[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 160 (Wednesday, December 14, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H11618-H11621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOMMENDING INTEGRATION OF CROATIA INTO NATO

  Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 529) recommending the integration of the 
Republic of Croatia into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 529

       Whereas the United States recognized the Republic of 
     Croatia on April 7, 1992, acknowledging the decision of the 
     people of Croatia to live in an independent, democratic, and 
     sovereign country;
       Whereas since achieving their independence, the people of 
     Croatia have built a democratic society, based on the rule of 
     law, respect for human rights, and a free market economy;
       Whereas Croatia is a functioning democracy, with stable 
     institutions guaranteeing the rule of law, human rights, and 
     market economy;
       Whereas Croatia has previously cooperated with the North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) by allowing NATO free 
     access to its air space during NATO's 1999 military action 
     against Serbia;
       Whereas the United States has shown support for Croatia in 
     many ways since its independence, including by providing 
     Croatia with economic and military assistance that has 
     contributed significantly to the continued success;
       Whereas Croatia is a reliable partner of the United States, 
     actively contributing to the stabilization of South Central 
     Europe;
       Whereas NATO's Membership Action Plan, which was launched 
     in April 1999, is a program of assistance that provides both 
     goals and a roadmap for countries aspiring to NATO 
     membership;
       Whereas Croatia was invited into the Membership Action Plan 
     in May 2002 and has made substantial progress in attaining 
     the necessary level of reforms required for receiving an 
     invitation to start accession talks with NATO;
       Whereas the United States, Croatia, Albania, and Macedonia 
     are signatories to the United States-Adriatic Charter, which 
     promotes Euro-Atlantic integration and commits the signatory 
     nations to the values and principles of NATO and to joining 
     the Alliance at the earliest possible time;
       Whereas Croatia significantly improved its cooperation with 
     the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia 
     (ICTY);
       Whereas on October 3, 2005, the European Union decided to 
     open accession negotiations with Croatia based on the 
     assessment of its Council of Ministers that Croatia met the 
     political and economic criteria for candidacy in the European 
     Union, including that Croatia was fully cooperating with the 
     ICTY;
       Whereas Croatia has sent troops to Afghanistan as part of 
     the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) 
     in support of the war against terrorism and has endorsed and 
     is participating in the Proliferation Security Initiative 
     with like-minded nations across the world to prevent the flow 
     of weapons of mass destruction, missile systems, and related 
     material; and
       Whereas Croatia shares the common interests and values of 
     the free and democratic world: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that--
       (1) the Republic of Croatia has made significant progress 
     since its independence in strengthening its democratic 
     institutions and respect for human rights and the rule of 
     law;
       (2) Croatia should be commended for its progress in meeting 
     the political, economic, military, and other requirements of 
     NATO's Membership Action Plan, its contribution to the global 
     war on terrorism, and for its constructive participation in 
     the United States-Adriatic Charter;
       (3) the Government of Croatia should be commended for its 
     ongoing cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal 
     for the former Yugoslavia;
       (4) Croatia would make a significant contribution to NATO; 
     and
       (5) with complete satisfaction of NATO guidelines and 
     criteria for membership, Croatia should be invited to be a 
     full member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization at the 
     earliest possible date.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Gallegly) and the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lantos) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GALLEGLY. 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 resolution under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 529, a resolution 
introduced that supports the accession of Croatia into the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization.
  Since achieving their independence in 1992, the people of Croatia 
have built a democratic society based on the rule of law, respect for 
human rights, and a free market economy. In addition, they have sent 
troops to Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led security force in support 
of the war on terrorism and have provided strong support to the U.S. 
nonproliferation efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, just last week the one remaining impediment to Croatia's 
entry into NATO was removed when General Ante Gotovina, the alleged 
Croatian war criminal, was arrested in Spain. General Gotovina has been 
transferred to The Hague to stand trial before the International 
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. His arrest last Thursday 
in the Canary Islands confirms the truthfulness of the statements by 
the Croatian Government that Gotovina was not hiding in Croatian 
territory.
