U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office

Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800

Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001

85–485PDF 2003

TO AMEND THE MICROENTERPRISE FOR SELF-RELIANCE ACT

OF 2000 AND THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961;

TO AMEND PUBLIC LAW 107–10; TO AMEND SECTION 527

OF THE FOREIGN RELATIONS AUTHORIZATION ACT, FY 1994

AND FY 1995; URGING PASSAGE OF A RESOLUTION ADDRESSING HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN NORTH KOREA; SUPPORTING

THE GOALS OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY; CONDEMNING THE PUNISHMENT OF EXECUTION BY STONING;

COMMEMORATING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RESCUE

OF BULGARIAN JEWS FROM THE HOLOCAUST AND COMMENDING THE BULGARIAN PEOPLE FOR THEIR TRADITION

OF ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE

MARKUP

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON 

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

ON

H.R. 192, H.R. 441, H.R. 868, H. Res. 109,

H. Con. Res. 57, H. Con. Res. 26 and

H. Con. Res. 77

MARCH 5, 2003

Serial No. 108–1

Printed for the use of the Committee on International Relations

(

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/international—relations 

(II)

COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 

HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois, Chairman 

JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa 

DOUG BEREUTER, Nebraska 

CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, 

Vice Chairman 

DAN BURTON, Indiana 

ELTON GALLEGLY, California 

ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida 

CASS BALLENGER, North Carolina 

DANA ROHRABACHER, California 

EDWARD R. ROYCE, California 

PETER T. KING, New York 

STEVE CHABOT, Ohio 

AMO HOUGHTON, New York 

JOHN M. MCHUGH, New York 

THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado 

RON PAUL, Texas 

NICK SMITH, Michigan 

JOSEPH R. PITTS, Pennsylvania 

JEFF FLAKE, Arizona 

JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia 

MARK GREEN, Wisconsin 

JERRY WELLER, Illinois 

MIKE PENCE, Indiana 

THADDEUS G. MCCOTTER, Michigan 

WILLIAM J. JANKLOW, South Dakota 

KATHERINE HARRIS, Florida 

TOM LANTOS, California 

HOWARD L. BERMAN, California 

GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York 

ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American 

Samoa 

DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey 

ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey 

SHERROD BROWN, Ohio 

BRAD SHERMAN, California 

ROBERT WEXLER, Florida 

ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York 

WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts 

GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York 

BARBARA LEE, California 

JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York 

JOSEPH M. HOEFFEL, Pennsylvania 

EARL BLUMENAUER, Oregon 

SHELLEY BERKLEY, Nevada 

GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California 

ADAM B. SCHIFF, California 

DIANE E. WATSON, California 

ADAM SMITH, Washington 

BETTY MCCOLLUM, Minnesota 

CHRIS BELL, Texas 

THOMAS E. MOONEY, SR., Staff Director/General Counsel 

ROBERT R. KING, Democratic Staff Director 

DANIEL FREEMAN, Counsel/Parliamentarian 

LIBERTY DUNN, Staff Associate 

(III)

C O N T E N T S 

Page

MARKUP OF: 

H.R. 192, To amend the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 and 

the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to increase assistance for the poorest 

people in developing countries under microenterprise assistance programs 

under those Acts, and for other purposes .......................................................... 3

H.R. 441, To amend Public Law 107–10 to authorize a United States plan 

to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual summit 

of the World Health Assembly in May 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland, and 

for other purposes ................................................................................................ 13

H.R. 868, To amend section 527 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 

Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 to require that certain claims for expropriation 

by the Government of Nicaragua meet certain requirements for purposes 

of the prohibition on foreign assistance to that government ............................ 15

H. Res. 109, Urging passage of a resolution addressing human rights abuses 

in North Korea at the 59th session of the United Nations Commission 

on Human Rights, and calling on the Government of North Korea to respect 

and protect the human rights of its citizens ...................................................... 18

H. Con. Res. 57, Supporting the goals of International Women’s Day ............... 23

H. Con. Res. 26, Condemning the punishment of execution by stoning as 

a gross violation of human rights, and for other purposes ............................... 28

H. Con. Res. 77, Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the historic rescue 

of 50,000 Bulgarian Jews from the Holocaust and commending the Bulgarian people for preserving and continuing their tradition of ethnic and 

religious tolerance ................................................................................................ 31

LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD 

The Honorable Robert Wexler, a Representative in Congress from the State 

of Florida: Prepared statement on H.R. 441 ...................................................... 34

(1)

TO AMEND THE MICROENTERPRISE FOR SELF-RELIANCE 

ACT OF 2000 AND THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961; 

TO AMEND PUBLIC LAW 107–10; TO AMEND SECTION 527 

OF THE FOREIGN RELATIONS AUTHORIZATION ACT, FY 

1994 AND FY 1995; URGING PASSAGE OF A RESOLUTION 

ADDRESSING HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN NORTH KOREA; 

SUPPORTING THE GOALS OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S 

DAY; CONDEMNING THE PUNISHMENT OF EXECUTION BY 

STONING; COMMEMORATING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF 

THE RESCUE OF BULGARIAN JEWS FROM THE HOLOCAUST AND COMMENDING THE BULGARIAN PEOPLE FOR 

THEIR TRADITION OF ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2003

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 

COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, 

Washington, DC. 

