[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 65 (Wednesday, May 20, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H3597-H3598]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, as we prepare for a load of speeches that 
most of us will be giving on Monday, it is important to think about the 
debate which has taken place today on the Defense Authorization Act.
  The issues raised during the debate on amendments to the Defense 
Authorization Act, as I said, which involve the relationship between 
the United States and China, are some of the most deeply troubling that 
I have witnessed since I have had the privilege of serving here in the 
Congress. And make no mistake about it, the long-term bilateral 
relationship between the United States of America and China is very 
serious business.
  We are talking about the world's leading democracy and only 
superpower and the world's fastest growing and most populous nation. 
This may be the most important bilateral relationship in the world. We 
have a responsibility to make every effort to craft a strong and stable 
bilateral relationship that is built on positive economic and political 
reforms in China.
  Mr. Speaker, success is critical to our future. Now, our Constitution 
places in the executive branch, in the presidency, the responsibility 
to first and foremost protect our Nation's security. As the Commander 
in Chief and executor of foreign relations, there is no substitute for 
the President on foreign policy.
  During the past two administrations, I have worked long and hard on a 
bipartisan basis to help craft policies toward China which promote more 
stable relations based on free market reforms and the seedlings of 
democratic progress in that country.
  What is so troubling today is that very serious, Mr. Speaker, 
disturbingly serious charges are being leveled at the current 
administration which cut to the very heart of the fitness of the 
administration to carry out a sound China policy. The first and 
foremost responsibility of the executive branch of the President is to 
protect national security. Nobody else can do that, Mr. Speaker, not 
American businesses and not other foreign entities.
  The key events in question do not seem to be in dispute. We know that 
for years a number of American firms that construct and use satellites 
have desired to use Chinese launch vehicles, Chinese rockets. They have 
used them because they are cheaper and more available. The big problem 
has been that they are very unreliable. Those rockets blow up too 
often, destroying their expensive satellite cargo. This, obviously, can 
be a big problem.
  In the spring of 1996, a Chinese rocket blew up that was carrying 
such a satellite. It is reported that the insurance companies 
responsible for the $200 million satellite destroyed by the rocket 
failure essentially told their American satellite customers to either 
improve the reliability of Chinese launch vehicles or find new launch 
sources. It is reported that the U.S. companies proceeded to help 
improve the launch vehicles.
  Mr. Speaker, this assistance raised very, very serious red flags at 
the Department of Defense and the Department of State about the 
prospect that this assistance would likely help improve Chinese 
ballistic missiles, a clear national security concern.
  The key fact is that over the course of 2 years, an internal debate 
raged within the administration between the economic benefits to a few 
companies being able to use better Chinese launch vehicles and clear 
national security warnings from within the Defense and State 
Departments. Added to the mix are a blizzard of campaign contributions 
to the President's campaign from the corporate interests involved.
  Mr. Speaker, while no pun is intended, it does not take a rocket 
scientist to recognize that better Chinese satellite launch vehicles 
will result in better Chinese ballistic missiles. The fact that it 
appears that the administration chose the financial benefits of some 
companies over a clear national security concern is very troubling. The 
fact that such large campaign sums may have had an impact on the 
decision is even more disturbing.

[[Page H3598]]

  Finally, the fact that the Administration would devastate their own 
ability to carry out our Nation's foreign policy towards China with 
some degree of respect and moral authority is staggering.
  The administration had better recognize the signal that was sent to 
them by the House with the passage of the amendments today. The 
relationship with China is too important to be foolishly squandered. It 
is time for the administration to immediately provide the Congress with 
all information related to these events.
  While we have a responsibility, Mr. Speaker, to continue to try to 
foster a sound relationship with China, we must ensure that the 
administration holds national security as the bedrock upon which our 
foreign relations stand.

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