[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 155 (Tuesday, December 6, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H11055-H11059]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TORTURE VICTIMS RELIEF REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
[[Page H11056]]
and pass the bill (H.R. 2017) to amend the Torture Victims Relief Act
of 1998 to authorize appropriations to provide assistance for domestic
and foreign programs and centers for the treatment of victims of
torture, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 2017
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Torture Victims Relief
Reauthorization Act of 2005''.
SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States--
(1) to ensure that, in its support abroad for programs and
centers for the treatment of victims of torture, particular
incentives and support should be given to establishing and
supporting such programs and centers in emerging democracies,
in post-conflict environments, and, with a view to providing
services to refugees and internally displaced persons, in
areas as close to ongoing conflict as safely as possible; and
(2) to ensure that, in its support for domestic programs
and centers for the treatment of victims of torture,
particular attention should be given to regions with
significant immigrant or refugee populations.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR DOMESTIC
TREATMENT CENTERS FOR VICTIMS OF TORTURE.
Section 5(b)(1) of the Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998
(22 U.S.C. 2152 note) is amended to read as follows:
``(1) Authorization of appropriations.--Of the amounts
authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Health
and Human Services for fiscal years 2006 and 2007, there are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out subsection (a)
$25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 and 2007.''.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR FOREIGN TREATMENT
CENTERS FOR VICTIMS OF TORTURE.
Section 4(b)(1) of the Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998
(22 U.S.C. 2152 note) is amended to read as follows:
``(1) Authorization of appropriations.--Of the amounts
authorized to be appropriated for fiscal years 2006 and 2007
pursuant to chapter 1 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act
of 1961, there are authorized to be appropriated to the
President to carry out section 130 of such Act $12,000,000
for fiscal year 2006 and $13,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.''.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE UNITED STATES
CONTRIBUTION TO THE UNITED NATIONS VOLUNTARY
FUND FOR VICTIMS OF TORTURE.
Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated for fiscal
years 2006 and 2007 pursuant to chapter 3 of part I of the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, there are authorized to be
appropriated to the President for a voluntary contribution to
the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture
$7,000,000 for fiscal year 2006 and $8,000,000 for fiscal
year 2007.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, nationwide there are an estimated 400,000 torture
survivors, most of whom came to the United States as refugees.
Worldwide, it is impossible to count the numbers. As witnesses have
repeatedly testified before our committee and before the Congress, the
paralyzing scars from the physical and psychological wounds of torture
can remain for years. Torture impacts not only the individual victim
but their families and society as well.
Yesterday, the first witnesses testified in the trial of Saddam
Hussein. Demonstrating heroic courage, they described torture on a
scale that is almost beyond belief and which is simply too grisly to be
repeated here. Although these events described happened many years ago,
their testimony painfully illustrates the lasting impact torture has on
those who survive it, their families and communities. There can be no
doubt that Hussein's systematic torture was intended not only to punish
specific victims but to coerce an entire population into silence and
into subservience. As we try to bring democracy to Iraq and to other
parts around the globe, we must try to heal the victims of torture that
was used to prevent democracy from taking hold in the past.
In 1998, Mr. Speaker, Congress took a historic step towards repairing
the broken lives of torture victims with the passage of the Torture
Victims Relief Act of 1998. I sponsored that legislation, and I was
joined by my good friend and colleague (Mr. Lantos), who has also been
a hero in this battle to help torture victims. We also sponsored the
Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 1999 and the Torture
Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 2003. As important as these
congressional measures have been, there continues to be an enormous
need for us to reach out to the victims of torture who oftentimes have
no other recourse for their suffering. Therefore, I strongly urge my
colleagues to join us today in supporting H.R. 2017, the Torture
Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 2005.
The domestic aspect of this legislation, Mr. Speaker, is designed to
ensure that particular attention is given to torture victims in regions
with significant immigrant and refugee populations. The measure
authorizes $25 million for fiscal year 2006 and $25 million for fiscal
year 2007 to the Department of Health and Human Services to assist
domestic treatment centers. This maintains the current $25 million
authorization funding level for fiscal year 2005 for such centers.
Currently, 27 programs in 16 States are assisted by the Department of
Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement. In addition
to direct assistance, many of these centers are also engaged in
training mainstream organizations and personnel in the specialized
treatment of torture victims.
