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10/10/06
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, Ranking Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, expressed sorrow and outrage after learning of the killing of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Ms.Politkovskaya was gunned down outside of her Moscow apartment on Oct. 7.
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09/26/06
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin voted for passage of the Darfur Peace & Accountability Act, H.R. 3127, “to help bring about the end of genocide in Darfur and provide millions of Sudanese citizens with the assistance they need to survive.” The bill is expected to be signed by the President soon.
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09/20/06
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin called President Bush’s appointment of former USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios as a Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan a “first step in stopping the genocide in Darfur,” but he urged a stronger effort by the United States to protect and assist the people of Darfur who have been victims of the violence. Rep. Cardin has co-sponsored H.Res. 992 urging the President to appoint a Special Envoy to Sudan.
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08/17/06
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin has received a grade of “A” from the Genocide Intervention Network for his strong support of aggressive U.S. action to stop the violence in the Darfur region of the Sudan. The Genocide Intervention Network is a non-profit organization working to stop genocide around the globe.
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08/14/06
I commend the United Nations Security Council for unanimously adopting Resolution 1701 on August 11, 2006. This resolution puts in place a full cessation of hostilities, helps the Lebanese government expand its sovereign authority over its whole territory, and lays out the framework for a lasting peace at the international border between Lebanon and Israel.
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07/27/06
Thank you Mr. Chairman for convening this hearing today entitled, "Human Rights and U.S.-Russia Relations: Implications for the Future."
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07/18/06
I rise today in strong support as an original co-sponsor of H. Con. Res. 435, which congratulates Israel's Magen David Adom Society for achieving full membership in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
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07/13/06
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation that I have co-sponsored.
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07/11/06
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 86, a resolution extending trade sanctions against Burma .
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07/10/06
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin has been elected as the only American in the leadership of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly (PA). The Congressman was elected as one of the nine Vice-Presidents of the organization at last week’s annual meeting of more than 200 European and North American lawmakers in Brussels.
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06/28/06
Mr. Chairman, today’s hearing with Belgian Foreign Minister Minister Karel De Gucht focusing on Belgium’s chairmanship of OSCE is particularly timely as a number of us prepare for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Annual Session to be held next week in Brussels. The OSCE is a dynamic process that has gone through several phases since the signing of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act – from the dark days of repression during the Cold War to the heady days of the late 80’s and early 90’s, the bleak days that witnessed genocide in the Balkans, to the challenges of the present day. Throughout, we have had the benefit of the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security encompassing all three dimensions of the process – military security, economic and environment, and the human dimension. For three decades now, the U.S. Helsinki Commission has sought to make real the promises contained in the Helsinki Final Act, work that is far from complete.
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06/15/06
I welcome today’s focus on the situation in the Balkans. While the situation varies from one country to another, all have made some progress toward European and Euro-Atlantic integration. Still, problems remain, and I want to encourage not only the authorities but the people -- from Croatia to Albania -- to take additional reform measures.
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06/09/06
WASHINGTON -- Despite extensive consultations with Romanian officials and parliamentarians, Helsinki Commission members are increasingly concerned about the draft Law on Religious Freedom and Status of Religious Denominations currently before Romania's Chamber of Deputies.
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05/11/06
Mr. Speaker, as Ranking Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Helsinki Commission, I note that tomorrow marks one of the major events in the struggle for human rights around the globe. Thirty years ago a courageous band of human rights defenders in the Soviet Union founded the “Moscow Helsinki Group,” dedicated to monitoring Soviet compliance with the Helsinki Final Act, an historic agreement containing important provisions on human rights.
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04/27/06
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Matrys' and Heroes' Remembrance Day, which memorializes the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis during their campaign of genocide in World War II. We mourn the innocent lives lost and vibrant communities destroyed while the world shamefully stood silent, and honor those heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto who faced certain death when they refused to submit to the Nazi's planned extermination of their community.
