SPEAKERS CONTENTS INSERTS
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43–412 CC
1997
A RESOLUTION CONCERNING THE CRISIS IN CAMBODIA, A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION CONCERNING THE SITUATION BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA, AND A RESOLUTION CONGRATULATING THE PEOPLE OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN ON THE OCCASION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR NATIONS' INDEPENDENCE
MARKUP
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
ON
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H. RES. 195, H. CON. RES. 74 AND H. RES. 157
JULY 24, 1997
Printed for the use of the Committee on International Relations
COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York, Chairman
WILLIAM GOODLING, Pennsylvania
JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa
HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois
DOUG BEREUTER, Nebraska
CHRISTOPHER SMITH, New Jersey
DAN BURTON, Indiana
ELTON GALLEGLY, California
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida
CASS BALLENGER, North Carolina
DANA ROHRABACHER, California
DONALD A. MANZULLO, Illinois
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California
PETER T. KING, New York
JAY KIM, California
STEVEN J. CHABOT, Ohio
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MARSHALL ''MARK'' SANFORD, South Carolina
MATT SALMON, Arizona
AMO HOUGHTON, New York
TOM CAMPBELL, California
JON FOX, Pennsylvania
LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina
JOHN McHUGH, New York
ROY BLUNT, Missouri
JERRY MORAN, Kansas
KEVIN BRADY, Texas
LEE HAMILTON, Indiana
SAM GEJDENSON, Connecticut
TOM LANTOS, California
HOWARD BERMAN, California
GARY ACKERMAN, New York
ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American Samoa
MATTHEW G. MARTINEZ, California
DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey
ROBERT ANDREWS, New Jersey
ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey
SHERROD BROWN, Ohio
CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY, Georgia
ALCEE L. HASTINGS, Florida
PAT DANNER, Missouri
EARL HILLIARD, Alabama
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WALTER CAPPS, California
BRAD SHERMAN, California
ROBERT WEXLER, Florida
STEVE ROTHMAN, New Jersey
BOB CLEMENT, Tennessee
BILL LUTHER, Minnesota
JIM DAVIS, Florida
RICHARD J. GARON, Chief of Staff
MICHAEL H. VAN DUSEN, Democratic Chief of Staff
Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific
DOUG BEREUTER, Nebraska, Chairman
JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa
DANA ROHRABACHER, California
PETER T. KING, New York
JAY KIM, California
MATT SALMON, Arizona
JON FOX, Pennsylvania
JOHN M. McHUGH, New York
DONALD A. MANZULLO, Illinois
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California
HOWARD L. BERMAN, California
ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American Samoa
ROBERT E. ANDREWS, New Jersey
SHERROD BROWN, Ohio
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MATTHEW G. MARTINEZ, California
ALCEE L. HASTINGS, Florida
WALTER H. CAPPS, California
ROBERT WEXLER, Florida
MIKE ENNIS, Subcommittee Staff Director
RICHARD KESSLER, Democratic Professional Staff Member
DAN MARTZ, Counsel
HEIDI L. HENNIG, Staff Associate
C O N T E N T S
APPENDIX
Prepared statements:
Hon. Dana Rohrabacher, a Representative in Congress from California
Hon. Alcee Hastings, a Representative in Congress from Florida
Hon. Doug Bereuter, a Representative in Congress from Nebraska
Bills and amendments:
H. Res. 195
Amendment to H. Res. 195 offered by Mr. Kim
Article to which Mr. Kim's amendment refers
Amendment to H. Res. 195 offered by Mr. Rohrabacher
H. Con. Res. 74
Amendment to H. Con. Res. 74 offered by Mr. Hastings
H. Res. 157
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H. RES. 195, CONCERNING THE CRISIS IN CAMBODIA; H. CON. RES. 74, CONCERNING THE SITUATION BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA; AND H. RES. 157, CONGRATULATING THE PEOPLE OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN ON THE OCCASION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR NATIONS' INDEPENDENCE
THURSDAY, JULY 24, 1997
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific,
Committee on International Relations,
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 3:09 p.m. in room 2255, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Doug Bereuter (chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding.
