Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my strong support for H. Res. 657, a resolution recognizing the valuable contribution of Catholic Schools.

Last week marked the 32nd annual Catholic Schools Week, a week dedicated to honor the achievements and successes of Catholic Schools throughout the U.S. More than 2.4 million children are enrolled in the 7,799 Catholic schools in our country. In addition, 720,000 students are enrolled in the 212 Catholic Colleges and Universities nationwide.

In my home State of New Jersey, 129,232 students are enrolled in Catholic Schools. In fact, New Jersey has the sixth largest enrollment of students in Catholic Schools out of all 50 States.

Of course, children do not form their core values on the sole basis of what schools teach them. Learning a respect for life and respect for the rights of others is not the purview of schools alone; it begins and is nurtured in the home. Accordingly, the Catholic school curriculum recognizes parents and family as primary educators and seeks to foster a shared vision between the school and family. As the father of four children who have attended Catholic schools, I know that Catholic school educators strive to work hand-in-hand reinforcing family values, ethical behavior, social responsibility, and academic achievement.

Placing a premium on both academic standards and moral responsibility has proven to be a successful formula for Catholic Schools. Catholic Secondary Schools have a 99 percent graduation rate and moreover, 97 percent of graduates continue their education.

Learning in a religious setting is not for everyone and America's public school system is critical to providing educational opportunities for all. We must continue to vigorously support our public schools at both the federal and local levels. At the same time, however, we should support those who seek the benefits of Catholic school and choose a religious setting as the best educational environment for their children. The contribution of Catholic schools to our Nation extends beyond the classroom. Catholic elementary and secondary schools save the government and taxpayers of the U.S. up to $20 billion a year.

In effect, parents of Catholic school children pay twice--they pay their fair share of taxes necessary to support the public school system and they pay tuition at the school their children attend. In order to address this issue, I have introduced H.R. 441, the Education, Achievement and Opportunity Act. This bill provides refundable tax credits for the educational expenses incurred by parents for elementary and secondary school. Most significantly, the tax credit is used for private school tuition, however, it can also be used for other educational needs such as computers, tutoring or transportation fees. Thus, parents sending their children to public school can also benefit from this legislation.

A Catholic education challenges students through a combination of high standards, strong motivation, effective discipline and an emphasis on personal responsibility. It is an education that goes beyond preparation for a secular life; it is an education that prepares students for a Christian life.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Members lend their support to H. Res. 657, and pass it unanimously.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor two very special people while offering my prayers and warmest wishes for their quick return to full health.

Stephen and Mary Petrilla are 50 year residents of Hamilton Township--the largest municipality in my congressional district in central New Jersey. As teachers, parents and local residents, they live quiet but influential lives, earning the respect and devotion of their students, neighbors, and fellow parishioners at Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Trenton, New Jersey. Their family and friends are inspired by their faith, kindness and commitment to helping others.

Mr. Stephen Petrilla is a veteran of the United States Army and was injured while serving his country in the line of duty. He is a member of the American Legion, the DAV and the Elks.

For nearly 75 years, Mr. Petrilla dedicated his life to the field of education, helping children in either a teaching or administrative capacity. A former administrator for two training schools in New Jersey, his expertise and passion focused on special education, helping children with mental retardation and working to ensure that State and local governments did more to meet the needs of our precious children who face special challenges.

Mr. Petrilla organized and directed shelter workshops for challenged children across the State and later worked as a special education teacher in Lawrence Township and at Sister Georgine's Learning Center in Trenton. His inspiring commitment to helping children has been recognized through various honors including being named a Fellow in the American Association of Mental Deficiency and being featured in various Who's Who publications including Who's Who in the East, 1979, and Who's Who in Child Development Professionals, 1976.

Mrs. Mary Petrilla has been a constant source of love and support for her husband and her children, while also distinguishing herself in the teaching profession. After receiving her bachelor of arts degree at St. Joseph's, Mrs. Petrilla began working as a teacher eventually advancing her way to become one of the first female elementary school principals in the Pennsbury School District. She also taught adult education classes in Trenton while serving as a private tutor. For 20 years, Mrs. Petrilla served as a home instructor for Ewing Township Schools, helping children with illnesses who were physically or medically unable to go to school. She also served as a supplemental teacher for ``English as a Second Language'' and Basic Skills Instructor until her retirement in 1994.

Lots of children have benefited from the hard work, commitment, love and compassion the Petrillas each exuded on the job, in their careers in education. And it is important to note, that that same love, generosity, empathy, nurturing and mentoring was and remains a hallmark of the Petrilla home. They are the proud parents of five children and eight grandchildren and their family feels abundantly blessed. They have shared with me inspiring stories that truly capture their parent's extraordinary example of reaching out and helping others throughout their lives.

We join with their family and friends in thanking the Petrillas for dedicating themselves to successfully helping our community, and we offer our continued prayers for their comfort and full recovery.

Mr. Speaker, the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps is often selected as the day to honor those murdered at the hands of the Nazis and their collaborators. More than one million people were killed at Auschwitz before the survivors were liberated on January 27, 1945. Appropriately, each January 27, individuals and governments around the world pause to remember those individuals murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Also known as the Sho'ah, Hebrew for ``calamity,'' the Holocaust witnessed the death of six million Jews by the Nazi killing machine, many of them in concentration camps or elsewhere in a web that stretched throughout the heart of Europe. Millions of individuals-- political dissidents, Jehovah's Witnesses, those with disabilities, and others including entire Romani families--also perished at the hands of the Nazis.

Holocaust Remembrance Day also celebrates those brave souls who faced unimaginable horrors and lived to tell of their experiences. In a historic first, late last year the United Nations designated January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Initial drafters of the resolution--Australia, Canada, Israel, Russia and the United States-- were joined by 100 nations in sponsoring the resolution in the General Assembly. Other international organizations, like the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), have done much to ensure the lessons of the Holocaust are taught in schools across Europe, including the former Soviet Union. In addition, the Belgian Chair-in-Office of the OSCE held a commemorative event for Holocaust victims on January 27 in Brussels.

Unfortunately, while the Holocaust is rightly remembered, its lessons have yet to be fully learned. Early on, the world said ``Never Again'' to genocide, only to allow genocide to happen again in Bosnia- Herzegovina and Rwanda in the 1990s, and in Darfur today. The establishment of international tribunals to seek justice in response to these crimes may indicate some progress, but the best way to honor the lives of those who died during the Holocaust or in subsequent genocides would be to have the resolve to take decisive action to try to stop the crime in the first place.

