[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 103 (Thursday, July 25, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 DISAPPROVAL OF NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS TREATMENT TO PRODUCTS OF VIETNAM

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 23, 2002

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 
101, Disapproval of Trade Waiver Authority With Respect To Vietnam. 
This resolution puts the principles of the United States first, and is 
required of this House in light of both the Jackson-Vanik amendment to 
the 1974 Trade Act and recent events affecting our diplomatic 
relationship with this developing nation.
  United States' law requires that permanent normal trade relations be 
granted to non-market economies that the president can certify have 
free emigration. Absent this showing, the President can waive the 
provisions of the amendment if doing so will promote emigration in the 
future.
  Last year, Vietnam purchased Boeing aircrafts to initiate the 
Vietnam-U.S. trade pact. Trade is vital to the development of Vietnam. 
Vietnam has greatly reduced the incidence of poverty. The World Bank 
reports that there is a rise in per capita expenditure and also there 
are widespread reports of improvements in broad well-being. While the 
progress achieved over the past decade has been impressive by almost 
any standards, Vietnam still remains a very poor country.
  The State Department in its 2001 Country Reports on Human Rights 
Practices noted that Vietnam has a poor human rights record. This 
record has worsened. Vietnam continues to commit numerous and serious 
abuses to its people. Vietnam continues to repress basic political and 
some religious freedoms. Vietnam continues to restrict significantly 
civil liberties on grounds of national security and societal stability.
  Vietnam, a formerly hostile nation, has a large trade surplus with 
the United States and a questionable human rights record, and they ask 
for trade waiver authority review. I do not seek to disparage the gains 
Vietnam has made in re-engaging the world. I do seek to create a 
consistent balance between our trade priorities and the principles we 
use to steer this nation. We cannot continue to hold ourselves out as a 
nation of laws and turn our back on our convictions at every economic 
opportunity.
  Therefore, I rise in support of this resolution because our trade 
policy must be balanced with a sense of moral leadership. We should not 
hold our trade relationship over Vietnam, nor should we allow 
globalization to commit us to policies against our best sense as a 
nation. Vietnam has done much, but it can do more. Other countries may 
turn a blind eye to issues such as the rights of workers and the 
environment, but we are not other nations.
  I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.J. Res. 101, disapproving 
trade waiver authority with respect to Vietnam. It is time to begin 
thinking about what trade should mean; huge deficits for the U.S. for 
the sake of a few reforms is not the answer.

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