[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 25 (Wednesday, March 8, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H724-H726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING LITHUANIA ON THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS INDEPENDENCE

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in 
the Senate concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 91) congratulating the 
Republic of Lithuania on the tenth anniversary of the reestablishment 
of its independence from the rule of the former Soviet Union.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 91

       Whereas the United States had never recognized the forcible 
     incorporation of the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and 
     Lithuania into the former Soviet Union;
       Whereas the declaration on March 11, 1990, of the 
     reestablishment of full sovereignty and independence of the 
     Republic of Lithuania led to the disintegration of the former 
     Soviet Union;
       Whereas Lithuania since then has successfully built 
     democracy, ensured human and minority rights, the rule of 
     law, developed a free market economy, implemented exemplary 
     relations with neighboring countries, and consistently 
     pursued a course of integration into the community of free 
     and democratic nations by seeking membership in the European 
     Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; and
       Whereas Lithuania, as a result of the progress of its 
     political and economic reforms, has made, and continues to 
     make, a significant contribution toward the maintenance of 
     international peace and stability by, among other actions, 
     its participation in NATO-led peacekeeping operations in 
     Bosnia and Kosovo: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress hereby--
       (1) congratulates Lithuania on the occasion of the tenth 
     anniversary of the reestablishment of its independence and 
     the leading role it played in the disintegration of the 
     former Soviet Union; and
       (2) commends Lithuania for its success in implementing 
     political and economic reforms, which may further speed the 
     process of that country's integration into European and 
     Western institutions.

                              {time}  1445

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ose). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) and the gentleman from Connecticut 
(Mr. Gejdenson) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of Senate 
Concurrent Resolution 91 congratulating Lithuania on its 10th 
anniversary of the reestablishment of its independence.
  Mr. Speaker, it is hard to believe that 10 years have now passed 
since the Lithuanian nation took their courageous step of declaring 
independence from the Communist dictatorship of the former Soviet 
Union. And despite the passage of these last 10 years, many of us who 
served in the Congress at that time still vividly remember the struggle 
that Lithuania had to undertake in order to make that declaration a 
reality.
  We recall the thousands of Soviet troops who were then garrisoned in 
Lithuania. We also recall the Soviet armored columns rolling through 
the capital of Vilnius in the dead of night some 10 years ago. We also 
remember the economic boycott that was imposed on Lithuania by the 
Soviet regime in Moscow. We remember too how Soviet President Mikhail 
Gorbachev insisted that, if Lithuania were to secede from the Soviet 
Union, it would have to compensate the Soviet government for all its 
investments in Lithuania since 1940, the year when the Soviet Union 
invaded and occupied that country.
  What an ironic demand that was, given the fact that Lithuania never 
asked to be part of the Soviet Union, and given the fact the Soviet 
Union's so-called legacy to Lithuania and to its neighbors, if not a 
curse, was a very questionable legacy at best.
  In fact, it has taken all of the strength that the Lithuanian people 
could muster to overcome the so-called blessings of that legacy 
bestowed by the former Soviet regime, including all of the dilapidated 
industries, their environmental damage, and the lack of trading and 
preparation that was needed by the Lithuanians to succeed in any 
market-oriented economy.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, some 10 years later, in spite of that so-called 
legacy, Lithuania is now looking to its future and building on the 
progress it has made in the decade since the Soviet Union broke up.
  Today, thousands of Soviet troops are gone. Today, Lithuania is a 
member of NATO's alliance's Partnership For Peace program and is 
looking forward to the day when it may become a full member of that 
alliance. And, today, Lithuania is actively seeking membership in the 
European Union.
  Lithuania has implemented market reforms despite the tremendous 
difficulties associated with the economic transformation from a 
Communist system of control of workers and resources to the system of 
private enterprise and free markets. In short, Lithuania is working to 
return to its rightful place in Europe and in the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that our Nation has played a strong role in 
helping Lithuania, not just since it gained its independence but during 
the many years when it refused to recognize the Soviet Union's illegal 
incorporation of that country into its Communist dictatorship.
  The passage of this resolution, Mr. Speaker, congratulates Lithuania 
and its people on the 10th anniversary of their independence, 
recognizing the role that Lithuania played in the breakup of the Soviet 
Union, and noting the reforms that Lithuania has struggled to 
implement. Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this worthy 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. GEJDENSON asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that, at the 
conclusion of my remarks, the remaining control of the time be yielded 
to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Connecticut?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague, the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Gilman), and the distinguished Senator from Illinois, Mr. 
Durbin, who authored this resolution in the Senate, in recognition of a 
decade of great success and change by my mother's homeland, Lithuania.
  This year, I had the opportunity to drive from my mother's Lithuania 
to my father's Belarus, and it exposes the incredible difference 
between the situation in Lithuania where they have engaged freedom and 
democracy. I had been to Vilnius in 1982, and what a change in these 
last 16, 17 years, from that time to my most recent trip. I could see 
it on the people's faces, the freedom, the opportunity to express 
themselves without fear of retribution