Some heads of state refuse to recognize even the existence of the Holocaust. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran, made the outrageous claim on December 14 that Europeans had ``created a myth in the name of Holocaust.'' Showing his virulent anti-Semitic nature, two months earlier in October, he said Israel is ``a disgraceful blot'' that should be ``wiped off the map.'' While Ahmadinejad's anti-Semitic hate is shocking, other hate mongers have physically attacked Jews. In early January, a knife-wielding skinhead shouting ``I will kill Jews'' and ``Heil Hitler'' burst into a Moscow synagogue and stabbed at least eight worshippers. A copycat attack followed in Rostov-on-Don, with the attacker thankfully being stopped inside the synagogue before anyone was hurt.

As Co-Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, I have worked over the past four years with other Members of Congress and parliamentarians from around the world to fight anti-Semitism. I was pleased to have either authored or cosponsored three resolutions at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which condemned anti-Semitism, while also being a principal sponsor to the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act that passed the Congress and was signed into law by President Bush in 2004. Internationally, the OSCE has held three international meetings focusing on anti-Semitism and has pledged to hold another major conference in Romania in 2007.

Mr. Speaker, while our struggle continues, we have made progress, moving governments and international organizations to begin to act. To reverse Edmund Burke's truism, what is necessary for the triumph of good over evil is for good men and women to take action.

Mr. Speaker, as Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I want to inform colleagues of an important breakthrough in combating human trafficking achieved at the recently concluded Ministerial Council meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). There have been growing concerns in recent years that some individuals serving as peacekeeping forces, or civilian contractors involved in international operations and other personnel serving with international organizations have helped fuel the demand side of the human trafficking cycle, particularly for sexual exploitation. These concerns stem in part from shocking revelations of complicity by elements in these operations with trafficking networks profiteering from this contemporary form of slavery.

Serving in my capacity as Special Representative on Combating Human Trafficking for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I have pressed for adoption of a zero-tolerance policy regarding trafficking in human beings by personnel involved in peacekeeping missions, along with related education and training.

Overcoming pushback from various quarters, I am pleased to report that agreement was reached earlier this month among the 55 OSCE countries meeting in Slovenia, including numerous countries actively involved in peacekeeping missions around the globe, to ensure the highest standards of conduct and accountability of persons serving on peacekeeping forces and other international missions. Importantly, the OSCE countries have pledged to step up efforts to prevent military and civilian personnel deployed abroad from engaging in trafficking in human beings or exploiting victims of trafficking. Countries with deployed military and civilian personnel have also agreed to work cooperatively with authorities in countries hosting such missions, in efforts to combat trafficking in human beings.

While many of the cases involve sexual exploitation and abuse, the OSCE countries also recognized that cases involving forced labor also need to be aggressively pursued and have committed to enforce relevant standards of conduct and to ensure that any such cases are properly investigated and appropriately punished.

Mr. Speaker, if we are to be successful in combating human trafficking, we must be proactive at home and abroad. The OSCE has proven to be an important forum for building consensus and cooperation on anti-trafficking measures throughout the expansive OSCE region. Developing this consensus has required both tact and tenacity. In this regard, I want to recognize the tireless efforts of Janice Helwig and Maureen Walsh, two outstanding professionals on the Helsinki Commission staff. Having secured this important agreement at the OSCE, the Commission will continue to remain fully engaged in monitoring its implementation.

Mr. Speaker. I submit for the Record a copy of the Ministerial Decision, agreed to by the 55 OSCE participating States.

Decision No. 16/05 Ensuring the Highest Standards of Conduct and accountability of Persons Serving on International Forces and Missions

The Ministerial Council:

Reaffirming the OSCE commitments to combat trafficking in

human beings, in particular 2000 Vienna Ministerial Council

Decision No. 1, 2002 Porto Ministerial Declaration and

Maastricht Ministerial Decision No. 2/03 and the OSCE Action

Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, as well as its

addendum ``Addressing the Special Needs of Child Victims of

Trafficking for Protection and Assistance'',

Recalling the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress

and Punish Trafficking in

Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the

United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized

Crime, and its comprehensive definition of trafficking in

persons,

Reiterating that trafficking in human beings, a

contemporary form of slavery, seriously undermines the

enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Concerned that military and civilian personnel serving on

international peacekeeping forces or other international

missions, including contractors, as well as field presences

of international organizations including the OSCE could be a

contributing factor to the demand side of the trafficking

cycle,

Welcoming the efforts of the United Nations as well as

other international organizations to develop and enforce

``zero-tolerance'' policies to prevent trafficking in human

beings by both forces and other staff, which, combined with

education and training, are required,

Recalling the ongoing activities in all relevant

international organizations aimed at the development of

common standards and best practices to prevent and combat

trafficking in human beings,

Concerned about reports of misconduct by military and

civilian personnel serving on international peacekeeping

forces or other international missions, including reports

of engaging in trafficking in human beings as defined in

the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and

Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and

Children, strongly condemning such acts, and noting that

they have a detrimental effect on the fulfillment of

mission mandates,

Concerned also about reports of misconduct by military and

civilian personnel serving on international peacekeeping

forces or other international missions including reports of

sexually exploiting and abusing local and refugee

populations, as well as reports of cases of forced labour,

strongly condemning such acts, and noting that they have a

detrimental effect on the fulfillment of mission mandates,

Emphasizing the need for more information and awareness-

raising concerning these issues among personnel serving on

international missions,

Taking note of efforts by the United Nations aimed at

ensuring that personnel serving on peacekeeping forces or

other international missions are held to the highest standard

of conduct and accountability,

1. Calls on participating States to improve, where

necessary, measures to prevent military and civilian

personnel deployed abroad to peacekeeping forces or other

international missions, as well as OSCE officials, from

engaging in trafficking in human beings or exploiting victims

of trafficking. In this regard, the participating States will

seek to ensure that their national laws, regulations, and

other relevant documents can be enforced with respect to

their nationals who are serving on peacekeeping forces or

other international missions, with a view to ensuring the

highest standards of conduct and accountability;

2. Calls on participating States with deployed military and

civilian personnel to assist, within their competence and

respective mandates, responsible authorities in the host

country in their efforts to combat trafficking in human

beings. Each participating State will take into account

policies and consequences regarding trafficking in human

beings when instructing its military and civilian personnel

to be deployed abroad;

3. Calls on participating States to take appropriate action

necessary to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse, as well

as cases of forced labour, by military and civilian personne1

deployed by them who are serving on peacekeeping forces or

other international missions, to enforce relevant standards

of conduct in this regard, and to ensure that any such cases

are properly investigated and appropriately punished;

4. Reaffirms the importance of implementing the Code of

Conduct for OSCE Officials and Staff Instruction 11

addressing trafficking in human beings and instructs the

Secretary General, drawing on the expertise of the OSCE

Special Representative on Combating Trafficking in Human

Beings and the Anti-Trafficking Assistance Unit, to update

these documents to make them in line with this decision, and

to circulate them to the participating States for comments

and discussion prior to issuance;

5. Invites the governments of the OSCE Partners for Co-

operation also to commit to the same, principles as are set

forth in this decision and to that end tasks the OSCE Special

Representative on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and

the OSCE Secretary General to share relevant information and

materials with the OSCE Partners for Co-operation;

6. Tasks the OSCE Special Representative on Combating

Trafficking in Human Beings to share with relevant

international organizations OSCE training materials and other

information that could assist in combating trafficking in

human beings;

7. Tasks the OSCE Secretary General to report annually to

the Permanent Council on the implementation of this decision

in regard to the Code of Conduct for OSCE Officials and Staff

Instruction 11, in accordance with provision III 11.1 of the

OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings.

