SPEAKERS CONTENTS INSERTS
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2004
THE PEACE CORPS SAFETY AND SECURITY ACT OF 2004; THE NORTH KOREA HUMAN RIGHTS ACT OF 2004; ASSISTANCE FOR ORPHANED AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ACT OF 2004; PARTICIPATION OF TAIWAN IN THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION; THE U.S. INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP ACT OF 2003, AND OTHER PURPOSES; AND VARIOUS RESOLUTIONS AND CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS
MARKUP
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
ON
H.R. 4060; H.R. 4011; H.R. 4061; H.R. 4019;
H.R. 4053; H. Res. 402; H. Res. 535;
H. Res. 563; H. Res. 576; H. Con. Res. 326;
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H. Con. Res. 336; H. Con. Res. 352;
H. Con. Res. 378; and H. Con. Res. 398
MARCH 31, 2004
Serial No. 108–108
Printed for the use of the Committee on International Relations
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/international—relations
COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois, Chairman
JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa
DOUG BEREUTER, Nebraska
CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey,
Vice Chairman
DAN BURTON, Indiana
ELTON GALLEGLY, California
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida
CASS BALLENGER, North Carolina
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DANA ROHRABACHER, California
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California
PETER T. KING, New York
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio
AMO HOUGHTON, New York
JOHN M. McHUGH, New York
ROY BLUNT, Missouri
THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado
RON PAUL, Texas
NICK SMITH, Michigan
JOSEPH R. PITTS, Pennsylvania
JEFF FLAKE, Arizona
JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia
MARK GREEN, Wisconsin
JERRY WELLER, Illinois
MIKE PENCE, Indiana
THADDEUS G. McCOTTER, Michigan
KATHERINE HARRIS, Florida
TOM LANTOS, California
HOWARD L. BERMAN, California
GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York
ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American Samoa
DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey
ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey
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SHERROD BROWN, Ohio
BRAD SHERMAN, California
ROBERT WEXLER, Florida
ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York
WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts
GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
BARBARA LEE, California
JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York
JOSEPH M. HOEFFEL, Pennsylvania
EARL BLUMENAUER, Oregon
SHELLEY BERKLEY, Nevada
GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California
ADAM B. SCHIFF, California
DIANE E. WATSON, California
ADAM SMITH, Washington
BETTY McCOLLUM, Minnesota
BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky
THOMAS E. MOONEY, SR., Staff Director/General Counsel
ROBERT R. KING, Democratic Staff Director
DANIEL FREEMAN, Counsel/Parliamentarian
PETER D.R. SMITH, Professional Staff Member
LIBERTY DUNN, Staff Associate
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C O N T E N T S
MARKUP OF:
H.R. 4060, To amend the Peace Corps Act to establish an Ombudsman and an Office of Safety and Security of the Peace Corps, and for other purposes
H.R. 4011, To promote human rights and freedom in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and for other purposes
Amendment to H.R. 4011 offered by the Honorable James A. Leach, a Representative in Congress from the State of Iowa
H.R. 4061, To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide assistance for orphans and other vulnerable children in developing countries
H.R. 4019, To address the participation of Taiwan in the World Health Organization
H.R. 4053, To improve the workings of international organizations and multilateral institutions, and for other purposes
H. Res. 402, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the urgent need for freedom, democratic reform, and international monitoring of elections, human rights, and religious liberty in the Lao People's Democratic Republic
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H. Res. 535, Expressing the concern and support of the House of Representatives for local elected officials under threat of assassination, kidnapping, forcible displacement, and coercion by terrorist organizations in the Republic of Colombia
Amendment to H. Res. 535 offered by the Honorable Donald M. Payne, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey
Amendments to H. Res. 535 offered by the Honorable Jerry Weller, a Representative in Congress from the State of Illinois
H. Res. 563, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the one-year anniversary of the human rights crackdown in Cuba
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute to H. Res. 563 offered by the Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Representative in Congress from the State of Florida
H. Res. 576, Urging the Government of the People's Republic of China to improve its protection of intellectual property rights, and for other purposes
Amendment to H. Res. 576 offered by the Honorable Mark Green, a Representative in Congress from the State of Wisconsin
H. Con. Res. 326, Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the arbitrary detention of Dr. Wang Bingzhang by the Government of the People's Republic of China and urging his immediate release
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H. Con. Res. 336, Expressing the sense of Congress that the continued participation of the Russian Federation in the Group of 8 nations should be conditioned on the Russian Government voluntarily accepting and adhering to the norms and standards of democracy
H. Con. Res. 352, Recognizing the contributions of people of Indian origin to the United States and the benefits of working together with India towards promoting peace, prosperity, and freedom among all countries of the world
H. Con. Res. 378, Calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to immediately and unconditionally release Father Thaddeus Nguyen Van Ly, and for other purposes
H. Con. Res. 398, Expressing the concern of Congress over Iran's development of the means to produce nuclear weapons
LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD
The Honorable Henry J. Hyde, a Representative in Congress from the State of Illinois, and Chairman, Committee on International Relations: Prepared statement on H.R. 4060
The Honorable Tom Lantos, a Representative in Congress from the State of California: Prepared statement on H.R. 4060
APPENDIX
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The Honorable James A. Leach: Prepared statement on H.R. 4011
The Honorable Dan Burton, a Representative in Congress from the State of Indiana: Prepared statement on H. Res. 402
The Honorable Jerry Weller: Prepared statement on H. Res. 535
The Honorable Robert Menendez, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey: Prepared statement on H. Res. 563
The Honorable Sherrod Brown, a Representative in Congress from the State of Ohio: Prepared statement on H.R. 4019
The Honorable Diane E. Watson, a Representative in Congress from the State of California: Prepared statement on H. Res. 576
Letter submitted for the record from Marybeth Peters, Register of Copyrights, United States Copyright Office
THE PEACE CORPS SAFETY AND SECURITY ACT OF 2004; THE NORTH KOREA HUMAN RIGHTS ACT OF 2004; ASSISTANCE FOR ORPHANED AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ACT OF 2004; PARTICIPATION OF TAIWAN IN THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION; THE U.S. INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP ACT OF 2003, AND OTHER PURPOSES; AND VARIOUS RESOLUTIONS AND CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2004
House of Representatives,
Committee on International Relations,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:35 a.m. in Room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Henry Hyde (Chairman of the Committee) presiding.