  House Resolution 529 commends Croatia's significant progress in 
strengthening its democratic institutions, its support for the global 
war on terrorism, and its ability to make significant contributions to 
NATO. It also applauds their ongoing cooperation with the International 
Criminal Tribunal.
  Finally, the resolution states that once it meets NATO's guidelines 
and criteria for membership, Croatia should be invited to join NATO at 
the earliest possible date.
  Mr. Speaker, Croatia is not only a strong ally of the United States. 
The American and Croatian people share a love of freedom and democracy. 
Croatia has been a steadfast friend, and it will make an important 
contribution to security and peace in Europe and throughout the world 
as a member of NATO. Both the Europe and Emerging Threats Subcommittee 
and the House International Relations Committee unanimously approved 
House Resolution 529, and I urge its adoption in the full House.
  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 strongly support this resolution and urge all of my 
colleagues to do so.
  At the outset, I want to commend my good friend and fellow 
Californian (Mr. Gallegly) for introducing this important piece of 
legislation.
  Since dissolution of Yugoslavia, the Balkans have gone through a 
period of profound instability, a deadly civil war, and the worst 
atrocities seen in Europe since the end of the Second World War.
  It would be entirely understandable in this context if Croatia had 
given in to the authoritarian impulses of its past and remained a state 
where the prospect for democracy remained a hope rather than a reality. 
And, indeed, the first Croatian Government after independence had 
elements of extreme nationalism that helped contribute to the 
atrocities of the 1990s.
  Fortunately, the Croatian people rose above their history and have 
embarked on fashioning democratic institutions that are mandatory for a 
pluralistic society. There have been two peaceful transfers of power in 
Croatia since 1991, and the parliamentary elections of 2003 were 
generally judged by the international community to be free and fair.
  Recently, the Government of Croatia has also adopted a more 
cooperative approach to working with the International Tribunal for the 
former Yugoslavia, providing key materials and documents that assist 
the work of this vital international institution. In fact, Mr. Speaker, 
just this past week, the last remaining key Croatian indictee, Ante 
Gotovina, was apprehended by Spanish authorities in the Canary Islands 
and transferred to The Hague to stand trial. We congratulate all those 
who had a part in bringing this infamous war criminal to justice, and 
we urge Croatia to continue its vital cooperation with the court. No 
civilized country can do less.
  In response to this increased cooperation, the European Union has 
decided

[[Page H11619]]

to open accession talks that will eventually lead to the entry of 
Croatia to the European Union. In this context, Mr. Speaker, it is 
perfectly appropriate to start looking ahead to eventual full 
membership for Croatia in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. 
Croatia is already a member of the Partnership for Peace, and its 
membership would further anchor Croatia in the emerging zone of freedom 
that continues to sweep across the face of the Eurasian land mass.
  Mr. Speaker, membership in NATO has been a linchpin in anchoring 
countries of the former Warsaw Pact firmly in the Euro-Atlantic 
framework. This resolution seeks to extend this successful policy to 
Croatia.
  However, we should note that becoming members of both the European 
Union and NATO will require further reforms by Croatia, and the 
Croatian Government has much work ahead. We should work together to 
ensure that Croatia takes all the vital steps, and I hope this 
resolution will kick off this important dialogue.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from California (Mr. 
Lantos) for yielding me this time.
  When Croatia was struggling for its independence and survival, I was 
one of the American political figures who challenged my own government 
for its lack of support for Croatia at a critical hour. Here I take 
great pride in asking my government in the House of Representatives as 
a Member to support the integration of the Republic of Croatia into the 
North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
  I take great pride in my Croatian heritage. My grandfather John 
Kucinich came from what is now part of Croatia. My father made sure 
that we stayed close to the Croatian culture and language while we were 
growing up in Cleveland, and greater Cleveland has a very large 
Croatian community. I take great pride in the achievements of my 
Croatian brothers and sisters in the United States as well as in 
Croatia and those around the world. And I agree that Croatia ought to 
be fully integrated into the European Union as well as NATO.