Mr. BEREUTER. The Subcommittee will come to order.
The Subcommittee meets today in open session to consider three pieces of legislation, House Resolution 195, concerning the crisis in Cambodia; House Concurrent Resolution 74, concerning the situation between North Korea and South Korea; and H. Res. 157, congratulating the people of India and Pakistan on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of their nations' independence.
First I would like to introduce a new member of our staff, the Subcommittee staff associate, Heidi Hennig. Heidi is a recent graduate of Valparaiso University in Indiana, and she has a double major in political science and Asian studies, and more importantly, she is from my district. We are very pleased to have Heidi with us.
The first order of business will be H. Res. 195, Cambodia, which the clerk will report.
The CLERK. H. Res. 195, Concerning Crisis in Cambodia. Whereas during the 1970's and 1980's——
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Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be considered as read.
Mr. BEREUTER. Without objection, further reading of the resolution will be dispensed with, printed in the record in full, and open for amendment.
[See appendix for H. Res. 195.]
Mr. BEREUTER. This resolution was introduced on July 23, 1997, by Chairman Gilman, Mr. Hamilton, myself, Mr. Leach, Mr. Faleomavaega and Mr. Porter. Before we begin the formal process of considering the resolution, I have a few remarks. I will then recognize the Ranking Member, other Members of the Subcommittee and any Members of the Full Committee present for any comments they might wish to make.
The 4-year-old experiment with democracy in Cambodia is in dire straits, as all of you know, and a tyrant has seized power through the force of arms, intimidation, terror, and summary executions. Few people have experienced as much pain, suffering and terror as the people of Cambodia have over the last 30 years. Ravaged by the war in Indochina, bled white by the genocidal regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, and subjugated by a Communist government fronted by the leader of the coup d'etat, Hun Sen, a former member of the Khmer Rouge himself, Cambodia and the United States find themselves on all too familiar ground.
After nearly $3 billion in U.S. aid and assistance and the first democratic elections in their history, Cambodians are again facing the domination of a ruthless tyrant who murders his opponents, terrorizes the population and profits from narco-trafficking and corruption. Yet Hun Sen claims that he respects the rule of law and the wishes of the people, who roundly rejected him and his party and cronies at the polls. He basically tells the international community which supplies over 40 percent of the Cambodian budget to get off his case.
H. Res. 195 directs the Clinton Administration to immediately invoke section 508 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1997, cutting off U.S. assistance to Cambodia until a democratically elected government takes office. In addition, the resolution directs the Clinton Administration to release the FBI report on the March 30th grenade attack, calls for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, continues to suspend assistance, and urges other governments to suspend assistance to the Cambodian Government until specific steps are taken to restore the rule of law and democracy to Cambodia.
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I commend the efforts of the Subcommittee staff and the bipartisan staff work at the Full Committee level who helped this Member and Chairman Gilman and Mr. Hamilton and others craft what, I believe, is a timely and important resolution. I urge its adoption.
Mr. Berman, would you like to be heard?
The Chair recognizes Mr. Berman.
Mr. BERMAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don't have a prepared statement, but I think this is the logical and compelled consequence of the events that have transpired and what we heard at our hearing last week on the subject. And I support this, and I would like to be added as a cosponsor of it, and I will yield back my time.
Mr. BEREUTER. Thank you, Mr. Berman. Thank you for your supportive comments. It will certainly be an honor to have your name as an additional cosponsor.
Any other Members?
Mr. KIM. Mr. Chairman, I don't have any comments, but I do have an amendment at the desk.
Mr. BEREUTER. Are there other Members who wish to make a comment first?
Mr. ROHRABACHER. I would like to add my name as cosponsor.
Mr. BEREUTER. That will be the case.
Mr. SALMON. I would like to also have my name added.
Mr. BEREUTER. The gentleman from Arizona will have his name added.
The Chair will recognize Mr. Kim for purposes of offering an amendment.
