[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 49 (Tuesday, April 28, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H2356-H2357]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
concur in the Senate concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 37) expressing
the sense of the Congress that Little League Baseball Incorporated was
established to support and develop Little League baseball worldwide and
that its international character and activities should be recognized.
The Clerk read as follows:
S. Con. Res. 37
Whereas Little League Baseball Incorporated is a nonprofit
membership organization, chartered by the Congress of the
United States in 1964 to promote, develop, supervise, and
assist youth worldwide in participation in Little League
baseball and to instill in youth the spirit and competitive
will to win, values of team play, and healthful association
with other youth under proper leadership;
Whereas Little League Baseball Incorporated has chartered
more than 18,000 local Little League baseball or softball
leagues in 85 countries, across 6 continents, through which
more than 198,000 teams and 3,000,000 youth worldwide come
together in healthy competition, learning the value of
teamwork, individual responsibility, and respect for others;
Whereas Little League Baseball Incorporated provides
administrative and other services, including financial
assistance from time to time, to such leagues without any
obligation to reimburse Little League Baseball Incorporated;
Whereas Little League Baseball Incorporated has established
a United States foundation for the advancement and support of
Little League baseball in the United States and around the
world, and has also created in Poland through its
representative, Dr. Creighton Hale, the Poland Little League
Baseball Foundation for the construction of Little League
baseball facilities and playing fields, in which youth may
participate worldwide in international competitions, and is
providing all the funds for such construction;
Whereas the efforts of Little League Baseball Incorporated
are supported by millions of volunteers worldwide, as
parents, league officials, managers, coaches, and auxiliary
members and countless volunteer agencies, including sponsors,
all of whom give their time and effort without remuneration,
in service to others, to advance the goals of Little League
Baseball Incorporated and thereby assist the economic
transformation of societies worldwide, the improvement in the
quality of life of all citizens and the promotion of a civil
international community; and
Whereas, as demonstrated by the success of its efforts
worldwide, Little League Baseball Incorporated is the largest
nongovernmental international youth sports organization in
the world and continues to grow: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives
concurring), That (a) it is the sense of the Congress that
Little League Baseball Incorporated is international in
character and has engendered international goodwill through
its worldwide activities, particularly among the youth of the
world.
(b) The Congress reaffirms that Little League Baseball
Incorporated was established to support and develop Little
League baseball worldwide, through the chartering of local
leagues and the provision of assistance to such local
leagues, through the creation or location of facilities in
other countries, and the provision of other support as
appropriate, including financial support, without right of
reimbursement or repayment.
(c) The Congress calls upon the parliamentary bodies and
government officials of other nations, particularly those
that participate in Little League baseball, to recognize and
celebrate the international character of Little League
baseball.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Luther) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
(Mr. SMITH of New Jersey asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
General Leave
Mr. Smith of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and
extend their remarks on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote
unanimously in favor of S. Con. Res. 37. This resolution makes clear
that Little League Baseball Incorporated is a bona fide nongovernmental
organization and that it should be treated as such by our government
and those of other nations.
Little League Baseball Incorporated is a nonprofit membership
organization that was chartered by Congress in 1964 to promote
participation by children around the world in Little League baseball.
Unfortunately, the charter did not explicitly use the words
``nongovernmental organization.'' That phrase and its acronym, NGO,
were not in vogue in those days. So there has been some confusion,
particularly in nations where Little League baseball is relatively new,
about the undeniable fact that this organization indeed is a not-for-
profit organization.
Because the U.S. Congress originally chartered this organization, it
falls to us to clarify the matter. This resolution calls on the
parliamentary bodies and government officials of other nations to
recognize and celebrate the international charter of Little League
Baseball, the largest nongovernmental international youth sports
organization in the world, with over 18,000 local leagues in 85
countries supported by a network of many thousands of volunteers and
coaches around the world.
S. Con. Res. 37 was introduced by Senator Coverdell and has already
passed the Senate. It also passed the Subcommittee on International
Operations and Human Rights by a voice vote on February 12 of this
year. On April 1 the full Committee on International Relations ordered
the bill favorably reported, again by a unanimous vote.
