June 8, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E 1179

surpassed the quietness of the most advanced, quietest, and most survivable

boats—the Los Angeles-class SSNs—now in

the U.S. active fleet. The threat posed by

Russia’s stealthy Akula-class SSNs imposes

new and unprecedented demands on U.S. sensors and weapons. Thus, despite its temporary surplus of nuclear-powered attack

submarines, the United States has two compelling reasons to build new and even more

advanced SSNs: (a) it must preserve the

stealthiness of its own submarines; and (b) it

must overcome the stealthiness of the most

advanced foreign-built submarines.

The Seawolf SSN program, and the followon new attack submarine (NSSN)—scheduled

to begin construction in 1998—are intended

to meet both of these needs. The NSSN will

incorporate the advanced quieting, sensor,

and weapons technology of the Seawolf in a

less expensive hull that is more compatible

with anticipated future budgetary limitations. Although it will cost considerably less

than the Seawolf, it will be able to accomplish all of the post-Cold War missions, including the land-attack mission, envisioned

for U.S. attack submarines.

The pace of development for the NSSN will

not allow construction of the first of the

class to begin any earlier than 1998, however.

The Navy already has committed $900 million to the construction of a third Seawolf

submarine, and in the fiscal year 1996 defense

budget is seeking the remaining $1.5 billion

needed to complete it. That common-sense

economic rationale is not, of course, the only

reason the Navy wants to complete construction: The third Seawolf will contribute significantly to future seapower capabilities,

and will help satisfy a Joint Chiefs of Staff

requirement for at least 10 to 12 submarines

with Seawolf-quality stealthiness by 2012.

THE BUDGETARY/RISK TRADEOFF

A recent study of the U.S. submarine production base by the Rand Corporation concluded that little money would be saved by

allowing a production gap to develop in the

construction of new submarines. The risks,

though, would be considerable. The third

Seawolf illustrates this finding clearly. The

cost of the boat will be $2.4 billion, of which

$900 million is already obligated. Since it

will cost at least that much more to terminate contracts and shut down production of

the third boat, the Navy faces the choice of

spending: (a) nearly $2 billion, with nothing

to show for it; or (b) $2.4 billion, to get a very

capable submarine.

Its decision to embrace the latter option is

driven, though, not only by the budgetary

arithmetic, but also by the urgent need to

preserve the nation’s ability to build submarines. Consolidation of all nuclear-ship

production at Newport News Shipbuilding—

builder of the Navy’s nuclear-powered carriers and other surface combatants, as well

as more than three dozen SSNs and SSBNs—

would not only reduce the U.S. nuclear shipbuilding industrial base to one yard, but also

would deprive the nation of the pre-eminent

submarine integration facility at Electric

Boat, and of a highly skilled work force as

well.

It might at some future date be considered

necessary, for strictly budgetary reasons, to

consolidate all nuclear construction at one

yard—but to do so would mean a loss of flexibility and of surge capacity, and would entail some serious national security risks as

well.

Fortunately, that decision does not have

to be made this year. The overwhelming case

for completing the SSN–23 gives the Navy,

and Congress, the time needed for a detailed

and much more comprehensive study of the

cost/benefit tradeoffs involved in making

what would be an irreversible change in the

long-term U.S. submarine construction program. For at least the time being, though,

the Navy itself apparently has concluded

that it makes more sense to keep nuclear

submarine production at its preferred source,

Electric boat, while maintaining the construction of nuclear-powered surface ships at

Newport News Ship-building.

The near-term costs of such an approach

are outweighed, the Navy says, by the overriding national security need to ensure the

preservation of an adequate industrial base.

The Navy’s industrial plans for submarines

are in that respect similar to its military

plans. Both focus on the long term, because

it is assumed that the long term is when

major new threats to national security may

arise. A long-term approach may, of course,

create certain near-term budgetary pressures, but those pressures reflect the service’s unwillingness to sacrifice its enduring

requirements in order to address the more

transitory concerns of the moment. Considering the evidence of the recent past and the

global trends evident today in technology

and politics, it is hard to argue with such an

approach.

HUMAN RIGHTS IN EAST TIMOR

fHON. JOHN EDWARD PORTER OF ILLINOIS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, June 7, 1995

Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, as cochairman

of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, I

rise today to speak out about human rights

conditions in Indonesia, and specifically, on

the island of East Timor. Home to nearly 200

million people, Indonesia is the fourth most

populous nation in the world. Congress has already pressed the Government of Indonesia to

give the people of East Timor greater freedom

and to ensure the protection of their fundamental human rights. I am disheartened,

however, by the lack of progress on ending

abuses being committed by Indonesian military forces and the frequent reports of torture

and other serious abuses being committed in

East Timor. This year, the State Department’s

‘‘Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

for 1994’’ states:

The [Indonesian] Government continued to

commit serious human rights abuses and in

some areas, notably freedom of expression, it

became markedly more repressive, departing

from a long-term trend towards greater

openness. The most serious included the continuing inability of the people to change

their government and harsh repression of

East Timorese dissidents.

