[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 111 (Thursday, July 25, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H8540-H8547]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           THE MUNICH ELEVEN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Campbell). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Kingston] is recognized for 60 
minutes.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, 24 years ago this summer, this August, 
people from all over the world started turning their eyes toward Munich 
for the summer Olympics. That was one of many historic Olympic games 
that were held.
  While the world turned there and many went there to pursue gold and 
silver and bronze medals, others went there and returned only with 
memories. And 11 members of the international committee, Olympic 
athletes, did not come home.
  Tonight we want to discuss this tragic page in world events. I have 
with me the distinguished gentleman from New York, Congressman Ben 
Gilman, who I want to yield the floor to tonight. He has been waiting. 
Congress, as you know, Mr. Speaker, adjourned several hours ago but he 
has been waiting to make a statement.
  I am going to yield the floor because I understand he has an 
engagement and I do not want to hold him up, but I certainly appreciate 
him participating.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. 
Kingston] for arranging his special order.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to commend the gentleman 
from Georgia for sponsoring this order at this very special occasion 
during the Olympics in Atlanta and on the closing of the Tisha be-Av 
holiday for the Jewish community, a very solemn occasion. It is a 
fitting memorial tribute to the 11 athletes of Israel's team who were 
taken hostage and viciously murdered by a group of Palestinian Black 
September terrorists at the Munich Olympic games in 1972, and I commend 
the Atlanta Jewish Federation and Israeli Olympic Committee for 
erecting a permanent monument to these athletes which will be dedicated 
in Atlanta this Sunday.
  Regrettably, the International Olympics Committee, IOC, is not a 
sponsor of this monument but will send a delegate to attend the 
proceedings. During the planning for these Olympic games, IOC chairman, 
Juan Antonio Samaranch, apparently promised the athletes' families the 
IOC would officially memorialize the murdered athletes at these games. 
This has turned out not to be the case. Accordingly, ad hoc memorials, 
such as today's special order, will have to suffice. We will have to 
fight the scourge of global terrorism without the IOC.
  Mr. Speaker, the horrible events of September 5, 1972 witnessed eight 
members of the Black September terrorist organization break into an 
Olympic Village dormitory in the early morning hours where the Israeli 
delegation was housed, and despite strenuous efforts by the targeted 
athletes to save themselves and each other, only six members of the 
team managed to reach safety; the remainder were taken hostage and 
killed in the violence which ensued.
  We remember the painful broadcasts which hour by hour saw the 
terrorists' deadlines pushed back and frantic hopes that these 
Olympians' lives could be saved. With negotiations conducted by the 
German authorities, the masked terrorists demanded the release of 236 
guerrillas held in Israeli jails, as well as the release of the leaders 
of the notorious Bader Meinhoff gang and safe passage to a foreign 
country. Late that evening, the terrorists, with their hostages in tow, 
boarded buses for an airfield and helicoptered to a waiting Lufthansa 
Boeing 707. German police snipers fired on two of the terrorists as 
they approached the plane and a fire fight ensued. The terrorists were 
armed with grenades and automatic machine guns while the police 
possessed only single-bore rifles.

  Just after midnight, one terrorist threw a grenade into the 
helicopter, killing the nine remaining hostages while the terrorists 
shot at the fire response team, keeping them from the burning 
helicopter. The three remaining terrorists were then apprehended but 
were released by the German Government approximately 8 weeks later when 
Black September terrorists hijacked a Lufthansa flight from Damascus to 
Frankfurt in late October. The three men were picked up in Zagreb 
airport and flown to Libya where subsequently they disappeared.
  We therefore honor the memories this evening of those Israeli 
athletes and their coaches murdered at the Munich Olympics: David 
Berger, a dual American-Israeli national, Zeev Friedman, Yoseph 
Gutfreund, Eliezer Halfin, Yoseph Romano, originally from Libya, 
Amitzur Shapira, Kehat Shor, Mark Slavin, a Soviet Jewish immigrant who 
had arrived in Israel only 4 months earlier, Andre Spitzer, Yaacov 
Shpringer, and Moshe Weinberg.
  These men lost their lives for no reason other than because they were 
Israeli citizens and Jewish. The terrorists who seek to spread their 
evil today do so for the same reasons, despite the many years which 
separate that tragedy from recent ones. Yet it is clear that our fight 
against terrorism is not over in the least and those who perpetrate 
these crimes against humanity all too often are set free.
  Let us therefore rededicate our efforts to combat this threat 
wherever it rears its ugly head. Israel's Munich athletes may be gone 
but they are not forgotten, and it is in their memory that we press on 
against this worldwide menace and its State sponsors.
  Again I thank the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Kingston] for helping 
us refresh our memories with regard to this tragic accident and to 
memorialize the losses of these people.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I certainly thank the distinguished 
gentleman from New York for participating and all the work that he does 
for international peace and fighting international terrorism, because 
we need people like him involved in this and the leadership.
  What I wanted to do, Mr. Speaker, is kind of maybe draw a picture of 
that tragic night of September 5 when the athletes were all bedding 
down for the evening and a young Andre Spitzer had called his wife, 
Ankie. They had only been married about 15 months at the time, and they 
had a new daughter 2 months old, Anouk. They were very happy. They 
talked a little bit about the games to come up, about his role as 
fencing coach, and then they talked about the new daughter and how 
happy they were. And that night as they hung up the phone, Andre said 
to Ankie, I love you. Then he, along with 10 other athletes, went to 
bed that night, and they had come so far for their own talents of 
wrestling, fencing, shooting, track, and weightlifting. As they put 
their head on the pillow, their hearts were inspired, their minds maybe 
a bit anxious, their emotions certainly somewhat eager. As they went to 
bed they were confident that with the morning light they would have a 
daytime opportunity to realize a dream that they had indeed had all 
their life, but instead they were awakened to darkness and awakened in 
a nightmare.
  Mr. Gilman talked about this. I will reiterate a little bit of 
exactly what has happened. There are a lot of different accounts but 
generally, as Mr. Gilman said, at 5:30 a.m., a group burst into the 
Israelis' quarters. Only one Israeli, weightlifting coach Tuvia 
Sikulski escaped the first attack. And another one, Gadza Barry, a 
wrestler, escaped during the fight. In fact, six of the team members 
escaped into safety, one of the members, Moshe Weinberg, only 33 years 
old, held the door against the attackers, hollering over his shoulder 
to his friends inside the dormitory, get out, escape while you can, and 
they began breaking the windows with their hands, and yet a burst from 
an AK-47, and that was all for Mr. Weinberg.

