[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 18, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H3270-H3271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  EXPRESSING SENSE OF HOUSE REGARDING THE CONDITION AND HUMANITARIAN 
                    NEEDS OF REFUGEES WITHIN KOSOVO

  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on International Relations be discharged from further 
consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 161) expressing the sense of 
the House of Representatives regarding the condition and humanitarian 
needs of refugees within Kosovo, and ask for its immediate 
consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Texas?
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I yield to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady), the sponsor of this resolution, for 
an explanation of it.
  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman from 
California yielding to me. As a member of the Committee on 
International Relations, I have appreciated her hard work on these and 
other issues affecting the globe.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a very important, bipartisan, and timely measure 
that supports the humanitarian mission into Kosovo to assess the 
humanitarian and emergency needs of the more than 600,000 ethnic 
Albanians trapped within the embattled Yugoslavian province.
  While hundreds of thousands of families have fled Kosovo, an equal 
number remain, fighting disease and starvation while lacking water and 
medical care. They need hope, and the world needs to know now their 
true condition so we stand a chance of saving their lives.
  According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the 
last food delivery to the displaced and at-risk Kosovo population 
occurred 8 weeks ago. Hiding in the hills without food, water, medical 
care for nearly 2 months, these families and their children are 
fighting to survive. Every day counts for them.
  It is timely because the 13-member U.N. humanitarian delegation, 
which includes the International Red Cross and U.N. High Commissioner 
for Refugees, is in Belgrade today. It is headed by Sergio Vierira de 
Mello, the United Nations Undersecretary General for Humanitarian 
Affairs. It is expected to head to Kosovo in the morning.
  They are attempting to provide the first very important independent 
confirmation of conditions within Kosovo and Montenegro. They will also 
provide great help to the international community as we prepare for the 
potentially massive emergency needs of the estimated 600,000 to 800,000 
ethnic Albanians remaining in Kosovo.
  This measure urges the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to provide this 
delegation a safe and secure passage, as well as freedom of access to 
do their job. It also encourages NATO and its member nations to 
consider reasonable measures to enhance the safety of this 
international delegation during its brief humanitarian mission.
  I would simply say that this measure offers hope to people who need 
it desperately.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. LEE. I yield to the gentleman from New York.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady) 
for bringing this matter before our committee and before the entire 
House.
  This measure addresses a critical situation concerning the tens of 
thousands of displaced persons within Kosovo that have been cut off 
from the rest of the world by the brutal military offensive of Mr. 
Milosevic's military forces. The gentleman is very timely in bringing 
this measure at this time as we try to be of help to those hundreds of 
thousands of Kosovars still within the borders of Kosovo.
  While the world's attention has been fixed upon the hundreds of 
thousands of Kosovars driven from their homes into the neighboring 
countries of Macedonia and Albania, we need to be mindful that many 
other Kosovars, perhaps exceeding the numbers who have become refugees 
outside of Yugoslavia, are internally displaced in Kosovo.
  Since the exit of the international private aid organizations that 
have been providing assistance to the internally displaced persons, 
IDPs, as they have become known, in Kosovo, they have had to fend for 
themselves, and very little has been able to be determined as to their 
welfare and their situation. From reports of those of their friends and 
relatives who have arrived outside of Kosovo's border, however, we know 
that their situation is dire.
  It has become critical for the U.N. and the International Committee 
of the Red Cross to try to gain entry into Kosovo and all of the 
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to assess the humanitarian situation 
there. This resolution simply calls upon the FRY authorities to permit 
these organizations entry, which has now occurred over the last 
weekend, to have complete access, and to take measures to ensure their 
safety.
  This is not a political issue. It is one simply of human decency. 
While it may be too much to expect such decency from the perpetrators 
of the outrages that we are witnessing in Kosovo, we do have a moral 
obligation in our Nation to demand it from them.
  Accordingly, I urge the Members of the House to support this measure, 
to support the Brady measure, a humanitarian measure.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, under my reservation of objection, I would say 
that we can only guess what the conditions are like for the civilians 
remaining in Kosovo. Many of the civilians who remain in the province 
have likely left their homes and are camped in fields and on 
mountainsides to find shelter.
  Amid this terror, unconfirmed accounts suggest that the situation 
inside of Kosovo points to a severe lack of food and medicine. We are 
hopeful that an international humanitarian mission in Yugoslavia this 
week can give us a better sense of what conditions are like inside of 
Kosovo and what the international community can do to meet the needs of 
the people who remain.
  As we continue to see media coverage of the plight of the Albanians 
who have left Kosovo, this resolution draws our attention to the 
Kosovar Albanians who we cannot see, and those are those inside of 
Kosovo. I urge adoption of this resolution.
  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, if the gentlewoman will yield, I 
want to thank the gentlewoman from California for her support, as well 
as the gentleman from New York (Chairman Gilman) and the ranking 
member, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson) for permitting 
this timely bill to come to the floor.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 161

