Smith Introduces Vietnam Human Rights Act (2002/2003 - Died in Senate, Kerry put hold on it)

house.gov ^

[chance33_98]

Smith Introduces Vietnam Human Rights Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Chris Smith, Vice Chairman of the House Committee on International Relations, has been joined by 30 bipartisan colleagues in reintroducing the Vietnam Human Rights Act today.

Smith’s legislation will prohibit any increase in U.S. non-humanitarian aid to Vietnam unless Hanoi makes significant progress toward releasing political and religious prisoners and respecting the human rights of ethnic minorities.

The bill also authorizes funding to overcome Vietnam’s jamming of Radio Free Asia and expands outreach to Vietnamese refugees to ensure they have access to resettlement programs.

“The Vietnam Human Rights Act will impose significant penalties on the dictators in Hanoi for their ongoing and egregious persecution of their own people,” Smith said today at a press conference attended by bill cosponsors and human rights activists. “What this bill is all about is standing with the oppressed rather than the oppressor.”

“Vietnam is a government that consistently employs a policy of harassment, discrimination, intimidation, and -- increasingly in the last three years -- imprisonment and other forms of detention against those who peacefully express opposition to Hanoi’s extreme policies against religion and freedom,” Smith said. “This is a government that punishes not just individuals who oppose it, but also often their family members.”

Smith introduced similar legislation during the last Congress. That bill passed the House by a vote of 410-1 but died in the Senate because Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts placed a hold on the bill and prevented it from being brought to the floor for a vote.

“I pledge to do everything in my power to ensure that this bill passes not only the House but also the Senate and reaches the President’s desk as well,” Smith said.

“Opponents of this measure often invoke the phrase ‘Vietnam is a country, not a war.’ I agree that Vietnam is a country, but as such we expect Vietnam to behave as a country that protects the rights of its citizens.”

For Immediate Release: April 3, 2003

[chance33_98]

File/ID# WHCA VTR# 5176 Format: 2" Title/Event: "Phil Donahue Show"
Names/Participants: John Kerry, of Vietnam Veterans Against the War
Date: 3/9/1972 Time of Day: 0900
Source: WMAL
Producer: ?
Restriction(s): COPYRIGHT
Program Time: 1:00

White House Communications Agency Videotape Collection 1972 Titles

And more such things from a http://www.google.com/unclesam search in nara

[Dolphy]

That's interesting testimony. Do you suppose his comments regarding Vietnam as a potentially significant market for American services and goods, have anything to do with his cousin C. Stewart Forbes? This is the cousin who allegedly signed a very rich contract for his company to become the exclusive real estate representative for the country of Vietnam?

[TheDon]

It's amazing how out of touch the US Senate is with voters. Yet, we vote them back into office again and again.

[MJY1288]

John Kerry better savor these days of late, cause he's in for some real tough questions about his character.

These articles we are seeing printed around the globe about John Kerry's voting history and his public statements are far more serious than anything that was raised about Bill Clinton in 1992.

John Kerry lied under oath about our soldiers in Vietnam, he has consistently voted against a strong Defense for our country. John Kerry WILL be exposed

[nopardons]

Must we? :-(

[Howlin]

Lord, you are a virtual WELL of information tonight!

[Howlin]

This is why Fred Barnes keep saying that Kerry is attacking Bush on any and everything -- because the last thing they want is to talk about Kerry's record!

[chance33_98]

Kerry on Powell's presentation on Iraq: "I don't want to go into the -- I think the case you made yesterday speaks for itself. For those who look for a smoking gun, there is really a kind of smoking gun -- I mean, it doesn't have to be the gun itself that is smoking. It can be evidence which makes clear the effort to move the gun around before it's actually smoking, and I think you made a very powerful case with respect to that, and that is important here. And people need to look at it dispassionately, nonpartisanly and with the security interests of our country in mind."

From here

[bobo1]

Precisely why GW will win in a landslide. Thank God that the Rats didn't nominate Edwards. Kerry is toast.

Blessings, Bobo

[Mo1]

No dream, Howlin. I just pinged you to another "drop." LOL!

OK .. I am officially totally confused on how many threads are up tonight and which one I'm on at the moment *L*

[MJY1288]

We are beginning to see some of the Western Media report on John Kerry's past, but I think his Wife will be his demise. TaRaZa Heinz Kerry and the foundations she supports will be a major embarrassment for her Flip Flopping husband. Of course he will deny any knowledge of the motives and operations of these groups, but they will serve as the icing on the cake for a couple who have never done anything unless it benefited themselves.

[Howlin]

If it keeps up like this, we're going to need a zip drive JUST for our Kerry bookmarks.

[onyx]

Think of poor backhoe. I apologize half the time I ping him.

[Howlin]

I told several people this very week that I thought all the people all twittering about why Bush put Laura in that ad didn't understand the way he works; from what I heard, he had a big hand in writing AND directing that ad.

And now he's had HIS wife in an ad; so it forces Kerry to have HIS wife in one.

Just for a moment, contemplate THAT comparison.

[chance33_98]

From McCain: "In the U.S. Congress, legislation relating to Vietnam remains contentious, but the balance of opinion continues to shift in favor of closer U.S.-Vietnam ties. In 1998, I joined Senator John Kerry in opposition to legislation to overturn the President's decision to waive the Jackson-Vanik amendment for Vietnam. Congress ultimately endorsed the waiver, which permits the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Export-Import Bank to support U.S. business in Vietnam. Senator Kerry and I also successfully removed from an appropriations bill language that would have tied the release of funding for American diplomatic facilities in Vietnam to burdensome and unreasonable reporting requirements regarding Vietnamese cooperation in the search for our missing service members. The vote to remove the onerous provision, like the earlier Congressional vote to uphold the Jackson-Vanik waiver, implicitly endorsed closer U.S.-Vietnam ties. "

from here

[chance33_98]

"The credibility of LCV (League of Conservation Voters )has also been called into question over its endorsement of Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry. The nomination appeared suspect to some, as Teresa's Heinz Kerry's various foundations have contributed nearly $3 million in recent years to both the LCV and the environmental groups whose executives serve on the LCV board. "

From here

[Howlin]

Him, too.

[goldstategop]

John F. Kerry thinks there's nothing wrong with Communism - even his fellow Rats in the House disagreed.

[MJY1288]

Actually, I still think Howard Dean would have been a serious challenge if the media and the Clinton smear machine didn't destroy him. I couldn't find a single thing I agreed with Howard Dean about, but he did take a stand and attract a large following of antiwar anti-Washington DC minions. John Edwards is a pitiful debater, and his "Two America's" stump speech was flawed to the core because it ignored the middle class.

Howard Dean ran in the primaries from the far left, but his record doesn't reflect that and he could have easily pulled a Bill Clinton and drifted to the middle for the General election and therefore have a better chance in the Midwest. John Kerry waited until Howard Dean imploded and took up his mantra, the problem for John Kerry is that he is a Liberal to the core and his record speaks much louder than his current day rhetoric

[bobo1]

You are correct in your analysis. Edwards would have been a tougher challenge he does not have an extensive record as does Kerry. Besides the appeal to women due to his boyish/handsome looks, which I believe is an important consideration.

I have seen too many elected based on charisma rather than position.

Blessings, Bobo