Mr. Speaker, I want to point out the relentless dedication of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. McDade) on this issue. The gentleman
from Pennsylvania helped draft the Senate resolution as well as a
parallel House Resolution. He brought the resolution to the attention
of our subcommittee and full committee, and he has pushed every step of
the way to ensure the success of this resolution. He deserves the
credit for its passage on the floor today.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LUTHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume,
and I rise in support of this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution expressing the
sense of Congress that Little League baseball is international in
character and has engendered international good will.
{time} 1500
I commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania for introducing the
companion measure in the House.
The resolution affirms congressional support for the Little League
organization and calls upon other governments to recognize and
celebrate the international character of Little League baseball. In the
House, the companion to this resolution has received widespread
bipartisan support.
Mr. Speaker, we all know Little League is a good organization,
encouraging good, healthy life-styles for our young people, and I am
happy to support its activities for kids around the world. I urge
adoption of this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. Con. Res. 37, the
Little League Baseball Resolution.
Senator Coverdell and Representative McDade introduced this
resolution last year in support of the international activities of
little league baseball. The Senate has already acted on this
resolution, and I support House passage today. The measure is broadly
supported in the House, with a total of 42 co-sponsors.
This non-controversial measure is designed to reaffirm the importance
and the values exemplified by the long-standing American institution
known as ``little league baseball''.
[[Page H2357]]
In addition, it expresses the sense of Congress that Little League
Baseball Incorporated was established to develop Little League Baseball
worldwide recognizing that its international activities are similar to
other non-governmental organizations.
As a former president of our local Little League in my hometown in
Middletown, NY, I am pleased to recommend approval of this resolution,
affirming our support for the worthy international activities of Little
League Baseball.
Mr. McDADE. Mr. Speaker, it is my very great pleasure to rise today
in support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 37 which I wrote, on behalf
of Little League Baseball, Incorporated.
I'd like to thank my good friend, the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr.
Smith, for bringing this resolution to the floor. I would also like to
express my gratitude to the Chairman of the International Relations
Committee, Mr. Gilman, for moving this measure. I am also grateful to
Ranking Member Lee Hamilton and to the 45 bipartisan cosponsors of the
House companion of this resolution which is so important to Little
League Baseball.
As the sponsor of the companion resolution in the House and the
Representative of the World Headquarters of Little League,
Williamsport, Pennsylvania, I ask that my colleagues join with me in
supporting this resolution which recognizes the international character
of Little League Baseball.
Today's Little League Baseball has programs in 85 countries on six
continents. It brings three million young people worldwide together
every year to learn the value of teamwork and individual responsibility
in a setting of healthy competition. Clearly, Little League Baseball is
international.
However, when the Congress acted in 1964 to incorporate Little League
Baseball, we failed to foresee that it would one day take the joys and
disciplines of the American game of baseball to children around the
world. Now that Little League Baseball has gone worldwide, it is time
that we recognize its international character and activities.
Without an official imprimatur concerning its international
character, Little League was unable to get a much-needed exemption from
the Value-Added Tax from the Finance Ministry of the Republic of Poland
related to the cost of building the Little League Baseball European
Training Center in Kutno, Poland. Despite that setback, Little League
has finished Phase I of the Center. Ultimately, the Center will have
four little league-sized and three regulation-sized fields, two
practice fields, dining and laundry facilities, a dormitory, and a
conference center as well as other athletic facilities and
administration buildings.
I am delighted to tell my colleagues that the Polish Ministry of
Sports and Tourism recently awarded Little League a generous grant
toward the cost of a regulation baseball field at the facility in
Kutno.
I hope sincerely that the House will pass this resolution and that
the nations of the world will recognize Little League's international
qualities and extend to them all appropriate privileges.
Let's go to bat for Little League!
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. LUTHER. Mr. Speaker, likewise, I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules
and concur in the Senate concurrent resolution, S. Con. Res. 37.
The question was taken.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the
ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a
quorum is not present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5, rule I, and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
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