[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19319]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     OPPOSING THE BURTON AMENDMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 3, 1999

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, for the last few years, my distinguished 
colleague from Indiana, Dan Burton, has been introducing legislation to 
either eliminate or greatly reduce development assistance to India 
unless certain conditions with regards to human rights are met. These 
initiatives have never won the approval of the House.
  Yesterday, we were slated to vote on amendment to the foreign 
operations appropriations bill that threatened to reduce development 
assistance to India under the Agency for International Development by 
25 percent.
  I rose in opposition to this amendment.
  As in the past, my colleague cited human rights abuses in India as 
the reason for his legislative initiative. While human rights abuses 
have been uncovered in India, it is important to note the significant 
progress India has made in resolving human rights problems, as noted in 
the State Department's human rights report on India.
  In Punjab the serious abuses of the early 1990's were acknowledged 
and condemned by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court delegated 
responsibility for investigation of these abuses in the Punjab to the 
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), whose investigation continues. 
Prison visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross in Jammu 
and Kashmir are another example of government transparency.
  India is addressing its human rights problems because it is a 
democracy--the world's largest. Although the country has confronted 
many challenges since gaining independence in 1947, it has stayed true 
to its founding principles. India is a model for other nations that are 
still striving to build civil societies, institutionalize democratic 
values of free expression and religion, and find strength in the 
diversity of their land and their people.
  All this sets India favorably apart from other countries all over the 
world. It is incomprehensible to me why my colleague chose to single 
out the country that is particularly well prepared to address its human 
rights problems--and has shown the willingness to do so.
  It is also incomprehensible to me why we would jeopardize the 
development assistance provided by the Agency for International 
Development. This development assistance is essentially humanitarian 
aid. Withholding this aid would have punished the same people his ill-
conceived amendment sought to protect. Access to adequate nutrition, 
shelter, and education--the objective of our aid to India--is a human 
right as well.

  It is for these reasons that I spoke in opposition to the Burton 
amendment last night. I am glad that my colleague withdrew his 
amendment in light of the overwhelming opposition he faced.

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