E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 104 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 141 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1995 No. 47 House of Representatives The House met at 12:30 a.m. and was under difficult circumstances when ev- problems, and all of this is going on called to order by the Speaker pro tem- erybody who is there is not necessarily while there is a very intense opposition pore [Mr. SHAYS]. happy to be there in terms of the Cu- to Fidel Castro in these camps that has f bans who have left. not diminished in any sense at all, and Cubans had hoped to go to Miami people who think we should negotiate DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO rather than to Guantanamo Bay, but I might want to talk to some of these TEMPORE will say that the Cubans themselves Cubans down there at Guantanamo The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- who are in the camps are doing very about the human rights violations, the fore the House the following commu- well. They are well cared for. I spent a suffering, the misery, the economic nication from the speaker: good deal of time with Senator BOB hardship that the Castro government WASHINGTON, DC, GRAHAM from Florida talking directly has put them through, even to the March 14, 1995. with them about their problems. The point of death and confiscation. I hereby designate the Honorable main complaint of course is the parol- Right now Fidel Castro is in Europe CHRISTOPHER SHAYS to act as Speaker ing process. The immigration process is in a self-rehabilitation program pro- pro tempore on this day. too slow and it is moving very, very moting himself and what a great guy NEWT GINGRICH, slowly for the children, the elderly, the he is and he has apparently convinced Speaker of the House of Representatives. sick among them, and then the big a few people in Copenhagen and is on f problem, of course, that it does not his way to meet with the President of provide for some 17,000 to 20,000 Cubans France and have some type of a photo MORNING BUSINESS who don't really know where they are opportunity to prove to the world that The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- going to go because there is no process he has not really done all the bad ant to the order of the House of Janu- for them and at the present time they things that these witnesses in Guanta- ary 4, 1995, the Chair will now recog- are just living in a camp, a tent camp namo are there to attest that he has nize Members from lists submitted by in Guantanamo without too much hope done. the majority and minority leaders for of what is next. What is going on in Guantanamo is morning hour debates. The Chair will We talked about the problems that not without cost. It costs us about $20 alternate recognition between the par- they were having in those camps, the million a month and it doesn't account ties, with each party limited to not to remoteness, the feeling out of touch, for all of the costs we are putting in exceed 30 minutes, and each Member the medical attention, the priorities, there. Right now, we are using Navy except the majority and minority lead- not enough medicine to go around, not funds, operational and maintenance er limited to not to exceed 5 minutes. enough doctors' visits, the food. Every- funds that the Navy needs for steam- The Chair recognizes the gentleman body always complains about food in ing, keeping up our readiness, national from Florida [Mr. GOSS] for 5 minutes. situations like that, but by and large security, defense, as it were, is being f the Cubans are being very, very well used and we are going to have to re- cared for and I think Americans can be store those funds. When we get STATE OF AFFAIRS AT proud of that. through, we are talking about hun- GUANTANAMO BAY Improvements are being made. We dreds of millions of dollars for this Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I just re- are putting in food galleys, putting in problem that Fidel Castro has given to turned from a quick visit down to air-conditioning in some areas, better the American taxpayer in the way we Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to see how recreation areas, better bathrooms, are handling it today. the situation was there with the Cu- getting away from the port-a-potties, There are some very serious problems bans who are in the detaining camps better shelters, sturdier tents with staring us in the face right now. What and see how our military is doing, and hard roofs. This matters because it is a is going to be the future of Guanta- I have nothing but accolades to give to harsh climate down there. It is an area namo as a base once it is no longer a our military for the fine job they are where the wind often blows hard, the refugee camp, I don't know, but we are doing down there under very difficult windward passage, and it is subject to putting a ton of money in the place so circumstances. They are running a city hurricanes. In fact, some call it Hurri- we ought to know. But more important of about 36,000 people in reality and cane Alley in that part of the world. than that, what is going to happen they are doing it with very little mate- We have dealt with the water prob- when the long hot summer starts and rial and very little preplanning and lems, the sewer problems and landfill 17,000 to 20,000 Cubans, mostly young b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H 3087 H 3088 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE March 14, 1995 adult males, discover that they really teresting. For the past 2 months they and they don't want a phony excuse. It have no place to go and no way to get have been voting in near perfect lock is time for the Republicans to honor there. That is not a good situation and step on every issue that impacts the their own contract and the real con- those who are working in the camps lives of women, children, and seniors. tract that we have with the American are very, very concerned about it. But when the issue affects themselves, people. There are probably more visits to the they pull the vote. psychiatric side of the medical facility The American people want change, f right now than any others by people but they want a Government that's who are already feeling stressed and as leaner, not meaner. OSHA'S REGULATORY EXCESS hope begins to erode and the summer After ducking the bill that would af- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under gets warmer, it is going to be a very fect Members jobs, we are now con- the Speaker's announced policy of Jan- difficult situation and one that we can- fronted with a rescission bill where 63 uary 4, 1995, the gentleman from Geor- not wait to solve itself or erupt. percent of the cuts are in programs gia [Mr. NORWOOD] is recognized during We need to get ahead of the curve. that help low-income children and sen- morning business for 5 minutes. Senator GRAHAM has a very good idea iors, and not one penny is cut from the Mr. NORWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I be- about shifting the visas that were ar- Pentagon. Is this what the people said lieve that the American people are ranged with the Castro government to last November? Cut the funds that frustrated by regulatory process that apply to those folks in Guantanamo so keep children and seniors out of pov- creates impossible standards. Every that they can come here rather than erty, but don't touch wasteful Penta- day, small businessmen and women are some other folks that Fidel Castro gon spending? I don't think so. pulling their hair out trying to keep up might choose. America signed a real contract with with unrealistic and overreaching regu- Senator GRAHAM makes a convincing the men and women in our armed serv- latory mandates they cannot possible case that Fidel Castro has violated the ices. But this rescission will cut $206 comply with. I know that the guard- agreement that was made in New York million from veterans programs. ians of the old status quo will scoff at with him at the United Nations be- Is that what the people asked for last this, but I need only to point to a pro- November. cause he is already charging a thou- posed OSHA rule to make my point. I don't think so. sand dollars for visas for victims of his Mr. Speaker, allow us to consider for Why is a phony, one-sided contract regime to leave, which is a real ex- a moment OSHA's proposed revision to more important than a genuine con- traordinaryÐit would be a crime in its confined spaces standard. This ap- tract signed with our veterans. this country, I guess. plies to people who work in sewers or To make matters worse, we are not I believe very strongly we should en- air ducts or in similarly tight quarters.