                              {time}  2000

  Yoseph Romano, a 32-year-old weight lifter, was also killed during 
fighting with the terrorists. Nine others could

[[Page H8541]]

not escape. Nine others were trapped, and they fought with knives, but 
certainly were overpowered with the heavy artillery of the terrorists.
  Their hands were tied behind their backs and they were forced to 
hobble to a central location. And what ensued was 21 hours of pure hell 
as they went from location to location, as negotiations began, 
negotiations broke down, and the threats from the terrorists to kill a 
hostage each hour went out.
  The families sat by helpless. Indeed, authorities and people from all 
over the world sat by helpless. And it went on until about 10:20 that 
night.
  They were taken out to an airport, and at that time a faulty rescue 
mission took place. There were so many mixed signals, so many ideas 
that were aborted and so many, I guess just scared and skittishness, 
that, as Mr. Gilman said, only five West German sharpshooters were able 
to get there, and, of course, there were eight terrorists.
  Five of the terrorists were killed. But during the battle that lasted 
for about 1\1/2\ hours, in cold blood, a hand grenade was thrown into 
the helicopter that had the nine hostages, and they were killed.
  It was a very sad situation, obviously, for the family, and a very 
dark chapter in the history of the world.
  I want to talk about the shattered effect this has had on the 
families, but I also wanted to acknowledge and thank the gentlemen from 
Georgia, Mr. Deal, and Mr. Linder, for joining us, and I would be happy 
to yield the floor to either of you if you would like to talk at this 
time, if you want to. But we appreciate your sympathy to the families 
and acknowledging them.
  Mr. LINDER. If the gentleman will yield, I think it is appropriate 
you are bringing this to the floor. We in Georgia are celebrating the 
100th Olympiad, the centennial games, and there is great joy and great 
excitement in Atlanta for all the 11,000 athletes participating there. 
But for all the winners, we need to look back at the Munich games and 
remember there were some losers.
  Throughout history, the free history, it always seems to be the 
Israelis who were the losers. They were the ones that were murdered. In 
fact, they are the only ones about whom we have now in Atlanta been 
forced to double our security, triple our security, because of 
terrorists trying to do damage to Israelis.

  I am told on Sunday evening in Atlanta there will be a ceremony 
honoring those who died and their families. Unfortunately, I will be 
here and not there, or I would be delighted to attend it. But it is 
appropriate to bring this issue up in the midst of the excitement and 
the glory of the games and when all are watching, that we think back to 
those 1972 games, where great athletes, who had trained, who looked to 
the gold, who tried to win, were shot down by terrorists in our own 
midst.
  I will yield back and continue to enjoy your speech.
  Mr. KINGSTON. The gentleman mentioned the family members. I think it 
is appropriate as we are focusing on the widows and on the 14 children 
and grandchildren that I enter into the Record their names and say a 
little bit of who the athletes were who now are known as the Munich 11. 
I will do this, and then I will yield the floor to Mr. Deal and Mr. 
Fox, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, who has joined us.
  The Munich 11: David Berger, 28. Weight lifter. Born in Cleveland, 
OH; graduated from Colombia University, degrees in law, economics, and 
psychology. Immigrated to Israel in 1970 where he worked as a lawyer.
  Zeev Friedman, 28 years old. Weight lifter. Survived by his parents 
and sister. Born in Poland; immigrated to Israel in 1960.
  Yoseph Gutfreund, age 40. International wrestling judge and referee. 
Survived by his wife and two daughters. Born in Romania. He was a 
businessman in Jerusalem.
  Eliezer Halfin, 24. Wrestler. Survived by his parents and sister. 
Born in the Soviet Union; immigrated to Israel in 1969. He was a 
mechanic.
  Yoseph Romano, age 32. Coach of the weight lifters. Survived by his 
wife and three daughters.
  Amizur Shapira, age 40. Track coach. Survived by his wife and four 
children. Born in Israel.
  Kehat Shor, age 53. Shooting coach. Born in Romania; immigrated to 
Israel in 1963. Survived by his wife and a married daughter.
  Yaacov Shpringer, age 50. International judge and referee in 
wrestling. Born in Poland and immigrated to Israel in 1956. Survived by 
his wife, a son, and a daughter.

  Mark Slavin, died at age 18. Wrestler. Born in the Soviet Union and 
immigrated to Israel in 1972. Survived by his parents, a brother, and a 
sister.
  Andre Spitzer, 27. Fencing coach. Born in Romania. Survived by his 
wife and a daughter.
  Moshe Weinberg, died, age 33. Wrestling coach. Born in Israel. 
Survived by his wife and baby.
  And now I would like to say the names of the children, because I 
think it is so important for us to make sure that we are focusing on a 
very human tragedy, although an international one, certainly a very 
personal one, too.
  Shirly Shapira, Shay Shapira, Oz Shapria, Eyal Shapira, Alex 
Shpringer, Eugenia Shpringer, Anouk Spitzer, Shlomit Romano, Rachel 
Romano, Oshrat Romano, Gur Weingberg, Michal Shorr, Yael Gutfreund, 
Yehudit Gutfreund. These are the children. These are the real people 
that are affected by this.
  I don't have all seven names of the widows. I would like to submit 
that to the Record, and I will work on getting those names.
  I am going to read you just a couple of quotes before I yield to you. 
This is a comment by Shlomit Romano, 24-year-old daughter of the 
weightlifting coach who was killed.
  ``They were killed and it's over? We didn't say the word daddy once 
in our whole lives and nobody remembers.''
  To live your life without knowing your dad.
  Then here is a word from Guri Weinberg. ``A lot of people say I look 
like my dad and move like him, I talk like him. But I don't know.''
  He never had the chance to know his dad.
  These are just two of the quotes of the children. And that registers 
on the heart not just of everyone here in Congress and everyone here in 
America, but citizens throughout the world.
  Let me yield to Mr. Deal.
  Mr. DEAL. I appreciate, first of all, your bringing this to the 
attention of this Congress, and at this appropriate time, as these 14 
children, who are really orphaned as a result of this very tragic 
event, have been able to come to these Olympic games that are being 
hosted in our State of Georgia and our capital city of Atlanta.
  It is certainly appropriate I think for us all to remember these 
tragic events of the 1972 Olympic games, and certainly appropriate, as 
you have just done, to read the names of those who were tragically 
murdered in that event and to remember these 14 orphans who are here in 
the United States for these Olympic games.

  As Mr. Linder referred to earlier, I am pleased, as I know all of us 
are, that there will be a ceremony on July 28 at 7:30 at the Selig 
Center in Atlanta in which a memorial will be dedicated in memory of 
those who were slain in the 1972 Olympic games, the 11. It is being 
hosted by the Atlanta Jewish Federation, and certainly is an 
appropriate way of all of us remembering this particular tragedy that 
still has a cloud that hangs over the Olympic games, in spite of the 
fact that we have come very far in the years that have followed.
  But we are pleased that these children are here in our country and in 
our home State of Georgia and in our city of Atlanta for the Olympic 
games, and we want them to know that those of us here, especially those 
of us from the Georgia delegation in Congress, have not forgotten this 
event, and we welcome them to these Olympic games and to our country, 
and we want to assure them that as this memorial is dedicated this 
weekend, that we will all be remembering the ones that they lost in 
Munich.
  I thank you again for yielding me time and for bringing this matter 
to the attention of this body.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Let me yield with pleasure to the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox].
  Mr. FOX. Thank you, Congressman Kingston. I thank you for your 
leadership in securing this time period for Congressman Deal, Mr. 
Linder, and yourself, to highlight the importance

[[Page H8542]]

of the tragic events of September 6, 1972, when 8 Palestinian 
terrorists entered the Olympic Village in Munich and killed 11 innocent 
athletes and coaches that represented the State of Israel. Twenty-four 
years later, I commend the Atlanta Jewish Federation and each of you 
for your part in the Israeli Olympic Committee erecting a permanent 
monument to the memory and the honor of these slain Olympians, who were 
competitors and coaches, and, like the other Olympians, wanted to 
participate and make a difference in this world.
  Their lives were cut short tragically in a despicable display of 
violence that should never be repeated. The spirit of Israel and their 
fine athletes live on despite these tragic events, and we here in 
Congress will work on antiterrorism legislation. We have already passed 
some bills. We will also pass others that will stop these rogue states 
and have them be responsible for any future acts. Hopefully with our 
increased security here in the United States and abroad, we will make a 
difference, so that such tragic events and such despicable activity 
will never again happen at the Olympics or anywhere else.

