[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2631-2635]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM TO ESTABLISH A PUBLIC 
 JUDICIAL INQUIRY INTO THE MURDER OF NORTHERN IRELAND DEFENSE ATTORNEY 
                            PATRICK FINUCANE

  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 20) calling on the Government 
of the United Kingdom to immediately establish a full, independent, and 
public judicial inquiry into the murder of Northern Ireland defense 
attorney Patrick Finucane, as recommended by Judge Peter Cory as part 
of the Weston

[[Page 2632]]

Park Agreement, in order to move forward on the Northern Ireland peace 
process, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 20

       Whereas human rights defense attorney and solicitor Patrick 
     Finucane was brutally murdered in front of his wife and 
     children at his home in Belfast on February 12, 1989;
       Whereas many international bodies and nongovernmental human 
     rights organizations, including Amnesty International, 
     British Irish Rights Watch, the Committee for the 
     Administration of Justice, and Human Rights First, have 
     called attention to serious allegations of collusion between 
     loyalist paramilitaries and British security forces in the 
     murder of Mr. Finucane;
       Whereas in July 2001 the Governments of Ireland and the 
     United Kingdom under terms of the Weston Park Agreement 
     appointed retired Canadian Judge Peter Cory to investigate 
     the allegations of collusion between loyalist paramilitaries 
     and British security forces in the murder of Mr. Finucane and 
     other individuals;
       Whereas Judge Cory reported to the Governments of Ireland 
     and the United Kingdom in April 2004 that sufficient evidence 
     of collusion existed to warrant a full, independent, and 
     public judicial inquiry into the murder of Mr. Finucane and 
     recommended that a public inquiry take place without delay;
       Whereas the Government of the United Kingdom in April 2005 
     adopted the Inquiries Act 2005 which empowers the Government 
     to block scrutiny of state actions and limits independent 
     action by the judiciary in inquiries held under its terms, 
     and, after the enactment of this legislation establishing new 
     limited inquiry procedures, the Government announced that an 
     inquiry into the murder of Mr. Finucane would be established 
     which would operate under terms of the new legislation;
       Whereas Judge Cory, in a written statement presented to the 
     Committee on International Relations of the House of 
     Representatives in 2005, stated that his 2004 recommendation 
     for a public inquiry into the murder of Mr. Finucane had 
     ``contemplated a true public inquiry constituted and acting 
     pursuant to the provisions of the 1921 Act'' (the Tribunals 
     of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921), and also stated that ``it 
     seems to me that the proposed new Act would make a meaningful 
     inquiry impossible'';
       Whereas the family of Mr. Finucane has rejected the limited 
     authority of an inquiry conducted under terms of the 
     Inquiries Act of 2005;
       Whereas Amnesty International, British Irish Rights Watch, 
     the Committee for the Administration of Justice, and Human 
     Rights First have likewise rejected any proposed inquiry into 
     the murder of Mr. Finucane established under procedures of 
     the Inquiries Act of 2005 and have called for the repeal of 
     the Act;
       Whereas the Dial Eireann (Parliament of Ireland) adopted a 
     resolution on March 8, 2006, calling for the establishment of 
     a full, independent, and public judicial inquiry into the 
     murder of Patrick Finucane;
       Whereas the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal 
     Year 2003 (Public Law 107-228) and House Resolution 128 
     (April 20, 1999) support the establishment of a full, 
     independent, and public judicial inquiry into the murder of 
     Patrick Finucane;
       Whereas on May 18, 2006, the House of Representatives 
     overwhelmingly agreed to House Resolution 740, which declared 
     in part that the House of Representatives ``urges the 
     Government of the United Kingdom immediately to establish a 
     full, independent, and public judicial inquiry into the 
     murder of Patrick Finucane''; and
       Whereas on January 22, 2007, the Police Ombudsman for 
     Northern Ireland released a comprehensive report which 
     confirms that police in Northern Ireland have colluded with 
     members of a loyalist paramilitary organization in specific 
     murders that took place over the last dozen years that the 
     Ombudsman investigated and that such collusion could not have 
     occurred ``without the knowledge and support of the highest 
     level'' of the Northern Ireland police: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) expresses to the family of Patrick Finucane deepest 
     condolences on his death, commends their steadfast pursuit of 
     justice in his brutal murder, and thanks his wife Geraldine 
     and son Michael for their willingness to testify on this 
     matter before committees of the House of Representatives on 
     numerous occasions;
       (2) supports the efforts of the Administration in seeking 
     the full implementation of the Weston Park Agreement and the 
     establishment of a full, independent, and public judicial 
     inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane;
       (3) calls on the Government of the United Kingdom to 
     reconsider its position on the matter of an inquiry into the 
     murder of Mr. Finucane, to amend the Inquiries Act of 2005, 
     and to take fully into account the objections of Judge Cory, 
     objections raised by officials of the United States 
     Government, other governments, and international bodies, and 
     the objections raised by Mr. Finucane's family; and
       (4) urges the Government of the United Kingdom immediately 
     to establish a full, independent, and public judicial inquiry 
     into the murder of Patrick Finucane which would enjoy the 
     full cooperation and support of his family, the people of 
     Northern Ireland, and the international community as 
     recommended by Judge Cory.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days 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. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. These are 
promising times for Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein, the party linked to 
the Irish Republican Army, has just voted to start cooperating with the 
Northern Ireland police. With this action, Sinn Fein has abandoned 
decades of opposition to law and order, and vastly improved the chances 
of a Catholic-Protestant administration in Belfast before long.

