Additional material submitted for the record-Continued Letter dated June 23, 1983, to Attorney General William French Smith from Secretary of State George P. Shultz concerning extended voluntary departure for Salvadoran nationals in the United States... Information paper submitted by Gretchen Bolton titled, "ICM's Reception and Counseling Program in El Salvador Page 155 174 List of questions by the subcommittee, with answers submitted by the 185 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1987 Opening statement of Hon. Joe Moakley, chairman of the Subcommittee on Statement of: 191 Abrams, Hon. Elliott, Assistant Secretary for Bureau of Inter-American 192 Dobriansky, Paula, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Rights and 199 210 .................. Shea, Nina, Esq., Washington Director of the Puebla Institute Additional material submitted for the record: Statement of Richard N. Holwill, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regional Affairs, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, Department of State, before the Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and International Law, on May 20, 1987 Document titled, "Fleeing Their Homeland," submitted by Nina Shea........ MARKUP OF H.R. 618 AND H.R. 1409-WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1987 205 217 276 283 290 CENTRAL AMERICAN STUDIES AND WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1987 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON RULES OF THE HOUSE, The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10 a.m., in Room H-313, the Capitol, Hon. Joe Moakley (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Representatives Moakley, Beilenson, Bonior, Hall, and Pepper. Also present: Representative Wheat. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOE MOAKLEY, CHAIRMAN OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON RULES OF THE HOUSE Mr. MOAKLEY. The Subcommittee on Rules will now come to order. At this time, I ask unanimous consent that the cameramen be able to view the proceedings. Are there objections? The Chair hears none. Because the room is an old room, and the air-conditioning has been refitted and it might be uncomfortable at times, I would hope that the people taking their shots would reduce some of the glare of the lights so we just won't end up in a pool of sweat. This morning, the Subcommittee on Rules of the House will consider H.R. 618 and H.R. 1409, legislation which would temporarily suspend the deportations of Salvadoran and Nicaraguan refugees currently in this country, while the General Accounting Office conducts an investigation of conditions in these two countries. For 4 long years, I have been advocating that extended voluntary departure be granted to Salvadorans in the United States. And, more recently, we have added Nicaraguans to our effort due, in large part, to the forceful and eloquent manner in which the distinguished Chairman of the Rules Committee, Claude Pepper, has presented their case. It is the wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua that have prompted me and over 140 other Members of Congress to push for a temporary stay of deportation for these refugees. And it is also a sense of consistency and fairness that has forced this legislation. In the past 27 years, extended voluntary departure has been granted 15 different times to nationals from countries comparable to El Salvador and Nicaragua. In fact, this administration has (1) either granted or extended EVD to Poles, Afghans, Ethiopians and Ugandans. Why are we now dragging our feet when it comes to Salvadorans and Nicaraguans? Recently, Salvadoran President Duarte sent a letter to President Reagan, asking for EVD for Salvadorans. I welcome that letter, and sincerely hope that it will make it easier for the Reagan administration to agree to the provisions of my legislation. However, in all candor, I must personally disagree with the rationale of President Duarte's letter. President Duarte bases his request mostly on economic matters, and I believe such an explanation ignores the complexity and the heart of the current situation in El Salvador. While it is certainly true that the economic status of El Salvador is disastrous, one cannot separate that fact from the war and all the horrors associated with that war. I want to make clear that it is not the intention of the sponsors of this legislation to find some back-door approach to increase the amount of financial aid El Salvador receives from the United States. As the New York Times recently stated, "Refugees are not subsidies," and I wholeheartedly agree. Salvadorans may send money home, but that, in itself, is not a proper reason to suspend deportations. This bill was introduced as a protection measure in response to the general conditions of violence and civil unrest in El Salvador. If I became convinced that this legislation was merely a glorified appropriations bill, and unnecessary from a human rights perspective, then I would vote against it. I say this not to blame the Salvadoran Government for all the human rights problems associated with the war. I am equally distressed by the reports of guerrilla atrocities in that war-ravaged country. But the Salvadoran Government, despite what I believe are genuine and sincere intentions by President Duarte to better the situation, must