(1-31-96)

MR. SPEAKER, ON MONDAY, JANUARY 29TH, THREE SHORT DAYS BEFORE HE IS TO ARRIVE IN WASHINGTON, PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC OF FRANCE ANNOUNCED, IN A FORMAL NEWS RELEASE, THE END TO NUCLEAR TESTING IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC. THOUGH HE MAKES A PRETTY SPEECH, JUST IN TIME TO COME TO WASHINGTON POSING AS A FERVENT ADVOCATE OF NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT AND WARM TIES WITH AMERICA, I WANT TO POINT OUT FOR MY COLLEAGUES AND TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, MR. SPEAKER, THE HYPOCRISY OF MR. CHIRAC.

MR. CHIRAC BEGAN HIS NEWS RELEASE WITH THESE WORDS: "DEAR COMPATRIOTS, I ANNOUNCE TO YOU TODAY THE FINAL END TO FRENCH NUCLEAR TESTS. THANKS TO THE FINAL SERIES THAT HAS JUST TAKEN PLACE, FRANCE WILL HAVE A DURABLE, RELIABLE, AND MODERN DEFENSE."

POINT NUMBER ONE, MR. SPEAKER, FRANCE ALREADY HAD THE WORLD'S FOURTH LARGEST NAVY AND THE WORLD'S THIRD LARGEST ARSENAL OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS BEFORE IT EVEN BEGAN ITS FINAL SERIES OF NUCLEAR TESTS. FRANCE HAD ALREADY EXPLODED OVER 200 NUCLEAR BOMBS IN LAND, AIR AND WATER, FAR FROM THE HOME OF ENLIGHTENMENT. IN PARTICULAR, FRANCE HAD ALREADY EXPLODED 178 NUCLEAR BOMBS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC. WERE THOSE 200-PLUS NUCLEAR BOMB EXPLOSIONS NOT ENOUGH TO ENSURE A DURABLE, RELIABLE AND MODERN DEFENSE? IF THOSE 200 WERE NOT ENOUGH, WHY SHOULD WE NOW BELIEVE THAT THE SIX ADDITIONAL NUCLEAR BOMBS FRANCE HAS JUST CONDUCTED IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC WILL BE ENOUGH TO STAY ITS APPETITE IN THE FUTURE FOR AN EVEN MORE MODERN DEFENSE?

POINT NUMBER TWO, MR. SPEAKER, THE "FINAL SERIES" OF FRENCH NUCLEAR TESTS WERE NOT EVEN NECESSARY. THE UNITED STATES FREELY OFFERED FRANCE THE TECHNOLOGY IT SOUGHT TO ENSURE ITS SO-CALLED NUCLEAR WEAPONS RELIABILITY. WHY DID FRANCE NOT ACCEPT THE UNITED STATES OFFER? BECAUSE OF A COMBINATION OF TWO THINGS: FRENCH NATIONAL PRIDE, AND FRENCH SUSPICIONS THAT THE U.S. WAS WITHHOLDING STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY.

NOW CHIRAC WANTS TO BE PERCEIVED AS PROMOTING NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT AND WARM TIES WITH AMERICA? MR. SPEAKER, THIS IS THE HEIGHT OF HYPOCRISY. ONE WHO DEFIANTLY VIOLATES A WORLD MORATORIUM AND RESUMES UNNECESSARY NUCLEAR TESTING CANNOT AND MUST NOT BE REGARDED AS A PROMOTER OF NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, AND ONE WHO IS SUSPICIOUS OF ASSISTANCE THE UNITED STATES OFFERS CANNOT BE REGARDED AS PROMOTING WARM TIES WITH AMERICA.

MR. SPEAKER, PRESIDENT CHIRAC CONTINUED HIS SPEECH BY SAYING: "THE SECURITY OF OUR COUNTRY AND OUR CHILDREN IS ASSURED." IN TURN, MR. SPEAKER, I SAY, "AT WHAT PRICE, AND WHOSE CHILDREN?" THE SIXTH NUCLEAR BOMB THAT FRANCE EXPLODED ON SATURDAY, LAST SATURDAY, SINCE VIOLATING THE WORLD'S MORATORIUM, WAS OVER SIX TIMES MORE POWERFUL THAN THE BOMB DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA, JAPAN; A BOMB, INCIDENTALLY, MR. SPEAKER, THAT TOOK THE IMMEDIATE LIVES OF SOME 150,000 PEOPLE, AND LATER CLAIMED ANOTHER 50,000 WHO DIED FROM NUCLEAR CONTAMINATION AND RELATED ILLNESSES.

