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“PERSONAL EXPLANATION” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1265 on June 19, 1997.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
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HON. MICHAEL P. FORBES
of new york
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 19, 1997
Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, June 11 and Thursday, June 12, I appreciated being granted an excused absence due to a serious illness in my family. Due to that absence, I missed several rollcall votes.
Had I not been unavoidably absent on June 11, I would have voted in the following manner pertaining to amendments to H.R. 1757, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 201, an amendment to express the sense of Congress condemning the policy of Palestinian policy of imposing the death penalty for any Palestinian who sells land to a Jew.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 200, an amendment to prohibit funds made available under the Foreign Assistance Act for fiscal years 1998 and 1999 for the Russian Federation if that country transfers an SS-N-22 missile system to the People's Republic of China.
``Aye'' on Rollcall vote No. 199, an amendment to prohibit foreign assistance to any country that assists the Libyan Government in circumventing United Nations sanctions. On May 8, Muammar Qadhafi defined the United Nation ban and flew to two neighbors countries.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 198, an amendment expressing the sense of Congress that Romania should be considered eligible for assistance under the provisions of the NATO Participation Act of 1984.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 197, an amendment expressing the sense of Congress that the United States Government should not prohibit the importation, sale, or distribution of Cuban cigars in the United States, or cigars that are the product of Cuba, at such time as the Government of Cuba has (1) freed all political prisoners, (2) legalized all political activity, and (3) agreed to hold free and fair elections.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 196, an amendment to express the sense of Congress that the militant organization Al-Faran should (1) release Donald Hutchings and four western Europeans from captivity; (2) cease and desist from all acts of hostage-taking and other violent acts within the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 195, an amendment to require the President to impose financial transaction restrictions on the Government of Sudan and to express that it is the sense of Congress that the religious persecution and support of terrorism by the Government of Sudan is unacceptable.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 194, an amendment to restrict assistance to foreign organizations that perform or actively promote abortions and prohibiting the use of any funds authorized in the bill to be made available for the United Nations Population Fund in any fiscal year unless the President certifies that UNFPA has terminated all activities in the People's Republic of China, and during the 12 months preceding such certification there have been no abortions as the result of coercion associated with the family planning policies of the national government or other governmental entities.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 193, an amendment to prohibit payment of U.S. arrearages to the U.N. until the U.N. complies with requirements that U.N. employees comply with child and spousal support orders issued by the U.S. courts.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 192, an amendment expressing the sense of Congress that the government of the Ukraine should be commended for their decision to relinquish the nuclear weapons in its possession after the demise of the Soviet Union, for declining to participate in the construction of nuclear reactors in Iran, and for taking a positive and cooperative position with regard to admission into NATO.
``No'' on rollcall vote No. 191, an amendment requiring the Secretary of State to report to Congress every 3 months listing all complaints by the Government of Cuba to departments and agencies of the United States concerning actions taken by U.S. citizens or the U.S. Government.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 190, an amendment to require the President to report to Congress on any border closures or the use of an economic or commercial blockade by or against any of the new independent states of the former Soviet Union against any other country.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 189, an en bloc amendment consisting of several amendments: (1) expressing the sense of Congress that Peru should respect the rights of prisoners to timely legal procedures; (2) directing the State Department to monitor human rights progress in Ethiopia; (3) establishing special envoys to promote mutual disarmament; (4) expressing the sense of Congress that Taiwan should reconsider its proposed deal to transfer low-level nuclear waste to North Korea; (5) expressing the sense of Congress that the administration should support the Prime Minister of India in strengthening ties with the United States and that the President and Secretary of State should call on the President of Belarussia to defend and protect the sovereignty of Belarussia, (6) authorizing a congressional statement in support of Taiwan's efforts to be admitted to the World Trade Organization; (7) requiring the State Department to report to Congress on allegations of persecution of Hmong and Laotian refugees repatriated to Laos; (8) instituting ``buy American'' requirements; and (9) calling for the withholding of assistance to countries that provide nuclear fuel to Cuba.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 188, an amendment to prohibit funding for UNESCO World Heritage and Man and Biosphere programs.
``No'' on rollcall vote No. 187, an amendment to strike the bill's provisions which establish new responsibilities for the office of inspector general at the State Department.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 186, an en bloc amendment consisting of several provisions: (1) allow non-Foreign Service Government employees to perform consular functions; (2) specify qualifications for the position of Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security; (3) change the authorized strength of the Foreign Service; (4) change the provisions of the bill concerning return of persons to countries where they may be subject to torture; and (5) a technical amendment regarding the ecumenical patriarchate in Istanbul, Turkey.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 185, an amendment to require the State Department to report to Congress by March 1 of each year a listing of overseas U.S. surplus properties for sale and require the amounts received from such sales to be used for deficit reduction.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 184, an amendment to require the State Department to maintain records on each incident in which an individual with diplomatic immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the United States under the Vienna Convention committed a serious criminal offense within the United States.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 183, an amendment to end funds for continued TV Marti broadcasts to Cuba at the end of the current fiscal year if the President certifies that continued funding is not in the national interest of the United States.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 182, an amendment to express the sense of the Congress that the United States broadcasting through Radio Free Asia and Voice of America increase to continuous, 24-hour broadcasting in Mandarin, Cantonese, Tibetan, and that broadcasting in additional Chinese dialects be increased.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 181, an amendment, consisting of several amendments offered en bloc to strike the provisions of the bill allowing the State Department to retain for operating expenses up to
$500 million in immigration, passport, and other fees. The amendment would raise authorized funding levels in the bill to compensate for the loss in operation funding.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 180, an amendment to modify the bill's provisions to consolidate certain foreign affairs agencies into the State Department.
``No'' on rollcall vote No. 179, an amendment to reduce the authorized spending levels in the bill for fiscal year 1998 and fiscal year 1999 to the amount appropriated in fiscal year 1997.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 178, an amendment to prohibit funds made available under the Foreign Assistance Act for fiscal years 1998 and 1999 for the Russian Federation if that country transfers an SS-N-22 missile system to the People's Republic of China.
Had I not been unavoidably absent on June 12, I would have voted:
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 203, making emergency supplemental appropriations for recovery from natural disasters, and for overseas peacekeeping efforts, including those in Bosnia, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1997.
``Aye'' on rollcall vote No. 202, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States authorizing the Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.
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