HON. RON PAUL
OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, June 17, 1998
1998 Ron Paul 61:1
Mr. PAUL.
Mr. Speaker, I have long held
that the real victims of U.S. trade policy, and
specifically of our various trade embargoes,
are American citizens who hope to sell goods
abroad, most especially our agricultural producers. The intended victims of sanctions are
corrupt foreign rulers but they always find a
way to get goods from our competitors and
when they fail to do so they simply pass along
any suffering to their internal political opponents.
1998 Ron Paul 61:2
But, as I said, somebody is negatively affected. A recent issue of the American Farm
Bureau Federation’s “Farm Bureau News”
contains a headline story which does a fabulous
job of explaining how these embargoes
adversely affect our American Farmers and
Ranchers. In this front page story the Farm
Bureau News masterfully details the true impact
of trade embargoes.
1998 Ron Paul 61:3
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent a very
rural, agriculturally-based district. My constituents
are well aware of the importance of opening
export markets for America’s agricultural
producers. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would
like to place in the RECORD this story from the
Farm Bureau News in hopes that people in
the Administration, as well as in this Congress
will begin to reconsider destructive embargo
policies which only harm our nation’s farmers
and other producers including my constituents.
Trade sanctions and embargoes for the purpose
of social reform or other reasons hurt
American farmers and ranchers more than
any other sector of the economy, Farm Bureau
told a House Agriculture subcommittee
last week.
1998 Ron Paul 61:5
“Farm Bureau strongly opposes all artificial
trade constraints such as embargoes or
sanctions except in the case of armed conflicts,”
said Ron Warfield, president of the Illinois
Farm Bureau. “We believe that opening
trading systems around the world and
engagement through trade are the most effective
means of reaching international economic
stability.”
President Clinton imposed sanctions
against India and Pakistan after those countries
detonated nuclear devices. House Agriculture
Committee Chairman Bob Smith (ROre.) and ranking minority member Charlie
Stenholm (D-Texas) have urged Clinton to
exempt food and agricultural commodities
from those sanctions. Pakistan is an important
market for U.S. agricultural products,
ranking third in purchases of U.S. wheat.
1998 Ron Paul 61:6
Sens. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), Pat Roberts (RKan.), Larry Craig (R-Idaho) and Max Baucus
(D-Mont.) have also asked Clinton to exclude
agricultural exports from the sanctions.
1998 Ron Paul 61:7
Warfield, a member of the American Farm
Bureau Federation board of directors, told
the panel that when sanctions are imposed,
agriculture typically bears the brunt
through lost sales and gains a reputation as
an unreliable supplier. While American agriculture
loses through sanctions and embargoes,
its toughest competitors win by picking
up those markets.
1998 Ron Paul 61:8
Warfield noted that when the United
States placed a grain embargo against the
Soviet Union in the 1980s, American farmers
lost $2.3 billion in farm exports. He said the
effects continue to be felt.
1998 Ron Paul 61:9
“When the United States cut off sales of
wheat to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan,
other suppliers — France, Canada,
Australia and Argentina — stepped in,” Warfield
said. “They expanded their sales to the
Soviet Union, ensuring that U.S. sanctions
had virtually no economic impact. Russia
still appears to restrict purchases of American
wheat, fearing the United States may
again use food exports as a foreign policy
weapon.”
Just the threat of sanctions can provoke
trading partners into a retaliatory stance
and threaten U.S. agricultural exports, the
farm leader pointed out.
1998 Ron Paul 61:10
Warfield said Farm Bureau supports a bill
(H.R. 3654) by Re. Tom Ewing (R-Ill.) that
would prevent selective agricultural embargoes. The legislation, he said, would prevent
useless embargoes that destroy American export
markets while creating opportunities
for other countries. Warfield said engagement
with other nations, not sanctions and
embargoes, should be the preferred option.
1998 Ron Paul 61:11
“The United States, as the leader in world
trade, has an unprecedented opportunity to
promote its values throughout the world by
peaceful engagement through trade,” Warfield
said, “Reaching out through engagement
and trade, not withdrawing behind embargoes,
is the best way to achieve positive
change — not by denying ourselves access to
the markets and creating opportunities for
our competitors.”
Notes:
1998 Ron Paul Chapter 61
The text of this chapter was inserted into the section of CongressionalRecord entitled “Extensions of Remarks” and was not spoken on the House floor.
1998 Ron Paul 61:2 American Farmers and Ranchers probably should have been uncapitalized: American farmers and ranchers.
1998 Ron Paul 61:3 agriculturally-based probably should have been agriculturally based.
1998 Ron Paul 61:12 Re. Tom Ewing probably should have been Rep. Tom Ewing, i.e.
The Honorable Thomas W. Ewing.
