[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 111 (Tuesday, September 19, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H7753]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RWANDAN WAR CRIMES WITNESS REWARD PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
Senate bill (S. 2460) to authorize the payment of rewards to
individuals furnishing information relating to persons subject to
indictment for serious violations of international humanitarian law in
Rwanda, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read as follows:
S. 2460
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. EXPANSION OF REWARDS PROGRAM TO INCLUDE RWANDA.
Section 102 of the Act of October 30, 1998 (Public Law 105-
323) is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by inserting ``or rwanda''
after ``yugoslavia'';
(2) in subsection (a)(2), by inserting ``OR THE
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR RWANDA'' after
``YUGOSLAVIA''; and
(3) in subsection (c)--
(A) by inserting ``(1)'' immediately after ``Reference.--
''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) For the purposes of subsection (a), the statute of
the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda means the
statute contained in the annex to Security Council Resolution
955 of November 8, 1994.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Gilman) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Hilliard) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).
General Leave
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on S. 2460.
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 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, on April 6, 1994, a massive genocide began
in Rwanda. There was no mention of Rwanda in any of our papers on that
day, but soon horrific accounts of a bloody and well-planned massacre
filled the pages of our newspapers. A month later, 200,000 were dead
and more were being killed each and every day, but White House
spokesmen still quibbled with reporters about the definition of
genocide.
Too many of the masterminds of that ugly chapter in human history are
still at large. An international criminal tribunal for Rwanda exists,
but it has failed to bring to justice all of the leaders. Rwanda needs
reconciliation, but without accountability there will be no
reconciliation.
Congress extended the rewards program to those providing information
leading to the indictment of Yugoslavian war criminals 2 years ago. It
is now time to place a generous bounty in U.S. dollars on the heads of
all who seek power through extermination. The killers have fled to
Paris, to Brussels, to Kinshasa and else where. With the passage of
this measure, their havens will be less safe and their sleep will be
less easy.
Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to fully support this measure.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HILLIARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker I rise in strong support of this bill. First of all, let
me commend the chairman in moving this bill through the Committee on
International Relations and bringing it to the floor today. Rwanda is
one of the great humanitarian disasters of this century. An estimated
800,000 people were slaughtered there earlier this decade, and only
because of their ethnic identity. Expanding the State Department's
reward program to persons having information leading to the conviction
of persons responsible for the atrocities in Rwanda will enhance the
prospect for justice for the victims.
I commend Senator Feingold for moving this bill forward in the other
body, and I urge my colleagues to support Senate bill 2460.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HILLIARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to
the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen).
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Alabama (Mr.
Hilliard) for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the chairman and my colleague for
rising to introduce this bill, S. 2460, which would authorize the
payments of rewards to individuals furnishing information relating to
persons subject to indictment for serious violations of international
humanitarian law in Rwanda. I commend them both for presenting that
bill today.
Mr. HILLIARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GILMAN. 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 pass the Senate bill, S. 2460.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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