Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I submit a piece published in the Wall Street Journal on February 27 highlighting the latest disappearance into the Chinese security system of the prominent human rights defender Gao Zhisheng. It is deeply alarming that Mr. Gao has been in and out of the Chinese prisons, disappeared, and tortured for almost a decade now. As the op-ed piece by Jared Genser, Gao's pro bono legal counsel, notes, ``. . . no one has seen or heard from him since January 2013.'' Following his most recent disappearance, Gao's courageous wife, who has testified before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, filed a complaint to the United Nations, urging it to conduct an investigation into his whereabouts.

I have ``adopted'' Gao through the Defending Freedoms Project, an initiative of the Lantos Commission, launched in conjunction with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and Amnesty International. I am committed to continuing work towards the day when he can breathe the fresh air of freedom. I echo the sentiments of Mr. Genser, who concluded in the Journal piece, ``It is time to reunite Gao Zhisheng with his family. He and his loved ones have suffered long enough.''

Demanding Justice for Gao Zhisheng

(By Jared Genser)

Gao Zhisheng, one of China's most prominent and courageous

human-rights lawyers and prisoners of conscience, has again

disappeared into the bowels of the Chinese state's security

system. For more than a year, his family has desperately

tried to access him in Shaya prison in Xinjiang, a remote

province in western China. But all these efforts have been

rebuffed and no one has seen or heard from him since January

2013. In response to Mr. Gao's most recent disappearance, his

wife on Thursday in Geneva filed a complaint to the United

Nations, urging it to conduct an investigation into his

whereabouts.

A self-taught advocate and legal rights defender, Mr. Gao

was once recognized among the country's top 10 lawyers by

China's Ministry of Justice. Yet his advocacy for the

country's most vulnerable, including factory workers, coal

miners, victims of land seizures, and persecuted Christians

and Falun Gong practitioners, led the authorities to target

Mr. Gao and his family with threats and intimidation starting

in 2005. He has been in and out of prisons and subject to

disappearances and torture for nearly a decade.

Officials closed his law firm, disbarred him and placed his

wife, Geng He, and their young children under 24-hour

surveillance. Police stationed inside the family's home

repeatedly harassed them. In school, the children were

taunted and put under constant watch by the police--even when

using the restroom. Because of this unbearable treatment,

Geng He and her children fled China and have since been

granted asylum in the United States.

Mr. Gao's family is safe now, but he remains in danger. In

2006, he made a coerced confession to ``inciting subversion''

and was given a suspended three-year prison term. In 2007,

Chinese officials tortured him by shocking him with electric

batons, holding lit cigarettes up to his eyes, and piercing

his genitals with toothpicks. On other occasions, they put

him in restraints and beat him repeatedly with handguns. In

2009 and 2010, police disappeared Mr. Gao and tortured him

further.

In December 2011, just before the expiration of his

suspended sentence and after 20 months of having been held in

unknown locations, the Xinhua news agency announced that Mr.

Gao would be imprisoned for the remainder of his original

sentence. Since then, family members have been allowed to

visit him only twice for half an hour on each occasion.

Although scheduled for release on Aug. 22, he has now

disappeared once again, leaving his family with renewed and

urgent questions about his health and safety.

Mr. Gao's imprisonment, torture and disappearances have

brought tremendous suffering to him and his family. In

testifying recently before the U.S. House Committee on

Foreign Affairs, Mr. Gao's daughter Grace

reflected on her family's insurmountable pain and loneliness.

``I believe that when we speak out for my father . . . we

protect our own freedom and values,'' she said.

Despite Mr. Gao's latest disappearance, it is hoped he is

managing to endure. But hope must be accompanied by action

and it is more urgent than ever that China not be allowed to

disappear Gao Zhisheng again with impunity.

On Thursday, his wife lodged a complaint with the U.N.

Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, a

body of the Human Rights Council. The submission notes that

Mr. Gao's family is ``distraught because they have no idea

whether he is even alive.'' It goes on to emphasize the

Chinese government is violating its own laws allowing for

regular family visits, written correspondence, and access to

counsel.

Ms. Geng hopes the Working Group will urge the Chinese

government to conduct an investigation into Mr. Gao's

disappearance. Although the process itself can take many

months, the Working Group has a good history of receiving

specific replies from the Chinese government to its concerns.

In addition, merely by highlighting Mr. Gao's disappearance

publicly and triggering a U.N. inquiry, his family has put

intense pressure on the Chinese government to respond. While

this alone is a helpful step forward, much more needs to be

done.

The international community, including the United States

and United Nations, must demand proof from the Chinese

government that Mr. Gao is alive and insist that his family

be granted monthly access to him as is required by Chinese

law. The world must urge Mr. Gao's immediate and

unconditional release.

At a minimum, foreign leaders should press Beijing to

release Mr. Gao on time instead of finding renewed excuses to

extend his detention, as it has done in other cases.

Washington must also exert pressure on the Chinese government

to confirm that Mr. Gao will be provided a Chinese passport

and the ability to travel to America upon his release.

It is time to reunite Gao Zhisheng with his family. He and

his loved ones have suffered long enough.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and remember a dear friend, Mayor M. Jane Seeman, who selflessly served the Vienna, Virginia, community for more than a decade and passed away on February 23, 2014, at the age of 76.

Jane was born on June 1, 1937, in Hays, Kansas. She graduated from Fort Hays State University with a bachelor's degree in economics and business. While in college, she met her husband, Rodger, whom she married in 1959, and in 1968 the couple moved to Vienna so that Rodger could pursue a job with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Seemans shared a passion for public service, with Rodger serving on the Vienna Town Council for nearly two decades. When he passed away in 1996, his wife completed his unfinished term, going on to win two terms of her own before successfully running for Mayor in 2000. Jane was well-respected and much-admired by the Vienna community, winning reelection six times.

While greatly involved in the community, Jane understood well the importance of enjoying life to its fullest. She was passionately devoted to her children and grandchildren and, as a travel enthusiast, made a point to include her family on her many ventures. Jane was a longtime sports fan, cheering on the Washington Nationals for many years. Of Jane's many commitments, perhaps her greatest was to her Christian faith, which motivated and sustained her throughout her life. She was a beloved member of the Vienna Presbyterian Church, which she attended for more than forty years.

Jane's son, Bill, perhaps said it best when he declared that 76 years was hardly enough time for his mother. She will be sincerely missed by her family, friends, and the Vienna community, but her legacy will long-endure. While we mourn her loss, we also importantly celebrate the exemplary life of love, faith, and humble service by which we will always remember her.

I submit the following article from the McLean Sun Gazette, which pays tribute to Jane's admirable life.

[Mar. 3, 2014]

Vienna Mayor Eulogized for Devotion to Family, Town

(By Brian Trompeter)

Vienna bade farewell to its longtime Mayor M. Jane Seeman

in a Feb. 28 funeral service that drew hundreds of people and

featured remembrances from her children and grandchildren.

Seeman, 76, who had served on the Vienna Town Council since

late 1996 and as mayor since 2000, died of lung cancer Feb.

23.

Mourners filled the lower sanctuary level and some of the

balcony area at Vienna Presbyterian Church, which Seeman had

attended since fall 1968.

A broad swath of the Vienna community came to the service,

including Seeman's Vienna Town Council colleagues, some Board

of Supervisors members and at least one member of Congress.

``I think we shut down Vienna with all of us being here,''

said Pastor Peter James.

The mayor's daughter, Linda Colbert, said the family had

been inundated with messages from friends following her

mother's death and that those outpourings of support helped

the family cope with their loss.

``My mother was my best friend. She was also my first

friend,'' Colbert said. ``We always loved to talk to each

other.''

The late mayor volunteered more than 3,000 hours of her

time at Patrick Henry Library and loved chatting with

patrons, asking them about the books they were turning in or

checking out.

The mayor was keenly interested in people's lives and

dedicated to serving others and the town, Colbert said.

``She served because she wanted to, not for a pat on the

back or to be recognized,'' she said.

Madena Jane Seeman was born June 1, 1937, in Hays, Kan., to

parents Madena and Herbert Seeman.

The future mayor wrote for a newspaper in that town of

about 10,000 people, then attended Fort Hays State

University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in economics

and business. She met her future husband, Rodger, at the

university and married him on June 1, 1959.

Seeman became a rabid fan of the University of Kansas

Jayhawks while the couple lived in Lawrence, Kan. The Seemans

later lived in Kansas City, then moved to Vienna in 1968

after Rodger Seeman took a job with the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers.

The Seemans bought a house on Blackstone Terrace, N.W., for

$25,000 and lived there until their deaths. They had two sons

and one daughter.

Rodger Seeman served on the Town Council from the early

1980s until his death in November 1996. His wife was

appointed to fill his unexpired term and after being elected

to full terms in 1997 and 1999, she ran for mayor in 2000,

following the death of Mayor Charles Robinson Jr. The mayor

won re-election six times, but had decided not to seek re-

election this May.

One of her sons, Bill Seeman of Fairfax Station, said his

parents were determined to give their kids ``fantastic

childhoods.''

Seeman recalled his days of playing baseball on crude

schoolyard fields and then getting to pitch at Yeonas Field,

which had dugouts and other ``big-league'' amenities. He

pitched disastrously there, though, and blamed his

performance on the new experience of throwing from a raised

mound.

