[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 22, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H5485-H5486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HUMANITARIAN AID CORRIDOR ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Pallone] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, this evening, the Appropriations 
Subcommittee on Foreign Operations is marking up the fiscal year 1997 
appropriations bill for our international assistance and export 
financing programs. Yet, ironically, we just learned yesterday that 
President Clinton has waived one of the most important provisions in 
the fiscal year 1996 Foreign Operations bill: the Humanitarian Aid 
Corridor Act. The Corridor Act, which was included in the fiscal year 
'96 bill with broad bipartisan support, prohibits U.S. assistance of 
any kind from going to a country that impedes the delivery of 
humanitarian aid to a third country. I think most Americans would just 
assume that such a basic condition would apply to any recipient of U.S. 
aid, but it isn't.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation is really targeted at the Republic of 
Turkey, which has maintained a cruel and illegal blockade of 
neighboring Armenia for the past 3 years. This blockade has prevented 
the delivery of food, medicine and other humanitarian relief supplies--
much of it originating in the United States--from reaching Armenia. The 
most direct route for aid to Armenia is through Turkey. Thus, the 
Turkish blockade makes it far more difficult and expensive for relief 
supplies to reach the people of Armenia.
  Turkey is a country that has received billions of dollars of United 
States aid. They are a military ally of the United States, part of 
NATO. Yet here is Turkey, a large and militarily powerful nation, 
maintaining a stranglehold on Armenia, a tiny land-locked country. This 
is shocking outrageous behavior. Last year, Congress finally said to 
Turkey: enough. If Turkey wants to continue to benefit from American 
generosity, they must open their border with Armenia and let the long-
suffering people of Armenia get the assistance they need and deserve--
assistance which Congress has voted to provide to Armenia, as well 
assistance originating from private sources.
  Unfortunately, the law gave the President authority to waive the 
requirement that Turkey open its borders based on, ``the national 
security interest of the United States.'' Quietly, President Clinton 
last week invoked the waiver.
  Mr. Speaker, I have often come to the floor of the House to support 
the policies of this administration. But tonight, I am completely 
disappointed and perplexed by the administration's action.
  First of all, Congress wasn't even notified. We learned about the 
waiver almost by accident--from, of all people, the Turkish Foreign 
Minister Emre Gonensay, who is here in Washington on a working visit. 
In response to a question at a press conference yesterday the Foreign 
Minister announced that the waiver had in fact been granted. Thus, we 
see the Turkish Foreign Ministry was informed before the U.S. Congress. 
This is completely unacceptable. Given the strong statement of 
congressional intent, we believe it would have been appropriate for the 
administration to have advised Members of Congress of its plans with 
regard to the waiver, and I hope the administration will consult with 
Congress on this issue in the future.
  A further disappointment is that the language in the Presidential 
Determination contains no reference to the Turkish blockade of Armenia. 
Failure to at least mention the blockade in the context of the 
determination to waive the Corridor Act sends the disturbing signal 
that the United States is not concerned about the ongoing, illegal 
blockade of a small country striving to establish democracy and a 
market economy. I once again call on the administration to make a top 
priority of imploring the Turkish Government, the recipient of so much 
United States aid, to lift its blockade of Armenia and accept Armenia's 
offer to normalize relations without preconditions.

  Tomorrow, I am sending out a Dear Colleague letter asking Members to 
join me in signing a letter to the President expressing our opposition 
to the waiver and urging that all efforts be made to lift the blockade.
  Mr. Speaker, while relations with Turkey are important, I cannot 
accept

[[Page H5486]]

the view that maintaining good relations should entail turning a blind 
eye to the outrageous actions committed by Turkey. Given the generosity 
the United States has shown toward Turkey, we have every right to 
attach some conditions--particularly such a basic condition as allowing 
the delivery of aid to a neighbor in need. I believe such a condition 
should be a basic requirement for any recipient of U.S. aid, and I 
think most Americans would agree.
  Armenia is a small, land-locked nation dependent on land corridors 
through neighboring countries for many basic goods. Armenia has been 
one of the most exemplary of the former Soviet republics in terms of 
moving toward a Western style political and economic system. The 
Armenian people respect and admire the United States. There are more 
than one million Americans of Armenian ancestry. The bonds between our 
countries are strong and enduring. But the people of Armenia face a 
humanitarian crisis which is not the result of any natural disaster but 
the deliberate policy of its neighbor to choke off access to needed 
goods from the outside world. I believe the exertion of U.S. leadership 
can play a major role in easing tensions and promoting greater 
cooperation among the nations of the Caucasus region. Enforcement of 
the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act must be an important component of 
those efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, last year I founded the Congressional Caucus on Armenian 
Issues, which I co-chair with the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Porter]. 
We now have 49 Members from both parties and all regions of the 
country. The support for the Armenian people is strong in this 
Congress, and we will continue to challenge the pro-Turkish lobby here 
in Washington and, if necessary, the administration, to fight for 
stronger ties between the United States and Armenia.

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