Senate won't delay PNTR for religious freedom

On September 7, by a vote of 30 to 67, the Senate rejected an amendment to the China trade bill that would have made Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status contingent on significant religious rights improvements in the Communist country. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Paul Wellstone (D: Minn.), would have delayed PNTR until the President could certify that China had ratified certain multilateral political and civil rights treaties, agreed to grant U.S. religious freedom agencies access to religious leaders, and released religious prisoners.

Most of the amendments supporters were opponents of PNTR. The managers of the bill, including the leadership of both parties, opposed all amendments, fearing that, if there are any changes in the bill necessitating its being sent to conference with the House to iron out the differences, it might not get passed this session.

Amendment supporters cited a recent State Department study documenting China's worsening human rights and religious freedom record. Wellstone, perhaps the Senate's most liberal member, said, "With passage of PNTR, the United States of America gives up our annual right of review of China's most favored nation trade privileges as well as our bilateral trade remedy. We have not used this leverage as effectively as we should. But do we want to give up all of this leverage? Do we want to say we do not take into account this religious persecution in China and we will no longer annually review trade relations to maintain some leverage and some voice in support of the right of people in China to practice their religious beliefs?"

Conservative Sen. Jessie Helms (R.-N.C.) echoed Wellstone's sentiments. "This amendment really tells China-and, just as importantly, the rest of the world-that we in America still stand for something, something other than profits, something other than whatever benefit may be imagined by the steps the President is trying to take with China."

PNTR supporter Sen. Chuck Hagel (R: Neb.) opposed the amendment. "The issue is: How do we best influence the behavior of China on human rights?" he asked. "I believe if we kill permanent normal trade relations with China, it will not be in the best interest of human rights in China."

Hagel argued that "as nations prosper, the world becomes more peaceful and free. When there is freedom, pace, and prosperity, there is less conflict, less poverty, less hunger, and, yes, less war. That is in the interest of all peoples."

Wellstone stressed that his was not an antitrade amendment. "This amendment does not say we do not trade with China. This amendment does not say we do not have economic relations with China. This amendment just says that we ought to, in this trade Agreement, not just focus on the `almighty dollar."'

A "yes" vote was a vote to delay PNTR for China until the country agreed to religious-rights reforms. A "no" vote was a vote against placing such a condition on trade with China.

FOR THE AMENDMENT: 30

REPUBLICANS FOR (15): Ashcroft, Bunning, Campbell, Collins, Craig, Gregg, Helms, Hutchinson (Ark.), Inhofe, Santorum, Sessions, Shelby Smith (N.H.), Snowe, Specter.

DEMOCRATS FOR (15): Boxer, Byrd, Dodd, Dorgan, Feingold, Harkin, Hollings, Kennedy, Leahy, Mikulski, Reed (R.I.), Reid (Nev.), Sarbanes, Torricelli and Wellstone.

AGAINST THE AMENDMENT: 67

REPUBLICANS AGAINST (38): Abraham, Allard, Bennett, Bond, Brownback, Burns, Chafee, Cochran, Crapo, DeWine, Domenici, Enzi, Fitzgerald, Frist, Gorton, Gramm (Tex.), Grams (Minn.), Grassley, Hagel, Hatch, Hutchison (Tex.), Jeffords, Kyl, Lott, Lugar, Mack, McCain, McConnell, Nickles, Roberts, Roth, Smith (Ore.), Stevens, Thomas, Thompson, Thurmond, Voinovich and Warner.

DEMOCRATS AGAINST (29): Baucus, Bayh, Biden, Bingaman, Breaux, Bryan, Cleland, Conrad, Daschle, Durbin, Edwards, Feinstein, Graham (Fla.), Inouye, Johnson, Kerrey (Neb.), Kerry (Mass.), Kohl, Landrieu, Lautenberg, Levin, Lincoln, Miller, Moynihan, Murray Robb, Rockefeller, Schumer and Wyden.

NOT VOTING (3): Akaka, Lieberman and Murkowski

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Sep 22, 2000
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved