[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 143 (Sunday, October 11, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2075]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              INTERNATIONAL CHILD LABOR RELIEF ACT OF 1998

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 8, 1998

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of 
the International Child Labor Relief Act today.
  This bill authorizes the payment of $30 million for FY 1999, 2000 and 
2001 for the U.S. Labor Department, to be used as the U.S. contribution 
to the International Labor Organization for the activities of the 
International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor.
  According to UNICEF statistics, between 200,000 and 250,000 child 
laborers exist worldwide, 95% of whom are in underdeveloped countries. 
The total includes children working on family farms and other 
argibusinesses, in factories and perhaps most tragically in the sex 
industries.
  Countries including India, Nepal, Pakistan, parts of Central American 
and Burma many young girls and young women are forced into 
prostitution. In Sudan and Mauritania, thousands of ethnic minority 
children have been kidnaped and sold into slavery. We are all aware of 
the problems worldwide of child labor and child abuse.
  Last year, I supported Representative Lantos' legislation, H.R. 1870, 
The Young American Worker's Bill of Rights, in order to set minimum 
standards for protecting children in the workplace. I urge my 
colleagues to support this legislation. We must do whatever we can to 
keep children safe.

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