On the recordMarch 7, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on an international issue that merits our attention here in Congress. This month, hundreds of thousands of concerned citizens, 140,000 and counting, have signed a petition to the White House. The petition calls on the administration to stop expanding trade with Vietnam at the expense of human rights. I know it's hard for all of us here in this Chamber to imagine, but in Vietnam, the mere act of composing songs can be sufficient grounds for the Communist government to put someone in jail. In fact, that's exactly what happened to Viet Khang, a Vietnamese citizen who was arrested and who is currently being detained for merely composing and singing two protest songs about his own country. This arrest and many others in recent years are issues that have to be at the forefront of our trade negotiations with the Vietnamese Government. I urge my colleagues to join me in urging the President to put freedom and human rights first. ____________________
