[No response.] Mr. GALLEGLY. The ayes appear to have it and the ayes have it and the motion is agreed to. Further proceedings on this measure are postponed and the Committee will now stand in recess until the end of this pending vote. [Recess.] Mr. CHABOT [PRESIDING). The Committee will resume its sitting. The Chair lays before the Committee a concurrent resolution relating to Little League Baseball Incorporated. The clerk will report the title of the resolution. Ms. BLOOMER. S. Con. Res. 37, concurrent resolution, expressing the sense of the Congress that Little League Baseball Incorporated was established to support and develop Little League baseball and worldwide and that its international character and activities should be recognized. Mr. CHABOT. Without objection, the clerk will read the preamble and operative language of the Subcommittee amendment and that order for amendment. Ms. BLOOMER. Whereas Little League Baseball Incorporated is Mr. CHABOT. Without objection, the resolution will be considered as having been read and is open to amendment at any point. [S. Con. Res. 37 appears in the appendix.] This Senate concurrent resolution was referred to the Committee and then referred by the Chairman of the Subcommittee on International Organizations and Human Rights, which considered it on February 12th and ordered it forward to the full Committee. I should note that a companion House concurrent resolution was introduced by the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. McDade. Are there any Members seeking recognition or who wish to offer amendments to the Concurrent Resolution? Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Chairman. Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Hamilton is recognized. Mr. HAMILTON. I just want to indicate my support for the resolution. I commend the Chairman for bringing it forward. It states the sense of the Congress that Little League baseball is international in character and has engendered international goodwill. Every member of this institution, I am sure, has been personally involved with the Little League in some way, and we are happy to support its activities for the kids around the world. I urge the adoption of the resolution. Mr. CHABOT. Without objection, the Chairman will be requested to seek consideration of this measure on the suspension calendar. Further proceedings on this measure are postponed and the Committee will be in recess. [Recess.] Chairman GILMAN. The Committee will come to order. The Chair lays before the Committee a concurrent resolution relating to Algeria. The clerk will report the title of the resolution. Ms. BLOOMER. H. Res. 374, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the ongoing violence in Algeria. [H. Res. 374 appears in the appendix.] Chairman GILMAN. This resolution was considered in Subcommittee on Africa and reported from that Subcommittee with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Chairman. Chairman GILMAN. Who is seeking Mr. CHABOT. Can we have a debate on this? Chairman GILMAN. Yes, we will. Without objection, the Subcommittee amendment in the nature of a substitute will be considered as original text for purposes of amendment. Without objection, the clerk will read the preamble and operative language of the Subcommittee amendment, in that order, for amendment. Ms. BLOOMER. Whereas, in January 1992, Algerian annulled the second round of Parliamentary elections Chairman GILMAN. Without objection, the Subcommittee amendment will be considered as having been read and open to amendment at any point. Resolution was introduced on March 2nd by Mr. Chabot. It was referred to the Committee and then referred by the Chairman to the Subcommittee on Africa, which considered it on March 4th and ordered it forwarded to the Full Committee. [Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 374 appears in the appendix.] I now recognize the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Chabot, to introduce the resolution. Mr. CHABOT. I thank the Chairman. As my colleagues know, the distinguished Chairman of the Africa Subcommittee, Mr. Royce, is traveling with the President this week in Africa, so I have to thank him in absentia for his leadership on this issue. I also want to thank my good friend and colleague from Florida, Mr. Hastings, the principal co-sponsor of this resolution, who, along with his very able staff, has worked tirelessly on this issue. I very much appreciate his counsel and assistance while we have worked on this measure. And I also want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Payne, for his invaluable contributions to the legislation and our Subcommittee. Mr. Chairman, tens of thousands of Algerians, many of them women and children, have lost their lives since violent terrorist attacks began in 1992. Hundreds more perished during the holy month of Ramadan that ended just a few weeks ago. The Associated Press reports that as many as 120 people, including 32 children under the age of two, were killed by ax-wielding assailants just this past weekend. This resolution, H. Res. 374, strongly condemns the perpetrators, the Armed Islamic Group, or GIA, and any other terrorist groups responsible for the atrocities being committed in Algeria, and urges those who continue to engage in violence and the fundamental abuse of human rights to discontinue such activity immediately. The legislation, while acknowledging that the government of Algeria has made progress toward democratization, calls on the government to take all necessary and legal steps to prevent violence and to stop it once it occurs, and encourages the government to cooperate with the international community to ensure transparency in the investigation and combating of terrorist activity. Additionally, H. Res. 374 encourages the European Union and the government of Algeria to further their mutual cooperation against terrorism. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for bringing this resolution before the full Committee today. I think it is a timely resolution, hopefully, it will be helpful, and I urge adoption of the resolution. yield back the balance of my time. Chairman GILMAN. Thank you, Mr. Chabot. The gentleman Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Chairman. Chairman GILMAN. Who is seeking recognition? Mr. Hamilton has sought recognition-Mr. Hastings. Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Chairman, I will be extremely brief, if I may be permitted to ask unanimous consent to place my entire statement in the record. Chairman GILMAN. Without objection. Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Chairman, I would like to say first that I appreciate very much the opportunity to join my good friend from Ohio, Mr. Chabot, as principal co-sponsor in regards to this resolution. Certainly, thank Chairman Royce and you, Mr. Chairman, and all that were involved. I would like to say that this resolution embodies the principals of life, liberty and the rule of law and, of course, we feel that this will be helpful in expediting Algeria to peace and stability. One final thing, Mr. Chairman, I would hope at some point, aside from anything that the United Nations may do, that an appropriate delegation from the United States would visit Algeria. My experience has been that in these areas of high conflict, U.S. presence does help, and I would hope that comes about earlier rather than later. