[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 159 (Wednesday, November 12, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2341-E2342]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PROVIDING RELIEF TO THE AMERICAN VICTIMS OF THE APRIL 1994 BLACK HAWK 
                          FRATRICIDE INCIDENT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MAC COLLINS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 12, 1997

  Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, I introduced legislation that 
would equalize the

[[Page E2342]]

treatment of United States and foreign personnel killed in the April 
14, 1994, shootdown of two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters by two U.S. 
Air Force F-15 fighters over Iraq. Following the incident, U.S. 
Secretary of Defense William Perry found it inappropriate to compensate 
the families of the Americans who were killed in the tragedy citing the 
Feres doctrine--a legal principle denying compensation for death or 
injury incident to military service.
  However, Secretary Perry provided payments of $100,000 to the 
families of each of the foreign nationals involved in the accident, in 
spite of the Feres doctrine. These voluntary payments, made under the 
Secretary's emergency and extraordinary expense authority were 
characterized as humanitarian gestures offered in recognition of the 
unique circumstances surrounding the incident.
  It is time that we offer the same gesture to our own citizens who 
were involved. In the interest of fairness and justice, the law must be 
applied in an equal fashion. If it was appropriate to pay the foreign 
nationals involved, then it is also appropriate to pay the Americans. 
It is outrageous that the United States Government would treat British, 
French, and Turkish soldiers better than our own.
  If enacted, H.R. 2986 will require the Secretary of the Treasury to 
make $100,000 payments to the families of each of the Americans killed 
in the April 1994 Black Hawk fratricide incident. I urge my colleagues 
to support our troops and families by supporting this important relief 
measure.

                          ____________________