[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 59 (Wednesday, April 28, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H2452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    ADMINISTRATION SHOULD EMBRACE ALL ATTEMPTS FOR PEACE IN BALKANS

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues and I have asked the Russian 
government to work constructively towards a resolution of the Balkans 
crisis, and I am happy to say that the Russian government has responded 
in the hopes of achieving a workable solution.
  Unfortunately, the administration has missed what I and many of my 
colleagues consider a tremendous opportunity to end this conflict and 
the bloodshed on both sides.
  I commend our counterparts in the Russian Duma and the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon) for their efforts in furthering this option 
which relies on diplomacy instead of smart bombs.
  Mr. Speaker, this proposal includes Serbia's compliance with all NATO 
conditions, an end to ethnic cleansing, deployment of international 
troops to Kosovo, and all under a United Nations sanctioned monitoring 
group.
  As a veteran who understands the horrors of war, I believe that we, 
as a Nation, would regret not pursuing a peaceful solution to this 
conflict, a conflict which has already caused a humanitarian disaster 
and potentially thousands of lives, military and civilian alike.
  I hope the administration will embrace this effort for peace in the 
Balkans.

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