Mr. KIM. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
Mr. BEREUTER. The clerk will read the amendment.
The CLERK. The amendment offered by Mr. Kim of California, in the preamble of the resolution, after the 12th clause, insert the following:
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[See appendix for Mr. Kim's amendment.]
Mr. BEREUTER. I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be considered as read.
Hearing no objection, we will recognize Mr. Kim to explain the purposes of his amendment.
Mr. KIM. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is based upon the article appearing in the Washington Post today, simply stating that a powerful Cambodian businessman and suspected drug kingpin says he gave more than $1 million in cash to Hun Sen.
[The article appears in the appendix.]
They further assess that State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said that there is reliable reporting that Theng Bunma is closely and heavily involved in drug trafficking in Cambodia. It further says that Bunma and another wealthy suspected drug trafficker, Mong Rethy, have long been bankrolling Hun Sen. He gets money from them and they are drug traffickers.
Mr. KIM. Therefore, I think it is proper for us to add a couple more paragraphs to emphasize this particular adverse situation, that this connnection to the international drug trade will hamper U.S. antidrug efforts in the Pacific arena. However, since then, I read my colleague Mr. Rohrabacher's amendment, which addresses the same thing, except he puts more emphasis on this issue, so, therefore, I would like to withdraw my amendment and support Mr. Rohrabacher's instead.
Mr. BEREUTER. The gentleman asks unanimous consent to withdraw his amendment in light of the pending or expected Rohrabacher amendment. Is there objection to the gentleman's request?
Hearing no objection, the amendment is withdrawn.
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Are there then further amendments?
The gentleman from California, Mr. Rohrabacher.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Yes, I have an amendment at the desk.
Mr. BEREUTER. Please distribute the amendment.
The clerk will begin reading the amendment.
The CLERK. Amendment by Mr. Rohrabacher, H. Res. 195, on page 2, after line 28——
Mr. BEREUTER. Without objection, the amendment will be considered as read.
[See appendix for Mr. Rohrabacher's amendment.]
Mr. BEREUTER. And the gentleman is recognized to explain his amendment.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The amendment I am offering to the timely and much needed resolution regarding the crisis in Cambodia will strengthen the sense of the House of Representatives by including provisions that will draw attention to the violent nature of the illegal Hun Sen regime and the need for the United States to be proactive in providing assistance to urgent humanitarian needs in the areas controlled by forces who remain loyal to the elected government and the Prime Minister.
My amendment will draw attention to the role of the international drug dealers, as Mr. Kim was suggesting. As is reported in today's Washington Post, these drug dealers were blatantly financing the violent Hun Sen regime, and I have requested that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency declassify and release all reports on Cambodia that have been compiled since the elected Royal Cambodian Government assumed office in 1993.
My amendment strengthens the language in the resolution for the release of the FBI report on the Easter Sunday 1997 grenade attack, which was against the opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, and nonviolent pro-democracy demonstrators, by drawing attention to the accounts of eyewitnesses who have testified that forces loyal to Hun Sen were involved in the attack and the killing of bystanders who attempted to aid the wounded. So that FBI report should be released, and that is what my amendment suggests.
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In addition, my amendment draws attention to 30,000 displaced men, women and children, displaced by the fighting and currently seeking shelter in the rural areas of western Cambodia, near the border of Thailand. Thus far the Thai Government has refused to provide asylum for these refugees. My amendment requests the U.S. Government to redirect fiscal year 1997 money intended for the Cambodian Government that is still in the pipeline to provide humanitarian assistance to the Cambodian refugees through international and nongovernmental agencies or through Cambodian civilian government representatives or military forces that are opposing the coup.
We should not forget, as Amnesty International and other respected human rights organizations have reported, that soldiers loyal to the elected government who have been captured or who have surrendered have been executed Pol Pot-style by this former Cambodian commander, Hun Sen. Soldiers who remain loyal to the democratically elected government should not be excluded from receiving U.S.-funded humanitarian assistance, so my amendment puts some teeth into any sense of the Congress resolution that we have, simply condemning Hun Sen and promoting democracy, but it actually does add some teeth to that condemnation, and I appreciate, as I say, the Chairman bringing the resolution forward. I also appreciate this opportunity of offering an amendment. Thank you.
