January 6, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E3 

FEINSTEIN for their recent work on my father’s case. It is the compassion of everyone 

here that gives my family hope and reason to 

believe that the unlikely is possible. 

I’m here today to tell you about my recent 

visit with my father just two weeks ago. To 

give a little background, my father’s sentence allows for only one visit a month. Each 

of these visits last about 30 minutes. The 

standard procedure is that my family receives a visitation notice in the mail that 

lets us know the date of the visit. As my 

whole family lives in North America, we usually have a very short amount of time to 

make the necessary travel arrangements for 

a long trip to China. Once there, we have to 

go through a lengthy authorization process 

before we are allowed to see him. For my latest visit, I had some difficulties getting my 

visa as scheduled, and didn’t have the proper 

paperwork, which added a lot of additional 

stress to this already difficult process. The 

visit takes place in a bare concrete building 

that borders the gate of his remote prison, 

several miles away from the closest city. It 

is so secluded that we have to be driven 

there by the prison officials, as some of the 

terrain in that area has yet to be paved. 

Right before we can meet, the prison authorities reminds us of the rules and regulations, which include only speaking in Chinese, and staying away from topics that will 

cause my father anxiety. These visits are 

conducted in visitation booths and are monitored by four prison officials, two standing 

behind the each of us. Separated by metal 

bars and two layers of plexi-glass, my father 

and I can only communicate using a telephone. 

I was very nervous about seeing my father 

this time. It had been over a year since my 

last visit, and my family had lost contact 

with him for 2 months without any clear explanations from the prison, so I was worried 

about the state that my father was in. I was 

so relieved when I was finally able to see 

him, cheerful enough to smile. My first concern was his health. My father said that 

while he is stable, his chronic allergies and 

sever phlebitis continues to plague him. We 

talked mostly about my family, my educational future and the work that we are 

doing on his behalf. As we spoke, it was clear 

to me that my father’s untreated depression 

and psychological health continues to worsen. He had difficulty making steady eye contact and sometimes repeated the same sentences several times. The prison officials 

monitoring our conversation were kind 

enough to allot us an extra 10 minutes. 

My father wanted me to let everyone know 

that he is eternally grateful for all the work 

that has been done on his behalf and that he 

remains hopeful that justice will prevail. As 

our conversation came to an end, my father 

began to cry. He said the thought of never 

seeing his ailing 87-year-old mother again 

often brings him to tears and that his only 

wish is that they will be reunited before it’s 

too late. 

It has now been over 6 years that my father, now almost 62 years old, lingers alone 

in prison. I come here today in hopes of conveying the message that my father’s situation has become evermore critical and his 

time is running out. This is my third time 

I’ve visited my father, and it is obvious that 

both his physical and mental health is deteriorating. He has aged so much in the last 

few years, and his depression is becoming 

dangerously severe. The prison authorities 

have told my family that my father’s only 

chance of receiving medical parole is if he 

admit guilt to the charges of ‘‘terrorism’’ 

and ‘‘espionage’’. . .but I know that my father would never, nor does my family want 

him to confess to claims that are not only 

false, but that will comprise his dignity and 

values. 

As we commemorate the 60th Anniversary 

of the Universal Declaration of Human 

Rights, I just want to remind everyone that 

it is because of my father’s unwavering commitment to this cause that he is being so unjustly punished today. As the founder of the 

Chinese overseas pro-democracy movement, 

there was nothing harder that my father 

fought for than the values of human rights, 

freedom and democracy for the people of his 

homeland. His contribution to his beliefs has 

now cost him 6 years of solitary confinement, and possibly his life if we do not continue to fight for his freedom. 

So I would like to close today by asking 

the present and new administration to call 

for my father’s immediate release on medical and humanitarian grounds. 

