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[Congressional Record: September 14, 1998]

CALLING ON GOVERNMENT OF CUBA TO EXTRADITE JOANNE CHESIMARD TO UNITED STATES

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 254) calling on the Government of Cuba to return to the United States convicted felon Joanne Chesimard and all other individuals who have fled the United States to avoid prosecution or confinement for criminal offenses and who are currently living freely in Cuba, as amended. The Clerk read as follows:

H. Con. Res. 254

Whereas on May 2, 1973, Joanne Chesimard and 2 friends were stopped in their vehicle by New Jersey State Troopers James Harper and Werner Foerster on the New Jersey Turnpike;
Whereas while being questioned, Ms. Chesimard and the driver opened fire with automatic pistols striking Trooper Werner Foerster twice in the chest and Trooper James Harper in the left shoulder;
Whereas the suspects then turned Trooper Foerster's own weapon on him firing an additional two bullets into his head execution style;
Whereas this heinous and premeditated act resulted in the tragic death of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster;
Whereas Trooper Foerster left behind a wife, Rose Foerster, and family;
Whereas in 1977, after a 6 week trial, a jury found Ms. Chesimard guilty of first-degree murder for the slaying of Trooper Foerster, a respected New Jersey State Trooper; Whereas as a result of this conviction Ms. Chesimard was sentenced to life in a New Jersey State prison;
Whereas in 1979, Ms. Chesimard broke free from a maximum security cell at the Reformatory for Women in Clinton, New Jersey, with the help of 4 men who took a guard and prison van driver hostage;
Whereas after escaping prison, Ms. Chesimard fled to Cuba for political asylum;
Whereas the Federal Bureau of Investigation lists 77 felony fugitives known to have been granted safe haven by the Cuban Government, including Robert Vesco, Frank Terpil, and Victor Gerena, wanted for, or convicted of, violent crimes, including murder, robbery, kidnapping, air piracy, and terrorism;
Whereas these individuals have been indicted or convicted of criminal offenses in the United States and have not paid their debt to society;
Whereas people in New Jersey were shocked and outraged to see television interviews showing Ms. Chesimard living freely in Cuba, portraying herself as the victim and denying any crimes against Trooper Foerster;
Whereas the Governor of New Jersey, Christine Whitman, has requested Federal assistance from Attorney General Janet Reno for the return of Ms. Chesimard;
and Whereas Members of Congress have petitioned Secretary of State Madeleine Albright requesting that the Department of State do everything in its power to have Joanne Chesimard, and all other individuals who have fled the United States to avoid prosecution or confinement for criminal offenses and who are currently living freely in Cuba, returned to the United States in order for them to face prosecution or confinement in the United States:
Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Government of Cuba should extradite to the United States convicted murderer Joanne Chesimard in order for her to complete her life sentence for the murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster;
(2) the Government of Cuba should extradite to the United States all other individuals who have fled the United States to avoid prosecution or confinement for criminal offenses and who are currently living freely in Cuba in order for them to face prosecution or confinement in the United States;
and (3) the extradition from Cuba to the United States of all individuals who have fled the United States to avoid prosecution or confinement for criminal offenses and who are currently living in Cuba should be a top priority for the United States Government.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter). Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I strongly support this resolution which calls on the Cuban regime to return Joanne Cheismard to the United States. It is shameful and unacceptable that Fidel Castro continues to harbor murderers and other hardened criminals like Ms. Chesimard. The victims of her crime, New Jersey State trooper Werner Foerster and his widow Rose and their family, have been denied justice by Fidel Castro.
In approving this resolution, the committee made an amendment which underscores that ``the Federal Bureau of Investigation lists 90 felony fugitives known to have been granted safe haven by the Cuban government.'' These include Robert Vesco, Victor Gerena, who is on the FBI's top 10 most wanted listed, and Trank Terpil, a rogue CIA agent wanted for selling explosives to Libyan dictator Mu'ammar Qadhafi.