[[Page H725]]

or being followed by secret police. It is a thriving country, building 
strong relationships with its democratic and free neighbors. Sadly, in 
Belarus, the opposite is true. The economic situation continues to 
deteriorate and the people lose their freedom on a daily basis.
  I am thrilled and privileged to be here in the United States 
Congress, having my mother and grandparents' on her side of the family, 
all having been born in Vilnius, being here today on the floor and, 
frankly, doing something that many of us thought might not happen in 
our lifetime, celebrating not just the first anniversary of freedom in 
Lithuania but a full decade; only the beginning of decades and 
centuries to come.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Shimkus), the cochairman of the Baltic caucus.
  (Mr. SHIMKUS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time, and I rise in support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 91.
  As cochairman of the House Baltic caucus, I am delighted that the 
House is joining the Senate in recognizing the 10th anniversary of the 
reestablishment of Lithuania's independence. Yes, the reestablishment. 
The original independence celebration actually goes back 80 years, when 
they first had freedom, prior to the Soviet aggression.
  I have been down on this floor many times talking about the turbulent 
histories of the Baltic nations. I am pleased that today we are 
recognizing accomplishments. Over the last 10 years, Lithuania has 
worked diligently to ensure the human rights of its citizens, develop a 
free market economy, and pursue a course of integration into the 
European Union and NATO.
  Additionally, the stability and peace which Lithuania brings to the 
Baltic region as it develops into a free and democratic nation is 
something that we all should be thankful for. It is my hope that 
Members of this body realize that, while we are celebrating just 
Lithuania today, Latvia and Estonia are also on the right path. While 
they all have turbulent histories, we should focus on the strides they 
have made to correct past injustices within their own borders. These 
are countries we should be proud of and embrace their burgeoning 
democratic ideas.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time, and I 
thank the gentleman for his supporting remarks.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and 
I rise in strong support of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, the Lithuanian people have always been in the forefront 
of democracy. Ten years ago, the Lithuanian parliament defied the 
Soviet Union by proclaiming its independence.
  Today, Lithuania continues to be the window of democracy for its 
neighbors. Lithuania has welcomed the exiled politicians from Belarus 
who fled the oppressive regime of President Lukashenka.
  The Lithuanian people should be proud of the magnitude of the 
political transformation. Lithuania today is a European nation. This 
week, the Lithuanian delegation, headed by Professor Landsbergis, is in 
Washington to commemorate this historic transformation.
  Lithuanian economic achievements are no less significant. Lithuania 
has successfully carried out economic reforms and is well on its way to 
developing a functioning market economy. Lithuania, together with other 
Baltic countries, is considered a success story.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support Senate Concurrent 
Resolution 91.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of Senate Concurrent 
Resolution 91 which congratulates Lithuania on the tenth anniversary of 
the reestablishment of its independence.
  After declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1918, Lithuania 
enjoyed two decades of self rule. During this period, Lithuanians were 
free to follow their cultural traditions and express their national 
identity. In 1940, Soviet troops invaded and occupied Lithuania and 
Lithuanians spent the next five decades under Soviet domination, forced 
to deny their heritage, language and traditions. At last, Lithuania 
regained its independence in 1990; indeed, I was pleased to visit 
Lithuania shortly thereafter and celebrate the regaining of its 
independence.
  History is a crucible that melts away the extraneous to reveal the 
truly relevant events in human experience. One hundred years from now, 
when historians look back at the events of the 20th Century, I suspect 
they will marvel at the astonishing speed at which the barriers to 
freedom, which for so many years seemed so insurmountable, finally fell 