That night, the boy's parents worked in their back yard to

build him a raised pitching mound.

The mayor was a big sports fan, loved the Washington

Nationals and had a crush on player Bryce Harper, Bill Seeman

said.

She also enjoyed traveling and ventured to such places as

France, Belgium, Russia and Greece. The mayor took her family

on a cruise in Alaska a couple years ago and took Bill Seeman

and his sons on jaunts to sports hall of fame facilities in

Springfield, Mass., and Cooperstown, N.Y., as well as the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, he said.

``Seventy-six years really was not enough for my mom,''

Bill Seeman said. ``She lived about 10 normal people's lives.

She was a rare gift to all of us.''

Music played a central role in the memorial service. Pat

Talamantes played the organ and those in attendance sang the

hymns ``Great Is Thy Faithfulness'' and ``Joyful, Joyful, We

Adore Thee.''

One of Seeman's granddaughters, Hannah Colbert, sang

``Amazing Grace'' while her father, Michael Colbert,

accompanied her on guitar.

Colbert choked up on the final stanza and had to be

comforted. Pastor James later told her she never needed to

apologize for being emotionally moved by that song.

After the service, a funeral procession led by Fairfax

County and Vienna police motorcycle officers went from the

church down Maple Avenue to Flint Hill Cemetery in Oakton,

where Seeman was buried near her late husband. Following the

burial, mourners attended a reception back at the church.

Vienna Town Hall closed early that afternoon so town

employees could attend the 2 p.m. funeral. Flag were flown at

half-mast at the Vienna Town Green, the creation of which

Seeman considered to be the Town Council's biggest

accomplishment during her tenure.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for his courtesy.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to discuss something very close to me. I want to talk about stuttering. I have been a lifelong stutterer, and when I was young I experienced some very difficult times, but that is a story really for another day.

More than 70 million people stutter. One in every 100 people in the world stutter. In the U.S., more than 3 million Americans stutter. You probably have a friend, a neighbor, a classmate, a coworker, or a family member who stutters. Most people do.

About 5 percent of all children go through a stuttering phase that lasts 6 months or more. Some will recover by late childhood, but one out of every 100 children will be left with long-term stuttering.

I would like to take this time to tell you a little bit more about stuttering, what it is and how family members and friends can help.

Stuttering is a disorder where the flow of speech is broken by repetition, prolongations, or abnormal stoppages of sounds and syllables. For some people, unusual facial and body movements may happen when they try to speak.

Stuttering is most likely caused by four factors:

One, Genetics;

Two, child development. For example, children with other speech and language problems or developmental delays are more likely to stutter;

Three, the makeup of the brain. An ongoing research study by Dr. Anne Smith with the Purdue University Stuttering Project shows that people who stutter seem to process speech and language differently than those who don't;

And four, lastly, family dynamics have an impact. High expectations and fast-paced lifestyles can also contribute to stuttering.

People who stutter are no different from those who do not stutter. In fact, studies by Dr. Ehud Yairi at the University of Illinois show that people who stutter are as intelligent and as well-adjusted as those who don't.

Contrary to what many people believe, stuttering can be treated. I want to let anyone know out there who stutters or who has a child who stutters, much can be done.

Speech-language pathologists, therapists trained to help deal with speech issues like stuttering often work in schools, clinics, at universities, and in private practice to help treat stuttering.

The most important thing, and many experts agree: early intervention is key. The earlier we can identify stuttering in our children and get them the help they need, the better chances we have at helping them to speak more fluently.

If you stutter, or if a child or loved one stutters, or if you even think they might be stuttering, get help immediately.

One of the best ways to help is by visiting the Stuttering Foundation. The foundation was started by Malcolm Fraser more than 70 years ago. His book, called ``Self-Therapy for the Stutterer,'' was originally published in 1978, and still is one of the best books on stuttering available.

You can visit the foundation's Web site at www.stutteringhelp.org. They have lots of well-trusted, expert information available for free, including Malcolm Fraser's book, as well as countless brochures and videos and other materials for parents and teachers.

Unfortunately, there is no instant miracle cure for stuttering, no surgery, no pills, no intensive weekend retreats. Stuttering takes time and effort and commitment to work through.

Some people outgrow it. Some people respond well to years of therapy and learn to speak fluently, with almost no trace of difficulty. For many others, stuttering becomes a lifelong struggle, as it has for me.

For those of us who stutter, and for the millions of parents with children who stutter, we all know stuttering becomes more challenging for teenagers. Kids can be tough on classmates who stutter and, for some, the teasing and the mocking can be too much.

We must help people who stutter understand that there are many people who know firsthand how difficult it is for someone who stutters, and that help is available.

We need to be patient, kind, understanding, and attentive. We need to know and show that we care.

If you stutter, let me just tell you something: Don't give up. So much can be done.

I thank the gentleman for giving me the time.

Mr. Speaker, much ink has been used regarding Secretary of State John Kerry's comments this weekend characterizing Vladimir Putin's outrageous incursion into Ukraine as a ``19th century act in the 21st century.'' But if we are looking through the lens of history, it is also worth noting what a small community of Syrian Christians has been forced to endure.

Writing in National Review Online this week, stalwart religious freedom advocate Nina Shea authored a piece, headlined, ``Syrian Jihadists Are Forcing Christians to Become Dhimmis Under Seventh- Century Rules.'' Shea notes:

The religious persecution in Syria deepened this week, as

evidenced by a written ultimatum purportedly distributed by

the rebel jihadist group ISIS, Islamic State of Iraq and

Syria, to Christians in the northern providence capital of

Raqqa.

Rejecting conversion to Islam or death, some 20 Christian

leaders of that city held firm in their faith and submitted

to the Islamists' demands to live by as dhimmis.

Shea continued to explain the implications of this status. She said:

Under this arrangement, in exchange for their lives and the

ability to worship as Christians, they must abide by

purported seventh-century rules of Caliph Umar.

According to the Raqqa ultimatum, these include bans on

renovating and rebuilding churches and monasteries, many of

which need repair because they have been shelled and blown up

over the past 3 years, and bans against the public display of

crosses and Christian symbols and the ringing of bells.

She went on to say:

They are forbidden from reading Scripture indoors loud

enough for Muslims outside to hear, and the practice of their

faith must be confined within the walls of their remaining

churches, not exercised publicly at, for example, weddings or

funerals.

Many have remarked that Raqqa was once one of Syria's most liberal cities. Its Christian community numbered about 3,000 before the conflict. They have since been devastated by violence and migration. Their exact number today is unknown.

This month marks the anniversary of the uprising which eventually spiraled into the war and violence which has terrorized Syria for 3 years now. Muslims and Christians alike have experienced horrific violence. But, as Shea quotes:

The Christians who remain in Raqqa must now bear the

additional suffering of dhimmitude.

Their plight, while more stark, given the official nature of their subjugation, parallels, in many ways, that of other besieged religious minorities, specifically Christians throughout the broader Middle East.

The latest outrage finally garnered a statement from the Department of State's spokesman. But a statement provides little solace to a people facing death, forced conversion, or, in the case of these Christian leaders who refused to abandon their faith, an exacting toll to abide by the dictates of their conscience.

Such an outrage demands a response from policymakers and faith leaders alike. I have joined with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and others in sending a letter to Secretary Kerry urging the Department of State to cooperate with a Syria Study Group to be facilitated by the Washington, D.C.-based Atlantic Council. The study group would be charged with producing a report as quickly as possible that would help the administration and Congress identify and implement ways for bringing this crisis to a close in a manner fully consistent with the interests and the political transition objectives of the United States. Surely the protection of ancient faith communities like Syria's Christian community is one such interest.

Meanwhile, I believe that it is critical for the faith community in the West, specifically the Church in America, to find its voice on behalf of our marginalized and persecuted brothers and sisters abroad, be they in Syria, Egypt, or Iraq. I meet regularly with representatives of these groups. They are desperate for help, or at least the solidarity, and they cannot understand the seeming lack of urgency by their brethren here in America, and, frankly, nor can I.

Mr. Speaker, this picture depicts South Sudanese women in a food distribution line. Another desperate woman at the fore is hunched over barbed wire.

Violence, displacement, and starvation plague the world's newest nation, but that doesn't have to be so.

Months ago, I wrote the Obama administration urging that they invite former President George W. Bush and the Bush Institute to engage in the crisis, given that President Bush had forged lasting relationships with South Sudanese leaders during the negotiation of peace in 2005.

The Obama administration, perhaps constrained by pride, has failed to act, and the very nation the U.S. helped birth is perishing in its infancy.

Mr. Speaker, I submit an excerpt from remarks made by my friend Dr. Robert George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University and chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, upon receiving the John Leland Award from the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission in December. In his statement, Dr. George succinctly spells out the different ways in which countries around the world undermine religious freedom, whether through hostility toward religions, sponsorship of radicalism, enforcement of unjust laws or failure to protect citizens against religious violence.

Today, religious freedom is in peril around the world. In his remarks, Dr. George admirably shows Americans what they can do to secure greater liberty for people of faith, and of no faith, who are in harm's way because of what they believe. We are privileged to live in a country where freedom of religion is constitutionally guaranteed--may we strive to secure this right for citizens of all countries.