                              {time}  1315

  Yes, Madam Speaker, these are promising times for Northern Ireland. 
But there are also reminders that the road to reconciliation remains 
long and tortuous. Last week the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland 
released a comprehensive report confirming that police in Northern 
Ireland have colluded with the loyalist paramilitaries over the last 
dozen years, and that such collusion could not have occurred, and I 
quote, ``without the knowledge and support of the highest level of the 
Northern Ireland police.'' Such incidents must be thoroughly 
investigated and their perpetrators caught.
  Madam Speaker, February 12 marks the anniversary, 18 years ago, of 
the tragic murder of Northern Ireland defense attorney Patrick 
Finucane. He was brutally shot 14 times by masked men before his wife 
and two young children in his North Belfast home.
  He was a solicitor who represented republicans in many high profile 
cases, most notably, IRA hunger striker, Bobby Sands. But he also acted 
on behalf of loyalists.
  A wide array of human rights groups alleged that his murder was at 
the hands of loyalist paramilitaries, colluding with British security 
officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary Special Branch. The 
paramilitaries later claimed that Mr. Finucane was killed because he 
was a high-ranking officer in the provisional IRA. However, the police 
indicated at his inquest that they had no evidence to support that 
claim.
  Canadian Judge Peter Cory was appointed by the governments of Ireland 
and the United Kingdom to examine these allegations. In 2004, the 
report came that sufficient evidence of collusion existed to warrant a 
full, independent and public inquiry without delay.
  Madam Speaker, in order to move the Irish peace process forward, the 
resolution before us today calls on the Government of the United 
Kingdom to conduct a full, independent and public judicial inquiry into 
Mr. Finucane's murder, which will enjoy the full cooperation and 
support of his family and the international community. The time to 
bring justice and put an end to this tragic matter is long past due.
  Again, I would like to thank our distinguished colleague, Mr. Chris 
Smith of New Jersey, for his tireless pursuit of this most important 
issue. Mr. Smith has been a long-time friend of Ireland, and his 
dedication to this issue and to human rights across the globe is well 
known and much admired by many, certainly including myself.
  I want to thank the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, 
Ms.

[[Page 2633]]

