[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 20062-20064]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   APPROVING RENEWAL OF IMPORT RESTRICTIONS CONTAINED IN THE BURMESE 
                   FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY ACT OF 2003

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
joint resolution (H.J. Res. 44) approving the renewal of import 
restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 
2003, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution.
  The text of the joint resolution is as follows:

                              H.J. Res. 44

       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. RENEWAL OF IMPORT RESTRICTIONS UNDER BURMESE 
                   FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY ACT OF 2003.

       Congress approves the renewal of import restrictions 
     contained in section 3(a)(1) of the Burmese Freedom and 
     Democracy Act of 2003.

     SEC. 2. MERCHANDISE PROCESSING FEES.

       Section 13031(j)(3)(A) of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget 
     Reconciliation Act of 1985 (19 U.S.C. 58c(j)(3)(A)) is 
     amended by striking ``October 14, 2014'' and inserting 
     ``October 21, 2014''.

     SEC. 3. TIME FOR PAYMENT OF CORPORATE ESTIMATED TAXES.

       Subparagraph (B) of section 401(1) of the Tax Increase 
     Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 is amended by 
     striking ``114.50 percent'' and inserting ``114.75 percent''.

     SEC. 4. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

       This joint resolution shall be deemed to be a ``renewal 
     resolution'' for purposes of section 9 of the Burmese Freedom 
     and Democracy Act of 2003.

     SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       This joint resolution and the amendments made by this joint 
     resolution shall take effect on the date of the enactment of 
     this joint resolution or July 26, 2007, whichever occurs 
     first.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Levin) and the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
  Mr. LEVIN. This bill will renew the import ban on products from 
Burma. In light of the overwhelming evidence that that country 
continues to blatantly disregard human rights and suppress democracy, 
it is important, indeed I would say vital, to continue to continue 
sanctions for another year.
  The State Peace and Development Consul, as it is called, the 
controlling military junta, continues to have total disregard for its 
own people and their basic rights. The Burmese regime forcibly 
relocates civilians and has created a situation in which hundreds of 
thousands of people have been displaced or forced to flee to 
neighboring countries. That government continues to arrest, imprison, 
torture, and beat political activists and senior officials of the 
National League for Democracy. Over 1,100 political prisoners are 
imprisoned.
  In May, the Government of Burma extended the detention of Aung San 
Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy and a Nobel 
Peace Prize laureate. She has been detained for 11 of the last 17 years 
without charge or trial, and has spent the past 4 years in isolation.
  In light of that country's continuing dismal record and its lack of 
any concrete steps to provide basic human rights to its citizens, I 
urge all of my colleagues to extend the ban on the import of Burmese 
products for another year. And also, very importantly, we hope the 
European Union, ASEAN, and other nations around the world will continue 
to work with the United States to increase pressure on the Burmese 
regime.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Mr. Porter, 
the gentleman from Nevada, be allowed to control the time on this side 
of the aisle.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I support extending import sanctions against 
Burma. Import sanctions have been in place for 4 years and, 
unfortunately, the Burmese military junta has shown

[[Page 20063]]