Robert P. George, John Leland Award, Southern Baptist Ethics and

Religious Liberty Commission, Rayburn Gold Room, Washington, DC,

Friday, December 13, 2013 [excerpts]

. . . So why does religious freedom matter? Why should

promoting and defending it abroad, no less than honoring it

at home, be a high priority for our country?

The way some people see it, the reason for respecting

religious freedom is purely instrumental and self-interested.

If you and I disagree in matters of religion, I should

tolerate your beliefs and religious practices so that you

will tolerate mine. Religious freedom, on this view, is not

so much a moral or human right as it is a kind of mutual

nonaggression pact.

It's not difficult to see the attraction of this view or to

explain why some people hold it. A world in which each

community lives in fear that another will seize power and

oppress its practitioners is hardly an ideal state of affairs

for any of them--except, of course, the group that happens to

come out on top. But that is exactly what happens where there

is little or no religious freedom protection. Everyone fears

what will happen to their own group. And so the answer to the

problem is clear. Each group tolerates the other groups so

that it, too, will be tolerated.

But there's a problem with this view. The problem is not

that it's in any way inaccurate or untrue. Instead, the

problem is that it doesn't go far enough. It ignores the fact

that at its core, religious freedom means something far

deeper and more profound than people grudgingly tolerating

each another in a kind of modus vivendi.

It means the right to be who we truly are as human beings.

The fact is that as human beings, we are drawn to ponder

life's deepest questions and seek meaningful, truthful

answers. Where do we come from? What is our destiny? Is there

a transcendent source of meaning and value? Is there a

``higher law'' that pulls us above personal interest in order

to ``do unto others as we would have them do unto us?''

No matter how these questions are answered, one thing is

indisputable: Human beings can't stop asking them, and would

be diminished precisely as human beings if they were to try

to do so. And that suggests that the religious quest is a

constitutive part of our humanity--an aspect of our

flourishing as the kind of creatures we are, namely,

rational, intelligent, and free actors.

And this, in turn, suggests that we must cherish and honor,

preserve and protect, the right of persons to ask and answer

these questions as best they can, and, within the broadest

limits, to lead their lives with authenticity and integrity

in line with their best judgments of conscience.

And so, both as individuals and together with others in

community, religious freedom means the right to ponder life's

origins, meaning and purpose; to explore the deepest

questions about human nature, dignity, and destiny; to decide

what is to be believed and not to be believed; and, within

the limits of justice for all, to comply with what one

conscientiously judges to be one's religious obligations--

openly, peacefully, and without fear.

John Henry Newman once observed that ``conscience has

rights because it has duties.'' We honor the rights of

conscience in matters of faith because people must be free to

lead lives of authenticity and integrity by fulfilling what

they believe to be their solemn duties.

But authenticity and integrity are directly threatened

whenever there is coercion or compulsion in matters of faith

or belief. Indeed, coercion does not produce genuine

conviction, but pretense and lack of authenticity. Clearly, a

coerced faith is no faith at all. Compulsion may cause a

person to manifest the outward signs of belief or unbelief,

but it cannot produce the interior acts of intellect and will

that constitute genuine faith.

Therefore, it is essential that freedom of religion or

belief include the right to hold any belief or none at all,

to change one's beliefs and religious affiliation, to bear

witness to these beliefs in public as well as private, and

corporately as well as individually, and to act on one's

religiously inspired convictions about justice and the common

good in carrying out the duties of citizenship. And it is

vital that religious liberty's full protections be extended

to those whose answers to life's deepest questions reject

belief in the transcendent.

Because the right to freedom of religion or belief is so

central to human personhood, we would expect that in places

where it is dishonored, societies would be less happy and

secure. And according to a growing number of studies, that is

precisely the case across the world.

These studies show that countries that protect religious

liberty are more secure and stable than those that do not,

and nations that trample on this freedom provide fertile

ground for war and poverty, terror and radical movements.

In other words, not only do religious freedom abuses

violate the core of our humanity, they do grave harm to the

well-being of societies.

They do so politically--as religious freedom abuses are

highly correlated with the absence of democracy and the

presence of other human rights abuses.

They do so economically--as religious persecution

destabilizes communities and marginalizes the persecuted,

causing their talents and abilities to go unrealized, robbing

a nation of added productivity, and reducing that nation's

ability to fight poverty and create abundance for its

citizens.

They do so morally--since wherever religious freedom is

dishonored, the benefit of religion in molding character is

diminished, and with it, the self-discipline necessary to

handle the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

And finally, they do so socially--since wherever religious

freedom is abused, peace and security become ever more

elusive.

For the United States, all of this has a direct bearing on

our own security.

For example, of the four countries that hosted Osama bin

Laden during his notorious life--Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia,

Sudan, and Pakistan--each is an incubator of terrorism in the

form of violent religious extremism, and all have perpetrated

or tolerated repeated religious freedom violations.

And as we all know, the 9/11 attacks on our country were

plotted in Afghanistan, which was run by the Taliban which

originated in Pakistan, with 15 of the 19 attackers coming

from Saudi Arabia.

In December of last year, the Institute for Economics and

Peace, an Australian think tank, released a ranking of

nations based on the number of terrorist attacks launched

between 2002 and 2011. At the U.S. Commission on

International Religious Freedom, we consider seven of these

countries--Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Somalia,

Nigeria, and Russia--to be serious violators of religious

liberty. . . .

Clearly, religious freedom matters greatly. And sadly,

according to a recent Pew study, 75 percent of the world's

people--more than 5 billion human beings--live in countries

with governments that significantly restrict this fundamental

right. Such restrictions range from burdensome rules and

regulations on building houses of worship to detention and

imprisonment, torture and murder.

. . . All of these abuses violate not just American

standards of religious freedom, but international human

rights standards and covenants as well.

The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, in

Article 18, that:

``Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience,

and religion; this right includes freedom to change his

religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community

with others and in public or private, to manifest his

religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and

observance.''

Since 1966, the governments of 167 countries have signed

the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a

binding treaty with protections similar to Article 18.

Nations around the world also affirmed the 1981 Declaration

on Religious Intolerance, and other regional bodies, such as

the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the Organization of American

States, also confirm religious freedom as a fundamental

liberty. . . .

As an independent, bipartisan, U.S. federal government

advisory body, the U.S. Commission on International Religious

Freedom is firmly committed to the human rights standards

found in these documents.

As a key part of its mandate, USCIRF monitors religious

freedom worldwide and makes policy recommendations to the

President, the Secretary of State, and to Congress.

Based on our monitoring of religious freedom conditions, we

have seen a number of discernible patterns to religious

persecution.

First, we have seen the following categories of religious

freedom violations engaged in or tolerated by governments:

state hostility; state sponsorship; state enforcement; and

state failure.

The second pattern we have seen is that in every one of

these categories, Christians are among the persecuted.

And a third pattern we've noted is the stubborn persistence

of anti-Semitism worldwide, including in the nations of

Western Europe, where it again appears to be on the rise.

As to the categories of religious freedom abuses I just

mentioned, state hostility involves the government actively

persecuting people or groups on account of their beliefs.

State sponsorship refers to the government actively

promoting--and sometimes even exporting--ideas and

propaganda, often of a violent, extremist nature, that

include hostility to the religious freedom of others.

State enforcement refers to the government applying laws

and statutes such as anti-blasphemy codes to individuals,

often members of religious minorities, thus violating freedom

of expression as well as freedom of religion or belief.

And state failure means that the government is neglecting

to take action to protect those whom others are targeting due

to their beliefs, creating a climate of impunity in which

religious minorities or dissenters are threatened,

intimidated, or even attacked and killed.

When it comes to state hostility toward religions, one of

the worst persecutors is Iran's theocratic regime. The

Iranian government has executed people for ``waging war

against God,'' while relentlessly targeting reformers among

the Shi'a Muslim majority, as well as religious minorities,

including Sunni and Sufi Muslims, Bahai's, and Christians.

The Iranian regime has also stirred up anti-Semitism and

promoted Holocaust denial.

Regarding state sponsorship of radical ideology which

targets the religious freedom of others, Saudi Arabia

continues to export its own extremist interpretation of Sunni

Islam through textbooks and other literature which teach

hatred and even violence toward other religious groups.

Regarding state enforcement of laws and statutes that

repress freedom of expression and religion, Egypt and

Pakistan enforce anti-blasphemy or anti-defamation codes,

with religious minorities bearing the brunt of the

enforcement.

Regarding state failure to protect religious freedom, the

actions of the governments of Egypt and Pakistan exemplify

those of nations which do not protect their citizens against

religion-related violence. Ironically, both nations'

enforcement of blasphemy codes fuels some of the worst

violence by encouraging vigilantes to target perceived

transgressors.

. . . In Egypt, since the fall of Hosni Mubarak, including

the periods of time before, during, and after President

Morsi's rule, the government has tolerated widespread abuses

against religious minorities, including Coptic Orthodox and

other Christians, and Bahai's, Shi'a Muslims, and dissident

Sunni Muslims.

It has failed to make serious efforts to bring the

perpetrators of violence to justice or to respond to virulent

anti-Semitism in state-controlled media.