  I will continue working with each of you for peace in the Middle 
East, and use our diplomatic channels and peace through strength, as 
the new Prime Minister discussed just here in the Chamber of the House 
2 weeks ago, in how working with a strong Israel and a strong America, 
two great democracies, we will lead the way to peace in the Middle East 
and assure that our future athletes, whether they be American Olympians 
or Israeli Olympians, surely have the security of knowing they can 
participate without this kind of bloodshed.
  So I have to commend you as the Georgia delegation and me as an 
honorary member of that delegation for moving forward with this fine 
memorial, which is going to be a living testimonial to their efforts, 
their strength, and their leadership.
  I yield back to the gentleman from Georgia.
  Mr. KINGSTON. We thank the gentleman for joining us tonight, and we 
thank you for your efforts and energy that you have put into supporting 
the peace process in the Middle East.
  You know, the sad footnote of this world tragedy is as the world went 
on, there were other world events, there were other plans that were 
high-jacked and other people that were taken hostage and there were 
other sad things. But getting back to the families, what they wanted, 
at the time the chancellor said, ``Let's continue the Olympics, but 
let's fly the flags at half staff.'' A number of countries would not do 
that, so the mandate was lifted and flags were not flown at half staff.
  Well, as respects the survivors, the families, OK. You know, it is 
sad, but that was not their No. 1 priority then.
  But now, as these 14 children get older, there is a kind of 
therapeutic value to saying it would be nice if the International 
Olympics Committee and Juan Antonio Samaranch would acknowledge that it 
happened.
  In a quote that I wanted to read from Mrs. Spitzer, she said:

       You know, we don't ask that they mention 11 Israelis or 11 
     Jews. We Jews ask that they mention the 11 athletes who came 
     to participate in the international games with a spirit of 
     peace and brotherhood, and went home in coffins.

  What they wanted the other night in Atlanta was not even a moment of 
silence. They just want it to be acknowledged that these kids, these 
families, had come, incidentally, not on their government, but by their 
own paycheck, with their own money, out of pocket, had come just to 
mention. And they sat there disappointed as Sarajevo was mentioned, and 
yet, nothing. And I believe that that is why this memorial dedication 
in Atlanta by the Atlanta Jewish Federation on Sunday is so important, 
just to let them know that the world cares and that we do love them and 
that we do respect them.
  I know, having had death in my family, that there is certain 
therapeutic value to rituals, certain comfort in human acknowledgment 
of that tragedy. The families, Mrs. Romano, Mrs. Spitzer, and the other 
five widows, have tried for over 20 years now, the Montreal games, 
Russia, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Sarajevo, now Atlanta, just for 
something, just to let us know. It is important.
  We are spending now, and I believe it is correct, $46.5 million on 
security. I do not want that, and I do not think they want that, to be 
the only legacy of Munich. They want something a little bit more, 
peace.
  I think it is positive that Palestine is participating in the 
Olympics. That shows that the peace process that we all support is 
moving forward. This is not trying to rehash that. This is just saying, 
let us move on, but you have got to acknowledge it happened.

                              {time}  2015

  Mr. LINDER. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. KINGSTON. I will be glad to yield.
  Mr. LINDER. I am pleased that the Atlanta community and Atlanta 
Jewish Federation is seeing fit to make a memorial to this occasion at 
this Olympics at this time. But how many memorials must there be? How 
many more opportunities to shed tears over the deaths of innocent 
Israelis and Jews must we have before we get real peace?
  All of us who sat here in this Chamber and heard Prime Minister 
Netanyahu deliver probably the most bold speech I have ever heard in 
this Chamber since I have been here, are encouraged by his commitment 
to building Israel. But I have been there, and you cannot go through 
those streets in Jerusalem and not feel the vulnerability of this 
Nation and the anger of their neighbors. We should all go there, often.
  How many more memorials do we need? Since the peace process began on 
the south lawn of the White House and the great handshake occurred, 
more innocent civilian Israelis have been murdered than in all the rest 
of the history of Israel. These brave athletes who just came to Munich 
in 1972 to celebrate a wonderful international experience, with their 
talents and their practice and their training, were gunned down, and 
they are only fit in a long line of those who have been gunned down in 
the Middle East over this very serious problem.
  It is to be hoped that this effort on behalf of the Jewish community 
in Atlanta will lead to broader efforts across the country; that we 
will not begin to think that this is just one more memorial in the 
history of memorials but this may be the beginning of the end of 
memorials.
  We are moving toward the process of peace in the Middle East. We have 
much more to go, but when they gun down innocent athletes in innocent 
games in the pursuit of athletic prowess and it does not get 
recognized, we make a mistake.
  I am proud of our Jewish community in Atlanta, and I hope that other 
communities across the country will understand that these games are 
more than just games, they are opportunities to put aside anger and 
bitterness and fighting among parochial groups of people and begin to 
put together a real peace in which innocent people do not continue to 
die.
  I congratulate the community in Atlanta for what they are doing. I 
hope it will be emulated across the country. I yield back.

  Mr. KINGSTON. I thank the gentleman.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. KINGSTON. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. In hearing Congressman Linder speak, it does 
make a very poignant footnote, in that how many times and places can 
there be for international cooperation and international dialogue? Here 
we have the Olympics every 4 years. We have international associations 
meeting in different countries.
  There was an expectation in that September 1972 in the Olympic 
village that the athletes of each country would be protected, would be 
secure, would be able to participate and meet other athletes and talk 
about life's dreams, but these 11 individuals from Israel will no 
longer have that opportunity, and their lives were snuffed out.
  I am hopeful, as you are, that similar celebrations of memorial and 
similar events as are taking place in Atlanta on July 28 will take 
place in every State across this country, so that the lessons that 
should be taken from these tragedies will not be repeated, so

