[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 28 (Monday, February 13, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E331]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        THE SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS PRACTICES ACT OF 1995

                                 ______


                            HON. LANE EVANS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 13, 1995
  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, we do not have to sacrifice our principles 
for profit. Corporations can look beyond the bottom line to ensure that 
decent human and worker rights are guaranteed to their foreign workers.
  Some U.S. corporations, like Levi Strauss have articulated socially 
responsible policies and provided active oversight over these 
standards. They have shown that their considerable economic and social 
influence can be a force for positive change.
  Yet, many multinationals have not joined the movement to promote 
corporate responsibility. There are cases in some U.S. affiliated 
factories abroad, where children as young as five toil for more than 12 
hours and less than 20 cents a day. In other instances, contractors are 
found to combine warehouse, workplace, and dormitory facilities 
contributing to dangerous and inhumane working and living conditions. 
We can and must do better.
  Today, 25 of my colleagues are joining me in reintroducing The 
Socially Responsible Business Practices Act of 1995. This bill calls 
for a voluntary code of conduct based on internationally recognized 
principles to ensure that U.S. foreign investment remains competitive 
while also creating a socially responsible climate for trade and 
investment.
  I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this legislation to ensure that 
international trade and investment is a positive force in all 
countries--not a license to exploit workers.


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