  I want to at the same time, though, make sure that I make Congress 
aware of the conduct of the Croatian television network, HRT, which 
has, unfortunately, denied an American filmmaker access to documentary 
film footage so as to frustrate the commercial release of her 
production.

                              {time}  2200

  This is not a routine matter, Mr. Speaker, because this film by Ms. 
Brenda Brkusic, ``Freedom From Despair,'' has received great critical 
acclaim. She has won many awards, including the CINE Golden Eagle 
Award, which has previously been awarded to international filmmakers 
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. She has been recognized by her peers 
as an emerging talent in the film industry. The Croatian National 
Foundation has agreed to be her fiscal sponsor; and Amnesty 
International, the largest human rights organization in the world, has 
endorsed her film for its strong human rights advocacy.
  I believe that the Government of Croatia is sensitive to human rights 
issues, as has been stated by my friend Mr. Gallegly and also by my 
friend Mr. Lantos. However, we need to make sure that HRT, which is the 
state-owned television station, does not escape its responsibility to 
be sensitive to human rights.
  So, I am using this opportunity while I celebrate the support for 
Croatia, I also believe that it is important to continue to point out 
wherever there are questions relating to human rights, whether they be 
in freedom of expression, in telling the truth about the past or in 
trying to lay the groundwork for a bright future that Congress needs to 
be the proper forum to make those statements.
  Croatia desires to be in NATO to protect itself from outside forces. 
I want to make sure Croatia is protected from threats to freedom of 
expression inside the country of Croatia.
  When Croatia was struggling for its independence and survival I was 
one of the American political figures who challenged my own government 
for its lack of support for Croatia at a critical hour. I take great 
pride in my Croatian heritage. My grandfather was born in what is now 
Croatia. I take pride in the achievements of my Croatian brothers and 
sisters in Croatia, America and around the world.
  However, I want to make the Congress aware of the conduct of the 
Croatian television network HRT, which has deliberately denied an 
American filmmaker access to documentary film footage, so as to 
frustrate the commercial release of her production.
  The Croatian television network, HRT, initially gave Ms. Brenda 
Brkusic rights to film footage for student use in the production. Once 
she asked for commercial rights, HRT refused to cooperate. HRT has 
refused to answer her questions about the specific price for rights to 
the footage, giving her general, estimated quotes much higher than are 
quoted to other people who have inquired for footage rights, and they 
have suggested unreasonable limitations on those rights. Most recently, 
when she sent HRT a list of archives she was given by HRT for student 
use, HRT then informed her that they do not have the right to sell her 
that material. Ms. Brkusic asked HRT where she must go to get the 
rights, yet HRT refused to answer her questions. Furthermore, HRT has 
on other occasions sold that same material that Ms. Brkusic requested 
to other individuals for broadcast on television.
  This is not a routine matter about a routine film. Ms. Brkusic's 
film, ``Freedom from Despair,'' has received great critical acclaim. 
She has won many awards, including the CINE Golden Eagle award, which 
was previously been awarded to the internationally acclaimed filmmakers 
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. She has been recognized by her peers 
as an emerging talent in the film industry. The Croatian National 
Foundation has agreed to be her fiscal sponsor, and Amnesty 
International, the largest human rights organization in the world, has 
endorsed her film for its strong human rights advocacy.
  The fact that numerous media outlets have agreed to donate their 
footage to her film at no cost is noteworthy. They include: ABC 7 
Chicago, NBC 5 Chicago, CBS 2, WGN 9 Chicago, and Greater Chicago 
Broadcast Ministries. They all granted her worldwide rights to their 
footage in perpetuity for free, within a few weeks of her request.