In Pakistan, the government's longtime failure to protect

religious freedom was on brutal display in 2011 with the

assassinations of Salmaan Taseer, a Muslim who was Governor

of Punjab province, and Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian who was

Pakistan's Minister for Minority Affairs and a valiant

religious freedom advocate.

Both officials were killed for opposing Pakistan's

blasphemy law, which is used as a weapon of repression

against Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

This year was clearly one of the worst for both Shi'a

Muslims and for Christians in Pakistan, as attacks by

extremists on these communities accelerated with impunity.

Clearly, impunity remains one of the world's most serious

and growing religious freedom concerns and challenges. Across

much of the world, there have been incidents of religiously-

related violence which are not being addressed by

investigations, trials, or punishments.

. . . And so, let me conclude by saying that for those of

us who care about religious freedom, we have a job to do.

First and foremost, each of us as citizens needs to make

the case to our fellow Americans on behalf of supporting

religious freedom abroad. We need to explain why this matters

for our country and for our world.

We must tell others the story about what is happening to

victims of religious persecution around the world. We must

not let them be forgotten or let their plight be ignored.

And then, as we increase our numbers on the ground, we can

move Washington to do the right thing by supporting religious

freedom. We must make it clear to those in public office that

we expect them to honor religious freedom both at home and

abroad, and that we intend to hold them electorally

accountable if they fail to do that. We must insist that

religious freedom be given the priority it is due under the

International Religious Freedom Act in the conduct of our

international diplomacy and foreign policy. Trade

considerations are important; geopolitical strategic

considerations are important; but religious freedom is

important, too. It is not a second-class concern--at least

not since IRFA became the law of the land. . . .

I have not spoken much today about domestic religious

freedom issues. I do not want to close, however, without

saying this: The first and most important way in which the

President of the United States can promote religious freedom

abroad is by honoring religious freedom here at home. Again,

speaking for myself, and not on this occasion as Chairman of

USCIRF, I call on President Obama to withdraw the HHS

mandates that threaten religious freedom in the

implementation of the Affordable Care Act--and to do so

before being compelled to withdraw those mandates by the

Supreme Court in the lawsuits now pending. Indeed, the

administration should--across the board, at home and abroad--

embrace a robust view of religious liberty, one going beyond

the mere ``freedom of worship''--one that respects the right

of religious believers and religious institutions to honor

the requirements of their consciences without governmental

interference, except in those circumstances--mercifully rare

in our own country--where restrictions on religious freedom

are necessary to protect the religious freedom of others or

to prevent violence or other intolerable harms. . . .

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and remember former U.S. Representative and Brigadier General Vicente T. ``Ben'' Blaz, who passed away on January 8, 2014 in Fairfax, Virginia at the age of 85.

Gen. Blaz was born on February 14, 1928, in Hagatna, the capital of Guam. At 13, he was forced into a Japanese detention camp following the Japanese seizure of the island immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. While a detainee, Gen. Blaz witnessed the torture and murder of his fellow Chammorros--natives of Guam--until American Marines liberated the island in 1944.

Following the war, Blaz learned English and received a scholarship to study at the University of Notre Dame. Soon after graduation, he joined the Marine Corps, where he served in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, earning the Bronze Star. He then served in the Joint Staff for a number of years, including under General Lemeul Shephard, who liberated his home from the Japanese many years earlier.

Blaz was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in 1977. He was the first non-white soldier to attain this rank within the Marine Corps.

Gen. Blaz served three more years before retiring from the military and returning home to Guam. There he worked as a teacher and farmer until his election to the U.S. Congress in 1982. For eight years, he served as Guam's non-voting representative in the House, and held committee assignments on the Foreign Affairs Committee and Armed Forces Committee. During his time in Congress, he focused on veterans' education issues, as well as the reorganization of Guam's judicial system.

Following his retirement in 1992, Gen. Blaz published a memoir, as well as books and television documentaries about Guam's history and culture. He also spent time in Virginia's 10th District in Fairfax County, where he passed away last month. He is survived by his two sons, Tom and Mike Blaz, as well as two brothers, one sister and five grandchildren.

I submit the following obituary from the Washington Post on Gen. Blaz's amazing story.

[From the Washington Post, Jan. 27, 2014]

Vicente T. `Ben' Blaz, Marine General and Guam Delegate, Dies at 85

(By Matt Schudel),

Vicente T. ``Ben'' Blaz, who survived a Japanese prison

camp during World War II and later became a Marine Corps

brigadier general and Guam's representative in Congress, died

Jan. 8 at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital in Fairfax County. He was

85.

The cause was acute respiratory failure, his son Tom Blaz

said.

Gen. Blaz was 13 when he was captured by Japanese forces

who overran the U.S. territory of Guam on Dec. 8, 1941, one

day after the Japanese attack on the American naval base at

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He was one of many native Chamorros, as

natives of Guam are often called, held in a detention camp

and pressed into forced labor, building airfields for the

Japanese.

He was later held in a Japanese prison camp, where he saw

fellow inmates beheaded.

``As a boy, I stood behind barbed wire,'' he told The

Washington Post in 1977. ``There was a pervasive sense of

personal insecurity. That probably is more damaging to your

feeling of wellbeing than hunger.''

In 1944, he was freed when U.S. Marines reclaimed Guam from

the Japanese. He asked a young Marine how he could go to the

United States.

``The first thing you have to do is learn to speak

English,'' he recalled the Marine saying. Gen. Blaz spoke

primarily the local Chamorro language at the time. ``He

taught me a few words and told me, of all things, to listen

to the radio, and talk as they do.''

After graduating in 1951 from the University of Notre Dame,

in Indiana, Gen. Blaz joined the Marine Corps. He served

during the Korean War and was an artillery officer in the

Vietnam War, where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

He held several jobs with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and

once served under Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr., a Marine general

who led the U.S. forces that recaptured Guam in 1944.

When he was promoted to brigadier general in 1977, Gen.

Blaz became the first person from Guam and the first non-

white Marine to reach the rank of general. At the time, he

was director of information for the Marine Corps, in charge

of rebuilding the image of the Marines after the Vietnam War.

After retiring from the military in 1980, Gen. Blaz

returned to Guam to farm and to teach. He made an

unsuccessful bid as a Republican for Guam's non-voting

congressional seat in 1982.

Two years later he won a closely contested election,

defeating Antonio B. Won Pat, who had served as Guam's

delegate since 1973, when the territory first received

representation in Congress.

Gen. Blaz, who was a member of the Armed Forces and Foreign

Affairs committees, was the only retired general serving in

Congress at the time. He had few legislative victories in his

limited role in Congress, but he was instrumental in

reorganizing the judicial system on Guam and was a strong

advocate for improved educational benefits for veterans.

Gen. Blaz served four terms before losing a reelection bid

in 1992 to Robert A. Underwood.

Vicente Tornas Blaz Garrido was born Feb. 14, 1928, in what

is now Hagatna, the capital of Guam, and grew up in a farming

community. Guam, which is about 30 miles long, has a

population of about 140,000 and is the southernmost island in

the Marianas chain. It became a U.S. territory after the

Spanish-American War in 1898.

In 1947, Gen. Blaz received a scholarship to attend Notre

Dame. After a 22-day boat trip, he arrived in San Francisco

and told a cabdriver to take him to Notre Dame. He was

dropped off at a Catholic girls' school with a similar name,

where he presented his papers to the nuns. They put him on a

train to Indiana.

While serving in the Marine Corps, he received a master's

degree in public administration from George Washington

University in 1963. He had a home in Fairfax County since

1969 and was a member of St. Mary of Sorrows Catholic Church

in Fairfax.

His wife of 58 years, Ann Evers Blaz, died in May 2013.

Survivors include two sons, Tom Blaz of Fairfax and Mike Blaz

of Fairfax Station; two brothers; a sister; and five

grandchildren.

After Congress, Gen. Blaz wrote a memoir and books about

Guam and also made a series of historical and cultural

television documentaries about his native island.

In Congress and later in life, Gen. Blaz became known for a

rueful description of the people of Guam, U.S. citizens who

serve in disproportionate numbers in the military but do not

have full representation in Congress: ``Equal in war, unequal

in peace.''

Mr. Speaker, last week the Drudge Report featured an article with a striking headline, ``The World's Most Ancient Christian Communities Are Being Destroyed--and No One Cares.'' This sentiment was expressed in no uncertain terms yesterday at an event in my district at St. John the Beloved in McLean, Virginia.

People from around the Greater Washington, D.C., area gathered to hear directly from five senior Syrian Christian leaders, part of a delegation from the war-ravaged country and the first of its kind that I know of to visit the U.S. since the hostilities began. These men will speak at The Heritage Foundation at 1 p.m. today and will meet with Members of Congress tomorrow. Their story and that of their communities bears telling not only to policymakers, but to the American church at large, for they represent the very cradle of Christendom. They spoke movingly of their identity as Syrian Christians with ancient roots predating the apostle Paul.

Today these communities face violence, kidnapping, sexual assault, displacement, and more. According to the Barnabus Fund, which is hosting this delegation, an estimated 600,000 Christians in Syria have already fled the country or lost their lives. Of course, general violence plagues Syria, but this ancient Christian community finds itself targeted by Islamist elements in the country, including a significant number of foreign jihadists who have flocked to the battlefield.

