[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 65 (Friday, May 16, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H2865]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TERMINATE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AND FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS WITH 
                           TERRORIST NATIONS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida [Mr. Scarborough] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SCARBOROUGH. Mr. Speaker, I have grown up believing, being taught 
by my parents, in the idea of an America built on unwavering values, 
rock-solid principles that have been built into this culture based on 
thousands of years of other people's experience, where freedom is 
valued more than finance, and where human rights mean more than market 
share.
  It was Thomas Jefferson talking about freedom who said that he would 
stand before the altar of almighty God pledging to battle those who 
would try to place tyrannical restrictions over the mind of man. And of 
course, we have heard de Toqueville say America is great because 
America is good. And when America ceases to be good, it will then cease 
to be great.
  So I believe our goal is to carry on the proud tradition of 
Washington and Jefferson, the proud tradition of Benjamin Franklin and 
Abraham Lincoln, who understood the importance of freedom, the idea of 
American freedom, and who understood that America needed to be, as 
Ronald Reagan said, quoting Saint Matthew, that America had to be like 
a bright light shining on the hill for all the world to see.
  That is why this next week, as we start talking about foreign ops, 
that I hope we will start asking some very tough questions about what 
is happening in Sudan. I think anybody that studies human rights across 
the globe, whether they are conservative or liberal, or whether they 
are Democrats or Republicans, really need to be shocked at what has 
been going on in Sudan since 1989.
  According to United Nations human rights reports, we hear of 7-year-
old children being crucified, being killed, we hear of villages being 
destroyed simply based on people's religious views. And what is 
America's response to what many call the most tyrannical country in the 
world? It is actually to allow American businesses to go over and do 
business with this horrible terrorist state, this state that continues 
to sponsor terrorism across the globe.
  When Occidental wanted to go and do business with this terrorist 
state, they were not permitted to do so because of the antiterrorist 
legislation that passed this House and was signed by the previous 
administration. And yet, all Occidental had to do was go to the 
administration and ask for a waiver and they received it immediately 
and began doing business with Sudan, again, this country that exports 
terrorism across the globe that has been responsible for the deaths of 
Americans and again is responsible for the most heinous crimes against 
their own people.
  That is why I am going to be introducing an amendment next week 
dealing with Sudan, and the first thing it will do is terminate 
diplomatic relations with Sudan and require the closure of all 
diplomatic and consular offices of Sudan and the United States unless 
the President determines and certifies to the Congress that Sudan is no 
longer sponsoring or supporting terrorism. That is something that this 
administration simply cannot do. Americans have already had to flee 
Sudan in fear. I think it is time that we get Sudan off of our shores 
until they stop sponsoring state terrorism.
  In fact, we had Jimmy Carter, former President, go over and try to 
negotiate a peace with Sudan. He has been doing it for years. He was 
given permission to fly to south Sudan to talk to a village; and before 
he got there, the Sudanese Government bombed that village and Mr. 
Carter had to flee Sudan.
  I think we also need to stop financial transactions with terrorists. 
And unfortunately, this is not just limited to Sudan. It seems like our 
foreign policy has been for sale for too long now and we have been 
dealing with violators of human rights for far too long.
  Again, America is about freedom, it is not about simply financial 
gain. That is why I believe we have to stop financial transactions with 
terrorists, and we would once again make sure that no exception under 
the section with respect to Sudan that would allow American businesses 
to do business with Sudan, that no exception would be granted by this 
administration or by this Congress unless the President again certifies 
to Congress that Sudan is no longer sponsoring or supporting terrorism 
at home or across the globe.
  Again, when you have a country that so persecutes its own people by 
crucifying 7-year-old children, by having committed a terror campaign 
against its own people, and then exporting terrorism across the globe 
and to the United States of America, it is time to stand up and say 
enough is enough, we value freedom over financial gain, and we will do 
whatever it takes to support human rights across the global.

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