Mr. Speaker, I am attaching an exchange of letters between Chairman Hyde and Chairman Davis concerning the bill H.R. 4436, ``To provide certain authorities for the Department of State, and for other purposes'' for printing in the Record.

House of Representatives,

Committee on International Relations,

Washington, DC, December 14, 2005.

Hon. Tom Davis,

Chairman, House Committee on Government Reform, Washington,

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that yesterday our colleagues in the European Parliament voted unanimously in favor of an important measure urging the Romanian Government to settle the cases of applications for international adoption which have been in limbo since the Romanians imposed a moratorium in June 2001. The amendment was successfully offered to the European Parliament ``Report on the Extent of Romania's Readiness for Accession to the European Union.'' Final approval on the report was adopted by the Parliament on December 15.

Amid credible allegations of corruption in the adoption system in Romania, the European Union had put intense pressure on Romania four years ago to impose a moratorium on international adoptions. In June 2004, Romanian Law 273/2004 enacted a permanent ban on international adoptions and, in practice, the law was being applied retroactively to cases that were registered before the ban came into effect on January first of this year. There were approximately 1,500 cases pending in which the children had been matched with parents in Western Europe, and 211 cases had been matched with adoptive parents in the United States.

As a party to the Hague convention on Intercountry Adoption, Romania has agreed to certain international standards and Principles. In fact, intercountry adoption is a recognized as a legitimate option for children who have not found permanent placement in their country of origin. The amendment adopted by the European Parliament is consistent with this principle and urges settlement of the pending cases ``with the goal of allowing inter-country adoptions to take place, where justified and approptate, in those special cases.'' I applaud the European Parliament in offering this assurance Ithat they will not stand in the way of these adoptions.

I am hopeful, Mr. Speaker, that this action by the European Parliament will embolden authorities in Romania to look again at the cases which have been pending. Given this reassurance that resolving the pipeline cases will not jeopardize their efforts toward accession, I would hope that the authorities would consider the cases only with the best interests of the children in mind. They have heard the European Parliament speak with one voice in favor of adoptions for these pipeline cases.

Mr. Speaker, for these children who had already had a loving adoptive family identified, I encourage the Romanians to examine these cases with alacrity and transparency. Such a priority could mean this Christmas would be filled with renewed hope for hundreds of children and the prospects of a permanent home in the New Year.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, it occurred to me on the way to work this afternoon that it is especially fitting that during this season of holiness and faith and surpassing religious significance that Congress send to the President a bill designed to effectuate cures of some of the most devastating diseases and cancers on earth.

Not only has God in His wisdom and goodness created a placenta and umbilical cord to nurture and protect the precious life of an unborn child, but now we know that another gift awaits us immediately after birth. Something very special is left behind, cord blood that is teeming with life-saving stem cells. Indeed, it is one of the best kept secrets in America that umbilical cord blood stem cells and adult stem cells are curing people of a myriad of terrible conditions and disease and are now showing the plasticity and pluripotency that my previous colleague just mentioned. So I would hasten to correct the gentlelady from Colorado that cord blood stem cells are not just for blood-related diseases, it also has the capability increasingly, as research shows, to do other miraculous things as well.

Let me just remind Members that we passed this legislation 6 months ago. Many things have happened since those 6 months. Much progress has been made. This bill law will establish a national program to collect upwards of 150,000 units, with great diversity, so that most Americans who suffer from anomalies that could be cured by cord blood will be able to get it.

Let me thank so many people, the Speaker, Tom DeLay, Roy Blunt, Joe Barton whom we all pray for and wish a very speedy recovery. Let me thank my friend on the other side of the aisle, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis) and the Congressional Black Caucus for the yeoman's work that they expended in getting this legislation first passed in the House, then passed over on the Senate side, because there was a Democratic hold on it regrettably, Tom Harkin, but then he lifted it.

Let me especially thank Senator Frist for the good work he did; Sam Brownback; Mike Enzi; Orrin Hatch; Jon Kyl; so many others as well as so many here; the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon); the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts); the gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren); the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence) and I could go on and on. I have a list of three pages of people who have been instrumental in getting this legislation to the point where it will be passed and sent down to the President for signature.

Let me especially thank Cassie Bevan in the Majority Leader's Office who has worked so hard. She is amazing. John Cusey, on September 11, 2001, put together our first drafting meeting on this legislation. He too is amazing. That is how far back it goes. It has been a long time coming, and so many others. Cheryl Jaeger, Chuck Clapton, Kikki Kless in the Speaker's Office, Nicole Gustafson and Autumn Fredericks in the ProLife Caucus, Eric Euling in Senator Frist's office and Doug Branch with Senator Brownback and some of the others were outstanding. I will put the full statement in regarding all the many, many fine people who worked on this.

I will insert the remainder of my statement and the material I referred to previously at this point in the Record.

Cord-blood stem cells are, as we speak, treating and curing patients. Amazingly, we are on the threshold of systematically turning medical waste, umbilical cords and placentas, into medical miracles for huge numbers of very sick and terminally ill patients who suffer from such maladies as leukemia and sickle cell anemia. And because this legislation promotes cord-blood research as well, we can expect new and expanded uses of these very versatile stem cells.

For the first time ever, our bill establishes a nationwide stem cell transplantation system. It also authorizes the national bone marrow transplant system and combines both under a new program, providing an easy, single-access point for information for doctors and patients and for the purpose of collecting and analyzing outcomes data.