Mr. BERMAN. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Yes.
Mr. BERMAN. I am looking at what seems like a very useful addition, but I have a couple of questions. Where you say, ''Whereas internal Cambodian Government reports,'' I am asking which ones, and ''investigations by international drug enforcement agencies.''
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Tell me what page you are looking at.
Mr. BERMAN. I am looking at your amendment.
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Mr. ROHRABACHER. Yes, what page?
Mr. BERMAN. Where it says, ''page 3, after line 12,'' in effect, the second portion of your amendment, insert the following two sections.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. I am being told that these reports that we are referring to were actually compiled by the Royal Government itself, internal Cambodian Government reports, by a Mr. Ho Sok, who just recently was executed.
Mr. BERMAN. Is this what I just read about in the last day or two?
Mr. ROHRABACHER. He is one of the 51 people who has been executed there. He was the Interior Minister on the side of Prince Ranariddh.
Mr. BERMAN. So it is his report.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. That is right, he compiled the report for Ranariddh.
Mr. BERMAN. Then you are talking about investigations by international drug enforcement agencies. Which agencies?
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Drug enforcement, being the U.S. DEA.
Mr. BERMAN. The DEA.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Right.
Mr. BERMAN. Are there other ones?
Mr. ROHRABACHER. It is just DEA reports, and it makes sense——
Mr. BERMAN. So why don't we say U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency?
Mr. ROHRABACHER. All right. That is fine.
Mr. BEREUTER. Does the gentleman offer that as a friendly amendment then?
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Mr. ROHRABACHER. Absolutely.
Mr. BERMAN. Yes.
Mr. BEREUTER. And the gentleman seems to accept that as a friendly amendment.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Yes, I accept it.
Mr. BERMAN. And then just the last couple of questions. The Administration has now suspended the aid, right?
Mr. ROHRABACHER. No, it is just the Cambodian Government. Humanitarian aid has not been cut off and shouldn't be.
Mr. BERMAN. But the humanitarian aid was not being provided for the Cambodian Government. What is the aid we are talking about redirecting?
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Well, we have aid—developmental aid, aid that was going directly to the government.
Mr. BERMAN. But that has been suspended, if it is going directly to the government.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. And that should be redirected.
Mr. BERMAN. It is that aid we are talking about.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. That is correct.
Mr. BERMAN. The aid that has been suspended, we are talking about urging here, that is all we are doing.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. That is correct.
Mr. BERMAN. We are urging the Administration to redirect the aid.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. A substantial portion.
Mr. BERMAN. A substantial portion of that aid to humanitarian assistance to refugees and displaced persons in western Cambodia.
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Are there agencies able to carry on that function?
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Yes, there are, nongovernmental agencies.
Mr. BERMAN. Do you know of any specific ones? I just want to make sure.
Well, all we are doing is obviously—implicit in this is—is the Administration going through the process to make sure that a nongovernmental organization is able to do it before they give them the money to do it?
OK. Fine. Thank you.
Mr. BEREUTER. Are there any other Members who wish to be heard?
The Chair would say that, through staff, we did check the language of the Kim amendment that relates to drug trafficking. Based upon the resources of the Federal Government, that amendment seems to be well taken—to the extent that the gentleman's amendment addresses the same issues—although it is more explicit and more detailed. I think that the reports are unfortunately well taken.
I support the gentleman's amendment. I would suggest the friendly amendment which I mentioned to him before the markup, and that is on the bottom of the page, four lines from the bottom, before the word ''previously.'' I suggest that he add the words ''at least a substantial share of,'' to make sure that assistance that is being redirected won't necessarily all be directed toward those types of assistance specified in the new subsection 12, in case our government feels that there would be a better use of some of those funds.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. And that suggestion is gladly accepted.
Mr. BEREUTER. I thank the gentleman for his agreement.
Are there further Members who wish to be recognized on this amendment?