The number of survivors seeking treatment at U.S. centers funded
through the Torture Victims Relief and Reauthorization acts has
steadily increased throughout the years. The client base at just 14
such centers increased from 935 in 1999 to 1,550 in 2000 to 2,579 in
2001. A subsequent survey showed that during 2002, 23 Torture Victim
Relief Act-funded centers treated over 3,600 clients. With the
additional funding, it is estimated the U.S. centers would have the
capacity and the capability to serve an additional 2,800 survivors per
year.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2017 also authorizes $12 million in 2006 and $13
million in 2007 for foreign treatment centers and programs administered
through USAID's Victims of Torture fund. This authorization would
maintain the current fiscal year 2005 authorization for 2006 and
increase it by $1 million for fiscal year 2007.
The bill gives particular emphasis to supporting centers and programs
abroad in emerging democracies and postconflict environments.
Nongovernmental organizations that receive this funding provide direct
services to survivors, their families, and their communities. They also
strengthen institutions on the ground and the indigenous capacity of
these institutions to deliver services to survivors. In addition to
providing treatment, many of these programs advocate for the
elimination of torture itself in these countries.
Lastly, the measure maintains current authorization levels of $7
million for fiscal year 2006 for the U.N. Voluntary Fund for the
Victims of Torture. It would increase this funding to $8 million in
fiscal year 2007. In 2001, in just that one year alone, the U.N. fund
assisted some 77,000 victims of torture. This type of humanitarian
assistance provided by organizations which receive grants from the fund
consists mainly of psychological, medical, social, legal, and economic
assistance.
Again, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I attach for printing in the Congressional Record an
exchange of letters between Chairman Hyde and Chairman Barton on the
bill H.R. 2017 ``The Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of
2005.''
House of Representatives, Committee on International
Relations,
Washington, DC, November 29, 2005.
Hon. Joe Barton,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rayburn House
Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: On June 30, 2005, the Committee on
International Relations authorized me to seek consideration
of H.R. 2017, the ``Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization
Act of 2005,'' under suspension of the
[[Page H11057]]
rules. As you are aware, H.R. 2017 was additionally referred
to your Committee. The bill contains language which falls
within the Rule X jurisdiction of your Committee. Your
Committee's subject matter jurisdiction relates to the
authorization for domestic treatment centers for victims of
torture.
I write to ask that the Committee on Energy and Commerce
waive its opportunity to mark up provisions referred to it.
Timely action by the Energy and Commerce Committee would
allow this Committee to proceed expeditiously to the House
floor. By waiving the opportunity to mark up the bill, I
understand that your Committee does not waive any future
jurisdictional claim over this or similar measures. In
addition, in the event of a conference with the Senate on
this matter, I will recommend that your Committee have the
right to seek the appointment of conferees.
A copy of this letter and your reply will be placed in the
Congressional Record when the bill is considered on the
floor.
Sincerely,
Henry J. Hyde,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Energy and Commerce,
Washington, DC, December 1, 2005.
Hon. Henry J. Hyde,
Chairman, Committee on International Relations, House of
Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Hyde: Thank you for your November 29, 2005
letter concerning H.R. 2017, the Torture Victims Relief
Reauthorization Act of 2005. As you know, the Committee on
Energy and Commerce was named as an additional Committee of
jurisdiction upon the bill's introduction.
I recognize your desire to bring this legislation before
the House in an expeditious manner. Accordingly, I will not
exercise my Committee's right to a full referral on the bill.
By agreeing to waive its consideration of the bill, however,
the Committee on Energy and Commerce does not waive its
jurisdiction over H.R. 2017. In addition, the Committee on
Energy and Commerce reserves its right to seek conferees on
any provisions of the bill that are within its jurisdiction
during any House-Senate conference that may be convened on
this legislation. I thank you for your commitment to support
any request by the Committee on Energy and Commerce for
conferees on H.R. 2017 or similar legislation.
Thank you for your attention to these matters, and I look
forward to working with you as this legislation moves
forward.
Sincerely,
Joe Barton,
Chairman.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong and enthusiastic support for this
legislation.
As the principal Democratic cosponsor of the Torture Victims Relief
Reauthorization Act of 2005, I would like to thank my good friend and
distinguished colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for his
longstanding leadership on human rights in general and on issues
relating to the despicable practice of torture in particular. No one,
Mr. Speaker, in this body has done as much to fight for victims of
torture as has my friend from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).
The Torture Victims Relief Act is an important expression of our
outstanding commitment to combat the effects of the most despicable of
all human rights violations, the increasing use of torture around the
world.
