Political Quotes

“I want to say what the Smith amendment does. It says: None of the funds made available in this Act may be used by the Department of Justice or the Department of State to file a motion in any court opposing a civil action against any Japanese person or corporation for compensation or reparations in which plaintiff alleges that, as an American prisoner of war during World War II, he or she was used as slave or forced labor. All this says is that no funds in this act will be used to block that lawsuit. That is it. We are not making any editorial comment on the merits or demerits of the lawsuit or who should win it. I have personal feelings about who should win it. I believe the American POWs should win the lawsuits. That is up to the courts. All we want to do is let that process proceed. I also want to make it very clear that this amendment does not abrogate the 1951 peace treaty with Japan. I repeat, It does not abrogate the 1951 peace treaty with Japan. It merely limits the State and Justice departments from interfering in the veterans' lawsuits.”