Despite the country's transition to greater economic freedom, religious and political freedoms for Vietnamese citizens remain limited.

My hope is, given the fact the situation has markedly deteriorated, that will hopefully improve its chances so that we can send a clear unequivocal message to Hanoi that we are serious about human rights abuses.

Vietnam is a signatory, and has acceded to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It is a matter of international law, they have signed on the dotted line themselves, and these rights are being violated with impunity.

I am also delighted that we are passing this bill to include Taiwan and the family of nations in international machinery.

I would like to offer my support for Taiwan joining the International Civil Aviation Organization.

I will never forget meeting my constituent, Mr. Solofish, who had an actual copy of his father's life insurance policy which was never paid by his European insurance company.

If we are going to normalize our relations we have with Vietnam, then we expect certain things from them as well.

I support the State Department's rewards programs, which have been effective in leading to the capture of some of the most reprehensible individuals.

I support expanding this program. I have cosponsored your bill, H.R. 4077, which is bipartisan legislation which would expand the program to target transnational organized crime and those wanted for the most serious human rights abuses.

Don Payne brought honor to this institution, to this committee.

I think would be a dereliction of duty on our part as a committee and as a Congress.

This recognition is long overdue.

The first case that was brought against Vietnam and individuals in the Government of Vietnam, pursuant to my law, the Trafficking Victims Protection of 2000, was a sweatshop in American Samoa where hundreds of people were abused…

the new Yemeni government will need assistance in order to reorganize its military under civilian control and build capacity to deal with critical national security threats.

It just looks like to me that this administration has an 'all of the above' policy to raise the cost of energy on all of the above.

You can't renegotiate the front end once the back end is done. This is an obligation that has been made to people whose military careers are now done.

I will be interested to hear how TRANSCOM is managing these challenges and what efforts are being made to further develop the Northern Distribution Network through central Asia.

I trust, Mr. Chairman, that did not come out of my time.