Posted on 03/19/2007 7:43:38 PM PDT by pissant
He did. He neutered COSCO, no thanks to the rest of the GOP and dems.
AGREEMENT REACHED TO BAN COSCO FROM LONG BEACH
SENATE RECEDES TO HUNTER LEGISLATION
WASHINGTON, DC---Members of the House and Senate agreed today to deny the President the authority to issue a waiver allowing the China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) to lease a terminal at the former Long Beach Naval Station in California. The House passed the prohibition on the waiver authority, authored by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), in approving its version of the defense bill by a vote of 357-60 on May 21, 1998. The agreement today came as Representatives and Senators wrapped up their work on the Conference Report for the Fiscal Year 1999 National Defense Authorization bill.
A provision contained in Public Law 105-85, also written by Hunter, states that the Long Beach property may not be conveyed to COSCO or any of its subsidiaries. However, due to a compromise forced by the Senate last year, the President is currently able to issue a national security waiver allowing the Chinese shipping company to take over the 144-acre terminal.
"COSCO has a very long and troubling record of shipping both weapons and components of mass destruction around the world," said Rep. Hunter. "For all practical purposes, COSCO is the merchant marine of the Chinese military. As a result, they carry the cargo of the Chinese military upon command and without question. We do not need to increase their access to American soil."
The Congressman credited Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) with managing the provision in the Senate. Inhofe persuaded Senators on the conference committee to recede to the House language.
Problems with COSCO first came to public attention when the shipping company was implicated in the 1996 seizure of 2,000 Chinese-made AK-47 machine guns bound for street gangs in Los Angeles. In June 1998, U.S. intelligence agencies tracked a COSCO ship as it transported weapons materials from China to Pakistan's main nuclear weapons laboratory.
Although COSCO vessels have been calling on Long Beach and other U.S. ports for many years, giving control of the terminal to the Chinese firm would be unprecedented.
According to a report by the House Task Force on Terrorism, "Although presented as a commercial entity, COSCO is actually an arm of the Chinese military establishment. COSCO provides services to the logistics and transportation arms of the PLA's [People Liberation Army] Navy and Air Force."
The Task Force also found that "COSCO is purchasing, under a commercial cover, both cargo ships and, more recently, transport aircraft the PLA cannot purchase for military uses...COSCO ships serve as a vehicle for the transportation of strategic material to allies of the PRC in support of their strategic programs -- development of ballistic missiles, nuclear weapons, chemical and biological weapons. COSCO not only carries military and strategic cargoes from the PRC and North Korea to such countries as Pakistan, Iran and Syria -- but also carries strategic items and materials illegally purchased in Western Europe to these countries while concealing the ultimate destination."
The House and Senate are expected to vote on the completed conference report next week. It will then be sent to the President who is expected to sign it.
http://www.house.gov/hunter/news_prior_2006/cosco99.htm
This is not a johnny come lately deal for Hunter. He's been an ardent anti-communist since day one.
That is what business is, but our trade negotiators are bad businessmen.
No, they're good business men it's just that what is good for them is bad for the US. Sadly, many freepers are convinced that the constitution is really a customer agreement with Costco.
Hunter: They understand there is not an advantage to your factory closing where you were making $22 an hour and moving it to China. It's not a good enough answer when the guy stands up and says in the end you're going to go to heaven because Adam Smith wore a powdered wig in 1772 and said that this would all work to your advantage in the end.
The real world response to the "Buggy whip" canard.
Meanwhile, half of freerepublic.com is about to throw their collective support behind a guy who has more in common with the liberal Democrat party than the Republican party. Go figure.
"A vote for anyone but Hunter is a vote for "more of the same"!"
Good point!
"They will make your product cheap enough so that even unemployed Americans can afford them."
Then all the free-trade extremists will point out how this contributes to "efficiency" and makes everybody more prosperous, so we can spend more money on bigger Chinese-made TVs, and the economy is booming because we spend billions to build bigger Big Box-stores to sell more Chinese junk, and those at the top can buy bigger 2nd & 3rd homes. Then one day we wake up and find the Chinese don't need or want us any more, and rule the world.
Empires & great powers throughout history have been destroyed by hostile groups immigrating (e.g. Rome), by letting slaves and mercenaries do their work, and by becoming morally corrupt and decadent. Modern America fits the pattern perfectly.
President.
Duncan.
Hunter.
Ask for it by name!
Thanks for the ping.
Hunter: I would junk CAFTA and NAFTA. I would junk this deal with China. But let's do one thing at a time. Number one, allow our businesses that are being damaged by the illegal subsidy, which is known as their currency devaluation, to go after the cheating. Bring the Chinese to the table and make them understand that we're not going to allow them to have access to the American market unless they do it under the rules. To some degree, it's going to be dependent on them as to whether they want to do it the easy way or the hard way.
***Hunter is a plain talkin', no nonsense hard hitter.
I like it. Finally a conservative candidate shows up to the dance.
DH ping
I think it probably understates what you have to deal with. It doesn't mention the excessive taxation, and regulation you have to overcome.
why doesn't he do something about them? He complained loud enough about Dubai Ports World, I guess he thinks the Commies are OK working in California...
If memory serves he led the charge against the Clintonistas giving the Long Beach Naval Yard to COSCO.
Read post #23.
Chicom ping!
Remember he can use our help to get the message out at http://www.gohunter08.com
Nucor has got the code cracked on building steel mills. One pitfall that our manufacturers face here are the unions. Nonunion manufacturing is actually doing fairly well; Nucor has cracked that code too!
This is the first thing I've heard from any of the candidates that makes sense. I'm goin' w/ Hunter.
Yes, it's an uphill climb when a lot of people tend to want to write him off without knowing what a great candidate he is. We hear "he's not known or electable" but they admit when they have finally learned about him they like him for the most part. I say if he gets the GOP nomination he will be the best possible candidate. Hunter has what it takes and what America needs for leadership now. Frankly, the GOP needs his type leadership.
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