IN RESPONSE TO FRANCE'S LATEST NUCLEAR EXPLOSION IN FANGATAUFA ATOLL, THE MAYOR OF HIROSHIMA SAID THESE WORDS: "I FEEL RENEWED ANGER. NUCLEAR TESTS AIMED AT DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY WILL DO NOTHING BUT INCREASE THE RISK OF PUTTING HUMAN BEINGS ON THE BRINK OF RUIN."

I MIGHT NOW ASK, MR. SPEAKER, WHAT KIND OF SECURITY HAS FRANCE REALLY SECURED FOR OUR CHILDREN? FRANCE'S NUCLEAR TEST SITES ARE LEAKING CANCEROUS RADIOACTIVE WASTE INTO THE SWIRLING WATERS OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN, WHICH COVER ONE-THIRD OF THE WORLD'S SURFACE. I SUBMIT, MR. SPEAKER, THAT FRANCE HAS PUT NOT ONLY ITS CHILDREN BUT ALL OF OUR CHILDREN ON THE BRINK OF RUIN BY EXPOSING THEM TO NUCLEAR CONTAMINATION THROUGH A RESULTING TOXIC FOOD CHAIN.

MR. SPEAKER, CHIRAC'S RECKLESS ACTIONS HAVE ALSO INITIATED THE NUCLEAR ARMS RACE ALL OVER AGAIN. HORRIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ASIDE, CHIRAC'S DECISION TO RESUME UNNECESSARY NUCLEAR TESTING IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC HAS OPENED A PANDORA'S BOX THAT HOLDS CHILLING IMPLICATIONS FOR NUCLEAR AND NON-NUCLEAR NATIONS ALIKE. PRIME MINISTER KEATING OF AUSTRALIA RECENTLY SAID, AND I QUOTE: "THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT IS TO BE STRONGLY CONDEMNED FOR THE LATEST TEST AT FANGATAUFA ATOLL, AND FOR CONDUCTING IT DURING NEGOTIATIONS FOR A COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY WHICH ARE NOW ENTERING THE FINAL CRITICAL STAGES IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND."

WHAT IMPLICATIONS, MR. SPEAKER, DOES CHIRAC'S RECKLESS DECISION TO INITIATE THE NUCLEAR ARMS RACE ALL OVER AGAIN HOLD FOR THOSE NEGOTIATIONS AND FOR THE SECURITY OF THE WORLD? LET ME SHARE WITH YOU, MR. SPEAKER, THE DOMINO EFFECT OF CHIRAC'S RECKLESS DECISION. THERE IS NOW A SERIOUS MOVE BY INDIA TO LINK THE NEGOTIATIONS OF A COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY IN GENEVA TO ITS CALL FOR NEGOTIATIONS TO START THIS YEAR ON REMOVING ALL NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN A SPECIFIED TIME. THE FIVE NUCLEAR SUPERPOWERS ARE, OF COURSE, AGAINST THIS MOVE, BUT JOINING INDIA IS, IRONICALLY, PAKISTAN. v ADDING TO THIS DIFFICULTY, INDIA REFUSES TO SIGN THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY (NPT) ON THE BASIS THAT THE NUCLEAR NATIONS ARE STILL MAINTAINING THEIR NUCLEAR ARSENALS, WHICH IN EFFECT MAKES THE WHOLE TREATY MEANINGLESS AND DISCRIMINATORY. INDIA'S REPRESENTATIVE TO THE CURRENT DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE IN GENEVA SAID, AND I QUOTE: "WE ARE OF THE VIEW THAT TO BE MEANINGFUL, THE TREATY SHOULD BE SECURELY ANCHORED IN A GLOBAL DISARMAMENT CONTEXT, AND BE LINKED THROUGH TREATY LANGUAGE TO THE ELIMINATION OF ALL NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN A TIME-BOUND FRAMEWORK." IN OTHER WORDS, MR. SPEAKER, INDIA IS PUSHING FOR NO LOOPHOLES IN THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY.

AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS, WHAT ASSURANCES DO NON-NUCLEAR NATIONS HAVE IF NUCLEAR NATIONS RETAIN THEIR NUCLEAR ARSENALS? IF FRANCE'S RESUMPTION OF NUCLEAR TESTS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC IS A CASE IN POINT, NON-NUCLEAR NATIONS HAVE NEXT TO NOTHING IN ASSURANCES FROM A FIVE-MEMBER CLUB, COMPRISED OF ONE WHO IS WILLING TO DEFY WORLD MORATORIUMS AT WILL, AND FOUR WHO ARE WILLING TO ACT IN COMPLICITY BY LOOKING THE OTHER WAY.

MR. SPEAKER, BECAUSE OF CHIRAC'S RECKLESS AND SELFISH DECISION, INDIA IS NOW RESISTING WESTERN PRESSURE TO FORGO THE NUCLEAR OPTION AND TO SCRAP ITS AMBITIOUS BALLISTIC MISSLE PROGRAM. INDIA IS SAYING, "IF FRANCE CAN DEFY WORLD MORATORIUMS TO ENSURE A DURABLE, RELIABLE, AND MODERN DEFENSE, THEN SO CAN WE." JUST THIS WEEK, INDIA SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED A NEW BALLISTIC MISSLE, THE IMPROVED "PRITHVI," THAT HAS A RANGE EXCEEDING 150 MILES AND A CAPABILITY OF BEING FITTED WITH NUCLEAR WARHEADS.

THIS MEANS, MR. SPEAKER, THAT INDIA HAS A MISSILE WITH NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES THAT CAN REACH THE CAPITAL OF PAKISTAN; IS IT SURPRISING THAT PAKISTAN NOW WANTS TO UTILIZE M-11 BALLISTIC MISSILES FROM CHINA. THESE M-11 MISSILES ARE ALSO CAPABLE OF CARRYING NUCLEAR WARHEADS, AND CAN HIT KEY CITIES THROUGHOUT INDIA.

BUT THE CHAIN REACTION CHIRAC HAS CREATED DOES NOT STOP THERE, MR. SPEAKER. INDIA AND CHINA HAVE JUST SIGNED A CONTRACT FOR INDIA TO PURCHASE URANIUM FROM CHINA. NOW CHINA, IN AN EXPRESSION OF ITS OWN SECURITY CONCERNS, IS DEVELOPING WARM RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA. CHINA'S POSITION IS THAT IT CANNOT DEPEND ON WESTERN POWERS FOR ITS SECURITY, AS RENEWED APPREHENSION GROWS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE NATO POWERS. MEANWHILE, CHINA AND RUSSIA MAY STILL CONDUCT NUCLEAR TESTS AND HAVE NOT UNCONDITIONALLY ACCEPTED A GENUINE ZERO-YIELD COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY. ALL OF THIS, MR. SPEAKER, HAS BEEN FUELED IN PART BY FRANCE'S DEFIANT VIOLATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL TESTING MORATORIUM, WHICH HAS CONTRIBUTED TO A GLOBAL ATMOSPHERE OF DISTRUST AND PARANOIA WHERE NATIONS ARE RELUCTANT TO GIVE UP THEIR NUCLEAR OPTIONS.

AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER KEATING SUMS IT UP THIS WAY: "SUCH IRRESPONSIBLE ACTIONS SEND THE WORST POSSIBLE SIGNAL TO NATIONS THAT ASPIRE TO POSSESS NUCLEAR WEAPONS, AND DAMAGES EFFORTS TO ADVANCE NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT AND NON-PROLIFERATION. THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT IS TO BE STRONGLY CONDEMNED."

