[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 4 (Tuesday, January 21, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E110]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   LOOKING TO THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELTON GALLEGLY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 21, 1997

  Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, today, I officially became the chairman of 
the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere of the International Relations 
Committee. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues, both 
Republican and Democrat, on the subcommittee as we begin a very 
exciting and challenging period in which we will review our relations 
with our partners in the hemisphere.
  The end of the cold war and the movement toward democracy and 
economic reform in Russia and central Europe held great promise that 
the world would enter a period free of superpower rivalry, a lowering 
of the nuclear threat, and an all-around feeling that peace and 
political stability would prevail throughout the world.
  Despite the expectations that evolutionary changes in Europe would 
serve as a model for a greater global commitment to open societies, the 
promotion of democracy, and the development of strong economies and 
markets, the international environment remains as complex and as 
dangerous as ever.
  United States foreign policy continues to face complex and ever 
changing challenges from Bosnia to China, from terrorism to the 
stability of the global economy, from Palestine to Northern Ireland.
  But while U.S. policymakers within the administration and the 
Congress struggle to resolve the most difficult and dangerous of these 
issues, we are ignoring one of the most dramatic success stories of the 
post-cold war period. And the irony of it all, is that this transition 
is taking place right in our own backyard of the Western Hemisphere.
  The evolution of the nations of Latin America to democratic 
governments, market economies, and open societies has been perhaps the 
most overlooked event since the fall of the Berlin wall.
  Despite the direct impact events in Latin America have on the United 
States in terms of trade, narcotics trafficking, and immigration, U.S. 
policymakers, including the Congress, have often, although not 
entirely, turned an uninterested eye south of our borders and have 
failed to take advantage of the enormous potential for peace, political 
stability, and economic opportunity these changes are bringing about.
  The resolution of the crisis in Haiti, the recent peaceful elections 
in Nicaragua, and the signing of the peace accords in Guatemala, ending 
35 years of confrontation, clearly argues that the transition to peace, 
cooperation, and the democratization of the entire hemisphere, although 
sometimes rocky, is in its final stages. The economic miracles taking 
place in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile are a credit to the genuine 
commitment of those governments and peoples to take their place as 
regional role models.

  Unfortunately, these stories are going largely unnoticed 
unappreciated in the United States.
  Latin America is a success story which the United States should be 
celebrating by pursuing a more engaged foreign policy designed to 
support the peace process, promote continued political stability, renew 
old friendships, cultivate new ones, and lend strong support to 
regional economic development and free market economies.
  Like many, though, I fear that the momentum achieved thus far by the 
nations of Latin America could be stalled unless the United States 
reenergizes its efforts to provide strong leadership throughout the 
region. Confronting no major conflict or problem in the region, U.S. 
policy seems to lack clarity or coherence which could lead to a further 
decline in our ability to influence events in the region.
  There can be no doubt that economic growth in the region is the key 
to strengthening democracy, ensuring long-term political stability, and 
reducing poverty. The 1994 Summit of the Americas held great promise 
for the critical areas of trade and economic development. The momentum 
created there must be renewed and sustained.
  But leadership requires a better knowledge and understanding of the 
nations of the hemisphere and the great strides made thus far. U.S. 
policy must look forward and should be based, not on what has happened 
in the past, but what can happen in the future if we work with the 
nations of the hemisphere in a cooperative partnership to strengthen 
democracy, implement economic development policies, encourage free 
trade, and to make a renewed commitment to civilian authority, human 
rights, and social justice.
  This is not to say that all is well in the hemisphere. Lingering 
problems associated with drugs, illegal immigration political 
corruption, arms competition, and the strength of the peso, temper the 
euphoria of the success story. Beyond those endemic problems, which 
must be addressed primarily by the nations of Latin America themselves, 
nagging questions arise regarding the future of the new democracies, 
NAFTA, fast track, and Cuba. Also, to a lesser, but nevertheless 
important degree to many in the United States are issues regarding 
intellectual property, patent, and copyright violations, the 
environment and labor standards which must be addressed.
  The foreign policy agenda for the Western Hemisphere is large and 
laden with both promise and problems. And while these issues may not 
seem as important as issues facing this Nation elsewhere, I believe we 
would be making a tremendous mistake if we did not take advantage of 
the positive signs and events emerging from the hemisphere by actively 
engaging our neighbors to the south in a renewed partnership for peace, 
stability, and economic development.
  This will be the thrust of the subcommittee's work and I look forward 
to getting on with the job.

                          ____________________