In November 1994, the U.N. Special

Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, and Arbitrary Executions reported that the atmosphere in East Timor continues to be oppressive and resembles the conditions that

precipitated the mass killings by Indonesian

forces in November 1991. The rapporteur’s report serves as a warning to the world and

should be a call to action for the international

community to prevent a repetition of severe

human rights violations.

In addition, I remain concerned about the

large Indonesian military presence on the island and about reports indicating that one of

the Indonesian army battalions that was responsible for the Santa Cruz massacre recently returned to the region. I also oppose

the mistreatment of Timorese political prisoners, the heightened migration of Indonesian

settlers to East Timor, and the obstruction of

international observers who are working to

monitor trials of dissidents and report on conditions in East Timor. I firmly believe that

these developments demand a strong response by the international community.

Indonesian President Suharto has recently

cracked down on free press, causing the firing

of journalists who voice their dissent. This

campaign to intimidate journalists is not the

only repression that has intensified. There are

frequent cases of Christians being arrested,

beaten, and intimidated. There is little freedom

of association, assembly or expression, and

members of the security forces responsible for

these human rights violations enjoy virtual impunity. Assistant Secretary of State John

Shattuck recently reported to Congress that

the human rights situation ‘‘Which began

worsening in late 1994, worsened further in

January of this year.’’ I call on Members to put

pressure on the Indonesian Government to

end their pattern of abuses in East Timor. I

call on my colleagues to join me in my efforts

to remain vocal and keep a bad situation from

further deteriorating

I also commend to Members the following

article, from the Boston Globe dated April 3,

1995, which explains United States shortcomings in promoting human rights in Indonesia.

One way to continue to keep pressure on

the Indonesian Government is to continue the

ban on International Military Education and

Training [IMET] funds to them. I applaud Representative REED of Rhode Island for the

amendment he intends to offer to the American Overseas Interest Act to cut all IMET

funds to Indonesia for fiscal year 1996 and fiscal year 1997. I urge Members to support this

amendment, which is a strong and clear message to the Indonesian Government that their

disregard for human rights will not be tolerated

by the United States.

[From the Boston Globe, April 3, 1995]

COMPROMISING HUMAN RIGHTS

The most generous way to describe the

Clinton administration’s approach to human

rights is to call it ambivalent.

John Shattuck, assistant secretary of

state for human rights, has said all the right

things and produced candid reports on

human rights around the world. But President Clinton ignored Beijing’s abuses for the

sake of trade, subordinated human rights to

strategic concerns when Boris Yeltsin assaulted Chechnya and made the fatal mistake of refusing to classify the mass murders

in Rwanda as genocide when to do so might

have enabled UN forces to stop the slaughter.

Recently there has been an unusually

overt demonstration of the administration’s

ambivalence on human rights. Speaking in

the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, the vice

chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm.

William Owens, said the Pentagon wants to

resume a US program for the military and

educational training of the Indonesian army,

a program that Congress suspended in 1992

because of Indonesia’s flagrant abuse of

human rights on the conquered territory of

East Timor.

The same day, Shattuck was telling Congress that the human right situation on East

Timor, ‘‘which began worsening in late 1994,

worsened further in January this year.’’

Shattuck’s testimony replicated a report by

the organization Human Rights Watch/Asia

on ‘‘Deteriorating Human Rights in East

Timor.’’ The report describes ‘‘extrajudicial
E 1180 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks June 8, 1995

executions, torture, disappearances, unlawful arrests and detentions and denials of freedom of association, assembly and expression.’’

As Clinton and the new Congress consider

the Pentagon’s request for $600,000 to spend

on the training of Indonesian officers, they

ought to heed the counsel of the US Catholic

Conference. ‘‘As difficult as the situation in

East Timor has been over the years,’’ the

bishops’ office noted, ‘‘congressional protests

and representations by various US administrations have helped limit the severity of

human rights abuses, keeping a bad situation from becoming much worse.’’

This is no time to encourage Indonesian

persecution of the East Timorese.

SALUTE TO M.L. ‘‘LIN’’ KOESTER

fHON. ELTON GALLEGLY OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, June 7, 1995

Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to

salute a longtime friend and former colleague

who will be leaving the city of Simi Valley to

become Ventura County’s chief administrative

officer.

When I joined the Simi Valley City Council

in 1979, one of our first objectives was to find

an administrator who could lead the city into

the next decade while restoring the fiscal and

personal security city residents expected and

deserved.

Lin Koester was that administrator. In more

than 15 years on the job, he has established

a list of accomplishments and successes that

would be the envy of any manager in the private or public sector.

Through Lin’s tenure, Simi Valley has

earned the respect of other municipalities from

around the State for its strong record of fiscal

conservatism and financial stability. With an

annual budget of more than $88 million and

more than 500 employees, the city has weathered the economic downturn that has plagued

southern California and the entire Nation over

the past few years and has emerged in good

financial shape with a $14 million general fund

reserve.

But Lin’s achievements are hardly limited to

the area of financial management.

While he has served as city manager, Simi

Valley has established a statewide reputation

for its innovative efforts and programs in the

areas of recycling and hazardous waste management.