I commend the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Franks) for sponsoring this resolution. Our colleague on the committee, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is a cosponsor, as is the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart); in addition, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez) who is also a member of our committee. They have been steadfast advocates for the Foerster family, and I thank them for their efforts.
I would additionally like to thank New Jersey Governor Christine Todd-Whitman for exercising personal leadership in pressing for the passage of this resolution calling on the Cuban government to see that justice is done for the Foerster family. This terrible tragedy dragged on far too long, due exclusively to Fidel Castro's intransigence. Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Con. Res. 250.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 254, calling on the government of Cuba to return to the United States convicted felon Joanne Chesimard and all other individuals who fled the United States to avoid prosecution or confinement for criminal offenses and who are currently living freely in Cuba.
Providing a safe haven for fugitives from prosecution in the United States is one of the many concerns that we had with the government of Cuba. The case of Joanne Chisemard is particularly egregious and we are right to call this body's attention to it. Chesimard was sentenced to life for the murder of a New Jersey State trooper. She escaped from prison, fled to Cuba where she is currently living.
I strongly urge the adoption of this resolution, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BEREUTER. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who has been very much involved in this issue as well.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time.
I am very proud to be one of the cosponsors of H. Con. Res. 254, which condemns the government of Cuba for harboring Joanne Chesimard and other fugitives who have committed brutal crimes in the United States. I want to thank my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Franks) for introducing this important resolution and working for its passage.
As most of us here know, Joanne Chesimard was convicted in 1977 of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison for her brutal execution style murder of trooper Foerster. She escaped from jail in 1979 and subsequently fled to Cuba where she was given political asylum. This escaped murderer now lives a very comfortable life in Cuba and has launched a public relations campaign in which she attempts to portray herself as an innocent victim rather than a cold-blooded murderer.
The protection Chesimard and others enjoy in Cuba is yet another example of the lawlessness of the Castro dictatorship. The only truly satisfactory solution is democracy and self-determination for the people of Cuba. In the meantime, however, I believe it is shameful that the Clinton administration has made deal after deal with the Castro government, giving concession after concession, while Chesimard and other felons are living the high life in Havana.
I would like to thank members of the Committee on International Relations. They backed some amendments that I had offered during markup which changed some of the wording. The bottom line is we need to make sure that we bring these murderers and felons, and there are many of them, to justice. For the family, the Foerster family, that lost its loved one, we will not rest until she is behind bars where she belongs for the rest of her life.
I want to thank, again, my good friend, the gentleman from Jersey (Mr. Franks) for offering this. I hope that it will get the full support of the body.
Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the passage of H. Con. Res. 254, a resolution which I introduced on March 30.
It calls upon Fidel Castro, the dictator of the imprisoned island of Cuba, to return to the United States all the fugitives from American justice that he is harboring in his country.
Under Castro, Cuba has become a haven for terrorists, murderers, rapists, kidnappers and drug dealers who have sought refuge in Cuba in order to avoid prosecution and imprisonment in the United States. According to the FBI, there are now 77 American fugitives living in Cuba.
Let me tell you about one of them.
Earlier this year, I was shocked to turn on the local television news and see Joanne Chesimard, a cold-blooded cop killer, living freely in Cuba.
Twenty-five years ago, Joanne Chesimard gunned down two state troopers on the New Jersey Turnpike. After firing at Trooper Werner Foerster and hitting him twice in the chest, Chesimard grabbed the trooper's gun and fired two more bullets execution-style into his head.
Six years later--after serving just two years of a life sentence for first-degree murder--a group of revolutionaries assisted her in a daring and successful escape. She has been given a new, comfortable life in Cuba--thanks to Fidel Castro.
It's a tragic irony that while some of America's most vicious killers live comfortable lives in Cuba, many of Cuba's own natives languish in prisons merely for speaking out against the communist dictatorship.
This resolution sends a strong message to Castro: Return Joanne Chesimard and all the other felons you are harboring. They must be returned to the United States so that they can be sent to prison in order to serve out their full sentences and repay their debt to society.
Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 254.
