[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 129 (Thursday, September 24, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H8538]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PROTESTING THE EXCLUSION OF DEMOCRAT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS FROM MEETING 
                        WITH COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT

  (Mr. ACKERMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring to the attention of 
the House an event which I think is unwise and unprecedented.
  Today, the new President of Colombia is visiting. But unlike previous 
visits of heads of state, only Republican Members have been invited to 
meet with him. In my 16 years in the House, I cannot remember a 
previous time when Members were excluded from such meetings based on 
party affiliation.
  Mr. Speaker, there is no reason for our foreign policy to become so 
partisan that only one party is invited to meet with a visiting head of 
State.
  We have always had an ``American'' foreign policy, and to indicate 
that this is starting to change to foreign leaders is certainly unwise 
and unwarranted and very, very unfortunate.
  The issues to be discussed affect the interest of all Americans, not 
just Republican Americans. I believe, Mr. Speaker, that not allowing 
Democrats into the meeting today with President Pastrana makes the 
House look foolish in the eyes of our visitors and foreign leaders and 
diminishes our ability to be effective as policymakers.
  Mr. Speaker, are we for the first time today going to change our 
policy and make foreign dignitaries choose between meeting with 
Democrats or Republicans, or having to come back and meet with all of 
us twice? It is an insult to us as Americans, as Democrats, and as 
representatives of the people.

                          ____________________