[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 11 (Tuesday, February 8, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  THE CONGRESSIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CAUCUS HAS NO RELATIONSHIP WITH THE 
                 CONGRESSIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION

                                 ______


                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 8, 1994

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, various stories have appeared in Roll Call 
and other sources in the press discussing links between legislative 
service organizations [LSO's]--which are official organizations 
established by a group of Members of the Congress and which are funded 
only by official funds--and outside, nonpublic, nonprofit foundations. 
Some of these press accounts have incorrectly linked the Congressional 
Human Rights Caucus with the Congressional Human Rights Foundation.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish to set the record straight with my colleagues. 
There is absolutely no connection between the two organizations. Some 
years ago, I served on the board of the Congressional Human Rights 
Foundation along with our colleague, Congressman John Porter, the 
Republican cochairman of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. Both of 
us resigned from the board some years ago. There has never been any 
link between the Congressional Human Rights Caucus and the 
Congressional Human Rights Foundation.
  In order to make clear the fact that there is no relationship between 
the Congressional Human Rights Caucus and the Congressional Human 
Rights Foundation, Congressman John Porter, the Republican cochairman 
of the Caucus, and I sent a letter to Mr. David Phillips, the president 
of the Congressional Human Rights Foundation, as well as to Mr. Don 
Bonker and Mr. John Buchanan, the cochairmen of the foundation board. 
We have sent copies of our letter to Congressman Charlie Rose, the 
chairman of the Committee on House Administration, and to Congressman 
William Thomas, the ranking Republican member of the Committee on House 
Administration. Copies of that letter were also sent to each member of 
the Committee on House Administration.
  Mr. Speaker, for the information of our colleagues, I ask that the 
full text of this letter be placed in the Record.

                                         House of Representatives,


                            Congressional Human Rights Caucus,

                                 Washington, DC, January 31, 1994.
     Mr. David Phillips,
     President, Congressional Human Rights Foundation, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear David: We are writing with regard to a story that 
     appeared in the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call which 
     discusses, among other things, ties between Legislative 
     Service Organizations (LSOs) and outside, non-profit 
     foundations. A copy of this story is enclosed for your 
     information. The Roll Call report incorrectly links the 
     Congressional Human Rights Caucus with the Congressional 
     Human Rights Foundation as a foundation affiliated with a 
     House LSO.
       The first purpose of this letter is to set the record 
     straight with regard to the relationship between the 
     Congressional Human Rights Caucus and the Congressional Human 
     Rights Foundation--there is absolutely no connection between 
     the two organizations. The two of us served on the board of 
     the Congressional Human Rights Foundation at one point after 
     it was organized in the late 1980s, but both of us resigned 
     from the Foundation leadership some years ago. Even during 
     the time when we were involved in the leadership of both 
     organizations, there was no link between the two 
     organizations. Activities were kept separate.
       To our knowledge, there has never been any benefit to the 
     Congressional Human Rights Caucus that has been provided by 
     the Congressional Human Rights Foundation. On some occasions 
     in the past, briefings sponsored by the Congressional Human 
     Rights Caucus for Members of Congress and congressional staff 
     have included human rights victims or human rights activists 
     who have been assisted by the Congressional Human Rights 
     Foundation and other non-profit organizations such as Amnesty 
     International and Human Rights Watch. To our knowledge, 
     bringing such individuals to the attention of the 
     Congressional Human Rights Caucus has been the extent of 
     cooperation between the two organizations. Furthermore, it 
     is our understanding that human rights victims and 
     activists who have been assisted by the Congressional 
     Human Rights Foundation have appeared at briefings 
     sponsored by a number of other LSOs and other 
     organizations on Capitol Hill.
       Furthermore, the Board of Directors of the Congressional 
     Human Rights Foundation does not include any current Members 
     of Congress. While the Congressional Human Rights Foundation 
     has an honorary ``Congressional Advisory Board,'' the two of 
     us do not serve on that board. Some Members of Congress who 
     serve on this advisory board may also be members of the 
     Congressional Human Rights Caucus, but they do not represent 
     the Caucus in that capacity and they do not serve because of 
     their membership in the Caucus.
       We expect that if there are any inquiries from Roll Call or 
     other representatives of the press or from any other source 
     regarding a relationship between the Congressional Human 
     Rights Caucus and the Congressional Human Rights Foundation, 
     that officials and employees of the Foundation will make 
     clear and explicit the fact that no relationship exists 
     between the two organizations. For many years, it has been 
     our policy as Co-Chairmen of the Congressional Human Rights 
     Caucus to make certain that no confusion exists with regard 
     to a relationship between these two organizations.
       The second purpose of this letter is to ask that the 
     Congressional Human Rights Foundation change its name to 
     avoid confusion and misidentification with the Congressional 
     Human Rights Caucus. The Caucus is an official organization 
     of the Congress. According to the new regulations for LSOs 
     adopted by the Committee on House Administration of the House 
     of Representatives, every effort must be taken to prevent any 
     organization or person from using the name of the LSO in 
     connection with activities in which the LSO is not involved. 
     For this reason it would be appropriate for the Congressional 
     Human Rights Foundation should change its name to prevent 
     poorly informed individuals from attributing a link between 
     the two organizations, when clearly no such link exists.
       Because of the misinformation that has been circulating 
     about a relationship between the Congressional Human Rights 
     Caucus and the Congressional Human Rights Foundation, we are 
     sending an identical letter to Don Bonker and John Buchanan, 
     who serve as Co-Chairmen of the Congressional Human Rights 
     Foundation, and to the Members of the Board of the 
     Congressional Human Rights Foundation making this request 
     that the name of the Foundation be changed.
       Because of misinformation regarding the relationship 
     between the Congressional Human Rights Caucus and the 
     Congressional Human Rights Foundation, we are also sending 
     copies of these letters to Congressman Charlie Rose, 
     Chairman, and to Congressman William M. Thomas, Ranking 
     Republican Member of the Committee on House Administration of 
     the House of Representatives.
           Sincerely,
     Tom Lantos,
       Co-Chairman.
     John Edward Porter,
       Co-Chairman.

                          ____________________