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04/26/06
WASHINGTON -- The leadership of the U.S. Helsinki Commission expressed concern today over the Serbian parliament's abrupt passage of the Law on Churches and Religious Communities and called upon Serbian President Boris Tadic to veto the legislation.
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04/26/06
WASHINGTON -- Following a spate of attacks this month on Roma in Russia which ended in at least four deaths, the leadership of the U.S. Helsinki Commission called upon Russian President Putin and other elected officials to condemn these crimes. They also urged intensified efforts to combat a wave of violence against ethnic and religious minorities that has spiked in Russia recently. On April 13, two people were beaten to death at a Romani camp in southern Russia, and two days later two Romani brothers were shot to death in a town in northwest Russia. "
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04/07/06
WASHINGTON -- Last night the House of Representatives unanimously passed H.Res. 578, encouraging the Government of Romania to "amend its child welfare and adoption laws to decrease barriers to adoption, both domestically and intercountry, including by allowing intercountry adoption by persons other than biological grandparents."
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04/05/06
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support and as a co-sponsor of H.R. 3127, the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006.
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03/30/06
Mr. Speaker, I want to pay tribute to the fine, effective work of the Coalition for International Justice as that organization closes its offices this Friday.
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03/16/06
WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.Con.Res. 190, which expresses the sense of the House that the “Russian Federation should fully protect the freedoms of all religious communities without distinction, whether registered and unregistered, as stipulated by the Russian Constitution and international standards.”
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03/14/06
Mr. Speaker, I rise as a co-sponsor and in support of H.Con.Res. 190, which urges the Russian Federation to “ensure full protection of freedoms for all religious communities without distinction, whether registered and unregistered, and end the harassment of unregistered religious groups by the security apparatus and other government agencies,” as well as to “ensure that law enforcement officials vigorously investigate acts of violence against unregistered religious communities, as well as make certain that authorities are not complicit in such attacks.”
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03/09/06
Mr. Chairman, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, an event that had devastating and lingering consequences for Ukraine, where the actual facility was located, and for neighboring Belarus affected by the radioactive fallout. Chernobyl revealed the limits on the ability of a closed system – in that case the Soviet Union – to control information both within its borders and beyond. Twenty years later, the Lukashenka regime is similarly bent on maintaining a monopoly over Belarus’ information space in order to retain power. But the winds of change are evident in Belarus even as Europe’s last dictatorship struggles in desperation for its very survival. I welcome U.S. and European cooperation in efforts to break the information blockade through stepped up broadcasts to Belarus.
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03/09/06
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, the Ranking Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, has received a grade of A+ from Citizens for Global Solutions in its 2006 Congressional Report Card. Citizens for Global Solutions is a non-partisan organization that supports protections of rights and freedoms, stopping genocide in Darfur, preventing torture, stopping nuclear proliferation and increased funding for the United Nations.
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03/08/06
Mr. Speaker, one year ago, in my capacity as Ranking Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, I traveled to Ukraine with my colleague and Chairman, Congressman Chris Smith.
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02/24/06
In the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, the people’s right to freedom of speech, including freedom of the press, and the people’s right to peacefully assemble to protest both, are guaranteed.
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02/16/06
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.Con.Res. 341, which condemns the Government of Iran for violating its international nuclear nonproliferation obligations, and expressing support for efforts to report Iran to the United Nations Security Council.
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02/08/06
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for calling this important meeting the status of human rights, civil society, and democratic governance in Russia.
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01/13/06
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, Ranking Member of the Helsinki Commission and the leadership of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe today condemned an attack in a Moscow synagogue that left numerous worshippers wounded, including at least one American.
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01/06/06
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin today sent a letter to House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert requesting that a special House panel be created “to undertake an immediate investigation and hearings into the President’s purported authority to conduct eavesdropping of U.S. citizens without a court order.”
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12/19/05
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Helsinki Commission released today a letter to Polish Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz calling on the Polish Government to pass a law providing redress for individuals who suffered private property confiscations during the Nazi and communist-eras.
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12/14/05
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support and as a cosponsor of H.Con.Res 312, to urge the Russian Government to alter or withdraw the proposed legislation affecting nongovernmental organizations (NGO’s) operating in Russia. The Russian legislation would severely restrict foreign assistance to NGO’s in Russia and would also force existing Russian NGO’s to reregister with the government.
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12/14/05
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this resolution as the Ranking Member of the Helsinki Commission. I visited Croatia in 2000, shortly after new leadership came into power, and I was confident of the country’s commitment to reform. I believe, five years later, we have seen that the people of Croatia truly are committed to reform.
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12/14/05
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support and as an original cosponsor of H.R. 972, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005. As the Ranking Member of the Helsinki Commission, let me commend Chairman Chris Smith for all of his hard work on this issue both in the United States and around the world. I also want to thank International Relations Committee Ranking Member Tom Lantos for his strong support.
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12/14/05
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support and as a cosponsor of H. Res. 575, which states that Hamas and other terrorist organizations should not participate in upcoming January 2006 legislative elections held by the Palestinian Authority. The aims and principles of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups are incompatible with the democratic process. Hamas has continually called for the destruction of Israel by any means, and their involvement in elections puts the Road Map process for peace in the Middle East in jeopardy.
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12/13/05
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support and as a cosponsor of H. Res. 487, supporting the goals and ideals of Korean American Day. This resolution marks the upcoming 103rd anniversary, on January 13, 2006, of the day that the first Korean immigrants arrived in the United States.
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12/12/05
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin today sent a letter to President Bush urging that an additional $50 million be included in this year’s Defense Department’s appropriations for the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to help stop the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.
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12/06/05
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support and as a co-sponsor of H.Res. 438, which urges member states of the United Nations to stop supporting resolutions that unfairly castigate Israel and to promote within the United Nations General Assembly more balanced and constructive approaches to resolving conflict in the Middle East.
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12/06/05
Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 2017, the Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 2005, to reauthorize and increase funding for the treatment of torture victims. As the ranking member of the Helsinki Commission I was pleased to be an original co-sponsor of this legislation, which was introduced by Chairman Chris Smith.
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11/21/05
Mr. Speaker, the tenth anniversary of the Dayton “General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina” is being commemorated here in Washington, in Dayton, Ohio, and in various European capitals.
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10/06/05
Mr. Speaker, today we commemorate the life of Simon Wiesenthal, and his legacy of holding governments and individuals accountable for genocide and war crimes
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09/20/05
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, Ranking House Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission joined the Chairman of the Commission, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), Co-Chairman, Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), and Ranking Senate Member Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT) in expressing sorrow at the passing of Simon Wiesenthal, a Holocaust survivor who devoted much of his life to documenting the crimes perpetrated by the Nazis and their allies and tracking down war criminals as well as monitoring neo-Nazi and other extremist groups.
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09/06/05
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S.J.Res. 19, which recognizes the 30th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act. The President issued a proclamation on August 1, 2005 which celebrated this important anniversary.
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07/06/05
Washington, DC - U.S. Representative Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) was unanimously re-elected yesterday as President of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA).
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07/05/05
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, Ranking Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, hailed the approval today of a resolution which urges the Mediterranean Partners to work with the Arab League to rescind the trade boycott of the State of Israel. Rep. Cardin successfully offered the amendment in committee.
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06/29/05
Mr. Chairman, thank you for calling this hearing. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today on the ongoing crisis in Uzbekistan. Whether you believe President Islam Karimov or almost everyone else about how many people died in Andijon last month, it was a turning point in the growing confrontation between state and society in Uzbekistan.
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06/27/05
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and urge my colleague to vote for its passage.
Article 2 of Genocide Convention, quoted in the text of this resolution, defines genocide as "any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group
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06/21/05
This past Sunday – June 19 – marked the 60th birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi. Ms. Suu Kyi has dedicated her life to bringing about democracy in Burma, and was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1991. Her party, the National League of Democracy won a landslide victory in the country’s 1990 elections, but the results were not recognized by Burma’s ruling military junta.
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06/21/05
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin today co-sponsored a resolution, H.R. 3003, that would create an independent commission to investigate abuses of detainees connected with Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom or any operation connected with the Global War on Terrorism.
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06/08/05
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.Res. 282, regarding manifestations of anti-Semitism by United Nations member states, and urging action against anti-Semitism by United Nations officials. We must not allow anti-Semitism to become a part of the leading international organization that proclaims “the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”.
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06/08/05
Mr. Chairman, I appreciate you convening today’s hearing on the state of human rights and democracy in Iran. Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism. Developments in Iran have obvious implications for other countries in the Middle East -- including several OSCE Mediterranean Partners as well as the OSCE participating States themselves. While there is much talk about bringing democracy to regimes in the Middle East, security concerns usually eclipse that aspect of the situation in Iran.
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06/07/05
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin today co-sponsored a resolution, H.R. 3003, that would create an independent commission to investigate abuses of detainees connected with Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom or any operation connected with the Global War on Terrorism. The commission will look at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center, detention facilities in Iraq and all U.S.detention centers located in other parts of the world.
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05/05/05
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Matrys’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day, which memorializes the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis during their campaign of genocide in World War II. We mourn the innocent lives lost and vibrant communities destroyed while the world shamefully stood silent, and honor those heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto who faced certain death when they refused to submit to the Nazi’s planned extermination of their community.
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04/19/05
Mr. Speaker, I am please to join our colleague and Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, in co-sponsoring House Resolution 199, regarding the 1995 massacre at Srebrenica in eastern Bosnian-Herzegovina.
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04/14/05
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening this hearing today on a subject that is essential to the OSCE process. It is vitally important to examine the situation facing religious minorities in the OSCE today because treatment of religious minorities is part of that mosaic that constitutes a country’s human rights record toward its citizens.
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04/12/05
Mr. Chairman, I applaud you for organizing these hearings, especially so soon after the events we will be discussing today in detail.
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04/07/05
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate your convening this hearing today. The issue of the Schneerson Collection is one that I and many Members of Congress have followed closely. It is truly impressive that earlier this year every Member of the Senate signed a letter to President Putin asking that he assist in returning the Schneerson Collection to its rightful owners in the United States. A similar effort is being been initiated in the House of Representatives.
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02/22/05
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin has co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to stop the trafficking of human beings who are being bought and sold domestically and across international borders and are being exploited through forced labor or sexual exploitation. The Congressman, Ranking Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, said that "human trafficking is a scourge that involves sexual exploitation and forced labor and affects millions of people worldwide."
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02/08/05
Mr. Speaker, in December 2004 I was pleased to join the Majority Whip, Minority Whip, Mr. Cole of Oklahoma, and Mr. Kirk of Illinois on a Congressional delegation to Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, and Iraq. In Israel we met with the Prime Minister, leaders of the Labor Party, and our U.S. Ambassador. In Ramallah we met with Palestinian Minister Saeb Erekat and the Central Election Committee, which oversaw the January 9 elections in the Palestinian territories.
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01/25/05
Mr. Speaker, Yad Vashem exhibits the sketches of Zinovii Tolkatchev , a Soviet soldier who was among those who liberated Majdanek and Auschwitz, under the fitting title, “Private Tolkatchev at the Gates of Hell.” For surely that is what he saw and what Auschwitz was. As Ranking Member of the Helsinki Commission, I visited Auschwitz last year and saw for myself the furnaces that took the lives of more than one million human beings at the camp. These furnaces stoked hatred and intolerance to a degree never before seen in human history.
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01/25/05
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support H. Con. Res. 16, commending the people and Government of Ukraine for their commitment to democracy and reform in conducting a transparent and fair runoff presidential election on December 26, 2004, and congratulating Viktor Yushchenko on his election.