The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:30 a.m. in Room 

2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Henry J. Hyde presiding. 

Chairman HYDE. The Committee will come to order. We do not 

have a working quorum yet. We need 17. However, we can do some 

work, waiting for the quorum to appear. There are some markups 

in other Committees which are borrowing our Members, but there 

is one bill we will actually mark up in terms of procedure, and that 

is H.R. 192, the microenterprise bill. There are six other bills which 

are really relatively noncontroversial, and we can debate those 

now, prior to a motion to consider them en bloc and adopt them by 

unanimous consent. 

So I will be happy to recognize Members on any of the six bills 

which you have before you, and I should read them off, and they 

are here: H.R. 441, to authorize a plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual summit of the World Health 

Assembly; H.R. 868, to require that certain claims for expropriation 

by the Government of Nicaragua meet certain requirements for 

purposes of the prohibition on foreign assistance to that government; H. Res. 109, urging passage of a resolution addressing 

human rights abuses in North Korea at the 59th session of the 

U.N. Commission on Human Rights; H. Con. Res. 57, supporting 

the goals of International Women’s Day; H. Con. Res. 26, condemning the punishment of execution by stoning as a gross violation of human rights, and for other purposes; and H. Con. Res. 77, 

commemorating the 60th anniversary of the historic rescue of Bulgarian Jews from the Holocaust and commending the Bulgarian 

2

people for preserving and continuing their tradition of ethnic and 

religious tolerance. 

[The bills referred to follow:]

3

1

I

108TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 192

To amend the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 and the Foreign

Assistance Act of 1961 to increase assistance for the poorest people

in developing countries under microenterprise assistance programs under

those Acts, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 7, 2003

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. HYDE, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. PAYNE,

Mr. WOLF, Mr. OBERSTAR, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. KILDEE, Mr.

ROHRABACHER, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. HOUGHTON,

Mr. TANCREDO, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia, Mr.

BROWN of Ohio, Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Ms. CARSON of

Indiana, Mr. ISSA, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. DICKS,

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. BEREUTER, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. SHAW, Mr.

HOEFFEL, Mr. KIRK, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr.

SHAYS, Mr. MICA, Mr. CASTLE, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr.

MEEKS of New York, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr.

SANDERS, and Ms. WOOLSEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

A BILL

To amend the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000

and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to increase

assistance for the poorest people in developing countries

under microenterprise assistance programs under those

Acts, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,


85485a.AAB
4

2

•HR 192 IH

1 SECTION 1. AMENDMENTS TO THE MICROENTERPRISE FOR

2 SELF-RELIANCE ACT OF 2000.

3 (a) PURPOSES.—Section 103 of the Microenterprise

4 for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 (Public Law 106–309) is

5 amended—

6 (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘microentre7 preneurs’’ and inserting ‘‘microenterprise house8 holds’’;

9 (2) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the

10 end;

11 (3) in paragraph (5)—

12 (A) by striking ‘‘microfinance policy’’ and

13 inserting ‘‘microenterprise policy’’;

14 (B) by striking ‘‘the poorest of the poor’’

15 and inserting ‘‘the very poor’’; and

16 (C) by striking the period at the end and

17 inserting ‘‘; and’’; and

18 (4) by adding at the end the following:

19 ‘‘(6) to ensure that in the implementation of

20 this title at least 50 percent of all microenterprise

21 assistance under this title, and the amendments

22 made under this title, shall be targeted to the very

23 poor.’’.

24 (b) DEFINITIONS.—Section 104 of such Act is

25 amended—


85485a.AAC
5

3

•HR 192 IH

1 (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘for micro2 entrepreneurs’’ and inserting ‘‘to microentrepreneurs

3 and their households’’; and

4 (2) by adding at the end the following:

5 ‘‘(5) VERY POOR.—The term ‘very poor’ means

6 individuals—

7 ‘‘(A) living in the bottom 50 percent below

8 the poverty line established by the national gov9 ernment of the country in which those individ10 uals live; or

11 ‘‘(B) living on the equivalent of less than

12 $1 per day.’’.

13 SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE MICRO- AND SMALL ENTER14 PRISE DEVELOPMENT CREDITS PROGRAM

15 UNDER THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF

16 1961.

17 (a) FINDINGS AND POLICY.—Section 108(a)(2) of

18 the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C.

19 2151f(a)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘the development of

20 the enterprises of the poor’’ and inserting ‘‘the access to

21 financial services and the development of microenter22 prises’’.

23 (b) PROGRAM.—Section 108(b) of such Act (22

24 U.S.C. 2151f(b)) is amended to read as follows:


85485a.AAD
6

4

•HR 192 IH

1 ‘‘(b) PROGRAM.—To carry out the policy set forth in

2 subsection (a), the President is authorized to provide as3 sistance to increase the availability of financial services to

4 microenterprise households lacking full access to credit,

5 including through—

6 ‘‘(1) loans and guarantees to microfinance insti7 tutions for the purpose of expanding the availability

8 of savings and credit to poor and low-income house9 holds;

10 ‘‘(2) training programs for microfinance institu11 tions in order to enable them to better meet the fi12 nancial services needs of their clients; and

13 ‘‘(3) training programs for clients in order to

14 enable them to make better use of credit, increase

15 their financial literacy, and to better manage their

16 enterprises to improve their quality of life.’’.

