[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 122 (Monday, September 15, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1749]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           INTRODUCTION OF BONDED CHILD LABOR ELIMINATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 15, 1997

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, it is an outrage that American workers must 
compete for jobs with as many as 200 million defenseless children 
working around the world today without any hope of ever seeing the 
inside of a classroom. Many of these abused children are making 
products exported for sale in our shopping malls, sporting goods 
stores, and oriental rug shops all across America. Even some of our 
Fourth of July fireworks were most probably made by children in India, 
China, and elsewhere.
  Consider the plight of millions of child laborers, some as young as 4 
years old, who are sold into virtual slavery, that is, bonded and 
indentured laborers, and chained to looms for 14-hours a day hand 
knotting the oriental rugs that grace the foyers and living rooms of 
countless homes and offices all across our country.
  Exploited children toil in factories, mines, fields, at looms, and 
even in brothels, sacrificing their youth, health, and innocence for 
little or no wages.
  They are hand-stitching the Nike and Adidas soccer balls that our 
kids practice with every day. The very same soccer balls that were used 
at the Atlanta Olympics last year.
  They are sewing the blouses and slacks that Kathie Lee Gifford was 
paid $7 million a year to promote for Wal-Mart stores until she was 
embarrassed last year.
  They are making Mattel Barbie dolls that little girls all across 
America play with every day.
  Sadly it took Kathie Lee's embarrassment in the national media last 
year for many Americans to confront this dirty little secret of the 
global marketplace: millions of Americans are buying soccer balls, 
toys, and clothing for our own kids that are made by brutally exploited 
children in many of the foreign countries with which we have growing 
trade deficits.
  This situation is totally unacceptable and there are actions we can 
take to stop this affront to basic human decency.
  That is why I am sponsoring legislation--the Bonded Child Labor 
Elimination Act--to prohibit the importing of any products made by 
child slaves.
  This bill deals with one of the most outrageous forms of exploitation 
in international trade today--imports made by bonded children who are 
sold into slavery, some as young as 3 years old.
  It would amend the Tariff Act of 1930 which for decades has banned 
the importing of products into America that are made by adult prison or 
forced labor. It would simply extend that ban to products made by 
bonded child labor.
  I firmly believe trade is not an end in itself, but a means toward 
attaining more economic justice, social responsibility, and 
environmental sustainability in the U.S. and the global economy.
  To knee-jerk free traders, I say that hundreds of millions of 
children working in hazardous jobs in back alleys instead of going to 
school is unacceptable.
  That these defenseless, exploited children should be forced to work 
under brutal conditions that can kill or maim them for life is 
outrageous.
  That most adults turn a blind eye to this cruelty and provide a 
market for this suffering is inexcusable.
  The fact that current trade rules at the GATT and World Trade 
Organization go to great lengths to protect property rights, while 
ignoring the rights of working people, especially children, says much 
more about the heartless priorities and greed of doctrinaire free trade 
advocates than their logic and ethics.
  Inside and outside the halls of Government, we have the power to 
change this sorry state of affairs. Access to the American marketplace 
is powerful leverage that should be used to encourage foreign producers 
and importers to treat defenseless children with dignity and not 
contempt.
  We cannot accept any longer the shameful, outdated trade policies 
that force American workers to compete with exploited children. Ask 
yourself this question: what does it say about our country that we have 
numerous import laws and consumer campaigns to protect endangered 
plants and animals, but we have no law or consumer campaigns to protect 
children consigned to practical slavery?
  Some teenagers in Vermont have already begun to speak out and demand 
action in defense of kids overseas who cannot help themselves. I 
applaud their human rights leadership and hope more of you will report 
on their efforts and get involved yourselves.

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