Ros-Lehtinen, for her strong support for this measure.
  I strongly support this legislation and encourage all of my 
colleagues across the full spectrum to do so as well.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, let me at the outset thank Chairman Lantos for his 
leadership on this issue in general, human rights. But also especially 
in the case of Patrick Finucane, which so many of us have cared so 
deeply about for so many years. He has been a great friend of Ireland 
as well, and I want to thank him for that.
  I also want to thank the original sponsors of this legislation, 
including my good friends and colleagues, Mr. Engel, Mr. Walsh, Mr. 
Neal, Mr. King, Mr. Payne, Mr. Garrett of New Jersey, Mr. Pallone, Mr. 
Crowley, Mr. McNulty and Mr. Rothman and the many others who 
cosponsored this truly bipartisan resolution.
  H. Con. Res. 20, Madam Speaker, calls on the British Government to 
live up to its commitment as part of the Northern Ireland peace process 
to implement a public, independent judicial inquiry into the murder of 
human rights attorney Patrick Finucane. Mr. Finucane, who represented 
Catholics in Northern Ireland, was gunned down in his home in 1989 in 
front of his wife and his children. I would note parenthetically his 
wife was wounded as well.
  For years, Madam Speaker, nongovernmental human rights organizations, 
regional and very much renowned international legal experts, have 
raised serious allegations that Mr. Finucane's murder resulted from 
collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and British security forces. 
In 2004, retired Canadian Supreme Court judge Peter Cory, who was 
appointed by the governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom to 
examine these allegations under the Weston Park Agreement, reported 
that sufficient evidence of collusion existed to warrant a full, 
independent and public judiciary inquiry without delay.
  Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, the British Government has yet to 
comply.
  Many of my colleagues know that as chairman of the Subcommittee on 
Human Rights and as chairman of the Helsinki Commission I have held 11 
hearings on the peace process in Northern Ireland. Central to each of 
these hearings has been the ongoing concern about the human rights 
abuses by members of the police service in Northern Ireland. The 
Finucane family has testified. Judge Cory has testified. The U.N. 
Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers has 
testified, as well as many numerous human rights leaders. All have 
advocated for a special investigation into the possibility of collusion 
in the Finucane murder.
  Beyond this, Madam Speaker, last year, the Irish Parliament passed a 
resolution calling for an open and independent investigation. Our 
special envoy, Ambassador Mitchell Reiss, has testified before our 
committee that he and the Bush administration have urged for the 
establishment of a credible investigation into the Finucane murder. And 
Congress has supported it as well last year with H. Res. 740 and 
previously as part of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act.
  Madam Speaker, this resolution could not be more timely. Just last 
week the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman, Nuala O'Loan, who testified 
before our committee in 2004, released a devastating report which 
confirms that police in Northern Ireland have colluded with loyalist 
paramilitaries in several murders over the last dozen years. The very 
fact that a police ombudsman exists, and that a report as revealing as 
hers can be published underscores that policing in Northern Ireland is, 
in fact, very different, very much improved than it was when the Good 
Friday Agreement was signed in 1998. Further testimony to the 
advancements and improvements in the policing in Northern Ireland is 
that just this past Sunday, on January 28, Sinn Fein voted 
overwhelmingly to move to participate in the community policing system 
that was set up as part of the Good Friday Agreement.
  Today, the Independent Monitoring Commission set up in 2004 by the 
British and Irish Governments to report on paramilitary activity has 
praised Sinn Fein for its new commitment to policing. When referring to 
the IRA, the IMC concludes that ``terrorism and violence have been 
abandoned.''
  These developments clearly are greatly welcome, and there is a new 
optimism that elections for a new, devolved power-sharing government 
will be held this spring. Yet, Madam Speaker, with reconciliation must 
come full disclosure of the truth.
  The lack of resolution of charges of official collusion in the murder 
of a defense attorney such as Mr. Finucane leads people to question the 
government's commitment to accountability and, above all, to justice. 
His murder symbolizes the depth and danger of official state-sponsored 
collusion in Northern Ireland and a disregard for the rule of law. It 
has left victims who deserve answers. And I know, because many of my 
colleagues and I have all spoken to them, how they want these answers. 
There will be no closure and there will be no reconciliation without 
the truth.
  As the U.N. Special Rapporteur told us in 1998: ``Harassment and 
intimidation of defense attorneys goes to the core of the independence 
of the legal profession and the administration of justice in any 
society.''
  I am also reminded of the riveting testimony offered on this matter 
at one of my hearings in 1998. Rep. Don Payne, my colleague from NJ, 
remembers it as well. He was there, when Rosemary Nelson, an attorney 
for Northern Ireland testified. Mrs. Nelson, who was also a wife and 
mother, told Congress that defense attorneys in Northern Ireland feared 
that they could be murdered themselves because no one had been held 
accountable in the murder of Patrick Finucane. Six months later, after 
her testimony, Rosemary Nelson was killed, the victim of a car bomb.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to again express my deepest condolences 
to the Finucane family, as well as Rosemary Nelson's family, and thank 
them for their courageous and tireless efforts on behalf of justice, 
not only for their loved one, but for all others who have been victims 
of state-sponsored collusion in Northern Ireland.
  Similarly, I would like to acknowledge the work and support from many 
human rights activists, including Jane Winter of British Irish Rights 
Watch; Elisa Massimino from Human Rights First, formerly known as 
Lawyers Committee for Human Rights; Maggie Beirne, Martin O'Brien and 
Paul Mageean, who have also testified before Congress on behalf of the 
Committee of the Administration of Justice and have provided very, very 
useful and timely insights to our committee.
  I would again like to thank my cosponsors and again thank Mr. Lantos.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield 3 minutes to my 
very good friend from New York, Congressman Eliot Engel, a 
distinguished senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure, my friend, the chairman, 
to call him the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and I thank 
him for yielding to me.
  Before I start my remarks, I just want to pay tribute to Mr. Smith, 
the gentleman from New Jersey, who has been an outstanding supporter of 
human rights, not only for the Irish peace process, although he has 
been a leader in that, but throughout the world. And I commend him for 
this resolution, and I am pleased to be a sponsor of it, I believe the 
lead Democrat on the resolution; and it is something that has been a 
long time coming.
  As the chairman said, the struggle for peace and justice in Ireland, 
particularly the north of Ireland, continues. We are all very hopeful 
because there has been great progress made,