Several messages emerged at the talk yesterday, but one held particular relevance for the faith community in America. These Syrian Christian leaders made a plea for engagement from the church in the West. Specifically, they sought for American churches to ``adopt'' specific Syrian churches--to commit to praying on their behalf and advocating for them when possible. The need is great, but so too is the opportunity.

The plight of Christians in Syria, while horrific, is in some respects a

similar story. Time and again, Syrian Christians remark that they fear their fate that befell their brethren in Iraq, where hundreds of thousands fled after being targeted by rival Islamist groups. Today, Iraq's Christian population has fallen from as many as 1.4 million in 2003 to roughly 200,000 today. In fact, throughout the Middle East, Christian communities are increasingly under siege and imperiled. Christianity is at risk of being ripped from the very fabric of the Middle East when, for centuries, it has been part of the rich tapestry of that region.

Will we permit it to happen on our watch? Will we answer their pleas for help, or will their cries fall on deaf ears? I pray it is not too late.

Mr. Speaker, today I missed roll call vote 22, on consideration of a motion to recommit with instructions for H.R. 3362, and rollcall vote 23, on final passage of H.R. 3362, the Exchange Information Disclosure Act, because I was chairing the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing on ``Defending Freedoms: Highlighting the Plight of Prisoners of Conscience around the World.'' This hearing addressed the plight of prisoners of conscience who are currently unjustly detained by repressive governments all over the world and explored strategies for securing their release.

Witnesses traveled at their own expense from across the country and all over the world, including Israel and Europe, to testify before the commission. We heard from Mr. Natan Sharansky, the noted human rights activist who spent nine years in the Soviet Gulag and current Chairman of the Executive for the Jewish Agency for Israel; Ms. Geng He, wife of imprisoned Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who was accompanied by Mr. Jared Genser, founder, Freedom Now and pro bono counsel for Gao Zhisheng; Mr. Josh Colangelo-Bryan, pro bono attorney on behalf of imprisoned Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab; and Mrs. Tran Thi Ngoc Minh, mother of imprisoned Vietnamese labor activist Do Thi Minh Hanh. Dr. Robert P. George, chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and Mr. Gal Beckerman, author, When They Come for Us We'll be Gone: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry also testified.

I felt it was important to continue this hearing as these witnesses were advocating for the lives of their friends and loved ones.

Had I been present I would have voted ``no'' on roll call 22, the motion to recommit, and ``aye'' on roll call 23, final passage of H.R. 3362, the Exchange Information Disclosure Act, as I fully support efforts to require transparency in the operation of American Health Benefit Exchanges.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bill and want to acknowledge and thank Mr. Rogers. We came here together in 1981, and I think what Mr. Rogers and Mrs. Lowey have done, along with Senator Mikulski and Senator Shelby, has been amazing.

I also want to thank my friend, Mr. Fattah, for his partnership and help. Thank you. You have done a great job.

I want to acknowledge the staff, Mike Ringler, Leslie Albright, Jeff Ashford, Diana Simpson and Colin Samples, as well as Bob Bonner and Matt Smith. They have done an incredible job. If the American people could have seen the hours--and I want to thank them.

This bill today totals $51.6 billion, which is $1.44 billion below the enacted 2013 level. We have reduced spending by more than $12 billion for agencies funded in the CJS.

There is no reason why anyone would vote against this bill. We are even $200 million below FY 2008. So they have done an incredible job.

The bill also includes $8.3 billion for the FBI to fight crime and protect the Nation from further terrorist attacks, and it expands the FBI's capabilities.

Also, in addition, there is $1 million for an independent review to report to Congress, to be conducted by an outside commission to look at the progress made over the last decade on the implementation of the 9/ 11 Commission.

I lost several hundred people from my district who died, and we lost 3,000 Americans. We want to find out what recommendations were made, how well the FBI is doing, and so that is very, very important. I expect the FBI to cooperate, and I know they will.

I appreciate Mr. Fattah, and also Mr. Mollohan, who is not here. We establish the Charles Colson, Chuck Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections.

We cannot put men and women in prison for years and do nothing, and I think this offers an opportunity to really reform the prison commission system. Then Mr. Goodlatte and the Judiciary Committee can do amazing things.

The bill also brings about repatriation programs to bring jobs back to America, not to have companies going abroad but to come back, and I appreciate the Secretary of Commerce Pritzker really cooperating and working on this.

Lastly, it funds the sciences at a very, very high level. With regard to NASA, the bill includes $17.65 billion for NASA, including funding for America's next generation space launch system, the Orion Crew Vehicle, as well as full funding for cutting-edge aeronautics and research to keep America competitive.

Again, I just want to close by congratulating and thanking Mr. Rogers. We came here in 1981. We were considered Reagan robots. I wasn't supposed to be here, and another guy who wasn't supposed to be here, Chris Smith, he is still here, and Mr. Rogers. They will be the leaders of the class that is left. We had 54.

I just want to thank him for what he has done, and the staff on both sides, and the Members, for bringing this bill and returning to regular order.

Again, Mr. Fattah, my fellow native Philadelphian, thank you for everything that you have done.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes the fiscal year 2014 Commerce- Justice-Science appropriations act.

I would like to thank my colleague and Ranking Member, Mr. Fattah, for his support throughout this process. I would also extend my thanks to Chairman Rogers, Senator Mikulski and Senator Shelby.

I also want to thank the CJS subcommittee Majority staff--Mike Ringler, Leslie Albright, Jeff Ashford, Diana Simpson and Colin Samples--as well as Bob Bonner and Matt Smith on the Minority staff.

The final CJS bill before the House today totals $51.6 billion, which is $1.4 billion below the enacted fiscal year 2013 level.

Since Republicans assumed the majority in the House, we have reduced spending by more than $12 billion for agencies funded in the CJS appropriations bill.

The FY 2013 level is even $200 million below the FY 2008 level.

At the same time the bill also provides funding for a variety of critical national priorities, and prevents furloughs for federal employees this year.

The bill includes $8.3 billion for the FBI to fight crime and protect the nation from further terrorist attacks and expands the FBI's capability to investigate and attribute cyber intrusions, which the new Director has identified as his biggest challenge.

In addition, there is $1 million for an independent review and report to Congress to be conducted by an outside commission to look at progress made over the last decade on the implementation the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission as well as to look at how the FBI is responding to the evolving threat of terrorism, including the threat from domestic radicalization.

I expect the FBI to support this important effort by ensuring that the review has the independence, flexibility and resources necessary to produce an excellent and unbiased report to the Congress.

The bill establishes the Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections to develop practical, data-driven policy options to increase public safety, reduce recidivism, and control the growth of spending on corrections.

In the Department of Commerce, the bill includes funding for the National Weather Service to provide critical weather information to the public.

We need to enhance efforts to bring good jobs back to America, especially manufacturing jobs. This bill continues a job repatriation task force established last year, and includes grant funding to enable encourage repatriations. It also calls on the department to hold a national repatriation conference this year, and I appreciate Secretary Priztker's proactive leadership in coordinating this conference.

The bill includes important funding for fundamental scientific research. $7.2 billion is included for the NSF. NIST research activities receive $850 million, an increase of $42 million.

Finally, the bill includes $17.65 billion for NASA, including funding for America's next generation Space Launch System and the Orion Crew Vehicle as well as full funding for cutting edge aeronautics research to keep America competitive.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Winchester City Sheriff Lenny Millholland who retired on December 31, 2013.

Sheriff Millholland has served the city of Winchester since 1979. He began his career in law enforcement in Cumberland, Maryland, where he worked for two years in the sheriff's

office before accepting a position with the Winchester Police Department. After reaching the rank of lieutenant, he ran for city sheriff taking office in 2002--a particularly challenging time in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

A graduate of the Central Shenandoah Criminal Justice Training Academy, the Maryland State Police K9 Academy, FBI National Academy Session 188, and the National Sheriff's Institute in Longmont, Colorado, his record of law enforcement training is impressive. Additionally, over the course of his term as sheriff, he was appointed to several committees and boards that serve law enforcement and local non-profit organizations. He is also a past president of the Virginia Sheriff's Institute, which trains sheriffs in Virginia, and was recently honored by the Horseshoe Curve Benevolent Association for his outstanding service to the community.

I have had the privilege of knowing and working with Lenny many times over the years. He has been a committed public servant to the Shenandoah Valley and I wish him all the best in his retirement.

I submit the following Winchester Star article on Sheriff Millholland's exceptional career of service to the Winchester community.

[From the Winchester Star, Dec. 30, 2013]

Retiring Sheriff Ready To Relax, See What Comes

(By Melissa Boughton)

Winchester, VA.--Lenny Milholland has one more day on the

job as city sheriff, then he plans to lie low and see what

the future holds.

``I just want to see if I like retirement first,'' he said

Friday when asked what was next for the veteran law

enforcement officer.

The 56-year-old Democrat announced in April that he would

not seek a fourth term as Winchester city sheriff. He

officially leaves his post Tuesday.

Taking over the position is Republican Les Taylor, who

defeated Democrat Leonard Bauserman in the Nov. 5 election.

His first day on the job is Wednesday.

``It's been a good ride, it truly has,'' said Millholland,

who has served as city sheriff since 2002. ``And my people

have been the best.''