The cord blood stem cell portion of this bill will provide federal funding to increase the number of cord blood units available to match and treat patients. The goal is to reach a total inventory of 150,000 units so that matched stem cells will be available to treat more than 90 percent of patients, especially focusing on providing genetic diversity. The legislation would also link all the cord blood banks participating in the inventory program into a search system that would allow transplant physicians to search for cord blood and bone marrow matches through a single access point. The national program would promote stem cell research by requiring any participating cord blood banks to donate units not suitable for transplant because of disease or size to researchers who are working on new applications for cord blood stem cells. The National Bone Marrow Registry authorization expired on September 30, 2003. The bill reauthorizes an updated program through fiscal year 2010 for $34 million in FY06 and $38 million for each additional year of the program.

In the more than 6 months since we passed this bill, even more advances have been made in the field. Peer-reviewed studies have been published showing increased plasticity and flexibility. In August, it was released that cord blood stem cells are as flexible as embryonic stem cells. Two young Maryland siblings have been cured of severe combined immune deficiency syndrome by cord blood from unrelated donors. Victims of Krabbe's and Hurler's diseases have found new hope in cord blood treatments--these are severe genetic neurological diseases that kill most of their victims before they reach 2 years old. A Duke University group treated newborns with cord blood--the lead author, Dr. Maria Escolar, now reports of the oldest survivor that the seven-year-old is ``now running, jumping and doing well in school.'' Earlier this month, Michelle Farrar from Leesburg, Virginia, traveled to South Korea to be treated for her spinal cord injury. True hope exists for countless other medical conditions, ranging from heart attacks to muscular dystrophy to diabetes.

Just over a month ago, Dr. Brian Mason, an OB/GYN at Detroit's St. John Hospital, explained that ``People literally are dying on the transplant list who could be cured with this.'' I am so happy that for those people, delayed action on this bill has ended. No longer will they be denied access to the cures that are out there. Those suffering from the nearly 70 often terminal diseases will now get the cures that the legislation will make available to them. The door to the treatments that have cured people like Keone Penn, Steven Sprague, and Jacklyn Albanese will now be opened for thousands of others.

As I mentioned before, there are so many people who deserve thanks in helping get this bill moved through the legislative process on both sides of the Hill. Among those people are Rich Doerflinger and Mark Gallagher from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Dr. David Prentice and David Christensen from the Family Research Council, the staff of the New York Blood Center including Pablo Rubenstein, Cladd Stevens, and Kathleen Reichert, Sue Ramthun who has been so personally invested in this issue, Dr. Edward Guindi at Cordus and NBA Hall of Famer Julius ``Dr. J'' Erving, Richie Weiblinger with the Senate Budget Committee, and the folks at Concerned Women for American, Focus on the Family, and the Susan B. Anthony List. I am ecstatic that we are passing it through here today and getting it to the President, so that we may set up this network that will absolutely save thousands of lives.

Mr. Speaker, last month I introduced a resolution, H. Res. 578, expressing disappointment that the Government of Romania has instituted a virtual ban on intercountry adoptions that has very serious implications for the welfare and well-being of orphaned or abandoned children in Romania. As Co-Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Helsinki Commission), I am pleased to be joined as original cosponsors by the Commission's Ranking House Member, Representative Cardin, fellow Commissioners Representative Pitts and Pence as well as Chairman of the International Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere Representative Burton, and Representative Northup, Costello, Jo Ann Davis, Tiahrt, Bradley and Frank.

Mr. Speaker, the children of Romania, and all children, deserve to be raised in permanent families. Timely adoption of H. Res. 578 will put the Congress on record:

Supporting the desire of the Government of Romania to improve the standard of care and well-being of children in Romania;

Urging the Government of Romania to complete the processing of the intercountry adoption cases which were pending when Law 273/2004 was enacted;

Urging the Government of Romania to amend its child welfare and adoption laws to decrease barriers to adoption, both domestically and intercountry, including by allowing intercountry adoption by persons other than biological grandparents;

Urging the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to work collaboratively with the Government of Romania to achieve these ends; and

Requesting that the European Union and its member States not impede the Government of Romania's efforts to place orphaned or abandoned children in permanent homes in a manner that is consistent with Romania's obligations under the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.

In 1989, the world watched in horror as images emerged from Romania of more than 100,000 underfed, neglected children living in hundreds of squalid and inhumane institutions throughout that country. Six weeks after the end of the dictatorial regime of Nicolae Ceausescu, I visited Romania and witnessed the misery and suffering of these institutionalized children. They were the smallest victims of Ceausescu's policies which undermined the family and fostered the belief that children were often better cared for in an institution than by their families.

Americans responded to this humanitarian nightmare with an outpouring of compassion. For years now, Americans have volunteered their labor and donated money and goods to help Romania improve conditions in these institutions. Many families in the United States also opened their hearts to Romania's children through adoption. Between 1990 and 2004, more than 8,000 children found permanent

families in the U.S.; thousands of others joined families in Western Europe.

The legacies of Ceausescu's rule continue to haunt Romania and, when coupled with widespread poverty, have led to the continued abandonment of Romania's children. According to a March 2005 report by UNICEF, ``child abandonment in 2003 and 2004 [in Romania] was no different from that occurring 10, 20, or 30 years ago.'' UNICEF reports that more than 9,000 children a year are abandoned in Romania's maternity wards or pediatric hospitals. According to the European Union, 37,000 children remain in institutions; nearly 49,000 more live in nonpermanent settings in ``foster care'' or with extended families. An unknown number of children live on the streets.

During Romania's first decade of post-communist transition, the corruption which plagued Romania's economy and governance also seeped into the adoption system. There is no question that corruption needed to be rooted out. The U.S. Government and the U.S. Helsinki Commission have been steadfast in our support of Romania's efforts to combat corruption and to promote the rule of law and good governance.

I strongly disagree, however, with supporters of the current ban on intercountry adoption who allege that it was a necessary anti- corruption measure. There are many indications that corruption has been used as a hook to advance an ulterior agenda in opposition to intercountry adoption. In the context of Romania's desire to accede to the European Union, unsubstantiated allegations have been made about the fate of adopted children and the qualifications and motives of those who adopt internationally. Romanian policy makers chose to adopt this law against intercountry adoption in an effort to secure accession despite the fact, as stated in H. Res. 578, that there is no European Union law or regulation restricting intercountry adoptions to biological grandparents or requiring that restrictive laws be passed as a prerequisite for accession to the European Union.

The resolution notes that the Romanian Government declared a moratorium on international adoptions in 2001 but continued to accept new applications and allowed many such applications to be processed under an exception for extraordinary circumstances. Then, in June 2004, Law 273/2004 was adopted, taking effect on January 1, 2005, which banned intercountry adoption except in the exceedingly rare case of a child's biological grandparent living outside the country. At the time of enactment, approximately 1,500 adoption applications were registered with the Romanian Government; of these, 200 children had been matched with prospective parents from the United States and the remainder from Western Europe.

