[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 115 (Monday, September 25, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H8032-H8036]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CALLING UPON THE PRESIDENT TO ISSUE A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING 25TH 
                   ANNIVERSARY OF HELSINKI FINAL ACT

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
joint resolution (H.J. Res. 100) calling upon the President to issue a 
proclamation recognizing the 25th anniversary of the Helsinki Final 
Act.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                             H.J. Res. 100

       Whereas August 1, 2000, is the 25th anniversary of the 
     Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in 
     Europe (CSCE), renamed the Organization for Security and 
     Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in January 1995 (in this joint 
     resolution referred to as the ``Helsinki Final Act'');
       Whereas the Helsinki Final Act, for the first time in the 
     history of international agreements, accorded human rights 
     the status of a fundamental principle in regulating 
     international relations;
       Whereas during the Communist era, members of 
     nongovernmental organizations, such as the Helsinki 
     Monitoring Groups in Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Georgia, and 
     Armenia and similar groups in Czechoslovakia and Poland, 
     sacrificed their personal freedom and even their lives in 
     their courageous and vocal support for the principles 
     enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act;
       Whereas the United States Congress contributed to advancing 
     the aims of the Helsinki Final Act by creating the Commission 
     on Security and Cooperation in Europe to monitor and 
     encourage compliance with provisions of the Helsinki Final 
     Act;
       Whereas in the 1990 Charter of Paris for a New Europe, the 
     participating states declared, ``Human rights and fundamental 
     freedoms are the birthright of all human beings, are 
     inalienable and are guaranteed by law. Their protection and 
     promotion is the first responsibility of government'';
       Whereas in the 1991 Document of the Moscow Meeting of the 
     Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE, the 
     participating states ``categorically and irrevocably 
     declare[d] that the commitments undertaken in the field of 
     the human dimension of the CSCE are matters of direct and 
     legitimate concern to all participating States and do not 
     belong exclusively to the internal affairs of the State 
     concerned'';
       Whereas in the 1990 Charter of Paris for a New Europe, the 
     participating states committed themselves ``to build, 
     consolidate and strengthen democracy as the only system of 
     government of our nations'';
       Whereas the 1999 Istanbul Charter for European Security and 
     Istanbul Summit Declaration note the particular challenges of 
     ending violence against women and children as well as sexual 
     exploitation and all forms of trafficking in human beings, 
     strengthening efforts to combat corruption, eradicating 
     torture, reinforcing efforts to end discrimination against 
     Roma and Sinti, and promoting democracy and respect for human 
     rights in Serbia;
       Whereas the main challenge facing the participating states 
     remains the implementation of the principles and commitments 
     contained in the Helsinki Final Act and other OSCE documents 
     adopted on the basis of consensus;
       Whereas the participating states have recognized that 
     economic liberty, social justice, and environmental 
     responsibility are indispensable for prosperity;
       Whereas the participating states have committed themselves 
     to promote economic reforms through enhanced transparency for 
     economic activity with the aim of advancing the principles of 
     market economies;
       Whereas the participating states have stressed the 
     importance of respect for the rule of law and of vigorous 
     efforts to fight organized crime and corruption, which 
     constitute a great threat to economic reform and prosperity;
       Whereas OSCE has expanded the scope and substance of its 
     efforts, undertaking a variety of preventive diplomacy 
     initiatives designed to prevent, manage, and resolve conflict 
     within and among the participating states;
       Whereas the politico-military aspects of security remain 
     vital to the interests of the participating states and 
     constitute a core element of OSCE's concept of comprehensive 
     security;
       Whereas the OSCE has played an increasingly active role in 
     civilian police-related activities, including training, as an 
     integral part of OSCE's efforts in conflict prevention, 
     crisis management, and post-conflict rehabilitation; and
       Whereas the participating states bear primary 
     responsibility for raising violations of the Helsinki Final 
     Act and other OSCE documents: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That the 
     Congress calls upon the President to--
       (1) issue a proclamation--
       (A) recognizing the 25th anniversary of the signing of the 
     Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in 
     Europe;
       (B) reasserting the commitment of the United States to full 
     implementation of the Helsinki Final Act;
       (C) urging all signatory states to abide by their 
     obligations under the Helsinki Final Act; and
       (D) encouraging the people of the United States to join the 
     President and the Congress in observance of this anniversary 
     with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities; and
       (2) convey to all signatory states of the Helsinki Final 
     Act that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, 
     democratic principles, economic liberty, and the 
     implementation of related commitments continue to be vital 
     elements in promoting a new era of democracy, peace, and 
     unity in the region covered by the Organization for Security 
     and Cooperation in Europe.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Gilman) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) 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