Chairman HYDE. The Committee will come to order. We expect a vote about 11:00, so we are going to try to move along with dispatch as they say.
First of all, I would like to welcome our newest Member, Ben Chandler, who was sworn in as a Member of the House this morning. I recognize Mr. Lantos to introduce Mr. Chandler and to say a few appropriate words.
Mr. LANTOS. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Let me first express my deep appreciation to our colleague, Chris Bell, who did such a superb job as a Member of this Committee.
Let me also express my delight and welcome to the newest Member of the House and the International Relations Committee, Congressman Ben Chandler of what he calls Versailles and I call Versailles, Kentucky. Ben was recently chosen by the voters of Kentucky in a special election to fill the seat of former Republican Congressman Ernie Fletcher.
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While we deeply admire your powerful leadership of this Committee, Mr. Chairman, we hope that this trend continues and Republican seats will be filled by Democratic Members on the House International Relations Committee.
Prior to his election to Congress, Ben was elected to two terms as Kentucky's Attorney General. He previously served a 4-year term as Kentucky State Auditor, where he developed a reputation as a strong fighter against government waste and corruption, and we welcome his achievements.
We are pleased to have him as the newest Member of our Committee, and I hope all of my colleagues will join me in saying we are delighted to have you. [Applause.]
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman HYDE. Thank you.
While we are in a celebratory mood, I would like to express the Committee's appreciation and recognize the fine work of Joe Painter, who is retiring today after 5 years with the Committee. [Applause.]
Pursuant to notice, I now call up H.R. 4060, the Peace Corps Safety and Security Act of 2004, for purposes of markup and move its favorable recommendation to the House.
Without objection, the bill will be considered read and open for amendment at any point, and the Chair yields himself 5 minutes for the purposes of a statement.
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[H.R. 4060 follows:]
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Chairman HYDE. The Members of this Committee received testimony last week at an important oversight hearing on the Peace Corps and heard about some of the past problems and current challenges of the Peace Corps which it faces as it expands the number of volunteers around the world, while at the same time taking into account the changed circumstances for American citizens living abroad during the post September 11th period.
We are supporters of the Peace Corps and admirers of their sacrifice and of the important work they do. We want to ensure that the Peace Corps has the necessary procedures in place to protect our Nation's sons and daughters or parents or grandparents who dedicate 2 years of their lives to improving the circumstances of the people of the developing world.
Last week, we inquired into the adequacy of safety and security practices that will govern volunteers' assignments in the more dangerous places around the world. We found that, in Bolivia in 2001, the Peace Corps did not have in place the necessary management procedures to monitor to account for a missing volunteer named Walter Poirier. We found that the Poirier family of Lowell, Massachusetts had to notify the Peace Corps that their son was missing.
We understand, through the careful eye of the General Accounting Office, that the Peace Corps has taken important steps to remedy some of these problems, but still has room for improvement.
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H.R. 4060 is intended to prepare the Peace Corps for expansion in a more dangerous world, and it makes a number of important changes to the Peace Corps Act. The legislation creates the position of Ombudsman to receive and inquire into complaints, questions, or concerns raised by current or former volunteers or employees regarding services or support provided by the Peace Corps.
The legislation statutorily creates an Office of Safety and Security within the Peace Corps, to be headed by an Associate Director of Safety and Security, who shall be responsible for all safety and security activities of the Peace Corps.
The bill requires a report on the medical screening procedures and guidelines used by the Peace Corps to determine whether an applicant is medically and psychologically qualified to serve in the Peace Corps as a volunteer.
The legislation also requires a report by the Comptroller General on the ''5-year rule'' which was cited by the GAO in previous reports as one of the reasons for an unacceptably high degree of staff turnover and loss of institutional memory, especially on safety and security matters.
The legislation also creates a more independent Inspector General of the Peace Corps, exempting that individual and the staff of the IG from the 5-year rule and creating more accountable oversight by this Committee through the increased access to information from the IG on all matters relating to the management of the Peace Corps.
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This legislation responds to the concerns addressed by our witnesses last week, and also responds to the concerns raised by current and former volunteers who have contacted our Committee to discuss their experience with the Peace Corps.
I seek your support for this important legislation and now recognize my friend and colleague, the distinguished Ranking Member from California, Mr. Lantos.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Hyde follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE HENRY J. HYDE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, AND CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Now the Committee will consider H.R. 4060, the ''Health, Safety, and Security of Peace Corps Volunteers Act of 2004.'' The members of this Committee received testimony last week at an important oversight hearing on the Peace Corps and heard about some of the past problems and current challenges the Peace Corps faces as it expands the number of volunteers around the world, while at the same time taking into account the changed circumstances for American citizens living abroad during the post-September 11th period.
We are supporters of the Peace Corps and admirers of their sacrifice and of the important work they do. We want to ensure that the Peace Corps has the necessary procedures in place to protect our Nation's sons and daughters . . . or parents, or grandparents . . . who dedicate two years of their lives to improving the circumstances of the peoples of the developing world.