Hearing none, I would ask, maybe in an abundance of caution, unanimous consent that the gentleman's amendment be considered en bloc.
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Hearing no objection, then the question is on the Rohrabacher amendment as amended, all those in favor will say aye.
All those opposed will say no.
In the opinion of the Chair, the Rohrabacher amendment to the resolution is agreed to.
Are there further amendments for discussion?
Hearing none, then the question occurs on agreeing to the resolution as amended. As many as are in favor will say aye.
Those who are opposed, say no. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it. The ayes do have it.
Without objection, staff is authorized to make technical, grammatical and conforming changes to the text just agreed to.
Mr. BEREUTER. The next resolution is offered by the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Hastings. He will be along shortly, and I think this would be an appropriate time for us to recess and cast our votes. The Subcommittee will stand in recess and return as soon as we cast our votes.
[Brief recess 3:25 to 3:41 p.m.]
Mr. BEREUTER. The Subcommittee will come to order.
We are going to proceed as far as we can, without compromising Minority rights, the rights of the Minority party, and hope that in the meantime the sponsor of the resolution will arrive, the Ranking Member. But the next order of the business before the Subcommittee is H. Con. Res. 74, concerning the situation between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea, which the clerk will report.
The CLERK. H. Con. Res. 74, concerning the situation between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea. Whereas the Korean demilitarized zone remains extremely tense 44 years after ending of the Korean War——
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Mr. BEREUTER. Further reading of the resolution will be dispensed with, printed in the record in full, and open for amendments.
[See appendix for H. Con. Res. 74.]
Mr. BEREUTER. I would ordinarily recognize the gentleman from Florida first as a sponsor of the resolution, but in his absence, the Chair will recognize himself for an opening statement on it.
I would say that in April of this year, the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Hastings, and I traveled together through to the Korean Peninsula with the Speaker. We visited the demilitarized zone, and we saw the hair-trigger readiness of American and Republic of Korea forces standing guard near the DMZ.
The Korean Peninsula is one of the most volatile areas anywhere on the globe, and U.S. forces stationed there are making vital contributions to international stability. I think we all understand how tense the situation has become, particularly in light of the ongoing collapse of the North Korean economy and agricultural productive capacity. Just last week there was a significant gun battle when a group of armed DPRK troops probed the South Korean side of the DMZ. While the skirmish ended with limited casualties, all North Korean, it is all too easy to envision one of these incidents escalating into something much greater.
We are all hopeful that the recent agreement of the North Korean Government to sit down and agree to final details and four-party talks will lead to substantive negotiations. Now more than ever, it is important to have such channels of communication open to discuss the future of North Korea and future relations between the North and the South.
So I commend the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Hastings, for offering the resolution. It makes an important statement that the House of Representatives supports our troops on the Korean Peninsula, we support our friends and allies in the Republic of Korea, and we support the proposed North-South four-party talks that at long last seem to be moving forward.
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We have unexpectedly another vote. The Subcommittee will again be in recess, and we will pick up the resolution, H. Con. Res. 74, upon reconvening.
[Brief recess 3:44 to 3:56 p.m.]
Mr. BEREUTER. The Subcommittee will resume its business.
We have before us H. Con. Res. 74. We have had it read, open for amendment. The Chairman has made his statement in the absence of other Members.
I commend the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Hastings, for his effort in introducing it for his initiative. I now belatedly recognize the gentleman, Mr. Hastings, to explain his resolution.
Mr. HASTINGS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to offer this in a delayed fashion, rather than earlier, for the reason that I was on the floor.
Mr. Chairman, without getting into great details, I intend to offer an amendment that will withdraw the reference to food shortages that are in the resolution as originally offered; and the amendment will concentrate on the U.S.-supported encouragement of four-party talks only.
Without a great deal of rhetoric, Mr. Chairman, I ask for unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks and submit my full statement for the record; but just allow that our goal here is to alleviate the immense threat that a dangerous, unstable region poses to all of our allies and, more specifically, our ally, South Korea, and hopefully do so in a manner that will encourage North Korea more than condemn them, as maybe they rightly should be.