17 (c) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.—Section 108(c) of such

18 Act (22 U.S.C. 2151f(c)) is amended—

19 (1) in the first sentence of the matter preceding

20 paragraph (1)—

21 (A) by striking ‘‘credit institutions’’ and

22 inserting ‘‘microfinance institutions’’; and

23 (B) by striking ‘‘micro- and small enter24 prises’’ and inserting ‘‘microenterprise house25 holds’’; and


85485a.AAE
7

5

•HR 192 IH

1 (2) in paragraphs (1) and (2), by striking

2 ‘‘credit’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘finan3 cial services’’.

4 (d) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT.—Section 108(d) of

5 such Act (22 U.S.C. 2151f(d)) is amended by striking

6 ‘‘micro- and small enterprise programs’’ and inserting

7 ‘‘programs for microenterprise households’’.

8 (e) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Section 108(f)(1) of

9 such Act (22 U.S.C. 2151f(f)(1)) is amended by striking

10 ‘‘for each of fiscal years 2001 and 2002’’ and inserting

11 ‘‘for each of fiscal years 2001 through 2004’’.

12 (f) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 108 of such

13 Act (22 U.S.C. 2151f) is amended in the heading to read

14 as follows:

15 ‘‘SEC. 108. MICROENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT CREDITS.’’.

16 SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE MICROENTERPRISE DEVEL17 OPMENT GRANT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

18 UNDER THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF

19 1961.

20 (a) FINDINGS AND POLICY.—Section 131(a) of the

21 Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2152a(a)) is

22 amended to read as follows:

23 ‘‘(a) FINDINGS AND POLICY.—Congress finds and de24 clares that—


85485a.AAF
8

6

•HR 192 IH

1 ‘‘(1) access to financial services and the devel2 opment of microenterprise are vital factors in the

3 stable growth of developing countries and in the de4 velopment of free, open, and equitable international

5 economic systems;

6 ‘‘(2) it is therefore in the best interest of the

7 United States to facilitate access to financial serv8 ices and assist the development of microenterprise in

9 developing countries;

10 ‘‘(3) access to financial services and the devel11 opment of microenterprises can be supported by pro12 grams providing credit, savings, training, technical

13 assistance, business development services, and other

14 financial and non-financial services; and

15 ‘‘(4) given the relatively high percentage of pop16 ulations living in rural areas of developing countries,

17 and the combined high incidence of poverty in rural

18 areas and growing income inequality between rural

19 and urban markets, microenterprise programs

20 should target both rural and urban poor.’’.

21 (b) AUTHORIZATION.—Section 131(b) of such Act

22 (22 U.S.C. 2152a(b)) is amended—

23 (1) in paragraph (3)(A)(i), by striking ‘‘entre24 preneurs’’ and inserting ‘‘clients’’; and

25 (2) in paragraph (4)(D)—


85485a.AAG
9

7

•HR 192 IH

1 (A) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘very small

2 loans’’ and inserting ‘‘financial services to poor

3 entrepreneurs’’; and

4 (B) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘micro5 finance’’ and inserting ‘‘microenterprise’’.

6 (c) MONITORING SYSTEM.—Section 131(c) of such

7 Act (22 U.S.C. 2152a(c)) is amended by striking para8 graph (4) and inserting the following:

9 ‘‘(4) adopts the widespread use of proven and

10 effective poverty assessment tools to successfully

11 identify the very poor and ensure that they receive

12 needed microenterprise loans, savings, and assist13 ance.’’.

14 (d) DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF POVERTY

15 MEASUREMENT METHODS.—Section 131 of such Act (22

16 U.S.C. 2152a) is amended—

17 (1) by redesignating subsections (d) and (e) as

18 subsections (e) and (f), respectively; and

19 (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol20 lowing:

21 ‘‘(d) DEVELOPMENT AND CERTIFICATION OF POV22 ERTY MEASUREMENT METHODS; APPLICATION OF METH23 ODS.—

24 ‘‘(1) DEVELOPMENT AND CERTIFICATION.—(A)

25 The Administrator of the United States Agency for


85485a.AAH
10

8

•HR 192 IH

1 International Development, in consultation with

2 microenterprise institutions and other appropriate

3 organizations, shall develop no fewer than two low4 cost methods for partner institutions to use to assess

5 the poverty levels of their current or prospective cli6 ents. The United States Agency for International

7 Development shall develop poverty indicators that

8 correlate with the circumstances of the very poor.

9 ‘‘(B) The Administrator shall field-test the

10 methods developed under subparagraph (A). As part

11 of the testing, institutions and programs may use

12 the methods on a voluntary basis to demonstrate

13 their ability to reach the very poor.

14 ‘‘(C) Not later than October 1, 2004, the Ad15 ministrator shall, from among the low-cost poverty

16 measurement methods developed under subpara17 graph (A), certify no fewer than two such methods

18 as approved methods for measuring the poverty lev19 els of current or prospective clients of microenter20 prise institutions for purposes of assistance under

21 this section.