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Last week, we inquired into the adequacy of safety and security practices that will govern volunteers' assignments in the more dangerous places around the world. We found that, in Bolivia in 2001, the Peace Corps did not have in place the necessary management procedures to monitor or account for a missing volunteer named Walter Poirier. We found that the Poirier Family of Lowell, Massachusetts had to notify the Peace Corps that their son was missing. We understand, through the careful eye of the General Accounting Office, that the Peace Corps has taken important steps to remedy some of these problems, but still has room for improvement.
H.R. 4060 is intended to prepare the Peace Corps for expansion in a more dangerous world. The bill makes a number of important changes to the Peace Corps Act.
The legislation creates the position of Ombudsman to receive and inquire into complaints, questions, or concerns raised by current or former volunteers or employees regarding services or support provided by the Peace Corps.
The legislation statutorily creates an Office of Safety and Security within the Peace Corps, to be headed by an Associate Director for Safety and Security, who shall be responsible for all safety and security activities of the Peace Corps.
This bill requires a report on the medical screening procedures and guidelines used by the Peace Corps to determine whether an applicant is medically and psychologically qualified to serve in the Peace Corps as a volunteer.
The legislation also requires a report by the Comptroller General on the ''five year rule,'' which was cited by the GAO in previous reports as one of the reasons for an unacceptably high degree of staff turnover and loss of institutional memory, especially on safety and security matters.
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The legislation also creates a more independent Inspector General of the Peace Corps, exempting that individual and the staff of the I.G. from the five-year rule and creating more accountable oversight by this Committee through the increased access to information from the IG on all matters relating to the management of the Peace Corps.
This legislation responds to the concerns addressed by our witnesses last week, and also responds to the concerns raised by current and former volunteers who have contacted the Committee to discuss their experience with the Peace Corps.
I seek your support for this important legislation, and now recognize my friend and colleague, the distinguished ranking member from California, Tom Lantos.
Mr. LANTOS. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I have an extensive prepared statement. I ask unanimous consent to submit that for the record.
Chairman HYDE. Without objection. So ordered.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Lantos follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE TOM LANTOS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
H.R. 4060
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Mr. Chairman, I first want to thank you for your strong interest in the Peace Corps, its nearly 8,000 volunteers, and the larger Peace Corps community. The thoughtful attention that this Committee had lent to the Peace Corps Expansion Act of 2003 continued last week during our Full Committee hearing on safety and security issues within the Peace Corps, and is evident in today's consideration of this bill.
As you know, Mr. Chairman, last year's Peace Corps Expansion Act authorized appropriations for the Peace Corps for five years and developed at least three fundamental elements for ensuring that the doubling of the Peace Corps is focused properly.
Mr. Chairman, while these accomplishments are significant—and a testament to the ability of this Committee to influence positively an agency's operations even without an enacted Peace Corps reauthorization—much more can be done to improve the health, safety, and security of Peace Corps volunteers, as our hearing last week demonstrated.
According to the representative from the General Accounting Office, the Peace Corps is still not capturing fully the extent of crime against volunteers due to under-reporting by the volunteers themselves for a host of reasons, including a belief that the agency lacks the capacity or willingness to help.
The GAO and the other witnesses also testified that the lack of well developed assignments discourage volunteers from adequately immersing themselves in their host communities and thereby benefiting from the protections afforded to members of these villages and towns.
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Finally, the witnesses noted that administrative impediments, such as limitations on terms of employment within the Peace Corps and worrisome changes within the Office of Medical Services, constrain Peace Corps employees from providing the best support possible to volunteers.
Mr. Chairman, the bill that we are considering today addresses these issues by establishing an Ombudsman within the agency to listen and attend to volunteer and employee concerns, by increasing the independence of the Inspector General of the Peace Corps to strengthen his ability to act as watchdog on behalf of volunteers, by requiring the agency to study and report to us on how it can improve programming for volunteers, and lastly by lifting the term limits for key offices within the agency.
I strongly support all of these provisions.
Mr. Chairman, we must not lose sight of the fact that Peace Corps volunteers for over forty years have been doing an extraordinary job as our development ambassadors to the most remote corners of this earth. And they have been doing their jobs under difficult and, at times, risky conditions—although not riskier than working in many urban settings in this country, including Dayton, Ohio.
As we consider measures to improve the health, safety, and security of our volunteers, we must be careful not to forge impenetrable shields around our volunteers which will make it harder for them to reach the young English student in Kazakhstan or the women's cooperative in Peru, or they the volunteers.
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Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, we think your legislation is eminently sound, long overdue, and on our side we are delighted to support it.
Chairman HYDE. Thank you, Mr. Lantos.
Is there any further discussion?
[No response.]
Chairman HYDE. Are there any amendments?
[No response.]
Chairman HYDE. If not, the question occurs on the motion to report H.R. 4060 favorably. All in favor say aye.
[Chorus of ayes.]
Chairman HYDE. Opposed, no.
[No response.]
Chairman HYDE. The ayes have it. The motion to report favorably is adopted, and without objection the Chairman is authorized to move to go to conference pursuant to House Rule XXII. Without objection, staff is directed to make any technical and conforming changes.
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It is the intention of the Chair to process the rest of the Committee's agenda with two separate unanimous consent requests. I will request unanimous consent to report favorably two bills en block upon which reports are necessary due to additional referrals by the Speaker or the importance of having legislative history. Amendments which the Members have before them on these bills will be deemed adopted.
I then intend to ask unanimous consent that the Committee authorize the Chair to seek consideration of the rest of the bills on the agenda under suspension of the rules with amendments which the Members have before them deemed adopted. Any Member who has a written statement on any of these matters will be authorized to put it in the record.
Without objection, the following bills are ordered favorably reported to the House, and the proposed amendments to any of these bills which the Members have before them will be deemed adopted: H.R. 4011, the North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004, as amended, and H.R. 4061, Assistance for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2004.