no progress in improving its egregious human rights records. The 
actions of this regime in Burma are inexcusable.
  The U.S. State Department's annual report on the effectiveness of the 
sanctions observes that Burma's already poor human rights record has 
only worsened. This regime continues to use forced labor, deny 
participation in democratic processes, and commit killings. 
Inexcusable.
  Despite the regime's promised road map to democracy, no meaningful 
progress has been made to create a democratic system of governance. The 
regime continues to exclude pro-democracy groups from the national 
convention and to jail pro-democracy opposition leaders. Aung San Suu 
Kyi has been living under house arrest for 4 years. Therefore, I 
believe it is necessary and it is appropriate to continue these 
sanctions to send an important message to Burma leaders that their 
violation of basic human rights is inexcusable.
  I generally approach unilateral trade sanctions with skepticism. 
Sanctions can have the unintended consequences of harming the people we 
seek to help. The State Department acknowledges that some opposition 
figures in Burma, academics, and exiled Burmese question whether U.S. 
unilateral sanctions have any chance of success without the 
participation of Burma's major trading partners, including ASEAN 
members China, India, and other regional countries. I do share their 
concerns. However, various aspects of the Burmese sanctions system 
mitigate my concerns to some degree.
  The important sanctions will sunset after 1 year unless Congress 
votes under a privileged resolution to maintain their sanctions and are 
completely terminated in 2009. Furthermore, the administration is 
required to submit an annual report on whether the sanctions have 
effectively improved conditions in Burma and furthered U.S. national 
security, economic, and foreign policy objectives, along with impact of 
sanctions on other U.S. national security, economic and foreign policy 
interests.
  Moreover the law grants the President the authority to waive the 
sanctions if it is in the national interest and also directs the 
President to craft a multilateral sanctions regime to pressure Burma to 
improve its human rights.
  If we are to be successful inducing change by the Government of 
Burma, sanctions must be multilateral. There have been high-level 
international discussions on Burma over the past year. In September 
2006, the U.N. Security Council discussed Burma; in December of 2006 
the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution expressing its grave 
concern over human rights violations in Burma and calling on the regime 
to take urgent measures to address these violations. Separately, the 
ASEAN countries called for the release of those placed under detention 
and for effective dialogue with all parties concerned. I hope these 
words will be followed by tangible actions. Continued efforts to build 
multilateral pressure on Burma are critical to my future support for 
these import sanctions. I urge support of H.J. Res. 44.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, it is now my privilege to yield such time as 
he may consume to the lead sponsor of this resolution, the chairman of 
the House Foreign Affairs Committee and someone who has taken a lead on 
human rights issues around this globe, Mr. Lantos of California.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, let me first express my appreciation to my 
friend and colleague from Michigan, Congressman Levin, for his help in 
bringing this important legislation to the floor, and to the chairman 
of the Ways and Means Committee, Charlie Rangel, for his great 
assistance and leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, nearly two decades ago, Aung San Suu Kyi embarked on a 
personal journey that would parallel the terrible nightmare of her 
people, the people of Burma. That was the year in which she helped 
found the National League for Democracy, a movement to promote 
democratic change in her homeland. Her long and torturous journey has 
led her to both a Nobel Peace Prize and seemingly eternal 
incarceration.
  Rather than cede to the widespread calls and massive protests for a 
free and fair election, a military junta seized and maintained power in 
Burma. The regime feared the power of one fearless voice for democracy, 
Aung San Suu Kyi.
  In 1990, the military junta finally permitted a general election, 
which the National League for Democracy won handily. The military 
promptly nullified the results, preventing the daughter of the very 
general who negotiated Burma's independence from taking her rightful 
place as Prime Minister.
  Since then, Mr. Speaker, Aung San Suu Kyi has been tossed back and 
forth in and out of prison and house arrest as though she were simply a 
pawn in the tumultuous and chaotic game being played by the corrupt fat 
cats running Burma. But like the people of her nation, she is in fact 
much more than a pawn; she is an ardent champion of freedom, an 
exemplary defender of democracy, and one of the strongest willed moral 
beacons on this planet.
  She stands firmly in the tradition of Gandhi, Mandela, Martin Luther 
King, and all other voices of the oppressed. Those legendary figures 
eventually delivered their people to freedom, and we in this Congress 
aim to help Aung San Suu Kyi to do just that.
  Inspired by her resolve and the resolve of the Burmese people, this 
Congress has been committed to their cause for many years. Today, we 
renew import sanctions aimed at forcing democratic change in Burma, 
which I can say categorically is one of the most repressive regimes on 
the planet.
  America's tough sanctions against Burma, including an import ban, 
export sanctions, and arms embargo and financial sanctions, have 
spurred the civilized nations of the world to take similar actions 
against Burma. The European Union recently updated its own set of 
sanctions, though they need to be even tougher. The leading members of 
ASEAN, who for years went out of their way to defend Burma's horrendous 
behavior, are now exercising their significant diplomatic muscle to 
promote democratic change in Burma and to free Aung San Suu Kyi.

                              {time}  1345

  The United Nations has held its first ever Security Council debate on 
the security threat to the Asia Pacific region posed by the Burmese 
regime.
  But too many other nations, India and China in particular, continue 
to prop up the government through shockingly direct, blatant deals, 
including arms trading with this cruel junta in Burma.
  Just this past week, Mr. Speaker, the BBC reported that in any major 
hotel in Rangoon, and I quote, ``Russian arms dealers, South Korean and 
French oilmen, Singaporean consultants and Chinese bankers are all 
mingling over cocktails with their Burmese counterparts.''
  Mr. Speaker, these despicable deals undermine the entire 
international effort to help the Burmese people. And so today, as we 
renew our import sanctions, we aim both to pressure directly the 
military junta in Burma, and to influence those in the international 
community who are currently asleep at the wheel of justice and human 
rights. Oppressive power can only be delegitimized when it is fully 
isolated.
  Mr. Speaker, Aung San Suu Kyi remains imprisoned. So do the people of 
Burma. Even out of power and out of sight, she remains a powerful 
symbol and, therefore, a leader of the plight of some 50 million people 
in her native land of Burma. We must do our part to carry her torch. 
And I urge all of my colleagues to vote today for these sanctions once 
again.
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments of my friends and 
colleagues across the aisle.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I want to add my admiration for the comments 
on both sides of the aisle, for the statement of the gentleman from 
Nevada (Mr. Porter) and the very eloquent words of my colleague from 
California. I hope, as we proceed to pass this, that the words will be 
remembered, and that they will echo beyond Washington, DC,

[[Page 20064]]

through capitals everywhere, so others will join us in trying to help 
bring about the freedom that the vast majority of people of Burma truly 
desire.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the joint resolution, H.J. Res. 44, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the joint resolution, as amended, was passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``Joint resolution approving the 
renewal of import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and 
Democracy Act of 2003, and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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