[[Page H8033]]

may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on this 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 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 rise in support of the resolution offered 
by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the distinguished 
chairman of our Subcommittee on International Operations and Human 
Rights, honoring the Helsinki Final Act in light of the recent 25th 
anniversary of its signing and calls on the President to reassert the 
U.S. commitment to its implementation.
  The Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, 
created by the Helsinki Act of 1975, is actually not a security 
alliance. The OSCE is also not based on a ratified treaty with 
provisions that are binding on its signatories. And yet the OSCE, in 
the agreement that established the Helsinki Final Act, has proven 
extremely influential in modern European affairs both during the Cold 
War and in today's post-Cold War era.

                              {time}  1830

  As the resolution notes, the Helsinki Act inspired many of those 
seeking freedom from Communism to create nongovernmental organizations 
to monitor their government's compliance with the human rights 
commitments made by Communist regimes in Helsinki in 1975.
  Today's OSCE, in continuing to uphold the Helsinki Act's signatory, 
states the standards they should aspire to meet particularly with 
regard to human rights; and political rights continues to play a very 
beneficial role. Moreover, since the OSCE includes in its ranks of 
participatory states almost all of the states of Europe, those states 
have agreed to grant OSCE a greater role in conflict prevention and 
conflict resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I am certain that as we continue to work towards the 
Europe and the North Atlantic community of states that is truly 
democratic from Vancouver to Vladivostok, the OSCE will continue to 
play a vital role.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this resolution, I urge our 
colleagues to join in ensuring its passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this measure. Mr. Speaker, I 
would first like to commend the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), 
the chairman of the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human 
Rights, for introducing this important resolution; the gentleman from 
New York (Chairman Gilman) for moving it through the legislative 
process; also the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer); and the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson) as well for their help in 
moving this measure to the floor today.
  Mr. Speaker, August 1 of this year marked the 25th anniversary of the 
Helsinki Final Act, which created the Conference on Security and 
Cooperation in Europe, which has since been renamed the Organization 
for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
  The 1957 Helsinki Final Act has played a critical role in ensuring 
that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms was recognized 
by all countries in Europe and was at the top of the agenda of 
discussions between European countries.
  The Helsinki process that resulted from the act ensured that there 
was a wide-ranging dialogue on issues ranging from migration and 
military security to the environment and independent media. Although 
CSCE had no permanent headquarters and no enforcement capability, it 
made important progress in setting standards for the protection of 
human rights during the Communist era.
  The CSCE also increased confidence between East and West through the 
advanced notification of military activities and the exchange of 
military information. With the end of the Cold War, all CSCE countries, 
for the first time, accepted the principles of democracy and free 
markets as the basis for their cooperation. This made it possible for 
CSCE and later OSCE, to explore ways to act on its rigorous principles 
and to ensure that they were upheld.
  Mr. Speaker, OSCE and CSCE have been on the forefront of the new post 
Cold War Europe as a peacemaker, election observer, and a conscience of 
democracy.
  I am proud that the Helsinki Commission, established by Congress to 
follow the implementation of the final act, has made a significant 
contribution to this process. The resolution before the House today 
recognizes the important contributions the CSCE and the OSCE have made 
since the adoption of the Helsinki Final Act 25 years ago.
  The resolution also calls on the President to issue a proclamation 
which recognizes this anniversary, reasserts the commitment of the U.S. 
to implementation of the Final Act, urges all states to abide by their 
obligations, and encourages Americans everywhere to mark the observance 
of this important anniversary.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.J. Res. 100.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), chairman of the Subcommittee on 
International Operations and Human Rights.
  (Mr. SMITH of New Jersey asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Gilman) for yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker, at the outset, let me give a special thanks to Bob Hand, 
who is a specialist on the Balkans, especially the former Yugoslavia 
and Albania, at the Helsinki Commission. As my colleagues know just a 
few moments ago, we passed H.R. 1064 by voice vote, legislation that I 
had introduced early last year. We went through many drafts and 
redrafts, and I would like to just thank Bob for the excellent work he 
and Dorothy Taft, the Commission's Chief of Staff, did on that 
legislation.
  H.R. 1064 would not have been brought to the floor in a form we know 
the Senate will pass quickly and then forward for signature, without 
their tremendous work on this piece of legislation, and their 
organization of a whole series of hearings that the Helsinki Commission 
has held on the Balkans. We have had former Bosnian Prime Minister 
Silajdzic, for example, testify at several hearings.
  The Congress itself has had so much input into this diplomatic 
process which we know as the ``Helsinki process,'' and they have done 
yeoman's work on that.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise and ask my colleagues to support passage of H.J. 
Res. 100, recognizing the 25th anniversary of the signing of the 
Helsinki Final Act. I am pleased that we have more than 40 cosponsors 
on this resolution, and that includes all of our colleagues on the 
Helsinki Commission. The gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), is the 
ranking Democratic Member, and my good friend and colleague.
  Mr. Speaker, the Helsinki Final Act was a watershed event in European 
history, which set in motion what has become known as the Helsinki 
process. With its language on human rights, this agreement granted 
human rights the status of a fundamental principle regulating relations 
between the signatory countries. Yes, there were other provisions that 
dealt with economic issues as well as security concerns, but this 
country rightfully chose to focus attention on the human rights issues 
especially during the Cold War years and the dark days of the Soviet 
Union.
  The Helsinki process, I would respectfully submit to my colleagues, 
was very helpful, in fact instrumental, in relegating the Communist 
Soviet empire to the dust bin of history. The standards of Helsinki 
constitute a valuable lever in pressing human rights issues.
  The West, and especially the United States, used Helsinki to help 
people in Czechoslovakia, in East Germany and in all the countries that 
made up the OSCE, which today comprises 54 nations with the breakup of 
the Soviet Union and other States along with the addition of some new 
States.