22 ‘‘(2) APPLICATION.—The Administrator shall

23 require that, with reasonable exceptions, all organi24 zations applying for microenterprise assistance

25 under this Act use one of the certified methods, beVerDate Mar 21 2002 16:10 Mar 26, 2003 Jkt 084945 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\FULL\M030503\85485 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL

85485a.AAI
11

9

•HR 192 IH

1 ginning no later than October 1, 2005, to determine

2 and report the poverty levels of current or prospec3 tive clients.’’.

4 (e) LEVEL OF ASSISTANCE.—Section 131(e) of such

5 Act, as redesignated by subsection (d), is amended by in6 serting ‘‘and $175,000,000 for fiscal year 2003 and

7 $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2004’’ after ‘‘fiscal years

8 2001 and 2002’’.

9 (f) DEFINITIONS.—Section 131(f) of such Act, as re10 designated by subsection (d), is amended by adding at the

11 end the following:

12 ‘‘(5) VERY POOR.—The term ‘very poor’ means

13 those individuals—

14 ‘‘(A) living in the bottom 50 percent below

15 the poverty line established by the national gov16 ernment of the country in which those individ17 uals live; or

18 ‘‘(B) living on less than the equivalent of

19 $1 per day.’’.

20 SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than September 30,

22 2005, the Administrator of the United States Agency for

23 International Development shall submit to Congress a re24 port that documents the process of developing and apply25 ing poverty assessment procedures with its partners.


85485a.AAJ
12

10

•HR 192 IH

1 (b) REPORTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006 AND BE2 YOND.—Beginning with fiscal year 2006, the Adminis3 trator of the United States Agency for International De4 velopment shall annually submit to Congress on a timely

5 basis a report that addresses the United States Agency

6 for International Development’s compliance with the

7 Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 by

8 documenting—

9 (1) the percentage of its resources that were al10 located to the very poor (as defined in paragraph (5)

11 of section 131(f) of the Foreign Assistance Act of

12 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2152a(f)(5))) based on the data

13 collected from its partners using the certified meth14 ods; and

15 (2) the absolute number of the very poor

16 reached.

Æ


85485a.AAK
13

1

I

108TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 441

To amend Public Law 107–10 to authorize a United States plan to endorse

and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual summit of the

World Health Assembly in May 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland, and for

other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 29, 2003

Mr. BROWN of Ohio (for himself, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. COX, Mr. DAVIS of Florida, Mr. HOEFFEL, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. SHERMAN, and Mr.

WEXLER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

A BILL

To amend Public Law 107–10 to authorize a United States

plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan

at the annual summit of the World Health Assembly

in May 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. AMENDMENTS TO PUBLIC LAW 107–10.

4 (a) FINDINGS.—Section 1(a) of Public Law 107–10

5 (115 Stat. 17) is amended by adding at the end the fol6 lowing:


85485b.AAB
14

2

•HR 441 IH

1 ‘‘(14) The government of Taiwan, in response

2 to an appeal from the United Nations and the

3 United States for resources to control the spread of

4 HIV/AIDS, donated $1,000,000 to the Global Fund

5 to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.’’.

6 (b) PLAN.—Section 1(b)(1) of Public Law 107–10

7 (115 Stat. 17) is amended by striking ‘‘May 2002’’ and

8 inserting ‘‘May 2003’’.

Æ


85485b.AAC
15


85485a.eps
16

2

H.L.C.

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Nicaragua Property

3 Dispute Settlement Act of 2003’’.

4 SEC. 2. CERTAIN CLAIMS FOR EXPROPRIATION BY THE

5 GOVERNMENT OF NICARAGUA.

6 Section 527 of the Foreign Relations Authorization

7 Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (22 U.S.C. 2370a) is

8 amended by adding at the end the following new sub9 section:

10 ‘‘(i) CERTAIN CLAIMS FOR EXPROPRIATION BY GOV11 ERNMENT OF NICARAGUA.—(1) Any action of the types

12 set forth in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of subsection

13 (a)(1) that was taken by the Government of Nicaragua

14 during the period beginning on January 1, 1956, and end15 ing on January 9, 2002, shall not be considered in imple16 menting the prohibition under subsection (a) unless the

17 action has been presented in accordance with the proce18 dure set forth in paragraph (2)

19 ‘‘(2) An action shall be deemed presented for pur20 poses of paragraph (1) if it is—

21 ‘‘(A) in writing; and

22 ‘‘(B) received by the Department of State on or

23 before 120 days after the date specified in para24 graph (3) at—

25 ‘‘(i) the headquarters of the Department of

26 State in Washington, D.C.; or


85485c.AAC
17

3

H.L.C.

1 ‘‘(ii) the Embassy of the United States of

2 America to Nicaragua.

3 ‘‘(3) The date to which paragraph (2) refers is a date

4 after the enactment of this subsection that is specified by

5 the Secretary of State, in the Secretary’s discretion, in a

6 notice published in the Federal Register.’’.


