[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 70 (Wednesday, June 3, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H3979]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              ON CHARACTER

  (Mr. TIAHRT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, in many foreign countries it is difficult to 
do business without a payoff or a bribe. Just slide some money across 
the hand and doors open. It happens in many countries that do not have 
high moral standards of right and wrong. But it is not acceptable in 
America. Not until now. It appears something has changed.
  Our high moral standards driven by character and a strong sense of 
right and wrong now seem to have sunk to a new low of a mere political 
contribution and doors open. Just a few lucrative political donations 
from the Communist Chinese and a big U.S. corporation will change 
export policy and doors will open.
  The administration has taken high-tech satellite export waivers from 
the Department of Defense and the State Department and given it to the 
Commerce Department, making it easier for doors to open. Now an 
American company may have exported high technical information that 
jeopardizes our security, our national security.
  It may happen in other countries, but it should never happen here.

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