[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 4, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 4, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
      CONCURRING IN SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 2826, PROVIDING FOR 
   INVESTIGATION OF WHEREABOUTS OF UNITED STATES CITIZENS AND OTHERS 
                          MISSING FROM CYPRUS

  Mr. ANDREWS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 2826) to provide 
for an investigation of the whereabouts of the United States citizens 
and others who have been missing from Cyprus since 1974.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                           Senate amendment:

       Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

     SECTION 1. UNITED STATES CITIZENS MISSING FROM CYPRUS.

       (a) Investigation.--As soon as is practicable, the 
     President shall undertake, in cooperation with appropriate 
     international organizations or nongovernmental organizations, 
     a thorough investigation of the whereabouts of the United 
     States citizens who have been missing from Cyprus since 1974. 
     Any information on others missing from Cyprus that is learned 
     or discovered during this investigation shall be reported to 
     the appropriate international or nongovernmental 
     organizations. The investigation shall focus on the counties 
     and communities which were combatants in Cyprus in 1974, all 
     of which currently receive United States foreign assistance.
       (b) Report to the Families.--The President shall report the 
     findings of this investigation of the missing Americans to 
     the family of each of the United States citizens. Such 
     reports shall include the whereabouts of the missing.
       (c) Report to the Congress.--The information learned or 
     discovered during this investigation shall be reported to the 
     Congress.
       (d) Returning the Missing.--The President, in cooperation 
     with appropriate international organizations or 
     nongovernmental organizations, shall do everything possible 
     to return to their families, as soon as is practicable, the 
     United States citizens who have been missing from Cyprus 
     since 1974, and others who have been missing, including 
     returning the remains of those who are no longer alive.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey [Mr. Andrews] will be recognized for 20 minutes, and the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] will be recognized for 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Andrews].
  Mr. ANDREWS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  (Mr. ANDREWS of New Jersey asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ANDREWS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, on August 1, 1994, under the 
leadership of the gentleman from New York [Mr. Engel] the House of 
Representatives passed by voice vote a resolution which called for 
investigation and reporting with respect to individuals missing from 
Cyprus since the events of 1974. The other body has added amendments to 
that resolution which Mr. Engel and our committee are in favor of and 
are prepared to accept. These amendments improve this legislation and 
essentially maintain the quality of the legislation to do three things:
  First, it calls for the administration to do a thorough investigation 
as to the whereabouts of those individuals who have been missing since 
the events in Cyprus of 1974.
  Second, it calls for reporting of the results of that investigation 
to the families of those affected by the events of 1974, and to the 
Congress and people of the United States.
  Third, it calls for action. It calls for the President and the 
administration to do everything within their collective power to try to 
bring the missing back to their families and resolve these questions 
which have lingered unjustly for the last 20 years.
  On behalf of the majority of the committee, Mr. Speaker, we welcome 
and accept these amendments and would urge our colleagues to vote 
favorably in favor of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New 
Jersey [Mr. Andrews] for his supporting remarks with regard to this 
resolution, and I commend the gentleman from New York [Mr. Engel] as 
the original sponsor of the measure.
  Mr. Speaker, the House initially passed H.R. 2826 in which I was an 
original cosponsor which provided for an investigation into the 
whereabouts of our U.S. citizens and others missing from Cyprus since 
1974, early last August. However, in its consideration of this measure, 
the other body, because of the objections of a few of its Members, has 
seen fit to amend the House-passed version of this bill. It now falls 
upon us to adopt this measure, as amended by the other body.
  Although I feel that H.R. 2826, as originally introduced, was 
superior to the legislation now before us, which limits the scope of 
the investigation of the missing from Cyprus to the five American 
citizens whom we know are among the 1,619 persons missing since the 
brutal invasion by Turkey in 1974, it is important that we send forward 
a measure which would bring about some form of investigation by the 
Government of the United States.
  The United Nations has been looking into this issue for well over 10 
years now and hasn't been able to resolve a single case. Therefore, I 
urge all my colleagues to join in adopting H.R. 2826, as amended, and 
send forward a strong message from the Congress that we demand answers 
about the fates of those missing from Cyprus for more than 20 years.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong support for H.R. 
2826, legislation directing the President to investigate the fate of 
five Americans missing on Cyprus since 1974.
  This summer, we recalled the 20 anniversary of the Turkish invasion 
of Cyprus. Of the many tragic aspects accompanying that act of 
aggression was the large dispersement of the Cypriot population and the 
disappearance of more than 2,000 people. In the wake of the invasion, 5 
Americans, 1,600 Greek Cypriots, and several hundred Turkish Cypriots 
disappeared. Their whereabouts are unknown, even today.
  For nearly two decades, the families of missing Americans have 
relentlessly, but unsuccessfully, attempted to learn the fate of their 
loved ones. In the years since his disappearance, the parents of Andrew 
Kassapis have yet to understand how the invaders could take their son 
away--while he waved his American passport at his captors.
  I firmly believe that the time has come to shed light upon this 
tragic aspect of the Cyprus conflict. By introducing this legislation, 
I hope to obtain for suffering families the answers for which they have 
longed. H.R. 2826, as amended in the Senate, directs the President to 
conduct ``a thorough investigation of the whereabouts of the United 
States citizens who have been missing from Cyprus since 1974.'' The 
bill also requires the President to report to Congress on fate of other 
missing Cypriots learned or discovered during this investigation. If 
any missing Americans or others are found, they or their remains are to 
be returned to family members.
  I would like to thank the original cosponsor of this legislation, 
Representative Porter, for his hard work and assistance in shepherding 
H.R. 2826 through the House. I would also like to express my gratitude 
to Senators D'Amato and Simon for helping steer this bill through the 
other body.
  By passing this legislation, we take an important step toward ending 
the pain still suffered by families of the missing. Their questions 
must not remain unanswered. We owe them a complete and truthful 
accounting of what happened to their loved ones. I, therefore, urge my 
colleagues to support H.R. 2826 and once again encourage the House to 
pass this important bill. After 20 years, we must finally expose this 
dark chapter in the history of Cyprus and bring to light the fate of 
the missing Americans.

                              {time}  2320

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ANDREWS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests 
for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Poshard). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Andrews] that the House 
suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to H.R. 2826.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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