[[Page H8034]]

  Let me just read to my colleagues a statement that was made by 
President Gerald Ford, who actually signed the Helsinki Accords in 
1975. He stated, and I quote, ``the Helsinki Final Act was the final 
nail in the coffin of Marxism and Communism in many, many countries and 
helped bring about the change to a more democratic political system and 
a change to a more market oriented economic system.''
  The current Secretary General of the OSCE, Jan Kubis, a Slovak, has 
stated, and I quote him, ``As we remember together the signature of the 
Helsinki Final Act, we commemorate the beginning of our liberation, not 
by armies, not by methods of force or intervention, but as a result of 
the impact and inspiration of the norms and values of an open civilized 
society, enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and of the encouragement 
it provided to strive for democratic change and of openings it created 
to that end.''
  Mr. Speaker, the Helsinki Final Act is a living document. We 
regularly hold follow-up conferences and meetings emphasizing various 
aspects of the accords, pressing for compliance by all signatory 
states. I urge Members to support this resolution, and I am very proud, 
as I stated earlier, to be Chairman of the Helsinki Commission.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the Statement made by the U.S. 
Ambassador to the OSCE, David T. Johnson, at the Commemorative meeting 
on the 25th Anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act

      Statement at the 25th Anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act

  (By Ambassador David T. Johnson to the Commemorative Meeting of the 
                     Permanent Council of the OSCE)