  HRT, on the other hand, has not only been uncooperative, but 
obstructive. This distresses me. Given the high profile on this film 
and the extraordinarily fast rising stardom of its director, a young 
Croatian-American, HRT's antics will damage the reputation of the 
Croatian government in the international community.
  Croatia desires to be in NATO to protect itself from outside enemies. 
But who will protect Croatia from threats to freedom of expression 
inside the country?
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional requests for time, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
to respond to Mr. Kucinich.
  Mr. Speaker, while I am not aware of the specific details that Mr. 
Kucinich outlined, I want to make it very clear I do appreciate his 
comment about Croatia and his feeling about its accession to NATO.
  I would like to say, while I am not familiar with that specific 
incident, I firmly believe that Croatia's overall record has 
significantly improved in human rights over the past decade. Although 
Croatia may not be perfect, just 14 years ago the Croatian people were 
living under a communist dictatorship and in the intervening period has 
made great strides in human rights and I believe has a very free press.
  Mr. Speaker, Croatia, like many other former communist states in 
Eastern and Central Europe, are relatively new democracies. There are 
still some areas that need improvement. However, there should be no 
doubt that the Croatian Government respects human rights and civil 
liberties.
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. GALLEGLY. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.
  Mr. KUCINICH. First of all, I want to thank my friend for reviewing 
the history of commitment. I want to thank my friend for pointing out 
that Croatia has worked toward fulfillment of commitments on human 
rights. I would agree with that. At the same time, I would ask my 
friend to assist me in helping Croatia continue that commitment in an 
area that is really important, and that is freedom of expression.
  I would like to at some point after the debate share with the 
gentleman the specific concerns that I had that

[[Page H11620]]

caused me to bring this up during debate. But I want to thank the 
gentleman for his sponsorship, for his commitment, and I join him in 
it.
  Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I would like to 
personally go on record to make the firm commitment to my good friend 
Mr. Kucinich from Ohio to work with him on this issue. I think we are 
on the same page, and I look forward to working with him.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Smith).
  (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 my friend for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I would just thank Chairman Gallegly for sponsoring this 
resolution. I am happy to be a cosponsor. I would just make the point 
that this supports the accession of Croatia into NATO. As either 
chairman or subcommittee chairman of the Global Human Rights and 
International Ops Committee for 6 years in the 1990s and as either 
chairman or cochairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in 
Europe, I have watched very closely the issues relating to Croatia over 
these many years.
  As a matter of fact, Frank Wolf and I actually got into Vukovar while 
it was under siege and saw the incredible devastation that occurred 
early in that war with Serbia, and one house after another, one block 
after another being literally decimated by the Serbian offensive.
  But so much has changed. So much has changed dramatically. As a 
matter of fact, over the last 5 years we have seen the real changes. 
For a while there, regrettably, the government was very wedded and many 
people in Croatia to nationalism, and some would even say extreme 
nationalism. That has now dissipated largely and now we have a Croat 
group of people, a free press, increasingly the NGOs, the church, all 
speaking on one accord for more human rights; and I do think over time 
and hopefully sooner rather than later they will make their way into 
NATO, provided the additional benchmarks are met.
  So this is a good statement of solidarity with the people of Croatia 
saying that we think it is time. I thank, again, Mr. Gallegly for 
sponsoring this.
  Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of H. Res. 529, I rise in strong support 
of this resolution that supports the accession of Croatia into the 
North Atlantic Treaty Organization. I have followed developments in 
Croatia extensively, both as a Chairman of the International Relations 
Committee and as Chairman or Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission. I 
can particularly recall--indeed, it would be hard to forget--the horror 
that accompanied the seige and ultimately the fall of Vukovar during 
the conflict in Croatia in 1991. That was the year Croatia proclaimed 
its independence from the disintegrating Yugoslavia. Few would have 
predicted that in such a short period of time Croatia would be 
advancing toward European integration at its current pace.
