[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 4, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E991]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               NATO ENLARGEMENT FACILITATION ACT OF 1996

                                 ______


                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 1996

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, as an outspoken supporter of 
NATO expansion, I am pleased to join Chairman Gilman and others in 
introducing legislation designed to move this important process ahead 
in a timely manner. Regrettably, the Clinton administration's professed 
commitment to expansion of NATO has not been adequately matched by 
concrete deeds. The Partnership for Peace program, meant to deepen and 
strengthen the links between the Alliance and the emerging democracies 
of East Central Europe, appears stalled. The legislation we introduce 
today is designed to move the program forward, making much-needed 
resources available to Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and others, 
helping them to meet the obligations which NATO membership would 
entail.
  The United States must provide the determined leadership necessary to 
advance NATO enlargement and check those bent on blocking the inclusion 
of new states in the Alliance.
  Mr. Speaker, the peoples of East Central Europe have made tremendous 
strides in working to overcome the legacy of communism. Many of the 
countries have undertaken significant steps to consolidate democracy, 
to protect human rights, and to rebuild economies based on market 
principles.
  At the same time, my endorsement of an expanded NATO is tempered by a 
recognition of the fact that progress in the region has not been even. 
There is room for further improvement in each and every one of the 
states concerned. I would note that all 27 states which have joined the 
Partnership for Peace to date are participating States of the 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe [OSCE]. That 
membership has committed each to act in accordance with all OSCE 
documents, including the Helsinki Final Act.
  As chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I am convinced of the 
fundamental role of human rights in advancing genuine security and 
stability, and, as such, must be an integral aspect of the expansion 
process. The human rights record of prospective candidates for NATO 
membership deserves close scrutiny. In fact, I would argue that a 
country's record should be subjected to more--not less--scrutiny the 
closer that country comes to being admitted into full membership in 
NATO. I would emphasize that none of the countries seeking NATO 
membership, including those considered to be leading contenders, is 
without problems.
  The Government of Poland, for example, still has an arcane defamation 
law that provides criminal penalties against those who allegedly 
``slander'' the state, similar to the laws previously used by Communist 
regimes to silence their opponents. In response to a letter from 
members of the Helsinki Commission on this issue, authorities in Warsaw 
have recently indicated their intention to repeal this provision as 
part of a general overhaul of the penal code. This step will, in my 
view, remove one of the last remaining vestiges of the Communist system 
from Poland's generally outstanding human rights record.
  In the case of Hungary, there is continued concern over the use of 
excessive force by police, including harassment and physical abuse of 
Roma, Hungary's largest minority group. Some human rights organizations 
have suggested that Roma are also kept in pretrial detention more often 
and for longer periods than non-Roma.
  The Czech Republic, although a human rights leader in many respects, 
passed a citizenship law after the dissolution of the Czechoslovak 
Federation that leaves thousands of people without citizenship. 
Regrettably, a recently passed amendment to the law failed to resolve 
this problem. Also, the Czech Republic has used a criminal defamation 
law to restrict free speech.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the tremendous progress which each of these 
states has made since the revolutions of the late 1980's and early 
1990's which toppled the dictators of East Central Europe and the 
former Soviet Empire. I urge the leaders of Poland, Hungary, and the 
Czech Republic to take concrete steps to address the remaining human 
rights concerns in a manner consistent with OSCE principles as they 
pursue their goal of full NATO membership.
  Mr. Speaker, the Congress has sought to play an active and 
constructive role in moving the NATO expansion process forward. The 
NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act, which we introduce today, 
demonstrates our firm commitment to the people of East Central Europe, 
including those from the Baltic States and Ukraine, as they strive to 
overcome the legacy of Communism and pursue democracy rooted in respect 
for the rights and freedoms of the individual.

                          ____________________