in Lithuania and throughout Eastern Europe. A century from now, the 
history books will say that freedom came to Lithuania as a result of 
the persistence and unbending spirit of the Lithuanian people.
  It is altogether fitting that Congress recognize and congratulate 
Lithuania on the 10th anniversary of the reestablishment of 
independence. I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting for this 
important resolution.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. Con. 
Res. 19 congratulating the Republic of Lithuania on the tenth 
anniversary of the reestablishment of its independence from the rule of 
the former Soviet Union. It is most appropriate that we are considering 
this resolution today, Mr. Speaker, because we have with us the most 
distinguished Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament, Vytautas 
Landsbergis, who has played such a pivotal role in the renewal of the 
independence and sovereignty of Lithuania some ten years ago and who 
previously served as the President of Lithuania.
  Mr. Speaker, I remember meeting with Speaker Landsbergis on a visit 
to Lithuania over ten years ago as the first stirrings of renewed 
independence were beginning to quicken life there. On that occasion, 
Speaker Landsbergis was a prominent musicologist and had not yet begun 
his political career. We walked together into one of Vilnius' 
outstanding Churches in order to get beyond earshot of the Soviet KGB 
officials who were directed to follow us. As we sat in one of the pews, 
we discussed his vision of the reestablishment of a sovereign and 
independent Lithuania. At that time, his vision appeared beyond any 
hope. Today, Mr. Speaker, we are celebrating the tenth anniversary of 
Lithuania's independence.
  I had the opportunity to visit Lithuania just two months ago, Mr. 
Speaker, where I again had the opportunity to see the progress that has 
come after a decade of freedom. Lithuania's extraordinary progress 
during the past decade should serve as a model for all young 
democracies. Its leaders and its people have shown a commitment to free 
markets, civil liberties, and fair and open government as they have 
worked with such devotion to build their great nation. Lithuania stands 
today as a respected member of the international community and one of 
America's strongest allies. It is my sincere hope that, sooner rather 
than later, Lithuania's extraordinary achievements will be recognized 
in the form of a well-deserved invitation to join the NATO.
  Mr. Speaker, there is one matter of particular importance for which I 
would like to praise Speaker Landsbergis and the members of the 
Parliament (Seimas). Last month, by a vote of 54 to 6 the Seimas 
adopted amendments to the Lithuanian legal code which permit the 
conduct of war crimes trials in absentia if the accused is unable to be 
present for the trial because of medical reasons. This action will 
enable the Government of Lithuania to seek justice against some of the 
most notorious perpetrators of atrocities alive today.
  This legislation, which was drafted by my friend Dr. Emanuelis 
Zingeris, the Chairman of the Seimas' Human Rights Committee, states 
that if a person charged with genocide ``cannot for reasons of his 
physical condition, according to the findings of experts, be present at 
the place of the hearing, the defendant shall be provided technical 
facilities at the place where he is staying to directly take part in 
the hearing by giving evidence to the court, putting questions to other 
participants of the hearing and taking part in the proceedings.'' This 
reform will allow defendants in war crimes trials the right to 
participate in their own defense, but it also will permit the victims 
of these horrendous crimes against humanity to see that justice is 
done.
  As a survivor of the Holocaust and as the Chairman of the 
Congressional Human Rights Caucus, I applaud the Seimas and its leaders 
for their action, for reaffirming so strongly the commitment of the 
Lithuanian Government to justice. I hope--and expect--that this 
initiative will allow the cold-blooded killers who were responsible for 
the crimes of the Holocaust to be held accountable for their crimes. 
Genocide must never be forgotten.
  Mr. Speaker, in 1941 Fruma Kaplan was only six years old when she and 
her mother, Gitta, were arrested by Lithuanian Security Police 
(Saugumas) in the capital city of Vilnius. Fruma's crime? She was born 
Jewish, an unpardonable sin in Nazi-occupied Lithuania. On December 22 
of that year, Fruma

