S6344 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 13, 2012 there have been 246 maulings, 253 es- Memorial Establishment Act of 1994; to beating him with electrified batons, uri- capes, 143 big cat deaths, and 128 the Committee on Indian Affairs. nating on him, leaving him tied up for hours, confiscations. Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, as Chair- and holding lighted cigarettes close to his This is also an animal welfare issue. man of the Committee on Indian Af- eyes and nose; Research shows that the captive big Whereas the Government of the People’s fairs, I am introducing legislation to Republic of China arrested and detained Gao cat community is characterized by a make technical corrections to the Na- Zhisheng again on February 4, 2009; systemic culture of inhumane mis- tional Native American Veterans’ Me- Whereas Gao Zhisheng’s whereabouts were treatment of the animals. One major morial Act of 1994. unknown until March 2010, when he resur- reason for this is that once individual The 1994 Act honors the profound faced, only to be arrested once more on April big cats have outgrown the infancy contributions of Native Veterans by 20, 2010; stage when they are most profitable, authorizing the construction of a Na- Whereas, on November 19, 2010, the United they are often warehoused in terrible tional Native American Veterans’ Me- Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Deten- tion determined Gao Zhisheng’s ongoing de- conditions. Because private ownership morial. Unfortunately, technical issues is allowed to continue, many sanc- tention to be arbitrary and in violation of with the law have made it difficult to international law; tuaries for mistreated or unwanted big move forward with the Memorial. The Whereas Gao Zhisheng was held for 20 cats are at or nearing capacity and bill I am introducing today seeks to al- months before officials in China informed his lack financial reserves to provide leviate those obstacles. family in December 2011 that he was being greater assistance. The recent closure My legislation would make technical held at the Shaya County Prison in remote of a major sanctuary in Texas that had corrections in order to allow the Na- Xinjiang, China; over 50 big cats has made matters tional Museum of American Indian to Whereas authorities allowed Gao Zhiyi to visit his brother, Gao Zhisheng, in the Shaya worse. join the National Congress of American Third, this is a matter of conserva- County Prison for 30 minutes on March 24, Indians in the fundraising efforts for 2012, but then warned him not to speak to tion. Tigers, for example, are ex- the Memorial. In addition, my bill tremely endangered by poaching and the media or he would not be allowed to visit would allow the Memorial to be con- his brother again; trade, and illegal tiger products con- structed on the property provided for Whereas the arbitrary arrest and detention tinue to be smuggled into the U.S. by the National Museum of American of attorneys who represent minority groups from foreign countries. One of the big- Indian Act. and human rights activists could have a gest threats to wild tigers is the de- chilling effect on other attorneys working Per capita, American Indians, Alaska mand for tiger parts and products, and with similar clients; Natives, and Native Hawaiians serve at leakage of captive tiger parts and prod- Whereas Article 9 of the International Cov- a higher rate in the Armed Forces than ucts into the illegal market continues enant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted any other group of Americans. Native to encourage demand, perpetuating at New York December 16, 1966, to which the peoples have served in all of the Na- Government of the People’s Republic of poaching and threatening remaining tion’s wars since the Revolutionary China is a signatory, states, ‘‘No one shall be wild populations. War. A memorial in their honor is well- subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention.’’; Finally, this bill will address the cur- Whereas the International Covenant on rent patchwork state regulation. There deserved and long overdue. My non-controversial, no cost, tech- Civil and Political Rights also guarantees are still two states that have no regu- the right to freedom of expression; lations or permits at all regarding pri- nical amendments bill will make it Whereas the wife of Gao Zhisheng, Geng vate ownership of exotic animals in- easier to construct the authorized me- He, and their two children have been af- cluding big cats. Seven other States morial to honor our Native Veterans. forded protection as political asylees in the have little to no regulations of private f United States; ownership of exotic animals including Whereas the United States Government SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS has authorized Gao Zhisheng to enter the big cats. Another 14 states allow big United States, based on his family’s success- cat possession only with a state per- ful claim of political asylum; and mit, and 27 states and the District of SENATE RESOLUTION 554—CALL- Whereas the continued detention of Gao Columbia have enacted full bans on ING ON THE GOVERNMENT OF Zhisheng, with limited