85485c.AAD
18

1

IV

108TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 109

Urging passage of a resolution addressing human rights abuses in North

Korea at the 59th session of the United Nations Commission on Human

Rights, and calling on the Government of North Korea to respect and

protect the human rights of its citizens.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 27, 2003

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. WOLF, Mr. PITTS, Mr. LINCOLN

DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. CHABOT, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. BEREUTER, Mr. HOEFFEL, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. MARKEY,

Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. LEACH, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. GALLEGLY, and

Mr. WAMP) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Urging passage of a resolution addressing human rights

abuses in North Korea at the 59th session of the United

Nations Commission on Human Rights, and calling on

the Government of North Korea to respect and protect

the human rights of its citizens.

Whereas the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (in this

preamble referred to as ‘‘North Korea’’) is, in the words

of the United States Department of State, ‘‘a dictatorship under the absolute rule of the Korean Workers’

Party’’ that ‘‘prohibits freedom of speech, the press, asVerDate Mar 21 2002 16:10 Mar 26, 2003 Jkt 084945 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\FULL\M030503\85485 HINTREL1 PsN: SHIRL

85485d.AAB
19

2

•HRES 109 IH

sembly, and association . . . [and] restricts freedom of religion, citizens’ movements, and worker rights’’;

Whereas according to the State Department, ‘‘[t]he [North

Korean] Penal Code is Draconian, stipulating capital

punishment and confiscation of assets for a wide variety

of ‘crimes against the revolution,’ including defection, attempted defection, slander of the policies of the party or

State, listening to foreign broadcasts, writing ‘reactionary’ letters, and possessing reactionary printed matter’’;

Whereas, as noted in the State Department Country Reports

on Human Rights Practices, the North Korean regime

executes political prisoners, opponents of the regime,

some repatriated defectors, some members of underground churches, and others, sometimes at public meetings attended by workers, students, and school children;

Whereas the North Korean regime subjects all its citizens to

systematic, intensive political and ideological indoctrination in support of the cult of personality glorifying Kim

Jong Il and the late Kim Il Sung which, in the words of

the State Department, ‘‘approaches the level of a state

religion’’;

Whereas the North Korean regime divides its population into

categories, based on perceived loyalty to the Party and

the leadership, which determine access to employment,

higher education, place of residence, medical facilities,

and other resources;

Whereas the North Korean regime attempts to control all information, artistic expression, and academic works inside

North Korea and strictly curtails freedom of speech;


85485d.AAC
20

3

•HRES 109 IH

Whereas the Government of North Korea holds an estimated

150,000 to 200,000 political prisoners in camps that its

State Security Agency manages through the use of forced

labor, beatings, torture, and executions, and in which

many prisoners also die from disease, starvation, and exposure;

Whereas according to eyewitness testimony provided to the

Committee on International Relations of the House of

Representatives by camp survivors, camp inmates have

been used as sources of slave labor for the production of

export goods, as targets for martial arts practice, and as

experimental victims in the testing of chemical and biological poisons;

Whereas according to eyewitness testimony provided to the

Committee on International Relations by a camp survivor, female camp prisoners are not permitted to have

children and their newborn babies are routinely and brutally killed by camp authorities;

Whereas according to the State Department ‘‘[g]enuine religious freedom does not exist’’ in North Korea and, in the

words of the United States Commission on International

Religious Freedom, ‘‘[t]he North Korean state severely

represses public and private religious activities’’;

Whereas the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has highlighted ‘‘reports that [North Korean] officials have arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and

sometimes executed North Korean citizens who were

found to have ties with overseas Christian evangelical

groups operating across the border in China, as well as

those who engaged in such unauthorized religious activities as public religious expression and persuasion’’;


85485d.AAD
21

4

•HRES 109 IH

Whereas according to eyewitness testimony provided to the

Committee on International Relations in May 2002, a

North Korean prison camp survivor witnessed a group of

Christian prisoners being tortured to death in 1990 for

refusing to repudiate their faith;

Whereas more than 1,000,000 North Koreans are estimated

to have died of starvation since 1995 because of the failure of the centralized agricultural system operated by the

Government of North Korea;

Whereas the risk of starvation and the threat of persecution

in North Korea have caused many thousands of North

Koreans to flee their homeland, primarily into the People’s Republic of China;

Whereas the Governments of the People’s Republic of China

and North Korea have been conducting aggressive campaigns to locate North Koreans who are in the People’s

Republic of China without permission and to forcibly return them to North Korea;

Whereas North Koreans who seek asylum while in the People’s Republic of China are routinely imprisoned and tortured, and in some cases killed, after they are returned

to North Korea; and

Whereas the 59th session of the United Nations Commission

on Human Rights is scheduled to be held in Geneva,

Switzerland from March 17 to April 25, 2003: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) urges the Secretary of State to draft, intro3 duce, and work toward the passage of a resolution

4 addressing human rights abuses in North Korea at


85485d.AAE
22

5

•HRES 109 IH

1 the 59th session of the United Nations Commission

2 on Human Rights; and

3 (2) calls on the Government of the Democratic

4 People’s Republic of Korea to respect and protect

5 the human rights of its citizens, such as those recog6 nized in the Universal Declaration of Human

7 Rights.

Æ


85485d.AAF
23

1

IV

108TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 57

Supporting the goals of International Women’s Day.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 27, 2003

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself, Mrs. BIGGERT, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. LANTOS, Mrs.

