Bill China Pntr
Department of State Washington File: Final Debate on China PNTR Bill Begins
"I ardently believe that PNTR and human rights must go hand in hand. It is important to note that my positive position on PNTR gives me a door to walk through to raise a number of human rights issues with the Chinese Government, including religious liberty and the development of the rule of law," Brownback said. ... Final Debate on China PNTR Bill Begins ... The Senate is scheduled to vote on the bill September 19, and the legislation is expected to pass by a large majority. If the Senate passes the bill, it will be sent to the President for his signature and will become law after signing. ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Senator Lott Files Motion for Cloture Vote on China PNTR Bill
If the Senate were to pass an amendment to the China PNTR bill, the House and the Senate would have to appoint a committee to reconcile the two versions of the bill. If the committee members were able to reconcile the two versions, that bill would then have to be submitted again to the House and Senate for another vote before going to the President for his signature. ... Washington -- Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (Republican of Mississippi) has moved the Senate one step closer to voting on H.R. 4444, the bill that would grant China Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status. ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Excerpts: Senate Votes to Invoke Cloture on China PNTR Bill
The second point I want to make in closing has to do with the bill that came to us from the House. We have reviewed the bill in the Finance Committee and I want to emphasize my unequivocal support for the House bill. It preserves precisely what the Finance Committee hoped to do--which is ensure that American farmers, manufacturers, and service providers would gain access to the Chinese market under the terms negotiated this past November. Beyond that, the House bill strikes a reasonable balance in terms of Congress' ongoing scrutiny of China's record on human rights and labor standards. Indeed, in my view, the commission created by the House bill for those purposes offers more to our advocacy of human rights in China than any vote under the Jackson-Vanik amendment ever did or ever would. What that means is that, because benefits of normalizing our trade relations with China, and because there is now so little time left before the 106th Congress adjourns, I will intend to oppose all ame ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Senators Clash over Thompson Amendment to China PNTR Bill
Senators Clash over Thompson Amendment to China PNTR Bill ... Senator Robert Graham (Democrat of Florida) said he would oppose the Thompson amendment, and back the China PNTR bill. ... Senator Rod Grams (Republican of Minnesota) came out against the Thompson-Torricelli amendment, "both in principle and, as all amendments to PNTR, this one is a killer that will delay PNTR until another Congress." ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Senators Byrd to Offer Two Amendments to China PNTR Bill
Washington -- Supporters of the bill granting China Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status expressed concern September 8 that amendments offered by opponents of that legislation might delay final action on the bill. ... At the same time, Senator Robert C. Byrd (Democrat of West Virginia) said he would be offering two new amendments to H.R. 4444, the bill granting China PNTR status. ... Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (Democrat of New York) warned that if opponents of the China PNTR bill "could just add one amendment, the measure would have to go back to the House, then to conference, then to the floor. Time would run out." ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Text: Senator Baucus Statement at Markup of China Trade Bill
With today's vote in the Finance Committee, which I expect to be overwhelming in its support of PNTR, we will be closer to the end of this process of annual debates on MFN which has served no one. This afternoon, the House Ways and Means Committee will follow the Finance Committee with its own mark up. Next week, the House will vote, and that will be followed quickly in early June by the Senate. I encourage all supporters of PNTR to continue their work in convincing those House members who are still undecided just how important PNTR is to America. I am convinced that when the full House votes, a majority will support PNTR, and we will follow suit on the Senate floor. The benefits on the trade side are unarguable. China has committed to an unprecedented opening of its markets to American and other foreign agricultural products, manufactured goods, and services. We must grant China PNTR in order to take advantage of this opening. If we don't, then our Japanese and European competitors wi ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Senate Votes to Proceed With China Trade Status Bill
Supporters of the PNTR bill believe they will be able to defeat these amendments and keep the bill "clean," while opponents of the bill decry what they see as an attempt to circumvent the intention of the Constitution that the Senate be a deliberative body, not just a "rubber stamp" legislative body that approves or disapproves a vital piece of legislation. ... A motion to proceed to consider a bill is usually offered by the Majority Leader to bring a bill up for consideration by the Senate. Senators can then debate the bill, offer amendments, and finally vote on the bill. ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Text: Senator Thompson Ties Non-Proliferation Act to China PNTR
Senator Fred Thompson (Republican of Tennessee) September 11 introduced the China Non-Proliferation Act as an amendment to H.R. 4444, the bill that would grant China Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status. ... AS AMENDMENT TO CHINA PNTR BILL ... The bill, Thompson said, was being offered as an amendment to H.R. 4444 after efforts to have the bill considered separately were stymied. ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Text: Senator Bunning Says China Does Not Deserve PNTR
I would like to take some time today to talk about why we should not grant PNTR to China and explain my reasons for opposing it. While I know that the votes are probably there to pass PNTR, I want to lay out for the record what is at stake and also to argue that we should at a minimum take the step of also passing Senator Thompson's bill to maintain some semblance of accountability for Communist China. ... In conclusion, I urge a `no' vote on the China PNTR bill, and a `yes' vote on the Thompson bill. The Chinese have not earned the right to trade with us, and they have show no inclination to change their ways. ... [Read More]
Washington HyperFile - East Asia/Pacific Edition
China/PNTR/Congress House Ways and Means Committee Amends, Passes China PNTR Bill ... China/PNTR Text: President Clinton Hails Committees' Vote For China PNTR ... Text: Senate Finance Committee Passes Markup of China PNTR Bill ... [Read More]
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