S6344 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 13, 2012 

there have been 246 maulings, 253 escapes, 143 big cat deaths, and 128 

confiscations. 

This is also an animal welfare issue. 

Research shows that the captive big 

cat community is characterized by a 

systemic culture of inhumane mistreatment of the animals. One major 

reason for this is that once individual 

big cats have outgrown the infancy 

stage when they are most profitable, 

they are often warehoused in terrible 

conditions. Because private ownership 

is allowed to continue, many sanctuaries for mistreated or unwanted big 

cats are at or nearing capacity and 

lack financial reserves to provide 

greater assistance. The recent closure 

of a major sanctuary in Texas that had 

over 50 big cats has made matters 

worse. 

Third, this is a matter of conservation. Tigers, for example, are extremely endangered by poaching and 

trade, and illegal tiger products continue to be smuggled into the U.S. 

from foreign countries. One of the biggest threats to wild tigers is the demand for tiger parts and products, and 

leakage of captive tiger parts and products into the illegal market continues 

to encourage demand, perpetuating 

poaching and threatening remaining 

wild populations. 

Finally, this bill will address the current patchwork state regulation. There 

are still two states that have no regulations or permits at all regarding private ownership of exotic animals including big cats. Seven other States 

have little to no regulations of private 

ownership of exotic animals including 

big cats. Another 14 states allow big 

cat possession only with a state permit, and 27 states and the District of 

Columbia have enacted full bans on 

private ownership of big cats, though 

all of those exempt federally-licensed 

exhibitors. Given the risks I have already outlined, this kind of regulatory 

patchwork is simply unacceptable and 

could be dangerous. 

I believe that the Big Cats and Public 

Safety Protection Act will help ensure 

that lions, tigers, and other potentially 

dangerous big cats do not threaten 

public safety, harm global conservation 

efforts, or end up living in squalid conditions where they are subject to mistreatment and cruelty. 

A number of organizations are supportive of this bill, including the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the 

Humane Society of the United States, 

Born Free USA, Big Cat Rescue, the 

Animal Welfare Institute, and the 

World Wildlife Foundation. 

I would like to recognize Senators 

LIEBERMAN, SANDERS, and BLUMENTHAL

as original cosponsors of this bill. I 

look forward to continued progress in 

enhancing the protection and conservation of wild big cats and in increasing 

public safety from the dangers of these 

untamed animals. 

By Mr. AKAKA: 

S. 3548. A bill to clarify certain provisions of the Native American Veterans 

Memorial Establishment Act of 1994; to 

the Committee on Indian Affairs. 

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, as Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs, I am introducing legislation to 

make technical corrections to the National Native American Veterans’ Memorial Act of 1994. 

The 1994 Act honors the profound 

contributions of Native Veterans by 

authorizing the construction of a National Native American Veterans’ Memorial. Unfortunately, technical issues 

with the law have made it difficult to 

move forward with the Memorial. The 

bill I am introducing today seeks to alleviate those obstacles. 

My legislation would make technical 

corrections in order to allow the National Museum of American Indian to 

join the National Congress of American 

Indians in the fundraising efforts for 

the Memorial. In addition, my bill 

would allow the Memorial to be constructed on the property provided for 

by the National Museum of American 

Indian Act. 

Per capita, American Indians, Alaska 

Natives, and Native Hawaiians serve at 

a higher rate in the Armed Forces than 

any other group of Americans. Native 

peoples have served in all of the Nation’s wars since the Revolutionary 

War. A memorial in their honor is welldeserved and long overdue. 

My non-controversial, no cost, technical amendments bill will make it 

easier to construct the authorized memorial to honor our Native Veterans. 

f 

SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS 

SENATE RESOLUTION 554—CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT OF 

THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF 

CHINA TO FACILITATE THE IMMEDIATE AND UNCONDITIONAL 

RELEASE OF GAO ZHISHENG, 

AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 

Mrs. BOXER (for herself and Mr. CORNYN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations: 

S. RES. 554 

Whereas Gao Zhisheng is a prominent Chinese human rights lawyer known for representing religious minority groups, factory 

workers, coal miners, and victims of government land seizures; 

Whereas, in 2001, the Ministry of Justice of 

the People’s Republic of China listed Gao 

Zhisheng as one of the top ten lawyers in 

China; 

Whereas the Government of the People’s 

Republic of China arrested Gao Zhisheng on 

August 15, 2006, and prevented him from 

meeting with chosen legal counsel; 

Whereas, on December 22, 2006, Gao 

Zhisheng was convicted of inciting subversion and received a suspended sentence of 

three years subject to five years of probation; 

Whereas, in September 2007, authorities in 

China apprehended and detained Gao 

Zhisheng for 50 days; 

Whereas Gao Zhisheng claimed that during 

his detention, government officials threatened his life and tortured him, including 

beating him with electrified batons, urinating on him, leaving him tied up for hours, 

and holding lighted cigarettes close to his 

eyes and nose; 

Whereas the Government of the People’s 

Republic of China arrested and detained Gao 

Zhisheng again on February 4, 2009; 

Whereas Gao Zhisheng’s whereabouts were 

unknown until March 2010, when he resurfaced, only to be arrested once more on April 

20, 2010; 

Whereas, on November 19, 2010, the United 

Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention determined Gao Zhisheng’s ongoing detention to be arbitrary and in violation of 

international law; 

Whereas Gao Zhisheng was held for 20 

months before officials in China informed his 

family in December 2011 that he was being 

held at the Shaya County Prison in remote 

Xinjiang, China; 

Whereas authorities allowed Gao Zhiyi to 

visit his brother, Gao Zhisheng, in the Shaya 

County Prison for 30 minutes on March 24, 

2012, but then warned him not to speak to 

the media or he would not be allowed to visit 

his brother again; 

Whereas the arbitrary arrest and detention 

of attorneys who represent minority groups 

and human rights activists could have a 

chilling effect on other attorneys working 

with similar clients; 

Whereas Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted 

at New York December 16, 1966, to which the 

Government of the People’s Republic of 

China is a signatory, states, ‘‘No one shall be 

subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention.’’; 

Whereas the International Covenant on 

Civil and Political Rights also guarantees 

the right to freedom of expression; 

Whereas the wife of Gao Zhisheng, Geng 

He, and their two children have been afforded protection as political asylees in the 

United States; 

Whereas the United States Government 

has authorized Gao Zhisheng to enter the 

United States, based on his family’s successful claim of political asylum; and 

Whereas the continued detention of Gao 

Zhisheng, with limited or no access to family 

or legal counsel, by the Government of the 

People’s Republic of China is a source of 

grave concern to the United States Senate: 

Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate calls on the Government of the People’s Republic of China— 

(1) to immediately facilitate continued access to Gao Zhisheng by his family and lawyers; 

(2) to facilitate the immediate and unconditional release of Gao Zhisheng, including 

allowing Mr. Gao to leave China to come to 

the United States to be reunited with his 

family, should he wish to do so; and 

(3) to release all persons in China who have 

been arbitrarily detained. 

f 

SENATE RESOLUTION 555—SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND 

IDEALS OF ‘‘NATIONAL SAVE 

FOR RETIREMENT WEEK’’, INCLUDING RAISING PUBLIC 

AWARENESS OF THE VARIOUS 

TAX-PREFERRED RETIREMENT 

VEHICLES AND INCREASING PERSONAL FINANCIAL LITERACY 

Mr. CONRAD (for himself, Mr. ENZI, 

and Mr. CARDIN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: 

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