[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 52 (Tuesday, March 26, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1981-S1982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      ENHANCING HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION IN ARMS SALES ACT OF 2019

  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, today I rise to speak about the 
Enhancing Human Rights in Arms Sales Act of 2019, which I was proud to 
introduce on

[[Page S1982]]

Monday with my colleagues, Senators Dick Durbin, Ron Wyden, and Ed 
Markey. Senators Jeff Merkley, Chris Van Hollen, and Rand Paul also 
cosponsored the bill this week. Our bipartisan bill takes critical 
steps to ensure that U.S.-manufactured weapons are not used in the 
commission of heinous war crimes, the repression of human rights, or by 
terrorists who seek to do harm to Americans and innocent civilians 
abroad. We do not only have a moral obligation to ensure that U.S. 
weapons are used responsibly, but it is clearly in our national 
security interest.
  As one may be aware, the United States is the world's leading arms 
supplier. According to data compiled by the Security Assistance 
Monitor, from 2002 to 2016, the United States has delivered more than 
$286 billion worth of major conventional weapons and related military 
support to 200 recipients. The Cato Institute found that more than 40 
percent of nations purchasing these arms are at high risk of 
instability, terror, or egregious human rights abuses.
  There are far too many examples of what can happen when we sell or 
transfer arms without proper vetting. In Yemen, U.S. arms transferred 
to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and their coalition have 
been linked to more than 1,000 civilian casualties, according to a 
recent report from a coalition of local and international human rights 
NGOs.
  In December 2017, the Trump administration lifted a freeze on weapons 
transfers to Nigeria to sell 12 Super Tucano A-29 aircraft and 
thousands of bombs and rockets worth $593 million, according to a 
Reuters report. Earlier that same year, the BBC reported that at least 
115 civilians were killed in a Nigerian military airstrike on an IDP 
camp. Twenty Red Cross humanitarian aid workers were among the 
casualties.
  Reuters reports that, since 2000, the United States has provided 
close to $1 billion worth of military equipment to the Philippines, 
ranging from surveillance planes, drones, and boats to small arms. 
Human Rights Watch estimates that at least 4,000 men, women, and 
children have been killed by some of the country's security forces in 
the government's anti-drug campaign. President Duterte has openly 
encouraged the security forces to engage in extrajudicial killings. 
Congress recently prevented the administration from selling small arms 
to the Philippines, but insufficient end use monitoring prevents us 
from knowing if U.S. weapons were used in the commission of these 
abuses.
  In Guatemala, according to the Washington Post, authorities used 
U.S.-supplied armored J-8 Jeeps to intimidate U.S. Diplomats and 
international anticorruption investigators in August 2018. Just weeks 
later, the U.S. provided an additional shipment of similar jeeps to the 
Guatemalan Government. Just to repeat, our diplomats were threatened by 
the weapons that we ourselves provided. This is far from the only 
threat American citizens and our partners face from American-made 
weapons. Numerous investigations found that the dispersion of American-
supplied arms in Iraq made up a significant portion of ISIS's weapons 
supply in the country.
  This legislation will help curb these dangerous practices by 
requiring the Secretary of State to make human rights certifications 
for certain arms sales and transfers, specifically those involving 
heavy weapons capable of causing mass casualties or destruction, such 
as attack aircraft and missile launchers. The bill also requires the 
Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, to 
develop a strategy to enhance human rights protections in the arms 
transfer process. Since we know abuses can take place years after 
weapons have been transferred, the bill amends the Arms Control Export 
act to ensure stringent end use monitoring with regard to human rights.
  America's strength around the world is rooted in our values. Through 
this legislation, the Senate can send a strong message that the United 
States must not allow U.S. made arms to countries who abuse human 
rights, attack civilians, recruit child soldiers, or who are unable to 
keep weapons out of the hands of extremist groups. These commonsense 
measures ensure any arms transfers take place in a responsible manner 
that safeguards our security and protects human rights.

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