[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 8755-8756]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 OREGON CITIZEN MIKE HAWASH ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY MATERIAL WITNESS LAW

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 7, 2003, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I am reflecting on the words of the 
majority leader, actions speak for themselves, and I think we are going 
to have a series of discussions here on the floor of this Chamber 
dealing with the actions of the Republican majority and the mismatch 
between what the American public wants and needs. The notion that we 
are going to cut veterans benefits when we are sending our veterans-to-
be into battle in the Middle East, the fact that we are providing even 
the tax treatment for the veterans that he referenced was achieved only 
after the Republican majority was embarrassed with their original 
proposal. They had to withdraw it because it confused assistance for 
our veterans with aid for people who gamble from overseas and 
manufacture tackle boxes. Mr. Speaker, I would like instead today to 
reflect on a moment of what times of stress especially in war serve as 
a mirror for who we are. There have been times in our history like 
World War II where it has reflected in a very positive sense on our 
character, it has brought out the best in the American public, but also 
during that same period of time, there was also reflected some of the 
things that we are least proud of. For example, our treatment of legal 
Japanese residents and Japanese citizens in this country, herding them 
up and putting them in concentration camps.

[[Page 8756]]

  One of the problems I have with the current situation is that it is 
fraught with danger, and if we are not careful, we will have a risk of 
losing track of who we are. I was struck last fall when I read an 
article in the Washington Post that talks about how the material 
witness law in this country casts dozens of citizens, of Americans, 
into limbo, where there were 44 people who were jailed as material 
witnesses and kept in maximum security conditions for a few days, in 
some cases for several months or longer. Seven of them were American 
citizens. I was troubled when I read that account, Mr. Speaker, but I 
must say that I was shaken when I saw it occur in my community, where 3 
weeks ago Maher Hawash, Mike to his friends, a 38-year-old software 
engineer, although born in the West Bank and who grew up in Kuwait, has 
been an American citizen for over a dozen years, he lives with his wife 
Lisa, raising three children here in our community of Portland, Oregon, 
was arrested in the Intel parking lot at 6:30 in the morning. At the 
same time almost a dozen armed agents swept into his home. I heard from 
his former boss, Steve McGeady, a friend of mine, in Portland, who was 
stunned by the accusation but more by the treatment of this American 
citizen, kept in solitary confinement for 3 weeks under this material 
witness warrant, attorney and family subject to a gag order. This is a 
person with strong ties to the community and does not appear to 
represent any risk of flight.
  Citizens who know Mike have organized their own Web site, 
freemikehawash.org, that says it all. Mr. Speaker, he had a hearing 
yesterday but he is bound over again under these conditions. We do not 
know what is going on. He is going to be kept in detention, it looks 
like, for at least another 2 to 3 weeks. Mr. Speaker, this is deeply 
troubling treatment for an American citizen. Put him before the grand 
jury now. If they think he has committed some sort of crime, charge 
him. If not, for heaven sakes, release him. We should not have a shroud 
of secrecy. We should not have indefinite detention in solitary 
confinement for American citizens. We should not be punishing them, 
their family and friends.
  As I said, Mr. Speaker, at times difficult situations provide a 
mirror. I would hope that the mirror that we hold up to ourselves at 
this time should show America at its best, not at its worst.

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