[[Page 2634]]

and we think that progress will continue to be made. And the chairman 
explained Sinn Fein's acceptance of policing and everything else. So we 
have to continue.
  One of the things that is so important is the fact that the Finucane 
family, and I have met with them a number of times, they are convinced 
that until there is an independent inquiry, any other inquiry will be 
tainted. And that is why this resolution calls for an independent 
inquiry. We want to get to the bottom of what really happened to Pat 
Finucane. We all know, we all suspect, but we need an impartial 
commission. We need an impartial investigation because of collusion 
with loyalist forces and the police for many, many years. Nothing short 
of that will do, and that is what this resolution calls for. Before you 
can put the past behind you, you have got to have it all come out and 
know exactly what happened.
  There has been great progress. The Irish Government, the British 
Government have all worked together for progress. And they are both to 
be commended. Both governments are to be commended because progress is 
being made. But there is still a long way to go. So I support this. And 
we still have other things that need to be put in place here in the 
United States, the case of Malachi McCallister, and I want to mention 
it, who is struggling to stay in this country, and many of us are 
behind him and fighting to keep him in this country.
  There are still many injustices that have been perpetrated in the 
past that still have to be resolved. But starting here with inquiry 
into Pat Finucane's murder is something that is very, very important 
and very important for this Congress to go on record as supporting. And 
this is bipartisan. It is something, I think, that can make progress. 
And, again, only when we put the past behind us and let the truth hang 
out can we really put the past behind us. And that is what this 
resolution attempts to do. Again, only an independent commission will 
suffice.