DESPITE WORLD CONDEMNATION, MR. SPEAKER, CHIRAC ARROGANTLY CONTINUED HIS SPEECH OF EUROCENTRIC RATIONALE BY MARGINALIZING ASIA-PACIFIC CONCERNS. PRESIDENT CHIRAC STATES: "I KNOW THE DECISION I TOOK LAST JUNE MAY HAVE CAUSED WORRIES AND EMOTIONS." MR. SPEAKER, CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? CHIRAC THINKS HIS DECISION ONLY CAUSED "WORRIES AND EMOTIONS." IS HE STILL DENYING THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF HIS UNNECESSARY NUCLEAR BOMB EXPLOSIONS IN WATERS CONVENIENTLY LOCATED HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD FROM FRANCE? IS HE STILL CLAIMING THAT HIS NUCLEAR BOMB EXPLOSIONS HAVE NO ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES?

IS HE UNAWARE THAT HE HAS INITIATED A NUCLEAR ARMS RACE ALL OVER AGAIN? OR DOES HE JUST TAKE NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION LIGHTLY, SUGGESTING THAT IT SHOULD CAUSE NOTHING MORE THAN A FEW WORRIES AND EMOTIONS? WHAT KIND OF WORLD LEADER COULD BE SO BARBARIC IN HIS INTERPRETATIONS, MR. SPEAKER?

PRESIDENT CHIRAC CONTINUES BY CLAIMING THAT, "WHILE MY RESOLVE WAS NOT AFFECTED, I WAS NOT INSENSITIVE TO THOSE MOVEMENTS OF PUBLIC OPINION." HOW SENSITIVE, MR. SPEAKER, WAS HE? WAS HE SENSITIVE ENOUGH TO STOP NUCLEAR BOMBINGS? WAS HE SENSITIVE ENOUGH TO CONSIDER THE 28 MILLION PEOPLE LIVING IN THE PACIFIC REGION WHOSE LIVES WILL BE AFFECTED FOR DECADES TO COME AS A RESULT OF THE NUCLEAR NIGHTMARE CHIRAC'S UNAFFECTED RESOLVE CREATED FOR THEM?

AS PRIME MINISTER BOLGER OF NEW ZEALAND HAS NOTED, AND I QUOTE, "DESPITE ALL SUGGESTIONS FROM FRANCE THAT THIS IS A TOTALLY SAFE AND BENIGN OPERATION, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SAFE NUCLEAR TEST. THEY ALL CREATE MASSIVE DAMAGE. IT IS JUST A MATTER OF HOW MUCH, WHEN, AND WHAT LEAKAGE THERE IS."

PHILIPPINES PRESIDENT RAMOS ALSO HAS THIS TO SAY, MR. SPEAKER, AND I QUOTE ONCE AGAIN: "I CONDEMN IN THE STRONGEST TERMS THE LATEST TESTS BY FRANCE. THIS LATEST TEST IS A CONTINUED DEFIANCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES' APPEALS TO FRANCE."

MR. SPEAKER, I MIGHT ALSO NOTE, THIS LATEST TEST COMES SHORTLY AFTER ALL 10 SOUTHEAST ASIAN COUNTRIES SIGNED A TREATY PROVIDING FOR A NUCLEAR-FREE ZONE IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD.

WHILE PRESIDENT CHIRAC MAY CLAIM SENSITIVITY, THE LATEST IN FRENCH NULCEAR TESTINGS ARE AN AFFRONT, A SLAP IN THE FACE TO ASIA-PACIFIC COUNTRIES. SINCE WHEN IS A SLAP IN THE FACE, MR. SPEAKER, CONSIDERED TO BE AN EXPRESSION OF SENSITIVITY?

PROMOTING HIS PROPAGANDA TO THE HILT, MR. SPEAKER, CHIRAC CONTINUES HIS RESPONSE TO THE WORLD'S CONDEMNATION OF FRENCH NUCLEAR TESTING. THESE "MOVEMENTS," AS CHIRAC LIKES TO CALL INTERNATIONAL PROTESTS, "TESTIFIED TO THE GROWING IMPORTANCE THE WORLD'S INHABITANTS ATTACH TO COLLECTIVE SECURITY AND SAFEGUARDING THE ENVIRONMENT. I SHARE THESE CONCERNS."