[[Page H8543]]

that those of us who can make a difference in bringing about peace in 
the Middle East will make that the legacy of these heroes from Israel.
  I yield back to you, Mr. Kingston.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, it has been said that friction between 
nations and people and different philosophies can often be brought down 
by a dialogue, getting over things. There is a very touching story that 
happened as a consequence of the Civil War.
  Atlanta was the site of probably the turning point in the Civil War 
when the North invaded the South and Sherman's troops were victorious 
and basically burned Atlanta to the ground. The highest commanding 
general under Sherman was a man named McPherson. He died in Atlanta, 
and there is a monument built to him in Atlanta, GA, that is respected 
by the sons of Confederates and the sons of the northern soldiers.
  The story I want to tell, though, has to do with Gen. Joseph 
Johnston, who was defeated in Atlanta. Now years after the war, he and 
William Tecumseh Sherman were not buddies, but they were friends. They 
reconciled their differences.
  When General Sherman died, his funeral was in New York. As his casket 
was going down the street, Gen. Joseph Johnston, southern Confederate 
general, took his hat off to honor his dead comrade, although on a 
different side of the fence. Because he did that, he later caught a 
cold, subsequently pneumonia, and died. On his deathbed, people said, 
``Why did you take your hat off for General Sherman, our arch enemy?'' 
And he said, ``Because he would have taken it off for me. The war is 
over.''
  For these family members, Munich is not over. I think it would be 
just and proper for the international community to acknowledge the 
tragedy so that they can move on and this peace process, which is so 
important to all of us, so important to the world balance, can go and 
move forward, maybe with just a little more momentum.
  As I said before, let us not have the legacy to them just be 
increased security. Let us have the legacy to the deaths of the Munich 
11 be a happier world for their children and their grandchildren 
through peace.
  Mr. LINDER. If the gentleman would continue to yield, your bringing 
this to the floor tonight and your foresight to precede the celebration 
or the ceremony in Atlanta at 7:30 on Sunday night may be enough, it is 
to be hoped, to spur the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games to 
correct a wrong.
  We know that this is a very large enterprise with 10,000 or 11,000 
athletes and 2 or 3 million people in our city, and the world focused 
on it. It is understandable if some things have slipped by and not been 
noticed by the planners who have been working long days for long years. 
But it is to be hoped that perhaps your bringing this to the floor of 
the House and our airing the concerns of the family members, the 14 
family members, about their 11 parents from the 1972 Olympics will come 
to their attention and will, indeed, have the opportunity, we have 
enough days left in this Olympics, to perhaps allow the Atlanta 
Committee for the Olympic Games and the International Olympic Committee 
to find a spot in the closing ceremonies to close the door, to give 
honor and credit and attention to those who tragically died 24 years 
ago.
  I would hope that those who are watching will make contact with the 
committee. There is plenty of time to find a small opening in those 
marvelous closing ceremonies, which will be, I am certain, at least as 
exciting as the opening ceremonies, and perhaps we can close this door 
and put to rest and put to peace the concerns of these family members.
  I congratulate the gentleman for bringing this to the attention of 
the Congress and thank him for his perspicacity.
  Mr. KINGSTON. I thank the gentlemen from Georgia, Mr. Linder and Mr. 
Deal, and the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Fox, and I thank the 
gentleman from New York, Mr. Gilman, for being here.
  I will close with this, an old U.S. Army tradition of the rollcall. 
The rollcall that they have in the Army at celebrations, not 
celebrations but melancholy tributes, they call the roll of their 
fallen comrades. I will close with that, and then I want to yield the 
floor to the gentleman from Utah.
  Berger, Friedman, Guttfreund, Halfin, Romano, Shapira, Shorr, 
Springer, Slavin, Spitzer, Weinberg.
  Mr. GINGRICH. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to 
remember the 11 Israeli Olympic athletes and coaches who were victims 
of terrorism on September 6, 1972, during the Olympic games in Munich, 
Germany.
  On Sunday, July 28, 1996, the Atlanta Jewish Federation along with 
the Olympic Committee of Israel will host a memorial service honoring 
the Olympic competitors who were killed by terrorists in 1972. During 
this occasion, a sculpture with an eternal flame, the Olympic rings, 
and the names of the victims will be unveiled as a reminder of the 
tragedy and loss suffered on that dreadful day 24 years ago.
  We remember again today the families and friends of these athletes 
and coaches who suffered such a terrible loss at the hands of ruthless 
terrorists.
  Mr. ZIMMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Kingston, for 
arranging this special order. As the hosts of the Centennial Olympic 
Games, we join the world in celebrating the dedication, camaraderie, 
and spirit that marks these competitions. At the same time, we cannot 
forget the horrible tragedy that befell the 11 Israeli athletes who 
were slain at the hands of terrorists during the 1972 Munich Olympics. 
Since that time, the International Olympic Committee has been beseeched 
by relatives to memorialize their fates--as well as the courage and 
determination that brought them to Munich in the first place. Because 
they have not yet been successful, I would like to lend my own support 
to their efforts.
  I would like, as well, to commend the Atlanta Jewish Federation, 
which has stepped in to arrange the first-ever memorial service for the 
11 Israeli athletes during the celebration of the current Olympic 
games. They plan an evening of services and dedication of a memorial 
sculpture this Sunday.
  As my colleagues know, I have been among those in Congress who have 
repeatedly warned of the threat posed by terrorists to the peace and 
security not only of Israel but of the world. It is my hope that we 
will always remember the courage and decency of those 11 Israeli 
athletes; that their spirit will forever prevail; and that we as a 
world community will do whatever lies in our power to ensure that 
terrorism will not prevail.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record additional 
information on the Munich 11 memorial:

                         The Munich 11 Memorial

       On the evening of Sunday July 28, 1996, the Atlanta Jewish 
     Federation will be hosting, on behalf of the Olympic 
     Committee of Israel (OCI), a gala reception for 
     representatives of the IOC, National Olympic Committees and 
     the Israeli Olympic Team. Preceding the reception will be the 
     first-ever memorial service for the 11 Israeli athletes and 
     coaches who were killed by Palestinian terrorists in the 1972 
     Olympic Games in Munich (the Munich 11). Family members of 
     the victims were invited by the Federation and will be in 
     attendance for the service and the dedication of a memorial 
     sculpture.
       The three-foot sculpture, which will be unveiled for the 
     first time at the July 28 service, incorporates an eternal 
     flame, the Olympic rings and the names of the victims. As the 
     Olympic rings reflect on the mirrored stainless steel base of 
     the sculpture, the viewer will see eleven rings, symbolizing 
     the fallen athletes and coaches. Quite literally, the mirror 
     creates a reflection on past Olympic games, but also projects 
     the positive image of the Olympic spirit in the future. The 
     names of the athletes and coaches are carved into the 
     sculpture's base in English and in Hebrew and are accompanied 
     by their event symbols. Within the center ring will burn an 
     eternal flame, to be lit by one of the family members of a 
     slain athlete.
       There will be a media room at the July 28 event for 
     interviews with the family members, Israeli dignitaries and 
     members of the Israeli team. Pre-event media clearance is 
     mandatory for attendance.
       For more information about the Israeli Olympic Team, the 
     Israeli Olympic Team Reception or the Munich 11 Memorial, or 
     to obtain media clearance, please contact Lynne Tobins at 
     (404) 870-1860 or for time-sensitive inquiries, (770) 379-
     9439.
       The Atlanta Jewish Federation, the primary fundraising, 
     budgeting, social planning and community relations body for 
     Atlanta's 70,000-plus Jewish community, supports over 300 
     social and humanitarian programs each year in Atlanta, Israel 
     and 58 countries around the world. Remarks given by Stephen 
     Selig, President, Atlanta Jewish Federation at the July 22 
     press conference held at the Israeli Consulate for the 
     children of the Munich 11:
       ``I am Stephen Selig, president of the Atlanta Jewish 
     Federation. I'd like to extend a warm welcome to the families 
     of the Munich 11.
       ``This is an historical time for the Jewish community of 
     Atlanta. Not only have we opened and dedicated the 
     Federation's beautiful new building. The Selig Center, we 
     have been proud to take part in the once-in-a-lifetime 
     experience of hosting the world for the Centennial Olympic 
     Games. The Atlanta