He has no shortage of compliments for his staff and those

who work in the Joint Judicial Center at 5 N. Kent St.

In fact, Millholland said, if he had one piece of advice

for his successor, it would be to treat the employees at the

courthouse right, especially the Winchester Sheriff's Office

deputies.

``They are an extension of you,'' he said.

The city sheriff's office is responsible for security at

the Joint Judicial Center and warrant service within the

city, among myriad other duties.

Never without a smile, Millholland has been a fixture in

local law enforcement since 1979, when he joined the

Winchester Police Department as a patrol officer.

On Friday, he sat back in his chair and reminisced about

applying for the job. ``I opened up the Cumberland (Md.)

Times and it said `police officer wanted.' ''

He got the job, and the rest is history.

Millholland's law enforcement career began in Cumberland,

Md., where he worked for two years in the Sheriff's Office.

In Winchester, he was a patrol officer until May 1988, when

he and his canine were stabbed with a Samurai sword while

responding to an incident on Cameron Street. The dog, Apollo,

eventually had to be put down, and Millholland's injuries

required dozens of stitches.

Millholland returned to work the next day but moved to the

Criminal Investigations Division, where he stayed until 1998,

when he attended the FBI Academy.

Two promotions later, Millholland, then a lieutenant,

decided to run for city sheriff.

``I was involved in a department shooting and it affected

the way that I looked at a lot of things,'' he said.

Millholland took office as city sheriff in 2002 and got

right to work.

``It was right after 9/11, so you had a whole different way

people viewed security,'' he said. ``We didn't have metal

detectors, we didn't have X-ray machines--if you wanted to

come into [the courthouse], you just came in.''

Millholland made the security at the Joint Judicial Center

what it is today, with X-ray machines, metal detectors and

wands for deputies to search people when necessary.

``I think my biggest goal was to make sure that nothing

happened at the courthouse under my watch,'' he said. ``And

I've got three more days to make sure that comes to

fruition.''

He added that another major goal he had when he took office

was to treat everyone he worked with well.

``It's all about the people you meet along the way,''

Millholland said.

His most memorable moments on the job were when ``his

guys'' received rewards and accolades for their work, he

said.

``It's a great office, it's a great group of people,''

Millholland said, adding that he hopes the office will keep

progressing under the new leadership.

Millholland said a lot of people have asked him about his

plans for the future, but a recent medical issue has made

everything uncertain.

Though he didn't elaborate, his doctor told him he was

``pretty lucky.'' ``It makes you wonder how short life can

be,'' Millholland said.

He added that many of the people he used to have dealings

with, including former Winchester Circuit Court Clerk Mike

Foreman, have died, and that he realizes he could have been

one of them.

``[Mike Foreman, before he died,] told me to get out while

I could still remember why I wanted out, and while I could

still do something else.''

Known for his jovial, larger-than-life personality and

enthusiastic community involvement, Millholland smiled when

asked if he plans to take a post-retirement vacation.

``Me and Santa Claus are probably going to go find

someplace warm and stay there for a while,'' he joked.

Mr. Speaker, I submit a letter a Washington Post obituary commemorating the life and legacy of Richard Williamson who passed away this weekend at the age of 64.

I had the distinct privilege of working with Rich on a myriad of issues, including Sudan. Rich had a keen understanding of the issues marked by a welcome sense of moral clarity. His advice and counsel were reliably sound.

Many will mourn his loss, not the least of which are the Sudanese people whose basic human rights he championed.

[From the Washington Post, Dec. 10, 2013]

Richard Williamson, R.I.P

(By Jennifer Rubin)

Richard S. Williamson was not a household name, but for

decades he was a tireless public servant and resolute

defender of America's national security. He passed away

suddenly this weekend; he was 64. A release from the McCain

Institute recounts, ``He was involved in a wide variety of

civic organizations, including serving as a nonresident

Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, as senior fellow

at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and as a trustee of

Freedom House. Williamson was also Assistant to the President

for Intergovernmental Affairs in the Reagan White House,

Ambassador to the United Nations Offices in Vienna (including

the International Atomic Energy Agency), Assistant Secretary

of State for International Organization Affairs, member of

the President's General Advisory Committee on Arms Control,

Ambassador to the United Nations for Special Political

Affairs, Ambassador to the U.N. Commission on Human Rights,

the Republican Party's nominee for U.S. Senate in 1993.''

While he lost that Senate race to Carol Moseley Braun, he was

an accomplished lawyer, author and speaker.

I came to know Richard in his capacity as a senior foreign

policy adviser to Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign in

2008 and Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign. He was a staunch

advocate for his candidates, and beyond that for the

principle that foreign policy is the most critical aspect of

any presidency and therefore must be a topic of debate in

presidential elections. When other policy advisers pleaded to

downplay foreign policy, Richard insisted it deserved a full

airing. Many of the positions he helped his candidates

articulate--the danger of Russian aggression, the Obama

administration's duplicity in Libya, the rise of the Iran-

Syria axis, the need for adequate national security spending

and the need to speak boldly on behalf of human rights--have

proved entirely accurate. The country would have been greatly

served had he returned to public office.

In the hurly-burly of a presidential campaign Richard was

unflappable, honest and gracious treasured qualities in a

public servant. In the best sense of the phrase, he was an

old-school gentleman.

Elliott Abrams, a former deputy national security adviser

who knew Richard well, e-mails: ``Rich Williamson was a happy

warrior. He was an unflappable soldier of freedom, serving

several Republican presidents in the Cold War and then the

war against terror, and always, always, in the peaceful but

often very rough battle against the Democrats. His ready

smile, his sharp political instincts, and his dedication to

public service will be long remembered.'' He adds, ``In

politics there's a lot of ego and self promotion, but Rich

was there to help the party and serve the nation. In the next

Republican administration he would have had a very senior

foreign policy position, and when that day comes we will miss

his counsel, his calm, and his unchanging good humor. He was

a wonderful man.''

His passing reminds us how essential a strong foreign

policy is to the country's well-being. He stood up for a

strong America, one that leads the Free World. In addition to

conservative groups, including the RNC, which have remarked

on his passing, I would hope in the near future our current

U.N. ambassador and others in the elite foreign policy

establishment who knew him well will honor his achievements.

He, as they know, was never one to put partisanship above

country. He will be missed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Judge Thomas D. Horne, an integral member of Loudoun County's justice system for more than three decades, who retired at the beginning of this month.

Judge Horne graduated from Muhlenberg College in 1965 and went on to attend William and Mary Law School, where he earned his law degree in 1969. He began his career as a judge advocate for the Marines and in 1979, his love of the courtroom led him to become the county's first elected commonwealth's attorney. In 1982, he was appointed to the Loudoun Circuit Court and since then has heard some of Loudoun's most prominent cases, including the 2002 first-degree murder trial of Claire Schwartz, who was found guilty of killing her father, as well as the nation's first ``spam'' case involving email advertisements.

Although he is one Virginia's most respected circuit court judges and described by his colleagues a ``the epitome of fairness''--his leadership extends far beyond the courtroom. He helped create a bench book for judges in Virginia, which has become an indispensable resource for those involved in the legal profession. Additionally, he spearheaded the nation's first victim-witness program and started a week-long law camp mentoring teenagers interested in law.

Outside of the legal realm, Judge Horne serves his community in other ways. In the 1980's he played an important role in the development of youth soccer programs in Loudoun and later formed the Loudoun County Youth Lacrosse League.

I have had the privilege of knowing Tom for many years. I hope that he enjoys retirement with his wife, Patricia, and their children, Rob and Jennifer, and grandchildren, knowing that he has been a pillar of the Loudoun community for decades. I wish him all the best and thank him for his outstanding service, both inside and outside of the courtroom.

I submit the following Leesburg Today article on Judge Horne's remarkable accomplishments.

[From the Leesburg Today, Dec. 5, 2013]

The Epitome of Fairness': Horne Retires, After Three Decades On Loudoun

Bench

(By Erika Jacobson Moore)

Sitting in his office at the Loudoun County Courthouse,

Judge Thomas D. Horne is reminiscing about his high school

football coach in Baltimore. After being cut during tryouts

for other sports, Horne saw a flyer about a meeting for

football. So he went. There, coach George Young--a future New

York Giants general manager and NFL vice president--told the

group, ``I won't cut you. You'll cut yourself.'' Horne joined

the football team and Young became a mentor to the teenager.

Then, when it came time for Horne to consider college, Young

stepped up.

``I didn't have any money, but every weekend he took me to

see schools,'' Horne remembered. That was when Horne first

learned anything about Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania.

``I didn't know what it was. I thought it must have been in

Germany somewhere. But he said, `This is the school for you.'

So I went.''

It was his time at Muhlenberg that put Horne on the path

that eventually led him to Loudoun, where he spent more than

three decades as a cornerstone in the county's legal system.

``The point is: you can make a difference in someone else's

life. And you should,'' he said.

It is with that philosophy that Horne has approached his

life and more than 30 years on the bench in Loudoun's

courtrooms. This week marks the first time since the late

1970s that Horne is not a formal part of

Loudoun's legal landscape. Horne retired from the bench Dec.