Intercountry adoption is, and always should be, anchored on the need to find homes for children, not to find children for would-be parents. Nonetheless, the individuals who applied to adopt Romanian children in the past few years committed their hearts to these children and we must recognize that the Romanian Government's mishandling of their applications has put them through a years-long emotional agony. H. Res. 578 calls on the Government to conclude the processing of these cases in a transparent and timely manner. Since introduction of the resolution, the Romanian press has reported that intercountry adoption would be denied in all of the pending cases. If indeed this is accurate, then it is impossible to believe that the standard applied in each case was that of the best interest of the child.

Romania's new adoption law and another addressing child protection, Law 272/2004, create a hierarchy of placement for orphaned or abandoned children. By foreclosing the option of intercountry adoption, the laws codified the misguided proposition that a foster family, or even an institution, is preferable to an adoptive family outside the child's country of birth.

On November 29, the European Commission issued a press release stating that ``according to the Romanian Office for Adoptions, there are 1,355 Romanian families registered to adopt one of the 393 children available for adoption. Thus there is little scope, if any, for international adoptions.'' The European Commission's press release fails to mention that more than 80,000 children in Romania are growing up without permanent families--in orphanages, foster care, maternity hospitals, or on the streets. That less than 400 have been declared available for adoption is a denunciation of the child welfare system. Barely 1,000 children have ever been domestically adopted in Romania in any given year and since enactment of the new laws in 2004, the rate of domestic adoption has fallen further. There is no doubt that if more children were to be made available for adoption, there would be a great need for intercountry adoption to provide them with permanent, loving homes. For thousands of children abandoned annually in Romania, intercountry adoption offered the hope of a life outside of foster care or an institution. That hope has now been taken away. This will fall hardest on the Roma children who are least likely to be adopted in- country due to pervasive societal prejudice.

The Romanian Government and the European Commission are attempting to use a Potemkin Village to hide a grim reality of suffering children and bureaucratic obstacles which prevent them from being declared legally available for adoption. In one case that has come to the Commission's attention, an adoptive family is waiting for biological parents to sign away their rights to a child they abandoned at birth and who has spent the first four years of her life with her prospective adoptive parents. She knows no other parents. Her biological parents have on four previous occasions relinquished their parental rights and yet, because of the new laws, the child has still not been declared available for adoption.

Other sources also belie a Potemkin approach. A November 5th article in the British journal The Lancet entitled ``Romania's Abandoned Children are Still Suffering,'' quotes a charity worker saying, ``of course something needs to be done to help the children here, but at the moment all the Romanian government is doing is signing forms sending children back to their parents . . . It doesn't seem to matter that the parents might be alcoholics or have no means to look after their kids as long as the numbers are cut.'' The article continues, ``Romanian authorities have proudly claimed that last year only 1,483 children aged 0-2 years were in state institutions, compared with 7,483 in 1997. But those figures do not include hospitals, where staff admit they rely on donations from charities and individuals to keep helping such children. . . . The head of the Neonatology Department at the University Hospital in Bucharest says abandoned children stay on average for 6-7 months [and] the situation is almost as bad as it was in Ceausescu's time.'' The article also quotes the head of the Neonatology Section at the Bucur Maternity Hospital, also in Bucharest, as saying ``last year, we had more abandoned kids than ever because the law changed. And it changed for the worse for the people in the maternity wards because the law forbids us to send children under 2 years old to state orphanages.''

At a Helsinki Commission hearing on September 14, Dr. Dana Johnson, Director of the International Adoption Clinic and Neonatology Division at the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, testified that Romania's concentration on the reunification of an abandoned child with his or her biological family is only superficially consistent with the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child or the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. According to Dr. Johnson, ``in neither of those documents is the mention of time. . . . It doesn't tell you how long you should spend reunifying that child with the family. . . . Contemporary child development research has clearly shown that there is a known amount of deterioration that occurs in children who are in hospitals or institutional care and outside of family care during the first few years of life. . . . You can predict that every child who is in institutional care during that period of time will lose one month of physical growth, one month of motor development, one month of speech development for every three months they're in institutional care. You also can predict that from age four months through 24 months of age, they will lose one to two I.Q. points a month during that period of time. The other thing we know is that by placing them into a caring, competent family, that you can recover some of this function. . . . A child that is abandoned in Romania today at the end of next summer will have permanently lost 15 I.Q. points. That child two years from now will have permanently lost 30 I.Q. points, which means that half of those kids are going to be mentally retarded.''

Mr. Speaker, the clock is ticking for Romania's children. H. Res. 578 notes that Romania is a party to the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption which recognizes that ``intercountry adoption may offer the advantage of a permanent family to a child for whom a suitable family cannot be found in his or her State of origin.'' State Department officials and nongovernmental experts from the adoption and child welfare communities have testified that Romania's child welfare and adoption laws are inconsistent with Romania international commitments under this and other agreements.

The resolution further notes that UNICEF has issued an official statement in support of intercountry adoption which, in pertinent part, reads: ``for children who cannot be raised by their own families, an appropriate alternative family environment should be sought in preference to institutional care, which should be used only as a last resort and as a temporary measure. Intercountry adoption is one of a range of care options which may be open to children, and for individual children who cannot be placed in a permanent family setting in their countries of origin, it may indeed be the best solution. In each case, the best interests

of the individual child must be the guiding principle in making a decision regarding adoption.''

Finally, Mr. Speaker, with regard to the role of the European Union in this debacle, I ask who in the European Union will stand with Members of Congress to protect these defenseless children? All children deserve better than to spend their lives in group homes or warehoused in institutions where their physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual well-being is critically endangered. It is indeed tragic if the price of admission to the European Union is the sacrifice of thousands of Romania's orphaned or abandoned children.

I strongly urge my colleagues to support this resolution. For the sake of the innumerable children in need of permanent families, the voice of the United States Congress must be heard clearly in this transatlantic dialogue on intercountry adoption.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 972) to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2006 and 2007 for the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, 5 years ago when Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, the United States assumed a leadership role in combating the modern-day slavery known as human trafficking. As chief sponsor of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, or TVPA, helped transform the way governments and the private sector around the world respond to human trafficking.

Enactment of H.R. 972, the reauthorization of the act, will ensure that we continue to make progress and significant in-roads. Along with many new initiatives, H.R. 972 also reauthorizes appropriations for fiscal years 2006 and 2007 for antitrafficking programs of all relevant Federal agencies.

