[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 58 (Thursday, May 12, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                         ON BASEBALLS AND HAITI

  (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, it is opening season on every sandlot across 
America. Today I want to talk about baseballs, but also about Haiti. In 
fact, the U.S. Government is the biggest defender of the Haitian 
embargo by purchasing products like duty-free baseballs and softballs 
assembled by partially owned United States companies in Haiti.
  One of the largest U.S. companies, Home of Champions, pays many of 
its employees, mostly women, as little as 5 cents an hour to make these 
baseballs.
  Despite an economic embargo against Haiti by the Organization of 
American States, last year our Nation imported over $116 million worth 
of goods from Haiti, up from $71 million the year before.
  Why do American businesses continue to profit from duty-free imports, 
and why do we continue to trade with Haiti, a nation we have condemned 
for violating the most fundamental of worker and human rights? Because 
our government has decided to extend special export sector licenses to 
them.
  Let us stop kidding ourselves. True democracy is a long way off in 
Haiti if our Nation continues to allow Haitian workers to be abused 
while a wealthy few profit from their misery. Let us enforce the 
embargo before sacrificing the life of one American serviceman or 
woman, and stand up for fair labor standards, decent working 
conditions, and democracy. After all, they go hand in hand.

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