[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.
____________________