Twenty-five years ago, in 1973, Joanne Chesimard ruthlessly gunned down two New Jersey State Troopers on the New Jersey Turnpike.
She approached one of the wounded Troopers, who laid bleeding and dying, grabbed his own gun and fired two shots, point-blank, execution style in the back of his head.
Chesimard was captured and convicted of this brutal murder and sent to prison.
She broke out of prison and now lives freely in Cuba just 90 miles off the U.S. coast.
She is not alone, many other convicted felons live in Cuba. This Resolution calls for justice to be served. It demands that Castro extradite Chesimard and other criminals so they can face justice in the U.S.
Justice must be served. It is cruel and morally wrong for Cuba to allow a safe harbor for these criminals while Cuba has sent its own religious leaders to suffer in prison.
I stand united with the families of the slain, the New Jersey State Police, and all citizens of New Jersey in demanding Cuba return Joanne Chesimard.
I strongly urge my Colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, on May 2, 1973 a terrible tragedy occurred in the State of New Jersey when Joanne Chesimard killed New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster leaving behind his wife and family. Ms. Chesimard was sentenced to life in prison for this heinous crime in our state and rightly so. But she escaped and fled to Cuba where she has the high life. She sips pina coladas, walks on the white sandy beaches, and swims in the crystal clear water. This is a grave injustice.
This is wrong and our government must do everything in its power to bring her back to serve out her sentence. Instead, the Clinton administration talks of easing the embargo knowing that Cuba is harboring violent criminals.
Fugitives such as Chesimard are cowards and for Cuba to invite them in and treat them like royalty is clearly wrong. I urge Secretary Albright and Attorney General Reno to do all they can to bring these criminals back to the U.S. to face justice.
I co-sponsored this legislation because I want our government to use all means possible to pressure Cuba to return Ms. Chesimard and every other criminal which Cuba harbors. We must fight for justice.
I commend Congressman Franks and Governor Whitman for being such strong advocates of this cause and I welcome the passage of this legislation.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, it is the time to send a unequivocal signal to Fidel Castro that the United States Congress finds his regime's harboring of terrorists, murderers and other hardened criminals wanted in the United States shameful and unacceptable.
H. Con. Res. 254 draws attention to the cold-blooded murder twenty- five years ago of a New Jersey State Trooper, Werner Foerster. Joanne Chesimard was convicted of this heinous murder but, in 1979, escaped to Cuba.
Joanne Chesimard now lives under Fidel Castro's protection in Cuba. Back in New Jersey, Trooper Foerster's widow and family are denied the justice of seeing the woman who took him from them pay for her crime.
This is not an isolated case. Our Federal Bureau of Investigation lists 90 felony fugitives known to have been granted safe haven by the Cuban government.
This resolution has broad bipartisan support. The gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Franks sponsored this resolution with our colleague on the Committee, the gentlelady from Florida, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen and the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Diaz-Balart. the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Menendez, who is also a member of our Committee, has for years supported the Foerster family's efforts to bring Joanne Chesimard back to the United States to serve her sentence.
I would like to recognize New Jersey Governor Christine Todd-Whitman who wrote to me to ask that we pass this resolution. Just today, we have had another sobering reminder of Fidel Castro's undiminished efforts to attack American interests. the FBI announced in Miami that ten people have been charged with spying for the Cuban government by trying to penetrate our Miami-based U.S. Southern Command, MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, and the Boca Chica Naval Air Station in Key West.
The FBI reports that Castro's spies also sought to infiltrate Cuban- American groups and manipulate other political groups and the U.S. media.
Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Con. Res. 254.
Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BEREUTER. Madam Speaker, I urge unanimous support for this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Morella). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 254, as amended.
The question was taken.
Mr. BEREUTER. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
From referrals:
H. Con. Res. 254. Concurrent resolution calling on the Government of Cuba to extradite to the United States convicted felon Joanne Chesimard and all other individuals who have fled the United States to avoid prosecution or confinement for criminal offenses and who are currently living freely in Cuba, to the Committee on Foreign Relations.