[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 99 (Wednesday, July 26, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H7070]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SEND EDMOND POPE HOME

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Peterson) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy 
heart. On my left is a picture of Edmond and Cheri Pope, a lovely 
couple from State College, Pennsylvania. On March 14, Edmond left for 
Russia on a routine trip, a business trip. It would have been his 27th 
trip there. He was someone very involved in working with the Russians 
on business development, helping them market their declassified 
technology, someone who was very fond of the Russians and liked to help 
them economically in deals that were beneficial to both our countries.
  For 115 days Edmond Pope, from April 3 on, has been in a Russian 
prison. For 115 days Mrs. Pope has not had a husband, except for 2 
hours that she spent with him several weeks ago. His children have had 
no father for 115 days. His aging parents do not understand why for 115 
days they have not been able to talk to their son.
  My colleagues, Edmond Pope was placed in prison unfairly. He is not a 
spy. He was charged with espionage. That is not true. And what is 
disturbing is for the first 11 weeks his wife and family had no chance 
to communicate with him; did not receive one note from him, one phone 
call from him, or able to get a note or a phone call or letter to him. 
That is 77 days he was absolutely separated from his family. They had 
no idea of his health, no idea if he had a lawyer; a good lawyer.
  On June 19, Mrs. Pope, Cheri, and two of my staff, were leaving for 
Russia to attempt to visit him. That afternoon Cheri's mother passed 
away unexpectedly in San Diego, California. Mrs. Pope had to make the 
decision whether she went to bury her mother or she went to Russia to 
encourage her husband. She made the decision to go to Russia, and so 
she went. And several days later she had the chance to spend a few 
moments with him.
  On Tuesday, June 20, they met for the first time in 3 months, just a 
few feet from a watchful prosecutor in Lefortovo prison. Edmond and 
Cheri Pope hugged and belatedly wished each other a happy 30th 
anniversary. Then Cheri Pope said, ``The first thing he said to me was, 
`Cheri, I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't.' And I said to him, I 
never thought for a minute you did.''
  In an emotional interview on Tuesday after that reunion, Cheri Pope 
said her husband, whom the Russians had accused of spying, was 
strikingly thin. He had a rash; he had lost a lot of weight; he had a 
pallor about him and some skin problems. She said, ``Even though he 
didn't look well, he still looked handsome to me.''
  While they were there, Cheri and my staff were able to obtain a good 
lawyer for him. He did not have a good lawyer, and they had no way of 
knowing that. And since that time we have been working hard to obtain 
his release.
  On June 26, we wrote President Putin a letter, and I will share with 
my colleagues some of the things we shared with him. ``Mr. Putin, if 
you value our friendship, send Edmond Pope home. President Putin, if 
you value the growing business relationships beneficial to both of our 
countries, send Edmond Pope home.'' It said, ``President Putin, if you 
value the many ways we aid you financially, send Edmond Pope home.
  ``Edmond Pope is a man who was there on sound financial business 
reasons. He is not a spy. He needs to be home with his family and with 
his grieving wife. He needs to be home to visit his father, who is 
seriously ill. He needs to be home to have his own health monitored, 
and he needs to be home so that our relationship between the Russian 
Federation and America can grow and not be destroyed.''
  We have not heard from that letter, though we thought we would. 
Today, I wrote another letter to President Putin and it has been faxed 
to him. One hundred fifteen days have passed. This case has no merit. 
His new lawyer tells us he has shredded the evidence completely. On 
August 5, in just a few days, his son, Dusty Pope, plans to marry a 
young lady named Justin. It is only fitting that Edmond Pope be home to 
stand with his son and his future daughter-in-law and wish them into 
the world of matrimony.
  I hope and believe that it is important that we get this issue 
resolved and that we get him home, because it is vital that we build a 
relationship between these two countries. I have a resolution that 
urges the President, with 109 signatures, and I could get many more, to 
discontinue our assistance to the Russian Federation, to approve no 
more loans to the Russian Federation, or no more technical assistance. 
I do not want to do that. I believe the future of Russia depends much 
on a friendship with this country. But it is time to send Edmond Pope 
home so that our relationship can grow to the benefit of both our 
countries. I ask President Putin to help us accomplish this today.

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