It is worth noting, Mr. Speaker, that in the past 4 years twice as many people in the United States have been prosecuted and convicted for trafficking than in the prior 4-year period. I would note parenthetically in my own State, Christopher Christie, the U.S. Attorney, has gone after one group of traffickers after another, Russian mobsters and those who have trafficked women in from Latin America, and has gotten convictions while simultaneously liberating the women from this scourge of modern-day slavery. Worldwide, more than 3,000 traffickers were convicted last year, a significant increase from the previous year. These numbers reflect an increasing number of countries adopting the laws necessary to combat trafficking and having the political will to implement those laws.

I would also note that since 2001, more than 800 survivors of trafficking in the United States have been found eligible for assistance. More than 400 victims have received a T visa. Likewise, in many countries, victims--mostly women and young girls--are now receiving shelter, job training, and critical medical assistance.

Just a few weeks ago, my wife and I were in Lima, Peru, and went to a trafficking shelter and saw young women who had been trafficked, who were now getting life skills, but also getting the kind of medical and psychological assistance to get their lives back together again.

Without a doubt, Mr. Speaker, much has been accomplished; and yet an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 people are still being trafficked across international borders each and every year. Possibly millions more are trafficked internally within the borders of countries.

Upon enactment, title I of this bill would continue to fight against international trafficking. H.R. 972 will put pressure on international organizations to implement reforms needed to tackle the unconscionable situation of peacekeepers or other international workers being complicit in trafficking and sexual exploitation.

I would point out that on December 6, the OSCE adopted a decision calling on States to prevent peacekeepers from being complicit in trafficking or abusing in a sexual way the local population. We only have to remember what happened in the Congo, where little 13- and 14- year-old girls were raped by U.N. peacekeepers, and that is as recent as just a few months ago. Thankfully, there is a zero tolerance policy now; and, hopefully, it will have real meaning in the field.

Indeed, as confirmed in an October report by Refugees International, peacekeeper reform has not been implemented at some U.N. missions in places such as Haiti and in Liberia because of a deep-seated culture of tolerating sexual exploitation.

H.R. 972 would also require the annual Trafficking in Persons report to include information by groups like the U.N., the OSCE and NATO to eliminate involvement in trafficking by any of the organizations' personnel. We know we can recount one instance after another where in- country when they are in a very authoritative position these personnel, peacekeeping and non-peacekeeping alike, have exploited the local population.

Under H.R. 972, the Secretary of State would also report to Congress before voting for a peacekeeping mission about the measures taken to prevent and, if necessary, punish trafficking or sexual exploitation by peacekeepers.

To ensure that our own house is in order, the bill would create criminal jurisdiction over Federal employees and contractors for trafficking offenses committed overseas while on official business.

The bill will also focus the State Department, USAID and DOD on improving trafficking prevention strategies for post-conflict situations and humanitarian emergencies in which indigenous populations face a heightened vulnerability to violence.

The legislation also would amend the criteria used in the annual TIP report, or Trafficking in Persons report. The new criteria will include consideration of governments' efforts to reduce demand for prostitution, to prevent sex tourism, to ensure that peacekeeping troops do not exploit trafficking victims, and to prevent forced labor or child labor in violation of international standards.

Unlike transnational cases of trafficking, few governments are yet willing to recognize internal trafficking within their own borders. Even in the United States, Mr. Speaker, American citizens and nationals who are trafficked domestically, often from one State to another, are still viewed through the lens of juvenile delinquency, rather than victims of crime, worthy of compassion and assistance.

Title II of H.R. 972 shines a new light on our own domestic trafficking problem. Enactment of this bill will begin to shift the paradigms so that these exploited girls and women will receive assistance that they so desperately need.

I would like to thank my good friend and colleague, Deborah Pryce for her good work on this provision. The gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce) was the author of legislation, the End Demand Act, and those provisions are in this legislation, mostly intact, and I want to thank her for her leadership in

doing that. It will make a difference for many American girls, mostly the runaways who are then victimized by the traffickers; and I certainly appreciate her work on this.

The bill's domestic provisions, Mr. Speaker, respond to a very real need, and I will give my colleagues one example. On December 6, there was an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that said that Seattle has become a major hub on the child trafficking circuit. The article states: ``Despite Seattle's extensive network of services for youths, there is one 15-bed temporary shelter, it is the only place, other than a jail cell, where children trapped in prostitution can find respite, albeit brief. There is nothing in the city, or even in Washington State, dedicated to helping young people permanently free themselves from sex work.''

We find that is the case all over the country, including my own State of New Jersey.

Having seen this void, again, this legislation responds. It also provides money for a pilot program under the Department of Health and Human Services to help these victims of trafficking.

The bill also, Mr. Speaker, enhances State and local efforts through grants to encourage the enforcement of antitrafficking and antiprostitution laws, re-education programs, modeled after what they call ``john schools'' for people arrested for soliciting prostitution, and training for law enforcement on how to work compassionately and effectively with trafficked persons. All of the funded programs will involve collaboration between law enforcement agencies and NGOs.

Again, I would just like to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their work on this legislation: Chairman Sensenbrenner, who marked this legislation up and wrote some very, very good provisions; again, I mentioned Chairman Pryce who, again, was so effective in getting the domestic language into this bill; Chairman Hunter, Chairman Barton, Chairman Hyde, my good friend and colleague, Mr. Lantos, who is ever a great friend and colleague when it comes to anything dealing with human rights and, in particular, on human trafficking.

I also want to thank our Republican leadership, particularly Majority Leader Blunt and Mike Pence, who were original cosponsors, along with almost 100 Members of the House, both sides of the aisle, that have joined in to make this legislation possible. I also want to thank a number of staff members who were instrumental in getting this bill to the floor: Eleanor Nagy, Director of Policy for the Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations Subcommittee of the committee I serve as chairman; Maureen Walsh, to my left, General Counsel of the OSCE, or Helsinki Commission; Renee Austell; Jack Scharfen; and David Abramowitz. Again, David and I worked with Joseph Reese, way back when the first bill was enacted, and he did yeomen's work on writing provisions and working with us. Dr. King as well for his great work. Katy Crooks from the Judiciary Committee. And Cassie Bevin from the Majority Leader's Office. There are just so many people who have corroborated on this, and I want to thank them for their tremendous work.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce) and recognize her great contribution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder).

(Mr. SOUDER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

I want to thank all of the Members who have participated in this debate, and more importantly, note the work that they did to bring this legislation to fruition.

Let me also point out that the modest sanctions that are in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act have yielded significant new laws throughout the world. In 2004 alone, 39 countries enacted new laws or strengthened existing laws. We know when we put some carrots and sticks, the sticks being the possibility of losing nonhumanitarian foreign aid, security aid for example, and then when we place countries in a ranking system that makes determinations concerning a country's achievement in meeting ``minimum standards''--tier 1, tier 2, tier 3, and tier 3 being the egregious violators with a new watch list, we get their attention. Many countries have taken action and today we work in a partnership to try to end trafficking.

