[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 86 (Friday, June 26, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7297-S7298]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TASK FORCE ON ECONOMIC SANCTIONS

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, Senator Daschle and I have been talking 
about a task force to consider the question of economic sanctions, how 
they are put in place, how they are dealt with, both in the short term 
and over the long term. We have discussed this matter with Secretary of 
State Albright.
  I think there is feeling on both sides of the aisle that perhaps the 
proclivity to place sanctions, economic sanctions on countries around 
the world repeatedly, and with not a clear way of ending those, has 
become a problem, at least one we should think very carefully about to 
see if there is a way we can deal with some of the pending legislation 
in this area, like, for instance, the Glenn amendment that was 
applicable in the case of India and, I believe, Pakistan with the 
Pressler amendment, and a number of other instances.
  On the longer term, I think we need to have a task force to give 
thought, how we do this, when we do it, and even when we end it. I have 
discussed it with a number of Senators on our side of the aisle who 
work in this area of foreign policy and deal with the question of 
sanctions, and so I am satisfied we can have a good group and this will 
be a bipartisan group. So I want to announce we are agreeing to create 
a task force on economic sanctions to examine this whole area.
  I wanted to have a short-term mandate, though, not just the broader 
policy questions, but to examine what we can do or what should be done 
about sanctions on India and Pakistan as a result of their nuclear 
programs. With the recent stories of nuclear tests in south Asia, it is 
important to look at the U.S. sanctions laws and how they affect our 
ability to de-escalate the nuclear arms race in the region.
  I have asked the task force to make recommendations to the Senate 
leadership by July 15, 1998, on sanctions relating to these two 
countries--India and Pakistan. We will also ask this task force to 
examine overall issues related to sanctions, legislation, and 
implementation.
  I have asked the task force to report back to the Senate leadership 
by September 1, 1998, on the following issues:
  What constitutes a sanction?
  There are many categories of legislative and executive branch action, 
using economic sanctions in an effort to support policy goals, 
including restrictions on U.S. Government funds, conditions on the 
export of sensitive technology, and limitations on normal commercial 
activity.
  What sanctions are now in place? And what flexibility is provided in 
these different sanctions? That would be a second question.
  Third: How should success be assessed in determining the 
effectiveness of these sanctions? When have we done what we wanted to 
achieve, and then can perhaps remove them?
  Fourth: How should policy goals be defined in considering and 
implementing these sanctions?
  Are effective procedures in place now to ensure coordination between 
the executive and legislative branches for the consideration and 
imposition of sanctions?
  I have to say, I think the answer to that question is no; there is 
not adequate coordination and communication between the executive and 
legislative branches in this area of sanctions.
  Are effective procedures in place for oversight and monitoring of the 
executive branch compliance and implementation of existing sanctions?

  I have been stunned by some of the instances that I have seen with 
regard to Russia and with China where clearly sanctions were called 
for, should have been almost automatic by the administration, and it 
did not happen. Why not? And so we need to think about that.
  Should there be a unique Senate floor or committee procedure for 
considering sanctions legislation?
  Answering all of these questions in the limited timeframe will not be 
easy, but I am confident this very distinguished and qualified 
bipartisan group can come up with some very good recommendations. And I 
hope that the Senate will reserve its judgment and not act in this area 
until we see what will come out of the task force recommendations.
  The task force will include 18 Members and will be chaired by the 
distinguished Senator from Kentucky, Senator McConnell. He is chairman 
of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations. The cochair 
will be Senator Biden. The task force will also include Senators Helms, 
Baucus, Lugar, Dodd, D'Amato, Glenn, Mack, Kerry, Kyl, Leahy, Warner, 
Levin, Hutchinson, Lieberman, Roberts, and Moynihan. I think you can 
see this is a very distinguished group. And I know they will have some 
very important recommendations to the Senate.
  I will be glad to yield to the Senator from Kentucky.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I thank the leader.

[[Page S7298]]

  I suppose there is not a single Member of this body, I would say to 
the majority leader, who has been very consistent on this subject. 
Sometimes Members have felt that sanctions were inappropriate except in 
their particular area of interest where they thought sanctions might 
make sense. I confess to being entirely inconsistent, too, myself, I 
say to my friend from Mississippi, having supported sanctions in South 
Africa and opposed them in China and other places. So none of us have a 
consistent pattern here.
  I think it is very important to try to pull together the best 
thinking available from Senators on both sides of the aisle to see 
whether there is some kind of coherent way to go forward in this field.
  So I thank the majority leader for his understanding of the 
importance to try to pull us together in this complicated area. And I 
assure him I will do my best to try to give everybody an opportunity to 
have their say. And we will certainly meet the deadlines. I say to the 
distinguished majority leader, the deadlines will be met, with or 
without consensus, I cannot say at this point. But I look forward to 
working on this assignment. I thank the majority leader for the 
opportunity.
  Mr. LOTT. I thank you, I say to Senator McConnell.
  I do note that Senator Daschle and I have been communicating on this 
back and forth the last 2 weeks. I am sorry he is not able to be here 
now. But this is an example of how we do come together and work very 
carefully and sensibly, hopefully, when it comes to foreign policy 
questions. And he certainly wanted to go forward with this. I am glad 
we were able to make this announcement this afternoon.
  I do have a series of bills I believe we can deal with before we 
adjourn for the week.
  I know Senator Ford here is on behalf of the Democratic leader. So we 
can go through these pretty quickly.

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