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09/21/04
Chairman Hunter and Chairman Smith, let me take this moment to thank you for bringing the Committee and Commission Members together for a joint Issue Forum on an important subject. The Helsinki Commission and Congress have devoted substantial attention to the issue of human trafficking over the past several years, but this forum’s focus on the specific connection between human trafficking and the military is one of first impression at a congressional event.
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08/06/04
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, the leading Democrat on the U.S. Helsinki Commission, praised the selection by the U.S. Department of State of the Archbishop of Baltimore Cardinal William H. Keeler to the U.S. delegation of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Conference on Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination. The Conference will be held Sept. 13-14 in Brussels, Belgium.
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06/24/04
Mr. Chairman, I commend you for holding this hearing. Uzbekistan is indeed a country of strategic significance as well as an important ally in our struggle with international terrorism. Frankly, it is sad and disturbing that developments in that country oblige us to concentrate so much attention on whether we should certify Uzbekistan to continue receiving U.S. assistance. Uzbekistan has been an OSCE participating State since 1992. In fact, that same year President Karimov signed the original Helsinki Final Act unreservedly accepting all OSCE commitments.
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05/06/04
Mr. Speaker, the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers and personnel constitute deplorable, despicable acts. We are all sickened by the pictures of our troops laughing and pointing at Iraqi prisoners who had been stripped naked, possibly beaten, and forced to pose in sexually explicit positions. These actions have compromised not only our mission in Iraq, but also the reputation of the American governments and its agents. Let me be clear: all but a few of our soldiers and military personnel perform their jobs honorably on behalf of the American people, and our military is playing an important role in keeping the peace and promoting democracy around the world.
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04/28/04
Having just come from Auschwitz, I understand the importance of this Conference and the opportunity today that I have to speak about the urgency of ensuring proper responses by national leaders and government officials to anti-Semitism. Seeing the remains of that factory of intolerance, hate and death, I believe we cannot be reminded enough of the real consequences of not protecting universal human rights in the OSCE region. We must tirelessly work to build understanding between different communities to prevent future acts of prejudice and injustice.
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04/22/04
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Matrys’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day, which memorializes the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis during their campaign of genocide in World War II. We mourn the innocent lives lost and vibrant communities destroyed while the world shamefully stood silent, and honor those heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto who faced certain death when they refused to submit to the Nazi’s planned extermination of their community.
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03/30/04
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.Res. 558, which welcomes the accession of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
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03/26/04
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin has been appointed by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell to be a member of the U.S. delegation to the Conference on Anti-Semitism sponsored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Conference will be held in Berlin, Germany April 28-29.
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03/17/04
Although I am not a member of this subcommittee nor the full committee, I have a strong interest in the topic of today’s hearing and thank the Chairman for offering me the opportunity to participate. I serve as the Ranking Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), also known as the Helsinki Commission.
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11/21/03
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin today hailed House passage of legislation that will significantly increase current support for treatment and rehabilitation of victims of torture. The Congressman sponsored the bill and said "there are almost 500,000 victims of torture living in the United States today who are in need of treatment to help them deal with what they endured."
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10/14/03
The United States found great utility in the Conference on Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, as demonstrated by our distinguished delegation, by President Bush's and Secretary of State Powell's remarks and the commitment and strong interest of the U.S. Congress. The history of the United States is far from perfect, as our country supported the most horrific form of discrimination in the treatment of Native Americans and through slavery. It was just 40 years ago that Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "I have a dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, as he and thousands others marched to protest segregation and discrimination in so much of my country. Therefore, we were pleased by the valuable discussion and hope that the conference will serve as a platform for further activities in the fight against racial, ethnic, and religious prejudice.