1, a result of the Virginia requirement that judges retire

when they reach age 70. He plans to continue on a part-time

basis after the New Year until the General Assembly appoints

his replacement.

``I try to set an attitude in the courtroom that respects

everybody,'' he said. ``You have to make people understand

that you are listening. That is sometimes all people want.''

Known for often taking cases ``under advisement'' before

issuing an opinion or ruling, Horne said that is

intentional--designed to give him time to really examine the

arguments and consider both sides.

``You have to be able to look at things objectively . . .

people can disagree with whether you came up with the right

or wrong answer, that's one of the great things about this

system. But you have to take the time,'' he said, adding with

a laugh, ``Of course, I always think I came up with the right

answer.''

Horne's strides to ensure fairness and compassion were

always present in his courtroom, according to those who have

watched his career. Leesburg attorney Rhonda Paice, who

credits Horne with her decision to become a lawyer, said

Horne is ``the epitome of everything I thought was right with

that [legal] profession.'' In high school, Paice shadowed

Horne when he was an assistant commonwealth's attorney and

then worked as his courtroom clerk the summer after she

graduated from college in 1983.

``He was an extremely skilled trial attorney,'' she

recalled. ``He was very polished in the courtroom. But he

never really took advantage.

``Everything he did as a prosecutor it was really him

thinking, is this furthering the ends of justice? He was just

really advanced at walking the line between doing his job as

a prosecutor, but doing it in the right circumstances and

giving people a break when they needed it.''

Bill Mims, who was elected to serve as a justice on the

Supreme Court of Virginia in 2010, practiced law in front of

Horne when he was an attorney in Loudoun, and echoed those

sentiments. In an email, Mims harkened back to the words of

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, who said,

``Justice is fairness.''

``Judge Horne is the epitome of fairness,'' Mims wrote.

``He always applies the law faithfully, but also with equity.

A judge can receive no higher praise.''

Clerk of the Circuit Court Gary Clemens first met Horne in

the early 1990s, when he was a witness in a domestic case.

``Even at that point I was very impressed with his demeanor,

his compassion and actual interest in the people who were

before him with a court proceeding,'' Clemens said. When

Clemens became an investigator with the Commonwealth's

Attorney's Office a few years later, he began spending more

time in Horne's courtroom.

``You could tell he had respect for everyone who appeared

before him, even the criminal defendants,'' he said. ``He

ensured those rights were upheld. You could tell that with

the way he was talking and how he treated them he wasn't

really judging them, he was just upholding the law and

applying the law.''

The Loudoun Circuit Court has been stretched this year with

Horne and Judge Burke F. McCahill picking up additional cases

after the General Assembly failed to appoint a replacement

for Judge James Chamblin, who retired in April. Judge Stephen

E. Sincavage was appointed by Gov. Bob McDonnell this summer,

but must be confirmed by the state legislature in the

upcoming session.

Even with the additional work in his final year, a week

before his retirement Horne said he was in position to have

everything on his docket completed before he left.

That comes as no surprise to the people who know him best,

many who touted his work ethic on the bench. Clemens says

there are many nights when Horne would be the last one

working in the courthouse, ``sometimes as late as 8 p.m. and

I would go down the hall and his light is on and he is in

there.

``He just has that commitment to the profession,'' Clemens

said. ``Most importantly it was his commitment to the people

involved. These were people with a very important issue in

their lives and he realized that. So he was willing to work

very late at night or even come in on the weekends.''

After graduating from Muhlenberg in 1965, Horne went to the

College of William and Mary, earning his law degree in 1969

and then serving as a judge advocate in the Marines.

Eventually, Horne and his family moved to Leesburg.

``At the start of my career, it was a completely different

place,'' he said, recalling his practice was set up in a

building with doctors' offices and he ``always had pregnant

women and people with eye problems dropping in

accidentally.'' Horne served as an assistant commonwealth's

attorney in the 1970s--it was a part-time position so he kept

his private practice as well.

``You were on a first-name basis with everyone,'' he said.

``But in 1972, Leesburg was still a fairly closed society.

The newspaper was still really a society column, about who

was vacationing . . . and I'm just a guy who moved here from

Reston with my family.''

In 1979, he campaigned to be the county's first elected

commonwealth's attorney. Horne said he felt drawn to public

service. ``I love the courtroom. I love the challenge of the

courtroom,'' he said.

Former Clerk of the Court Fred Howard first got to know

Horne during that 1979 campaign, and he recalls Horne's

commitment coming through as he campaigned. ``He walked all

the way across Loudoun County,'' Howard said. ``He would stop

and do campaign stops along the way, but he walked the entire

county. I even wrote a song for his campaign . . . he walked

`from the hills of Northern Loudoun to the plains of Sterling

Park'.''

After Horne was elected Commonwealth's Attorney, Howard

said he always was struck by how dedicated to the legal

process he was, with one case coming to mind immediately. A

man had been charged with breaking and entering, but said he

was innocent because he had been at McDonald's at the time of

the crime--even going so far as to say what he ate. Horne

went back and checked the man's alibi, finding out that the

day of the crime was the only day that restaurant had ever

been closed.

``He was always very thorough,'' Howard recalled. ``The

look on that boy's face was priceless.''

Since being appointed to the Loudoun Circuit Court in 1982,

Horne has presided over some of Loudoun's most well known

cases--from one of the earliest ``shaken baby'' manslaughter

cases in 1995, which ended in a mistrial and resulted in a

guilty plea to a child abuse charge, to the 2002 first-degree

murder trial of Clara Schwartz, who was found guilty of

killing her father and luring two men into the plot.

He also heard the first SPAM case in the country, where he

sentenced a North Carolina man to prison for flooding AOL

accounts with thousands of bulk email advertisements. The

case was tried in Loudoun because AOL is located in the

county. The Virginia Supreme Court later deemed the anti-spam

statute in the Virginia State Code unconstitutional,

something Horne had called into question when imposing his

sentence.

There was the 1999 case where the ability of the Washington

Metropolitan Airports Authority, which is made up of

representatives of Maryland, Virginia and DC, to condemn land

in Virginia was challenged. ``That was interesting,'' Horne

said, ``because it involved the Compact Clause of the

Constitution.'' The Compact Clause states that without the

consent of Congress no state can enter into an agreement or

compact with another state.

``Whoever thought I would be hearing a case like that here

in Loudoun County?'' Horne said with a smile.

And then, of course, for years, Horne has heard land use

case after land use case as Loudoun's development ramped up.

``In the early 2000s there was always some sort of land use

case on the docket,'' he said. And many of them brought up

complicated legal questions, and involved multiple

plaintiffs.

He handled legal challenges that resulted from a large-

scale Board of Supervisors-initiated downzoning. ``You're

working on rezonings with 200 plaintiffs and all these

lawyers at the top of their game and it's just you,'' Horne

said, acknowledging he appreciates ``good lawyering'' in his

courtroom.

Domestic relations cases were always a staple of Horne's

docket, including divorce and child custody cases. In those,

he often got the ``greatest satisfaction'' because ``in some

of these cases the parents are just litigating constantly.''

``It's when I hear from one of those kids and they say they

have bonded again with both parents that I get such a sense

of satisfaction,'' he said, recalling one case in particular,

in which a wife did not want her husband to have any contact

with their children. The father was going overseas to Iraq

and ``I was able to create a moment'' for the father and his

children, Horne recalled. ``He ended up going over there and

he was killed. And that was the last moment they had

together.''

Horne's influence in the courtroom stretches beyond

Leesburg, as well. He was an integral part of the effort to

create the bench book for judges in the commonwealth. The

book serves as a reference for judges, attorneys and other

members of the legal profession.

He also worked on the judicial boundary realignment that

benchmarks how many judges are needed in Virginia, and in

specific localities, based on the number of case hours

worked, the number of cases and how many judges are needed to

handle the total. The document easily makes the case, Horne

said, for the need to fill his position quickly, and to add a

fourth judge in the circuit court in Loudoun.

Horne recalled how he recently had someone tell him they

had never seen him get upset until he had to tell someone

that he could not hear their case. ``We just don't have the

manpower,'' he said of Loudoun's Circuit Court.

The ability to make a difference also drove Horne's work

outside the courtroom.

As a prosecutor he helped start the county's victim-witness

program, the first of its kind in the nation. ``You are

trying to bring [victims] a sense of closure. That is really

what this is all about; you're trying to reach that closure

for people,'' he said.

More than a dozen years ago, he started Law Camp for high

school students in the 20th Judicial Circuit, which brings

lawyers together to train students to conduct moot court

trials, give speeches and hear from guest speakers. Paice

recalled being called into Horne's office with a couple other

attorneys.

He said, I have this idea and I want to do this camp, a

sleepover that will last a week, and we'll have lawyers who

will mentor

[teenagers] and then Friday they will try a case,'' Paice

said. ``We all sort of looked at each other like, you want to

what now? He said he thought it was a worthwhile project for

the Loudoun Bar. He thought the legal profession gets a bad

rap, and it can be hard for kids to see how much good lawyers

can do. He said, `I think that is a really good program to

showcase the things that lawyers do in the community.' ''

Ian Duggan, a Loudoun Valley High School graduate,

participated in law camp in 2002. Now a JAG serving in

Turkey, he credits his interest in law directly to his

interactions with Horne. Duggan first met Horne in the eighth

grade, when Horne was coaching him in lacrosse and ``knew

[Horne] had a passion for the law.'' Then when he got into

high school and participated in law camp, it further spurred

his interest in the legal profession.

