[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 89 (Monday, June 23, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H4166-H4167]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




MAKING IN ORDER ON TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1997, CONSIDERATION OF HOUSE JOINT 
 RESOLUTION 79, DISAPPROVAL OF MOST-FAVORED-NATION TREATMENT FOR CHINA

  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order 
at any time on June 24, 1997, to consider in the House the joint 
resolution, House Joint Resolution 79, disapproving the extension of 
nondiscriminatory treatment--most-favored-nation treatment--to the 
products of the People's Republic of China; that the joint resolution 
be considered as read for amendment; that all points of order against 
the joint resolution and against its consideration be waived; that the 
joint resolution be debatable for 3\1/2\ hours equally divided and 
controlled by the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, in 
opposition to the joint resolution, and a Member in support of the 
joint resolution; that pursuant to sections 152 and 153 of the Trade 
Act of 1974, the previous question be considered as ordered on the 
joint resolution to final passage without intervening motion; and that 
the provisions of section 152 and 153 of the Trade Act of 1974 shall 
not otherwise apply to any joint resolution disapproving the extension 
of most-favored-nation treatment to the People's Republic of China for 
the

[[Page H4167]]

remainder of the first session of the 105th Congress.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Miller of Florida). Is there objection 
to the request of the gentleman from New York?
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I do not 
intend to object, but I just seek clarification in the unanimous-
consent request from the distinguished gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Solomon], chairman of the Committee on Rules, that in the paragraph 
about who controls the time that the Member in support of the joint 
resolution be designated as the gentleman from California [Mr. Stark] 
of the Committee on Ways and Means.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. PELOSI. I yield to the gentleman from New York.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I would inquire of the gentlewoman, a 
Member in opposition to the amendment?
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, no, in support of the joint resolution. The 
gentleman from California [Mr. Stark] is in support of the joint 
resolution.

       The joint resolution be debatable for 3\1/2\ hours equally 
     divided and controlled by the chairman of the Committee on 
     Ways and Means in opposition to the joint resolution and a 
     Member in support of the joint resolution.

I am just seeking clarification that that be designated as the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Stark].
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, if the gentlewoman would yield once again, 
it is intended that that Member be a member of the minority of the 
Committee on Ways and Means, the gentleman from California [Mr. Stark], 
and it is understood that he would yield half of his time to the 
gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Bunning], also a member of the Committee 
on Ways and Means, from this side of the aisle.
  I might just say to the gentlewoman, since she and I have been the 
leaders in this effort to disapprove most-favored-nation treatment for 
China, that the gentlewoman and I both would seek time from the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Stark] and the gentleman from Kentucky 
[Mr. Bunning] respectively, but that is the intent of this unanimous 
consent request.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, hopefully we can divide the time in half.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Solomon] for his leadership in reaching this arrangement to bring his 
important resolution of disapproval to the floor. I will say, though, 
with great regret that we will be debating this resolution tomorrow 
morning, depriving the American people of the opportunity over the 
break next week to have office visits with Members, depriving the 
grassroots from weighing in. I think it is an attempt to keep this a 
Beltway business deal.
  I do not know what the administration is afraid of on this issue, if 
they are afraid that the figures about the trade deficit that were just 
announced, 41-percent higher trade deficit with China for the first few 
months of this year than last year; whether they are afraid of the 
report on religious persecution which the State Department is holding 
until after this vote, which is highly critical of Beijing; or whether 
they are concerned about the report in Time magazine today about the 
secret missile deal,

       The CIA has discovered that China is helping Pakistan build 
     a missile plant, will the U.S. object?

  Whether it is trade proliferation or human rights, the American 
people have a message: 77 to 27 they support conditioning most-favored-
nation status on improvement in human rights. It is unfortunate that 
they will not have an opportunity to weigh in, and I am afraid that the 
administration and the leadership in the House is afraid of the truth.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.

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