After drugs and weapons, trafficking in human persons is the biggest moneymaker for organized crime. The ILO suggested in a June study approximately $32 billion a year goes into the coffers of those who are committing such nefarious crimes against innocent individuals.

Finally, I would just say we have in this legislation a provision--a study--that seeks to find whether or not there is a nexus between terrorism and trafficking.

With that kind of money flowing into trafficking enterprises, these horrific enterprises, we tend to think that there probably is a link with terrorism. We do not know. We want to find out.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4436) to provide certain authorities for the Department of State, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I want to point out to my colleagues and remind them that last July, July 20 to be exact, by a vote of 351-78, the House passed a very comprehensive piece of legislation, H.R. 2601, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for fiscal years 2006 and 2007. That bill, regrettably, is stalled over in the other body, so this is a much scaled-down version that will provide some very important authorities to the Department of State, and I will just briefly outline that bill at this point.

First, H.R. 4436 provides for U.S. participation in the Regional Emerging Disease Intervention Center, or REDI Centers, in Singapore. This provision will allow the U.S. Government to detail Health and Human Services infectious disease experts to the center to work with their Asian counterparts, by providing training and research to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks and bioterror attacks, such as the avian flu and SARS. Not only will this help prevent the spread of the epidemic abroad, it will also be a vital step in protecting American citizens at home from this and other deadly viruses.

Second, H.R. 4436 addresses key personnel issues which will strengthen the Department of State's ability to manage its people and resources. I have always believed, Mr. Speaker, that personnel is policy, and how we take care of our foreign service officers abroad, many of whom operate under dangerous and difficult conditions, has great impact on how the U.S. is perceived abroad. H.R. 4436 increases the maximum post-differential and danger pay allowance that may be given to an FSO of the Department of State to 35 percent of base pay, bringing it in line with allowances offered to USAID personnel.

Other provisions will restore grievance rights to those being separated for cause and provides funding for educational expenses for dependents of the Broadcasting Board of Governors personnel stationed at the Northern Mariana Islands if the board determines that the commonwealth schools are unable to be recognized as an adequate education.

I would just point out that, earlier, we had a very good briefing with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who spoke to that very issue of the difficulty of attracting experienced State Department personnel for those overseas missions that have great risk affixed to them. She was very glad to hear that this bill would be coming to the floor, as my good friend and colleague, Mr. Lantos, who was there at that briefing, heard as well.

Third, the bill makes discretionary the convening of an Accountability Review Board in the case of an incident involving serious injury, loss of life or significant destruction of property at or related to a U.S. Government mission in Afghanistan or Iraq. In lieu of such a board, the Secretary of State may conduct an inquiry and submit a report on the incident to the House International Relations and Senate Foreign Relations Committees.

Lastly, the bill amends section 904 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to enable the State Department to retain medical insurance reimbursements in the year in which they are collected, strengthening the Department's management tools and ability to provide emergency medical services for its employees abroad.

In conclusion, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. It gives our diplomatic service the resources it needs in this post-9/11 environment to promote U.S. interests and values abroad and to protect American citizens right here at home.

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

Mr. Speaker, to conclude, before yielding back, I do want to thank Chairman Davis from the Government Reform Committee for his cooperation because there were some issues of jurisdiction, and he acted in a very cooperative and collegial way to help make this legislation possible.

I would also like to thank Kristen Gilley for her fine work in working on this legislation, and to my good friend and colleague Mr. Lantos as well.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4436.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I would just thank Chairman Gallegly for sponsoring this resolution. I am happy to be a cosponsor. I would just make the point that this supports the accession of Croatia into NATO. As either chairman or subcommittee chairman of the Global Human Rights and International Ops Committee for 6 years in the 1990s and as either chairman or cochairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, I have watched very closely the issues relating to Croatia over these many years.

As a matter of fact, Frank Wolf and I actually got into Vukovar while it was under siege and saw the incredible devastation that occurred early in that war with Serbia, and one house after another, one block after another being literally decimated by the Serbian offensive.

But so much has changed. So much has changed dramatically. As a matter of fact, over the last 5 years we have seen the real changes. For a while there, regrettably, the government was very wedded and many people in Croatia to nationalism, and some would even say extreme nationalism. That has now dissipated largely and now we have a Croat group of people, a free press, increasingly the NGOs, the church, all speaking on one accord for more human rights; and I do think over time and hopefully sooner rather than later they will make their way into NATO, provided the additional benchmarks are met.

So this is a good statement of solidarity with the people of Croatia saying that we think it is time. I thank, again, Mr. Gallegly for sponsoring this.

Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of H. Res. 529, I rise in strong support of this resolution that supports the accession of Croatia into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. I have followed developments in Croatia extensively, both as a Chairman of the International Relations Committee and as Chairman or Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission. I can particularly recall--indeed, it would be hard to forget--the horror that accompanied the seige and ultimately the fall of Vukovar during the conflict in Croatia in 1991. That was the year Croatia proclaimed its independence from the disintegrating Yugoslavia. Few would have predicted that in such a short period of time Croatia would be advancing toward European integration at its current pace.

It is true, as stated in this resolution, that since achieving independence, the people of Croatia have built a democratic society, based on the rule of law, respect for human rights and a free market economy. To be more precise, however, it is worth noting that most of this progress occurred in the last five years, after Croatia was able to move beyond the conflict but also to make its own transition away from nationalism. The lack of progress which occurred in the early years of Croatia's independence is not something to hide. It makes the progress achieved since 2000 all the more profound.

It is also true that the people of Croatia deserve the credit. It was the Croatian people who became fed up with supporting the agenda of others. Through non-governmental organizations, independent media outlets and ultimately the ballot box, they earned their independence and freedom. Those representing Croatia's Serb community who made the decision to return to their homes, despite fears and lingering obstacles, also deserve credit for Croatia's progress. They have challenged the country to recover and to reconcile, and Croatia is stronger as a result. The people of Croatia have built a democratic society based on the rule of law, respect for human rights and a free market economy.

They have sent troops to Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led security force in support of the war on terrorism and have provided strong support to U.S. nonproliferation efforts. Mr. Speaker, just last week, the one remaining impediment to Croatia's entry into NATO was removed when General Ante Gotovina, the alleged Croatian war criminal, was arrested in Spain. General Gotovina has been transferred to The Hague to stand trial before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Mr. Speaker, the resolution states that once it meets NATO guidelines and criteria for membership, Croatia should be invited to join NATO at the earliest possible date. With its location, resources and talented people, a Croatia which satisfies the guidelines and criteria for NATO membership will strengthen the alliance.