[[Page H8544]]

     Jewish community is also proud to do what is right--what is 
     appropriate--for a community to do. We are stopping for a 
     moment--amid the festivities and celebration--to remember the 
     11 athletes and coaches who were slain in the 1972 Munich 
     Games.
       ``We join the families of the Munich 11 in their guest to 
     keep the memory of this tragedy alive. On Sunday, July 28, 
     the Atlanta Jewish Federation will hold a memorial service 
     and dedicate a commemorative sculpture which will remain a 
     permanent part of the Selig Gardens and will ensure that even 
     as the world celebrates the triumph of the human body and 
     spirit, it will never forget the need for vigilance against 
     terrorism and hate. We are pleased that the International 
     Olympic Committee has agreed to participate in this memorial 
     service and dedication.
       ``I'd like to invite all members of the media to join us, 
     so they can help us convey to the world that what happened in 
     Munich must be properly acknowledged and never forgotten.''
                                                                    ____


                          Olympic Media Alert


                IOC to participate in munich 11 memorial

       For the first time in 24 years, members of the 
     International Olympic Committee will attend and participate 
     in a memorial service and commemorative sculpture dedication 
     for the 11 Israeli athletes and coaches killed by Palestinian 
     terrorists in the 1972 Munich Games.
       Children of victims, ACOG representatives, Mayor Bill 
     Campbell, Israeli dignitaries and Israeli Olympic Team also 
     to attend.
       Memorial and dedication to be hosted by the Atlanta Jewish 
     Federation, July 28, 7:30 p.m. at the The Selig Center, 1440 
     Spring Street, Atlanta.
       Memorial attendance by invitation only. Pre-event media 
     clearance is mandatory for attendance. Media asked to arrive 
     between 5 and 6 p.m. for security clearance.
                                                                    ____


         [From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 23, 1996]

                 When Silver Isn't Enough To Take Home

                            (By Peter Kent)

       In an instant, Yael Arad was transformed from a judo player 
     into a national hero. With her silver medal in Barcelona, 
     Arad became the first Israeli to ascend the medalists' 
     podium.
       A child of Israel--a sabra--the 29-year-old with eyes that 
     burn with searing intensity changed the history of her 
     nation. Arad's triumph in 1992 laid to rest the past, 
     celebrated Israel's present and set a course for the 
     country's athletic future.
       For Arad, second place is not good enough. She returns to 
     the judo mat today seeking what eluded her. Gold. Not for 
     herself, but for her country and for those who died in 
     Israel's lifelong struggle for survival.
       Yizkoi is the Hebrew word for ``remember.'' It is also the 
     name of a Jewish prayer, a version of the Kaddish, the 
     mourners' prayer. In one of Judaism's most moving prayers, 
     the living honor the dead by being worthy descendants of 
     Abraham, Issac and Jacob, proclaiming their faith and their 
     vow to never forget. Exodus. The Diaspora. The Holocaust. 
     Munich.
       Arad was 5 years old in 1972, hardly old enough to 
     understand the horror of the attack by Black September 
     terrorists on the Israeli Olympic team, which killed 11 of 
     her countrymen. As she grew, the tragedy of ``The Eleven'' 
     was passed on to her as part of her nation's history.
       In 1992, before leaving for Barcelona, Arad met with many 
     of the families of the 11 Israelis who died in Munich. She 
     dedicated her Olympic performance to their memory. Arad was 
     determined to win a gold to honor them. It was not meant to 
     be.
       Fighting through the ranks, Arad reached the final against 
     France's Catherine Fluery. They fought to a draw, and the 
     judges declared Fluery the winner. At the medal ceremony, 
     Arad wept joyous tears for what she had accomplished for 
     Israel, bitter tears for having fallen short of her goal.
       ``[It] was the biggest disappointment I've ever had in my 
     life, to lose the final,'' Arad said. ``It's not what I 
     wanted. I wanted to see my flag, to hear my anthem.''
       For Israelis, Arad's silver was as good as gold. The desert 
     nation's 40-year Olympic drought ended. She was awarded 
     $80,000 and was given a shiny new red Alfa Romeo. Arad went 
     from a celebrated judo player to a sought-after celebrity for 
     everything from talk-show spots to product endorsements. 
     ``For two or three months, I couldn't step out of my house. 
     People hugging and kissing me in the street,'' Arad recalled.
       More importantly, Arad's victory reforged the chain that 
     linked Israel and the Olympics. For 20 years, to speak of the 
     Olympics was to bring to mind Munich. Arad created a new 
     connection, one of joy to balance against past sorrow.
       ``Maybe now we can say, if it is possible, that we have 
     avenged this murder,'' she said at a post-medal ceremony 
     press conference. ``I think we owe it to the families and the 
     people of Israel. We'll never forget it, but maybe today it 
     is something that will close the circle.''
       This year, another tragedy struck Israel. The assassination 
     of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin deeply affected Arad. After 
     Arad's effort in Barcelona, Rabin sent her a telegram that 
     read, ``Congratulations, Israel thanks you and is proud of 
     your performance.'' The two became friends as they worked 
     together to improve funding for potential Olympians. She has 
     dedicated her performance in Atlanta to his memory.
       A sports celebrity is something of a luxury for Israel. In 
     the 48 years since the country's creation, Israelis have had 
     to devote themselves to the hard work of nationhood. The 
     obligation to serve in the army comes at the moment when 
     young men and women are at their physical prime, putting off 
     any hopes of sports achievement. The nation needed 
     professionals and workers in a host of economic fields more 
     than it needed athletes in track and field.
       While a new Israeli government has sparked uncertainty, 
     Israel is prospering and at peace--for the moment at least. 
     It can afford to indulge in the national pride that comes 
     from winning sporting events.
       As Israel prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Arad 
     symbolizes how far the country has come. A new generation of 
     Israelis is rising to define the character and aspirations of 
     their nation, and Arad is an inspiration. Her achievement has 
     planted the seed of Olympic dreams in many Israeli 
     youngsters.
       And what of Yael Arad's future? There are the Yael Arad 
     Foundation and her projects to increase private and public 
     funding for sports. Last year, she married. It is time for 
     her to get on with her life.
       This will be Arad's last Olympics, almost certainly. Age, 
     injury and commitments slow her down, Still, she cannot be 
     discounted here.
       ``When people and children [in Israel] think about sports, 
     they know sports are for winners,'' Arad said.
                                                                    ____


             [From the Atlanta Jewish Time, July 19, 1996]