[H.R. 4011, amendment offered by Mr. Leach and H.R. 4061 follow:]
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Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman?
Chairman HYDE. Ms. Lee?
Ms. LEE. May I reserve the right to object?
Chairman HYDE. The gentlelady reserves the right to object.
Ms. LEE. Thank you.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Chairman?
Chairman HYDE. Yes?
Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, let me first thank you very much for the opportunity to work with you once again on this bill that we are moving forward, H.R. 4061. I want to indicate that we are calling this the Orphaned and Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2004.
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This bill is a bipartisan compromise agreement that has been hammered out with your staff, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Rohrabacher, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Leach and Mr. Chris Smith. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the staff who were involved in this process, especially Peter on your staff and Cristof on my staff, and also for all of our outside organizations who are working so diligently on the ground to address the HIV/AIDS crisis throughout the world.
This legislation seeks to better coordinate and address the ever growing problems of orphans and vulnerable children in the developing world. As of 2001, an estimated 110 million children were living as orphans throughout subsaharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. The rapid growth of the HIV/AIDS virus in Africa and throughout the world has dramatically impacted the number of children who are newly becoming orphans.
By 2010, there will be approximately 25 million orphans as a result of HIV and AIDS. Today, every 14 seconds another children is orphaned by AIDS. With parents dying at an alarming rate, children are left without food, shelter, education or protection. The global orphan crisis is a profound humanitarian disaster that will be felt for decades to come.
This bill seeks to address the growing global problem of orphans and vulnerable children by providing assistance to support the following: Basic care, treatment for HIV infected children, psycho-social support, school food programs, expanding educational opportunities through elimination of school fees, protecting inheritance rights for orphans and vulnerable children. The bill seeks to do all of this under the new structure of a separate office focused on orphans and vulnerable children.
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Now, I understand that USAID has some concerns about how this bill is structured, but I believe that this bill represents a step in the right direction, and I look forward to working with USAID and with you, Mr. Chairman, with our outside organizations to really come up with an effort where USAID will support this bill because I think that this crisis has got to be addressed.
I think this bill is an excellent first start, and I would like to move this bill and ensure that we can get it to the President for his signature.
For those reasons, Mr. Chairman, I want to just thank you again very much for your commitment, your diligence. I want to thank Mr. Lantos for helping us to craft a bipartisan bill which I think we all can be proud of.
Chairman HYDE. If the gentlelady will maintain her reservation of rights, we will get some other people who want to speak, and then we will get back to you.
Mr. Meeks, did you want to be heard?
Mr. MEEKS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. These are my objections for the purposes of elaborating on some beneficial changes that have been made to the Peace Corps bill, H.R. 4060.
I would first like to commend the Peace Corps for its work in selecting some of America's brightest and best to assist in strengthening positive relationships between ours and other countries. As anti-American sentiments continue to increase, it is imperative that we support the Peace Corps and other programs that facilitate the intercultural understanding such as the Fulbright program.
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I would also like to thank the Ranking Member for working so closely with me to include language to this bill that would only increase the positive impact of the Peace Corps. There is a great need to increase the number of Peace Corps volunteers trained through the global infectious diseases initiative in the Caribbean and Latin America.
The Caribbean is indeed our third border and has the second largest population of persons affected with HIV and AIDS outside of subsaharan Africa. Consequently, if more is not done to stop the spread of the disease in the entire region, the epidemic in the Caribbean has the potential to become similar to that of Africa. Placing Peace Corps volunteers that are health professionals in the Caribbean is just one means of helping to stem this tide.
There is also a need for the Peace Corps to target populations that are greatly in need, but for a variety of reasons have lacked help. This includes the 80 million to 150 million persons of African descent that live in Latin America and the Caribbean and countries like Brazil, Colombia and the Honduras.
Unfortunately, these populations constitute the majority of the poor, have shorter life expectancies, higher rates of infant mortality, higher incidences of HIV/AIDS and higher rates of illiteracy. Unlike indigenous populations, few international efforts have been directed toward helping these communities.
If we are interested in helping to uplift the poorest of the poor, directing Peace Corps activities to these communities is a great beginning. Again, I would like to thank you, Mr. Chairman, for agreeing to the report language that does just that.
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Lastly, I would like to commend the Peace Corps on its diversity ethics through its Office of Minority Recruitment. I have learned of pilot programs such as the Texas Southern University internship program which allows students from historically black colleges and universities to live with a Peace Corps volunteer and hope that programs such as these will be expanded and continued.
Now I withdraw my objection, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman HYDE. I thank the gentleman.
Does anyone else wish to be heard under Ms. Lee's reservation of record?
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman?
Chairman HYDE. Mr. Lantos? By all means.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Chairman, we have no objection. We strongly support your proposal and ask for a unanimous vote.
Chairman HYDE. Very well. So ordered. Without objection, the staff is directed to make any technical and conforming changes, and without objection the Chairman is authorized to seek consideration of the following bills under suspension of the rules, and the proposed amendments to any of the bills which Members have before them will be deemed adopted:
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H.R. 4019, Concerning participation of Taiwan in the World Health Organization; H.R. 4053, the United States International Leadership Act; H. Res. 402, Regarding the need for democratic reform, human rights and religious liberty in the Lao People's Democratic Republic; H. Res. 535, Expressing concerning and support for local elected officials under the threat of assassination, kidnapping, forcible displacement and coercion by terrorist organizations in the Republic of Colombia, as amended; H. Res. 563, Regarding the one-year anniversary of the human rights crackdown in Cuba, as amended; H. Res. 576, Urging the Government of the People's Republic China——
Ms. WATSON. Mr. Chairman?
Chairman HYDE. Who seeks recognition?
Ms. WATSON. Congresswoman Watson.
Chairman HYDE. Ms. Watson?
Ms. WATSON. Yes.