       Whereas international humanitarian organizations such as 
     the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United 
     Nations High Commissioner for Refugees provide a vital role 
     in assessing and responding to the humanitarian needs of 
     refugees around the world and, most recently, of the hundreds 
     of thousands who have fled Kosovo;

[[Page H3271]]

       Whereas, according to unconfirmed reports, hundreds of 
     thousands of refugees remain in Kosovo at risk for their 
     lives and requiring immediate food, shelter, and medicine;
       Whereas it is the belief of the House of Representatives 
     that the safety and lives of these undetermined legions of 
     refugees within Kosovo are equal to the safety and lives of 
     the many refugees who have fled the region;
       Whereas the international community is committed to 
     providing humanitarian assistance to current and future 
     Kosovo refugees, while uncertain of how vast that need may 
     be;
       Whereas during an April 19, 1999, interview in Belgrade 
     with Dr. Ron Hatchett of the University of St. Thomas, 
     Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic agreed to and 
     subsequently permitted representatives of the International 
     Committee of the Red Cross to meet with and examine the 
     condition of the three captured American prisoners of war;
       Whereas in the same interview, President Milosevic agreed 
     to permit representatives of the International Committee of 
     the Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for 
     Refugees into Kosovo to provide aid and assess the 
     humanitarian needs of refugees within Kosovo and the Federal 
     Republic of Yugoslavia;
       Whereas on May 4, 1999, with the assent of the United 
     Nations Security Council, of which the United States is a 
     member, United Nation's Secretary General Kofi Annan 
     initiated a United Nations interagency assessment mission to 
     the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to assess emergency relief 
     and rehabilitation needs within the Federal Republic of 
     Yugoslavia and to identify the means for providing such 
     critical relief and rehabilitation assistance;
       Whereas this humanitarian mission seeks to objectively 
     assess critical needs in the areas of human rights and 
     protection, food, security, nutrition, health, water and 
     sanitation, and condition of the civilian population, and 
     also seeks to accurately determine the number, location, and 
     requirements of the people in Kosovo and the Federal Republic 
     of Yugoslavia needing immediate and future humanitarian aid; 
     and
       Whereas this humanitarian mission is working diligently to 
     depart for Kosovo and others sectors of Yugoslavia on May 8, 
     1999, if appropriate security assurances are provided by the 
     Federal Republic of Yugoslavia: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
     Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic should provide the 
     necessary security assurances to the United Nations 
     interagency mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to 
     permit them to safely and accurately provide the 
     international community with an objective, first-hand 
     assessment of the condition of refugees inside of Kosovo and 
     all sectors of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; and
       (2) the House of Representatives encourages member nations 
     of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to weigh the 
     value of this humanitarian mission toward ending human 
     suffering in Kosovo, and to consider reasonable measures to 
     enhance the safety of this international delegation during 
     its brief humanitarian mission within the Federal Republic of 
     Yugoslavia.


 Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute Offered by Mr. Brady of Texas

  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute offered by Mr. 
     Brady of Texas:
       Strike all after the resolved clause and insert the 
     following:
       That--
       (1) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
     Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic provide the 
     necessary security assurances and freedom of access to the 
     United Nations interagency mission to the Federal Republic of 
     Yugoslavia so the international community can be provided 
     with an accurate, objective, first-hand assessment of the 
     condition of the internally displaced persons inside of 
     Kosovo and all sectors of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; 
     and
       (2) the House of Representatives encourages member nations 
     of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to weigh the 
     value of this humanitarian mission toward ending human 
     suffering in Kosovo, and to consider reasonable measures to 
     enhance the safety of this international delegation during 
     its brief humanitarian mission within the Federal Republic of 
     Yugoslavia.

  Mr. BRADY of Texas (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
consent that the amendment in the nature of a substitute be considered 
as read and printed in the RECORD.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on amendment in the nature 
of a substitute offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady).
  The amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution, as 
amended.
  The resolution, as amended, was agreed to.


        Amendment to the Preamble offered by Mr. Brady of Texas

  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment to the 
preamble.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment to the preamble offered by Mr. Brady of Texas:
       Strike the premable and insert the following:
       Whereas international humanitarian organizations such as 
     the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United 
     Nations High Commissioner for Refugees provide a vital role 
     in assessing and responding to the humanitarian needs of 
     refugees around the world and, most recently, of the hundreds 
     of thousands who have fled Kosovo;
       Whereas, according to unconfirmed reports, hundreds of 
     thousands of internally displaced persons remain in Kosovo at 
     risk for their lives and requiring immediate food, shelter, 
     and medicine;
       Whereas it is the belief of the House of Representatives 
     that the safety and lives of these undetermined legions of 
     internally displaced persons within Kosovo are equal to the 
     safety and lives of the many refugees who have fled the 
     region;
       Whereas the international community is committed to 
     providing humanitarian assistance to current and future 
     Kosovo refugees, while uncertain of how vast that need may 
     be;
       Whereas during an April 19, 1999, interview in Belgrade 
     with Dr. Ron Hatchett of the University of St. Thomas, 
     Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic agreed to and 
     subsequently permitted representatives of the International 
     Committee of the Red Cross to meet with and examine the 
     condition of the three captured American prisoners of war;
       Whereas in the same interview, President Milosevic agreed 
     to permit representatives of the International Committee of 
     the Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for 
     Refugees into Kosovo to provide aid and assess the 
     humanitarian needs of internally displaced persons within 
     Kosovo and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;
       Whereas on May 4, 1999, with the assent of the United 
     Nations Security Council, of which the United States is a 
     member, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan initiated 
     a United Nations interagency assessment mission to the 
     Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to assess emergency relief and 
     rehabilitation needs within the Federal Republic of 
     Yugoslavia and to identify the means for providing such 
     critical relief and rehabilitation assistance;
       Whereas this humanitarian mission seeks to objectively 
     assess critical needs in the areas of human rights 
     protection, food, security, nutrition, health, water and 
     sanitation, and condition of the civilian population, and 
     also seeks to accurately determine the number, location, and 
     requirements of the people in Kosovo and the Federal Republic 
     of Yugoslavia needing immediate and future humanitarian aid;
       Whereas on May 14, 1999, the United Nations Security 
     Council adopted Security Council Resolution 1239 by a vote of 
     13-0, inviting the United Nations High Commission for 
     Refugees and other international humanitarian relief 
     organizations to extend relief assistance to the internally 
     displaced persons in Kosovo, the Republic of Montenegro, and 
     other parts of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; and
       Whereas the brief United Nations humanitarian mission that 
     was initiated on May 4, 1999, subsequently departed for 
     Kosovo and other sectors of the Federal Republic of 
     Yugoslavia on May 15, 1999: Now, therefore, be it
  Mr. BRADY of Texas (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
consent that the amendment to the preamble be considered as read and 
printed in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the amendment to the 
preamble offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady).
  The amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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