If White House won’t act, then it is up to Congress

Nine months have passed since the body of Karl Hoerig was discovered in his Newton Falls home — he had been shot twice in the back and once in the head — and his wife, Claudia, fled to her native country, Brazil.

It has been eight months since Mrs. Hoerig was indicted by a Trumbull County grand jury on a charge of aggravated murder with a gun specification. She is accused of shooting her husband in their home on March 12.

And, it has been about eight months since Congressman Tim Ryan urged the U.S. Depart-ment of Justice and the U.S. State Department to pressure Brazil, which has an extradition treaty with the United States, to facilitate Claudia Hoerig’s return to Trumbull County.

A federal warrant has been issued charging her with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

Any way you cut it, justice is being delayed and, thus, denied — and U.S. Rep. Ryan of Niles, D-17th, has had enough. We don’t blame him.

Indeed, we strongly support his latest initiative, namely, to seek economic and travel sanctions against Brazil. If the White House refuses act, then Congress should.

We are puzzled by this administration’s foot dragging, given that Hoerig was a major in the Air Force Reserves who had flown 200 combat missions.

Recently, Republican President Bush lambasted the Democratic controlled Congress for failing to pass a $196 billion supplemental funding bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and said lawmakers owe it to America’s fighting men and women to act expediously.

Passionate speeches

Over the years, the president has spoken with great passion about his commitment to and support for the troops and, at times, has attempted to portray Democrats who oppose the war in Iraq as being anti-military.

Yet, in the case involving the late Maj. Hoerig, who until his death flew C-130s out of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station and was a pilot with Southwest Airlines, the White House has been disturbingly silent.

Ryan, who is scheduled to meet with a representative of Brazil to gauge that country’s attitude about sending back Claudia Hoerig, has drafted two bills to pressure the Brazilian government.

The first would require the U.S. to renegotiate its treaty with Brazil, which would address the extradition issue, and the second would limit or eliminate the $140 million in foreign aid the U.S. sends to Brazil.

Mrs. Hoerig has dual citizenship.

Ryan also intends to push for an increase in tariffs on Brazilian products and to restrict Brazilian citizens from traveling to the U.S., should his meeting with that country’s representative not bear fruit.

Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins, who has been pushing hard to have Claudia Hoerig brought back to the Mahoning Valley, revealed this week that Brazilian officials have indicated they might conduct a trial there. Watkins rejects that plan, as well he should.

The trial in Brazil would be a whitewash.

Claudia Hoerig is an American citizen who is charged with a serious crime committed on America soil. She must stand trial here.