  It is true, as stated in this resolution, that since achieving 
independence, the people of Croatia have built a democratic society, 
based on the rule of law, respect for human rights and a free market 
economy. To be more precise, however, it is worth noting that most of 
this progress occurred in the last five years, after Croatia was able 
to move beyond the conflict but also to make its own transition away 
from nationalism. The lack of progress which occurred in the early 
years of Croatia's independence is not something to hide. It makes the 
progress achieved since 2000 all the more profound.
  It is also true that the people of Croatia deserve the credit. It was 
the Croatian people who became fed up with supporting the agenda of 
others. Through non-governmental organizations, independent media 
outlets and ultimately the ballot box, they earned their independence 
and freedom. Those representing Croatia's Serb community who made the 
decision to return to their homes, despite fears and lingering 
obstacles, also deserve credit for Croatia's progress. They have 
challenged the country to recover and to reconcile, and Croatia is 
stronger as a result. The people of Croatia have built a democratic 
society based on the rule of law, respect for human rights and a free 
market economy.
  They have sent troops to Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led security 
force in support of the war on terrorism and have provided strong 
support to U.S. nonproliferation efforts. Mr. Speaker, just last week, 
the one remaining impediment to Croatia's entry into NATO was removed 
when General Ante Gotovina, the alleged Croatian war criminal, was 
arrested in Spain. General Gotovina has been transferred to The Hague 
to stand trial before the International Criminal Tribunal for the 
former Yugoslavia.
  Mr. Speaker, the resolution states that once it meets NATO guidelines 
and criteria for membership, Croatia should be invited to join NATO at 
the earliest possible date. With its location, resources and talented 
people, a Croatia which satisfies the guidelines and criteria for NATO 
membership will strengthen the alliance.
  Support for Croatia's integration into NATO should also encourage 
others in the region to make similar progress. Two other Adriatic 
Charter partners, Albania and Macedonia, immediately come to mind. It 
is also my deepest hope that Bosnia and Herzegovina, ten years after 
the Dayton Accords ended the conflict there, can move beyond what have 
become the restraining effects of that peace agreement's ethnic 
balancing act, adopt serious constitutional reform and accelerate its 
integration into Europe as well. Finally, we all hope that people in 
Serbia will continue their efforts to overcome the bankrupt legacy left 
by extreme nationalism, in particular by taking every effort to bring 
to justice those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity 
and genocide, so that Serbia, too, can move forward.
  H. Res. 529 commends Croatia's significant progress in strengthening 
its democratic institutions, its support for the global war on 
terrorism and its ability to make significant contributions to NATO. It 
also applauds their ongoing cooperation with the international war 
crimes tribunal.
  Mr. Speaker, Croatia is not only a strong ally of the United States. 
The American and Croatian people share a love of freedom and democracy. 
Croatia has been a steadfast friend, and it will make an important 
contribution to security and peace in Europe and throughout the world 
as a member of NATO.
  Both the Europe and Emerging Threats Subcommittee and the House 
International Relations Committee unanimously approved House Resolution 
529, and I urge its passage by the full House.
  Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would just like to thank my good friend, 
the ranking member of the full committee, whom I have had the honor and 
pleasure of working with for many years, and thank him not only for his 
support, but powerful words this evening in support of this resolution. 
I ask our colleagues to join with us in passing this resolution 
tonight.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this resolution as 
the ranking member of the Helsinki Commission. I visited Croatia in 
2000, shortly after new leadership came into power, and I was confident 
of the country's commitment to reform. I believe, 5 years later, we 
have seen that the people of Croatia truly are committed to reform.
  Of particular interest to me as a determinant of U.S. policy toward 
southeastern Europe has been the degree to which countries cooperate 
with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, 
located in The Hague. While Croatia has had a generally good record in 
this regard, the Gotovina case remained as a blot on that record. 
Fortunately, with Gotovina's recent apprehension on Spain's Canary 
Islands, Croatia can put this issue behind it.