Chairman HYDE. The gentlelady is recognized.
Ms. WATSON. I reserve the right to object.
Chairman HYDE. The gentlelady reserves the right to object.
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Ms. WATSON. Yes.
Chairman HYDE. We have more bills on the list. Let me finish the list, and then your objection will be reserved.
Ms. WATSON. Thank you.
Chairman HYDE. H. Res. 576, Urging the Government of the People's Republic of China to improve its protection of intellectual property rights, as amended; H. Con. Res. 326, Regarding the arbitrary detention of Dr. Wang Bingzhang by the Government of the People's Republic of China; H. Con. Res. 336, Regarding the continued participation of the Russian Federation in the Group of 8 nations; H. Con. Res. 352, Recognizing the contributions of the people of India origin to the United States and the benefits of working together with India; H. Con. Res. 378, Calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to immediately and unconditionally release Father Thaddeus Nguyen Van Ly; and H. Con. Res. 398, Regarding Iran's development of the means to produce nuclear weapons.
[The information referred to follows:]
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Chairman HYDE. The gentlelady from California, Ms. Watson, reserves her right to object and is recognized.
Ms. WATSON. Thank you so much, Chairman Hyde and Ranking Member Lantos, for your leadership in co-sponsoring and agreeing to mark up my resolution, H.R. 576, that urges the Chinese Government to improve its protection of intellectual property rights, and I also want to thank Members of the Committee for their bipartisan support of this important measure.
I am grateful for the Committee expediting the consideration of this very timely resolution. As many of you know, I represent the 33rd congressional district of Los Angeles and Culver City, which contains a number of the entertainment studios. The protection of U.S. intellectual property rights abroad is especially crucial to the health and vitality of the U.S. entertainment sector, which brought in an estimated $535.1 million to the U.S. economy in 2001 and remains one of our nation's biggest export sectors.
However, the impact of intellectual property rights violations extends far beyond the entertainment sector and affects all of our congressional districts across the country, so this resolution urges the Chinese Government to take further and immediate steps to improve its IPR mechanism, especially in the enforcement of such rights by changing and updating its criminal law and enforcement procedures.
It also asks China to improve the Customs and border measures to prevent the massive exportation of pirated goods and to give greater market access to legitimate foreign products as to reduce the market demand for pirated and shall I say the counterfeit goods, among other purposes.
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I also want to tie in Mr. Lantos' bill to improve the workings of international organizations. It contains language to authorize $10 million for the Department of State to work with the non-OECD countries in assisting foreign law enforcement officials, judges and prosecutors to combat the piracy of U.S. copyright materials.
I would like to thank the Chair, Mr. Lantos and the Members for recognizing the importance of these types of initiatives in the workings of international organizations and multilateral institutions.
Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman HYDE. I thank the gentlelady who withdraws her reservation.
Does Mr. Payne wish to be heard?
Mr. PAYNE. Yes, Mr. Chairman. I reserve the right to object for the purposes of speaking on H. Con. Res. 535.
Mr. Chairman, I commend Mr. Weller for his resolution, H. Res. 535, which highlights a disturbing trend in Colombia's protracted conflict of local elected officials being targeted by various armed forces. My amendment seeks to highlight the most vulnerable communities in this context.
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Colombia's Afro-Cuban minority comprises about 30 percent of the national population. Nevertheless, Colombia's African descendent population has been confined to margins of society.
The predicament of this population is aggravated by the present civil war. We have spoken to President Uribe, who was here just last week, about our concerns for African Colombians and indigenous communities which are disproportionately affected by the conflict and are often targets for displacement and violent massacres.
President Uribe has told us, in regard to these communities in Colombia, that he plans to focus more on the vulnerable groups in the coming months actually to create a cabinet level position to look at the situation there to appoint a minority indigenous or Afro-Colombian to the position, but it is critical that we encourage the Colombian Government to pay special attention to and support these communities.
Elected officials are often times targeted by armed groups because they are not part of the natural apparatus of the government and in many instances are trying to make inroads into the government and, therefore, are victimized.
I urge President Uribe to continue working on a national plan for Afro-Colombian groups and to ensure the safety of all elected officials, especially those locally elected officials who find themselves most vulnerable.
Mr. Chairman, with that I will then withdraw the objection.
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Chairman HYDE. I thank the gentleman.
Ms. Napolitano?
Ms. NAPOLITANO. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I reserve the right to object to House Congressional Resolution 326 for purposes of speaking to the resolution.
Chairman HYDE. The gentlelady is recognized for that purpose.
Ms. NAPOLITANO. Thank you. I would like to thank you, Mr. Chair, and the Ranking Member, as well as the Committee and the 17 bipartisan Members who are supporting and taking up the resolution today.
I certainly want to thank my colleague, Representative Chris Smith, for earlier introducing this resolution as 530 to call on China to respect and protect human rights. This is a clear case of a human rights violation.
Dr. Wang was held for 6 months while in China, denied any knowledge of his whereabouts. He was then sentenced to life imprisonment after an abrupt, short, 1/2-day trial. He was not allowed time to prepare a defense. He was not allowed to cross-examine the government's witnesses, nor was he allowed to call any witnesses of his own.
To date, the Chinese Government has produced no evidence linking him to any crime. It is no surprise the United Nations working group has declared this detention illegal. We must continue to put international pressure on China, and indeed many of the countries, to improve its human rights record.
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I thank my colleagues who have already co-signed again on this resolution and urge you to stand up for human rights and human decency. This calls on China to do such.
I withdraw my objection. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman HYDE. I thank the gentlelady.
Ms. Berkley of Nevada?
Ms. BERKLEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I reserve the right to object to H.R. 4053, Congressman Lantos' U.S. International Leadership Act, for purposes of speaking on the resolution.