CAPITO, Mr. KIRK, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Ms. SOLIS, Mr. GEORGE MILLER

of California, Ms. DELAURO, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of

Florida, Ms. BALDWIN, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. CROWLEY, Ms. WATSON,

Mr. SIMMONS, Mr. FILNER, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. CARSON of Indiana, Ms.

MCCOLLUM, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Ms.

KAPTUR, Ms. LEE, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Ms. NORTON,

Mr. FROST, Mr. SANDERS, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. CUMMINGS,

Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. OLVER, Mr.

BALLANCE, Mr. NADLER, Ms. LINDA T. SA ́NCHEZ of California, Mr.

EVANS, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. DAVIS

of Illinois, Mr. EMANUEL, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr.

MCNULTY, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr.

FALEOMAVAEGA, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. MANZULLO, Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois, and Mr. RUSH) submitted the following

concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary,

for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case

for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the

committee concerned

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Supporting the goals of International Women’s Day.

Whereas women worldwide are contributing to the growth of

economies, participating in the world of diplomacy and


85485e.AAB
24

2

•HCON 57 IH

politics, and improving the quality of the lives of their

families, communities, and nations;

Whereas pervasive discrimination continues to deny women

full political and economic equality and is often the basis

for violations of women’s basic human rights;

Whereas the lives and health of women and girls continues

to be endangered by violence which is directed at them

simply because they are women or girls;

Whereas violence against women and girls includes rape, genital mutilation, sexual assault, domestic violence, honor

killings, sexual trafficking, dowry-related violence, female

infanticide, sex-selection abortion, forced sterilization,

and forced abortion;

Whereas an analysis by the World Bank indicates that between 25 percent and 50 percent of all women have been

battered by an intimate partner;

Whereas, according to the United Nations Commission on the

Status of Women, worldwide at least 1 out of every 3

women and girls has been beaten or sexually abused in

her lifetime;

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, at least 1 out of every 6 women and girls in

the United States has been beaten or sexually abused in

her lifetime;

Whereas, according to the Department of Justice, a woman

is battered, usually by an intimate partner, every 15 seconds in the United States;

Whereas, according to the Department of Justice, a woman

is raped every 90 seconds in the United States;


85485e.AAC
25

3

•HCON 57 IH

Whereas, according to the American Medical Association, approximately 1 out of every 5 adolescent girls in the

United States has been physically or sexually abused by

a person whom the girl was dating;

Whereas, according to the United States Agency for International Development, only 17 countries consider marital

rape to be a criminal offense;

Whereas worldwide women account for almost half of all

cases of HIV/AIDS;

Whereas in countries with a high HIV prevalence, young

women are at a higher risk of contracting HIV than

young men;

Whereas sexual violence, including marital rape, has been denounced as a major cause of the rapid spread of HIV/

AIDS among women;

Whereas, according to the United States Agency for International Development, two-thirds of the 876,000,000 illiterate individuals worldwide are women;

Whereas, according to the United States Agency for International Development, two-thirds of the 125,000,000

school-aged children who are not attending school worldwide are girls;

Whereas girls are less likely than boys to complete school;

Whereas, according to the United States Development Program, women and children account for 70 percent of the

1,300,000,000 poorest people;

Whereas, according to the report of the General Accounting

Office ‘‘Women and Management’’, in the United States

between 1995 and 2000 female managers earned less


85485e.AAD
26

4

•HCON 57 IH

than their male counterparts in the 10 industries that

employ the vast majority of all female employees;

Whereas, according to the World Bank, worldwide women remain vastly underrepresented in national and local assemblies, accounting on average for less than 10 percent

of the seats in parliament, except for East Asia where the

figure is approximately 18 to 19 percent, and in no developing region do women hold more than 8 percent of the

ministerial positions;

Whereas, according to the Congressional Research Service

and the Department of State, illegal trafficking in women

and children for forced labor, domestic servitude, or sexual exploitation involves between 1,000,000 and

2,000,000 women and children each year, of whom

50,000 are transported into the United States;

Whereas women still earn less, own less property, and have

less access to education, employment, and health care

than do men;

Whereas March 8 has become known as International Women’s Day and is a day on which women, often divided by

ethnicity, language, culture, and income, come together

to celebrate a common struggle for equality, justice, and

peace;

Whereas the dedication and successes of those who are fighting for gender equality and working to end violence

against women and girls should be recognized; and

Whereas the people of the United States should be encouraged to participate in International Women’s Day: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—


85485e.AAE
27

5

•HCON 57 IH

1 (1) supports the goals of International Women’s

2 Day;

3 (2) recognizes and honors the women in the

4 United States and in other countries who have

5 fought and continue to struggle for gender equality

6 and women’s rights;

7 (3) reaffirms its commitment to ending dis8 crimination and violence against women and girls, to

9 ensuring the safety and welfare of women and girls,

10 and to pursuing policies that guarantee the basic

11 rights of women and girls both in the United States

12 and in other countries; and

13 (4) encourages the President to—

14 (A) reaffirm his commitment to pursue

15 policies to protect the health and rights of

16 women and girls; and

17 (B) issue a proclamation calling upon the

18 people of the United States to observe Inter19 national Women’s Day with appropriate pro20 grams and activities.