[[Page H726]]

and her mother were taken to the woods of Paneriai outside of Vilnius, 
stripped down to their underwear, lined up at the edge of pits, and 
viciously gunned down.
  Fruma and Gitta Kaplan did not face their horrible fate along. Prior 
to 1941, Vilnius was home to one of the most vibrant Jewish communities 
in Europe. It was called the ``Jerusalem of the North.'' Artists, 
scholars, philosophers, and religious leaders all lived there, men and 
women renowned for their intellectual and cultural talents. After the 
Nazi invasion, they were slaughtered--55,000 of Vilnius' 60,000 Jews 
perished during World War II.
  The death warrants for Gitta and little Fruma were signed by 
Aleksandras Lileikis, the Chief of the Lithuanian Security Police for 
Vilnius Province. He supervised the slaughter of Vilnius' Jewish 
community with precision and zeal, sending Jews to Paneriai regardless 
of age and infirmity. The Kaplan documents make up only a small portion 
of the overwhelming evidence which establishes Lileikis' guilt. Our own 
Department of Justice calls this evidence in the Lileikis case a 
``shockingly complete paper trail.''
  Lileikis and his deputy, Kazys Gimzauskas, escaped Lithuania and came 
to the United States after World War II. They lived quite lives, 
Lileikis in Massachusetts and Gimzauskas in Florida, evading the 
consequences of their crimes. It wasn't until this past decade--after 
the collapse of the Soviet Union and the opening of archives and other 
sources of information not available until that point--that the U.S. 
Department of Justice was able to accumulate the evidence which 
established the legal basis for stripping U.S. citizenship from these 
two individuals, who covered up their horrendous crimes. They were 
deported from the United States and ended up back in the newly 
independent Lithuania.
  Since their return to Lithuania, Lileikis and Gimzauskas classified 
their wartime activities as the deeds of ``Lithuanian patriots,'' 
slandering the legacy of the untold thousands of courageous Lithuanians 
who fought to defend their national identity against Soviet might. Even 
so, these shameless men were never brought to trial, as their claims of 
medical and age-related infirmities stalled court proceedings 
indefinitely. The legal amendments passed by the Seimas promise to 
alter this status, because the Prosecutor-General of Lithuania can now 
initiate trials for Lileikis and Gimzauskas without further delay.
  Lileikis and Gimzauskas are not alone. Several other Nazis have been 
denaturalized and deported by the U.S. Department of Justice, and the 
memory of the Holocaust demands that they be brought to justice as soon 
as possible. It is imperative that the Lithuanian Government send a 
firm and principled message that the murder of 240,000 of its Jewish 
citizens in the Holocaust will never be forgotten, not in this 
generation or in any generation to come. It is my hope that Lithuania 
will soon demonstrate this commitment by opening trials against 
Lileikis, Gimazuskas, and other Lithuanians who participated in Nazi 
atrocities.
  Mr. Speaker, I applaud recent statements by President Valdas Adamkus, 
Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, and Speaker Landsbergis in support of 
the immediate prosecution of Nazi war criminals. As the Prime Minister 
eloquently noted at the January Holocaust conference in Stockholm, 
pursuing war criminals is ``a moral duty that must be fulfilled in the 
21st century as well,'' and that ``forgiving and forgetting [the 
culprits] is out of the question.'' I could not agree more strongly 
with this sentiment.
  The prosecution of Nazi war criminals will complement and strengthen 
the efforts of the question.'' I could not agree more strongly with 
this sentiment.
  The prosecution of Nazi war criminals will complement and strengthen 
the efforts of the Lithuanian Government to promote Holocaust 
education. The Commission for the Investigation of Crimes Committed 
during the Nazi and Soviet Occupation of Lithuania, formed in 1998 and 
ably co-chaired by Dr. Zingeris, promises a thorough study of ``the 
role of Lithuanians and others in the local population as perpetrators 
and/or collaborators in the Holocaust.'' The most vital responsibility 
of the Commission is clearly stated in its mission statement: ``Support 
for the preparation of educational materials and curricula for school 
students at all levels, to promote study, discussion and understanding 
of Lithuanian history during the Nazi and Soviet occupations.'' Mr. 
Speaker, the true measure of the Commission's success rests in its 
ability to convey its findings to the children and grandchildren of 
today's Lithuanians. I am hopeful that it will achieve this goal.
  Mr. Speaker, I welcome the changes that have taken place in Lithuania 
over the past decade. As I mentioned earlier, I had the opportunity 
this past January to visit Vilnius and see first-hand the changes. 
While there, I participated in the Lithuanian opening of ``The Last 
Days,'' a documentary produced by Steven Spielberg and the Shoah 
Foundation about the experiences of five Hungarian survivors of the 
Holocaust. I was one of those five survivors, Mr. Speaker. As I walked 
through the neighborhood formerly occupied by the Jewish Ghetto, I was 
reminded of a part of Lithuanian heritage that can never be replaced--
the talents and gifts of a quarter million murdered citizens and their 
unborn descendants. The loss overwhelmed me.
  Later that evening, at the movie premiere, I was joined in my emotion 
by President Adamkus, Prime Minister Kubilius, Speaker Landsbergis, and 
a host of other prominent Lithuanian leaders. They attended as 
representatives of modern Lithuania--a nation strengthened by 
perseverance, emboldened by freedom, and sensitive to the consequences 
of human rights denied. It is a nation that, I am confident, will 
continue to learn from the lessons of its past and will use them to 
shape its future. The passage of the amendments to allow war criminals 
to be tried in absentia, and the prospect that the cases of Aleksandras 
Lileikis and other Nazi murderers will soon move forward, further 
strengthens my faith in this conviction.
  Mr. Speaker, it is in this spirit that I urge my colleagues to join 
me in supporting S. Con. Res. 19. The accomplishments of the Lithuanian 
people during the past decades are impressive, but they pale only in 
comparison to the promise of this great nation in the years to come.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on 
Senate Concurrent Resolution 91, the pending measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) that the House suspend the rules 
and concur in the Senate concurrent resolution, Senate Concurrent 
Resolution 91.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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