October 8, 2003 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E2007 RECOGNIZING THE EIGHTH AVE- ‘‘promoting democracy.’’ How would Ameri- In Slovakia, NED funded several initiatives NUE SENIOR CENTER’S 10TH AN- cans feel if the Chinese arrived with millions of aimed at defeating the freely-elected govern- NIVERSARY CELEBRATION dollars to support certain candidates deemed ment of Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar, who, friendly to China? Would this be viewed as a interestingly, had been persecuted by the pre- HON. NYDIA M. VELA´ ZQUEZ democratic development? vious Communist regime. After the election, OF In an excellent study of the folly of the Na- an IRI newsletter boasted that ‘‘IRI polls IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tional Endowment for Democracy, CATO Insti- changed the nature of the campaign,’’ adding tute scholar Barbara Conry notes that: that IRI efforts secured ‘‘a victory for reformers Wednesday, October 8, 2003 ‘‘NED, which also has a history of corrup- in Slovakia.’’ What the IRI does not say is that Ms. VELA´ ZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today tion and financial mismanagement, is super- many of these ‘‘reformers’’ had been leading on the floor of the U.S. House of Representa- fluous at best and often destructive. Through members of the former Communist regime of tives to recognize the 10h anniversary of the the endowment, the American taxpayer has then-Czechoslovakia. Is this democracy? Brooklyn Chinese-American Association’s paid for special-interest groups to harass the More recently, IRI president George A. Fol- duly elected governments of friendly coun- Eighth Avenue Senior Center. tries, interfere in foreign elections, and fos- som last year praised a coup against Ven- As part of the tradition, this very special an- ter the corruption of democratic movements ezuela’s democratically-elected president, say- niversary will be marked by millennial tables, ... ing, ‘‘Last night, led by every sector of civil so- which seat twelve seniors, each with a com- ‘‘. . . the controversy surrounding NED ciety, the Venezuelan people rose up to de- bined age of over 1,000 years. It is anticipated questions the wisdom of giving a quasi-pri- fend democracy in their country.’’ It was later that over 2,000 senior members will be in at- vate organization the fiat to pursue what is revealed that the National Endowment for De- tendance at this year’s celebration to be held effectively an independent foreign policy mocracy provided funds to those organizations in a local Brooklyn restaurant. under the guise of ‘‘promoting democracy.’’ that initiated the violent revolt in the streets Proponents of NED maintain that a private The Eighth Avenue Senior Center is part of organization is necessary to overcome the against Venezuela’s legal leaders. More than the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association restraints that limit the activities of a gov- a dozen civilians were killed and hundreds (BCA), which was founded in 1987 as a com- ernment agency, yet they insist that the were injured in this attempted coup. Is this munity-based social services agency to meet American taxpayer provide full funding for promoting democracy? the growing needs of the Asian-American this initiative. NED’s detractors point to the Madam Speaker, the National Endowment community in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of inherent contradiction of a publicly funded for Democracy, by meddling in the elections Sunset Park, Borough Park, and Bay Ridge. organization that is charged with executing and internal politics of foreign countries, does Now BCA has developed into a community foreign policy (a power expressly given to more harm to the than good. It development organization with centers along the federal government in the Constitution) yet exempt from nearly all political and ad- creates resentment and ill-will toward the Eighth Avenue for employment training, day ministrative controls . . . United States among millions abroad. It is be- care, youth and cultural activities, and the sen- ‘‘. . . In the final analysis, the endowment yond time to de-fund this Cold War relic and ior center, which celebrates its decade-long embodies the most negative aspects of both return to the foreign policy of our founders, existence this month. Combined, the BCA’s fa- private aid and official foreign aid—the pit- based on open relations and trade with all cilities make our Brooklyn neighborhoods bet- falls of decentralized ‘loose cannon’ foreign countries and free from meddling and manipu- ter, safer, more vibrant places to live. policy efforts combined with the impression lation in the internal affairs of others. Over the past 10 years, the Eighth Avenue that the United States is trying to ‘run the show’ around the world.’’ f Senior Center has provided critical services to Brooklyn’s senior community. This includes The National Endowment for Democracy is IN HONOR OF REV. EMANUEL providing meals, bilingual information, English dependent on the U.S. taxpayer for funding, CLEAVER, II AND HIS THIRTY and citizenship classes, health services and but because NED is not a government agen- YEARS OF SERVICE TO ST. recreational activities. The Eighth Avenue cy, it is not subject to Congressional oversight. JAMES UNITED METHODIST Senior Center is now a cornerstone of our It is indeed a heavily subsidized foreign policy CHURCH AND THE KANSAS CITY community, and will continue to be for many loose cannon. COMMUNITY decades to come. Since its founding in 1983, the National En- dowment for Democracy has been headed by f HON. KAREN McCARTHY Carl Gershman, a member of the neo-Trot- OF MISSOURI COMMENDING NATIONAL ENDOW- skyite Social Democrats/USA. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MENT FOR DEMOCRACY FOR Perhaps that is one reason much of what CONTRIBUTIONS TO DEMOCRATIC NED has done in the former Communist Bloc Wednesday, October 8, 2003 DEVELOPMENT AROUND THE has ended up benefiting former communists in Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I WORLD ON THE 20TH ANNIVER- those countries. As British Helsinki Human rise today to honor ‘‘A Man of Vision,’’ the SARY OF ITS ESTABLISHMENT Rights Group Director Christine Stone has venerable Rev. Emanuel Cleaver, II, whose written: leadership, ministry, and public service have SPEECH OF Both (IRI and NDI) are largely funded by enhanced the Kansas City community for the National Endowment for Democracy three decades. A former mayor of Kansas City HON. RON PAUL (NED) . . . which, in turn, receive money OF TEXAS and the senior pastor at St. James United from the American taxpayer. Both have fa- Methodist Church, Rev. Cleaver is being hon- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES voured the return to power of former high- ored on October 11 for his accomplishments, Tuesday, October 7, 2003 ranking Communists which has also meant co-opting foot-soldiers from the new left who exceptional vision and contributions to our Mr. PAUL. Madam Speaker, I rise to ex- have extremely liberal ideas . . . community as we celebrate the 30th anniver- press my grave concerns over H. Con. Res Skender Gjinushi, speaker of the Albanian sary of his service to St. James Church. 274. The misnamed National Endowment for parliament, thanks the IRI for its assistance Growing up in a humble household, Rev. Democracy (NED) is nothing more than a in drafting the Albanian constitution in 1998. Cleaver daily witnessed the need to serve the costly program that takes U.S. taxpayer funds What the IRI does not say is that Gjinushi urban core and its poor. His service as City to promote favored politicians and political par- was a member of the brutal Stalinist Polit- Council Member and Chairman of the Plan- buro of Enver Hoxha’s Communist Party ties abroad. Madam Speaker, what the NED until 1990 and one of the main organizers of ning and Zoning Committee, Mayor Pro Tem, does in foreign countries, through its recipient the unrest that led to the fall of the Demo- Mayor and ordained United Methodist minister organizations the National Democratic Institute cratic Party government in 1997 and the reflect the legacy of the Cleaver family tradi- (NDI) and the International Republican Insti- death of over 2000 people. tion of giving back to one’s community. Rev. tute (IRI), would be rightly illegal in the United President Stoyanov of Bulgaria drools: Cleaver’s accomplishments are vast and im- States. The NED injects ‘‘soft money’’ into the ‘‘Without IRI’s support we could not have pressive. His dream to complete an $8 million domestic elections of foreign countries in favor come so far so fast.’’ Indeed. Indeed. So far contemporary sanctuary connected to the old did they come that Ivan Kostov (who sup- of one party or the other. Imagine what a cou- plies another encomium to IRI) was cata- building of St. James will allow many more pa- ple of hundred thousand dollars will do to as- pulted from his job teaching Marxism-Len- rishioners to join those who gather to hear his sist a politician or political party in a relatively inism at Sofia University to being prime inspirational counsel. poor country abroad. It is particularly Orwellian minister of Bulgaria and a leader of ‘re- An advocate of jobs for the Fifth District, to call U.S. manipulation of foreign elections form.’’’ Mayor Cleaver was a pioneer in persuading

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