[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 131 (Friday, September 26, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H8036-H8037]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INQUIRIES TO THE ADMINISTRATION REGARDING CONGRESSIONAL TRAVEL TO LIBYA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, Libya is a rogue nation that openly 
supports, promotes, and inspires terrorist activities around the world. 
None of us could ever forget Libya's involvement in the 1985 terrorist 
attacks in Rome and Vienna airports that killed 20 men, women, and 
children, including five Americans. Nor can we forget Libya's 
responsibility for the 1986 bombing in Berlin that killed two United 
States servicemen. And of course, we will never, ever forget Libya's 
dastardly involvement in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 which 
resulted in killing 270 men, women, and children, including 189 
Americans.
  Because of these and other acts of terrorism, Mr. Speaker, Libya has 
been sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council, and United States law 
imposes serious limitations on the ability of our citizens to travel to 
Libya or to spend money there.
  The State Department has reported that one of our colleagues, the 
gentleman from Alabama [Mr. Hilliard] recently traveled to Libya 
without official authorization or approval. Against that background, 
the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. Bachus] has prepared a privileged 
resolution that would direct the Committee on Standards of Official 
Conduct to undertake an immediate and thorough investigation of the 
circumstances surrounding the travel of

[[Page H8037]]

the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. Hilliard] to Libya.
  In that matter, the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. Bachus] has expressed 
the concerns of all Members about any Member of Congress traveling to 
Libya. In an effort to be helpful, and in my capacity as chairman of 
the Committee on International Relations and in the exercise of our 
committee's oversight responsibilities, I will inquire of the 
administration what laws and regulations, if any, would apply to travel 
by any Congressman to Libya, and whether any of those laws or 
regulations may have been violated.
  I will be undertaking a review of this matter. I assure the gentleman 
from Alabama [Mr. Bachus] that I will promptly share with him the 
response of the administration to our inquiries.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield to the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. 
Bachus].
  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, on September 18, I wrote the gentleman from 
Alabama [Mr. Hilliard] and told him how important I thought it was that 
he give a public explanation for his trip to Libya. When I received no 
response to that letter, I noticed 2 days ago my intention to file a 
privileged resolution. That resolution I read in full to this body two 
nights ago.
  It is very important that our body know the facts and circumstances 
surrounding this visit. It was, as the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Gilman] noted, to an outlaw nation, a nation which is presently, not 
sometime in the past, but is presently engaged in terrorist activity in 
several countries.
  I have again called on the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. Hilliard] 
today to make a public explanation. I welcome the assurances of the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] that the committee will be looking 
into these facts.
  What I intend to do at this time is not to go forward with my 
resolution, but I will note that if the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. 
Hilliard] does not make a full and complete explanation of his trip, as 
I have outlined in the resolution, that in the interests of this body 
and its integrity, and because the American people have a right to an 
explanation, I will renotice my resolution next week or the week after.
  I again call on the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. Hilliard], and I know 
other Members of the body share my opinion, that he make a full and 
complete explanation of his trip to Libya.
  It is my understanding that the Committee on International Relations, 
and it was from earlier conversations, that they are going to do an 
investigation into this trip which I hope will include talking to the 
gentleman from Alabama [Mr. Hilliard] and asking the gentleman from 
Alabama for an explanation of his trip. I will be looking forward to 
that.
  I believe that it is a much better forum, if it is done before the 
Committee on International Relations, it is done in a public hearing, 
and this is something that we will just have to follow day by day. But 
the American people deserve and I think demand an explanation. It is 
against the law for anyone to travel to Libya. It is against the law 
for a United States Congressman to travel to Libya. The laws apply to 
everyone, including U.S. Congressmen.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments.

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