Marcy Kaptur: “I support the McNulty resolution to disapprove the extension of trade waiver authority with Vietnam. Mr. Speaker, last…”

“I support the McNulty resolution to disapprove the extension of trade waiver authority with Vietnam. Mr. Speaker, last year I supported the exact opposite position, in hopes that there would be signs in Vietnam that, in fact, that government would move toward a more open society. There are no signs of that, and political repression continues. Talk to people who live here in the United States who have relatives in Vietnam; many live in the Washington area. What was even more troubling to me and the reason for this change in my own position... I said, what are you going to do about the treatment of workers in Vietnam under this trade authority to give them dignity... And this American said to me, oh, that is not a trade issue, that is probably more cultural. That offended me so much. Mr. Speaker, I think our government is on the wrong song sheet here. We ought to be for developing a civil society in Vietnam, beginning with humanitarian linkages... We ought to be having educational exchanges to teach people something about democracy-building.”