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10/07/03
I am very pleased that we are having this briefing today and that our distinguished speaker, Judge Theodor Meron, will give us as authoritative assessment of the International Tribunal and its work and future as can be given. Having traveled to the southeastern Europe, including very recently to Belgrade, Judge Meron can also provide us with his assessment on the impact the Tribunal’s work has had there. Perhaps that is the most critical issue, because justice cannot be just a word or principle in southeastern Europe, where so many horrible crimes occurred. Justice must actually be felt by the people.
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10/03/03
I join the Chairman and Co-Chairman in welcoming Foreign Minister de Hoop Scheffer. We appreciate having the opportunity to discuss with you the many critical issues facing the OSCE and I want to thank you for your leadership.
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09/18/03
I join the Chairman in welcoming our witnesses and the audience to today’s hearing of the Helsinki Commission, which will focus on the issue of missing persons in Southeast Europe.
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09/16/03
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing today on the subject of Chechnya, the current situation and prospects for the future. As the chief sponsor of two OSCE Parliamentary Assembly resolutions on the North Caucasus, I have followed this issue closely. We have heard at previous Helsinki Commission hearings compelling testimony about the carnage that has taken place and is continuing to take place in Chechnya today.
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07/23/03
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, senior Democrat on the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and Commission Chairman U.S. Rep. Christopher Smith, R-NJ, will lead a small delegation of House members on a special fact-finding trip to the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on Saturday, July 26.
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06/26/03
WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives today unanimously passed a Resolution (H. Con. Res. 49) authored by Rep. Cardin condemning anti-Semitism, which has sharply increased in Europe, Russia and the former Soviet Republics.
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06/25/03
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.Con.Res. 49, which expresses the sense of Congress that the sharp escalation of anti-Semitic violence within many participating States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is of profound concern and efforts should be undertaken to prevent future occurrences.
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06/10/03
Good afternoon. The issue of internally displaced persons (IDPs) within the 55 participating States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is seriously problematic, so I want to thank Co-Chairman Smith for holding a Helsinki Commission hearing to address this troubling phenomenon. A recent inquiry conducted by the Library of Congress confirmed the magnitude of the problem, documenting roughly 1.5 million IDPs in the Caucasus and southeastern Turkey, along with 900,000 IDPs in the Balkans and 500,000 more in other former Soviet republics. Obviously, the problem of IDPs should be of serious concern to the OSCE as an organization, as well as with all its participating States. Considering the gravity of the situation, with millions unable to return home, we must vigorously encourage host countries to find durable solutions.
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03/10/03
WASHINGTON - Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin has joined with Helsinki Commission leaders in introducing a Resolution condemning anti-Semitism and related violence which has sharply increased in Europe, Russia and the former Soviet Republics.
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03/05/03
WASHINGTON - Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin has proposed establishing a U.N. war crimes tribunal to investigate and try Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and other Iraqi officials for crimes against humanity, genocide and other criminal violations of international law.
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02/11/03
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support today of H.Con.Res. 27, which condemns the selection of Libya to chair the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
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12/20/02
WASHINGTON – Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin praised a new law that will ensure that Holocaust survivors and their heirs pay no taxes on restitution payments made by European governments and industries. The measure was enacted in the closing days of the 107th Congress and was signed into law by President Bush this week.
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12/10/02
Mr. Chairman, I want to begin by thanking you for organizing today's forum on confronting and combating anti-Semitism in the OSCE region. Let me also welcome the distinguished members from the German Bundestag, led by OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice President Dr. Gert Weisskirchen. I also want to acknowledge the distinguished panel of expert witnesses that will testify before us today, and want to thank the hard work of the many non-governmental organizations that have tirelessly advocated for Jews and religious freedom for many years.
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07/25/02
WASHINGTON – Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin and New Jersey Republican Rep. Christopher Smith, both members of the Helsinki Commission, today called on President Bush to convene an international White House Summit on anti-Semitism.
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07/16/02
WASHINGTON – Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin today told a Congressional hearing of the Helsinki Commission that European nations continue to resist turning over property that was illegally seized by the Nazis during World War II or by Communist regimes after the war.