MR. SPEAKER, I AM APPALLED THAT THE WORLD'S NUMBER ONE NUCLEAR PROLIFERATOR, THE MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR INITIATING THE NUCLEAR ARMS RACE ALL OVER AGAIN, WOULD NOW TRY TO CONVINCE US THAT HE SHARES OUR CONCERNS FOR COLLECTIVE SECURITY AND SAFEGUARDING OF THE ENVIROMENT. IF THIS WERE THE CASE, WHY DID HE NOT JUST ACCEPT THE TECHNOLOGY THE UNITED STATES OFFERED?

WHY CONDUCT UNNECESSARY NUCLEAR TESTING? WHY REOPEN THE NUCLEAR ARMS RACE? WHY CREATE THE PARANOIA? WHY PIT NUCLEAR NATIONS AGAINST NON-NUCLEAR NATIONS? WHY PIT WESTERN POWERS AGAINST NON-WESTERN POWERS? WHY, ON THE ONE HAND, CLAIM THAT THERE ARE NO ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF NUCLEAR TESTINGS, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, CHOOSE TO CONDUCT THESE NUCLEAR TESTS FAR FROM THE BORDERS OF FRANCE?

WHOSE ENVIRONMENT IS CHIRAC REALLY INTERESTED IN SAFEGUARDING, MR. SPEAKER? AND WHOSE SECURITY IS HE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT?

IN A VERY PATRONIZING WAY, MR. SPEAKER, CHIRAC ALSO SAID, AND I QUOTE, "I KNOW THAT NUCLEAR ENERGY CAN BE FRIGHTENING, BUT IN A WORLD THAT IS STILL DANGEROUS, OUR WEAPON IS A DETERRENT -- THAT MEANS A WEAPON THAT CAN SERVE PEACE. TODAY I HAVE THE FEELING OF HAVING ACCOMPLISHED ONE OF MY MOST IMPORTANT DUTIES BY GIVING FRANCE, FOR DECADES TO COME, THE CAPABILITY FOR ITS INDEPENDENCE AND SECURITY." I THINK THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION FOR US, MR. SPEAKER. IT IS FRENCH SECURITY AND THE FRENCH ENVIRONMENT THAT CHIRAC IS CONCERNED ABOUT. TO HECK WITH EVERYONE ELSE'S INDEPENDENCE AND SECURITY. FRANCE HAS ITS OWN RULES. FRANCE DOES ITS OWN THING. IF IT WANTS TO VIOLATE WORLD MORATORIUMS, IT WILL. FRANCE, AFTER ALL, COMES FIRST.

MR. SPEAKER, EXCUSE ME, BUT I THOUGHT PEACE MEANT WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE AN EQUITABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL CITIZENS OF THE WORLD, NOT JUST FRENCH ONES.

WHILE I AM ON THE SUBJECT, MR. SPEAKER, I MIGHT QUESTION CHIRAC'S USE OF THE WORD "INDEPENDENCE." DOES "INDEPENDENCE" IN CHIRAC'S VOCABULARY INCLUDE FREEDOM FOR THE NATIVE PEOPLE OF TAHITI WHO HAVE FELT THE BRUNT OF FRENCH COLONIAL REIGN SINCE THE ISLANDS OF FRENCH POLYNESIA WERE WHAT WESTERNERS WOULD CALL "COLONIZED" BY FRANCE, AFTER SOME 500 FRENCH SOLDIERS WITH GUNS AND CANNONS SUBDUED THE TAHITIAN CHIEFS AND THEIR WARRIORS IN THE 1840s. OR IS INDEPENDENCE JUST A CONCEPT, LIKE SECURITY, THAT CHIRIC APPLIES ONLY TO THE PEOPLE OF FRANCE?

