[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 21921]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 THE PEOPLE OF VIETNAM DESERVE OUR HELP

  (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KUCINICH. Yesterday, permanent trade relations for Vietnam was 
brought before the House with no committee hearings and under 
suspension of the rules. I spoke against the bill and demanded a 
rollcall vote, and last night the bill failed to get the necessary two-
thirds, so it was defeated.
  Now, the people of Vietnam deserve our help. The United States 
actually has a moral obligation of a long-standing nature with respect 
to Vietnam that we don't really need to elaborate on, because we 
understand what this Nation did to Vietnam. If you care about Vietnam, 
you should care to know that the permanent trade relations would have 
this effect, this bill. It would cause millions of peasants to be 
thrown off the land as agricultural supports are withdrawn.
  Millions of workers losing their jobs at State enterprises wither in 
the face of foreign competition or downsize and speed up operations in 
an effort to stay competitive. As a result of these and other factors, 
there would be a surge in income and wealth inequality, exacerbating 
dangerous trends already under way.
  Until we have a trade policy that has workers rights, human rights 
and environmental quality principles, all that free trade means for 
nations like Vietnam is more exploitation of the country and of the 
workers. That is why we need to vote down this bill when it comes back 
this week.

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