major reason why this inquiry needs to be done, and done right, as soon as possible. This is the purpose of H. Res. 740, which calls on the British government to establish the kind of full, public, independent, judicial inquiry into Patrick Finucane's killing called for by Judge Peter Cory, an esteemed Supreme Court judge from Canada who was asked by the British and Irish Governments to investigate this murder and make a recommendation regarding the possibility of collusion.

H. Res. 740 calls for exactly the type of inquiry that nongovernmental human rights organizations, including British Irish Rights Watch, the Committee for the Administration of Justice, Human Rights First, and Amnesty International have demanded. This is what the Irish Government and Parliament have urged. It is what we in Congress have supported. In 1999 the House passed House Resolution 128, which I authored, and in 2003 the full Congress passed, and the President signed into law, Chairman Hyde's Foreign Relations Authorization Act (Public Law 107-228).

But most of all, this is what the Finucane family, which for 17 years has courageously campaigned for justice, for Pat Finucane and all the victims in Northern Ireland, has demanded. Let us once again join them in their struggle.

I have held eleven hearings on human rights and police reform in Northern Ireland since 1997. In every one of those hearings witnesses have testified to the central role the Finucane murder has played in advancing an atmosphere of distrust and no confidence in state agencies. We've had family members, other Northern Ireland attorneys, non-governmental human rights activists, as well as Mitch Reiss, President Bush's special envoy for the Northern Ireland Peace Process and Param Cumaraswamy, the United Nations' Special Rapporteur all testify that properly investigating this case is key to securing a just and lasting peace in Northern Ireland.

This is a crucial moment in the peace process in Northern Ireland. A credible public, independent, judicial inquiry into Pat Finucane's murder will help ensure confidence in the rule of law in the north of Ireland and will help bring the people of both sides of the divide to a just, stable and lasting peace which they richly deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to again express my deepest condolences to the Finucane family and thank them for their courageous and tireless efforts on behalf of justice not only for their loved one but also for others who may have been victims of state-sponsored collusion in the north of Ireland. Similarly, I would like to acknowledge the work and support from many human rights activists including Jane Winter of British Irish Rights Watch, Elisa Massimino from Human Rights First formerly the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights), and Maggie Beirne, Martin O'Brien and Paul Mageean who have testified before Congress on behalf of the Committee on the Administration of Justice. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to remind my colleagues of the riveting testimony offered on this matter in 1998 by Rosemary Nelson, an attorney from Northern Ireland who told Congress that defense attorneys there feared that they could be murdered themselves because no one had been held accountable in the murder of Patrick Finucane. Six months after her testimony, Rosemary Nelson was killed, the victim of a car bomb.

For the Finucanes, for Rosemary Nelson and her family, and for peace and justice in Northern Ireland, I urge my colleagues to vote to pass this important resolution.

I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record the statement from the Honorable Judge Peter Cory, March 15, 2005 and a copy of the resolution adopted by Dail Eireann on March 8th urging an independent, judicial, public inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane.

The Honorable Peter Cory,

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

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to thank my colleagues for support of H. Res. 295. I rise in support of this bipartisan resolution introduced to establish

September as Campus Fire Safety Month.

I want to commend my colleague, my cosponsor, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon), for all of the work he has been doing in this area. Many of you recognize that Mr. Weldon has long been involved in fire safety law enforcement and with firefighter issues during his career.

This legislation encourages administrators and municipalities across the country to provide educational programs to all students during September and throughout the school year.

Additionally, the resolution calls for evaluation of the level of fire safety being provided in both on- and off-campus student housing and taking the necessary steps to ensure fire-safe living environments through fire safety education.

It encourages installation of fire suppression and detection systems and the development and enforcement of applicable codes relating to fire safety.

My colleague in the Senate, Mr. Mike DeWine, introduced companion legislation to this resolution in the Senate.

My colleagues have already talked about 89 people having been killed in student housing since January of 2000. Almost 80 percent of the fire fatalities have occurred in off-campus occupancies such as rented houses and apartments. Common factors in a number of these fires include lack of automatic sprinklers, disabled smoke alarms, careless disposal of smoking materials and alcohol consumption.

According to the Center for Campus Fire Safety, April and May, followed by August and September, are the two most dangerous periods of time for student housing fire fatalities. Last year, September was designated as National Campus Fire Safety Month. Currently, 27 States have issued proclamations declaring September as Campus Fire Safety Month.

H. Res. 295 is supported by the Center for Campus Fire Safety, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, the Congressional Fire Services Institute, the National Fire Protection Association, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Firefighters, the National Fire Sprinkler Association, the International Code Council, Society of Fire Protection Engineers and the International Fire Marshals.

It is also supported by many colleges fraternities and sororities across this country, and they have been advocates on our behalf.

For the past few Congresses, I have introduced H. Res. 128, known as the College Fire and Prevention Act.

This legislation would establish a demonstration incentive program within the Department of Education to promote installation of fire sprinkler systems, or other fire suppression or prevention technologies, in qualified student housing or dormitories, and for other purposes. The Congressional Fire Services Institute and others have endorsed this fire prevention legislation.

Fire safety and prevention is an issue that needs to be addressed across the country. Over these few years we have seen many tragedies involving fires at colleges, places of business, entertainment venues, and places of residence. We must begin to put in place our fire suppression measures against fires and increase support and resources for our firefighters to ensure that no more lives are lost to fires that could have been prevented.