or no access to family private ownership of big cats, though THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF or legal counsel, by the Government of the all of those exempt federally-licensed CHINA TO FACILITATE THE IM- People’s Republic of China is a source of grave concern to the United States Senate: exhibitors. Given the risks I have al- MEDIATE AND UNCONDITIONAL ready outlined, this kind of regulatory Now, therefore, be it RELEASE OF GAO ZHISHENG, Resolved, That the Senate calls on the Gov- patchwork is simply unacceptable and AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES could be dangerous. ernment of the People’s Republic of China— I believe that the Big Cats and Public Mrs. BOXER (for herself and Mr. COR- (1) to immediately facilitate continued ac- Safety Protection Act will help ensure NYN) submitted the following resolu- cess to Gao Zhisheng by his family and law- tion; which was referred to the Com- yers; that lions, tigers, and other potentially (2) to facilitate the immediate and uncon- dangerous big cats do not threaten mittee on Foreign Relations: ditional release of Gao Zhisheng, including public safety, harm global conservation S. RES. 554 allowing Mr. Gao to leave China to come to efforts, or end up living in squalid con- Whereas Gao Zhisheng is a prominent Chi- the United States to be reunited with his ditions where they are subject to mis- nese human rights lawyer known for rep- family, should he wish to do so; and treatment and cruelty. resenting religious minority groups, factory (3) to release all persons in China who have A number of organizations are sup- workers, coal miners, and victims of govern- been arbitrarily detained. portive of this bill, including the Inter- ment land seizures; national Fund for Animal Welfare, the Whereas, in 2001, the Ministry of Justice of f the People’s Republic of China listed Gao Humane Society of the United States, Zhisheng as one of the top ten lawyers in Born Free USA, Big Cat Rescue, the China; SENATE RESOLUTION 555—SUP- Animal Welfare Institute, and the Whereas the Government of the People’s PORTING THE GOALS AND World Wildlife Foundation. Republic of China arrested Gao Zhisheng on IDEALS OF ‘‘NATIONAL SAVE I would like to recognize Senators August 15, 2006, and prevented him from FOR RETIREMENT WEEK’’, IN- LIEBERMAN, SANDERS, and BLUMENTHAL meeting with chosen legal counsel; CLUDING RAISING PUBLIC as original cosponsors of this bill. I Whereas, on December 22, 2006, Gao AWARENESS OF THE VARIOUS Zhisheng was convicted of inciting subver- look forward to continued progress in TAX-PREFERRED RETIREMENT enhancing the protection and conserva- sion and received a suspended sentence of three years subject to five years of proba- VEHICLES AND INCREASING PER- tion of wild big cats and in increasing tion; SONAL FINANCIAL LITERACY public safety from the dangers of these Whereas, in September 2007, authorities in Mr. CONRAD (for himself, Mr. ENZI, untamed animals. China apprehended and detained Gao Zhisheng for 50 days; and Mr. CARDIN) submitted the fol- By Mr. AKAKA: Whereas Gao Zhisheng claimed that during lowing resolution; which was referred S. 3548. A bill to clarify certain provi- his detention, government officials threat- to the Committee on Health, Edu- sions of the Native American Veterans ened his life and tortured him, including cation, Labor, and Pensions: VerDate Mar 15 2010 00:54 Feb 14, 2013 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00056 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD12\RECFILES\SEP 2012\S13SE2.REC S13SE2 mmaher on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE September 13, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6345 S. RES. 555 SENATE RESOLUTION 556—EX- around the world and with Members of the Whereas people in the United States are PRESSING THE SENSE OF THE United States Congress and parliaments of living longer, and the cost of retirement is SENATE THAT FOREIGN ASSIST- other nations— increasing significantly; ANCE FUNDING TO THE GOVERN- (1) to explain the Tibetan position with re- Whereas Social Security remains the bed- MENTS OF LIBYA AND EGYPT gard to engagement with China; rock of retirement income for the great ma- SHOULD BE SUSPENDED UNTIL (2) to urge supportive strategies and poli- jority of the people of the United States but THE PRESIDENT CERTIFIES TO cies from governments; was never intended by Congress to be the CONGRESS THAT BOTH GOVERN- (3) to explain the Dalai Lama’s ‘‘Middle sole source of retirement income for fami- MENTS ARE PROVIDING PROPER Way’’ philosophy of seeking genuine auton- lies; SECURITY AT UNITED STATES omy for Tibet within the People’s Republic Whereas recent data from the Employee EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES Benefit Research Institute indicates that, in of China that contributes to harmony be- PURSUANT TO THE VIENNA CON- the United States, less than 3⁄5 of workers or tween the Tibetan and Chinese peoples; and their spouses are currently saving for retire- VENTION ON CONSULAR RELA- TIONS (4) to promote Tibetan statecraft as the ment, and the actual amount of retirement Dalai Lama’s senior ambassador-at-large; savings of workers is much less than the Mr.