October 3, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E2225 

our community and Nation, in addition to raising our families. Ellen’s leadership in the 

League of Women Voters inspired both men 

and women to use our education to volunteer, 

seek public office, and take leadership roles in 

improving our government, our libraries, and 

our public schools, and the lives of those who 

were not as fortunate as us. Many of the 

women who have served Johnson County so 

exceptionally well as mayors, city council 

members, school board members and legislators were motivated, supported and inspired 

by Ellen Laner. 

Madam Speaker, we were fortunate to know 

Ellen Laner, and we are so very grateful for 

what she contributed to our lives. I am grateful 

to this House for giving me the opportunity to 

share this tribute with my fellow Members of 

Congress and with the American people. 

f 

THE WEBCASTER SETTLEMENT 

ACT OF 2008 

SPEECH OF

HON. HOWARD L. BERMAN OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Saturday, September 27, 2008 

Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I would like 

to make clear that no provision of H.R. 7084 

should be construed to opine on what entity or 

entities can be considered a ‘‘receiving agent’’ 

under 17 U.S.C. Section 114(g)(4). I understand that there is ongoing litigation pertaining 

to the qualifications of a receiving agent and 

I would not want H.R. 7084 to influence a 

court’s ultimate decision on this matter. 

f 

EARMARK DECLARATION 

HON. VITO FOSSELLA OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Mr. FOSSELLA. Madam Speaker, I submit 

the following: 

Bill Number: H.R. 2638. 

Account: Military Construction, Army Reserve National Guard. 

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: New York 

National Guard. 

Address of Requesting Entity: 330 Old 

Niskayuna Road, Latham, NY 12110. 

Description of Request: $2.955 million will 

be used for the establishment of an additional 

Civil Support Team. This team, located within 

the New York City metropolitan area, ensures 

that the top terrorist target in the country, New 

York City, has an immediate and prepared 

asset, ready at a moments notice, if a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, high explosive, CBRNE, incident were to occur. 

f 

LETTER TO REPRESENTATIVE 

MCCOTTER FROM THE LITHUANIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE 

UNITED STATES, AUDRIUS 

BRU ̄ ZGA 

HON. THADDEUS G. McCOTTER OF MICHIGAN

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Mr. MCCOTTER. Madam Speaker, today I 

rise to place into the RECORD a letter from 

Ambassador Audrius Bru ̄zga of Lithuania regarding House Concurrent Resolution 255. 

EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA TO THE UNITED STATES OF

AMERICA, 

Washington, DC, September 29, 2008. 

Congressman THADDEUS MCCOTTER, 

House of Representatives, 

Washington, DC. 

DEAR CONGRESSMAN: I am aware that on 

September 25, 2008 the United States House 

of Representatives passed the House Concurrent Resolution 255: Expressing the sense of 

Congress regarding the United States commitment to preservation of religious and cultural sites and condemning instances where 

sites are desecrated. 

I write to express my astonishment and 

utter surprise that such a Resolution was 

submited for vote at the time when the process of finding a solution to the issue of the 

former S ̆ nipis ̆ke ̇s Jewish cemetery is at its 

final stages and all the interested parties are 

in agreement of the necessary steps and actions. 

You may well be aware that on June 25 

through July 5 geophysical investigation was 

carried out by a contractor company from 

Israel Geotec on 14 chosen areas. Alongside 

with the geophysical investigation, archeological investigation was carried out by the 

Lithuanian Cultural Heritage Department. 

On September 22nd, based on the results of 

the said investigations the Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitieku ̄ nas, 

Head of the Government working group for 

the preservation of the former Jewish cemetery in S ̆ nipis ̆ke ̇s, presented recommendations to the Government of Lithuania on further steps regarding the preservation of the 

former S ̆ nipis ̆ke ̇s cemetery. One of the recommendations of the working group is for 

the competent Lithuanian institutions— 

Vilnius City Municipality, Governor Administration of Vilnius County, the Ministry of 

Culture—with the participation of the representatives from the Jewish community and 

the owners of the territory of former cemetery—to organize an open international competition for the monumentalization of the 

former S ̆ nipis ̆ke ̇s Jewish cemetery site. 

Furthermore, the former Jewish cemetery 

in S ̆ nipis ̆ke ̇s has gained legal protection in 

compliance with the decision of the Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture. The Register of Cultural 

Heritage of the Republic of Lithuania guaranties the permanent preservation of the 

former cemetery site. 

During the whole process, the Lithuanian 

Government has demonstrated commitment 

to resolving the controversy over former 

Jewish cemetery in S ̆ nipis ̆ke ̇s by involving 

Lithuanian and international experts, historians, geophysical survey experts, cartographers and archeologists, and International 

Jewish communities, as well as allocating 

appropriate resources for research and analyses. The Government of Lithuania has 

worked closely and will continue to work 

with the representatives of the Committee 

for the Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries in 

Europe and with other Jewish organizations, 

in search of a mutually acceptable solution. 

Mr. Congressman, Jewish culture, history, 

sacred sites and traditions are part of Lithuania’s national heritage. Sadly, during the 

period of Nazi and Soviet occupations (1940– 

1991) much of this has been lost or decimated. It takes time and painstaking efforts 

to undo the damage. Allow me to assure you 

that the Government is committed to the 

preservation of all of the cultural heritage in 

Lithuania and is doing so in a manner which 

is consistent with rule of law and justice. It 

is disappointing when this is not appreciated 

by the colleagues in the U.S. 

Lithuania and the United States are close 

allies. We share the freedom agenda and we 

stand together in defence of our shared values. I am certain that we will continue to 

cherish our strong bonds of partnership. 

I avail myself of this opportunity to renew 

to you the assurances of my highest consideration. 

Yours sincerely, 

AUDRIUS BRU ̄ ZGA, 

f 

Ambassador. 

INTRODUCTION OF THE IMMIGRATION OVERSIGHT AND FAIRNESS 

ACT, H.R. 7255 

HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, on 

any given day, roughly 30,000 immigration detainees are held in a mix of federal, state, 

local and private detention facilities. Explosive 

growth in the number of non-citizens in immigration detention across the country has resulted in sometimes shameful conditions of 

confinement and repeated incidents of detainee abuse. 

Although federal immigration authorities 

adopted detention standards in 1998 and 

2000, you wouldn’t know it today. These nonbinding standards, which cover access to 

medical care, the separation of violent and 

non-violent suspects, and access to a lawyer, 

have not been enforced. 

It is long past time that Congress make the 

federal government abide by its own detention 

standards. That is why today I am introducing 

the Immigration Oversight and Fairness Act of 

2008. 

The bill establishes long-overdue legally 

binding detention standards for all immigration 

detention facilities. 

The Immigration Oversight and Fairness Act 

also establishes legally binding standards for 

Customs and Border Patrol stations which, 

though not technically detention facilities, 

house immigrants for a few hours or a few 

days before their transfer to immigration authorities. 

Finally, the Immigration Oversight and Fairness Act treats those detainees who a judge 

determines are not a flight risk or a threat to 

society in a more humane and rational way. 

Under this bill, these individuals would be 

placed in a proven program of supervised release instead of in a detention facility where 

the federal government must expend enormous resources to feed, house and watch 

over them. 

Madam Speaker, I look forward to the 

House considering these critical reforms of the 

immigration detention system in the next Congress. 

f 

ATCHISON COUNTY COURTHOUSE 

HON. SAM GRAVES OF MISSOURI

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Mr. GRAVES. Madam Speaker, I proudly 

pause to the Atchison County Courthouse 

which will recognize the 125th Anniversary of 


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