[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 72 (Friday, June 5, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S5731]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1999

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                ABRAHAM (AND OTHERS) AMENDMENT NO. 2568

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mr. ABRAHAM (for himself, Mr. Feingold, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Ashcroft, 
Mrs. Snowe, and Mr. Mack) intended to be proposed by them to the bill 
(S. 2057) to authorize appropriations for the fiscal year 1999 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed 
Forces, and for other purposes; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in the bill, insert the following 
     section:

     SEC.  . EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE CONGRESS THAT THE 
                   PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES SHOULD 
                   RECONSIDER HIS DECISION TO BE FORMALLY RECEIVED 
                   IN TIANANMEN SQUARE BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE 
                   PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

       (a) findings.--Congress makes the followings findings:
       (1) Nine years ago on June 4, 1989, thousands of Chinese 
     students peacefully gathered in Tiananmen Square to 
     demonstrate their support for freedom and democracy;
       (2) It was with horror that the world witnessed the 
     response of the Government of the People's Republic of China 
     as tanks and military units marched into Tiananmen Square;
       (3) Chinese soldiers of the People's Republic of China were 
     ordered to fire machine guns and tanks on young, unarmed 
     civilians;
       (4) ``Children were killed holding hands with their 
     mothers,'' according to a reliable eyewitness account;
       (5) According to the same eyewitness account, ``students 
     were crushed by armored personnel carriers'';
       (6) More than 2,000 Chinese pro-democracy demonstrators 
     died that day, according to the Chinese Red Cross;
       (7) Hundreds continue to languish in prisons because of 
     their belief in freedom and democracy;
       (8) Nine years after the massacre on June 4, 1989, the 
     Government of the People's Republic of China has yet to 
     acknowledge the Tiananmen Square massacre; and
       (9) By being formally received in Tiananmen Square, the 
     President would bestow legitimacy on the Chinese government's 
     horrendous actions of 9 years ago:
       (b) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress 
     that the President should reconsider his decision to be 
     formally received in Tiananmen Square until the Government of 
     the People's Republic of China acknowledges the Tiananmen 
     Square massacre, pledges that such atrocities will never 
     happen again, and releases those Chinese students still 
     imprisoned for supporting freedom and democracy that day.

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