But the hope is that our solution, as offered through this resolution, as I am hopeful that it will be amended, will help in relieving the pain and suffering in that entire region by replacing it with peace, security and stability.
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With that, Mr. Chairman, if you will permit me to submit my full statement, I will conclude with that.
Mr. BEREUTER. Without objection, it will be made a part of the record.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Hastings appears in the appendix.]
Mr. BEREUTER. I will now recognize the distinguished Ranking Member, Mr. Berman.
Mr. BERMAN. I support this, and I commend the gentleman from Florida for introducing the resolution and the Chairman for bringing it up today, and I say we get it out of here.
Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
Mr. BEREUTER. I need to recognize Mr. Kim first.
Mr. KIM. I have nothing to say except I commend my colleague from Florida for a great job. Thank you.
Mr. BEREUTER. Thank you very much. Then the gentleman from Florida is recognized for his amendment.
Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
Mr. BEREUTER. The clerk will read the amendment.
The CLERK. The amendment——
Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Chairman, I ask it be accepted as read.
Mr. BEREUTER. Without objection, further reading of the amendment will be dispensed with and put in the printed record, full and open for discussion.
[See appendix for Mr. Hastings' amendment.]
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Mr. HASTINGS. Having previously indicated, Mr. Chairman, all this does is amend the portion of the preamble. Also, it amends the first portion of the preamble by suggesting more recent events specifically, as evidenced by, most recently, a mortar attack in an exchange of gunfire on July 17, 1997.
Mr. BEREUTER. I thank the gentleman. That certainly is an important update.
Is there further discussion on the amendment?
If not, the question is then on the adoption of the amendment. As many as are in favor will say aye.
Those opposed, say no.
The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The amendment is agreed to.
Are there further amendments to the resolution?
If there are no further amendments, the question occurs on agreeing to the resolution, as amended. As many as are in favor will say aye.
Those opposed will say no.
The ayes have it, and the resolution as amended is agreed to.
Without objection, the staff is authorized to make technical, grammatical and conforming changes to the text.
The Chair would like to recognize himself before we proceed to the next amendment.
I would say to my colleagues that there is some controversy about the following resolution. It was very consciously drafted to congratulate the people of India and Pakistan on the occasion of their respective 50th anniversaries of their nations' independence, and I know some Members and others outside of the body would have preferred to have separate resolutions on this issue.
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Unfortunately, we have had a lot of inappropriate interplay on the subject, the relationships between India and Pakistan, that have had an effect on deliberations here in the House. To give you some evidence, I refer to the Burton amendment which will be considered again on the Foreign Operations Committee.
I want to say that I think we have tremendous assistance, contributions and loyalty from Indian Americans living in this country—the first generation, second, third, whatever generation—and the same is absolutely true of our immigrant population from Pakistan.
They have every right, of course, to try to have an impact on legislation that moves through this body. One of the things that concerns me is the involvement of a member of a foreign government. In this case, one of the two governments was directly involved in trying to shape legislation before this Subcommittee and before the Committee. As a matter of principle, I think we have to resist that.
I would point out to you that this resolution has the unusual characteristic of having as original cosponsors Speaker Gingrich and the Minority Whip, Mr. Bonior, side by side on the resolution, which may be a first in this institution; and we have other distinguished leaders of this Committee and Subcommittee who are original cosponsors.
If I thought we could move a separate legislation to the floor and have no unfortunate kind of interplay between the nationalities or the interest groups that affect legislation in this Congress, I would have proceeded with such a resolution. It was a conscious decision to try to move this forward and avoid that kind of unfortunate experience.
It has been my commitment, and it remains my commitment, to improve relationships with both Pakistan and India. When I do something, in considering, for example, a visit to one country, I will never do that without going to the other. I give no indication of a preference to the importance of one or the other country.
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We need to improve our relationships with both countries; and I would say to my colleagues, it is not crucial that we move legislation to commend and to congratulate the people of India and the people of Pakistan and their respective governments. It is not essential that we do. I would like very much to do so, though, because this is an important anniversary for them, and we want to commend them.