                          Munich's Cold Shadow

       A surge of pride swelled through the small crowd of Jews at 
     the Olympic Village on Sunday morning as the Israeli flag was 
     raised. Equally, a tide of anger went through them and many 
     others when the Olympic committee this week again refused to 
     host an official memorial for Israeli athletes slain at the 
     1972 Munich games. Yet, at presstime we learned that it would 
     be formally represented at an Atlanta Jewish Federation 
     memorial. Our hearts go out to the children and wives of 
     those sportsmen, many of whom are guests of our community 
     during the games.
       Also this week, the International Olympic Committee balked 
     at Israel's last-minute complaint about a delegation from 
     ``Palestine,'' which indicates an independent country. IOC 
     Director General Francois Carrard accused the Israeli 
     government of playing politics by doing this so close to the 
     games' start. But we weren't doing so two years ago when we 
     called and faxed the Olympics headquarters in Lausanne, 
     Switzerland about this matter. Mr. Carrard is simply, like 
     the sneakiest of teflon politicians, ducking the issue.
       For the record, we have no problem with a Palestinian 
     delegation. The Palestinian Authority exists and there is an 
     irrefutable sense of nationalism among the Palestinian 
     people. We hope that the Palestinian Authority understands 
     that seeing the flag here is the result of progress in the 
     peace talks.
       But for the moment, Palestine does not exist. Referring to 
     the Palestinian movement as such is a blatant political act.
       The Atlanta Jewish community is keenly aware of the 
     emotions that the Israeli children and widows of the 1972 
     competitors feel about this and of being denied a memorial 
     ceremony. We are extremely proud that our community has 
     launched the first large effort to commemorate the tragedy 
     that befell Israel, and by extension the Jewish people, 24 
     years ago.
       One event will be open to the public--this Saturday 
     morning's commemoration at Ahavath Achim Synagogue. We hope 
     that those who cannot attend say their own prayers for 
     Israel's fallen. The other will be a private affair at the 
     Federation. There, a permanent memorial statue, subsequently 
     open for public viewing, will be dedicated.
       One day, perhaps, the IOC will learn that politics is not 
     behind remembering Munich's chilled shadow on the Olympic 
     movement and what it means to Jews. The IOC made a gross 
     error in 1972 and the following games by not formally facing 
     the horrors of 24 years ago. And it mocks all Jews when it 
     accuses Israel of politics without owning up to its own 
     version of playing that game.
                                                                    ____


     [From the Altanta Journal/Atlanta Constitution, June 29, 1996]

           Families Make Games Visit To Honor Slain Israelis

                           (By Mark Sherman)

       Fourteen children and two widows of the Israeli athletes 
     killed at the Munich Olympics in 1972 will visit Atlanta 
     during the Summer Games to serve as a reminder of an event 
     that Olympics officials have no plans to commemorate, Israeli 
     Consul General Arye Mekel said Friday.
       Ankie Rechess, whose husband, Andre Spitzer, was the 
     Olympic fencing coach, and Ilana Romano, who was married to 
     weightlifter Joseph Romano, will lead the delegation, which 
     will take part in various events arranged by Atlanta's Jewish 
     community, Mekel said.
       The group will attend the Opening Ceremonies July 19 and 
     participate in a synagogue service the next day, he said.
       ``It is important that the international Olympic community 
     and the Olympics in Atlanta do not forget the terrible 
     tragedy that

[[Page H8545]]

     happened within the Olympic Village some 24 years ago,'' 
     Mekel said.
       Palestinian terrorists invaded the village in Munich in 
     1972, eventually killing 11 Israeli athletes and coaches.
       This year's Games have added meaning for the Israelis, 
     because they will be the first to include a Palestinian team.
       Rechess has fought unsuccessfully for Olympic recognition 
     of the Munich massacre for the past 20 years, asking that at 
     least a moment of silence be observed at every Olympic Games.
       The International Olympic Committee's official 
     commemorations have been dedications of artwork in Munich and 
     at the Olympic museum at the organization's headquarters in 
     Lausanne, Switzerland.
                                                                    ____


            [From the Atlanta Journal/Atlanta Constitution]

                      Israeli's Moment Never Came

                           (By Mark Sherman)