still be held responsible for some very serious human rights abuses. I believe very strongly that the legislation we are discussing today is needed now more than ever. I am somewhat ashamed that the administration and Congress has taken so long to act on this issue of protection for Salvadorans and Nicaraguans. I am hoping that within the next several weeks, this will change. At this time, I would like to introduce the person who is responsible for the Nicaraguan section being added to the bill, a very vocal advocate for this bill. I am very happy to have him working so hard with me on this, the Honorable Chairman of the Rules Committee, Senator Claude Pepper. Mr. PEPPER. Thank you very much, Chairman Moakley of the subcommittee, and ranking Democrat on the Rules Committee, for your excellent statement, to which I warmly subscribe. What these two bills propose that Mr. Moakley and I have been working together on is simply that these people be allowed to stay on, people from Nicaragua and El Salvador, stay in our country until their conditions settle in their own respective native coun tries, so they can go back with safety and assurance that their human rights will be protected. They are human beings. They have come to our country for sanctuary. Our country has always held out the hand of offering sanctuary to those who are being persecuted in the lands from which they come, and it is undoubted the persecutions are numerous from the people who are in our country or people like them in Nicaragua and El Salvador, so there is no need to question the need for this kind of protection for them in our country. We are hoping that this legislation can soon be enacted, and that this protection will be assured to these people. They will be able to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave here in America, until they choose to go back to their home country, and feel safe in the enjoyment of their human rights as they choose. I am very strongly agreeable to this legislation that we are proposing. I am glad to be working with my distinguished colleague, Mr. Moakley, who is doing a splendid job in this committee, as well as in other areas. I am delighted to be a part of this subcommittee to support warmly our joint effort on behalf of these worthy people. Mr. MOAKLEY. Thank you very much, Senator. Mr. PEPPER. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. MOAKLEY. The Member joining us who has worked very hard on this matter, the chief deputy whip, the gentleman from Michigan, the Honorable David Bonior. Mr. BONIOR. Thank you. I commend our chairman, and look forward to hearing the witnesses on this legislation. Mr. MOAKLEY. Thank you very much. Without objection, the text of bills H.R. 618 and H.R. 1409, will be printed at this point in the record. [The text of H.R. 618 and H.R. 1409 follow:] To provide for a General Accounting Office investigation and report on conditions of displaced Salvadorans and Nicaraguans, to provide certain rules of the House of Representatives and of the Senate with respect to review of the report, to provide for the temporary stay of detention and deportation of certain Salvadorans and Nicaraguans, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 20, 1987 Mr. MOAKLEY (for himself and Mr. REGULA) introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on the Judiciary and Rules MARCH 11, 1987 Additional sponsor: Mr. CONTE, Mr. FRANK, Mr. PEPPER, Mr. KOSTMAYER, Mr. KASTENMEIER, Mr. DOWNEY of New York, Mr. ROYBAL, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. BOLAND, Mr. FEIGHAN, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. MAVROULES, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. DELLUMS, Mr. HOWARD, Mr. BATES, Mr. GARCIA, Mr. STUDDS, Mr. MRAZEK, Mr. HAYES of Illinois, Mr. MANTON, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. HALL of Ohio, Mr. WILLIAMS, Mr. CLAY, Mr. FAZIO, Mr. Lowry of Washington, Mr. FAUNTROY, Mr. OWENS of New York, Mr. STark, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. SABO, Mr. FLORIO, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Mr. BRYANT, Mr. UDALL, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. DWYER of New Jersey, Mr. JEFFORDS, Mr. BROWN of California, Mr. MCKINNEY, Mr. THOMAS A. LUKEN, Mr. WHEAT, Mr. LEVINE of California, Mr. WEISS, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. JACOBS, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. WOLPE, Mr. EVANS, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. EDWARDS of California, Mr. MORRISON of Connecticut, Mr. MILLER of California, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. FROST, Mr. ATKINS, Mr. BONIOR of Michigan, Mr. TORRES, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. CARPER, Mr. NEAL, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. HERTEL, Mr. Bustamante, Mr. FOGLIETTA, Mr. PEASE, Mrs. KENNELLY, Mrs. SCHROEDER, Mr. Bosco, Mrs. COLLINS, Mr. SKAGGS, Mr. BIAGGI, Mr. KANJORSKI, Mr. VENTO, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. Waxman, Mr. DIXON, Mr. ROE, Mr. Towns, Mr. COOPER, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. LEHMAN of Florida, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. DYMally, Mr. de la Garza, Mr. OBEY, Miss. SCHNEIDER, Mr. JONTZ, Mr. NAGLE, Mr. LELAND, Mr. MCCURDY, Mr. DICKS, Mr. HOCHBRUECKNER, Mr. MOODY, Mr. LEACH of Iowa, and Mr. HORTON |