       Madame Chairperson, as we look with fresh eyes today at the 
     document our predecessors signed on August 1, 1975, we are 
     struck by the breadth of their vision. They agreed to work 
     together on an amazing range of issues, some of which we are 
     only now beginning to address. The States participating in 
     the meeting affirmed the objective of ``ensuring conditions 
     in which their people can live in true and lasting peace free 
     from any threat to or attempt against their security;'' they 
     recognized the ``indivisibility of security in Europe'' and a 
     ``common interest in the development of cooperation 
     throughout Europe.''
       One of the primary strengths of the Helsinki process is its 
     comprehensive nature and membership. Human rights, military 
     security, and trade and economic issues can be pursued in the 
     one political organization that unites all the countries of 
     Europe including the former Soviet republics, the United 
     States and Canada, to face today's challenges. Over the past 
     twenty-five years we have added pieces to fit the new 
     realities--just last November in Istanbul we agreed on a new 
     Charter for European Security and an adapted Conventional 
     Forces in Europe treaty.
       But the most significant provision of the Helsinki 
     Agreement may have been the so-called Basket III on Human 
     Rights. As Henry Kissinger pointed out in a speech three 
     weeks after the Final Act was signed, ``At Helsinki, for the 
     first time in the postwar period, human rights and 
     fundamental freedoms became recognized subjects of East-West 
     discourse and negotiations. The conference put forward .  .  
     . standards of humane conduct, which have been--and still 
     are--a beacon of hope to millions.''
       In resolutions introduced to our Congress this summer, 
     members noted that the standards of Helsinki provided 
     encouragement and sustenance to courageous individuals who 
     dared to challenge repressive regimes. Many paid a high price 
     with the loss of their freedom or even their lives. Today we 
     have heard from you, the representatives of the many who 
     have struggled in the cause of human rights throughout the 
     years since Helsinki. We are in awe of you, of the 
     difficult and dangerous circumstances of your lives, and 
     of what you have and are accomplishing.
       Many of us here cannot comprehend the conditions of life in 
     a divided Europe. And those who lived under repressive 
     regimes could not have imagined how quickly life changed 
     after 1989. Political analysts both East and West were 
     astounded at the rapidity with which the citizens of the 
     former Iron Curtain countries demanded their basic rights as 
     citizens of democratic societies. What we have heard time and 
     again is that the Helsinki Final Act did matter. Leaders and 
     ordinary citizens took heart from its assertions. The 
     implementation review meetings kept a focus fixed on its 
     provisions.
       Even before the Wall came down, a new generation of leaders 
     like Nemeth in Hungary and Gorbachev in the Soviet Union made 
     decisions to move in new directions, away from bloodshed and 
     repression. In the summer of 1989, the Hungarians and 
     Austrian cooperated with the West Germans to allow Romanians 
     and East Germans to migrate to the West. Looking at what was 
     happening in Europe, the young State Department analyst 
     Francis Fukuyama, wrote an article which captured the world's 
     attention. In ``The End of History,'' he claimed that what 
     was happening was not just the end of the Cold War but the 
     end of the debate over political systems. A consensus had 
     formed that democracy, coupled with a market economy, was the 
     best system for fostering the most freedom possible.
       And then in the night of November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall 
     opened unexpectedly. Citizens emerging from repressive 
     regimes knew about democracy and told the world that what 
     they wanted more than anything else was to vote in free and 
     fair elections. Only a year after the fall of the Wall, a 
     reunited Germany held elections at the state and national 
     level. Poland, Hungary, and the Baltic states carried out 
     amazing transformations beginning with elections which 
     brought in democratic systems. When Albania descended into 
     chaos in 1997, groups across the country shared a common 
     desire for fair elections. We have seen Croatia and the 
     Slovak Republic re-direct their courses in the past several 
     years, not by violence but through the ballot box. Just a few 
     weeks ago, citizens of Montenegro voted in two cities with 
     two different results--in both instances there was no 
     violence and the new governments are moving forward with 
     reforms to benefit their citizens. OSCE has time and again 
     stepped up to assist with elections and give citizens an 
     extra measure of reassurance that the rest of the world 
     supports them in the exercise of their democratic rights.
       We are all aware that in the decades since Helsinki, we 
     have seen conflict, torture, and ethnic violence within the 
     OSCE area. Unfortunately, not all areas in the OSCE region 
     made a peaceful transition to the Euro-Atlantic community of 
     democratic prosperity. Some OSCE countries remain one-party 
     states or suffer under regimes which suppress political 
     opposition. Perhaps the most troubled region is the former 
     Yugoslavia. As Laura Silber has written in the text to the 
     BBC series ``The Death of Yugoslavia,'' ``Yugoslavia did not 
     die a natural death. Rather, it was deliberately and 
     systematically killed off by men who had nothing to gain and 
     everything to lose from a peaceful transition from state 
     socialism and one-party rule to free-market democracy.''
       We need only look at the devastation of Chechnya and the 
     continuing ethnic strife in parts of the former Yugoslavia to 
     realize there is much still to be done in the OSCE region. We 
     must continue our work together to minimize conflict and 
     bring contending sides together, foster economic reforms 
     through enhanced transparency, promote environmental 
     responsibility, and or fight against organized crime and 
     corruption. Human rights remain very much on our agenda as we 
     seek to eradicate torture, and find new solutions for the 
     integration of immigrants, minorities and vulnerable peoples 
     into our political life.
       ``Without a vision,'' wrote the prophet Isaiah so long ago, 
     ``the people will perish.'' We here today have a vision of 
     collective security for all the citizens of the OSCE region. 
     After twenty-five years, the goals embodied in the Helsinki 
     final act remain a benchmark toward which we must continue to 
     work. The Panelists have reminded us today that the Helsinki 
     Final Act has incalculable symbolic meaning to the citizens 
     of our region; we must continue to take on new challenges as 
     we strive to keep this meaning alive.

