[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 65 (Monday, May 14, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E791]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    FOREIGN RELATIONS AUTHORIZATION ACT, FISCAL YEARS 2002 AND 2003

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JOSEPH CROWLEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 10, 2001

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1646) to 
     authorize appropriations for the Department of State for 
     fiscal years 2002 and 2003, and for other purposes:

  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chairman, I would like to begin by thanking Chairman 
Hyde and our distinguished ranking member, Mr. Lantos, for crafting a 
fair and bipartisan bill. I would also like to thank staff on both 
sides of the aisle for their efforts to include valuable language that 
is of great importance to me and members of my constituency. I would 
like to bring your attention to a series of important provisions in the 
Foreign Relations Authorization Act for 2002-2003. These provisions 
form a core of initiatives that target what I believe that bridges the 
gap between the work we do on the international relations committee and 
the needs and desires of the people in my district.
  As the representative of the most diverse district in the United 
States, these provisions reflect the unique composition of my district. 
The importance of these provisions is not limited to the residents of 
my district, they are important to the foreign policy goals of all 
Americans. They address issues central to our foreign policy toward 
Ecuador, Israel, human rights abuses in Indonesia, and relations 
between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Two of these 
amendments request that the Secretary of State provide a report which 
outlines a comprehensive strategy to address the spill over effect of 
Plan Colombia on Ecuador and another which describes the steps that the 
State Department has taken and will take to facilitate better relations 
between Israel and other members of the international community.
  I have also offered a resolution which calls for the prompt release 
of the autopsy report by the Indonesian Government, and the 
commencement of the investigation into the death of an Acehnese human 
rights lawyer who was a permanent resident of my Congressional District 
in Queens, New York, Jafar Siddiq Hamzah. In addition, I successfully 
offered an amendment urging David Trimble to allow the Sinn Fein 
Ministers to take their rightful place on the North South Ministerial 
Council. Sinn Fein is a legitimate party to the Council and should be 
able to participate. I have therefore introduced sense of the Congress 
language calling on David Trimble to adhere to the terms of the Good 
Friday Agreement, and lift the ban on the Sinn Fein minister 
participate in the Council.
  Finally, this bill addressed the ongoing health and environmental 
crisis related to the extensive arsenic contamination of drinking water 
in Bangladesh by requiring the Secretary of State report on activities 
to deliver arsenic-free drinking water and to treat those already 
affected with arsenic poisoning.
  I wholeheartedly support this bill in its current form, and I commend 
Congresswoman Lee for her amendment repealing the global gag rule. I 
urge my colleagues to oppose any efforts to detract from the quality of 
the provisions included in this bill.

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