[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 19]
[House]
[Pages 26850-26851]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



     AUTHORIZING INVESTIGATION INTO DISAPPEARANCE OF ZACHARY BAUMEL

  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in 
the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 1175) to locate and secure the 
return of Zachary Baumel, a United States citizen, and other Israeli 
soldiers missing in action.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Senate amendments:
       Page 3, strike out all after line 12, down to and including 
     line 22 and insert:
       (b) Provision of Assistance to Certain Governments.--In 
     deciding whether or not to provide United States assistance 
     to any government or authority which the Secretary of State 
     believes has information concerning the whereabouts of the 
     soldiers described in subsection (a), and in formulating 
     United States Policy towards such government or authority, 
     the President should take into consideration the willingness 
     of the government or authority to assist in locating and 
     securing the return of such soldiers.
       Page 4, line 8, after ``additional'' insert: ``credible''.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on the bill, H.R. 1175, currently under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Gilman), has taken a personal interest in this 
resolution. He cannot be here at this moment due to a prior commitment. 
I would, accordingly, read his remarks. They are more eloquent than my 
own, and I would say that his words fully reflect my own views on the 
subject as well.
  ``The measure before us today, H.R. 1175, is one which the House 
adopted overwhelmingly earlier this year but which was slightly amended 
by the other body last summer. Hence our renewed consideration.
  ``I remind my colleagues this important humanitarian measure is on 
behalf of three Israeli MIAs, one of whom, Zachary Baumel, is a dual 
American-Israeli national.
  ``It has been 17 long years since these Israeli soldiers faced Syrian 
forces in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on June 11, 1982. The men have been 
missing since that day, and all efforts since then, which have spanned 
the globe, have not brought them back to their families. These families 
deserve answers.
  ``H.R. 1175 will require the Department of State to raise the matter 
of Zachary Baumel, Yehuda Katz, and Avi Feldman with appropriate 
government officials of Syria, Lebanon, and the Palestinian authority.
  ``This measure also requires the United States to raise the issue 
with other governments which may be helpful in locating and securing 
the return of these soldiers and to report to Congress on all efforts.
  ``The other body made two minor technical changes after consulting 
with us, the sponsors, the State Department, and the Baumel family, and 
everyone concerned has agreed to these changes.
  ``Accordingly, I wish to thank again our committee colleague, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), for his continuing interest and 
commitment to this issue, and also urge our colleagues once again to 
express their strong support for H.R. 1175, as amended.''
  Mr. Speaker, that ends the prepared remarks of our chairman, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), and I would add only my very own 
few words.
  This has been of great importance to our committee and to me, as well 
as to the chairman. I observe what this resolution does. It not only 
calls on the State Department to continue raising this issue 
persistently, particularly with Syria, because it was in territory 
under Syria's actual control that these three individuals were taken 
prisoner--one of whom I emphasize is an American citizen as well as an 
Israeli citizen--but it also requests the State Department, in deciding 
which entities receive our aid, our taxpayers' money, that we take into 
account whether that entity or sovereign in question has assisted, has 
done all that it can, if it has basis for helping, to help with the 
resolution of these MIAs.

                              {time}  1445

  I think that is exactly the right message to send. I applaud the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), our chairman, for his leadership 
in this. And I note the extraordinary work of my good friend and my 
colleague from California (Mr. Lantos), the co-chair of the Human 
Rights Caucus, a champion for individuals against the abuse of their 
human rights wherever they may be and of what nationality they may be.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as my very good friend and colleague has pointed out, we 
approved this resolution in a slightly different form sometime back and 
we are now adopting it again because the Senate made some very useful, 
minor modifications.
  My good friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Campbell), 
outlined the issue. I can only add one footnote.
  At a time when the peace process is moving in the area, it is 
incumbent upon Yassir Arafat and the Syrian leadership and all those 
who have any influence over the government that

[[Page 26851]]

holds these unfortunate prisoners of war for the last 17 years to exert 
every effort to have them finally released. This action is long 
overdue.
  I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, today, for the second time this year, 
the House is considering H.R. 1175. This legislation, introduced by my 
distinguished colleague from California, Mr. Lantos, would help to 
locate Zachary Baumel, an American citizen and other Israeli soldiers 
missing in action since 1982.
  On June 22, 1999 the House sent a strong message by passing H.R. 1175 
with 415 votes in support of the bill. Today, the House has a chance to 
pass this legislation--as amended by the Senate--and send it to the 
President for his signature.
  I believe that the Administration is concerned about the fate of 
these brave soldiers. However, it has been five years since the Gaza-
Jericho agreement, and Zachary Baumel, Zvi Feldman, Yehuda Katz and 
others are still missing. Passage of this legislation will ensure that 
the Department of State raises this case on an urgent basis with all 
appropriate governments and authorities.
  Whenever American citizens or allies of the United States are taken 
during conflict, we must do everything possible to obtain their release 
or information as to their fate. My constituents agree. Over the past 
several months, I have received many letters and phone calls from 
individuals who are concerned about this issue, requesting that I do 
everything possible to ensure passage of this legislation. I urge all 
members to vote in support of this important measure.
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this time to voice my 
support for H.R. 1175, which would authorize an investigation into the 
disappearance of an American citizen, Zachary Baumel. It has been 
seventeen years since this young man, serving in the Israeli army, was 
captured along with the four other members of his tank battalion, in a 
battle with Palestinian and Syrian forces near the Lebanese town of 
Sultan Yaqub.
  H.R. 1175 directs the Department of State to investigate the cases of 
Mr. Baumel, and two other soldiers, Yehuda Katz, and Zvi Feldman. The 
last known whereabouts of these soldiers was in Syrian-controlled 
territory, under the care of a Palestinian faction splintered from the 
PLO. As diplomatic efforts to secure the release of these men have been 
periodically unsuccessful to date, this legislation directs the State 
Department to discuss this matter on an urgent basis with officials of 
Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, and other appropriate 
governments.
  The bill makes a simple request of the President, that when he is 
considering whether or not to provide economic assistance to these 
countries, that he weigh and measure the willingness of these 
governments and authorities to assist in locating and securing the 
release of these men.
  Mr. Speaker, the family of Zachary Baumel has been through incredible 
pain and uncertainty for these last seventeen years. Their hopes have 
been lifted in key times of negotiation, such as the Oslo Accords--yet 
to no avail.
  It is time that our country take another real and substantive step in 
requesting action on behalf of these middle eastern governments. These 
young men and their families deserve no less.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gillmor). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Campbell) that the House 
suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendments to the bill, H.R. 
1175.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. LANTOS. 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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