July 27, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1551 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS RECOGNIZING MARY SCOTT-HALL in Travel and Tourism was developed by End DISTURBING ECONOMIC TRENDS IN Child Prostitution Child Pornography and Traf- PUERTO RICO HON. SAM GRAVES ficking of Children for Sexual Purposes, OF MISSOURI ECPAT, along with World Tourism Organiza- HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tion, WTO, and has been funded by the OF NEW YORK Thursday, July 27, 2006 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). By IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES signing the Code of Conduct, travel and tour- Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I proudly pause ism companies commit to take a series of Thursday, July 27, 2006 to recognize Mary Scott-Hallof Saint Joseph, steps to ensure that they are not facilitating Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to Missouri. Mary is a leader in the Girl Scouts, the trafficking of children for purposes of pros- call attention to the disturbing economic trends representing the Midland Empire for over titution. Law enforcement cannot do it alone. It in Puerto Rico detailed in recently released re- seven years, and she has been chosen to re- takes a multifaceted approach to discourage ports by the General Accountability Office ceive the YWCA Women of Excellence Award sex tourism. (GAO), and the Joint Committee on Taxation for Women in Volunteerism. The Code of Conduct requires that the tour- (JCT). Taken together, these finely written and As a leader in the Girl Scouts, Mary has ism or travel company establish an ethical pol- well-documented studies paint a bleak picture gone beyond her expected role, helping to icy regarding sexual exploitation of children; of an island that—instead of being a model of grow the community’s interest and excitement train its personnel in the country of origin and economic development—has fallen further be- for the Girl Scouts. She has organized a vari- travel destinations; introduce a clause in con- hind the 50 states. ety of service projects for her troop, including tracts with suppliers requiring that they repu- Nothing could be clearer from these reports donations to the YWCA Women’s Abuse Shel- diate commercial sexual exploitation of chil- than that we have failed the U.S. citizens of ter and America’s Second Harvest Food Bank. dren; provide information to travelers by Puerto Rico miserably for over 50 years. Not As the Day Camp director for the St. Joseph means of catalogues, brochures, inflight films, because of bad intentions, or because of area, she has provided exceptional programs and ticket slips; provide information to local some sort of benign neglect, but because of to over 100 girls each summer. Additionally ‘‘key persons’’ at the destinations; and report failed policies that have provided few, if any, donating her time to Camp Woodland, she annually to the Code International Steering of their promised benefits. These studies viv- was responsible for preparing meals and pro- Committee and the Secretariat at the WTO. idly demonstrate the need for a different ap- grams for up to 150 girls and adults. By reporting yearly, the companies share proach that will more directly benefit the resi- Her achievements to the Girl Scouts are their experiences and allow for annual moni- dents of Puerto Rico, including making them highly recognized. Her troop built the Manley toring and evaluation of the progress and out- eligible for the refundable portion of the child Tillison Outdoor Classroom, a part of the comes of their endeavors. A Steering Com- tax credit, which I proposed in legislation intro- troop’s Silver Medal Award project. In addition, mittee made up of international independent duced earlier this Congress (H.R. 4451). she has been given the Girl Scouts Out- and voluntary representatives along with These studies paint a fairly stark picture of standing Volunteer Pin by her peers and re- ECPAT supervise the Code implementation. the ways in which Federal policies have mark- ceived the Service to Mankind Award from the Internationally, more than two hundred com- edly neglected working Americans in Puerto St. Joseph Downtown Sertoma Club. panies have signed the Code of Conduct. The Rico, by denying them basic support accorded Mr. Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in United States, however, has lagged far be- to families in the rest of the United States who recognizing Mary Scott-Hall. Her commitment hind. That is why the willingness of Carlson are struggling to make ends meet. to the Girl Scouts and service in the commu- Companies Inc., Flamingo Travel, Ela Brasil The focus of the GAO report is the economy nity are to be admired. I am honored to rep- and ASTA to sign the Code is so significant. of Puerto Rico during the phase-out of the resent her in the United States Congress. The Carlson Companies Inc. is ranked as one Possessions Tax Credit (‘‘Sec. 936’’), the cor- f of the largest privately held corporations in nerstone of the U.S. tax policy in Puerto Rico IN RECOGNITION OF THE CARLSON America. Among its brands and services are until Congress repealed it in 1996. GAO (and COMPANIES INC., AMERICAN SO- Regent International Hotels, Radisson Hotels, an independent study by the Brookings Institu- CIETY OF TRAVEL AGENTS, FLA- Country Inns and Suites, Park Plaza, Carlson tion), determined that the repeal of Sec. 936 MINGO TRAVEL, AND ELA BRA- Wagonlit Travel, Cruise Holidays, Results to a significant degree did not cause the com- SIL TOURS Travel, Raddison Seven Seas Cruises, and panies that had previously taken advantage of Carlson Marketing Group. the program to flee the island; instead con- HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY Since signing the Code of Conduct, Carlson cluding that ‘‘a substantial amount of posses- Companies Inc. has put information about sex sion corporation activity has been continued OF NEW YORK tourism and commercial exploitation of chil- by other types of businesses,’’ primarily by the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES dren on its company website, has run ads and companies conversion to controlled foreign Thursday, July 27, 2006 included editorial content in its hotel publica- corporations, which do not have to pay taxes Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, sex tourism tions, and has included information about this on their PR source income. As such, the GAO and more specifically the sexual commercial issue on their ticket stock. Flamingo Travel, provides the most comprehensive and objec- exploitation of children has increasingly be- Ela Brasil and ASTA have taken similar steps tive assessment that while corporate struc- come a serious problem. The International in implementing the Code of Conduct. tures have changed, underlying economic ac- Labor Organization estimates that approxi- These companies are trailblazers in com- tivity has not markedly changed during the mately 550,000–700,000 children are forced bating the commercial sexual exploitation of Sec. 936 phase-out. into sexual exploitation each year. I, therefore, children. Their bold stand could save lives. The bottom line conclusion is that the tax rise to salute the Carlson Companies Inc., the Significantly their forthright commitment on this policies that have been in place have failed to American Society of Travel Agents, ASTA, issue puts pressure on other American com- put Puerto Rico on a path toward equality with Flamingo Travel in Philadelphia and Ela Brasil panies in travel and tourism to sign the Code the mainland. Growth has been insufficient to in New York City for signing the Code of Con- of Conduct as well. reduce the gap in per capita income (one third duct for the Protection of Children From Sex- Mr. Speaker, for all the foregoing reasons, I that of the mainland), living standards (four ual Commercial Exploitation in Travel and ask my the colleagues to join me in applaud- times the number of people live below the Tourism. They have taken a bold stand ing the Carlson Companies Inc., ASTA, Fla- poverty level) and unemployment (twice as against the sexual exploitation of children and mingo Travel, and Ela Brasil for their commit- high as the mainland)—nor improve the abys- should be recognized for their actions ment to implementing the Code of Conduct mally low labor force participation rate. Clearly The Code of Conduct for the Protection of and fighting one of the world’s cruelest and the data supports the conclusion that the past Children From Sexual Commercial Exploitation most devastating industries. approach has had little—if any—direct and ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. VerDate Aug 31 2005 05:07 Jul 28, 2006 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A27JY8.001 E27JYPT1 ycherry on PROD1PC64 with REMARKS E1552 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks July 27, 2006 positive effect on the welfare of individuals liv- BELARUS DEMOCRACY into the United States. In this context, I wel- ing and working on the island. REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2006 come the targeted punitive sanctions by both the Administration and the EU against officials, The JCT study points out that tax incentives including judges and prosecutors, involved in such as Sec. 936 cannot be permanent addi- HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY electoral fraud and other human rights abuses. tions to the Internal Revenue Code, and that Strategic exports to the Government of IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES there are market distortions associated with Belarus would be prohibited, except for those these incentives. While not opining on a pre- Thursday, July 27, 2006 intended for democracy building or humani- ferred approach, JCT states that other options Mr.