Support for Croatia's integration into NATO should also encourage others in the region to make similar progress. Two other Adriatic Charter partners, Albania and Macedonia, immediately come to mind. It is also my deepest hope that Bosnia and Herzegovina, ten years after the Dayton Accords ended the conflict there, can move beyond what have become the restraining effects of that peace agreement's ethnic balancing act, adopt serious constitutional reform and accelerate its integration into Europe as well. Finally, we all hope that people in Serbia will continue their efforts to overcome the bankrupt legacy left by extreme nationalism, in particular by taking every effort to bring to justice those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, so that Serbia, too, can move forward.

H. Res. 529 commends Croatia's significant progress in strengthening its democratic institutions, its support for the global war on terrorism and its ability to make significant contributions to NATO. It also applauds their ongoing cooperation with the international war crimes tribunal.

Mr. Speaker, Croatia is not only a strong ally of the United States. The American and Croatian people share a love of freedom and democracy. Croatia has been a steadfast friend, and it will make an important contribution to security and peace in Europe and throughout the world as a member of NATO.

Both the Europe and Emerging Threats Subcommittee and the House International Relations Committee unanimously approved House Resolution 529, and I urge its passage by the full House.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 312) urging the Government of the Russian Federation to withdraw or modify proposed legislation that would have the effect of severely restricting the establishment, operations, and activities of domestic and foreign nongovernmental organizations in the Russian Federation, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of H. Con. Res. 312, introduced by the very distinguished chairman of our full committee, Chairman Henry Hyde, urging the Government of the Russian Federation to withdraw or modify proposed legislation that would have a chilling effect on civil society in that country.

Amazingly, as Russia prepares to assume leadership of the G-8 and the Council of Europe next month, Russian lawmakers have been working feverishly to subordinate pockets of independent thought and action to state control. The focus of recent days has been on nongovernmental organizations, especially those working in the fields of human rights and democracy. In essence, the provisions would require all nongovernmental organizations to re-register with a government commission empowered with invasive powers to monitor NGO activities.

The Duma has passed amendments to the Law on Public Associations by a vote of 370-18, but the measure must go through further readings scheduled for next week and signed then by Vladimir Putin before it becomes law. In mid-

November, members of the Helsinki Commission, which I am cochair of, sent a letter which I will make a part of the Record to the Speaker of the Russian Duma, Boris Gryzlov, urging the Duma to reject the pending proposed amendments, purportedly crafted with input from Putin's advisers.

The move against NGOs, Mr. Speaker, is not occurring in a vacuum, but is calculated to move in a lead-up to the critical parliamentary elections that are scheduled for 2007 and a presidential contest the following year to replace Putin, who is prevented from seeking another term.

In response to expressions of concern from the United States and others, some modifications to the draft are apparently being considered, though it is still unclear the extent to which the amendments will be revamped. We will not have a full picture until next week. By then, it may be too late to change before landing on President Putin's desk. Thus, consideration of Chairman Hyde's measure comes at a critical time for the House to be on record opposing the burdensome compulsory registration requirements being proposed.

As originally drafted, the proposed amendments will require Russia's approximately 450,000 NGOs to re-register with a government commission under a complicated registration procedure and would expand the ability of the government to deny registration permission.

Financial auditing, a tactic currently used to harass opposition NGOs, would also become more intrusive under the bill's provisions. No doubt there would be negative impact on foreign-based organizations, such as Human Rights Watch and the Carnegie Foundation, while increasing controls over NGOs of Russian origin.

Mr. Speaker, whatever package of amendments to the legal framework for NGOs in Russia finally emerges, they must be evaluated in light of that country's commitments as a member of the Council of Europe and participating state in the Organization For Security and Cooperation in Europe. Do the proposals under consideration in the Russian Duma fully respect the right of individuals to freedom of association, or do they undermine that fundamental freedom under the guise of fighting corruption and terrorism? That is the key question. This resolution gets us on record, and hopefully it will have some sway with the Duma and with President Putin.

Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the letter I referred to earlier to the Chairman of the Russian State Duma, Boris Gryzlov.

Commission on Security

and Cooperation in Europe,

Washington, DC, November 18, 2005.

Hon. Boris Gryzlov,

Chairman, Russian State Duma, 2 Okhotny Ryad, Moscow, Russian

Federation.

Dear Mr. Chairman: As Members of the Commission on Security

and Cooperation in Europe, we urge you to seek rejection of

the proposed amendments to the Law on Public Associations

pending in the State Duma that would have a chilling effect

on civil society in the Russian Federation, including the

functioning of non-governmental organizations focused on

human rights and democracy.

These proposals would seriously undermine the rights of

individuals in Russia to freedom of association,

subordinating this fundamental right to excessive and

intrusive control by organs of the state. Besides apparent

conflicts with provisions of the Russian Constitution, these

burdensome compulsory registration requirements run counter

to numerous international commitments concerning the right of

individuals to form, join and participate effectively in

nongovernmental organizations, including longstanding OSCE

provisions. If adopted, these proposals would jeopardize the

very existence of a number of well-established human rights

NGOs, cripple the non-governmental sector and undermine

effective public oversight of governmental activity and

policy. History has shown that a vibrant civil society and

economically prosperous nation cannot long withstand such

intellectual stagnation.

Under the guise of fighting corruption and terrorism, the

amendments would in fact deal a potential death blow to

Russian civil society, reversing important advances made

since the institution of glasnost. Enhanced enforcement of

the existing criminal code should suffice to address any

genuine security concerns. Indeed, the pending proposals

reflect an attitude toward independent political activity

that is reminiscent of Russia's Soviet past. Adoption of

these amendments would send a particularly negative signal at

a time when Russia is preparing to assume leadership of the

G-8 and the Council of Europe.

Mr. Chairman, we know that you and your colleagues aspire

to a democratic and prosperous Russia, and trust that you

recognize that further restrictions on civil society would

lead Russia away from that goal.

Sincerely,

Christopher H. Smith, M.C.,

Co-Chairman.

Sam Brownback, U.S.S.,

Chairman.

Benjamin L. Cardin, M.C.,

Ranking Member.

Frank R. Wolf, M.C.,

Commissioner.

Joseph R. Pitts, M.C.,

Commissioner.

Mike Pence, M.C.,

Commissioner.

Christopher J. Dodd, U.S.S.,

Ranking Member.

Russell D. Feingold, U.S.S.,

Commissioner.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S.S.,

Commissioner.

Mike McIntyre, M.C.,

Commissioner.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), this is a Hyde-Lantos bill, for his leadership on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 312.