MR. SPEAKER, CHIRAC CONTINUED HIS DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE BY SAYING, AND I QUOTE, "A NEW CHAPTER IS OPENING. FRANCE WILL PLAY AN ACTIVE AND DTERMINED ROLE IN WORLD DISARMAMENT AND FOR A BETTER EUROPEAN DEFENSE," END OF QUOTE. MR. SPEAKER, DO I HEAR CHIRAC CORRECTLY? DO I HEAR HIM TRYING TO JUSTIFY HIS LATEST NUCLEAR TESTINGS BY SAYING HE DID IT ALL TO STABILIZE RELATIONS IN EUROPE?

FOR HIM TO SUGGEST THAT THE RESUMPTION OF FRENCH NUCLEAR TESTING WAS DONE TO STABILIZE RELATIONS IN EUROPE IS RIDICULOUS. WHEN FRANCE FIRST PRESENTED THE IDEA OF "CONCERTED DETERRENCE" AND OFFERED TO EXTEND ITS NUCLEAR UMBRELLA TO ITS EUROPEAN PARTNERS, THERE WERE FEW TAKERS, MR. SPEAKER. IN FACT, MR. SPEAKER, 10 OF THE 15 EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES VOTED WITH THE UNITED NATIONS, PROTESTING THE RESUMPTION OF FRENCH NUCLEAR TESTING.

WHY, MR. SPEAKER, ARE THE EUROPEAN UNION MEMBERS NOT MORE ANXIOUS TO BE SHIELDED BY THE FRENCH NUCLEAR UMBRELLA? THIS IS PARTLY BECAUSE THE EUROPEAN UNION NATIONS ARE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THE PROTECTION THE UNITED STATES HAS PROVIDED THEM FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS, AND PARTLY, MR. SPEAKER, BECAUSE HISTORICALLY, FRANCE JUST CANNOT BE TRUSTED.

MR. SPEAKER, IN THE 1940s, FRANCE SURRENDERED TO NAZI GERMANY. IN 1966, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE COLD WAR, WHEN NUCLEAR MISSILES WERE POINTED AT EVERY MAJOR COUNTRY IN EUROPE, FRANCE PULLED OUT OF THE NATO ALLIANCE. TODAY FRANCE HAS STILL NOT OFFICIALLY JOINED NATO, AND AS WE HAVE CLEARLY SEEN FROM SEPTEMBER OF 1995 TO JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, FRANCE CANNOT EVEN BE TRUSTED TO HONOR A WORLD MORATORIUM IT CALLED FOR AND AGREED TO ONLY THREE SHORT YEARS AGO. HOW CAN ANY NATION, EUROPEAN OR NOT, BE ASSURED OF ANY FRENCH POSITION?

MR. SPEAKER, CHIRAC SAYS, AND I QUOTE, "I WILL TAKE INTIATIVES IN THIS DIRECTION IN THE COMING WEEKS. AS ALL OF YOU, DEAR COMPATRIOTS, I WANT PEACE -- SOLID AND DURABLE PEACE. WE ALL KNOW THAT PEACE, LIKE FREEDOM, HAS TO BE BUILT EACH DAY. THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE DECISION I TOOK AND THAT WILL BE THE GUIDELINE FOR MY ACTION TOMORROW."

MR. SPEAKER, CAN WE REALLY PUT STOCK IN CHIRAC'S GUIDELINE FOR TOMMOROW? FRANCE'S OWN URBAN MINISTER SAID ABOUT CHIRAC'S DECISION TO EXPLODE 6 ADDITIONAL BOMBS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC, AND I QUOTE, "HE DID WHAT HE SAID HE WOULD DO, AND HE DID THE RIGHT THING."

MR. SPEAKER, SOMETHING IS ROTTEN IN DENMARK WHEN WORLD LEADERS CONSIDER THAT THEY HAVE DONE THE RIGHT THING BY VIOLATING WORLD MORATORIUMS THAT THEY AGREED TO. CHIRAC'S AIDE SAID CHIRAC WILL EARN INTERNATIONAL RESPECT FOR STICKING DETERMINEDLY TO A DECISION ALMOST AS UNPOPULAR DOMESTICALLY AS IT WAS INTERNATIONALLY.