Chairman HYDE. The gentleman is recognized for that purpose.
Ms. BERKLEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Magen David Adom is Israel's national emergency medical service. Fielding over 650 emergency ambulances, they provide constant emergency medical and ambulance services throughout Israel. They have borne the burden of responding to hundreds of terrorist attacks since the Interfada began.
Since its founding in 1930, the American Red Cross has regarded it as a sister national society and signed an important memorandum of understanding in November 2002. MDA is the equivalent of the Red Cross in Israel.
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However, the International Committee of the Red Cross still refuses to make MDA a full member of the International Red Cross. Why, you may ask? Because MDA uses the Star of David as its symbol. This refusal is the height of hypocracy.
MDA has been providing humanitarian relief and assistance for 70 years, and its work is recognized throughout the Middle East and the world. The International Red Cross' refusal to recognize MDA sends a message of hostility and runs contrary to its declared position of impartiality and neutrality.
I applaud my dear colleague, Mr. Lantos, for including language on this issue, bringing it to the attention of the Congress, and I look forward to its quick passage.
With that, I withdraw my objection, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman HYDE. It is so ordered. The staff if directed to make any technical and conforming amendments, and the Committee stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:04 a.m. the Committee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
Material Submitted for the Hearing Record
PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE JAMES A. LEACH, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF IOWA
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H.R. 4011
Mr. Chairman, at the outset I would like to thank the many Committee Members who have cosponsored this legislation, including Representatives Tom Lantos, Chris Smith, Howard Berman, Dan Burton, Gary Ackerman, Elton Gallegly, Eni Faleomavaega, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Donald Payne, Ed Royce, Earl Blumenauer, Steve Chabot, and Joseph Pitts. I would also like to register my high regard for the thoughtfulness of Senator Brownback who has provided such impressive leadership on this issue.
The people of North Korea have endured some of the great humanitarian traumas of our time. Inside North Korea, they suffer at the hands of a totalitarian dynasty that permits no dissent and maintains an inhumane system of prison camps that house an estimated 200,000 political inmates. The regime strictly curtails freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly, and movement. Since the collapse of the centralized agricultural system in the 1990s, more than 2,000,000 North Koreans are estimated to have died of starvation.
North Koreans outside of North Korea are also uniquely vulnerable. Many thousands are hiding inside China, which currently refuses to allow the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to evaluate and identify genuine refugees among the North Korean migrant population. China forcibly returns North Koreans to North Korea, where they routinely face imprisonment and torture, and sometimes execution. Inside China, North Korean women and girls are particularly vulnerable to trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Provoked by these crises, this broadly bipartisan legislation aims to promote international cooperation on human rights and refugee protection, and increased transparency in the provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of North Korea.
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On the human rights front, this bill underscores the importance of human rights issues in future negotiations with North Korea, and authorizes $2 million per year for programs to promote human rights, democracy, rule of law, and a market economy. It also authorizes a similar amount to increase the availability of information sources not controlled by the North Korean government. Finally, it urges additional North Korea-specific attention by appropriate UN human rights authorities.
On the humanitarian front, the bill authorizes increased funding ($20 million/year) for assistance to North Koreans outside of North Korea. It also attempts to secure greater transparency for aid delivered inside North Korea by authorizing a significant increase in such aid (to not less than $100 million/year), but tying increases to substantive improvements in monitoring. Finally, it conditions direct aid to the North Korean government on human rights and transparency benchmarks, but allows the President to waive those restrictions for national security purposes after reporting to Congress.
In terms of refugee protection, the bill clarifies U.S. policy and urges UNHCR to use all available means to gain access to North Koreans in China. It also attempts to formulate prudent solutions to the practical and legal barriers that presently keep North Koreans from having effective access to U.S. refugee and asylum programs. It does not mandate the admission of any number of North Koreans to the United States, raise the annual U.S. refugee cap, or in any way limit the authority of the Department of Homeland Security to regulate and condition the entry of North Koreans into the U.S. on a case-by-case basis.
Although the principal responsibility for North Korean refugee resettlement naturally falls to the Government of South Korea, the United States should play a leadership role in focusing international attention on the plight of these refugees and formulating international solutions to that profound humanitarian dilemma, which may include accepting an unspecified but credible number of refugees for domestic resettlement. Here, it must be noted that our government must maintain a prudent, case-by-case approach in part due to the circumstance that, not only is the North Korean government oppressive, it has instituted a virtual anti-American brainwashing of its population. Unlike refugees from the former Communist bloc of Eastern Europe, the North Korean people do not yet broadly share the idea of America as a beacon of freedom.
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At this point I would like to note that, with regard to China, this bill is not solely critical, it is also aspirational. It makes clear that the United States and the international community stand ready to provide more assistance to help defray the costs associated with the North Korean refugee presence when China begins fulfilling its obligations as a party to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. We genuinely hope for that opportunity.
I would like to thank my Committee colleagues for the strong, bipartisan support they have given this bill. I urge its favorable consideration.
PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE DAN BURTON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF INDIANA
H. RES. 402
Good Morning. I want to thank Chairman Hyde for allowing this most important legislation, H. Res. 402, to be considered before the Committee today. This resolution expresses the great need for democratic reform, including the recognition of basic human rights and religious liberty for all citizens of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
During my six-year tenure as Chairman of the full Committee on Government Reform, I initiated several investigations into human rights violations both in the United States and abroad. I have continued this oversight as Chairman of the newly created Government Reform Subcommittee on Human Rights & Wellness. As part of my continued commitment to oversight in this arena, I felt it was necessary to address the current human rights situation, or more accurately put the lack thereof, in the country of Laos.
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From an outsider's perspective, Laos is a seemingly democratic country. Technically speaking, 1989 marked the first year of democratically-held elections in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, since the country was taken over by Marxist Communists in 1975. That event gave many Lao citizens hope that their country had taken the first step toward independence and self-government. Tragically, this has not proven to be true.
