Benjamin Gilman: “Mr. Speaker, we thank our friend, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Houghton], for sponsoring House Concurrent Resolution…”

“Mr. Speaker, we thank our friend, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Houghton], for sponsoring House Concurrent Resolution 18, commending the Nicaraguan people for their democratic elections and peaceful transition of power, and I am pleased to have been included as an original cosponsor of this measure. Fifteen years ago, Central America, as we know it, was in turmoil, and at that time our Nation paid a great deal of attention to the region and invested extraordinary sums of money to try to bolster the democratic governments. Now we see a region living in peace and democracy. The American public can rightfully claim a great deal of credit for supporting our neighbors in their hour of need. All of us will certainly acknowledge that the Central American people themselves deserve the utmost credit for an extraordinary democratic transition. In House Concurrent Resolution 18, the House recognizes the significant accomplishments achieved by the Nicaraguan people since the transition to the democratically elected government of President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro on April 20, 1990.”