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Chairman GILMAN. Thank you, Mr. Hastings. Mr. Rohrabacher. Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Chairman, I find myself in disagreement with this amendment. I would just like to say-first of all, there might be a small change that we could put in there, and that might change my mind on this. But if I could just explain. I have been following the events in Algeria for some time now. And I am convinced that the cycle of violence that the people are suffering has come directly from the fact that the corrupt Socialist Government of Algeria prevented democratic elections from letting people determine their own destiny. They clamped down when the elections were not going in the way they wanted them to. That is what spurred the cycle of violence, and I do know that that is recognized in this amendment. It mentions that originally the democratic elections were not followed, and that is why there is a cycle of violence. But I do not think that we can say that the majority of recent terrorist activities are being carried on by this Armed Islamic Group. I have read several reports-actually I have read several sworn statements by former policemen from Algeria who said that they were directed by their bosses and that they were part of police units that came into these areas and have been committing these horracious acts of terrorism. When we talk about this recent attack with axes and knives, this is totally consistent with what has been going on for a couple of years, and we have people who are telling us that they are working for the government and have been doing these things. So I don't think that we should say there is no doubt that the Armed Islamic Group has committed acts of terrorism, and I do not mind condemning them for that. It would help me if we could amend this by saying "has been responsible for carrying out terrorist activities" rather than saying "carrying out the majority of recent terrorist activities," because I do not think we know for sure whether it is them or not who is carrying out these attacks. In fact, there is evidence showing just the opposite. And also what leads people to question this is that the government has not permitted independent investigators to go there onsite and to ask the people who were the victims and to ask the people in the surrounding areas who they think are committing these acts of terrorism. So the government itself has been involved in what any unbiased observer would say would be a coverup of something, and yet we are just taking it for granted that all these acts of terrorism are committed by the dissidents who again admittedly they are terroristic, they have committed acts of terrorism, but I think the government deserves some of the credit too. So if I could, Mr. Chairman, I do not know whether I have this parliamentary authority or not, but to suggest that we just amend out of this "the majority of recent" and then just condemn the GIA for "terrorist activities" rather than "a majority of terrorist activities". Mr. CHABOT. Will the gentleman yield? Mr. CHABOT. I would respectfully disagree with the gentleman's statement that the evidence is not clear that it is a "majority" that has been carried out by them. However, I think there still is some question as to whether individuals connected with the government may or may not have been connected with some of the events, but I think it is accurate, the language, that it is a majority. Now if the gentleman would feel more positive about supporting this legislation with that word change, I don't know that it makes any dramatic difference. Do you want to restate exactly what the language change you are suggesting is? Mr. ROHRABACHER. Well, as it states right now, if the gentleman would yield back, that we are condemning the GIA as being "responsible for carrying out"-and here is the language that I would oppose "the majority of recent terrorist activities"-and I would suggest that we change it to say "has been responsible for carrying out terrorist activities." That way we're not letting the government off the hook if the government is responsible for many of these terrorist acts, and after all we do condemn both the government and this group if they have been engaged in killing unarmed people and noncombatants. Chairman GILMAN. The gentleman has moved to strike the word "majority." Does the sponsor accept it? Mr. CHABOT. I do not personally have any problem with that. Since Mr. Hastings was an important cosponsor in this, I would be interested to hear what Mr. Hastings might have to say. Chairman GILMAN. Mr. Hastings. Mr. HASTINGS. I thank you, Mr. Chabot. Would the gentleman yield, Mr. Chairman? I too have no real objection. I, like Mr. Chabot, believe that it is the majority. I think it is something to be determined. But the operative phraseology is allowed in the resolving clause, and I would urge my colleague from California and friend to look at it where it says it urges those who continue to engage in violence and the fundamental abuse. I think your concerns are taken care of in the resolve clause, but like Mr. Chabot, if he has no objection to the proposed amendment, then I have none either, Mr. Chairman. Chairman GILMAN. An amendment has been made to strike the word "majority." It has been agreed to by the sponsors. Without objection, the measure is amended. Mr. ROHRABACHER. Thank you very much. I thank my colleagues. Chairman GILMAN. Mr. Menendez. Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, first I have a statement that I would like to introduce by unanimous consent into the record. Chairman GILMAN. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. MENENDEZ. And second I have—well, do I have the time limited to strike the last word? Chairman GILMAN. The gentleman has 5 minutes. Mr. MENENDEZ. I yield a moment to my good friend from Florida. Mr. HASTINGS. I thank you for yielding, and I apologize for interrupting your thought, but I would ask unanimous consent that Mr. Payne's, who is traveling with the President, record be admitted into the record. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Chairman GILMAN. Without objection. [The prepared statement of Mr. Payne appears in the appendix.] Mr. MENENDEZ. And at this time, Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk, and I ask Chairman GILMAN. Mr. Menendez has an amendment at the desk. The clerk will distribute the amendment. The clerk will read the amendment. Ms. BLOOMER. Amendment offered by Mr. Menendez: At the end of the resolution add the following: Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be considered as read. Chairman GILMAN. Without objection, the amendment is considered as read. [The amendment to H. Res. 374 offered by Mr. Menendez appears in the appendix.] Chairman GILMAN. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. MENENDEZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I want to first thank Mr. Chabot and Mr. Hastings for their efforts to bring the resolution before the Subcommittee and now before the Full Committee. Clearly since 1992 as many as 80,000 people have died and thousands of others have been injured, and in the past 2 months there has been a dramatic escalation in violence and the death toll has since the beginning of the year surpassed 1,500 individuals. My amendment would simply add a clause to the resolve section of the bill to encourage the Alge |