[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 135 (Thursday, October 1, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1869]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     STATEMENT OF KATHIE LEE GIFFORD CONCERNING CHILD LABOR TO THE 
                   CONGRESSIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CAUCUS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 1, 1998

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week on Monday September 28, 
the Congressional Human Rights Caucus held a briefing for members of 
this body on international child labor issues. Child labor has 
traditionally been among the most difficult and troubling of the human 
rights issues that we deal with. The problem is the greatest in those 
countries where poverty and lack of economic opportunity are the 
greatest. Furthermore, the extensive use of child labor only 
perpetuates that cycle of poverty by limiting the opportunity for these 
working children to attend school and gain the education they need to 
improve their situation.
  Developing countries, in their struggle to improve their national 
economic and social conditions, often have failed to deal with the 
tragedy of child laborers. The International Labor Organizations (ILO) 
has estimated that some 250 million children between the ages of five 
and fourteen are working in developing countries around the world. Some 
61 percent of this total, nearly 153 million children, are found in 
Asia alone.
  To alleviate the grinding poverty and economic hardships that they 
face, many families in developing countries submit children to some of 
the worst forms of child labor such as exposure to extremely hazardous 
work, slave-like conditions, prostitution, pornography, and other 
intolerable situation. Often child victims of this practice never learn 
to read or write at all, and upon reaching adulthood these children can 
only past the legacy of poverty, illiteracy, and hardship to their own 
children.
  Mr. Speaker, in recent years, with the strong support of our 
Department of State and our Department of Labor, efforts have been made 
to raise awareness of this serious problem. In 1992 the ILO initiated 
the International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor to work 
toward the progressive elimination of child labor. These efforts must 
be encouraged.
  Mr. Speaker, at the briefing of the Congressional Human Rights 
Caucus, Kathie Lee Clifford, who was accompanied by her husband, Frank 
Gillord, made an excellent statement on this issue of child labor. I 
ask that her statement be placed in the Record, and I urge my 
colleagues to give thoughtful attention to her views.