The Lao People's Revolutionary Party—the ruling political force in Laos—has provided the world with a great facAE9ade of espousing and promoting democratic ideologies, when in actuality they are a unilateral Communist regime.
Only members of this communist party are permitted to run for political office, which coincidentally is the only political party legally recognized in the country.
The Lao People's Revolutionary Party not only monopolizes the National Assembly, but also directs the armed forces and security services of the country—in addition to controlling the finances of Laos by promulgating 5-year economic plans that are observed in the time difference between these so-called ''Congressional'' meetings, which have further crippled the already fragile economy of that nation.
This is not the only deception that the Lao government misrepresents to the world. In 1991, Laos adopted its first constitution, which supposedly granted Laotian citizens many of the same rights that we enjoy here in the United States—such as the freedom to peacefully assemble, the freedom of religion, and the freedom of speech.
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Unfortunately, 13 years after this so-called ''constitution'' was adopted, these most basic of human rights have yet to be observed in Laos. In fact, the Laotian government has worked hard to prevent any real democratic progress or forward-thinking in the nation.
For example, in 1999 several student leaders who engaged in a peaceful pro-democracy demonstration were unlawfully arrested for their opposition to the communist government. According to the human rights organization Amnesty International, many of these student leaders continue to be held in the Lao prison system, or even worse, remain unaccounted for.
Sadly, this is not the only instance of peaceful activists being held improperly for opposing the Lao government. In 2001, during a peaceful protest requesting the release of the jailed student leaders, Olivier Dupuis, a Member of the European Parliament, was arrested and jailed with other demonstrators. He was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison after a brief trial, and later expelled from the country.
I am not alone in this fight to bring basic human rights to the people of Laos. I have been joined on this resolution by 44 Cosponsors, including 10 of my esteemed colleagues who serve diligently as Members of this Committee.
Additionally, President Bush and his Administration have begun to address the human rights violations in Laos as well. In the most recent U.S. Department of State report on international human rights practices, it was affirmed that the Laotian government has restricted its citizens from enjoying the freedoms of speech, assembly, and religion, and for undertaking activities to change their government.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has mirrored the findings of these reports, and recommended that the President designate Laos as a ''country of particular concern''.
As Members of Congress, we have sworn an oath to uphold the rights and freedoms that Americans hold so dear. By passing this resolution, we will shed light on the egregious human rights violations occurring in Laos, and take the necessary first steps toward establishing true democracy in Laos. I ask that the Members of this Committee vote ''Aye'' and give the people of Laos hope that one day they will be able to live free of fear from their government.
Again, thank you Mr. Chairman for allowing me to speak on this important human rights Resolution. I yield back the balance of my time.
PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE JERRY WELLER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ILLINOIS
H. RES. 535
Mr. Chairman, I am pleased that the House International Relations Committee scheduled this important mark-up today of H. Res. 535. This legislation, which I introduced, expresses the concern and support of the House of Representatives for local elected officials under threat of assassination, kidnapping, forcible displacement, and coercion by terrorist organizations in the Republic of Colombia.
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Mr. Chairman, Colombia is the oldest democracy in South America and has a long tradition of democratically elected leaders. Colombia's democracy, her leaders, and the people of Colombia themselves are under attack, however, by terrorist organizations. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or the FARC, the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia or the AUC and the National Liberation Army or the ELN pose a constant threat to this democracy and the human rights of the people of Colombia.
Without regard for human rights, these terrorist organizations carry out their atrocities not only through threat and intimidation, but through murder. Threats against democratically elected local and regional representatives often hinders or prevents these representatives from carrying out their official duties.
The National Federation of Council Members of Colombia, a civil society organization representing elected municipal council officials in Colombia, reports that 252 municipal council members were assassinated by the FARC, ELN, AUC and other terrorist organizations between July 1996 and September 2003.
Equally disturbing is an increase in the number and intensity of these attacks. During the time period from 1996 to 2001, there was an average of around 21 attacks each year. However, there were 64 in 2002 and in just the first nine months of 2003, there were 59. In the same 2003 time period, 1180 council members were forcibly displaced by terrorist organizations.
And in the run-up to local elections of October 2003, 15 aspiring council members—people who wanted to legitimately serve as direct representatives of local constituencies—were killed.
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President Uribe has been working tirelessly to restore legitimate government throughout Colombia, and we in the House commend the President for his actions. President Uribe has proven to be a successful leader for the people of Colombia and a solid partner with the United States.
This resolution sends a strong and clear message that the House of Representatives condemns all terrorist organizations in the Republic of Colombia. It also expresses strong support for democratically elected municipal council members in Colombia who continue governing under threat and danger.
Further, this resolution commends and encourages the Government of Colombia to continue its campaign to restore legitimate governance throughout the country and to restore basic services to affected municipalities and communities, as well as commending the efforts by the National Federation of Council Members of Colombia to provide support for local elected officials in their struggle against lawlessness and terror.
Mr. Chairman, this is an important resolution and I am pleased to see it pass the House International Relations Committee today, and encourage my colleagues to support its passage before the full House of Representatives.
PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE ROBERT MENENDEZ, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY
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H. RES. 563
First, I would like to thank my good friend Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for putting this resolution together.
Today, I call on all the Members of this Committee from both sides of the aisle to stand with me for a universal cause: human rights.
A little over a year ago today, the Cuban dictatorship showed its true colors to the world and began its most repressive and violent action against dissidents in recent history.
The whole world was horrified as more than 75 journalists, human rights activists, and opposition political figures were arrested, given summary trials and then sentenced to prison terms of up to 28 years.