I also invite everyone here, along with 

your friends and family to visit 

www.initiativesforchina.org to sign an online 

petition addressed to President Hu Jintao, 

also calling for my father’s release. Lastly, I 

would like to work with congressional leaders toward the goal of obtaining honorary 

U.S. citizenship for my father as recognition 

of his lifelong service to democracy and as a 

statement of America’s recommitment to 

making human rights a priority in its agenda. On behalf of my family, I would like to 

thank everyone here for coming and for your 

sincere concern for my father. 

f 

INTRODUCTION OF THE SOCIAL 

SECURITY PRESERVATION ACT 

HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 

Mr. PAUL. Madam Speaker, I rise to protect 

the integrity of the Social Security trust fund 

by introducing the Social Security Preservation 

Act. The Social Security Preservation Act is a 

rather simple bill which states that all moneys 

raised by the Social Security trust fund will be 

spent in payments to beneficiaries, with excess receipts invested in interest-bearing certificates of deposit. This will help keep Social 

Security trust fund moneys from being diverted 

to other programs, as well as allow the fund 

to grow by providing for investment in interestbearing instruments. 

The Social Security Preservation Act ensures that the government will keep its promises to America’s seniors that taxes collected 

for Social Security will be used for Social Security. When the government taxes Americans 

to fund Social Security, it promises the American people that the money will be there for 

them when they retire. Congress has a moral 

obligation to keep that promise. 

With federal deficits reaching historic levels, 

and with new demands being made on the 

U.S. Treasury on an almost weekly basis, the 

pressure from special interests for massive 

new raids on the trust fund is greater than 

ever. Thus it is vital that Congress act now to 

protect the trust fund from big spending, porkbarrel politics. As a medical doctor, I know the 

first step in treatment is to stop the bleeding, 

and the Social Security Preservation Act stops 

the bleeding of the Social Security trust fund. 

I therefore call upon all my colleagues, regardless of which proposal for long-term Social Security reform they support, to stand up for 

America’s seniors by cosponsoring the Social 

Security Preservation Act. 

HONORING KEARNEY HIGH SCHOOL 

OF KEARNEY, MISSOURI 

HON. SAM GRAVES OF MISSOURI

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 

Mr. GRAVES. Madam Speaker, I proudly 

pause to recognize the outstanding achievements of the students, teachers, administrators, parents, and patrons of Kearney High 

School and the Kearney R-1 School District. 

Kearney High School was named a 2008 No 

Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School of the 

year. 

Madam Speaker, Kearney R-I School District encompasses 100 square miles in northern Clay County and Clinton County. In order 

for Kearney High School to receive such a 

prestigious national distinction, they were required to score in the top 10 percent on the 

State of Missouri’s assessment test. I would 

like to make a special note of Kearney R-I 

School District Superintendent Dr. Chris 

Belcher, newly retired Kearney High School 

Principal Daryl Rinne, and current Kearney 

High School Principal Randy Wepler for their 

commitment and leadership to the students of 

Kearney High School. 

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join me in 

applauding the outstanding achievements of 

Kearney High School. It is an honor to have 

a high school like Kearney in the Sixth Congressional District of Missouri that strives for 

educational excellence. We wish them many 

more years of success. 

f 

INTRODUCING LEGISLATION TO 

STUDY METHODS OF ERADICATING ASIAN CARP FROM THE 

GREAT LAKES ECOSYSTEM 

HON. MARK STEVEN KIRK OF ILLINOIS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 

Mr. KIRK. Madam Speaker, I am proud to 

stand here today to introduce legislation which 

provides for the exploration of methods to 

eradicate the dangerous Asian carp from the 

Great Lakes. 

Each year, invasive species in the Great 

Lakes cause more than $5 billion in economic 

damage and irreparable harm to an ecosystem that provides more than 40 million 

people with jobs. water, food. and recreation. 

A new invader, the Asian carp, threatens to 

further destroy the region’s ecosystem and 

economy, and it is imperative that we act to 

prevent this catastrophe. 

A single barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and 

Ship Canal, built as a temporary demonstration project 5 years ago, is the only thing preventing these invaders from entering Lake 

Michigan and drastically altering the entire region’s ecosystem. While Congress recently 

provided full authorization and funding for this 

critical barrier, it may not be enough to prevent the Asian carp from infiltrating the Great 

Lakes and the devastating consequences that 

would follow. 

It is therefore critical that we also explore alternatives and supplements to the carp barrier. 

My legislation would direct the Fish and Wildlife Service in conjunction with the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration and 


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