I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4095
To provide that the President shall attempt to establish an international
arms sales code of conduct with all Wassenaar Arrangement countries.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 19, 1998
Mr. GEJDENSON (for himself, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. HAMILTON, Mr. BERMAN, Mr.
SMITH
of New Jersey, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Ms. PELOSI, Mr.
MCDERMOTT, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. CLEMENT, Mr.
VENTO, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. OLVER, Mr. LUTHER, Mr.
MILLER of California, Ms. WATERS, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. JACK-
SON of Illinois, Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin, Mr. MINGE, Mr. SHERMAN,
Mr. ACKERMAN, Ms. RIVERS, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. FRANK
of Massachusetts, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr.
BROWN of Ohio, Mr. NADLER, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. DIXON,
Mr. KILDEE, Mr. ROTHMAN, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, and Mr. MORAN
of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on International Relations
A BILL
To provide that the President shall attempt to establish
an international arms sales code of conduct with all
Wassenaar Arrangement countries.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘International Arms
Sales Code of Conduct Act of 1998’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The proliferation of conventional arms and
conflicts around the globe are multilateral problems.
The only way to effectively prevent rogue nations
from acquiring conventional weapons is through a
multinational ‘‘arms sales code of conduct’’.
(2) Approximately 40,000,000 people, over 75
percent of whom were civilians, died as a result of
civil and international wars fought with conventional
weapons during the 45 years of the cold war, dem-
onstrating that conventional weapons can in fact be
weapons of mass destruction.
(3) Conflict has actually increased in the post
cold war era.
(4) It is in the national security and economic
interests of the United States to reduce dramatically
the $840,000,000,000 that all countries spend on
armed forces every year, $191,000,000,000 of which
is spent by developing countries, an amount equiva-
lent to 4 times the total bilateral and multilateral
foreign assistance such countries receive every year.
(5) The Congress has the constitutional respon-
sibility to participate with the executive branch in
decisions to provide military assistance and arms
transfers to a foreign government, and in the formu-
lation of a policy designed to reduce dramatically the
level of international militarization.
(6) A decision to provide military assistance
and arms transfers to a government that is undemo-
cratic, does not adequately protect human rights, or
is currently engaged in acts of armed aggression
should require a higher level of scrutiny than does
a decision to provide such assistance and arms
transfers to a government to which these conditions
do not apply.
SEC. 3. INTERNATIONAL ARMS SALES CODE OF CONDUCT.
(a) NEGOTIATIONS.—The President shall attempt to
achieve the foreign policy goal of an international arms
sales code of conduct with all Wassenaar Arrangement
countries. The President shall take the necessary steps to
begin negotiations with all Wassenaar Arrangement coun-
tries within 120 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act. The purpose of these negotiations shall be to con-
clude an agreement on restricting or prohibiting arms
transfers to countries that—
(1) do not respect democratic processes and the
rule of law;
(2) do not adhere to internationally recognized
norms on human rights; or
(3) are engaged in acts of armed aggression.
(b) REPORTS
TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 6
months after the commencement of the negotiations under
subsection (a), and not later than the end of every 6-
month period thereafter until an agreement described in
subsection (a) is concluded, the President shall report to
the appropriate committees of the Congress on the
progress made during these negotiations.
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