``Looking at him as a lawyer, he is a good example of what

you want to be,'' Duggan said in a phone interview from

Turkey. ``I saw the way people respected him. He did a good

job of bringing a lot of people from the Bar out and

supporting the effort. Not many people could do that.''

Horne, along with McCahill, also presided over Loudoun's

Drug Court until the Board of Supervisors cut its funding

last year. A common target for budget cuts before it was

eliminated in 2012, Horne often spoke passionately about the

program and the impact it can have, telling supervisors in

2009 that he would ``rather take home hours of homework''

than see the program cut.

He calls his work for the community ``an extension of being

a judge.''

``I tell the new judges--that is my advice--don't go and

hide. Don't sit up on high. Be out in the community; get out

with people. Yes, you have your judicial ethics, and you

don't talk about your cases, but you need to talk with

people, and know them and understand them. You need to

understand people,'' he said.

And Horne's influence on Loudoun's community stretches far

beyond the legal system. In the early 1980s, he helped youth

soccer form in the county, and at the end of that decade he

formed the Loudoun County Youth Lacrosse League. The sport

was one of his passions growing up, and one he passed on to

his son, Rob.

``I distinctly remember our first catch, I had my baseball

mitt and then we would trade off [with the lacrosse stick],''

Rob Horne said. ``I really took to it very quickly. I think

he saw how passionate I was about the sport, and he wanted to

provide me with an outlet . . . and in 1989 he founded

lacrosse in the county.''

Rob Horne said his father is his hero, in no small part

because of his passion for his community and his ability to

be just as passionate about his family. Growing up the son of

a judge, Rob Horne always faced questions about a perceived

strict household.

``[My friends] thought that things were incredibly strict

and heavy handed in our house. They were not,'' he said. ``My

father had an amazing ability to leave the office, the

courthouse, behind. He never carried any of that baggage

home.''

In addition to his dedication to youth sports, Horne is a

former Boy Scouts cub master, Loudoun County High School PTA

president and the first chairman of Loudoun County High

School's all-night, drug-free graduation organizing

committee.

``He has this selfless approach that he has taken

throughout his adult life in all facets of our community,''

the younger Horne, now a teacher at Middleburg Academy, said.

``It is this inexhaustible energy that he has. That is

something that I have really tried to draw from him. When you

undertake an endeavor, you really see it through. Be

passionate about what it is that you do, either

professionally or in some extracurricular activity.''

Beyond the tangible work Horne does in Loudoun that will be

absent with his retirement, it is the intangible that will be

impossible to replace.

``I have dreaded 2013 for so long,'' Paice said. ``I have

always had a feeling that as long as he was in that

courthouse justice was going to be done, whether it was in

front of him or not. Divorce, criminal, land use, he was

going to be there to be sure that justice was done. And he is

not going to be there. It is totally an end of an era for

this community.''

Duggan, who also worked for him as a law clerk one summer,

said one of the things Horne worked to instill in him was the

importance of people--something he tries to remember every

day he works as an attorney. Duggan said he has an

``indelible mark'' on him of Horne placing his hands on his

shoulders and telling him:

``The law programs, the buildings they are all great, but

at the end of the day it is the people that really make the

system work . . . it doesn't matter if you don't have the

right people.''

Mr. Speaker, yesterday marked the 15-month anniversary of the Benghazi attack. Once again, another anniversary has come and gone with no new answers about what happened that night or just what so many Americans, reportedly around two dozen, were doing at a secret CIA base in Benghazi to begin with.

Another anniversary has come and gone with no new public hearings. By my count, the last public hearing was held on September 18, nearly 3 months ago, and no new public hearings are being held. The keyword is ``public.''

But perhaps most important, another anniversary has come and gone with absolutely no one being held responsible for the security and intelligence failures leading up to the attack, and no one has been brought to justice. And despite several recent developments related to the Benghazi investigation, practically nothing has been done in Congress to address them.

First, we have recently learned that CIA Director John Brennan distorted the facts in letters to the House Intelligence Committee and me when he claimed that Benghazi survivors were not made to sign new nondisclosure agreements.

Another major development is a November 24 article published by Breitbart reporting surprising new comments by Kevin Kolbye, the FBI's lead investigator for Benghazi, who stated for the first time that the FBI arrived on the scene in Benghazi within days, not weeks, of the attack. According to the article by Kerry Picket:

The Washington Post reported that while the FBI had legats

in Algiers and Cairo, a team of FBI investigators could not

get into Benghazi 2 days after the attack. Kolbye disputes

this. ``We were there,'' he said.

Is Agent Kolbye correct? Was the FBI secretly on the ground in Benghazi within days of the attack? If so, why is this being kept from the public? Once again, the Congress should know and, to my knowledge, has never asked Agent Kolbye to testify.

Equally important, why is it that we are learning additional comments before a paid audience of $400 a ticket? You had to pay $400 to hear this guy speak, but he has never spoken for free to the American people. This is just like when the American people heard new information about that night from retired General Ham when he appeared at a big-ticket event in Aspen. The American people did not hear. If you paid the money in Aspen, you got to hear. I guess there was no need to tell the Congress and the public what happened that night since paid audiences will hear through conferences, through books, and maybe even a movie.

Finally, I return to my concerns first raised on the House floor in July that the large CIA base in Benghazi may have been used to support covert operations with regard to Syria, including the possible transfer of weapons collected in Libya to Syrian rebels, possibly in coordination with third parties of foreign countries, particularly Saudi Arabia.

These concerns need to be addressed now more than ever after reports yesterday that both the U.S. and the United Kingdom have cut off support to rebels in northern Syria along the Turkish border after the Islamic front, a coalition of jihadi extremist fighters, overran bases run by the Free Syrian Army and seized their weapons and resources. According to a report from the BBC yesterday, the U.S. and European countries have reportedly facilitated secret arms shipments to Syrian rebels, allegedly including antiaircraft weapons commonly referred to as ``MANPADS,'' just like the weapons collected in Libya over the last 2 years.

A separate Washington Post article stated:

A covert CIA program providing lethal aid to the rebels,

consisting mostly of small arms and ammunition channeled to

southern Syria through Jordan, would continue unchanged.

It is particularly noteworthy that during the same period of time the CIA was operating in Benghazi and U.S. weapons collection in Libya were underway, respected national security reporter Mark Hosenball wrote August 1, 2012:

President Obama has signed a secret order authorizing U.S.

support for rebels seeking to depose Syrian President Bashar

al-Assad and his government, U.S. sources familiar with the

matter said. Obama's order, approved earlier this year and

known as an intelligence ``finding,'' broadly permits the CIA

and other U.S. agencies to provide support that could help

the rebels oust Assad.

Hosenball continued:

A U.S. Government source acknowledged that under provisions

of the Presidential finding, the United States was

collaborating with a secret command center operated by Turkey

and its allies. NBC said the shoulder-fired missiles, also

known as MANPADS, had been delivered to the rebels via

Turkey.

Are these the same secret arms shipments that were just seized by the Islamic extremists in northern Syria? Have these weapons, transferred with alleged U.S. covert support, been used to kill innocent civilians, Christians, and Muslims? Don't the American people have a right to know if their tax dollars are being spent to supply Islamic extremists with weapons to use against Christians and Muslims? We need a select committee. The current process is not working.

It is time for the administration and the Congress to say what the CIA was doing in Benghazi and elsewhere around Syria.

A Wall Street Journal article from August detailed just how closely Saudi Arabia was working with the CIA to train and arm Syrian rebels, despite some concerns that the weapons could fall in the hands of the extremists.

It appears those concerns are coming true, but the American people still aren't being told the truth about the U.S. role in arming the Syrians and the role of the CIA base in Benghazi.

It's time for answers.

It's time for a select committee on Benghazi.

I thank the chair.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of legislation I have cosponsored, the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act. I particularly want to thank the bill sponsors, Gregg Harper, Eric Cantor, and Mr. Welch of Vermont, for honoring the memory of my constituent, Gabriella Miller, Loudoun County's volunteer of the year.

Gabriella was a 10-year-old straight A student at Loudoun County Day School, who died on October 26 after a courageous 1-year battle with an inoperable brain cancer tumor. In a short amount of time, they achieved many goals. She started the Smashing Walnuts Foundation--which refers to the walnut-sized tumor in her brain--a childhood cancer foundation; she co-wrote a children's book and received an honorary degree from Shenandoah University out in Winchester, Virginia.

Last December at her request I wrote to Macy's as part of the massive 250,000 letter campaign she organized to benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Gabriella raised a lot of money, and more importantly she touched a lot of lives; and I am sure she touched a lot of lives of Members who are in this body.

The bill before us today will help supplement existing NIH research efforts for childhood cancers and disorders by creating a 10-year pediatric research initiative fund, paid for with the remaining Presidential Election Campaign Fund.

I know her parents, Mark and Ellyn, who are with us here today. Her younger brother Jake and her family and friends know of the remarkable impact she has had on our community, on our country, and on families that are facing this nationwide.

I urge, hopefully, a unanimous vote on this.