  I hope, however, that the people of Croatia will view the work of the 
Tribunal as a necessary step to determine guilt or innocence, and that 
Croatian courts will similarly seek justice regarding cases relating to 
war crimes and crimes against humanity that it considers, regardless of 
who was responsible for these crimes and who were the victims.
  I also call for all remaining indictees to be apprehended and 
transferred to The Hague, in particular Ratko Mladic and Radovan 
Karadzic. The House made a similar call earlier this year when passing 
the resolution marking the massacre at Srebrenica in Bosnia. There has 
been some progress this year, but both Bosnian Serb and Serbian 
authorities need to do more. Otherwise, they will fall further behind 
in European and Euro-Atlantic integration to their own detriment.
  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the co-chair of the House 
Croatian Caucus in strong support of H. Res. 529. I would first like to 
thank Chairman Gallegly for authoring this legislation, the ranking 
member on the Europe Subcommittee, Mr. Wexler, as well as Mr. 
Radanovich, my co-chair of the House Croatian Caucus for all of their 
tireless work advocating for Croatia.
  Since 1994, on more than one occasion, Congress has endorsed the 
enlargement of NATO. Most recently, in 2003, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, 
Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia signed accession protocols 
to the

[[Page H11621]]

Washington Treaty of 1949 signifying their willingness to join NATO. 
Since its independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1992, Croatia has 
made substantial progress in attaining the necessary level of military 
and political reforms required for receiving an invitation to begin 
accession negotiations with NATO. I am pleased to say that just this 
past October, the European Union began negotiations with Croatia based 
on its assessment that Croatia met the political and economic criteria 
for candidacy in the European Union.
  Croatia is a strong ally of the United Sates in the War Against 
Terrorism. Croatia has sent troops to Afghanistan as part of the NATO-
led International Security Assistance Force and has endorsed and is 
participating in the Proliferation Security Initiative to prevent the 
flow of weapons of mass destruction to that region.
  Stability in South Central Europe is a very high priority, and 
Croatia has become a valuable, constructive partner in this delicate 
region. Given the potential for future regional conflicts, NATO should 
want to take advantage of the greater contribution that Croatia would 
make toward peace and stability as a full member of NATO.
  The resolution before us today expresses the sense of the House of 
Representatives that Croatia has made significant progress since its 
independence in strengthening its democratic institutions and its 
respect for human rights and the rule of law. In addition, it commends 
the Republic of Croatia for the progress it has made since the end of 
its war for independence. Further, the Resolution commends Croatia for 
its progress in meeting the political, economic, military, and other 
requirements of NATO's Membership Action Plan, for its contribution to 
the global war on terrorism, and for its constructive participation in 
the U.S.-Adriatic Charter.
  In closing Mr. Speaker, I would like to once again thank the 
International Relations Committee for reporting this resolution and 
urge my colleagues to support this resolution and approve Croatia's 
accession into NATO.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 529, 
recommending Croatia's integration into NATO. As a co-chair of the 
Congressional Croatian Caucus I am pleased to support this bipartisan 
resolution. The success to date of H. Res. 529 is due to the vision and 
resolve shown by members of the Caucus to effectively drive this 
important measure forward, in addition to the hard work of the National 
Federation of Croatian Americans, NFCA, and the Croatian Embassy.
  The success of H. Res. 529 is yet another testimony that ongoing 
reforms by the Croatian Government are reaping significant rewards that 
are of immense benefit both domestically and internationally. This is 
crucial in paving the country's path towards Euro-Atlantic integration.
  Voting in favor for this cause will send a very strong message that 
the significant progress Croatia has made to date has not gone 
unrecognized in Congress. More importantly, the full adoption of H. 
Res. 529 will officially sanction and invigorate mutually complementary 
U.S./Croatian strategic interests towards trans-Atlantic integration 
issues.
  Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Conaway). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Gallegly) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 529, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________