It is better, however, to have no resolution than to have difficulties between the two countries or their people or the immigrants from those two countries, so I would like to have an indication from the Subcommittee Members that they will support the Chairman in moving the legislation intact or at least without any amendments that are divisive with respect to our relationships with Pakistan or India.
I would recognize any Members who want to speak on the subject now. Hearing none, I will assume that I have your support as we attempt to move this legislation to the Full Committee.
Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Chairman.
Mr. BEREUTER. I would be pleased to recognize the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Hastings.
Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Chairman, I would ask unanimous consent to advise and extend my remarks and put my full statement in the record, but I fully support the proposition that the Chair sets forth.
I also would like to make note of the fact that, beginning on August 7th, all things considered, the chairman of the International Relations Committee is leading a delegation that I intend to be a member of, that, on its itinerary, is going to India and to Pakistan. I, for one, weighed in to the extent that I could with staff suggesting, I might add, that I still think that President Clinton should visit both India and Pakistan during their celebrations of 50 years of democracy. I have so expressed that to the Administration, and I am delighted that we are in that kind of position.
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It doesn't disallow any of us an opportunity to speak to our constituents and to have them to know how firmly we are in favor of resolution of any conflicts around the world, but more specifically in this area of the world, and I am supportive of the Chair's position.
Mr. BEREUTER. I thank the gentleman.
Mr. BEREUTER. I would mention to my colleagues that they may want to note subparagraph 3, on page 3, which indicates that it is our intent to send a delegation to India and to Pakistan during the 50th anniversary year of independence to further enhance the mutual understanding between and among our three countries. That would be my expectation—we would have a bipartisan group from the House of Representatives, perhaps from the Congress, to make that visit formally in the course of the next year. I would hope to be a part of that and hope our colleagues would join me if they can.
Are there any further comments?
The gentleman from California, Mr. Berman.
Mr. BERMAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I am certainly going to support this. After cosponsoring it, I had the feeling that, well, maybe we are doing more harm than good, if people are really irritated by this, since this is a celebratory resolution and congratulations on a historic milestone. But, on balance, I think you have done an excellent job here of writing a resolution which is both historically accurate and carefully crafted. Each and any of the paragraphs in that resolution, I think, is sustained just on what has happened and what the record shows. So I congratulate you, and I support this.
Mr. BEREUTER. Thank you very much, Mr. Berman.
I will say this to my colleagues. While the diplomatic delegations from Pakistan and India are naturally reluctant to comment directly on legislation, and I think that is an appropriate stance on their part, we have informally sent inquiries to both of them. While at least one, perhaps both, would prefer separate legislation, they do support this legislation.
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Mr. KIM. Mr. Chairman.
Mr. BEREUTER. I will be pleased to yield to the gentleman from California.
Mr. KIM. Thank you for yielding.
I echo my colleague from California on helping craft this in such a way, and we congratulate them on their 50th anniversary. It is timely and a good resolution, and I support it.
Mr. BEREUTER. Thank you, Mr. Kim.
I will say one word to correct myself. My staff reminds me that they do not oppose the resolution, and I said support. That is incorrect. I stand corrected.
With that kind of discussion, I would call up as our final issue on the Committee markup agenda today H. Res. 157, congratulating the people of India and Pakistan on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of their nations' independence, which the clerk will report.
The CLERK. H. Res. 157, congratulating the people of India and Pakistan on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of their nations' independence——
Mr. BEREUTER. Further resolution will be dispensed with, printed in the record in full and open for amendment.
[See appendix for H. Res. 157.]
H. Res. 157 was introduced on May 22 by this Member, together with the notable original cosponsorship of Speaker Gingrich, Minority Whip Bonior, International Relations Committee Chairman Gilman, Ranking Member Hamilton, Mr. Berman and other Members.
In August of this year, we find the 50th anniversary of independence of the people of India and Pakistan from British rule. America's relations with each of these nations is very strong and productive and will be better if we have anything to do about it.