I thank all of my colleagues for supporting this resolution, and I know that students across this country, and particularly their parents, will be very happy that we have begun the process of instituting this legislation.

I encourage all of my colleagues to pass this legislation so that we can increase awareness about this problem that affects us all.

And besides that I want to thank my staff, one of them on the floor tonight, Steve Abbott, and others who have worked so very hard with me in order to get this legislation passed.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 295, which establishes September as Campus Fire Safety Month.

I applaud the efforts of my distinguished colleague, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, in bringing this matter to the floor today.

The statistics relating to fire safety on college campuses are startling. Since January 2000, 89 campus-related fire fatalities have been reported in the United States. Three of these were in my home state of New Jersey alone. So far in 2006, we have already lost 11 students to fires on college campuses.

What these tragedies mean is that too many families have had to suffer the unbearable horror of losing a loved one right at the beginning of a promising life.

Despite these fires, many campus communities have taken far too long to act. Indeed, only 35 percent of dormitories and fraternity/sorority houses that suffer fires are equipped with life-saving sprinkler systems.

It is clear that the campus community is falling far behind in fire safety standards and we must do more to urge them to take the steps needed to curb this disturbing trend.

seton hall

I became deeply involved in the issue of campus fire safety after experiencing the terrible aftermath of a catastrophic fire at Seton Hall University in New Jersey in 2000.

That fire killed three young freshmen and wounded 58 other students in a dorm on campus.

campus fire safety right to know act

In response to the devastating fire, I introduced the ``Campus Fire Safety Right to Know Act,'' which passed the House as part of the ``College Access and Opportunity Act'' in March 2006.

This bipartisan legislation required colleges and universities to provide prospective and current students and parents with a report of the school's campus fire safety policies and records.

campus fire safety month legislation

Now, we're talking about designating September as National Campus Fire Safety Month.

Currently, 27 states have issued proclamations declaring September as Campus Fire Safety Month. Historically, September is one of the most fatal months for campus fires.

In recognizing this tragic trend on America's campuses, H. Res. 295 will provide a platform to alert students, their parents, and school administrators to the dangers of campus fires.

H. Res. 295 encourages colleges and universities across the country to provide educational programs to all students in September and throughout the school year.

It urges administrators and municipalities to evaluate the level of fire safety being provided in both on and off campus housing.

They can then take the necessary steps to ensure fire-safe living conditions through fire safety education; the installation of fire suppression and detection systems; and the development and enforcement of applicable codes relating to fire safety.

Mrs. Tubbs Jones' legislation will help to publicize common sense measures that can be taken to prevent the senseless death, injury, and loss of property that result from these tragedies.

H. Res. 295 is supported by the Center for Campus Fire Safety, the National Fire Protection Association, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Association of State Fire Marshals, and many others.

conclusion

Educating students about fire safety during their time in school will have a strong impact on the choices they make in the future. If we can influence what they learn, we can create a more fire-safe generation for tomorrow and potentially save thousands, of lives.

This is the least we can do for our students. When we entrust our young people to any institution, we expect that they will be in a safe environment. And we have the right to expect that much.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 740 which calls on the government of the United Kingdom to immediately establish a full, independent, public judicial inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane. I would also like to commend Chris Smith, the Chair of the Human Rights Subcommittee and the sponsor of this resolution, for his consistent attention to this tragic case.

On February 12, 1989, human rights defense attorney and solicitor Patrick Finucane was brutally murdered in front of his wife and children at his home in Belfast on February 12, 1989. There have been serious allegations of collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and British security forces in the murder of Mr. Finucane.

In July 2001, the Irish and British Governments made new commitments in the Weston Park Agreement to hold public inquiries into high profile murders if so recommended by former Canadian Supreme Court Judge Peter Cory. Indeed, Judge Cory found sufficient evidence of collusion to warrant a public inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane.

It was clearly understood that such an inquiry would be held under the United Kingdom Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921, which would provide a fair procedure for the discovery of evidence and other matters. Yet, despite widespread criticism, the British government is attempting to set up a restricted inquiry under the controversial 2005 Inquiries Act, which gives control to a government minister rather than an independent tribunal. This would give the minister the power to decide what information is kept secret or excluded, to end the inquiry at any time, and to edit the inquiry's final report.

The Inquiries Act has been rejected as inadequate by Judge Cory, the Finucane family, the Irish Government and human rights groups. In fact, last year, Judge Cory submitted written testimony to the House International Relations Committee stating that the new legislation is ``unfortunate to say the least'' and ``would make a meaningful inquiry impossible'' .

Mr. Speaker, I have met several times with the Finucane family and human rights groups dedicated to a just inquiry into Patrick's murder. I stand with them today as the House of Representatives takes up this important resolution. Let their courage and determination be a symbol to all those fighting to uncover the truth of such horrors.

I would also like to commend Mitchell Reiss, the special envoy for the Northern Ireland Peace Process, who is continuing to push for full implementation of the Weston Park Agreement and the establishment of an appropriate investigation into Patrick Finucane's murder.

It is my hope that in the days ahead, after seeing this resolution, the United Kingdom will reconsider its position on the Finucane case and will immediately establish a full, independent, public judicial inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane, as recommended by Judge Cory. Such an inquiry will have the support of the Finucane family and the confidence of all who follow this case.