Of course, exact figures are difficult to come by, but well over 100
countries worldwide still engage in torture as we meet here today. For
that reason, Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the McCain amendment,
which was overwhelmingly adopted by the other body. The McCain
amendment prohibits any torture or any cruel, inhuman, or degrading
treatment by the United States of detainees wherever they are held; and
its adoption into law will send a strong signal that the United States
will not tolerate this despicable practice.
Mr. Speaker, over 400,000 survivors of overseas torture reside in the
United States. Some 100 million may exist worldwide. More than 250
treatment centers operate globally with the sole purpose of providing
crucial services to torture survivors.
In the United States, the Center for Victims of Torture in Minnesota
was the first of its kind in our country and the third torture victims
center in the world.
The ramifications of torture practices are beyond the realm of
comprehension. Torture leaves no victim unscarred. It shapes the
remainder of his life. While physical wounds may ultimately heal,
torture survivors need ongoing psychosocial services and therapy to
cope with the post-traumatic stress that afflicts them daily.
Recovering from torture is a long-term process. It can take years
before torture survivors can once again feel emotionally stable and
comfortable in society.
Mr. Speaker, I am deeply troubled by the worsening financial
situation facing many well-established centers in the United States.
Many of these centers had just developed enough expertise and capacity
to make a real impact in the treatment of survivors only to learn that
their Federal funds were eliminated or reduced significantly.
{time} 1545
In my own congressional district, the 12th District of California,
Federal funds to several torture survivor centers were cut severely,
despite the fact that they established themselves as outstanding
institutions in the field.
This development happened despite the fact that the San Francisco
area is one of the main ports of entry for survivors of torture,
particularly from Asia.
I am therefore delighted that the findings section of the legislation
before us makes it clear that particular attention must be given to
regions such as Northern California with significant immigrant and
refugee populations.
The legislation before the House will have a positive impact on the
provision of assistance to the victims of torture. Mr. Speaker, I fully
support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr.
Becerra).
Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr.
Lantos) for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr.
Smith), who has been like a consistent drum beat on these issues of
humanity and preservation of life throughout this world. I want to
again thank him for championing another cause that will help,
unfortunately thousands, at least in this country, of individuals when
we know that there are millions throughout the world. But at least here
in this country, this act, if we are able to reauthorize it, will
continue to help many people who are trying to get themselves back on
their feet.
To the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from
California (Mr. Lantos), we want to say thank you for constantly being
the light of the vigil and certainly the voices for many people who
otherwise would not have that opportunity to have their life restored.
Mr. Speaker, we know that torture exists. We know that despicable
acts continue throughout the world, and we know that there are people
who actually survive some of the most heinous types of crimes that can
be committed on any adults and children. And when that happens and some
of those people are able to somehow make it to the land that we call
the ``land of the freedom,'' it is sometimes very difficult for us to
find them if they do not speak out.
And many of those folks will not speak out because the last thing
they want to do is let anyone know that they, in fact, were tortured,
or let the people that tortured them know that they are still alive.
But these folks deserve some assistance.
It is not only fitting that we try to reauthorize this act, which
will provide some assistance to some of the centers here in the United
States but also abroad that are providing some noble work to those who
need it, but they are doing this in a way that coordinates services
that otherwise would have to be used by some of these victims of
torture who are here in this country.
As the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) said, there are some
400,000 people in this country today who are the victims and survivors
of torture. In the county of Los Angeles alone, there are over 10,000
people that we can document that are the survivors of torture.
If it were not for the coordination that these treatment centers
provide in terms of health care, psychological services and the like,
many of these would continue on in a cycle that I unfortunately think
would be a cycle of dead-end roads, where they would not know where to
go, principally because many come from other parts of the world, and
also because they would not know how to navigate throughout this
country.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2017.
[[Page H11058]]
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, we have no additional requests for time and
yield back the balance of our time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friends and colleagues for their
very kind remarks. This is bipartisan legislation. We worked very
closely with the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) to come up with
what I think is a bill that will make a significant difference to help
those who have suffered the cruelty of despotic regimes all over the
world.
I just returned from a trip to Vietnam. I was in Hanoi, Hue, and
finished the trip in Ho Chi Minh City; and during the course of more
than 24 comprehensive meetings with religious and political people,
many of whom are under house arrest, or pagoda arrest, including that
of Thich Quand Do, the venerable leader of the Unified Buddhist Church
of Vietnam, Father Li, Father Loy and many others, in each and every
one of those circumstances, the more the conversation went on, the more
you saw, while they suffered much in prison, especially for Father Li
and others, they were subjected to torture and other inhumane
treatment.