Under Lin’s leadership, the city has maintained its reputation as one of the top three

safest cities of its size in the entire country. It

has also financed and built a new city hall and

senior center and has helped establish a local

DMV office, a new county courthouse and a library. The city has also seen the construction

and opening of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, while construction continues on

a new cultural arts center—scheduled to open

later this year. A new, state-of-the-art, police

facility is expected to open within the next 3

years.

None of these things happened by accident.

They happened because of strong, thoughtful

leadership and an ability to get the most from

a well-chosen, well-organized professional

staff.

As Lin moves on to put his time-tested talents to work for the county, Mr. Speaker, I

would like to join many of his former colleagues and friends in wishing him well. I

know that Simi Valley is a much better place

today because the years Lin spent at the

helm. I am confident that, years from now, we

will be able to look back and say the same

thing about Ventura County.

HONORING ALISON GAVRELL

fHON. BILL BAKER OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, June 7, 1995

Mr. BAKER of California. Mr. Speaker, in

June, a very talented young woman from my

district in California will be traveling to Washington to receive a major literary award. Alison

Gavrell will receive the Silver Award at the

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards National

Exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art for

her short story, ‘‘Don’t Believe Everything You

Read.’’

This prestigious program, which honors talented young writers and artists from across

the Nation, is designed to encourage some of

America’s finest and most gifted students in

the pursuit of excellence. Alison plans to read

from her story at the Library of Congress Saturday, June 17, and will be part of the ceremony and recreation for all national award

winning students at the Corcoran the following

day.

Alison, a student at the Dorris-Eaton School

in Walnut Creek, deserves high praise for her

diligence, self-discipline, and creativity. My

congratulations also go to her parents, Elaine

and George Gavrell, and her teacher, Ms.

Deeni Schoenfeld for their contributions to

Alison’s signal achievement. It is a pleasure

for me to recognize Alison in the CONGRESSIONAL

TRIBUTE TO STEPHEN H.

RECORD.

fWATTERS

HON. CHAKA FATTAH OF PENNSYLVANIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, June 7, 1995

Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to

rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Stephen H.

Watters, who for 19 years, has been the director of the middle school at William Penn Charter.

Over the past 20 years, he has helped to

define and shape one of the finest middle

school programs in the country. Stephen H.

Watters has demonstrated his long-term leadership and commitment to the school, the development of its curriculum, and to his caring

approach to students, parents and peers.

Steve is leaving the Penn Charter family this

summer and will assume his new responsibilities as head of the Green Vale School, a K–

9 school in Glen Head, NY.

Steve’s departure will further impact Penn

Charter with the departure of his wife, Anne

Watters, who has served as director of lower

school admissions as she joins her husband in

New York.

I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding Mr. Watters for a job well done.

HONORING YVONNE MCCALL

HON. THOMAS M. DAVIS

OF VIRGINIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, June 7, 1995

Mr. DAVIS. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great

pleasure to rise today and pay tribute to an

outstanding educator from Fairfax County, VA,

who is retiring this month.

S. Yvonne McCall, is the principal of

Silverbrook Elementary in Fairfax Station, VA.

She was selected as the National Distinguished Principal of Virginia 1993.

I first met Mrs. McCall in 1981 when she

brought in private and charitable donations to

build a new playground at Glen Forest Elementary School, where she was principal.

Mrs. McCall encourages her students to

strive for academic excellence. Her motto is:

‘‘Reach for the moon. If you don’t make it,

then you’ll at least land among the stars.’’

McCall has designed a number of innovative

programs at Silverbrook. They include: PEP

[Parents Energizing Parents], a parent support

group; PLUS [Parents Lending Us Support], a

program designed to train volunteer parents;

RESPECT [Rules Expected at Silverbrook—

Plans Everyone Can Trust], a schoolwide discipline program designed to reward positive

behavior; Social Skills, a program that encourages good cafeteria behavior by rewarding

well-behaved students with a complimentary

lunch at a local restaurant; and, a mentor program with employees of the school’s business

partner, HFSI, through which the partners

communicate via electronic mail.

Mrs. McCall began her career in Fairfax

County in 1971 as a reading teacher at Fairview Elementary School. In 1980, she assumed the post of principal at Glen Forest Elementary School and later served as principal

at Dogwood Elementary School, where she remained until assuming the reigns at

Silverbrook Elementary in 1988.

Throughout her career, Mrs. McCall has

earned honors. She received the Outstanding

Principal Award from Mount Olive Baptist

Church in 1985. From 1986 to 1993, McCall

was nominated seven times for the Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership

Award. She received the Department of the

Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal in

1991. In 1991, McCall was also a finalist in

the National Distinguished Principal of Virginia

program. In 1993, she was awarded the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals’ School Bell Award for her leadership

abilities and her innovative and successful

school programs.

Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleagues join

me in honoring Yvonne McCall for all of her

hard work and dedication in molding the way

that our children view themselves and the

world. Mrs. McCall is a credit to her profession

and has been a vital assets to thousands of

families in northern Virginia who have been

touched by her professional leadership.