MR. SPEAKER, IF THE RESPONSES OF WORLD LEADERS FROM AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, JAPAN, THE PHILIPPINES, THE PACIFIC NATIONS AND EUROPE IS ANY INDICATION OF INTERNATIONAL SENTIMENT, CHIRAC WILL BE A LONG TIME IN EARNING ANYBODY'S RESPECT. ANYONE WITH A SOCIAL CONSCIENCE, WORLD LEADER OR NOT, KNOWS THAT THE ONLY INTEREST CHIRAC CONSIDERED IN RESUMING NUCLEAR TESTING WAS THE HIGHER INTERESTS OF FRENCH MILITARY INDUSTRIAL LOBBYISTS AND THEIR PROFITABLE $2.5 BILLION NUCLEAR PROGRAM.

MR. SPEAKER, NOW CHIRAC WANTS TO COME TO WASHINGTON AND MAKE A CASE FOR PEACE AND ACT AS A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE WORLD'S POOR. BUT, MR. SPEAKER, DID YOU KNOW THAT FRANCE IS NOW THE TOP WEAPONS EXPORTER AND WEAPONS SUPPLIER IN THE WORLD? MR. SPEAKER, IS IT WITH IRONY OR WITH HYPOCRISY THAT PRESIDENT CHIRAC WILL PROMOTE PEACE AND ACT AS A SPOKEMAN FOR THE WORLD'S POOR WHEN FRANCE IS THE BIGGEST EXPORTER OF WEAPONS TO DEVELOPING NATIONS?

MR. SPEAKER, WHILE CHIRAC MAY SCRIPT HIS STORY FOR EUROCENTRIC AUDIENCES, THE PEOPLE OF THE PACIFIC WHO FEEL THE BRUNT OF COLONIAL REIGN HAVE THEIR OWN STORY TO TELL. IT IS A TRAVESTY THAT TOMORROW THEIR VOICES WILL BE MADE MUTE IN THIS CHAMBER BY ONE WHO SO ARROGANTLY AND SO OPENLY MARGINALIZES NOT ONLY THEIR CONCERNS, BUT THE CONCERNS OF THE WORLD COMMUNITY AS WELL.

MR. SPEAKER, IT IS AN ACT DEVOID OF ALL SOCIAL CONSCIENCE THAT HAS AFFORDED MR. CHIRAC THE OPPORTUNITY OF DELIVERING HIS DOWNRIGHT DECEPTIVE MESSAGE FROM A CHAMBER THAT SYMBOLICALLY REPRESENTS THE HIGHEST OF DEMOCRATIC VALUES.

I URGE MY COLLEAGUES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE TO JOIN TOGETHER AND SUPPORT THE PRIVILEGED RESOLUTION, H.R. 350, INTRODUCED BY THE HONORABLE PATSY MINK OF HAWAII, THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN FROM GUAM, ROBERT UNDERWOOD, THE HONORABLE PATRICIA SHROEDER FROM COLORADO AND MYSELF, WHICH REQUESTS THE SPEAKER TO WITHDRAW THE INVITATION TO PRESIDENT CHIRAC TO ADDRESS A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS. IF THE INVITATION IS NOT REVOKED, THEN I URGE MY COLLEAGUES NOT TO ATTEND THE JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS.

TO ATTEND THE SESSION IS TO ACT IN COMPLICITY, TO VALIDATE FRANCE'S POSITION THAT IT IS OKAY TO VIOLATE WORLD MORATORIUMS, TO RESUME NUCLEAR TESTINGS THAT POISON THE PACIFIC, TO INITIATE A NUCLEAR ARMS RACE ALL OVER AGAIN, TO PLACE HUMANITY ON THE BRINK OF DESTRUCTION.

AS A MEMBER OF BOTH THE PACIFIC ISLAND COMMUNITY AND THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND AS ONE WHO HAS SAILED TO THE NUCLEAR TESTING SITE OF MORUROA AND BEEN ARRESTED AT THE HANDS OF FRENCH COMMANDOS IN WATERS THE GOOD LORD GAVE THE PEOPLE OF POLYNESIA, AS ONE WHO HAS CONSIDERED THE KIND OF WORLD THAT I WANT MY CHILDREN TO LIVE IN -- MR. SPEAKER, I CANNOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE BE A PARTY TO SUCH HYPOCRISY.