[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5467]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



          BRANDON FUNK OF SHOW LOW, ARIZONA, BEING HELD BY PRC

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Hayworth) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I come to the well of this House this 
afternoon to invoke the name of Brandon Funk of Show Low, Arizona, and 
23 others, our men and women in uniform, being detained by the People's 
Republic of China.
  Mr. Speaker, our President has been clear and unequivocal. In 
addressing the Communist Chinese regime, he has said simply, ``Let our 
people go now and return our plane.'' I support the President, as does 
this House, united with one voice, not a voice of Republicans or of 
Democrats, but one voice as Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, I would appeal to the Chinese Government to understand 
what is at stake. They should not underestimate the resolve of the 
American people, and they should not mistake the genial nature of our 
new Commander-in-Chief or the gentility he brings to his job as a lack 
of resolve.
  With each passing day, the People's Republic of China is placing in 
jeopardy its place among the community of nations, its status as an 
economic power, its opportunity to highlight and showcase some of the 
world's great events. There is a clear choice to be made.
  There are a number of options available to our Nation. Mr. Speaker, I 
do not come here to try to abridge or in any way describe the actions 
our Commander-in-Chief can take, but they are numerous, with serious 
repercussions for the Chinese regime in Beijing.
  Mr. Speaker, again I would ask the Chinese Government not to 
underestimate the United States of America. Secretary of State Powell 
struck the proper note yesterday when he offered regret over the loss 
of life.
  The preceding speaker, the gentleman from Illinois, made it quite 
clear that the EP-3 surveillance plane is not a readily maneuverable 
craft. It does not reach supersonic speeds, with its propeller drive. 
Sadly, the Chinese Government chose to scramble fighters, supersonic 
aircraft, in pursuit of this sovereign American plane over 
international airspace.
  As our commander-in-chief in the Pacific noted over the weekend, it 
is dangerous to try and play bumper cars aloft. We should commend the 
skill of the American pilot, who, with a severely damaged aircraft and, 
in what we understand now was a rapid descent, a fall of close to 8,000 
feet, had the wherewithal to be able to land the aircraft, albeit in 
Chinese territory.
  Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that the Sino-American dictionary that 
is employed here should be content with the expression of regret. But, 
Mr. Speaker, I would say to the People's Republic of China that there 
is nothing in this incident that the United States of America should 
even begin to apologize for. Are we to throw out rules of international 
conduct? Are we to ignore the law of sovereignty regarding open 
airspace? Are we to sit by with muted complaint based on the damage to 
our aircraft?
  Mr. Speaker, I think America speaks with one voice. I am concerned 
about my constituent. Brandon Funk of Show Low completed his high 
school degree in 3\1/2\ years; such was his desire to serve America in 
the military. Mr. Speaker, to Brandon and the 23 others, I say, remain 
strong, because the Nation you serve will do likewise.

                          ____________________