Congressional Record—Senate S11197
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September 24, 1996 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S11197 TRIBUTE TO DIANA LEWIS one leg missing or two legs missing and And then there’s Indonesia. Indonesia is in ∑ Mr. WARNER. Mr, President, I rise know that this has been caused, in the midst of a crude crackdown on political dissent that is the antithesis of values Amer- today to extend my warmest congratu- part, by land mines built in the United States, or financed by the United ica wants to promote. Should Indonesia get lations to Diana Lewis of Charlottes- the F–16s it wants? Certainly not. ville, VA, on her selection as the 1996 States, I am troubled. Although Clinton pledged a values-driven Private Sector Employee of the Year Again and again, we are in a situa- foreign policy, a Presidential Decision Direc- by the General Council of Industries tion where we find American weapons tive he signed last year pushes arms sales for the Blind and the National Indus- used against our troops. That should abroad to ‘‘enhance the ability of the U.S. tries for the Blind. She will be honored teach us something, but it doesn’t defense industrial base, to meet U.S. defense at their Annual Training Conference on seem to. requirements and to maintain long-term military technological superiority at lower October 8, 1996. This is one editorial that every Mem- ber of the Senate and every staff mem- costs.’’ Ms. Lewis was born with congenital That, in the words of William Hartung, a cataracts. She underwent several eye ber should read. I ask that the editorial be printed in senior fellow of the World Policy Institute at operations as a young child, which de- the New School for Social Research, is noth- layed her entry into school. However, the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. ing but welfare for big arms manufacturers The editorial follows: her desire to succeed did not waiver. and weapons dealers. She attended Romney School for the [From the Chicago Tribune] In order to help American firms get to a Blind in West Virginia but left school SHUT DOWN THE U.S. ARMS BAZAAR bigger share of the world arms market, the U.S. government spent $7.6 billion—in 1995 early to marry, become a homemaker, President Clinton spoke eloquently and probably expressed the view of most citizens alone—in subsidies, grants, guaranteed loans and eventually became the mother of when, accepting the Democratic Party’s and cash payments, and in the use of govern- two sons. nomination in Chicago last month, he ment personnel to promote products and Ten years ago, Ms. Lewis moved to pledged that U.S. foreign policy would be one overseas air shows, Hartung says. the Commonwealth and soon faced the that ‘‘advances the values of our American The argument that these arms sales abroad challenge of finding her first job. As a community in the community of nations.’’ protect jobs at home is no longer necessarily single parent with two young sons, Ms. Here’s a place to start, Mr. President: End true, since many new purchasers now de- Lewis turned to the Virginia Industries the outdated and outrageously dangerous mand, as part of the contract, the right to for the Blind [VIB], a division of the policy of encouraging sales of American produce these expensive weapons on their weapons abroad, particularly to countries in turf. Thus, Hartung says, the biggest produc- Virginia Department for the Visually the developing world, unless there is a com- tion line for the F–16 is no longer in the U.S. Handicapped [VDVH], for employment pelling U.S. security interest to be defended. but in Turkey. and training opportunities. She quick- What American value is represented by the Even more sinister is the concept of ly demonstrated her desire to succeed fact that the U.S. remains the largest ex- ‘‘blowback.’’ by mastering many sewing operations, porter of weapons in a post-Cold War world During the Cold War, a powerful argument becoming an accomplished seamstress. in which there is no monolithic enemy to be for arms sales abroad was to allow the During her employment at the Vir- contained? United States leverage over foreign powers ginia Industries for the Blind, Ms. Although Russia made the news in recent and to give us inside knowledge about an- days by outstripping the U.S. in sales of Lewis earned her general education di- other power’s arsenal—to ‘‘know what we’re arms to Third World governments in 1995, a up against.’’ Today, all bets are off, and what ploma [GED] and continued her edu- careful reading of the report showed that American troops have come up against is the cation to become a certified nursing this was an artifact of one transaction: a $6 finest American weapons wielded by opposi- assistant. She joined Westminster Can- billion sale of fighter jets to China. tion troops—in Panama, in Iran, in Iraq, in terbury of the Blue Ridge in Char- Otherwise, however, Uncle Sam is boss of Haiti, in Somalia and, to a smaller extent, in lottesville a year ago, and is currently the arms bazaar, with contracts for about Bosnia. employed as a certified nursing assist- half of all arms sales worldwide. Year in and America cannot control its weapons once year out, America sells more weapons to the sold. Allies whose national security interests ant in the skilled care unit. As a nurs- Third World than any other country. ing assistant, Ms. Lewis tends to elder- coincide with ours deserve our trust and Certainly these developing lands could put have earned the right to purchase American- ly residents who require constant care. their scarce financial resources to better use, made weapons. Ms. Lewis hopes to one day become a namely to build or improve schools, hos- But weapons sales motivated solely by a physical therapist. pitals, sanitation and transportation sys- market opportunity merely fuel conflict— Ms. Lewis’ drive and dedication to tems. conflict that may require America to step in overcome adversity makes her an ex- Aha, you say! If the U.S. stops selling these later with its diplomatic and military mus- arms abroad, someone else—Russia, France, ample for all of us. I am pleased to join cle. Italy, Germany, Britain, the Czech Republic, There is no profit in that.∑ Ms. Lewis and her family and friends in even—will rush in and snatch up the lucra- wishing her much success in all of her tive contracts. f future endeavors. Ms. Lewis is an out- So what? Of the 50 armed conflicts in this AD-HOC HEARING ON TOBACCO standing representative of the blind decade—mostly vile ethnic, religious or trib- ∑ community in Virginia, and I ask you al rivalries, guerrilla uprisings and petty ter- Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, to please join me in congratulating her ritorial disputes—45 were fought with weap- on September 11th, I co-chaired with ons stamped ‘‘Made in the USA.’’ as the 1996 Private Sector Employee of Senator KENNEDY an ad-hoc hearing on Should weapons sales be our ambassador of the problem of teen smoking. We were the Year.∑ democracy? Is increasing the efficiency of joined by Senators HARKIN, f armed combatants, without regard to vital U.S. interests, a value we choose to rep- WELLSTONE, BINGAMAN and SIMON. Re- SHUT DOWN THE U.S. ARMS resent America abroad? grettably, we were forced to hold an BAZAAR Even espousing a traditional sense of na- ad-hoc hearing on this pressing public ∑ Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, one of the tional security, the U.S. can dominate the health issue because the Republican finest editorials I have read in recent international arms market, according to leadership refused to hold a regular months appeared in the Chicago Trib- Sarah Walkling, a senior analyst with the hearing, despite our many pleas. Arms Control Association. That’s because une, titled ‘‘Shut Down the U.S. Arms We held this hearing to listen to real NATO, the western military alliance that is people tell us about the addictiveness Bazaar.’’ the backbone of American national security It is contrary to the security of the and includes this nation’s dearest allies, is of nicotine and their support for the interest of the United States that we the largest market for U.S. arms, consuming President Clinton’s FDA proposal to are the No. 1 arms merchant in the 43 percent of American weapons sales abroad cut teen smoking in half. Unlike one of world. Not only are we the No. 1 arms at a cost of $3.9 billion. NATO will continue the other Presidential candidates, we merchant, but we subsidize what ulti- to be the biggest client for American weap- know that nicotine is addictive. And mately can prove harmful to our secu- ons, which is a fine thing for all concerned. we know that the FDA should regulate But now Chile wants U.S. F–16 jet-fighters. it and protect our children. rity. With no international threat to the region, And it is not only a threat to our se- to what purpose would those top-of-the-line We also made it clear that we will re- curity. attack craft be put? Only to act upon terri- ject half hearted compromise legisla- When I visit a place like Angola and torial ambitions and border disputes and to tive proposals which do not protect our see so many children going about with spark a wasteful hemispheric arms race. children from the tobacco companies. VerDate Aug 31 2005 04:05 Jun 22, 2008 Jkt 041999 PO 00000 Frm 00073 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 J:\ODA16\1996_F~1\S24SE6.REC S24SE6 mmaher on MIKETEMP with SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS S11198 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 24, 1996 Essentially, we will oppose any com- scientist for Philip Morris for over 10 We will oppose any compromise legislation promise legislation that does protect years.