India is the world's largest democracy and has in recent years experienced extraordinarily successful elections. Social and economic progress it has made in the last 5 decades is truly remarkable, and it has laid a strong foundation for India's future. The United States and India have developed into important trading partners. Indians and Americans are making enormous contributions to both our countries.
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Similarly, Pakistan is an extremely important friend of the United States. Pakistan's commitment to democracy was most recently evidenced in the February 1997 elections, which brought about a change of government. Pakistani Americans have also made major contributions to American society, and that relationship has proven mutually beneficial.
While the official celebration will last all year, the precise date of the 50th anniversary will occur, according to those countries, on August 15 for India and August 16 in the case of Pakistan.
I understand, as Mr. Hastings has mentioned, Chairman Gilman will be leading a delegation that will travel to the region in August, a delegation that I understand includes several Members of this Subcommittee—Mr. Hastings, Mr. Faleomavaega and perhaps others. They will participate in that important delegation early. I certainly wish them well, and I mentioned the reasons before why we have included India and Pakistan.
I am going to ask unanimous consent, therefore, that the entire remaining part of my statement be made a part of the record. Without objection, that will be the order.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Bereuter appears in the appendix.]
Mr. BEREUTER. Are there Members who wish to comment on the resolution?
Mr. Berman.
Mr. BERMAN. I support the resolution, Mr. Chairman; and I urge its passage.
Mr. BEREUTER. Thank you very much.
Are there other Members who wish to be heard on the resolution itself?
Mr. KIM. No comments.
Mr. BEREUTER. If not, the question is on agreeing to the resolution. As many as are in favor, say aye.
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Those opposed, say no.
The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it, and the resolution is agreed to.
Without objection, the staff is authorized to make technical, grammatical and formal changes to the text.
I would say to my colleagues, we will try very hard to expedite these resolutions. I think it is particularly important in this attempt to do it next week. We will see how we can arrange that. I thank you very much for your assistance here today, and I look forward to having you talk to your colleagues.
The gentleman from Florida.
Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Chairman, before we conclude, I didn't have an opportunity to offer a UC request on Cambodia; and I have given it to the appropriate staffer in that regard.
Mr. BEREUTER. Without objection, the gentleman's statement will be made a part of the record.
Mr. HASTINGS. One final thing. Although we normally don't recognize our folks in our audience, there are a number of fine young interns that happen to be working with us this summer; and some of them are from the areas of discussion. While I am not asking them to stand, they know who they are; and we are glad that they are here working with us this summer, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. BEREUTER. Thank you, Mr. Hastings. As far as I am concerned, we do have time.
Would you mind standing up and telling us who you are and where you live and what you do?
Ms. SHAH. Ami Shah. I am an intern with Congressman Hastings. I go to George Washington University.
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Mr. HASTINGS. What State are you from?
Ms. SHAH. I am from Idaho.
Mr. BEREUTER. Anyone else? Any more interns?
Ms. SONTY. I am Sita Sonty. I am working with Congressman Sherrod Brown. I am from Chicago, and I go to Amherst College in Massachusetts.
Mr. BEREUTER. Emerson?
Ms. SONTY. Amherst.
Ms. NAIR. I am Kavitha Nair. I live in Minnesota, and I go to Wellesley College.
Ms. PAREKH. I am Amy Parekh, and I am interning for Congressman Frank Pallone. I am from Westchester, New York; and I go to school at Barnard College.
Mr. BEREUTER. Are there more?
Ms. WAIKER. I am Anjali Waiker, and I am interning at the embassy of India. I am from Chicago.
Mr. BEREUTER. With which embassy are you interning?
Ms. WAIKER. India.
Ms. NIJAM. Puja Nijam. I am from Connecticut, and I go to Lynchburg College.
Mr. BEREUTER. We have a wealth of interns. They are all young ladies.
Mr. HASTINGS. There are a few young men. They just didn't come today.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. BEREUTER. Thank you.
The Subcommittee is adjourned.
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[Whereupon, at 4:14 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]