Æ


85485e.AAF
28

1

IV

108TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 26

Condemning the punishment of execution by stoning as a gross violation

of human rights, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 29, 2003

Ms. MCCOLLUM (for herself, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. ALLEN, Ms. BERKLEY,

Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. CAPUANO, Ms. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. DICKS, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr.

ETHERIDGE, Mr. EVANS, Mr. GILCHREST, Ms. NORTON, Ms. KAPTUR,

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. LANTOS,

Ms. LEE, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. MEEHAN,

Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. OLVER, Mr. PALLONE, Mr.

RAHALL, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California,

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. TIERNEY, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Ms. WATSON, Mr. WAXMAN, and Mr. WEINER) submitted the following concurrent

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Condemning the punishment of execution by stoning as a

gross violation of human rights, and for other purposes.

Whereas death by stoning continues to be imposed as a form

of punishment in several countries, as documented by the

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices of the

United States Department of State;


85485f.AAB
29

2

•HCON 26 IH

Whereas the brutal sentence of death by stoning is applied

to women who have been accused of adultery, some of

whom are coerced into prostitution, or even raped;

Whereas execution by stoning is an exceptionally cruel form

of punishment that violates internationally accepted

standards of human rights, including those set forth in

the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the

United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other

Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;

Whereas women around the world continue to be disproportionately targeted for discriminatory, inhuman, and cruel

punishments by governments who refuse to protect the

rights of all their citizens equally;

Whereas in some places stoning has also been invoked as

punishment for ‘‘blasphemy’’, thereby suppressing religious freedom and diversity and stifling political dissent;

Whereas, in July 2002, Amnesty International referred to

execution by stoning as ‘‘a method specifically designed

to increase the victim’s suffering’’;

Whereas, in 2002, the European Union, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the Australian Government, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New

Zealand, the President of Mexico, the Congress of the

Deputies of Spain, and other world leaders each condemned stoning and called for clemency for individuals

sentenced to stoning; and

Whereas, in 2002 there were acquittals or dismissals of sentences to death by stoning: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That Congress—


85485f.AAC
30

3

•HCON 26 IH

1 (1) condemns the practice of execution by ston2 ing, and calls upon the international community to

3 recognize this practice as a gross violation of human

4 rights;

5 (2) requests that the President formally com6 municate this resolution to governments imposing

7 this cruel punishment and urge the suspension of

8 sentences of death by stoning; and

9 (3) requests that the President direct the Sec10 retary of State to work with the international com11 munity toward the repeal of stoning laws and adher12 ence to international standards of human rights.

Æ


85485f.AAD
31


85485b.eps
32

2

H.L.C.

port their Jewish compatriots to Nazi concentration

camps;

Whereas in the spring of 1943 the Bulgarian people succeeded in preventing the deportation of 50,000 Jews to

such camps;

Whereas Bulgaria was the only European country during

World War II to increase its Jewish population;

Whereas members of the Bulgarian Parliament, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, King Boris III, politicians, intellectuals, and citizens all played a part in the resistance

to Nazi pressure to carry out the deportation;

Whereas March 2003 marks the 60th anniversary of Bulgaria’s refusal to deport its Jews to Nazi concentration

camps;

Whereas the Bulgarian people today preserve and continue

their tradition of ethnic and religious tolerance; and

Whereas President George W. Bush and Prime Minister

Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha are leading the United States

and Bulgaria into a long-term strategic partnership:

Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That Congress—

3 (1) commemorates the 60th anniversary of the

4 historic rescue of 50,000 Bulgarian Jews from the

5 Holocaust and commends the Bulgarian people for

6 preserving and continuing their tradition of ethnic

7 and religious tolerance; and


85485g.AAC
33

3

H.L.C.

1 (2) reiterates its support for strong ties be2 tween the United States and Bulgaria.


85485g.AAD
34

Chairman HYDE. Now, any Member who wishes to submit a 

statement for the record is encouraged to do so, and it shall be received without objection, and anybody who wishes to speak on any 

of these bills, we will recognize you as you seek recognition. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Wexler follows:]

PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE ROBERT WEXLER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN

CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA

Mr. Chairman, 

I rise in strong support of H.R. 441, to endorse observer status for Taiwan at the 

upcoming annual World Health Assembly Summit in Geneva, Switzerland and to 

recognize the invaluable contributions Taiwan has made toward the promotion of 

global health. 

In the past decade, Taiwan has blossomed into a strong and dynamic democracy—

the first in over 5,000 years of Chinese history. Taiwan has experienced unprecedented economic, political and social growth, culminating with its recent entry into 

the World Trade Organization. Since September 11, Taiwan has boldly joined the 

campaign against international terrorism and has assisted global efforts to rebuild 

Afghanistan in a post-Taliban regime. At the same time, Taiwan is not resting on 

its past achievements. The government of Taiwan has clearly stated its vision of additional financial, educational, judicial and political reform. 

