Dana Rohrabacher: “After hearing the gentleman from Michigan's (Mr. Levin) description of how human rights has not been improved and how…”

“After hearing the gentleman from Michigan's (Mr. Levin) description of how human rights has not been improved and how things are still just as repressive, it seems to me that he has just provided enough arguments for us to say why are we doing the same old policy if it is not working and the Vietnamese, that the Vietnamese Communist have just signed another agreement, as my friend, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Crane) has just said, big deal, they have signed agreements for 20 years and broken all of them. This is no reason we should continue down a path that has kept the Vietnamese people in chains and in slavery and in abject poverty. During the last 12 months, despite the Presidential waiver that we are debating today, the Communist regime has actually increased its brutal repression as the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin) suggested in his comments. Religious clergy, advocates of democracy, ethnic tribal leaders and members of the tribes in the central highlands, these are the people who were the most loyal to American forces during the war. All have been victimized, and the victimization continues at a higher pace. By voting yes on H.J. Res. 101, thus denying normal trade relations for Vietnam, we send a message to the gang of thugs that rule Vietnam that they must once and for all not just make agreements but start some real political reform.”