  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 8 minutes to the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the ranking member of the Helsinki 
Commission.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Crowley) for yielding me the time. I thank the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Gilman), the Chairman of the Committee on International 
Relations, for bringing this resolution to the floor. I am pleased to 
join my very good friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), 
with whom I have served on the Helsinki Commission since 1985 and who 
is now the chairman of our commission and does an extraordinarily good 
job at raising high the banner of human rights, of freedom, and 
democracy and so many other vital values to a free people. I am honored 
to be his colleague on the Helsinki Commission.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 100 which 
commemorates the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Final 
Act which, was signed on August 1, 1975.
  It is my firm belief that the political process set in motion by the 
signing of the Final Act was the groundwork for the forces which 
consumed the former Soviet empire. In 1975, many of the Final Act 
signatory states viewed the language of the act dealing with human 
rights and the obligation that each state had toward its own citizens, 
as well as those of other states, as essentially meaningless window 
dressing.
  Their objective, it was felt that of the Soviets, was to secure a 
framework in which their international political position and the then 
existing map of Europe would be adjudged a fait accompli.

[[Page H8035]]

  Let me say as an aside that as we honor the 25th anniversary of the 
Helsinki Final Act, we ought to honor the courage and the vision of 
President Gerald Ford. I am not particularly objective. President Ford 
is a friend of mine for whom I have great affection and great respect, 
but those who will recall the signing of the Final Act in August of 
1975 will recall that it was very controversial, and that many 
particularly in President's Ford's party thought that it was a sellout 
to the Soviets, thought that it was, in fact, a recognition of the de 
facto borders that then existed with the 6 Warsaw Pact nations, captive 
nations, if you will.
  President Ford, however, had the vision and, as I said, the courage, 
to sign the Final Act on behalf of the United States along with 34 
other heads of state; that act became a living and breathing process, 
not a treaty, not a part of international law, but whose moral suasion 
ultimately made a very significant difference.
  I want to join my colleagues who I know would want to thank President 
Ford for his vision and courage in that instance, because those who 
thought it was a sellout were proven wrong.
  The Helsinki process, which provided a forum and international 
backing for Refuseniks and others fighting behind the Iron Curtain for 
fundamental freedom and human rights, led inevitably to the collapse of 
Soviet communism.
  Today we celebrate the freedom yielded by our steadfast commitment to 
the process and by our demand that the former Soviet bloc countries 
adhere to and implement the human rights standards enshrined by the 
accords. The fall of the Berlin Wall, Mr. Speaker, transformed the 
world and demonstrated unreservedly that respect for the dignity of all 
individuals is fundamental to democracy.
  Mr. Speaker, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 
took a stand that human dignity, tolerance, and mutual respect would be 
the standards for all nations of Europe as we entered the 1990s. The 
Helsinki process served as a source of values and acted as an agent of 
conflict resolution.
  It provided, Mr. Speaker, participating states with a blueprint by 
which to guide them away from the past, but most importantly, it 
reminded members, old and new, of their responsibilities to their own 
citizens and to each other.
  Mr. Speaker, this lesson was sorely tested in the years following the 
Wall's fall with the dismemberment of Yugoslavia, the genocide in 
Bosnia and Kosovo, the economic collapse of Albania, and the emergence 
of new threats to the citizens of Russia.
  One year after the fall of the Wall, at the OSCE Paris Summit, former 
political prisoners like Vaclav Havel and Lach Walesa, who had fought 
for the rights espoused in Helsinki in 1975, led their countries to the 
table and recommitted themselves and their governments to the principle 
of human rights, security and economic cooperation that are the 
foundation of the Helsinki Final Act.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, 54 nations of Europe and the Americas, the 
Caucasus and Central Asia are committed to the Helsinki process as 
participating states in the OSCE. Now, we must recognize that all 54 of 
those states do not carry out those principles any more than the Soviet 
states carried out those principles in the months and long years after 
the signing of the Final Act, but we found then that inevitably the 
power of those ideas was like a tide that swept down oppression and 
resistance.

                              {time}  1845

  Hopefully, all 54 states will find that tide irresistible and will 
incorporate in their own lands all of the principles of the Helsinki 
Final Act.
  Mr. Speaker, as we reflect on this anniversary, we understand that 
the countries and peoples of the region are still in transition and 
will be for decades to come. Great strides have been made by many 
former Communist countries in building democratic societies and market 
economies. Yet, progress has been uneven, and much remains to be done, 
as I said.
  Mr. Speaker, in my view, it is critical that the United States remain 
engaged with the peoples and governments of Europe and the countries 
which emerge from the former Soviet Union, especially from Russia, 
during this difficult period.
  I agree with President Clinton when he said that we must, and I 
quote, ``reaffirm our determination to finish the job, to complete a 
Europe whole, free, democratic, and at peace for the first time in all 
of history.'' It is in our strategic and national interest, Mr. 
Speaker, to do so. By doing so, we honor the memory of all those who 
sacrificed so much to hold high the banner of freedom.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass H.J. Res. 100 unanimously.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Cardin).
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Crowley) for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the gentleman from Maryland 
yielded me some time. The reason I wanted to take this time is he will 
not say himself, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) is a member 
of the Helsinki Commission and has served with the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and I for many years. There is a no more 
conscientious, a no more engaged and focused member of the Helsinki 
Commission than the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin). I am pleased 
that he rises to speak on behalf of this resolution.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, let me thank the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for those very kind remarks, and I 
am going to include some comment about the gentleman from Maryland in 
my statement.
  First, let me first just point out the obvious. It has been 25 years 
that our country has been an active participant in the Helsinki 
process. We are right to acknowledge that and celebrate that today. 
This resolution recalls the importance of the Helsinki process in 
promoting human rights, democracy, and the role of law within 54 
countries that participate in the OSCE.
  I am proud to represent this body in the Helsinki Commission and this 
Nation. This is unusual participation because we have both the 
legislative and executive branches that work side by side on the 
Helsinki Commission, and we work together. It is unusual. We do not 
have too many opportunities where both the executive and legislative 
branches participate as equal partners in a process. So it is truly 
unique. It has been very effective.
  I want to congratulate the leadership on the Committee on 
International Relations, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) and 
the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), for the roles that they have 
played, very supportive of this commission, and giving us the 
opportunity to be active participants. We thank them very much for 
that.
  To the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), our chairman, and the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), our ranking member, I had 
participated with both of these individuals. Let me tell my colleagues 
I think either of them would make an excellent Secretary of State. They 
do a great job representing this Nation in some very, very difficult 
negotiations. I think we are very well served by the leadership of both 
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) in guiding our participation in the Helsinki 
process.
  It is unique. This is very bipartisan. I do not think I ever recall a 
moment in my entire service on this body where there has been a 
partisan difference. We worked together for our Nation, and we worked 
together for human rights, and today we really can celebrate the 
successes. Sure we can say there are still many challenges in Europe, 
and former Yugoslavia obviously presents a tremendous challenge for us. 
But we celebrate our successes.
  We have been successful in establishing democratic principles in most 
of the countries that were dominated by the former Soviet Union, and 
the Helsinki process has been key to those achievements; and we rightly 
celebrate that.
  We also can celebrate the fact of what we did with Soviet Jews. The 
Helsinki process allowed many people to be able to leave the former 
Soviet Union.

[[Page H8036]]

  We have an acknowledgment from Europe of the rights of ethnic 
minorities. There is no longer question that ethnic minorities are 
entitled to protection in their individual states. It is the right of 
every other participating state to raise those issues, and we do.
  So, sure, there are challenges that are still remaining. We all 
understand that in Europe. But the Helsinki process is an unquestioned 
success. Today, by passing this resolution, we acknowledge that.
  I urge my colleagues to support the resolution.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe we have any additional 
speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution, H.J. Res. 100.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. 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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