       For Moshe ``Moony'' Weinberg, it was a double dose of joy. 
     He watched a mohel circumcise his newborn son, Guri, in the 
     Jewish ritual traced back to Abraham.
       The next day, he kissed his wife goodbye and joined the 
     Israeli wrestlers he was going to coach in the 1972 Olympic 
     Games in Munich.
       ``I was mad at him because he left me with this baby,'' his 
     wife, Mimi Weinberg, recalled. ``He said, `I promise you, 
     this is it,' He was right.''
       She and her son, now 23, heard the worshipers at Atlanta's 
     Congregation Ahavath Achim chant the mourner's kaddish 
     Saturday for Weinberg and his 10 teammates who were killed by 
     Palestinian terrorists in Munich.
       The Weinbergs are in Atlanta as part of a delegation of 
     relatives of the victims of the Munich massacre, the ghastly 
     attack that cast a pall over the 1972 Games. Two Israelis 
     were killed in the Olympic Village dormitory, which was 
     invaded by terrorists Sept. 5. Nine others died at the 
     airport when a German rescue effort went awry.
       The crash of TWA's Flight 800 last week, while not yet 
     classified a terrorist attack, brought inevitable comparisons 
     to the Munich killings, especially because the air disaster 
     came in the days leading up to the start of the Atlanta 
     Olympic Games.
       The Israelis who traveled to Atlanta attended Friday's 
     Opening Ceremony hoped to hear words of sorrow or remembrance 
     or reconciliation from Olympics officials, who have never 
     used the world stage of the Olympics to commemorate the 
     darkest hour in the history of the Olympics.
       The presence of the first Palestinian team to march in the 
     parade of nations and take part in the Games added a 
     poignancy that the Israelis felt Olympics officials could 
     not, would not, ignore.
       ``Alas, it was not to be,'' Rabbi Arnold M. Goodman told 
     the worshipers Saturday.
       ACOG President Billy Payne said the Opening Ceremony would 
     pay tribute to all past hosts of the Summer Games, including 
     Munich. Indeed, a runner bearing a Munich flag joined other 
     runners representing the other Olympic hosts.
       And among the medal winners recognized during the ceremony 
     was Mark Spitz, the American swimmer who captured seven 
     medals in Munich.
       In 1972, Spitz, who is Jewish, was put under heavy guard 
     following the attack and spirited away from the city.
       The Israelis sat in the stands Friday night but heard just 
     those two references to Munich.
       The IOC hews to its line that politics are not part of the 
     Olympics. When Israel complained a week before the Games 
     began about the Palestinian team's use of the name 
     ``Palestine,'' Carrard dismissed the objection as ``last-
     minute politics'' and said the IOC would not bow to such 
     political pressure.
       Ankie Rechess was in Munich in 1972, accompanying her 
     husband, fencing coach Andre Spitzer.
       Rechess, a television news reporter, has been a leader in 
     the effort to win Olympic recognition of the massacre. ``We 
     will never forget the transformation of the world sports 
     arena into a slaughterhouse,'' she said at Saturday's 
     memorial service.
       Rechess and the others initially asked for a moment of 
     silence for the killings, which as she said, ``took place 
     within the Olympics themselves.'' they would have settled for 
     any mention at all.
       ``They say they don't want to put politics in it,'' said 
     Guri Weinberg, an actor living in Los Angeles.
       But he said he felt a moment of hope Friday when IOC 
     President Juan Antonio Samaranch mentioned rebuilding 
     athletic facilities in war-ravaged Sarajevo, which hosted the 
     1984 Winter Games.
       ``He was talking about Sarajevo, but he couldn't say one 
     word about athletes who were murdered?'' Weinberg asked.
       Before the healing could begin, there has to be some pain.
       Members of the Israeli Olympic team, what was left of it, 
     gathered at the Tel Aviv airport Sept. 7, 1972, dressed in 
     the same white hats and blue blazers they wore in the Munich 
     Opening Ceremony.
       The occasion was the funeral of 10 of the 11 slain 
     Israelis. One, David Berger, was buried in the United States.
       Oshrat Romano was just 6 years old and so she wasn't at the 
     funeral of her father, weightlifter Joseph Romano. He was the 
     first Israeli killed.
       ``My mother went to the airport thinking she would find two 
     coffins, of Romano and Weinberg, the two Israelis killed in 
     the Olympic Village,'' Romano said. ``She saw 11. She was 
     shocked because she didn't know about the others.''
       Meanwhile, in Cairo, Egypt, five terrorists who died in a 
     gunfight with German police at the airport were mourned in 
     mosques as martyrs, according to news accounts.
       The children of the Israelis grew up ``under the shadow of 
     the Olympics,'' Rechess said. Most had only dim memories of 
     their fathers and some, like Weinberg, none at all.
       ``I heard stories, always stories,'' he said. ``It was 
     always, `Did I tell you the story? ' And it was always, `Yes, 
     about 20 times.' As a child I didn't understand what had 
     happened. I only knew I had a mother and no father. There was 
     no money, and we were trying to survive. As a little kid you 
     don't know what's going on, and then when you grow up, 
     everyone expects you to handle it and you don't know how to 
     handle it.''
       Weinberg has never visited Munich and thought for a long 
     time before deciding to come to Atlanta. He is here, he said, 
     because he has spent his life ``living under a black veil of 
     what happened, and you're always trying to lift it.''
       When President Clinton addressed American athletes Friday, 
     he told them of a Palestinian man in the Olympic Village who 
     said the Palestinians had a team at the Olympics for the 
     first time because of the United States and its role in the 
     peace process.
       The entrance of the team in the Olympic Stadium was a 
     vastly important symbolic moment for Palestinians, one that 
     gave them a stamp of legitimacy.
       The relatives of the Munich dead approached the moment with 
     trepidation, torn between the pageantry of the ceremony and 
     the inescapable desire to hold all Palestinians responsible 
     for what happened to their husbands and fathers.
       ``You don't know how to feel,'' Weinberg said. ``Its a 
     weird situation.''
       Ultimately, he said, he feels no ill will toward the 
     Palestinian athletes. ``They didn't go kill my father,'' 
     Weinberg said, his piercing blue eyes looking squarely at his 
     questioner. ``They're athletes, not politicians just like my 
     dad wasn't a politician.''
       For Romano, Friday's ceremony was a chance for her and her 
     mother and two sisters to think about her father. ``We saw 
     one team that reminded us of the pictures of our delegation 
     in Munich.''
       She said she shared the ambivalence many in her group felt 
     when the Palestinians marched around the stadium. ``We felt 
     something, but I don't know how to explain.''
       Then, she added, ``They are one delegation like the 
     others.''
       Nearby, one of her sisters held Romano's 2-year-old son, 
     predictable restless after a long worship service.
       The boy is named Asaf Yesef, his second name for the 
     grandfather he never knew who was killed at a time when a 
     team from Palestine was as distant as the boy's birth.

  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield the floor to the gentleman from 
Utah [Mr. Hansen].


        secretary babbitt's strained relationship with congress

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my friend from Georgia and the 
kindness and courtesy he has shown me in allowing me to use part of his 
hour. I appreciate the sensitive nature of the issue which he has been 
discussing, and many folks realize that in 2002 Utah will also be a 
recipient of the Olympic games.
  The thing I would like to discuss tonight is predicated on the idea 
that I chair the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Land in 
the Committee on Resources, and I have been very disturbed, more so 
than in the 36 years that I have been an elected official. I have never 
been more disturbed with an individual as I am with the Secretary of 
the Interior, Mr. Bruce Babbitt. I would like to go over some of the 
problems that we are experiencing here in Congress in our relationship 
with the Secretary.
  Over the last 3 years, the travels of Secretary Babbitt have been 
quite impressive. In fact, he has spent over 40 percent of his time in 
office crisscrossing this country. Many of those trips consisted of 
politically inspired activities of the highest order, including photo-
ops and rigged roundtable discussions to get President Clinton 
reelected by distorting the Republican record.
  Every Secretary plays politics for their President, you say? Well, 
this Secretary's political trips have included mistruths and 
distortions like no other. This has, in turn, allowed neglect of 
management problems at the department to fester. In some instances, it 
has resulted in the Secretary failing to meet his legal obligations to 
Congress.
  In addition, it has recently come to light in press reports that the 
Secretary's trips in 1995, the start of his

[[Page H8546]]

``Natural Heritage Tours,'' were part of an orchestrated effort 
engineered by the White House and its allies in the environmental 
community. In other words, raw politics plain and simple.
  Earlier this year, while the Secretary was campaigning across the 
country, doing the bidding of the Clinton-Gore 1996, the Committee on 
Resources Chairman, the gentleman from Alaska, Mr. Don Young, 
discovered that the Department of the Interior had failed to ask for or 
receive reimbursement for costs stemming from appearances by Babbitt on 
behalf of Democratic candidates during his travels.
  Under a policy that each White House has used for decades, the 
Government must seek reimbursement from each campaign for that portion 
of the Cabinet Secretary's travel related to a political event. Yet the 
Department of the Interior failed to bill a single one of the campaigns 
or organizations until Chairman Young began an investigation into the 
travels of Mr. Babbitt.

  These costs stem from two dozen mixed trips, part political, part 
official, involving 35 events for campaigns or political organizations 
that Mr. Babbitt took in 1994 and 1995. This includes 4 organizations 
and 28 candidates. Virtually none of the campaigns were billed until 
March or April of this year.
  The administration claims that as of June 15, 1996 all campaigns have 
reimbursed the Government. This complete collapse of the billing 
process resulted in at least one case, that of a gubernatorial 
candidate in Nebraska, where the campaign's address was no longer valid 
by the time the department billed it. In the real world, what kind of 
business could get away with not collecting money owed it for so long? 
This would be unheard of.
  Yet, what did Mr. Babbitt and his propaganda machine do when they 
were caught? Listen to this. They blamed failure to reimburse campaigns 
on a young special assistant in the Secretary's office. Well, all I can 
say is, thank God Bruce Babbitt is not in charge of the Department of 
Defense. Imagine what kind of excuse that would be in that big 
organization.
  Chairman Young and the gentleman from California, Chairman Horn, of 
the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, have asked GAO to 
look into what went wrong with the reimbursement process. The total 
cost of these trips, both political and official, have been estimated 
at well over $100,000, including costs of staff, meals, lodging and 
transportation.
  He is at it again. Even as we speak, today he appeared in Portland 
and Eugene, OR, attacking Republicans on the Clean Water Act, a law 
which he has very little jurisdiction over. While Mr. Babbitt was 
canoeing at the taxpayers' expense today, a senior official from the 
Fish and Wildlife Service testified on Capitol Hill that if the $386 
million maintenance backlog that has accumulated in wildlife refuges to 
date were the responsibility of a private company, it would be 
bankrupt.

