[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 59 (Thursday, March 30, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H4012]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    CONGRESS MUST WEIGH IN ON THE UNITED STATES-NORTH KOREA NUCLEAR 
                               AGREEMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, the subject of this special order is the 
United States-North Korea Nuclear Agreement.
  Mr. Speaker, it increasingly is clear that the United States-North 
Korea Nuclear Agreement signed last October is flawed and that it 
contains great risks to important American nonproliferation and 
regional security interests. North Korea's confrontational behavior to 
date raises serious questions about whether Pyongyang is acting in good 
faith.
  North Korea has diverted to military use some of the United States-
supplied heavy oil that we already have delivered under the terms of 
the agreement, and the North has continued its relentless political 
attacks against our ally, South Korea. North Korea continues to make 
new and outrageous demands, including a demand for a billion dollars in 
additional assistance.
  Earlier this week United States-North Korean talks in Berlin were 
broken off prematurely and without agreement due to Pyongyang's refusal 
to accept South Korea as the source of light water reactors to be 
provided under the agreement--a crucial violation of the spirit of the 
agreement and a definite deal stopper.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress must send a strong message to North Korea. The 
United States will not succumb to North Korean blackmail and 
brinkmanship.
  Today, this Member is introducing legislation that seeks to address 
the outstanding significant problems with the October 1994 agreement. 
This legislation would give the Clinton administration much-needed 
policy direction. Among other features, this legislation will:
  First, underscore that the Congress regards the terms of the October 
1994 agreement as the absolute minimum acceptable conditions for 
addressing the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear program; second, 
the legislation will make clear that South Korea is the only acceptable 
source for the light-water rectors that are to be provided to North 
Korea under the agreement; third, no legislation will emphasize the 
primacy of the United States-South Korea relationship by conditioning 
further steps toward the normalization of United States-North Korea 
relations on progress toward a North-South dialog and fulfillment of 
the 1992 North-South accord on the denuclearization of the Korean 
Peninsula; fourth, the legislation will reinforce the importance of 
other American objectives regarding the Korean Peninsula, including the 
reduction of North Korea's military forces and their redeployment away 
from the Demilitarized Zone, prohibiting the deployment of ballistic 
missiles by Pyongyang, and deterring the export of missiles and weapons 
of mass destruction.
  Fifth, and, finally, the legislation will make it clear to the 
administration that the Congress retains final authority over any 
expenditures in support of the agreement, by insisting that any 
reprogramming actions must follow the notification requirements 
stipulated in the Foreign Assistance Act.
  Mr. Speaker, this is not a partisan issue. Everyone should be 
concerned about the very real danger on the Korean Peninsula. This 
Member would urge his colleagues to join as co-sponsors on this 
important national security initiative.


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