[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 96 (Tuesday, June 13, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H5778]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  RESUMPTION OF NUCLEAR TESTING BY FRANCE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC WOULD 
                          RAISE DEEP CONCERNS

  (Mr. UNDERWOOD asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deep concern 
about the possible resumption of nuclear testing by the Government of 
France in the South Pacific.
  Not only does the resumption of testing raise serious environmental 
concerns for the people of the Pacific who have unfortunately gained a 
firsthand appreciation of the hazards of nuclear weapons over the past 
50 years, but this issue has a larger international dynamic.
  Only a few weeks ago, some 170 nations agreed to extend the Non-
Proliferation Treaty indefinitely. Central to that decision was the 
expectation that the nuclear weapons states would complete a 
comprehensive nuclear test ban on all nuclear testing no later than 
1996 and that they will refrain from testing until that time.
  A resumption of French testing will destroy this historic opportunity 
and seriously undermine international efforts to curb the proliferation 
of nuclear weapons. With the recent Chinese nuclear test, this is the 
time to stand our ground and affirm our leadership on the nuclear test 
ban issue.
  Today, I am initiating a letter to President Clinton urging him to 
receive assurances from French President Jacques Chirac in their 
meeting tomorrow that France will continue its current testing 
moratorium. I encourage my colleagues to join me in signing this 
important letter. Let us say bon jour to the President, but au revoir 
to French testing.


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