Their faith helps them get through it. But for most beyond a facade
of coping, the mental pain is overwhelming. They and so many others
like them all over the world need what this kind of legislation can
provide in the foreign treatment centers as well as our domestic
centers. We have learned much about post-traumatic stress disorder. We
have learned much of it through our work in this country through the VA
and the fine work that the psychologists have done and the
psychiatrists in mitigating the pain of our GIs who served in Vietnam
and in other conflicts.
But for other people who have suffered so cruelly, being put into
coffin-like boxes for days and weeks on end, leaves scars. Father
Calciu, I will never forget, a great leader in Romania who spent years
in Communist prisons, used to be put in these small boxes where he
would suffer beyond words. It was his faith that got him through it,
but he carries those scars.
There are people like Armanda Valadaries who wrote a book that should
be read by everyone as a primer as to what the Castro regime does to
its people, ``Against All Hope.'' Valadaries talks about the torture
that he and so many others in Cuba have suffered. And he is one of the
brave ones who endured and overcame. But so many others retreat and
slide into despair, clinical depression, and then sometimes even to
suicide.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this. In like manner, I
urge the appropriators to ensure that we meet the authorized levels.
Torture victims are the walking wounded and they are on our streets. As
both the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) and I said, 400,000 is
the estimation of torture survivors living in the United States.
Many of them came here as asylum seekers. Thank God they got the
asylum status. Many others survive throughout the world and need the
kind of services this legislation can provide.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 2017, the
Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 2005, to reauthorize and
increase funding for the treatment of torture victims. As the ranking
member of the Helsinki Commission I was pleased to be an original co-
sponsor of this legislation, which was introduced by Chairman Chris
Smith.
The international community must aggressively address the issue of
torture. The U.S. Government estimates that about 400,000 survivors of
torture live in the United States, oftentimes after escaping
persecution abroad for their political or religious beliefs.
This bill would help provide funding for 27 treatment centers in the
United States and almost 200 treatment centers in other countries
through the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID. The bill
authorizes $90 million for fiscal years 2006 and 2007 for the
Department of Health and Human Services, USAID, and the United Nations
Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.
In my congressional district in Maryland, the Advocates for Survivors
of Torture and Trauma, ASTT, organization is one of the 27 nationwide
treatment centers that is supported by this legislation. The Baltimore-
based group was formed in 1994, and consists of physicians,
psychologists, social workers, and human rights advocates who assist in
supporting the victims of torture from all over the world. The center
treats patients from Maryland, Washington DC, Pennsylvania and
Delaware. Over the past 5 years this group has seen its client base
increase from 25 patients to 181 patients. The vast majority of their
patients are from Africa, although they also serve clients from Asia,
Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. These individuals have been
subjected to a horrifying range of physical and psychological torture.
ASTT provides crucial psychological assessment and counseling to
victims, works with other organizations to provide legal assistance to
asylum seekers, and seeks to educate physicians and health care workers
on how to identify and distinguish torture victims from other victims
of violence. I congratulate and commend ASTT on their efforts.
Torture victims require specialized treatment and counseling, and
therefore it is critical that today we reauthorize the Torture Victims
Relief Act of 1998, TVRA, in order to meet the growing demand for
treatment services provided by U.S. centers. U.S. centers have
witnessed a significant increase in patients since the TVRA was
enacted: from 935 in 1999 to 3,664 in 2002.
The reauthorization of this legislation would ensure that victims
continue to receive the treatment that they so desperately need and
that centers will be able to expand their existing programs to treat
more survivors. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the important work
that is being done to aid victims of torture, and to reemphasize my
support for the reauthorization of the Torture Victims Relief Act,
TVRA.
The enacted fiscal year 2006 Foreign Operations Appropriations Act
provides $6.583 million for the United Nations Voluntary Fund for
Victims of Torture and fully funds foreign treatment centers through
the United States Agency for International Development. Both the House
and Senate versions of the Labor HHS Appropriations bill provide $9.915
million for domestic torture treatment centers. We must continue to
support a strong congressional commitment for programs under the
Torture Victims Relief Act.
Minneapolis, MN is home to the United States first comprehensive
torture treatment center, the Center for Victims of Torture, CVT. When
CVT opened in 1985 they were the first center in the United States and
only the third in the entire world.
Freedom from torture is a universal and fundamental human right. Yet
torture continues to take place in more than 120 countries worldwide.
