Schiff Introduces the Liberty List Act CONGRESSMAN ADAM B. SCHIFF OF CALIFORNIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Friday, April 15, 2005 Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, in his second inaugural address in January, President Bush declared that "the survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world.'' Today, along with my colleague from Florida, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, I introduce legislation to aid that expansion by honoring the work of courageous men and women all over the world who strive to advance human rights and democratic values within their own countries and throughout the international community. The Liberty List will be an independent annual report issued by the State Department to highlight the work of individuals and organizations, including the media, who promote the development of liberty, democracy, and respect for human rights. In addition to honoring these individuals and organizations for their important contributions to their societies, the Liberty List will draw attention to the conditions against which the honorees struggle and will offer some protection for honorees by identifying them to the international community. A few individuals and groups, such as Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League, for Democracy NLD, are known around the world for their struggle. Yet, for every individual who is known to the international community, there are many other heroes who deserve recognition and support as they risk their own lives for the improvement of others. The Liberty List is fundamentally different from the existing State Department Report on International Religious Freedom and the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Current reports focus on the human rights records of national governments; they deal with the imposition of state power. The Liberty List, in contrast, will spotlight individuals and organizations who are working against that power to build freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights. Leaders in the struggle for freedom and democracy around the world deserve recognition for the sacrifices and their struggles. It is through the work of individuals, who struggle at the local and national levels to improve the lives of their families, friends, and neighbors, that democracy, freedom, and human rights will prevail. The Liberty List Act will establish a means by which the United States can honor these men and women as they strive to make the world a better, safer place.   I urge my colleagues to join Ms. Ros-Lehtinenand me as cosponsors of this legislation.