This is particularly troublesome given the fact that the Presidents own National Security Advisor stated this past December that the President would not move forward unless consultations with Congress went well. Clearly. the consultations did not go well. When Congress considered and passed the amendment by Senator Jackson and Representative Vanik in the Trade Act of 1974. everyone at the time understood Congressional intent--free emigration was to be a condition for expanding U.S. trade relations with nonmarket communist nations. Today. nearly two and a half decades later. we do not have free emigration provided to the people of Vietnam by the communist regime that took over that entire country by force in 1975. Moreover. the Administration has failed to make a convincing case to the Congress to justify President Clintons decision to waive freedom of emigration requirements. Hanois record does not support this decision. Yes. Hanoi has taken some steps to permit more orderly departures in recent years. but there are still unwarranted delays. and I am very concerned that recent promises and pledges of cooperation have yet to be satisfactorily fulfilled. Congressional intent was clear in 1974. and it has not changed since that time. U.S. policy is supposed to put freedom of emigration ahead of the trade interests some might have with this oneparty communist state. We are supposed to be putting principle over profit. not the other way around. I believe America should not abandon the Vietnamese people who long for respect for human rights and democratic freedoms. They were abandoned over two decades ago. and we simply cannot let it happen again. JacksonVanik requirements should not be waived for Vietnam if it is not absolutely clear that such a waiver would "substantially promote" freedom of emigration requirements as the law requires. This past March. State Department witnesses testified there had been "measurable" progress.
Keywords matched
emigration