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[Pages S1981-S1982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ENHANCING HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION IN ARMS SALES ACT OF 2019
Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, today I rise to speak about the
Enhancing Human Rights in Arms Sales Act of 2019, which I was proud to
introduce on
[[Page S1982]]
Monday with my colleagues, Senators Dick Durbin, Ron Wyden, and Ed
Markey. Senators Jeff Merkley, Chris Van Hollen, and Rand Paul also
cosponsored the bill this week. Our bipartisan bill takes critical
steps to ensure that U.S.-manufactured weapons are not used in the
commission of heinous war crimes, the repression of human rights, or by
terrorists who seek to do harm to Americans and innocent civilians
abroad. We do not only have a moral obligation to ensure that U.S.
weapons are used responsibly, but it is clearly in our national
security interest.
As one may be aware, the United States is the world's leading arms
supplier. According to data compiled by the Security Assistance
Monitor, from 2002 to 2016, the United States has delivered more than
$286 billion worth of major conventional weapons and related military
support to 200 recipients. The Cato Institute found that more than 40
percent of nations purchasing these arms are at high risk of
instability, terror, or egregious human rights abuses.
There are far too many examples of what can happen when we sell or
transfer arms without proper vetting. In Yemen, U.S. arms transferred
to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and their coalition have
been linked to more than 1,000 civilian casualties, according to a
recent report from a coalition of local and international human rights
NGOs.
In December 2017, the Trump administration lifted a freeze on weapons
transfers to Nigeria to sell 12 Super Tucano A-29 aircraft and
thousands of bombs and rockets worth $593 million, according to a
Reuters report. Earlier that same year, the BBC reported that at least
115 civilians were killed in a Nigerian military airstrike on an IDP
camp. Twenty Red Cross humanitarian aid workers were among the
casualties.
Reuters reports that, since 2000, the United States has provided
close to $1 billion worth of military equipment to the Philippines,
ranging from surveillance planes, drones, and boats to small arms.
Human Rights Watch estimates that at least 4,000 men, women, and
children have been killed by some of the country's security forces in
the government's anti-drug campaign. President Duterte has openly
encouraged the security forces to engage in extrajudicial killings.
Congress recently prevented the administration from selling small arms
to the Philippines, but insufficient end use monitoring prevents us
from knowing if U.S. weapons were used in the commission of these
abuses.
In Guatemala, according to the Washington Post, authorities used
U.S.-supplied armored J-8 Jeeps to intimidate U.S. Diplomats and
international anticorruption investigators in August 2018. Just weeks
later, the U.S. provided an additional shipment of similar jeeps to the
Guatemalan Government. Just to repeat, our diplomats were threatened by
the weapons that we ourselves provided. This is far from the only
threat American citizens and our partners face from American-made
weapons. Numerous investigations found that the dispersion of American-
supplied arms in Iraq made up a significant portion of ISIS's weapons
supply in the country.
This legislation will help curb these dangerous practices by
requiring the Secretary of State to make human rights certifications
for certain arms sales and transfers, specifically those involving
heavy weapons capable of causing mass casualties or destruction, such
as attack aircraft and missile launchers. The bill also requires the
Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, to
develop a strategy to enhance human rights protections in the arms
transfer process. Since we know abuses can take place years after
weapons have been transferred, the bill amends the Arms Control Export
act to ensure stringent end use monitoring with regard to human rights.
America's strength around the world is rooted in our values. Through
this legislation, the Senate can send a strong message that the United
States must not allow U.S. made arms to countries who abuse human
rights, attack civilians, recruit child soldiers, or who are unable to
keep weapons out of the hands of extremist groups. These commonsense
measures ensure any arms transfers take place in a responsible manner
that safeguards our security and protects human rights.
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