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07/09/02
WASHINGTON – Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, a Commissioner on the Helsinki Commission, today urged House members to support a Resolution condemning the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe. The Congressman recently returned from Parliamentary Assembly meeting of the Helsinki Commission in Berlin that addressed the growth of anti-Semitism in Europe.
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06/04/02
WASHINGTON – Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin voted today to make permanent a tax exemption on payments made to Holocaust victims or their heirs by European governments and industries. Currently, 60,000 individuals residing in the United States are receiving such restitution payments.
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05/21/02
Mr. Chairman, I want to begin by thanking you for calling this hearing today on a matter of the utmost importance to the Jewish community and to human rights advocates both in the United States and around the world. I am gravely concerned about the recent sharp escalation of anti-Semitism and acts of racism and violence directed towards members of the Jewish community in the OSCE region.
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12/05/01
WASHINGTON – Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin today co-sponsored a Resolution condemning the "vicious terrorist murders of 26 civilians in Israel" within a14-hour period over the weekend and "expressing solidarity with Israel in the fight against terrorism." The Resolution (H.Con.Res. 280) passed the House by a vote of 384-11.
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12/05/01
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support today as an original co-sponsor of H.Con.Res. 280, which expresses the solidarity of the United States with Israel in our common struggle against the scourge of terrorism.
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07/31/01
WASHINGTON – Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin voted to support a House resolution condemning the attempt to equate Zionism with racism by organizers of the U.N. Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. The resolution passed the House Monday by a 408-3 vote. The conference is scheduled to start Aug. 31 in Durbin, South Africa.
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06/28/01
WASHINGTON – Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin applauded the extradition of former Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic to the U.N. war crimes tribunal to stand trial "for crimes against humanity." Rep. Cardin, a commissioner on the Helsinki Commission which monitors human rights abuses, was a leader in the congressional effort to tie the turn over of Milosevic to U.S. economic aid for the war-torn Yugoslavia.
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06/12/01
WASHINGTON – Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin has joined with other members of the Helsinki Commission in urging President Bush to push for a fair and equitable property restitution law when he meets with Polish officials during his European trip.
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03/30/01
There is good news for American citizens who have adopted foreign-born children. A recent change in law now means that most foreign-born children who are adopted by U.S. citizens will automatically become U.S. citizens once their adoption is final.
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02/15/01
WASHINGTON – Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin announced today that under a new German Forced Labour Compensation Law, those who were used as slave or forced laborers by the Nazis or by German companies during World War II are now entitled to claim financial compensation. The deadline to file a claim is Aug. 11, 2001.
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12/11/00
BALTIMORE – Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin announced today that the Romanian government has agreed to return the family home of a Baltimore woman that was confiscated during World War II under laws used to deprive Jews of property. Jacqueline Waldman of Baltimore will be leaving Baltimore on Dec. 29 to return to Romania where she will take possession of the property between Jan. 8 and Jan. 10, 2001.
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10/13/00
One of the most important documents promoting human rights was signed 25 years ago. In 1975, thirty-five nations -- including the United States and Soviet Union -- signed the Helsinki Final Act, forming the basis for addressing military security, economic cooperation and human rights in Europe.
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10/12/00
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart, after learning this morning about the latest violence in Israel. News reports indicate that two Israeli reserve soldiers were killed in the West Bank town of Ramallah. The Israeli soldiers were detained by the Palestinian police after they inadvertently made a wrong turn down a street, and were taken to a police station. Apparently a mob of Palestinians broke into the police station, slaughtered the Israeli soldiers, and paraded their bodies through the streets.
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05/24/00
WASHINGTON - Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin voted for Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) today in the House of Representatives because of strong safeguards now incorporated in the legislation that will protect human rights and workers' rights, safeguard against a massive surge of imports from China, and provide for strict monitoring and enforcement of China's compliance to its WTO obligations.
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