                              {time}  2030

  As if irresponsibility was not enough for Secretary Babbitt and his 
staff, they have, like their teachers at the White House, continued to 
obstruct the Committee on Resources Republican efforts to get the truth 
about the nature of Mr. Babbitt's travel conduct. In a letter earlier 
this year, Chairman Young sent several follow-up questions to the 
Secretary regarding the reimbursement issue. Yet, Secretary Babbitt 
refused and continues to refuse to answer several questions posed in 
that letter.
  Of particular importance to the American people, we believe, is his 
refusal to provide the chairman with documents regarding direct 
communications between the Secretary and the White House regarding the 
Natural Heritage tours.
  This conduct is particularly troubling now in light of media reports 
which indicate Mr. Babbitt was personally involved in White House 
orchestrated efforts to attack Republicans on environmental issues for 
political purpose through creation of the Natural Heritage tours. These 
reports indicate that Mr. Babbitt and the President discussed the 
political impact of the Secretary's attacks.
  Also of note is Mr. Babbitt's credibility regarding the planning of 
the Natural Heritage tours. For instance, Mr. Babbitt said in his March 
21 letter to the chairman that the Natural Heritage tours were not 
planned in advance; however, the evidence suggests otherwise. In 
addition to media reports, the Secretary and the staff words speak for 
themselves on June 12, 1995, in Inside Energy, the following was 
reported, ``Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt is committed to visiting 
various regions of the country during the coming months to make a case 
against the GOP-led congressional assault on environmental programs, a 
department spokeswoman said. Babbitt plans to travel at least twice a 
month on what the department is billing as a Natural Heritage Tour to 
talk about environmental success stories, the spokeswoman said.''
  In a speech on December 13, 1995, in which the Department paid to put 
the speech on the AP wire, the Secretary said: ``On Earth Day 1995, I 
set out on a journey, a series of 11 Natural Heritage Tours all across 
this country.''
  ``And while in the 1994 election campaign, the environment was not an 
issue, I can assure you, by November, 1996, in each county, State, 
congressional, and in the Presidential election, the environment will 
be right at the core of every single debate.''
  In the press conference a short time later, Mr. Babbitt went still 
further and personalized the issue. In response to a question regarding 
environment as a political issue, he said: ``I absolutely intended to 
make it a political issue.''
  So there you have it. The Secretary admits to playing politics as he 
continues to state mistruths about Republican positions.
  Tonight we will begin to discuss the true size of the mismanagement 
at the Department, the scope of the misstatements, and give a 
distortion-free look at the misguided policies.
  Secretary Babbitt has been running around the country claiming that 
the Congress is engaged in some attempt to close down or auction off 
units of the Park System.
  However, his own director of the Park Service has testified under 
oath, when I put him under oath, that he was unaware of any bills that 
would auction off or close down the park system. Further, Director 
Kennedy states that he was not aware of a list contrary to what the 
Secretary of the Interior said, about the Park System being closed.
  While the 104th Congress has taken no legislative action to close 
down any unit of the Park System, the Secretary has already closed some 
areas and is considering closing numerous park areas.
  Last year, while leveling unfounded attacks against Congress claiming 
that this budget resolution without the force of law would have closed 
200 park areas, the Clinton administration announced plans to close 
three parks in the Washington area. Again in the fiscal year 1997 
budget submittal for the Park System the administration has begun to 
withdraw all funding for these three park areas.
  At the same time, the Secretary is considering turning over as many 
as 30 park areas to Native Americans. These are not small isolated park 
areas but some of the best known parks in the country. According to an 
internal National Park Service document dated November 1995, Secretary 
Babbitt has under consideration turning over to Indian tribes such 
areas as the Redwoods National Park, Great Basin National Park, and 
Lake Clark National Park.
  Just 2 months ago in May, the Secretary turned over management of 
City of Rocks to the State of Idaho.
  Do any of Secretary Babbitt's park closures have public support? No 
one really knows since none of them have been subject to public review 
or scrutiny.
  Further, last year during the lapse in appropriations, Secretary 
Babbitt shut down every single concession in the National Parks and 
closed off access to millions and millions of persons. By comparison, 
bless his heart, Secretary Glickman of the Forest Service did not shut 
down a single concession on Forest Service lands even though he had no 
budget.
  Well, what is clear is that they are duplicitous at best because the 
Secretary is so busy running around the country claiming that Congress 
in attempting to close parks because the Committee on Resources 
reported a bipartisan bill which requires a public review of the 
National Park System.

[[Page H8547]]

  As further evidence of his desire of this administration and 
Secretary Bruce Babbitt in particular to play politics with parks and 
disrupt the lives of persons who wish to visit and enjoy our Federal 
lands, consider how the Secretary has dealt with park concessioners.
  The Assistant Attorney General memorandum of August 16, 1995 provides 
guidance on the scope of permissible Government operations during a 
lapse in appropriations, including explicit detail on the process to be 
used in determining who are the emergency employees which should be 
retained on duty during a budgetary shutdown. The memorandum states 
that such a determination should be made on the basis of assuming the 
continued operation of the private economy.

  The opinion goes on to State that such an assumption is the reason 
for determining that air traffic controllers, Federal meat inspectors, 
and other such personnel are emergency.
  Using those criteria in the Attorney General opinion, Secretary 
Babbitt could permit the private businesses which operate park 
concessions to remain open to serve the public, and then declare those 
persons necessary for safe operation of the concession as emergency 
personnel.
  That is precisely what the Forest Service has done. Not one single 
Forest Service ski area, resort, or even a single outfitter or guide on 
Forest Service land has been told to shut down. Every single one of 
them is open, serving the public as we debate this bill today.
  Even the concessions at the Smithsonian Institution remain open on 
the same basis.
  However, Secretary Babbitt is so driven to public disservice that not 
only has he shut down park concessioners, but last week he tried to get 
the Forest Service to close all their ski areas and other concessions 
fearing it would expose his unnecessary closure of park concessions. I 
pay strong tribute to the former Member of this body, Agriculture 
Secretary Dan Glickman, for rejecting those attempts by Mr. Babbitt to 
further disrupt the American people and attempting to serve the public 
in the best possible way during this difficult period.
  There is one final irony to this issue of closing park concessions. 
Secretary Babbitt has closed these concessions primarily because he 
felt he did not have adequate personnel on duty to supervise their safe 
operations.
  Yet, when we, our committee, called a dozen parks around the country 
during the shutdown last November, we found just as many park rangers 
on duty during the peak of that shutdown as there was prior to the 
shutdown. The only difference was that none of these rangers were 
serving the public because the parks had been shut down by Secretary 
Babbitt.

  I hope this country will never again have a Secretary of the Interior 
so driven to public disservice as Secretary Babbitt, but as long as 
there is the possibility that we will have another Secretary more 
interested in playing politics than carrying out his duties and serving 
the public in the best way possible, this legislation is essential that 
we are working on.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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