[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 69 (Thursday, May 13, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E954-E955]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   MISSING PERSONS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 13, 1999

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation 
designed to declassify the records of the House Select Committee on 
Missing Persons in Southeast Asia. In doing so, I am joined by my 
colleagues: Mr. Taylor from Mississippi, Mr. Talent from Missouri, and 
Mr. Rohrabacher from California.
  I served as a member of the Select Committee on Missing Persons in 
Southeast Asia during the committee's period of existence in the 
1970's. At the time, the Select Committee was tasked with the 
responsibility of determining whether American servicemen had been left 
behind in Southeast Asia after the Vietnam War.
  At the time the committee was dissolved, its records were subject to 
House classification rules, which mandated the material be kept 
classified for 50 years. Similar regulations covered the records of the 
Senate's counterpart committee.
  Several years ago, the Senate agreed to reduce the period of secrecy 
to 20 years, and as a result, declassified all of their committee 
files. This legislation would simply make a change in House rules to 
open all of the Select Committee's files and boxes of material to the 
public.
  Mr. Speaker, the end of the cold war has resulted in the discovery of 
literally hundreds of documents which had previously been out of reach 
behind the Iron Curtain. I see no need for the House to maintain a veil 
of secrecy over its Select Committee files. Therefore, I ask that my 
colleagues join in supporting this worthwhile legislation which would 
bring the House rules on this subject in line with those of our 
counterpart committee in the Senate.

                               H. Res.--

       Resolved, That the Archivist of the United States is 
     authorized and directed to make available for public use the 
     records of the House of Representatives Select Committee on 
     Missing Persons in Southeast Asia (94th Congress).


[[Page E955]]

     

                          ____________________