Many of the prisoners, along with other prisoners of conscience, have spent the past year in solitary confinement and in prisons far away from their families. Some have been deprived of adequate medical treatment and reports from Cuba detail beatings and harassment.
Clearly, the Castro regime has no respect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states in Article 4 that, ''No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.''
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Cuba stands alone.
The world has recognized these injustices.
In a recent statement, Amnesty International said that these ''prisoners of conscience'' should be immediately released and called on the Cuban regime to, ''comply with the principles laid out in international rights standards for the treatment of prisoners.''
So I call on the Cuban regime to immediately release these prisoners of conscience who were jailed for standing up for democracy and human rights against a brutal dictatorship.
To my brothers and sisters who suffer in Castro's jails, to their families and friends both here in the United States and Cuba, and to the Cuban people, I say that Castro will not succeed in his vain attempt to suppress the spirit of the Cuban people. I look forward to the day, which is coming soon, when we will all celebrate a free and democratic Cuba. It is the spirit of the Cuban human rights activists and their courage that will ultimately be Castro's downfall.
To my friends and colleagues here in Congress, now is the time for us stand together against brutality, torture and dictatorship.
Now is the time for us to stand together for freedom, for the right to free speech, and free association, and for human rights in general.
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So I ask each of you to join me in voting yes for this resolution.
PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE SHERROD BROWN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF OHIO
H.R. 4019
Mr. Chairman, once again I join my colleagues in urging Congress to authorize the U.S. to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual summit of the World Health Assembly (WHA) set for May 2004 in Geneva.
I would like to thank the co-chairs of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, Steve Chabot, Dana Rohrabacher and Robert Wexler for all of their hard work and dedication to the Taiwanese people.
H.R. 4019 is another important step in fulfilling the commitment the U.S. made in the 1994 Taiwan Policy Review to more actively support Taiwan's membership in organizations such as the United Nations and World Health Organization (WHO).
Last year the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) caused 73 deaths in Taiwan. This year avian influenza has reemerged in Asia and has been reported in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
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SARS and the avian influenza continue to threaten Taiwan. The case has never been stronger for allowing the people of Taiwan access to the WHO. As globalization quickens and the spread of infectious disease accelerates it is crucial that the people of Taiwan be given the opportunity to participate in international health organizations such as the WHO.
The bill authorizes Secretary of State Colin Powell to endorse and help obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual week-long summit of the WHA, and authorizes the State Department to introduce a resolution on the floor of the World Health Assembly in support of Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization. The bill also directs the State Department to submit a plan to Congress on how to accomplish this objective.
Taiwan has eradicated smallpox, cholera, and polio, and has achieved infant mortality rates on par with Western Countries. These accomplishments warrant an invitation to participate in international health policy discussions. With a population of 23.5 million, Taiwan is larger than 75% of the countries that belong to the WHO. Taiwan is prepared to contribute meaningfully to the global health efforts discussed at World Health Assembly (WHA), but without observer status, its delegates can't even enter the room. This bill would prevent the international community from missing out on the insight and experience Taiwanese health officials can offer.
I urge my colleagues to support access to the WHO for the 23 million people of Taiwan. Support H.R. 4019.
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PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE DIANE E. WATSON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
H. RES. 576
Chairman Hyde, Ranking Member Lantos, thank you for your leadership in cosponsoring and agreeing to mark up my resolution, H. Res. 576, that urges the Chinese government to improve its protection of intellectual property rights. I want to also thank members of this Committee for their bi-partisan support of this important measure. I am grateful for the Committee in expediting the consideration of this very timely resolution.
As many of you know, I represent the 33rd Congressional District of Los Angeles and Culver City, California, which contains a number of entertainment studios. The protection of U.S. intellectual property rights abroad is especially crucial to the health and vitality of the U.S. entertainment sector, which brought in an estimated $535.1 billion to the U.S. economy in 2001 and remains one of our nation's biggest export sectors. However, the impact of intellectual property rights violations extends far beyond the entertainment sector and affects all of our congressional districts across the country.
In the case of China, the United States continues to lose more than $18 billion each year due to the piracy of copyrighted materials, and counterfeited products continue to account for 15 to 20 percent of all products made in China, approximately 8 percent of its gross national product. These losses range from piracy and counterfeiting of film, recorded music, published products and software, to pharmaceuticals, electrical equipment, industrial products, research results, auto parts, and even cars themselves. Moreover, many of these counterfeit products end up re-entering our domestic U.S. market in record quantities. In fact, the U.S. Customs Service estimates that over 60 percent of all pirated goods it seizes originate in China. As you can see, IPR theft has reached epidemic levels in China, and its impact is being felt not only in the United States but around the world.
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H. Res. 576 urges the Chinese government to take further and immediate steps to improve its IPR mechanism, especially in the enforcement of such rights by changing and updating its criminal law and enforcement procedures. It also asks China to improve its customs and border measures to prevent the massive exportation of pirated goods, and to give greater market access to legitimate foreign products as to reduce the market demand for pirated and counterfeit goods, among other purposes.
My staff has shared this resolution with various agencies within the Administration, including the State Department, Department of Commerce, U.S. Customs, and the U.S. Copyright and U.S. Patent and Trademark offices. I want to recognize their assistance and support, and commend them for their tireless effort to engage the Government of China on these important issues.
Finally, I am aware that USTR Ambassador Zoellick and Secretary of Commerce Evans will co-chair an expanded Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi next month to discuss problems relating to WTO implementation. I believe this resolution will put Congress on the record in calling for the Government of China to take immediate and serious steps to rectify this problem.
Once again I thank you for this opportunity to mark up my resolution.
LETTER SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD BY THE HONORABLE DIANE E. WATSON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, FROM MARYBETH PETERS, REGISTER OF COPYRIGHTS, UNITED STATES COPYRIGHT OFFICE
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