                              {time}  1330

  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield 3 minutes to my 
good friend from New Jersey, a distinguished member of the Foreign 
Affairs Committee, Mr. Payne.
  Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, to the chairman of the Foreign Affairs 
Committee, let me once again commend him for the outstanding work that 
he is doing as the chairman, but in his many years as a member of the 
International Relations Committee then and the Foreign Affairs 
Committee now. We really appreciate his work.
  Let me say to the gentleman from New Jersey, I had the opportunity to 
work with him in the last 2 years on our subcommittee, and I commend 
him for bringing forth so many of the human rights issues, and it has 
really been a pleasure working with him, and also on this H. Con. Res. 
20, the gentleman, Mr. Smith from New Jersey.
  Earlier this week, we witnessed a breakthrough in the peace process 
in Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein agreed to the legitimacy of the police 
service there, and in doing so, they made a strong statement about 
their future in the north of Ireland. They chose peace over violence 
and the rule of law over chaos.
  I have had the privilege of visiting Northern Ireland on a number of 
occasions. I was there to monitor the parades, and I was lucky enough 
to accompany President Clinton on a trip there. In each case, I saw 
great things along with terrible things, but always the hope of the 
people that one day there would be peace and understanding in their 
great country.
  Thanks to no small part to Special Envoy George Mitchell and efforts 
that we as a nation should be proud of, the 20th century saw the 
cessation of violence and the beginning of political equality. The Good 
Friday Agreement stands as a breakthrough, a powerful statement, and a 
revelation of that hope that there was always there and that would not 
be overshadowed by violence and death. The good people continued to 
push forward.
  In 1989, Patrick Finucane became a victim of that violence. He was 
murdered by paramilitary soldiers, gunned down in front of his wife and 
his children. It was a brutal act perpetrated by men in a time of great 
contention, violence, and fear. It was a small, sad episode in a larger 
battle between two sides unwilling to compromise, unwilling to talk, 
each fearful of each other. Northern Ireland is a different place now. 
There is peace. And with that peace, the initial signs of trust and 
cooperation because for any peace to work there must be trust that must 
be followed by cooperation.
  It is in this spirit that I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 20. 
The peace of Northern Ireland depends in no small part on openness and 
cooperation. Only a full independent and just examination of the past 
can lead to a peaceful trust in the future. This investigation should 
begin. And with that, I commend Sinn Fein and Gerry Adams.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to my 
good friend from New Jersey, a fighter for justice for all the Irish 
people, Mr. Pallone.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, Mr. Chairman, I wanted to say that I rise 
today in support of this resolution, and to commend the Finucane family 
for their tireless pursuit of justice in the murder of Pat Finucane, 
who spent his life fighting for the rights of the disadvantaged in 
Northern Ireland.
  Nothing short of a full public inquiry, without the limitations 
imposed by the British Inquiries Act, will enable the Finucane family 
to determine what actually happened when Pat was gunned down in his 
home on February 12, 1989.
  This House and numerous international groups have consistently called 
for a full public inquiry to settle the troubling allegations of 
collusion surrounding this murder. A recent report of the Northern 
Ireland police ombudsman concluded that there was a disturbing level of 
collusion between the RUC Special Branch and loyalist paramilitaries, 
making this inquiry more important than ever.
  Madam Speaker, ensuring a lasting peace in Northern Ireland requires 
us to continue the fight for justice that people like Pat Finucane, 
Rosemary Nelson, and others carried on throughout their lives, and that 
is why again I want to commend everyone and particularly our sponsor, 
my colleague from New Jersey, for introducing this resolution and urge 
its passage as quickly as possible so that we can actually see an 
independent, full inquiry.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to 
the distinguished chairman of the Friends of Ireland group, our 
colleague from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).
  Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Chairman 
Lantos and certainly Chairman Smith for bringing this resolution to the 
floor today.
  One of the reasons that American foreign policy has triumphed in 
Ireland has been because this was done in a bipartisanship way, a 
bipartisanship way, the way American foreign policy formally was 
conducted. And the success that we have enjoyed in the North of Ireland 
has largely been indispensable due to the involvement of America, and 
revisiting these cases, as Mr. Smith has requested and Mr. Lantos has 
sanctioned, is terribly important.
  Think of these murders, cold-blooded murders, shooting down attorneys 
who were providing a common defense for suspected, suspected, members 
of the IRA. Never was there ever indication that they were members of 
the IRA; they were suspected members of the IRA, and they were not 
entitled to a common defense under the former justice system in the 
North of Ireland. So, the attorneys are murdered as well as the 
suspected members of the IRA.
  What is notable about this is what occurred last week. Many of us in 
this Chamber, Members of this House, have been involved in cases dating 
back to Gibraltar, to Birmingham, and to a series of other cases which 
we in this House brought forward. It is Members of this body that 
demanded that the British Government bring these cases to light and be 
put under the magnifying glass of critical analysis. And now we find 
that not only was there

[[Page 2635]]