It is estimated that one-third of the world's 12 million refugees are
victims of torture. Politicians, journalists, teachers, students,
religious leaders, trade union and human rights activists are all
targets. The aim of torture is not to kill the victim, but to break
down the victim's personality. Crippled, traumatized, and humiliated,
the victims are returned to their communities as a warning to others.
There are more than 500,000 torture survivors in the United States
alone--refugees and asylum seekers who have fled repressive regimes. In
recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of
victims of torture seeking help at U.S. rehabilitation centers. In the
U.S. there are 34 rehabilitation centers and programs joined together
under the National Consortium of Torture Treatment Programs, which was
started by the Center for Victims of Torture in Minnesota.
I have seen victims made whole after they received care at CVT.
Restoring a torture survivor to full health has a lasting benefit for
the entire community. Former clients of CVT are now public school
teachers, small business owners, nurses, doctors and more. I commend
CVT for their tireless work on behalf of torture victims in the U.S.
and worldwide, and encourage my colleagues to support the
reauthorization of the Torture Victims Relief Act.
Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the passage of the Torture Victims
Relief Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2017) and appreciate Representative
Smith's leadership on this important issue. This bill, if enacted into
law and fully funded, will provide much needed assistance to victims of
torture, both within the U.S. and internationally.
But I am deeply disheartened that the good intentions of H.R. 2017
will be undercut by the Administration's refusal to unequivocally
reject the use of torture not only for the military but also for the
intelligence community. I do not naively believe that al-Qaeda or other
Foreign Terrorist Organizations have any respect for the U.N.
Convention Against Torture. But, the United States immediately loses
the moral battle against terrorists when U.S. policy makes acceptations
for torture, and disregards due process and the rule of law. Most
importantly, ambiguity about U.S. policy on torture puts into jeopardy
the lives of captured U.S. citizens, both military and civilian.
[[Page H11059]]
It is time for the House of Representatives to embrace Senator
McCain's anti-torture language and move on.
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2017,
``The Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 2005.''
Torture can have devastating physical and psychological consequences
for its victims. It is a worldwide health and human rights concern. The
need for assistance for torture victims living in the United States is
enormous. It is estimated that more than half a million survivors of
torture, who fled persecution in their native countries, now live in
the United States. Survivors of torture arriving in this country
include students, academicians, religious leaders and political
activists.
Programs funded through the Torture Victims Relief Act help torture
victims heal and rebuild their lives. Because of this legislation, more
than 30 organizations in more than 20 States are caring for refugees
and asylum seekers who have been brutally tortured and traumatized in
their countries of origin. Torture treatment programs funded by the
Torture Victims Relief Act provide critical medical care, mental health
care, and social services.
I am proud that one of the leading centers in the United States, the
Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture, is located in my
district. This program is jointly sponsored by Bellevue Hospital, the
nation's oldest public hospital, and New York University School of
Medicine, a leader in medical education and research. Since the
Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture began in 1995, more than
1,800 men, women, and children (more than 600 in the last year alone)
from more than 70 countries have received vital care. The Bellevue/NYU
Program has established an international reputation for excellence in
its clinical, educational and research activities.
One patient cared for through the Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors
of Torture is Samten. He is a gifted painter and was a leading artist
in Tibet. After being arrested and imprisoned for writing poetry
critical of the government, he was brutally beaten. During an
interrogation session, he was told that he ``was causing nothing but
trouble with his hands'' which were then forced into a coal oven. The
severe bums caused significant scarring and disfigurement of his hands.
He could barely hold a paintbrush and when he did, he had terrifying
flashbacks of his abuse. Nightmares interrupted what little sleep he
got.
At the time of referral to the Bellevue/NYU Program he did not have a
regular place to stay. Through the Bellevue/NYU Program, he received
primary medical care including pain management, treatment for exposure
to tuberculosis as well as referral to hand specialists and subsequent
hand surgery. Social service staff assisted him in finding housing and
a pro bono attorney to represent him in his asylum case. He also
attended a support group for Tibetan survivors which helped him to
restore important social connections. Following surgery, he had marked
improvement in the use of his hands. Recently, he was granted asylum,
and he is again drawing and able to support himself.
The Bellevue/NYU Program and other treatment centers try to help
torture survivors by restoring their dignity and their sense of trust.
The centers also help them heal physically and psychologically, and
assist them in getting on with their lives. Patients who have received
care from the Bellevue/NYU Program and other torture treatment centers
are now working, going to school, and again leading productive lives.
It is urgent that we continue to support torture treatment centers,
both domestically and internationally, through the Torture Victims
Relief Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Boozman). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2017.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________