                    Statement of Kathie Lee Gifford

       In the past two and half years I have learned a great deal 
     about sweatshops and child labor--enough to make me 
     physically ill and at many times brokenhearted. I have 
     learned that all it takes to create a sweatshop environment 
     is one greedy, unethical person and one desperate one. While 
     it seems that solutions of the past have done little to 
     combat labor abuses, I've also learned that if the various 
     groups represented here work together, unified by the mandate 
     that we must end these horrible conditions, we could 
     accomplish a great deal.
       When I was accused personally of being involved in labor 
     abuses I was stunned. How could anyone possibly believe I 
     could run a sweatshop? (1) I don't manufacture anything; (2) 
     I don't own a factory; (3) I don't pay anyone to manufacture 
     anything; and (4) I have an iron-clad contract that 
     specifically states nothing can be manufactured with my name 
     on it in an abusive manner. But, then I learned how easy it 
     is for someone to exploit the system, ignore the compliance 
     agreement, and profit from the misery of hard-working, 
     vulnerable people--even children. I was angry and resolved it 
     do whatever I could to do something about it.
       Although I'm an endorser, a licensor of my trademark--and 
     not the manufacture of goods--I promised that if, and 
     whenever I discovered that any goods bearing my name were 
     made in a factory with abusive conditions, either these 
     conditions would be corrected or nothing with my name would 
     continue to be made in that factory. I hired a reputable 
     worldwide firm of independent monitors to inspect the 
     factories so that I would learn their working conditions. 
     When unfair working conditions are discovered we give the 
     factory one chance to rectify the problem. If the conditions 
     are not corrected, we take away our business. In the case of 
     child labor abuses we do not allow a second chance--one time 
     and the factory's out. This monitoring program will continue 
     so long as I lend my name to any goods or products.
       I learned about and campaigned for legislation on the 
     Federal, State and local levels to address working 
     conditions. I'm here to support legislation such as the 
     ``Young American Workers Bill of Rights Act'' and the 
     ``Children's Act for Responsible Employment.'' These acts 
     must promptly be passed by Congress. In Congressman Lantos' 
     words, ``We have neither the time nor the luxury to debate 
     whether this is a child labor problem.'' But I've also 
     learned that legislation alone will not solve the problem: We 
     need the concerted effort of Government, manufacturers, 
     unions and human interest organizations. I know that these 
     groups, while supporting many of the same ideas, sometimes 
     disagree on means and methods of accomplish their goals. We 
     must continue to work together, to enact and enforce laws; 
     but also to educate consumers--these are the ``new solutions 
     for child labor abuses.''
       I truly appreciate being asked to appear before you today. 
     I am here as the mother of two small children from whom I 
     hope to leave a legacy of hard work, sacrifice, fairness and 
     a determined commitment to make this world a better place for 
     all children, especially children less blessed than my own. I 
     realize that in certain ways my name has become synonymous 
     with the term ``sweatshop.'' That as been painful to me both 
     personally and professionally, and yet I have always felt 
     that all things work together for good for those who love God 
     and are called according to his purpose. I find comfort and 
     hope in this promise from the Scriptures--that indeed my 
     struggle will result in aiding all of your efforts to end the 
     very real and heartbreaking struggle of millions of 
     vulnerable children around the world.
       There are many other celebrity endorsers lending their good 
     names of products manufactured throughout the world. I 
     believe each of them has a moral responsibility to take 
     whatever steps possible to ensure the integrity of their 
     products. A contract with strong language is simply not 
     enough. I encourage them to hire, at their own expense a 
     reputable independent monitoring service and use their public 
     platform to educate consumers and pressure their 
     manufacturers to comply with all ethical and legal standards.
       None of us can ignore the use of child labor. Today, in 
     this room, there are Members of Congress and representatives 
     of human rights organizations, unions and government and 
     private citizens like myself. Let us together be a voice for 
     those who cannot speak for themselves. Comfortable in our 
     privileged world, we cannot hear the cries of the children 
     chained to a life of abuse, but our silence at the injustices 
     they suffer is deafening to the ears of God.
       Perhaps we can put a face on child labor by substituting 
     our own children with the faceless children we only know as 
     statistics. Today when you go to dress your six-year-old, 
     stop to think of that six-year old being snuck into the back 
     of a sweatshop to work long hours, cutting and sewing clothes 
     they could never afford. Today when you watch your seven-
     year-old run back and forth on a soccer field, think of that 
     seven-year-old sitting in a sweltering factory making that 
     soccer ball he will never have a chance to play with. And 
     today when you shoot baskets with your eight-year-old, think 
     of the eight-year-old who sewed those sneakers and who will 
     never, every jump for joy. Think of your own children and 
     think of all the children all over the world who are being 
     denied a childhood because of others' greed and our own 
     indifference.
       Each of us has a responsibility and an opportunity. Our 
     responsibility is to make the world a better place for these 
     children to live and work in. Our opportunity is now for new 
     solutions for child labor abuses; to enact laws like the 
     ``Young American Workers Bill of Rights Act'' and the 
     ``Children's Act for Responsible Employment'' to join 
     together to form a powerful alliance of caring individuals 
     who refuse to support companies that utilize child labor; and 
     finally, to pray for all the children of the world that 
     someday they may enjoy a life in the sunshine, breathing 
     fresh air and laughing with a joy that can only come from 
     knowing that they are loved and that they are precious just 
     like our own children.
       Perhaps the most important thing I have learned about this 
     issue is that sweatshops operators are counting on one 
     thing--that you don't care how your products are made. These 
     children are counting on something very different--that you 
     do care, especially when they're made by children. Together 
     through our efforts and the work of this Congressional Human 
     Rights Caucus, let's prove the children are right and let's 
     make the unspeakable shame of abusive child labor a thing of 
     the past.

     

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