collusion on the ground, there was collusion at the highest levels of 
the British Government where the military gave information to 
paramilitaries on the loyalist side, who then cleared the area so that 
attorneys could be targeted for assassination. That is how far reaching 
these murders were.
  What is also significant is this: It is because of this Chamber that 
the IRA and its political ally Sinn Fein had the courage to proceed 
with not only disarmament but, just as importantly, they decided to 
join policing. And let me just say this about policing today in the 
North of Ireland. One section of the community used policing to keep 
the other section of the community in line. That is what this was 
about.
  And now the faith that has been offered by the Good Friday Agreement, 
again in a bipartisan sense, has allowed us to proceed and to move 
forward. And it could not have been done without people like Mr. Smith. 
And I could go on and on with Members of this Chamber, and Mr. Lantos 
again offers support to this initiative today.
  So it is terribly important. And I want to thank all of you, and Mr. 
McCord, the chief constable from the North of Ireland will be in my 
office tomorrow to answer questions from the Members of Congress
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. 
Res. 20, to address the issue of the murder of Northern Ireland defense 
attorney Patrick Finucane. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. 
Smith, for introducing this legislation. It is essential that we bring 
to light the suspicious circumstances of this terrible murder and the 
need for our friends in the Government of the United Kingdom to conduct 
a full and transparent inquiry into the matter.
  On February 12, 1989, Patrick Finucane was murdered by two masked 
members of the loyalist paramilitary in front of his wife and children 
in his home in North Belfast. Since then, reports have indicated a 
strong possibility of conspiracy within the British police in the 
region. The loyalist paramilitary organization, known as the Ulster 
Defense Association, UDA, or the Ulster Freedom Fighters, UFF, claimed 
that it killed Mr. Finucane because of his high rank in the Provisional 
Irish Republican Army, IRA. Circumstances suggest that Mr. Finucane had 
ties to the IRA; he had three brothers who were actively involved in 
the IRA, one of his clients was the infamous IRA hunger striker, Bobby 
Sands, and former IRA member Sean O'Callaghan alleges he was a member. 
However, law enforcement authorities have reported that there is no 
evidence whatsoever that Mr. Finucane was a member of the IRA.
  In 1999, Royal Ulster Constabulary, RUC Special Branch Agent William 
Stobie was found to have supplied one of the guns used to kill Mr. 
Finucane. Agent Stobie was a member of the UDA/UFF, which at the time 
was a legal organization.
  In 2001, after significant pressure from Amnesty International and as 
a result of the Weston Park talks, the British and Irish Governments 
initiated an investigation. They appointed retired Canadian Judge Peter 
Cory to examine allegations of collusion by the RUC, British Army, and 
Peace Guard of Ireland in the murder of Mr. Finucane and others. In 
2004, Judge Cory reported that he recommended the establishment of 
public inquiries into the matter. The British Government later 
announced an inquiry, but under a recently enacted law, the Inquiries 
Act 2005, the government was allowed to block scrutiny of state 
actions. Judge Cory strongly criticized the law.
  H. Con. Res. 20 passed the House in the last Congress as H. Res. 740, 
but unfortunately the Senate did not act on the legislation. I urge my 
colleagues to renew their support for this important legislation by 
voting in favor of it this Congress.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the resolution 
introduced by my friend from New Jersey, Chris Smith.
  I stand among my colleagues and say that it is a privilege to be an 
original cosponsor of this important statement by the House of 
Representatives.
  The movement towards peace in the north of Ireland is moving at a 
steady but slow pace. It is the slowness of this pace which is 
regrettable. However, the movement forward is one which we can continue 
to commend and support.
  The political parties of the north of Ireland must continue to 
overcome the obstacles for the sake of the people who they were elected 
to represent. The people of the north must be given the representation 
in government that they have sought out.
  However, in order to continue to build and promote this ongoing peace 
process, we must make sure that the past atrocities have been fully 
investigated and those who are guilty, held responsible.
  The British and the Irish Governments had agreed to hold public 
inquiries into high profile murders of human rights defenders like Pat 
Finucane. We must build better trust between the people of the north, 
and so it is time for the British to allow the truth to come out.
  I wish to express my deepest sympathy to the family of Patrick 
Finucane at this time. After this brutal murder, justice must be 
pursued, and I wish to thank Geraldine and her son Michael for agreeing 
to testify before the committee of the House of Representatives.
  The family of Pat Finucane has a right to know the full extent of 
collusion that existed and caused the death of this husband and father.
  Under the Weston Park Agreement and the commitment made by Judge 
Cory, the British must live up to their obligations by reconsidering 
their position on the matter of inquiry into Pat Finucane's death and 
amending the Inquiries Act of 2005.
  It is time for an independent, judicial inquiry into the murder of 
Pat Finucane.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time. We 
are striking a blow for justice, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 20, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those voting have responded in the affirmative.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam 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 question will 
be postponed.

                          ____________________