[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11626]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 11626]]

          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. DORGAN:
  S. 1187. A bill to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint 
coins in commemoration of the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark 
Expedition, and for other purposes, to the committee on Banking, 
Housing, and Urban Affairs.


   the lewis and clark expedition bicentennial commemorative coin act

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, today I am introducing the ``Lewis and 
Clark Expedition Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act.'' This act 
authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce a commemorative coin honoring the 
Lewis and Clark Expedition. This is a bill I introduced in the last 
Congress and which had the support of 43 other Senators. The bill is a 
companion to one that has been introduced in the House of 
Representatives by Congressman Bereuter.
  I am introducing this legislation to ensure that one of America's 
finest moments will be forever memorialized. The Lewis and Clark 
Expedition, called the Corps of Discovery, represents the finest in 
American history. The Expedition began in 1803 when President Thomas 
Jefferson commissioned the exploration of the newly purchased Louisiana 
Territory and ended in 1806 with the Expedition's triumphant return.
  When considering why we should commemorate the Expedition, it's 
important to recall Thomas Jefferson's vision for America's future and 
his dedication to expanding not only our geographic frontiers, but the 
frontiers of knowledge as well. Jefferson's vision is epitomized by his 
commissioning of the Expedition. Further, the Expedition represents a 
hallmark for peaceful diplomacy, as demonstrated by the friendly 
relations the Expedition established with the Native Americans it 
encountered on its journey. These are a few of the many valuable 
lessons from the Expedition that we should carry forward into the 
future.
  The minting of the Lewis and Clark Commemorative Coin was endorsed in 
the 1998 recommendations of the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory 
Committee (CCCAC), which was established by the 102nd Congress. If, as 
expected, the coin sells out, approximately $5 million would be 
available to help fund bicentennial celebrations. After the Treasury 
Department has recovered all costs of minting this coin, two-thirds of 
the surcharge received would be available for the National Lewis and 
Clark Bicentennial Council's commemorative activities.
  The Council is an outgrowth of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage 
Foundation, Inc., which was created in 1969 to continue the work of the 
Lewis and Clark Trail Commission, established by Congress in 1964. The 
remaining one-third of the surcharge will be donated to the National 
Park Service to help offset costs associated with their planned 
activities to commemorate the bicentennial.
  I feel confident that, with the support of my Senate colleagues and 
the passage of this bill, we can appropriately celebrate a vibrant and 
historically significant event.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire:
  S.J. Res. 27. A joint resolution disapproving the extension of 
nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the 
products of the People's Republic of China; to the Committee on 
Finance.


                disapproval on trade benefits for china

                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire:
  S.J. Res. 28. A joint resolution disapproving the extension of the 
waiver authority contained in section 402(c) of the Trade Act of 1974 
with respect to Vietnam; to the Committee on Finance.


               disapproval on trade benefits for vietnam

  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise to introduce two 
resolutions concerning our trade relationships with the People's 
Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Last Thursday, 
June 3, 1999, the President of the United States formally recommended 
waivers of the application of the Trade Act of 1974 provisions with 
respect to China and Vietnam, thereby allowing U.S. taxdollars to 
subsidize business operations in these countries. In the case of China, 
the waiver also allows for continuation of most-favored-nation trade 
privileges, now known as normal trade relations. Mr. President, there's 
very little that is normal about our relationship with these communist 
countries. In short, I think the President's policy is seriously flawed 
and deeply troubling, especially in view of recent events.
  Mr. President, on November 26, 1974, in its report on the Trade Act, 
the Senate Committee on Finance stated: ``The Committee recognizes that 
segments of the private sector wish the U.S. Government to provide 
credits and investment guarantees, and other conditions before private 
capital investments are ventured. The Committee believes that it is 
equally reasonable to establish conditions on all basic human rights, 
including the right to emigrate, before extending broad concessions to 
communist countries.'' The resolutions I have introduced keep faith 
with the original Congressional intent of the Trade Act of 1974. One 
need only read the annual State Department Human Rights Reports on 
China and Vietnam to recognize that they have failed to meet any 
recognized standards with respect to human rights. Moreover, there are 
a myriad of other national security and foreign policy issues 
concerning our current relationship with Beijing and Hanoi--from 
wholesale espionage of our nuclear secrets to POW/MIA accounting--which 
warrant support for my resolutions. We should not be putting profit 
over principle. These waivers from the President should be overturned 
by the Congress, using the procedures provided for by law. Thank you, 
Mr. President.

                          ____________________