Today with the support of the United States, Taiwan has set higher goals to become an even stronger democracy with greater prosperity and participation in international bodies, such as the World Health Organization. This is a vision that we, 

as members of Congress, have a professional responsibility and moral obligation to 

help Taiwan fulfill. It is unconscionable that 23 million Taiwanese are precluded 

from receiving the benefits of membership status in the WHO, including participation in innovative research programs, collaborative efforts to combat infectious disease, the allocation of humanitarian assistance and the development of basic health 

care throughout the world. 

The exclusion of Taiwan from the WHO has deprived people of Taiwan from a 

number of progressive health care developments, impaired its crisis response teams 

and created a wall of separation between Taiwan’s medical field and the rest of the 

global health care community. Moreover, Taiwan’s exclusion from the WHO has deprived other member populations—including the poorest nations of the world—from 

the invaluable contributions Taiwan has made to promote global health. 

Irrespective of their exclusion from the WHO, Taiwan has boldly taken the lead 

in contributing to HIV/AIDS research, donating one million dollars to the Global 

Fund to Fight AIDS in the past year. Taiwan has also provided humanitarian relief 

to 78 countries in the past eight years—including the United States and Afghanistan—and has donated over 120 million dollars to medical or humanitarian relief 

funds. 

Mr. Chairman, health is an issue that transcends borders and politics, and can 

be accomplished more effectively and efficiently through international cooperation. 

This is why the United States must have the courage and conviction to fully support 

Taiwan’s efforts to obtain observer status at the World Health Assembly in May, 

2003. 

I rise in strong support for HR 441 and I urge my colleagues to do so as well. 

The people of Taiwan have overcome great odds to become a beacon of freedom, 

prosperity and hope for the world, and they deserve inclusion—let alone observer 

status—in international organizations, such as the WHO.

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman HYDE. Mr. Pitts. 

Mr. PITTS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have a 

few questions regarding H. Con. Res. 57, and I would like to ask 

Mr. Lantos or one of the sponsors of this resolution for clarification. 

May I ask the gentleman questions? 

Chairman HYDE. I am sure it is okay. Now whether he will answer you or not, I have no prediction. 

Mr. PITTS. On page 5 of the resolution, line 1, it says, and I 

think, in general, the resolution is basically acceptable, but in line 

1 it says, ‘‘We support the goals of the International Women’s Day,’’ 

35

and I am wondering if the gentleman could elaborate on what the 

goals of International Women’s Day might be. My concern is this, 

Mr. Lantos. If we are supporting abortion as a human right, if we 

are supporting the ratification of CEDAW by the Senate, if there 

is a pro-choice agenda, I would like to know that before voting on 

this. 

Mr. LANTOS. If my friend will yield. 

Mr. PITTS. Yes, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. LANTOS. There is no hidden agenda in this proposal. We all 

know each other’s respective positions. I happen to have a 100 percent pro-choice voting record over 23 years, so there is nothing hidden about that agenda. 

This is a resolution which is designed to underscore the rights 

of women to equality in all societies, which we painfully know is 

not the case. So if my friend is asking is there a hidden agenda, 

the answer is no. If my friend is asking are we changing our positions with respect to the question of choice, I do not think people 

on either side of this issue will change their position as a result 

of this resolution. It is a resolution which recognizes that half of 

the globe’s population is made up of women, who in many countries, some of them allied to the United States, have a distinctly 

second-class status, in some places are persecuted, discriminated 

against, have no opportunity of functioning as free individuals, and 

that is the purpose of this resolution. 

Chairman HYDE. If the gentleman would permit,——

Mr. PITTS. Yes. 

Chairman HYDE [continuing]. We have a vote on the Floor. It is 

a journal vote. I think if we include the microenterprise legislation, 

in my unanimous consent request, we could finish our work this 

morning and get on to the Floor vote and not have to return. Mr. 

Flake. 

Mr. PITTS. Could I just say, Mr. Chairman, in conclusion, that I 

agree with the sentiments that the gentleman expressed. We certainly want to support ending violence against women and the discrimination against women. I will not object to the resolution but 

for the record want to state that support of this resolution does not 

in any way indicate support of a goal that might be a pro-choice 

agenda, abortion as a human right, or encouraging the Senate to 

ratify CEDAW, for the record. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Chairman HYDE. Ms. McCollum. No? Mr. Flake. 

Mr. FLAKE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, just for about 15 seconds. 

I just want to register my concern. I know I do not have votes to 

prevail, but on the microenterprise loans, increasing the amount by 

$25 million over the next year seems to me—at a time of deficit 

and debt in this country—that we ought to look at areas where we 

can cut, if not hold the line. This seems rather extreme to me, and 

I just want to register my concern and objection. 

Chairman HYDE. Thank you. All right. If there is no further commentary, for which the Chair expresses deep appreciation, without 

objection, the Chair is authorized to request consideration of the 

following bills under suspension of the rules: H.R. 441, H.R. 192, 

H.R. 868, H. Res. 109, H. Con. Res. 57, H. Con. Res. 26, H. Con. 

Res. 77. Without objection, it is so ordered, and the Committee 

stands adjourned. Thank you for your cooperation. 

36

[Whereupon, at 10:37 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.]

Æ